Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Flaw in the Mindset
Qin Luan was somewhat dazed after waking up. As he gradually became alert, he realized that everything he had just experienced was an illusion, which startled him somewhat.
Upon seeing a frail woman asking for help, he saved her out of compassion. Also driven by sympathy for the common people, he aimed to unify the world, ending wars and bringing about a peaceful and prosperous era.
Although he managed to end the wars and establish a new country, he knew very well that his so-called “compassion” was simply lust for the female body!
If it weren’t for his strong belief in advancing his own cultivation, abstaining from ingesting heavenly and earthly treasures, he might have truly fallen into the illusion.
Qin Luan was quite intelligent—he quickly figured out what the secret realm was testing for.
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Seeing that only he and Jiang Li were awake, he realized that they were the only two who had passed the first test of the secret realm.
And Kong Li, who had woken up even earlier, was someone he couldn’t help but admire.
“Brother Kong truly hides his strength well,” he commented with heartfelt admiration, self-ridiculing his previous arrogant claims about others.
In his view, breaking through the secret realm in a month was extremely fast— he believed no one of his generation and level could surpass him. Yet, the reality was, he was still not the best among his peers.
He had to curb his arrogance.
Breaking through the secret realm didn’t enhance Qin Luan’s perspective, but seeing someone superior to himself—Jiang Li—made him aspire to reach higher.
“All luck, just pure luck,” Jiang Li laughed.
What a humble person.
Qin Luan gained even more respect for Jiang Li.
As Jiang Li waited, somewhat bored, he turned to Dream Pure and started to mutter, “Could older sister Dream allow me to see how the youngsters are performing in the illusion?”
Not long after he spoke, a smooth, mirror-like surface that seemed to be composed of condensed mist appeared, reflecting the others’ performances inside the secret realm.
Thinking this was a perk for those who woke up first, Qin Luan moved closer to watch.
The man whose body had been taken over was called Li Litong—the watery mirror was displaying his illusion.
Most of the illusions were quite similar—with a pitiful young girl asking for rescue. But while Jiang Li had encountered Dream Pure and Qin Luan had encountered another girl, Li Litong found himself facing a different girl.
After rescuing the girl, Li Litong also pacified the world and saved the masses in accordance with the girl’s suggestion. But his methods were brutal with countless murders, and he blunted countless blades.
He believed that saving the masses was a condition for passing through the secret realm.
Even though he was in a body that had undergone Divinity Transformation, if his former self had come here, he still wouldn’t have been able to detect it was an illusion!
Li Litong’s cultivation also gradually increased as he murdered, approaching the limit of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Jiang Li recognized that his cultivation technique was linked to the absorption of Qi and blood. Killing would maximize the release of a person’s Qi and blood, which he could then absorb. Such techniques were similar to the demonic path, though they were not exactly the same.
The demonic path is a concept, while techniques are merely techniques.
There are no demonic techniques, only practitioners who follow the demonic path.
Most who practice such aggressive techniques usually choose to join law enforcement or military institutions. There are also a few who join sects and rely on the battles between sects to advance themselves.
Li Litong belonged to the latter group.
Li Litong felt at home in the illusion, having a large number of Qi Cultivators at his disposal for advancing his own cultivation.
If he was in the outside world leading troops, he would certainly be at the Foundation Establishment Stage, just cannon fodder. But battling the forces in the illusion made him feel like a war deity!
In that moment, he felt like he had returned to his previous self at the peak of Divinity Transformation, admired by the masses!
Li Litong did ingest heavenly and earthly treasures, but very carefully, taking only minimal quantities. Clearly, he knew that excessive reliance on such treasures would have aftereffects and would lead to difficulty in making breakthroughs later on.
He unified the world in twenty days and consolidated his power in a month and a half. He even advanced to the early phase of the Golden Core stage, but he still couldn’t pass the test.
However, Li Litong was in no hurry. This respect from people made him very content—it was quite similar to his previous life’s experiences.
Beyond the nine great empires in the Nine States, there were hundreds of small nations with rulers at around the Divinity Transformation Stage.
Two months later, as Li Litong did not indulge in the pleasures of the harem, the illusion determined that he had not succumbed to lust, thus crossing the threshold.
Although Li Litong liked beautiful women, his cultivation technique was the Child Technique, which forbade him from indulging in sexual desires.
There was no choice—the most powerful technique he knew was the Child Technique. His situation was quite hopeless.
However, upon closer examination, Li Litong actually did have a strong will, fulfilling the criteria needed to pass.
After Li Litong woke up and found out he was still in the later phase of Foundation Establishment, he realized he had gone through an illusion, and felt somewhat hollow.
Seeing Jiang Li and Qin Luan intently gazing into the water mirror, he knew that he only ranked third.
This made him very unhappy. As someone who had undergone body possession, he looked down on Foundation Establishment cultivators and thought he was naturally superior to them.
He even had the ambition to become the first in this secret realm trial, hoping that the reward for getting first place would greatly aid his return to the Divinity Transformation stage or advancing even further.
However, if he only ranked third in the first layer, to become the overall first, he would need high scores in the second layer.
He felt uncertain.
With this in mind, he had a cold, murderous look on his face—as all had signed a life and death contract before entering the secret realm—if something happened within, the Great Zhou wouldn’t be held responsible!
Boom—
With his energy surging, Li Litong cut into his palm and used his blood to form two blood daggers, which he then sent flying towards Jiang Li and Qin Luan, like cannonballs.
After all, martial power was the foundation for cultivators!
He had great confidence in his martial power!
“Brother Kong, look out!” Shouted Qin Luan, standing protectively in front of Jiang Li. He could feel an immense pressure—this person was more intimidating than Song Ying and the Seven Killers, and he might actually lose!
Without uttering a word, Jiang Li kicked Li Litong aside, with neither Qin Luan nor Li Litong himself reacting in time!
“So, someone of such a caliber could become a Divinity Transformer? I’m really curious about what fortune he had stumbled upon.”
Mockingly, Jiang Li went back to watching the water mirror after his casual remark, which was clearly transmitted directly into Li Litong’s mind. This exposed Li Litong’s biggest secret, sending him into a fearful cold sweat, as if he had just been fished out of the water.
At the Unity Stage! This was the Unity Stage!
Jiang Li noticed Li Litong’s reaction with his Divine Sense, and shook his head lightly. It appeared that his intention to poke at Li Litong’s weak spot was in vain.
Since it was a transmission directly into his mind, Qin Luan didn’t hear it, and only admired Jiang Li even more.
“Brother Kong, which sect do you belong to? Your cultivation is impressively powerful!”
In Qin Luan’s view, Jiang Li’s strength was due to his powerful technique. Jiang Li laughed and replied, “Want to join my sect? It’s not impossible.”
Jiang Li didn’t deceive Qin Luan. With his talent and state of mind, he totally had the qualifications to become a candidate for the Human Emperor and compete for the position of the next Human Emperor.
“Look, now it’s Song Ying’s illusion.”
Qin Luan wanted to say something else, but upon hearing it was Song Ying’s illusion, curiosity got the better of him—he was eager to see how Song Ying had chosen..