Restore the Dignity of Our Inner Sect

Xiao Hongzhi was also baffled.

Illusion Trial?

Demon Sect Escape?

I have no clue either!

As a senior inner disciple, he had never even heard of such a thing.

While inner disciples could freely access the training grounds and use the Illusion Tower at will,

it wasn’t exactly some miraculous, wildly popular attraction.

The Illusion Trial was just… practical.

For example, disciples lacking combat experience could spar with phantom beasts inside to gain experience and avoid getting killed in the real world.

Or some course assessments would set up challenges there to prevent injuries.

Or the few battle-crazed enthusiasts who enjoyed testing themselves against the lingering will of past experts…

Practical? Sure. But hardly a hotspot.

The only truly valuable ones were the illusions featuring powerful demons or legendary cultivators.

But those required expensive spirit stones to unlock—far beyond the means of ordinary outer disciples.

Normally, the illusion training area was deserted, with barely anyone coming or going.

Yet now, these outer disciples were emerging with exhilaration, as if they couldn’t get enough.

From the sound of it, they were even planning to go back and spend spirit stones on temporary tokens to continue the trial?

Some even wanted to grind through the night?

"Are the outer disciples just that inexperienced… or are they just that hardworking?"

Xiao Hongzhi shot a puzzled look at his junior brother.

Even with limited exposure, how could a mere Illusion Trial leave them so awestruck?

Especially one for practicing the rudimentary "Cloud-Shattering Steps."

He’d heard of this particular illusion—apparently, it was a practice project by a disciple from the Artifact Refining Pavilion who was just learning to construct realms.

Makes sense. Why would any expert go through the trouble of crafting a realm for such a basic movement technique?

A student’s first attempt—quality was to be expected.

From what he gathered, it was just jumping back and forth between two mountains to familiarize oneself with the technique. Nothing more.

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

Even outer disciples wouldn’t be so impressed by something this… basic. Were they?

Unless…

They were just that dedicated?

Hiss—

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

Disciples of the Lingxiao Sect were notoriously competitive.

Now that he knew even outer disciples were grinding tirelessly, sipping tea here felt almost shameful.

"But what about all that talk earlier? Spirit stones, spirit beasts, treasures… even escaping demon sect pursuers?"

His junior brother’s confusion deepened.

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

"Maybe… we should check it out?" Xiao Hongzhi suggested.

"My thoughts exactly."

……

……

Half an hour later.

The two stood in stunned silence after exiting Demon Sect Escape.

"Senior Brother, how far did you get?"

"Only three hundred steps… You?"

"A bit worse—just over two hundred."

Xiao Hongzhi’s expression was complicated as he glanced at the excited outer disciples around them.

Before leaving, he’d checked the leaderboard.

He’d been smug about his three hundred steps—until he realized he didn’t even crack the top hundred!

The top scorer, some Zhang Ming, had reached an absurd two thousand-plus steps.

But here’s the thing—

Outer disciples were all at the Qi Refining stage.

He was a Golden Core cultivator!

A Golden Core inner disciple, losing to outer disciples in a trial?

By a landslide?

How was he supposed to face anyone after this?!

"Senior Brother… is there something wrong with this Illusion Trial?"

Yang Zhuo was utterly frustrated.

"Not necessarily."

Xiao Hongzhi shook his head.

His experience was broader, after all.

"What we entered wasn’t our true bodies. The illusion trial can restrict cultivation realms… The mighty one who created this trial must have tampered with it."

Xiao Hongzhi was right.

Lu Ze had indeed done exactly that.

Once players entered the game, their cultivation would be suppressed to the Qi Refining stage.

The divine abilities granted by innate talent and cultivation would all be rendered useless.

Otherwise, whoever had a higher realm would dominate, and players would quickly lose interest.

Why bother playing the game?

Might as well go outside and train to break through instead.

Lu Ze needed to maximize the player base.

Whether they were mighty figures who could traverse the heavens or ordinary Qi Refining cultivators, he wanted them all.

With his own Qi Refining cultivation, naturally, he couldn’t suppress a Golden Core expert’s realm.

Fortunately, the great master who developed the illusion trial had already perfected the necessary techniques—Lu Ze only had to borrow them.

"So that’s how it is. No wonder."

His junior brother suddenly understood.

"No!"

Xiao Hongzhi shook his head firmly and channeled spiritual energy into the token again.

"If we inner sect disciples lose to outer sect disciples, it’ll become a joke."

"I will reclaim first place!"

……

……

"Have you heard? The Artifact Refining Pavilion released a new illusion trial. They say inner sect disciples got crushed by outer sect ones!"

"No way! The gap between inner and outer sect is way too big for that."

"How could it be fake? Even Xiao Hongzhi from Qingfeng Mountain lost! And he lost badly—now he’s fuming!"

"Xiao Hongzhi lost? A Golden Core expert defeated by a Qi Refiner?"

"What an embarrassment! I’ll go restore the inner sect’s honor right now!"

……

News of Xiao Hongzhi’s defeat in the illusion trial spread like wildfire.

More and more inner sect disciples flocked to the Artifact Refining Pavilion to experience Demon Sect Escape.

But once they entered, not a single one could tear themselves away.

Inner sect disciples had more ways to communicate.

Their telepathic channels were in chaos.

"Damn, this trial is full of tricks! Beast Taming Peak disciples, assemble!"

"Tsk… This batch of outer sect disciples is shockingly strong!"

"So fun! This trial is amazing!"

"Fun? Aren’t you supposed to be fighting?"

"Hahaha! I finally broke 2,000 steps! The top spot is within reach!"

"2,000 steps? The leader’s already nearing 3,000!"

"Outer sect prodigy Zhang Ming, at Qi Refining realm, has traversed 3,000 steps… Over a hundred inner sect disciples have fallen. Everyone, come quickly—let’s suppress him and salvage our inner sect’s dignity!"

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

"What 3,000 steps? I don’t get it at all."

"Stop wasting time! You’ll understand once you get here!"