After the last glimmer of light True Self Returns to Nothingness, Qin Yu's consciousness did not immediately return to reality. That Space Silence, containing both the unknown and the future, remained in the deepest part of his perception. There was no passage of time, no spatial distance, and no sound to remind him that he had completed the third trial.
Until a certain moment, a faint light re-emerged from nothingness, then spread outwards along consciousness. Memories, Dao Foundation, Fate Soul, and physical perception returned in turn. Everything that had been stripped away by the Illusionary Realm remained intact. However, when Qin Yu sensed these things again...
His state of mind had subtly changed since entering the third level. He was not overjoyed to regain the identity of "Qin Yu", nor did he linger in the Space Silence Wuhen had just returned to. He accepted what he had and accepted what he did not have. The existence of himself was no longer something he had to hold on to. The lingering obsession that the third level was meant to sever completely dissipated in silence. -- Buzz --!
Deep within the vast black fog of reality, Qin Yu's body, which had always been imprisoned, suddenly shone with a soft, flowing light. The light initially emanated from a sliver deep between his brows, then rapidly spread across his face, neck, shoulders, arms, and chest, casting a hazy glow upon his grey robes.
The spatial constraints that had been firmly binding his limbs and bones silently loosened at this moment. Qin Yu's fingers, which had been hanging by his sides, twitched slightly, and then his entire hand regained its freedom. The force that had frozen space beneath his feet dissipated accordingly.
He slowly opened his eyes, and the churning black mist, distant and blurry figures reappeared in his vision, along with the silent, Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas standing deep within the cliff. The enormous black hole within the gate still seemed endless, but this time, when Qin Yu's gaze met that darkness, the black hole that had previously swallowed all divine sense now exerted an extremely clear pull on him.
The force was neither oppressive nor murderous, as if the ancient sect had already acknowledged his qualifications. The light around Qin Yu grew increasingly intense, his robes and long hair were finally lifted by the air currents again, and the gravel beneath his feet trembled slightly. He could clearly feel his body lifting off the ground.
At first, he was only an inch or so high, then his entire body slowly rose into the air. Several cultivators who had failed in the first two stages saw this and their expressions changed instantly. One of them narrowed his pupils.
Another person opened their mouth, a hint of undisguised envy flashing in their eyes. Others lowered their heads bitterly, for everyone already understood what the stream of light rising from Qin Yu's body meant—he had passed all three trials.
Call--!
The light abruptly converged, and Qin Yu felt the surrounding scenery recede violently. His body was enveloped by a soft yet irresistible light, and the black hole inside the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas rapidly expanded in his vision. The threshold, which had been some distance away, was now right in front of him. He neither resisted nor looked back, simply letting the guiding force carry him forward.
A grey-robed figure streaked through the thick black mist, transforming into a long streak of light amidst the gazes of countless cultivators, some still asleep and others already defeated. Whoosh! In the next instant, Qin Yu passed through the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas, the black hole instantly swallowing the streak of light.
All sound and light vanished behind him. He felt himself being drawn into the deepest darkness by an unfathomable force, then completely disappeared into the ancient gate, officially entering the Being As It Is Secret Realm. Qin Yu was not the only one to pass the three trials.
Just after his streak of light disappeared, lights began to appear one after another within the vast black mist—one, two, ten, a hundred... At first, they were scattered in different locations, but in the blink of an eye, they began to appear in large swaths.
Those cultivators who had passed through the Illusory Domain of Greed and Delusion, the illusory Illusory Dream of Past Regrets, and finally emerged from the state of True Self Returns to Nothingness opened their eyes one after another. Each of them was surrounded by a stream of light that guided them through the secret realm, and the spatial confinement was released. Before they could even talk to the people around them, the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas had already released an increasingly strong pull. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh--!
Hundreds and thousands of streaks of light rose from all directions of the black mist, then converged into a rain of light that swept across the sky, one after another piercing through the precipice and falling into the enormous black hole. Further away, new streaks of light continued to appear, their numbers rapidly increasing to tens of thousands.
For the first time, the entire thousand-mile-long prison was illuminated by a dense glow. Those who succeeded came from different sects and Lineage, as well as a large number of previously insignificant Rogue Cultivator. Their cultivation levels varied, and their identities were all different, yet they all received the same result—recognition from the ancient sect, passing the test of their Dao hearts, and entering the prison.
Just as Qin Yu had completely broken through the third level of the "True Self Returns to Nothingness" illusion, the Five Great Heavenly Prodigies of the four great families had all fallen into the final trial, each facing their own Ultimate test of their Dao heart.
Before Ju Lingyuan's eyes, the first thing that appeared was all the traces she had accumulated throughout her life's cultivation: her noble family status, her Dao foundation at the Wuji Realm, the supreme glory of her clan, and even the title of "Five Great Heavenly Prodigies" who had always been the best among her peers. These layers floated in the deathly Space Silence, gradually fading away.
In the previous two trials, she remained calm and unmoved, but as the Illusionary Realm began to strip away her life's worth of cultivation and erase all evidence of her practice, her usually serene gaze finally froze slightly. External possessions could be relinquished, and old regrets could be forgiven, but the foundation of her Dao Path, forged through countless years and hardships, was the most solid support she had relied on all the way.
Her drooping fingers quietly tightened, and she stood silently in the boundless Space Silence for a long time, looking at all the traces in the world that could prove that "Ju Lingyuan" had ever existed, until finally only a faint, shaky light remained.
Once all her obsessions had settled and settled, she slowly released her fingertips from the boxing practice, closed her eyes, and calmly bid farewell, neither trying to hold onto the glimmer of light nor clinging to its continued existence, letting the last trace of her original essence vanish on its own.
When she opened her eyes again, all the ripples in her eyes had vanished, leaving only a soft whisper in the void, "If there is a path, then follow it; if there is no path, then there is no need to leave your name." As soon as the words fell, the entire illusion of her true self shattered, and strands of pure light rose from her real body.
Chi Xiyue faces a more hidden constraint on her true self. The Illusionary Realm peels away all the worldly and cultivation labels on her, and all the identities and halos bestowed upon her by others—the direct descendant of the Chi Lineage, the pride of a noble family, and a powerful being of the Wuji Realm —vanish Wuhen before her eyes.
She gazed silently at her life trajectory, which was being gradually erased, her brow always slightly furrowed, her mind never letting up for a moment. What truly trapped her was not the past honors and disgraces, but the pure image that remained in the last illusion—the most authentic and naked self after stripping away all family background, cultivation, and glory.
The two figures stared at each other in silence for a long time. Several subtle struggles flickered in her eyes. She knew in her heart that as long as she held onto that last bit of her obsession, she could firmly protect this last layer of "self" and preserve the very foundation of her existence.
But when all things in the world fell silent, and all illusions and entanglements vanished completely, she finally exhaled the heavy weight in her chest, her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxing, her mind clear and unobstructed. "I have walked this path, so there is no need for an eternal 'I' to prove that this path was not in vain." As soon as she finished speaking, the last vestige of her true self dissipated on its own. She neither chased nor clung to it, accepting it calmly, and the third illusion shattered in response.
Hua Yanyang lingered the longest at this trial, taking far longer than the previous two trials combined. He watched as his unparalleled talent, profound foundation, family power, and half a lifetime vanished into nothingness. The serene smile that always graced his lips disappeared completely, leaving no trace of relaxation.
He can take worldly treasures lightly, and he can personally seal off the perfect Return Path in his Illusory Dream of Past Regrets, but he can still ascend all the way to the Wuji Realm and remain among the top talents, all thanks to the extremely strong will of his true self in his bones.
This unwavering resolve that had sustained him through adversity and driven him to strive for the top had now become the most insurmountable obstacle. When the illusion's silent question descended, asking him if he was willing to let the name "Hua Yanyang" be completely obliterated without a trace, he remained silent for a long time, unable to answer.
After a long while, he raised his eyes and gazed at the ups and downs of his life. He neither denied nor hated it, nor did he try to detach himself. He simply spoke calmly with his most honest heart, "I cherish this life, but I don't need it to exist forever." The last wisp of his original illusory self dissipated with the wind, and the illusion that imprisoned his true self collapsed with a bang.
Shangguan Shumu remained silent and undisturbed throughout. He allowed his worldly identity, lifelong memories, cultivation path, and supreme glory to fade away layer by layer, leaving no Wuhen. He did not hinder or hold on to them, nor did he cling to them, until in the vast Space Silence, only a last wisp of pure self-consciousness remained suspended and floating.
He paused briefly at this moment, but neither actively destroyed nor forcibly preserved it, always adhering to his original intention and neither taking nor abandoning anything.
When his original consciousness existed, he observed it calmly; when his consciousness slowly dissipated, he watched it go calmly. It was this clear-headed state of mind, which was not attached to existence or non-existence, nor bound by right or wrong, that completely dismantled the foundation of the illusory self. The entire desolate Space Silence cracked open, Qingfeng entered, and all illusions vanished.
Shangguan Hongyin's way of breaking the deadlock was the most frank and straightforward. He looked back on his life from beginning to end, facing all the glory of reaching the top with composure, and also confronting the setbacks and resentments that no one knew about, without avoiding regrets or hiding his brilliance.
When the illusion presents him with the Ultimate question: if all the ups and downs of this life are unknown to anyone, if there is no trace left in the world to prove that he has ever been here, walked, and cultivated, should he still cling to this last layer of "self" and refuse to let go?
He remained silent for a long time, then finally chuckled softly, with a carefree and relieved air. "Since no one knows, then no one knows." He no longer looked back at the trajectory of his life, letting all the myriad lights and shadows sink into Silent Void, all his attachments returned to zero, all his shackles crumbled, and the third illusion collapsed completely.
Buzz--!!!
In the world shrouded in black mist, five pure and clear guiding lights rose almost simultaneously from the regions of the Lineage. Ju Lingyuan, Chi Xiyue, Hua Yanyang, Shangguan Shumu, and Shangguan Hongyin opened their eyes one after another. The spatial confinement surrounding them instantly dissipated, and the thick black mist around them slowly parted to the sides. The five tall figures, enveloped in the light, slowly rose into the air.
Below, countless disciples from the four families, who had been defeated and stopped, looked up at each other. Some had burning eyes and were filled with excitement, some were full of envy and sighed at the gap between them, and some clenched their fists, filled with resentment, regretting that their Dao heart was not firm enough and that they had no chance to go with them.
The Five Great Heavenly Prodigies exchanged a glance across the vast black mist, their understanding unspoken. In the next instant, the guiding power of the Ancient Gate of Myriad Dharmas surged, and five dazzling streams of light suddenly pierced through the air, sweeping past the dark cliffs and disappearing into the black hole deep within the ancient gate.