Restore the Honor of Our Inner Sect!

Xiao Hongzhi was baffled too.

Illusion Realm Trial?

Demonic Path Escape?

I don't know either!

As a relatively senior Inner Disciple, he had never even heard that name before.

Inner Disciples could freely enter and leave the Training Ground and use the Illusion Tower as they pleased.

But if one claimed the thing was truly miraculous or wildly popular, that definitely would not be true.

Illusion Realm Trials were merely practical.

For instance, disciples without real combat experience could fight beast phantoms inside, building experience to keep from dying the moment they left the sect.

Or some course assessments could set up checkpoints within, preventing students from getting hurt.

Or a small number of battle maniacs obsessed with fighting could challenge a trace of intent left behind by a Grandmaster...

Useful it might be, but it was hardly popular.

The ones truly considered valuable were Illusion Realms where one challenged great demons or Grandmaster phantoms.

But those required expensive Spirit Stones to unlock, beyond the reach of ordinary Outer Disciples.

Normally, the places for Illusion Realm cultivation were utterly deserted. It was rare to see anyone entering or leaving.

Yet now, this group of Outer Disciples emerged from within glowing with excitement, still wanting more.

From the sound of it, they intended to go back, fetch Spirit Stones to buy Temporary Tokens, then return for more trials?

They even wanted to train all night?

"Do these Outer Disciples know too little... or are they simply too diligent?"

Xiao Hongzhi looked at his junior brother in equal confusion.

No matter how shallow their knowledge, they should not have been so stunned by an Illusion Realm Trial, should they?

Especially not the beginner trial for cultivating the Cloud Shattering Art.

He had heard of this Illusion Realm before. Apparently, it was the work of a disciple from the Artifact Forging Hall when he had first begun learning to construct Secret Realms.

Thinking about it, that made sense. Why would any Grandmaster go to such lengths to create a Secret Realm for a crude beginner movement technique?

A disciple's practice work—its quality was easy enough to imagine.

It was said that one merely leaped back and forth between two mountains to familiarize oneself with the movement technique. Nothing more.

The more Xiao Hongzhi thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Even Outer Disciples could not possibly be so awestruck by something like that, could they?

Could it be...

They were simply too diligent?

Hiss!

Xiao Hongzhi sucked in a sharp breath, suddenly feeling immense pressure.

The disciples of the Spirit Cloud Sect were fiercely competitive.

Now that he knew even Outer Disciples were neglecting food and sleep for cultivation, Xiao Hongzhi could not help feeling guilty for standing here drinking tea.

"But what they were saying just now—Spirit Stones, spirit beasts, Artifacts, and even escaping pursuit by the Demonic Path?"

The confusion in his junior brother's eyes deepened.

"Senior Brother Xiao, have you ever heard of an Illusion Realm Trial like that?"

"How about... we go take a look?"

Xiao Hongzhi suggested.

"Just what I was thinking."

Half an hour later.

The two who had just exited "Demonic Path Escape" stared at each other.

"Senior Brother, how far did you run?"

"Only three hundred steps... what about you?"

"A little worse than you. I just passed two hundred steps."

Xiao Hongzhi looked at the excited Outer Disciples around him with a complicated expression.

Before exiting, he had taken a look at the Leaderboard.

He had been rather pleased with his three hundred steps, only to discover that he could not even make the top hundred!

That Zhang Ming in first place had achieved the absurd result of over two thousand steps.

But the problem was...

The Outer Disciples were all in the Qi Refining Stage.

And he was in the Golden Core Stage!

A dignified Golden Core Stage Inner Disciple had actually lost to Outer Disciples in a trial?

And by such a massive margin?

Where was he supposed to put his face!?

"Senior Brother, is there something wrong with this Illusion Realm Trial..."

Yang Zhuo was utterly dejected.

"Not necessarily."

Xiao Hongzhi shook his head.

After all, he had seen more than his junior brother.

"What entered was not our true bodies. Illusion Realm Trials can restrict one's realm... I fear the Grandmaster who created this Illusion Realm tampered with it."

Xiao Hongzhi had guessed correctly.

Lu Ze had indeed done exactly that.

So long as players entered the game, their realms would be suppressed to the Qi Refining Stage.

The many divine abilities granted by innate talent and cultivation would all fail to function.

Otherwise, whoever had the higher realm would simply play better, and players would surely not stay for long.

Why even play a game then?

They might as well cultivate outside and raise their realms.

Lu Ze needed to draw in the largest possible player base.

Whether they were Grandmasters capable of soaring through heaven and burrowing into earth, or utterly ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, he wanted them all.

With his Qi Refining Stage cultivation, he naturally could not restrict a Golden Core Stage cultivator's realm.

Fortunately, the Grandmasters who had developed Illusion Realm Trials had long since perfected the relevant Spells. Lu Ze only needed to use them.

"So that's how it is. Then it isn't strange."

His junior brother suddenly understood.

"No!"

Xiao Hongzhi shook his head firmly and raised his token, pouring spiritual energy into it once more.

"If us Inner Disciples lose to Outer Disciples, we'll become a laughingstock if word gets out."

"I will take back first place!"

"Have you heard? The Artifact Forging Hall has released a new Illusion Realm Trial. They say Outer Disciples rubbed Inner Disciples' faces into the dirt!"

"No way? The gap between inner and outer disciples is that huge?"

"How could it be false? Even Xiao Hongzhi of Qingfeng Mountain lost! They say he lost horribly! He's especially unwilling to accept it now."

"Even Xiao Hongzhi lost? A Golden Core cultivator losing to Qi Refining?"

"How humiliating! Watch me go win back the inner sect's honor right now!"

News of Xiao Hongzhi losing to Outer Disciples in an Illusion Realm Trial spread without wings.

More and more Inner Disciples came to the Artifact Forging Hall to experience "Demonic Path Escape."

Every disciple who entered was unable to walk back out through the gates.

Inner Disciples ultimately had more methods of communication.

The Spiritual Sense voice transmission channels were in complete chaos.

"Damn, this trial hides profound mysteries! Disciples of Ten Thousand Beasts Peak, gather at once!"

"Hiss... this generation's Outer Disciples is actually this formidable!"

"Fun, fun! This trial is far too interesting!"

"Fun? Aren't you all fighting?"

"Hahaha! I finally broke two thousand steps! First place is within reach!!"

"Two thousand steps? First place is nearly at three thousand already!"

"Outer Disciple monster Zhang Ming has traversed three thousand steps at the Qi Refining realm. A hundred Inner Disciples have fallen... Everyone, hurry here and suppress him together, restore the honor of our inner sect!"

"Zhang Ming? Why have I never heard that name before?"

"What three thousand steps? Why can't I understand a word of this?"

"Stop talking nonsense. You'll understand once you get here!"