Song Ying’s Illusory Realm was different from others. The one she saved wasn’t a handsome man or a beautiful woman—it was Qin Luan, who had been suppressed to the Qi Refining Stage.

In that illusion, Qin Luan said that the moment he entered the Illusory Realm, he had been reduced to the Qi Refining Stage and was now being chased by bandits, with no choice but to rely on Song Ying for protection. Song Ying could not stop smiling for half a day.

After Song Ying unified the world, she shared the throne with Qin Luan. Every heavenly treasure she found, she gave him to consume, finally helping Qin Luan recover to the Late Foundation Establishment Stage. Afterward, Song Ying abandoned her empire and chose to live in seclusion with Qin Luan among the mountains and forests.

The Illusory Realm thus judged that Song Ying had resisted the temptation of worldly power and granted her passage. Qin Luan’s expression turned dull, unable to comprehend what Song Ying had done in that illusion.

Why?

Wasn’t that witch supposed to disturb my Dao Heart? Why did she save me? Why didn’t she consume those heavenly treasures herself?

Why give up her throne, why… Qin Luan’s body trembled slightly. He did not speak.

The urge to watch the Water Mirror faded; he simply turned and walked away. He wanted some quiet. After that, more people passed through the Illusory Realm one after another, though it took a long time.

The Seven Kills Dao Child, whom Qin Luan held in high regard, took a full year to pass, while others took even longer. Some even aged and died within the Illusory Realm before emerging again. Naturally, those who died inside had failed the trial.

From the sky, Meng Chun’s voice descended.

“All participants have now exited the Illusory Realm. The first hundred who cleared it fastest may proceed to the next layer. The rest have failed and will leave the Illusory Realm.”

Meng Chun ignored the protests of those ranked behind and directly expelled seven-eighths of the participants.

“Now, the ranking for the First Trial Layer will be announced.”

For some reason, Jiang Li thought he could hear a trace of schadenfreude in Meng Chun’s tone. Perhaps it was just a distortion in the sound.

“First place, Human Emperor Jiang Li.”

“Second place, Qin Luan.”

“Third place, Li Litong.”

“Fourth place, Song Ying.”

“Fifth place, Li Fugui—note—also known as the Seven Kills Dao Child.” …

“One hundredth place…”

As the words “Human Emperor Jiang Li” were spoken, the crowd erupted like a barrel of gunpowder ignited all at once. First place, Human Emperor Jiang Li? Their first reaction was that the Secret Realm must have malfunctioned.

But after a moment, they realized—this Secret Realm’s master had perished eight hundred years ago and could not possibly know of the current Human Emperor Jiang Li! There was only one possibility—the true Jiang Human Emperor was here himself! Thinking of this, everyone’s hearts burned with excitement.

Who cared about the second trial anymore? All scrambled to find Jiang Li’s figure. Qin Luan and Li Litong’s reactions were the most intense.

Qin Luan was standing right next to Jiang Li; at this moment, he no longer dared speak carelessly, his every action becoming cautious and restrained. Li Litong, meanwhile, was tangled in conflict—should he shamelessly flatter Jiang Li, or pretend indifference to appear dignified, hoping Jiang Li would look at him with some admiration?

But suddenly, a wave of drowsiness swept over them. Even the excitement of standing beside the Human Emperor could not resist the irresistible weariness. Only Jiang Li remained unaffected.

He sensed that this strange sleepiness must be related to the second trial, so he simply took out a bed and quilt from his Storage Ring and comfortably drifted into sleep. To their astonishment, everyone found themselves now at a place where mountains met the sea—towering peaks rose on one side while endless waves rolled on the other.

More surprising still, they could see and interact with others even within their dreams. Was the dream connected? Li Litong knew what this meant, but he couldn’t be bothered to explain to a group of Foundation Establishment juniors.

“It’s the Dao of Dreams,” said the Seven Kills Dao Child, who had a broad range of knowledge, immediately seeing through the situation.

“Everyone quiet! Listen to what Li Fugui has to say!” someone called out, which made veins bulge visibly on the Seven Kills Dao Child’s forehead.

Who was that damned fool shouting—see if I don’t cut you down later! Oh, it was Qin Luan. In that case, never mind.

The Seven Kills Dao Child held in his irritation and continued, “I once heard from my elders that there exists a rare cultivation path known as the Dao of Dreams. One can cultivate within dreams and, when facing an opponent, force them into sleep, dragging them into one’s own dreamscape for battle. It’s very similar to our current situation.”

Jiang Li nodded slightly. What Seven Kills Dao Child said was correct, but he hadn’t mentioned the most crucial part. Whether he truly didn’t know, or deliberately concealed it, was unclear.

“Now announcing the Second Layer Trial.”

Meng Chun’s voice once again echoed through the dark void. This time, Jiang Li could confirm—there was definitely amusement in her tone.

“One hundred cultivators have entered the dream. Here, you may freely imagine your own strength!”

“Engage in battle. The last person standing shall be declared the victor!”

The gathered cultivators were puzzled. The final statement was simple enough—it meant “fight.” But what did “freely imagine your own strength” mean?

Could it be that however strong you believe yourself to be, that’s how strong you would become? The Seven Kills Dao Child secretly clicked his tongue. Someone faintly grasped Meng Chun’s meaning.

He raised a hand and mimed lifting a distant mountain—astonishingly, that mountain truly rose into the air!

“How is this possible?!”

Seeing this, everyone instantly understood Meng Chun’s meaning. This was a dream—where they could act as they pleased! Their strength was limited only by imagination!

“Golden Core! I’ve broken through to the Golden Core!” one man shouted joyfully.

He imagined himself as a Golden Core Cultivator—and indeed, his cultivation rose from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core! Not only that, it was even a top-grade First Grade Core!

“What’s a mere Golden Core? Watch as I break through straight to Nascent Soul!” another said disdainfully, picturing himself becoming a Nascent Soul expert—and immediately transcended Golden Core, becoming Nascent Soul!

“All you think about is breaking through cultivation realms—watch my true Kunpeng form!” someone else declared.

The next instant, his body expanded to a behemoth stretching thousands of miles, diving into the sea like a sword, transforming into a massive Kun Fish that churned the waves.

“What’s good about the Demon Race? Watch me manifest Heaven and Earth itself!” another bellowed, growing into a giant who stood shoulder to shoulder with the heavens.

“Come fight!”

The Kun Fish erupted from the sea, transforming back into a vast Great Roc that stirred a stormy gale, clashing with the Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation giant. At this moment, realms like Golden Core and Nascent Soul meant nothing—they were mere dust before the might of this battle.

The clash between the Great Roc and the Manifested Giant was no less than an all-out life-and-death struggle between Integration Stage Grand Cultivators! With examples like the Great Roc and the Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation before them, everyone now truly understood Meng Chun’s message. In an instant, chaos engulfed the dreamscape.

The long-vanished Sun-Chasing Clan wrestled with a Golden Crow, each trying to overpower the other. Some wielded mountains to fill the seas, others transformed into True Dragons and roared to the heavens; some shouted loud enough to shatter nine skies, others strode as if walking Thunder Tribulations, scorching the ground wherever they passed.

Everyone reveled in the freedom of power, forgetting entirely about Jiang Li. To become strong at will, to turn into anything—that was every cultivator’s dream!

“I, as a True Dragon, command the Four Seas—who can surpass me!” roared the man who had transformed into a dragon.

His ego soared to the heavens—this was the ruler of the Four Seas, his body as powerful as a Tribulation Transcendence expert! He was a Body Cultivator who, in his waking life, had only ever soaked in diluted Flood Dragon blood at best. Now, given the chance within a dream, he made himself a True Dragon, feeling immensely proud!

“A True Dragon? Hah! To me, the master of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning, you’re but a speck of ash struck down in passing!” sneered another.

With a flash, a bolt of Heavenly Tribulation Lightning lanced down, tearing the dragon’s scales and flesh apart.

“That’s it?” the dragon scoffed back, unbothered.

His wounds healed in seconds. True Dragons were famed for their powerful bodies and naturally possessed terrifying regenerative abilities. The lightning wielder’s fury erupted.

“A mere loach dares face the might of heaven itself!”

Being called a loach enraged the True Dragon as well.

“If this is Heaven’s so-called might, then Heaven deserves to be overturned by me!”

The two clashed in earnest, dragon roars and thunderclaps blending together into a spectacle of unimaginable chaos and fury.

(End of Chapter)