"Disciples eligible to enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, step forward." The voice of the Grand Guardian spread, reaching the ears of all disciples present.
"Lin'er, go ahead, and be careful." Elder Yu said to Li Lin softly.
"I understand." Li Lin nodded in response.
"Whoosh whoosh…"
Numerous figures leaped out from beside the elders, their forms rapidly descending, each landing generating a sharp, cutting wind that caused the ground to tremble fiercely upon impact. Such momentum was far beyond what ordinary disciples could match.
At this moment, Li Lin too leaped forward, a slight whirl of air under his feet as he instantly sprang up, then lightly landed among the group of disciples entering the arena.
"Cui Yu is also here…" Among the dozens of disciples, Li Lin glanced and was surprised to find, next to Li Wushuang, Du Gu Binglan, and Yang Miao, the maid Cui Yu was also present, which was quite a shock to Li Lin.
Not just Li Lin, even many of the direct disciples were astonished. Could a maid also enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm?
"Whoosh…"
Another figure leaped forward, touching the ground with the tip of her foot like a falling leaf, leaping high into the air – it was Yun Hong Ling. Below her feet, an invisible white vortex flashed, instantly crossing space to land, landing right next to Li Lin. Whether intentional or not, her foot heavily stepped on Li Lin's foot.
"Hmph…" Yun Hong Ling snorted lightly and then stepped forward two paces to the very front, without giving Li Lin another glance.
"This woman." Li Lin sighed helplessly, it seems this tempestuous lady's resentment towards him had not faded.
"Sixty-two?" At this moment, Li Lin looked around, counting a total of sixty-two people. Fifty from the Dragon Ranking, plus ten who qualified from the recent competition on the Earth Dragon Peak, making sixty. The last two were Cui Yu and Yun Hong Ling.
Li Lin had carefully examined the Dragon Ranking before, and Yun Hong Ling definitely possessed the strength to be among the top contenders, yet it was strange she had never been listed.
"I suppose everyone knows why they are here today. The Martial Spirit Illusion Realm has been adjusted, with the martial and spirit realms temporarily merged. All disciples will enter from the first level, with a limit of ten days. After ten days, the last twenty disciples who have ascended to the highest levels will qualify to enter the secret realm. Remember, you only have ten days, so there is no time to delay. Those who fail will automatically exit without a second chance. None of you can afford to be careless," announced the Grand Guardian, his voice reaching all sixty-two disciples.
"I wonder how many levels one must clear to win." Li Lin thought to himself, finding this slightly troublesome. If he were to go all out, clearing too many levels could inadvertently reveal his true strength, but not clearing enough could lead to failure.
"Remember, since the martial and spirit realms have been adjusted, everything in the illusion might also be real. You cannot afford to be careless. This is not just a trial but a competition. Alright, all disciples may now enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm. Each of you will take a jade slip. If only the last twenty disciples remain before the ten days are up, we will notify you through the jade slip to exit," the Grand Guardian continued, then motioned for the disciples to come forward and collect their jade slips to enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm.
"This is going to be challenging." Li Lin frowned slightly. With the martial and spirit realms mixed, disciples who could normally reach the fourth or seventh levels might also make mistakes now. In the spirit realm, everything is an illusion. Acting upon an illusion will lead to failure, but it could also be a real illusion from the martial realm, where not acting also leads to failure. Without exceptional soul perception, navigating through the combined realms would be difficult.
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Li Lin smirked slightly, seeing an advantage for himself. Practicing both martial and spirit techniques, neither realm should pose much of a problem for him, just requiring a bit more caution.
"All disciples entering the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, follow me," said the Second Guardian, leading the group into the mountain hall. Subsequently, the elders, guardians, and hundreds of outer sect elders entered the hall, while the other disciples could only wait outside for the results.
Inside the hall, sixty-two people stood before the doors of sixty-two chambers. Li Lin stood before one, with Li Wushuang on his left and Yun Hong Ling on his right, neither woman looking at him. Li Lin, feeling somewhat guilty, kept his head down, not daring to look around.
"All disciples, enter the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm now. Be mindful of yourselves," the Second Guardian said lightly.
Without hesitation, everyone entered their respective chambers, and the stone doors closed behind them. The faces of the elders in the hall grew solemn. While it was their disciples challenging the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the outcome also affected their own prestige. If none of their disciples secured a spot in the secret realm, it would be a loss of face for them.
"Elders, please take a seat. With ten days ahead of us, let's see how many disciples surprise us," Yun Xiao Tian said inside the hall, where seats had already been arranged by the guardians.
Inside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, following a dazzling light, Li Lin found himself in a canyon surrounded by dense bushes, somewhat reminiscent of the Misty Mountain Range.
"Whoosh…"
Before Li Lin, a three-meter-tall beast leaped out from the bushes.
"A first-level demon beast." Li Lin's qi vibrated in his hand, and with a light palm strike, the incoming first-level demon beast instantly turned into energy and dissipated.
Everyone had started from the first level, and Li Lin began to understand the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm better. The first level contained only some first-level demon beasts, not a difficult challenge.
Outside the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm, the number of people in the surrounding valleys continued to grow, with disciples almost exclusively waiting in the plaza for the results after ten days.
"Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Zhao Qingtian, Qu Dao Jue, each has reached the first level of the third layer. Ling Feng, Du Zichun… have each reached the ninth level of the second layer." Three hours later, a guardian responsible for part of the Martial Spirit Illusion Realm announced loudly in the plaza. As in previous years, every three hours, a guardian would announce the top twenty's progress to prevent the disciples waiting in the plaza from becoming bored.
"Zhao Qinghai, Han Feng, Zhao Qingtian, Qu Dao Jue, as expected of the top five in the Dragon Ranking, have quickly reached the third layer."
"It's just the beginning. I guess no one will fail in the first two days. After reaching the fourth layer, there should be failures."
...
The disciples immediately began to enthusiastically discuss and analyze the situation, with many placing bets on the sixty-two participants. Betting odds varied, but no bets were placed on the top ten of the Dragon Ranking, as they were almost guaranteed to enter the secret realm, making it unfeasible for anyone to act as the bookie.
This betting attracted many participants, and soon, various betting stations appeared among the dense crowd, with stakes ranging from gold coins to points used by new disciples, and even martial techniques. Time passed slowly, with updates on the top twenty every three hours, making these twenty immediately popular in the betting pools.
On the third layer, fifth level, in a plain, dozens of mid-third-stage Dire Wolves charged at Li Lin, their powerful qi creating ripples in the space around them.
"Hmph." Li Lin hummed lightly, calm and composed, his qi flashing under his feet, his speed many times faster than the Dire Wolves, instantly turning into a blur around them.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh…"
Li Lin weaved through the dozen Dire Wolves without them touching even a corner of his clothing. With a series of flame-imbued palm strikes, he swiftly killed the mid-third-stage Dire Wolves, turning them into wisps of smoke and energy.
"Sss!" At that moment, two stone doors appeared before Li Lin, one leading out and the other deeper into the sixth level.
"Continue." Li Lin chuckled, unhurried, proceeding to the sixth level.
On the third layer, seventh level, in a canyon, Li Lin instantly leaped onto a large rock. About a few hundred meters away, a two-hundred-meter tall single-horned demon bull slowly approached.
"A mid-third-stage level." Li Lin immediately assessed, recognizing the single-horned demon bull as a mid-third-stage beast, with a similar early-fourth-stage counterpart in the Misty Mountain Range.
Li Lin smiled slightly, employing the Flickering Light Shifting Shadow technique, his feet touching a whirlwind, his body darting from behind the rock just as the single-horned demon bull turned its head.
Li Lin had already reached its rear, a gust of wind pressing down from above.
"Wuu…" The single-horned demon bull lowed, its body flashing with light, and from its horn, a water jet burst forth with ferocious force, attacking Li Lin.