Chapter 182: Chapter 148: Heart Inquiry Trial

Song Changsheng couldn’t predict the future and wasn’t sure how long he could last in the Illusion Realm, so he needed to use a few "little tricks" to avoid being eliminated in the first round.

It was a dark, round pill he had hidden under his tongue. The outside of the pill was coated in a thick layer of beeswax, which would slowly melt and eventually release the medicinal liquid within.

This medicinal liquid was the juice of the Bitter Heart Vine. It had no other use; it was simply "bitter." The bitter taste could stimulate his Divine Soul, "pulling" him out of the Illusion Realm and allowing him to see through it by way of a trick.

Though it was a good method, it could only be used once. Afterward, he would have to rely on himself.

After doing all this, Song Changsheng noticed that besides him, a few other people had also put something in their mouths, including the woman from the Golden Crow Sect named Qingxue.

’Looks like I’m not the only one who prepared ahead of time.’ Song Changsheng couldn’t help but nod to himself. ’As expected of disciples from major sects. Their vision and resources are on a different level than ordinary people.’

He was able to recognize this as the Heart Inquiry Array because he was an Array Master who had read countless texts on arrays since childhood. They, on the other hand, were relying entirely on their own accumulated knowledge and experience.

There has always been a saying in the Cultivation Realm: the knowledge an ordinary member of a Foundation Establishment Family learns before even beginning their formal cultivation is something some Loose Cultivators might never encounter in their entire lifetime.

Applying this logic, the things a Direct Disciple of a Golden Core Sect learns from childhood would make even some Purple Mansion Cultivators green with envy!

Zhan Tianxia formed a few spell seals, and the array was complete. The entire process took no more than a quarter of an hour—a speed that Song Changsheng, with his current mastery of arrays, couldn’t hope to match.

"This trial will be held within this Heart Inquiry Array. How much you benefit will be up to you. If you can’t endure it, you can choose to withdraw.

If you want the Green Sky White Jade Pill, then you must be the last one standing. I won’t tell you how many people are left; you’ll have to judge for yourself." A smirk touched Zhan Tianxia’s lips as he shot Song Changsheng a look of "ill intent," the meaning of which was self-evident.

Song Changsheng cursed inwardly. ’By not telling us how many people are left, he’s forcing me to go all out if I want to get the Green Sky White Jade Pill. I can’t hold anything back, because there’s no telling how long the others will last.’

This increased the risk of his Dao Heart being damaged. It was a blatant scheme. His opponent wasn’t even targeting him covertly; he was pointing out the "trap" he’d set and expecting Song Changsheng to willingly jump into it.

This series of maneuvers gave Song Changsheng a new perspective on the Second City Lord, who was famous for his recklessness. ’He’s no simple brute. Anyone who thinks so is a fool.’

"Now, the trial begins!" Zhan Tianxia boomed. All the Array Patterns lit up instantly, and everyone within the Array was enveloped by the Illusion Realm...

Meanwhile, Zhuang Yuechan had reached the highest point of Celestial Sound Mountain. A grove of peach trees grew here, their blossoms in full bloom, releasing an intoxicating fragrance.

But Zhuang Yuechan was in no mood to admire the peach blossoms. She headed straight for the depths of the peach grove, where a small thatched hut stood.

A man in robes as white as snow sat cross-legged under a massive peach tree. A Cloud and Zither rested before him, and he played it without a sound. Peach blossoms danced above his head like a flutter of pink butterflies.

Upon seeing this, Zhuang Yuechan immediately slowed her steps, afraid she might disturb him.

After a long while, the man’s silent melody came to an end. He gently brushed a fallen peach petal from the zither. Looking at Zhuang Yuechan, who stood respectfully at his side, he asked in a gentle tone, "Weren’t you supposed to attend the sermons of fellow Daoists Dai and Bai today? What brings you to see me?"

Zhuang Yuechan quickly explained the whole situation. Kneeling before the man, she said, "This is all my fault for my lack of foresight, Master. I beg you to show yourself and dissuade Second Martial Uncle."

Muu Guibai frowned upon hearing this. "You’re saying Tianxia is using the Green Sky White Jade Pill as a prize for a trial he’s holding?"

"That is correct."

"It seems Tianxia is still brooding over the past. I gave him the Green Sky White Jade Pill hoping he would deliver it to that little fellow for me, to make up for his past mistake. I never imagined he would use it as a bargaining chip."

Muu Guibai stood and sighed softly. No one understood his junior martial brother better than he. He possessed a stubbornness unimaginable to most people. So many years had passed, yet he still hadn’t been able to let it go.

"No matter what, that little fellow is innocent," Muu Guibai murmured. Even now, he could not forget the sight of Zhan Tianxia kneeling before him on that night of torrential rain.

And because of that, he had made the most regrettable decision of his life. He had wanted to make amends, but unexpectedly, his efforts had backfired once again.

"Right now, only you can stop this, Master," Zhuang Yuechan pleaded.

Muu Guibai’s fingers, hidden in his sleeves, moved rapidly in calculation. Then, under Zhuang Yuechan’s hopeful gaze, he slowly shook his head. "It’s too late to go now."

"Why?" Zhuang Yuechan’s face paled instantly. She thought Song Changsheng had already come to harm.

Muu Guibai clasped his hands behind his back. "Your Second Martial Uncle has calculated every move this time, considering everything. He is holding this trial in his capacity as a City Lord of Luoxia City, which means the city’s reputation is at stake. Not even I can interfere as I please.

Besides, do you know what this trial consists of?"

Zhuang Yuechan shook her head. She had left in such a hurry that it hadn’t begun.

"The Heart Inquiry Array!" Muu Guibai said gravely.

"The Heart Inquiry Array?" Zhuang Yuechan exclaimed, her mouth falling open wide beneath her veil.

"That’s right. The Array has been activated. If we were to stop it now, everyone inside would be trapped in the Illusion Realm forever. No one could bear such a consequence—not the two major Sects, and especially not Luoxia City."

"Then what can be done?" Understanding the implications, Zhuang Yuechan felt lost.

Muu Guibai gazed in the direction of the Dao Discussion Hall. "For now, we can only rely on him," he said gravely. "If he can overcome this ordeal, he will reap immense benefits.

If he can’t, and some hidden trauma is left behind, I, Muu Guibai, will sell everything I own to see him cured!"

Hearing him speak with such finality, Zhuang Yuechan understood that nothing could be done to stop it. She couldn’t help but feel a growing sense of worry...

Inside the Dao Discussion Hall, Song Changsheng sat cross-legged, his expression shifting from blissful to pained, then to furious. The aura around him was faintly unstable, but every time he seemed on the verge of collapse, he would manage to pull through.

If he was struggling this much, the others were doing even worse. Several Cultivators with unstable Dao Hearts had already succumbed to the Illusion Realm and been pulled out by Zhan Tianxia. They would need at least ten to fifteen days to recover.

However, most were still persevering. Among them, Xia Qingxue’s performance was the best. Her aura had remained perfectly stable from the very beginning, earning a surprised glance from even Zhan Tianxia.

At that moment, Song Changsheng’s expression suddenly twisted in agony...

"NO!" he roared, his eyes bloodshot with fury as he watched the scene unfold before him.

On a mountain peak, a sinister, demonic-looking old man thrust his withered hands into Song Luyan’s chest. He then ripped out a bloody, still-beating heart. Steaming hot blood dripped to the ground—and into Song Changsheng’s soul.

Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of Song Changsheng’s eyes. But there was nothing he could do, for in this vision, he was only a six-year-old child.

The demonic old man suddenly appeared before Song Changsheng. "You’re his son? Why didn’t you save him?" he taunted, holding the bloody heart aloft and watching the boy with a playful, cruel expression.

"You... deserve to die!" Song Changsheng roared, his eyes blazing with fury as he raised his small fists.

Outside the Illusion Realm, the aura around Song Changsheng’s body began to fluctuate violently...