Only then did everyone realize that this was the opportunity the Buddha Lotus had bestowed upon all contestants.
Yet the opportunity vanished in the blink of an eye. Their vision shifted, and there was no longer any earth-shaking Buddha Lotus before them—only a lotus pond where a breeze brushed past and emerald ripples swayed across the water.
At this point, clear qi gathered once more around them and spiritual energy returned to their bodies. The trial had ended.
Some rejoiced while others worried, but even the cultivators with the shallowest cultivation had gained immensely from this competition. As for who had won, everyone knew perfectly well. Even if Yonglu Mountain's three prodigies modestly declined the credit, no one dared question their performance in the Illusory Realm.
Naturally, other sects had also produced remarkable performances, but compared to the three's feat of turning the tide and overturning heaven and earth, anyone who wished to contend had to weigh whether the outside world would even acknowledge their contribution.
Of course, one other matter deserved mention: that young disciple surnamed Xue from the Blissful Union Sect. By now, everyone had learned his background. He truly was a novice cultivator who had only just entered Qi Refining. Thus, the most absurd occurrence of this Five Sects Assembly emerged: a Qi Refining disciple had created a predicament that hundreds upon hundreds of Golden Core cultivators had nearly been unable to break?
It was far too outrageous. What exactly was that Evil God, to be able to hide so deeply within a cultivator's consciousness?! And this had happened within a renowned major sect like the Blissful Union Sect. If it had been some Rogue Cultivator or disciple of a minor sect, would they not have been left to heed heaven's will and sit waiting for death?