Reaching the eighth or ninth layer of Qi Refinement was already considered close to the Legendary Realm. As for those at the Foundation Establishment Stage, they were seen by the commoners as Immortals descending to the mortal world. To the Foundation Establishment cultivators at the bottom of the Nine Provinces, this Secret Realm was like a dream come true.
There were countless beauties willingly throwing themselves into his embrace, so-called masters who could not withstand even a single move from him, and innumerable heavenly materials and earthly treasures aiding him in reaching the Nascent Soul Stage. He could even establish his own nation and enjoy the honor and authority of a Son of Heaven.
To put it plainly—this was something one wouldn’t even dare to dream of. Yet all of this held little attraction to Jiang Li. Still, he had roughly guessed what this Secret Realm wanted to test.
Out of respect for the senior who left it behind, he decided to play along with its intention. Surrounded by fragrant beauties, Jiang Li decided to dominate the world. He suppressed his strength to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, defeated the Eighteen Route Lords within three days, and in five days established a nation, drafting laws and selecting officials.
Later generations would call this event the “Five-Three Founding.” When other nations heard that Jiang Li was an Immortal, they immediately came to pay tribute, showing their submission. All under heaven came to worship, and he became Lord of the World!
Past and present, no one had ever surpassed Jiang Li at that moment. Seven days after he entered the Secret Realm, his newly founded, prosperous nation was rising swiftly. Jiang Li sat silently in the grand Imperial Palace, his expression calm and distant.
During Jiang Li’s conquests, Chun’er had never left his side. Now she had become the Empress, sitting beside him with gentle devotion. Many ministers worked tirelessly to find beautiful women to fill the Imperial Harem.
These women admired Jiang Li deeply; all willingly served him without coercion. There were also Daoists who believed Jiang Li to be a being from the Immortal Realm, offering all kinds of heavenly treasures, spirit stones, and fine wines.
The national treasury was filled to bursting, its wealth so vast that even a Spirit Transformation cultivator would turn green with envy.
“This place is not a land for me to linger in. I must go.”
Jiang Li’s voice was faint, uncertain whether he spoke to himself or to Chun’er. Chun’er’s eyes grew dim, her voice trembling as tears streamed down, wetting her luxurious gown.
“I know my Benefactor is not of this world, but do we truly have nothing here worth your fond remembrance?”
Jiang Li spoke plainly.
“None.”
“There are three thousand beauties in your harem, each unparalleled in charm… does none of it move you, Benefactor?”
“I’ve seen women far more beautiful than these.”
“I don’t believe that!”
Chun’er shook her head firmly, full of confidence in her beauty. Becoming Empress was not only because she had accompanied Jiang Li the longest—seven whole days—but also because her beauty surpassed all others.
“I’ve seen the Red Dust Fairy.”
“……”
Chun’er fell silent. She did not know where she had heard that title before, but it struck her as familiar. Yet she didn’t give up.
“Then, what of the treasures in the imperial treasury? Surely they can tempt Benefactor? I’ve read the records: there lies a Soaring Light Divine Fruit—one bite equals thirty years of an Immortal’s cultivation—and the Azure Wave Sea-Splitting Technique, which upon mastery allows a single sword to cleave rivers… and there’s even—” Jiang Li did not reply.
Instead, he silently took out a Creation Ninefold Immortal Pill. Were it not that the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Ladder had long been destroyed, this pill alone would allow one to ascend instantly. Its value was beyond measure.
Chun’er clearly recognized it, and her lips fell silent. In truth, she had wanted to say, “Give me the Immortal Pill, and I’ll go back to the Nine Provinces with you.” Yet she still refused to give up.
“Benefactor, soon you will truly unify the world, becoming its one true ruler. This is a feat envied by all emperors since ancient times. Does such glory not move your heart?”
Jiang Li sighed.
“As the current Human Emperor of the Nine Provinces, respected by the entire world, how could being the master of a mere Illusory Realm compare?”
Chun’er froze, unable to react for a moment. Jiang Li continued, “Truthfully, those are all excuses. The real reason… is this: why would I linger in an illusion?”
Then he turned his gaze slightly.
“Am I right, Elder Meng Chun?”
The moment he spoke, Chun’er’s form changed. No longer the gentle Empress, she now stood with the dignity of an ancient cultivator, her garments showing traces of antiquity.
“I thought my illusion arts were flawless enough to deceive you, Daoist Friend. It seems I’ve overestimated myself.”
According to intelligence from the Heavenly Mystery Tower, the Great Dream Lay Scholar—true name Meng Chun—was a peerless female cultivator of unrivaled beauty eight hundred years ago. As for the illusion, Jiang Li had already perceived its falsehood the instant he stepped into the Secret Realm. Everything after that had been mere phantom.
The Great Dream Lay Scholar specialized in the Way of Illusions. It was said that at the pinnacle of this Dao, reality and illusion could be reversed—one thought turning falsehood into truth, another turning truth into falsehood—utterly terrifying. Crack—— Like a shattered mirror, the illusion broke apart.
Fragments scattered like droplets of water, melding into the earth and vanishing completely. Once the illusion dissolved, the true face of the Secret Realm appeared—a vast primeval jungle. Jiang Li cast out his Divine Sense; the area was large, approximately one quarter the size of Heavenly Celebration Prefecture.
He stood upon an open plain. All around, hundreds of sect disciples lay unconscious on the ground, faces filled with differing emotions—some troubled, some joyful, some exuding murderous intent. Who knew what choices they had made within the illusion?
Meng Chun’s figure now stood before Jiang Li. With a hint of apology, she spoke, “I did not realize that the current Human Emperor had come here. It was discourteous of me.”
The Heavenly Mystery Tower’s information had not been wrong. Meng Chun had indeed perished under the Heavenly Tribulation long ago. The one before him now was no more than a remnant will left behind before her death.
“Not at all,” Jiang Li replied with a faint smile.
“It was I who intruded carelessly and disturbed Elder Meng.”
Seeing Meng Chun hesitate slightly, Jiang Li continued, “If there is something on your mind, Elder Meng, you may as well speak plainly.” Meng Chun said softly, “In my time, I too saw the reigning Human Emperor—a true hero of an age.
Yet compared to you, Daoist Friend, who seems almost like an Immortal banished to the mortal realm… tell me, has the Nine Provinces rediscovered the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Ladder?”
“Not quite,” Jiang Li answered.
“I was merely fortunate enough to break through to the Mahayana Stage.”
Meng Chun’s pupils contracted slightly. To her, hearing that someone had achieved Mahayana was even more astonishing than finding the Immortal Ascension Heavenly Ladder.
“I once thought the Mahayana Stage to be nothing more than legend,” she murmured.
“To think someone truly crossed that boundary…”
“A fluke, nothing more,” Jiang Li replied casually, unwilling to linger on the topic.
“Elder Meng’s illusion here—it was meant to test whether these young cultivators could resist beauty, treasures, and power, yes?”
She nodded.
“As long as they can resist even one temptation, they pass and may proceed to the second trial layer.”
That was easy to deduce. First came countless beauties freely given, then endless heavenly treasures piled like mountains, and finally the chance for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to rule the world.
If one thought carefully, there were many contradictions in the illusion—for instance, where had the other cultivators gone, why were there so many peerless beauties, how other nations submitted so easily, and so on.
Yet that was precisely the terrifying nature of Illusion Dao—it caused the mind to ignore such inconsistencies, drawing one deeper and deeper until they could no longer awaken.
“Mmm—” From the ground, Qin Luan let out a muffled groan.
It was the sign of someone about to break free from illusion. Time within the illusion differed from reality. By calculation, Qin Luan had been trapped there for nearly a month.
To break through an illusion within a mere month—such composure greatly impressed Meng Chun. Seeing someone about to awaken, Meng Chun smiled faintly.
“Daoist Friend, we shall discuss the Dao again once this Secret Realm’s trial ends.”
With a mysterious smile, she left behind only one more sentence before fading from sight.
“The next test… may be very well suited to you.”
Though Jiang Li’s purpose here remained unknown, with his Mahayana cultivation, he could easily alter the Secret Realm’s structure if he wished. Yet he chose not to. Since he had shown her that courtesy, she would naturally not pry further.
(End of Chapter)