Chapter 165: Conquering the Illusory Sea!
The Illusory Sea Plane.
A dark, abyss-like ocean roared violently, sending towering waves—dozens of meters high—crashing again and again against the cliffs.
Atop one such cliff, four figures suddenly appeared, gazing out over the endless expanse of the Illusory Sea.
Far in the depths, near the twenty-first island, stood an old man draped in golden robes, his body covered in black scales. His sharp eyes swept toward the four newcomers.
Just moments ago, the Illusory Sea had abruptly sealed itself off, prohibiting anyone from teleporting in. At the same time, he had received a directive from the Virtual Universe system: what was about to occur would be classified as a top-level racial secret—witnessed and immediately forgotten, never to be disclosed.
It was obvious that these four carried hidden secrets.
The golden-robed, black-scaled elder continued to watch silently. After countless epochs spent sitting here like stone, finally, he was seeing a few truly remarkable ripples upon these stagnant waters.
Hong and Thunder God were visibly excited.
This was their one shot to resume the path that had broken off over two hundred years ago—to heal an old regret. For two centuries, under the pressure of Earth's secrets and aware of the critical importance of one's inner state, they had never stopped exploring deeper realms of their hearts.
After learning there was no strict hierarchy among the three great mental realms, they focused on cultivating within their own domains. And now, it was time for their efforts to bear fruit.
"Hong, Thunder God—I'll go first. Once you've settled your minds, head to the first island and start your trials."
With that, Jiang Zhe transformed into a streak of light, swiftly crossing the first ten islands before landing on the eleventh.
A crushing pressure, the spiritual might of a top-tier Undying Warlord, descended upon him.
Jiang Zhe bore it lightly, as if it were nothing more than a gentle breeze.
Next came the illusory trial.
Visions unfolded within the illusion. Jiang Zhe strolled across the island like a detached bystander, watching everything that happened around him. Bored after a while, he simply raised his hand. The illusion shattered like glass, dispersing into nothingness.
Eleventh island—cleared.
Twelfth island—cleared.
Thirteenth—cleared.
Fourteenth—cleared... and on it went.
Watching Jiang Zhe's effortless progress, Hong and Thunder God remained calm. They had already gauged their own prospects, and their earlier nervousness eased.
Luo Feng, however, was wide-eyed. Knowing that Hong and Thunder God would likely also display extraordinary feats soon, he couldn't help worrying he'd be labeled a "fake Earthling."
He had attempted the Illusory Sea only once before departing for a training mission, failing at the tenth level. Now, after tempering his will with the Beast God's imprint and practicing the Sonic War God technique, he estimated he could barely pass the tenth level—relying heavily on the domain lord-level consciousness of his Golden-Horned Beast.
His seniors—Jiang Zhe, Hong, and Thunder God—were all breaking through purely with cosmic-level mental strength.
"I must work harder. How else can I ever earn back Earth's concessions with the heads of Universe Masters? How can I avenge Teacher Huyan Bo… I rely on my senior for everything, enjoy resources he fought to secure. It's truly shameful!"
Luo Feng clenched his fists, steeling his resolve.
At the twenty-first island in the heart of the Illusory Sea—
Boom!
Jiang Zhe felt as if a massive mountain had slammed into his mind. This was a direct contest of raw consciousness strength. Even a Sovereign-level will was useless here—if your soul and mental power weren't strong enough, you'd either faint outright or have your consciousness scattered.
Jiang Zhe's formidable willpower barely kept him conscious, preserving the integrity of his awareness against the onslaught.
Here, it's worth explaining how these illusions worked.
A strong will didn't stop you from being pulled into them.
First came a violent collision of soul and consciousness. If your raw mental strength fell short, you'd be dragged into the illusion, your mind subjected to torment.
Just like Jiang Zhe—despite his cosmic-level mind—if a realm lord or an immortal cast an illusion on him, he couldn't resist being drawn in.
But once inside, everything depended on willpower.
A resolute will meant you wouldn't lose yourself in the illusion; you could stay lucid and break free at any time.
The Illusory Sea's mechanism was clear:
Strike your consciousness hard enough to nearly knock you out, then let the illusion invade.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
It was as if mountain after mountain came crashing down on his mind. Jiang Zhe felt deaf, blind—deprived of all external senses—his consciousness spinning, blurring.
"Unity of self and nature, ego-less, form-less!"
Facing Sovereign-level spiritual oppression, Jiang Zhe's consciousness seemed on the brink. With a snap, it fractured, spreading throughout the illusion that followed.
Part of his awareness formed an illusory version of himself within the dream, playing along as though he'd fallen completely under, unable to escape.
In truth, Jiang Zhe's primary consciousness permeated every inch of the illusion, like air itself, calmly observing.
Within the illusion:
A towering barbarian glared at him, shouting,
"Jiang Zhe, hand over the Primal Umbrella! Hand over the Blood-Dissolving Blade!"
When he refused, the Founder of the Giant Axe killed his human body and declared him a traitor to humanity.
The Nether Blood Egg was lost upon his body's death, and the mind of Orianna—hidden within—was wiped out.
Earth's lineage was slaughtered. Luo Feng, Hong, Thunder God, Jiang's family—all killed.
"Boy, where do you think you're going? I granted you this unparalleled soul talent that made you what you are. You're just a lowly native—shouldn't you be grateful? Now it's time to repay me!"
"Hand over your Silver-Clad soul so I can seize it. That's an order, not a request!"
The Sitting Mountain Guest had discovered his secrets and was hunting his Silver-Clad soul, trying to seize this perfect vessel to reclaim his throne as a Divine King.
One suffocating scene after another.
These were battles waged in Jiang Zhe's inner world, invisible to outsiders.
From the shore, the golden-robed, black-scaled elder only saw Jiang Zhe standing motionless on the twenty-first island.
"As expected of a disciple personally chosen by the Lord of Chaos City. Such talent is truly unprecedented!"
The elder unconsciously clenched his fists, deeply moved.
Throughout the Illusory Sea's countless eras, he had witnessed innumerable geniuses—those emerging once every tens or hundreds of thousands of epochs were common enough. Those appearing once in ten million epochs were rarer, like Coti and the Devouring Fire Sovereign.
But he had never seen someone as dazzling as Jiang Zhe.
"He's still holding on! He might actually conquer the twenty-first island—facing Sovereign-level willpower! Unbelievable."
The old heart that had withered under endless time began to stir like boiling water.
"Jiang Zhe, show us your limits!"
"I thought you were merely a genius born once every several million epochs. I planned to watch your later achievements before classifying you as a 'ten million epochs' talent. But clearly, we underestimated you."
"Jiang Zhe, you surpass Coti and the Devouring Fire Sovereign. You are a genius born perhaps once in tens of millions—perhaps even nearly a hundred million—epochs!"
Inside the illusion, Jiang Zhe had no idea how this ancient being was praising him.
Truthfully, he never quite grasped the concept of "one-in-how-many-epochs" genius classifications—he didn't really know where he stood.
The illusion forced him to confront his deepest vulnerabilities. When his avatar was cornered and about to be slain, Jiang Zhe chose to end it himself.
"It's just an illusion. Break!"
His awareness—spread throughout the illusion—suddenly coalesced, condensing the false body into something real.
Jiang Zhe no longer carried his usual gentle air. His expression turned eerie, eyes brimming with desire, as if he embodied all the world's original sins.
He spoke words so foul they could corrupt the world.
Dark ripples, forged from chaotic will, spread through the illusion.
Crack! Crack—
The illusory world trembled, shattered like fragile glass, collapsing completely to reveal the true twenty-first island.
At the edge of the island, the golden-robed, black-scaled elder stood tall, smiling approvingly at Jiang Zhe as he awakened.
Jiang Zhe gave a respectful bow, then shot back to the cliff in a streak of light.
"Amazing work, Jiang Zhe!" Hong gave a thumbs up.
"Haha, that's our Jiang Zhe—sailing straight through to the end! Is this the potential of Earthlings?" Thunder God laughed, his face aglow.
"Senior Brother, the twenty-first island is the limit of the Illusory Sea, not your own limit. Now that nothing holds you back, your brilliance can finally shine unrestrained!" Luo Feng said with feeling.
As an insider, Luo Feng understood the ultimate reward of the Illusory Sea and knew how fiercely his senior brother had resisted temptation all this time.
Honestly, he couldn't promise he'd have done the same.
"Haha! 290 million points, just like that. When you all come to Rain Elephant Mountain, we'll hit the best entertainment venues on me—let's have a proper celebration!" Jiang Zhe laughed heartily.
How could he not be happy?
Clearing the Cosmic-level Primal Sky Mountain had only earned him 100 million points, and even that was "receivables"—it wouldn't be paid until he broke through to the Realm Lord level.
This 290 million, though, was real, instantly credited with no strings attached. Orianna had just confirmed the balance update.
He'd been eligible for this sudden fortune ever since leaving the Ancient God World, but had waited until now to claim it.
Then Jiang Zhe looked at his three brothers, his smile fading.
"Alright, who's next? Hong? Thunder God?"
"I'll go."
Hong stepped forward, turned into a streak of black light, and flew toward the first island.
The trial began.
The Giant Axe Founder was long gone; only the Lord of Chaos City and the Lord of Darkness were watching events within the Illusory Sea.
Were it not for Jiang Zhe's special soul and training in the Dormant Dragon Technique, Earth's strongest, most skilled in mental cultivation, would have been Hong.
Now that Earth's secret was revealed, Hong no longer needed to hide. His speed through the trials was startling.
It wasn't until the fifteenth island—at the threshold of Marquis-level will—that he slowed.
He pushed all the way to the twenty-first island, resisted for a time, then finally fell short.
He didn't equal Jiang Zhe's record.
High above the Illusory Sea, amid swirling chaotic streams—
Two top executives of the Virtual Universe Company stood side by side.
"Tsk, remarkable! Just as I discovered on Earth, Jiang Zhe wasn't originally the strongest in heart cultivation among them. Without that opportunity in the Ancient God World, he'd have been outstripped by this seemingly unremarkable clansman," said the Lord of Darkness, rubbing his bald head, clicking his tongue in awe.
The Lord of Chaos City nodded, his gaze lingering on Hong, then briefly on Thunder God, before settling on Luo Feng.
Among Earth's four, Luo Feng's heart was the weakest, but his bodily talent was second only to Jiang Zhe.
More importantly, his Golden-Horned Beast body still had a slot for another clone—offering limitless possibilities.
The Lord of Chaos City was keen on taking Luo Feng as a disciple.
With his junior's monstrous accomplishments, he felt immense pressure and urgently wanted to groom a standout disciple of his own.
"Senior Brother, thinking of taking Hong? If not, I'll claim him—he fits perfectly with my path."
Seeing the smile on his junior's face, the Lord of Chaos City grew uneasy.
After a short silence, he nodded his assent.
The Giant Axe Founder had no time to train newcomers, and the one most suited to guide Hong was indeed the Lord of Darkness, who could teach him under the Chaos Tablet and set him on the path of an illusion-focused warrior.
Having settled Hong's future, their eyes turned back to watch Thunder God.
Thunder God did not disappoint.
He reached the eighteenth island, endured for a long time before falling, achieving the will strength of a King level.
From Thunder God's unique gaze and spirit, the two Universe Lords gleaned many insights.
"A pure heart, untouched by dust," remarked the Lord of Chaos City.
"Perfect for the Beast God's path. Such a nature resonates with the wild freedom of Beast Gods. He might even fulfill Hilo's ultimate vision—comprehending the essence of Beast Gods and ascending to Universe Lord," the Lord of Darkness mused.
"More plans again?" The Lord of Chaos City shot his brother an exasperated look.
Your achievements weigh heavily enough on me already, ease up a little.
"Senior Brother, Little Nine is perfect to guide him. Our clan still has lightning treasures and half a Thunder Beast God inheritance. His future path will be smooth."
"The Dream Sovereign?" The Lord of Chaos City nodded. "Alright, let's arrange it."
After Thunder God finished, Luo Feng tried once more.
He cleared the tenth level, then fell at the eleventh—disgraceful compared to his three brothers.
Deep inside, Luo Feng resolved to work even harder.
Hong and Thunder God soon received invites to meet their new teachers.
Jiang Zhe and Luo Feng teleported back to Black Dragon Mountain Island, planning to reunite later at the Jiang family estate to celebrate and discuss future plans.
Late that night in the Virtual Universe, Hong and Thunder God arrived in high spirits—clearly having gained much.
Jiang Zhe poured them wine, grinned, and asked,
"So, what's next?"
Hong downed his cup, steadied himself, still speaking with a slight tremor,
"Thunder God and I have similar arrangements. Tomorrow we'll be taken from the Qianwu Secret Realm to Chaos City for 30 years of cultivation under the Chaos Tablet. Afterward, we'll head to the Primal Secret Realm. Whether we can stay there during the next century's qualifying battles will depend on our own skills."
Jiang Zhe did a quick mental calculation.
Thirty years in Chaos City equaled a hundred outside. When they exited the Initial Universe, the next qualifying battle would have just ended, leaving them nearly a hundred years to train—likely enough to reach the sixth level of the Heaven-Reaching Bridge and secure their place in the Primal Secret Realm.
Seeing Jiang Zhe's thoughtful look, Hong clapped his shoulder, speaking earnestly,
"You've done more than enough for us, Jiang Zhe. Stop worrying about us."
"Come, drink—this big brother owes you this toast."
"Wait for me too!" Thunder God stood, cup in hand. "All our feelings are in this wine! Jiang Zhe, we've been given our chances. If we still get eliminated and lose our privileges, we won't be worth your concern."
"Alright, I understand. Hong, Thunder God, Luo Feng—let's all give it our best. Earth's concessions still await our return to tear them down."
The brothers lifted their cups high, drinking deeply, encouraging each other toward the future.
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