Chapter 77
Chapter 77: Three Trials
Ji Xuan Yin and Ji Fei Guang had always stood together. Brother and sister—rarely at odds.
But Ji Xuan Yin had brought Shao Heng in herself. If Ji Fei Guang kicked her out because of Jiang Yun Jiang, he would be slapping his own sister in the face.
Ji Xuan Yin’s mouth tightened. When Ji Fei Guang didn’t speak, she turned on Jiang Yun Jiang. “Junior Sister Jiang, you’re being a bit too aggressive.”
“Senior Sister Ji.” Jiang Yun Jiang didn’t flinch. “I was hunted and almost killed before. Do you expect me to swallow blood and tears and keep yielding now?”
Her calm was infuriating—controlled, measured, as if she’d rehearsed it.
Of course she knew why Ji Fei Guang had sought her out. He wanted to rely on the Heart-Bewitching Eye to break through the Ling Long Illusion Realm behind the bronze door. Otherwise, did a peak First Realm Ji Fei Guang truly expect a mid-stage cultivator like her to protect him?
His need was the reason she could force his hand now.
As her words settled, everyone’s eyes turned to Shao Heng.
Even in the secret realm, even with fellow disciples tacitly accepting that they might end up fighting, saying it aloud still pressed against sect rules. It looked bad.
Feng Shao Hu jumped on it immediately. “This Junior Sister Shao Heng is full of killing intent, shouting about fighting and killing even against fellow disciples. No wonder Junior Sister Jiang feels justified.”
“Hah.” Shao Heng shook her head, calm enough to be insulting. “Junior Sister Jiang is really confused.”
Her voice softened into something wronged. “That day, I was trying to save you.”
“You were tangled up with the remnant soul of Old Ghost Hag. Without me, you would’ve been possessed long ago.”
“I exhausted myself for you,” she finished sweetly. “How can you be so ungrateful?”
She tilted her head and leaned lightly against Ji Xuan Yin, eyes bright with innocence.
Jiang Yun Jiang’s expression finally changed.
She’d been too furious when she first saw Shao Heng. Only now did she truly sense Shao Heng’s aura—higher, sharper, and steady in a way that made her blood run cold.
[She was already mid First Realm before. Now she’s stepped into late First Realm.]
[We entered the sect at the same time. It hasn’t even been a year. How can her cultivation be this fast?!]
Shock and fury churned in Jiang Yun Jiang’s chest.
Shao Heng snorted inwardly.
[That old ghost remnant soul can only hide inside the Lotus Hairpin.]
[Earlier, I asked Li Chao Ge to look into what Jiang Yun Jiang wanted most. Spirit herbs. Rare medicines.]
[Nine times out of ten, she’s cultivating pill arts.]
[True Lord Tian Bai isn’t a pill-path great expert. It must be Old Ghost Hag teaching her.]
[If that remnant soul could step into the light as a pill master and a high-level cultivator, why would it live like an insect, hiding inside a First Realm disciple?]
[I want to see whether Jiang Yun Jiang dares to reveal where that remnant soul came from.]
As expected, Jiang Yun Jiang avoided the topic entirely. Her gaze slid past Shao Heng and landed on Ji Fei Guang.
“It’s up to Senior Brother Ji to decide.”
Her stance was clear.
Ji Fei Guang exhaled slowly. His eyes softened—apologetic, almost regretful—as he looked at Shao Heng.
Ji Xuan Yin grabbed Shao Heng’s hand at once. “Brother—”
“Xuan Yin.” Ji Fei Guang’s voice sharpened. “You don’t need to say anything.”
Then, to Shao Heng, he said evenly, “Junior Sister Shao Heng, we’re in the wrong this time. Once we enter the inheritance land, let’s each act on our own.”
Shao Heng pulled her hand free.
Her face cooled, but she didn’t look humiliated. She didn’t beg. She didn’t plead. She only answered once.
“I understand.”
She didn’t wait to see anyone’s reaction. The peak was wide, and more than 20 cultivators had already gathered. She turned and walked to the far side.
So many sect disciples were here. If she tried to kill Jiang Yun Jiang now, it would be openly breaking sect rules. You could do that in the shadows. Not in public.
“Hmph!” Ji Xuan Yin shot Ji Fei Guang a glare and hurried after Shao Heng.
Ji Fei Guang rubbed the side of his nose, awkward. Then he turned to Jiang Yun Jiang. “Junior Sister Jiang, are you satisfied?”
“Thank you for looking after me, Senior Brother Ji.” Jiang Yun Jiang’s smile returned, gentle and unreadable. “In the Ling Long Illusion Realm, I’ll do my best to help.”
Feng Shao Hu couldn’t keep quiet. “Senior Brother Ji, this Junior Sister Jiang isn’t even as good as the last one—Shao Heng. She’s only mid First Realm.”
Jiang Yun Jiang’s expression didn’t shift. She spoke softly, as if offering polite correction. “You must be Senior Brother Feng. Why question Senior Brother Ji’s choice?”
“I have an innate divine ability,” she added, still mild. “It strongly restrains the illusions behind the bronze door.”
Feng Shao Hu went stiff. Seeing displeasure in Ji Fei Guang’s eyes, he swallowed the rest of his complaint.
Off to the side, Ji Xuan Yin caught up to Shao Heng and lowered her voice. “Junior Sister Shao Heng, I’m really sorry. I went back on my word.”
Shao Heng walked to an open spot, took out a meditation cushion, and sat down. Only then did she answer. “Senior Sister Xuan Yin, don’t mind it. If I were Senior Brother Ji, I’d pick Jiang Yun Jiang too.”
She glanced at Ji Xuan Yin. “I know she has the Heart-Bewitching Eye. It’s probably for the illusion trial behind the bronze door.”
“You know that too?”
Ji Xuan Yin sat beside her. Shao Heng’s cushion was wide and soft, big enough for three or four people. Ji Xuan Yin frowned, hesitated, then pulled a jade plaque from her spirit-storing pendant and handed it over.
“This inheritance land of Ling Jiang—everything our sect learned from previous explorations is recorded here. Consider it my compensation.”
Her small face scrunched, downcast and stubborn at once. “It’s two different things. I didn’t think it through, and you ended up wronged.”
Shao Heng took the jade plaque and studied Ji Xuan Yin for a long moment. Then she nodded once. “Senior Sister Xuan Yin, I accept this favor.”
Ji Xuan Yin kicked at a stubborn stone and yelped when it rolled back against her foot. “Stop talking about favors. It’s so awkward. Just drop it.”
She huffed. “It’s mainly my brother. He’s obsessed. He’s determined to get Ling Jiang’s inheritance, so he can’t let go of Jiang Yun Jiang’s innate ability. He dared to embarrass me today. Just watch—one day I’ll slap him in the face.”
Shao Heng didn’t respond. She simply pressed the jade plaque to her forehead.
Whatever Ji Xuan Yin said, taking the benefit first was what mattered.
The information inside was clear: Ling Jiang’s inheritance land was divided into three trials.
The first trial was pushing open the Bronze Gate. Everyone could pool spiritual sense, but only those who truly contributed while pushing would be recognized by the gate. Otherwise, even if the door opened, you couldn’t slip in behind others.
The second trial was the Ling Long Illusion Realm. Seventy-two layers of illusions came one after another, testing a cultivator’s heart. One wrong step, and the Dao heart could collapse—qi deviation was a real risk.
The third trial was the test of the Inheritance Spirit. The jade slip recorded that the True One Yuan Sect once had four disciples reach that stage. Each received a different test, so the information could only serve as reference.
Shao Heng lowered the jade plaque.
So, even without Ji Xuan Yin’s team, the only difference was this: in the second trial, she wouldn’t have teammates to warn her.
But she cultivated the Grand Expansion Spirit-Refining Art. Her spiritual sense could already form eight threads—and it had grown again after she entered late stage.
With how strong it was now, even someone like Ji Fei Guang at peak Qi Induction Realm likely couldn’t compare.
Confidence settled in her bones, quiet and heavy.
She let out a long breath, then looked at Ji Xuan Yin and smiled—not bright, but real. “I won’t dress it up with pretty words. I only hope Senior Sister finds her own chance in the inheritance land.”