Illusion Treasure

The Lingxiao Palace does indeed offer some fortuitous opportunity.

With his powerful mental strength and the help of the Eye of the Ba Snake, Zhang Xuezhou located the three fire dates he had seen earlier.

However, he didn't quite understand the operating mechanism of the Great Heavenly Evolution Boundless Formation, and kept going around in circles without entering the depths of the Lingxiao Palace.

After most of the day had passed, Zhang Xuezhou felt that everyone else was probably about to go into battle, while he was still circling around without taking even a single step.

Clearly, this grand formation was not merely a hallucination; it also incorporated factors such as the initial sense of disorientation that Zhang Xuezhou had perceived.

"I wonder where the others are?"

Without a high level of skill in formations, most participants in the event will be trapped in place by the illusionary formations.

However, Zhang Xuezhou does not rule out the possibility of other situations.

After all, he had been inside the formation for about two days, and he hadn't encountered a single person yet, so he couldn't be sure where the other contestants had gone.

Sitting on the stone bench where the jujubes were placed, Zhang Xuezhou slowly chewed on them, occasionally relying on the Eye of the Ba Snake to regain his clarity.

"Um?"

He didn't know how many times he had used the Eye of the Ba Snake, but when the clouds and mist in front of him cleared up again, Zhang Xuezhou finally saw traces of people.

"It's you?"

It's you!

Zhang Xuezhou spoke up in confusion, while the newcomer responded with surprise.

Zhang Xuezhou looked at Wu Chao, then at the blue light behind Wu Chao's head.

Clearly, Wu Chao also used a similar method to maintain his consciousness, thus stumbling along the way.

"It seems your Heart Sutra is indeed very profound," Zhang Xuezhou exclaimed in amazement.

"That's all the Heart Sutra is good for," Wu Chao said, shaking his head. "But that's not much use. I just hope I can survive for three days and gain some advantage. Please let me go and don't kill me!"

"I'm not some kind of serial killer!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head.

Wu Chao was, after all, his former senior brother, so Zhang Xuezhou wouldn't do anything bad.

If Wu Chao is willing to be at the bottom of his hierarchy, Zhang Xuezhou has no reason to attack Wu Chao.

Although he was currently disoriented and unable to determine whether he was in front of or behind Wu Chao, Zhang Xuezhou didn't care about losing a ranking.

"Don't worry, I'll stay up for three days too," Zhang Xuezhou said.

"Are you trapped in this formation and can't escape?" Wu Chao asked curiously.

"I'm not good at formations!"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his head, indicating that his abilities were limited and that this was the only result after trying various methods.

"No wonder you were biting a stone back and forth; it seems you were truly trapped by this formation," Wu Chao said.

"Stone?"

Zhang Xuezhou shook his arm; the jujubes in his palm still had a bright red color.

Zhang Xuezhou felt that Wu Chao was unable to distinguish objects due to the influence of the great formation, but he couldn't help but shudder, and some uneasy feelings welled up in his heart.

Zhang Xuezhou had eaten fire dates in Gouchen Palace, but the fire dates he ate in the great formation did not seem to have any effect, and did not give him a feeling of relaxation.

The effects of jujubes far surpassed those of spirit rice, which is why Zhang Xuezhou shamelessly demanded them at Gouchen Palace.

He ate a fire date in the formation, but Zhang Xuezhou's body did not feel as clear and comfortable as before. He thought it was because he had been eating fire dates repeatedly in a short period of time, so he ate the fire dates very slowly.

Perhaps he would wait until the Fire Date lost the influence of the Spirit Fruit, or perhaps until his body felt comfortable again, before choosing to swallow it whole. Zhang Xuezhou had his own ulterior motives in using the Fire Date, but he never imagined that he was actually biting into a rock.

"This jujube in my hand is bright red, and I've already taken a quarter of it," Zhang Xuezhou said, holding up the jujube.

"I saw you taking a round rock and gnawing on it. You managed to bite off a small piece. You have very good teeth," Wu Chao said.

Where is the little piece I ate?

Zhang Xuezhou touched his mouth and then squeezed the jujube, finding that it felt exactly the same as the one from the Gouchen Palace.

As they approached the Wu Chao, Zhang Xuezhou picked up a small piece of jujube flesh from under the stone bench and placed it in his palm. Only then did his expression turn grim.

How did I get infected?

The image of the bright moon flashed through Zhang Xuezhou's mind, but he still felt as if he were holding a jujube.

"This should be a magical stone treasure, or perhaps a powerful cultivator used magic to deceive you within this formation," Wu Chao said. "Our thoughts differ, therefore our perceptions differ!"

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

Wu Chao's words shattered Zhang Xuezhou's last glimmer of hope.

Perhaps Wu Chao's observations were also incorrect, but Zhang Xuezhou's judgment about the fire dates was also wrong.

What he ate might not have been a stone, but it most likely wasn't a jujube either.

Zhang Xuezhou originally thought he could gain some advantage by participating in the competition, but he never expected to end up like this.

He spat several times, not wanting to risk his stomach for the contents of the food in his hand.

"What kind of grand event is this?!"

He cursed under his breath and then cast a spell to stuff it into his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag.

It was extremely difficult for Zhang Xuezhou to put the items, whether they were jujubes or stones, into his Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag. As he kept stuffing things into the Lesser Heaven and Earth Bag, he also came across another round object.

He touched his golden robes with his left hand and then pressed down on his mask.

With a squint, Zhang Xuezhou already had a precious pearl in his right hand.

A burst of colorful light appeared in an instant, leaving him somewhat dazed.

The mirage pearl in his hand originated from the secret realm of Shanglin Garden. Although it possesses immense power, once it is taken out, it will cause indiscriminate attacks on both friend and foe, resulting in a collective impact.

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't being delusional; he wanted to see what effect the Mirage Pearl would have after combining with the grand formation. After all, he had been fooled by the illusionary treasure that had transformed into a fire date, and the Mirage Pearl, which was extremely adept at illusions, might produce an even stronger effect.

If the master of the formation doesn't feel anything, he will take it back. If the other party can't stand his disruption and chooses to come and collect the mirage pearl, Zhang Xuezhou feels that he has a chance of winning directly.

Whether he goes to the Lingxiao Palace to see the Jade Emperor, or the Jade Emperor comes to see him, it doesn't make much difference.

Zhang Xuezhou wasn't worried about his Mirage Pearl being taken away, after all, he currently held the identity of the Kunlun Holy Son; even when beating a dog, one should consider who its owner is.

As for whether the mirage pearl violates regulations, Zhang Xuezhou believes there is a very likely boundary that is skirting the line. It's a matter of opinion, since the mirage pearl is powerful and its inability to distinguish friend from foe is not beneficial to the user. After some debate, it is likely to be left unresolved.

A dazzling burst of colorful light swept out in an instant, and Zhang Xuezhou felt as if he were hearing the sound of a tidal wave.

"Why did you use me as a cultivation experiment? Why didn't you wait until I reached the Sole Self Realm before fusing with the Yin-Yang School's Realm Technique? Why did you do this to me? You've ruined my life..."

Zhang Xuezhou heard Wu Chao's dazed, low cursing voice and realized that Wu Chao's life in the Western Sect was indeed miserable.

But in an instant, Zhang Xuezhou realized that the power of the Great Heavenly Evolution Boundless Formation must have increased, and even the Heart Sutra, which Wu Chao could previously use to pass through the formation, was finding it difficult to resist the influence.

The farther the light of the mirage pearl penetrates within the Great Heavenly Evolution Boundless Array, the farther its influence can reach.

Zhang Xuezhou squinted and looked up, unsure of how far the mirage's influence could reach.