49: Inner Court Selection and Undercurrents

In the outer courtyard of Jia Nan Academy, within Xiao Chen’s small yard.

The night was like water, and Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on the stone bed, enveloped by a faint blue glow. His Spirit Realm Soul allowed him to clearly “see” the increasingly solidified Soul Origin in his Sea of Consciousness, as well as the faintly visible golden clan mark deep within his glabella. After several months of arduous cultivation and Elder Mu She’s rigorous guidance, his soul realm had completely stabilized at the peak of the early Spirit Realm, just a step away from the middle Spirit Realm. His control over the Soul Heart Flame had also become more refined, enough to simulate the flame intensity required by a fourth-grade Alchemist.

Energy Pool: 1250 / 10000

Soul Realm: Early Spirit Realm (1850 / 5000)

“The Inner Academy selection competition is in half a month…” Xiao Chen opened his eyes, a flash of blue light passing through them. The selection competition was crucial for entering the Inner Academy and gaining the qualification to use the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower. Only by entering the Inner Academy could he access the academy’s most core resources and secrets, accelerate his strength improvement, and cope with potential threats—especially the Soul Hall.

Thinking of the Soul Hall, Xiao Chen’s eyes slightly chilled. Ever since the Black-Robed Figure appeared last time, the academy had noticeably strengthened its defenses, and Instructor Ruolin had repeatedly reminded him to be careful. However, open attacks are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against; the Soul Hall’s bizarre methods were impossible to fully defend against.

The next day, Xiao Chen went to the Alchemy Department as usual. He was now a “special student” of the Alchemy Department. Although he didn't have an Alchemist badge, with his unique Soul Heart Flame and solid pharmacological knowledge, he could stably refine fourth-grade medicinal pills with pill patterns, earning him high regard from several lecturers.

As soon as he entered the Alchemy Hall, he felt an unusual lively atmosphere. Many students were gathered, discussing animatedly.

“Did you hear? Senior Brother Liu Qing has come out of seclusion! He’s definitely a hot favorite to win the Inner Academy selection this time!”

“And Senior Brother Lin Xiuyai, it’s said his ‘Azure Wood Gang Qi’ has reached the major completion stage, with infinite power!”

“Don’t forget Senior Sister Zi Yan, though she’s young, even the elders are wary of her monstrous strength…”

“This year’s Inner Academy selection is probably the most intense in recent years!”

Liu Qing, Lin Xiuyai, Zi Yan… these were all renowned powerhouses in the outer courtyard, with strength at least at the peak of the Great Dou Master realm, possibly even touching the threshold of a Dou Spirit. Xiao Chen listened silently, feeling considerable pressure. His advantage lay in his soul power, but directly confronting the profound Dou Qi of high-level Great Dou Masters was still very challenging.

“Junior Brother Xiao Chen.” A gentle voice came. Xiao Chen turned and saw Qing Ling, dressed in a light green dress, walking over. She was one of the few friends Xiao Chen had made in the academy, specializing in formation arrays, and her soul power was also not weak.

“Senior Sister Qing Ling.” Xiao Chen nodded in greeting.

“It seems you’ve also heard the news.” Qing Ling smiled faintly, “This selection competition has many hidden talents, but with your soul attainments, Junior Brother, getting into the top fifty shouldn’t be a problem.” Among the thousands of outer courtyard disciples, entering the top fifty was already an excellent achievement, enough to qualify for the Inner Academy, but the higher the ranking, the more resources and attention one received.

“Top fifty isn’t enough.” Xiao Chen shook his head, his gaze firm, “My goal is the top ten.” Only by entering the top ten could he obtain priority access to the Heaven Burning Qi Refining Tower and receive greater cultivation support from the academy.

A hint of surprise flashed in Qing Ling’s eyes, then understanding: “It seems Junior Brother has lofty ambitions. But be careful, people like Liu Qing are not to be underestimated. And…” She lowered her voice, “I’ve been studying formation arrays recently and sensed some unusual soul fluctuations on the outskirts of the academy, very subtle and cold. I’m afraid… they mean ill.”

Xiao Chen’s heart tightened. Was it someone from the Soul Hall? Had they already infiltrated near the academy? He said in a deep voice, “Thank you for the reminder, Senior Sister. I’ll be careful.”

A few days later, the specific rules for the Inner Academy selection competition were announced. The competition was divided into two rounds: the first round was a test of soul power and willpower, where all participants would enter a secret realm called the Illusory Heart Road, advancing under layers of illusions and soul pressure. They would be ranked by the time they persisted and the distance they covered, with the top hundred entering the second round; the second round would be a arena competition, with random matchups until the final rankings were decided.

“Illusory Heart Road…” Xiao Chen mused. This first round was practically tailor-made for him! With his Spirit Realm Soul and the Spirit Nurturing Art, he was confident of achieving excellent results. The key lay in the second round’s arena competition, how to deal with opponents whose Dou Qi cultivation far surpassed his own.

He needed more effective soul combat techniques! Relying solely on Soul Impact and basic illusions was fine for opponents of the same level or slightly stronger, but against powerhouses like Liu Qing, it would likely be ineffective.

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen once again went to the bamboo forest behind the mountain to seek an audience with Elder Mu She.

“You wish to learn stronger soul attack techniques?” Elder Mu She’s cloudy eyes flashed with a sharp glint after hearing Xiao Chen’s request. “Your Spirit Nurturing Art has reached the second stage of perfection, and your soul foundation is solid. You can indeed start learning more advanced application methods.”

He paused, then slowly said, “Soul attacks emphasize ‘strangeness,’ ‘deviousness,’ and ‘sharpness.’ Ordinary Soul Impact is like a brute swinging a fist, its power dispersed. Advanced soul combat techniques are like an assassin’s dagger, precise and deadly. I have three forms here; you may choose one to cultivate.”

“First, ‘Startling Soul Stab’: It compresses soul power to the extreme, forming an invisible sharp prick, specifically designed to break soul defenses, aiming for a killing blow, but it places an immense burden on one’s own soul.”

“Second, ‘Illusionary Dream Realm’: It constructs multiple layers of illusions, combining reality and falsehood, trapping enemies invisibly and killing them in their dreams. This requires extremely strong illusionary talent and soul control.”

“Third, ‘Soul Imprint’: It plants a Soul Imprint that can sense, influence, or even control the imprinted person from a long distance. It is bizarre and hard to guard against, but its cultivation difficulty is the highest, and it is prone to backlash.”

Xiao Chen listened carefully, quickly weighing his options. The Startling Soul Stab was powerful but too direct and consumed too much; the Soul Imprint was bizarre but slow to cultivate and high-risk; the Illusionary Dream Realm, however, focused more on control and change, which was more compatible with his current flexible fighting style. Moreover, if the illusion could successfully trap an opponent, it would be enough to compensate for his disadvantage in Dou Qi.

“Disciple wishes to try cultivating the Illusionary Dream Realm.” Xiao Chen made his choice.

Elder Mu She nodded, seemingly unsurprised. He flicked his finger, and a soul light dot containing a large amount of information merged into Xiao Chen’s glabella. “This is the cultivation method for the Illusionary Dream Realm and some of my insights. Study it well. Remember, the highest realm of illusion is to make the enemy willingly sink into it, not to forcibly distort their perception. Your True Meaning of Wind might be integrated into it to enhance the agility and realism of the illusion.”

After obtaining the method, Xiao Chen began frantic cultivation. During the day, he solidified his Soul Heart Flame in the Alchemy Department, and at night, he immersed himself in the cultivation of the Illusionary Dream Realm. He tried to integrate the unpredictable and swift characteristics of wind into the illusion, making the illusions no longer static images but full of dynamism and unpredictability. He even roped in Mo Chen as a sparring partner. Initially, Mo Chen could forcefully break through the illusions with his powerful Dou Qi and willpower as a Great Dou Master, but as Xiao Chen’s proficiency improved, Mo Chen spent longer and longer trapped in the illusions. Once, he even almost fought the “air” to a mutual defeat within the illusion.

Time flew by, and the day of the Inner Academy selection competition finally arrived.

In the largest square of the outer courtyard—Jia Nan Square—the atmosphere was bustling. Thousands of eligible outer courtyard disciples gathered here. On the high platform, the outer courtyard dean, elders from various departments, and instructors were all present. Even the Inner Academy sent several elders to observe, showing the academy’s Pay attention to for this selection.

Xiao Chen stood among the crowd, his aura restrained. He saw the burly Liu Qing with his domineering aura, the gentle Lin Xiuyai with his sharp eyes, and the petite and cute Zi Yan whom no one dared to approach. He also sensed several subtle yet powerful auras, which should belong to those low-key but surprisingly strong senior students.

“First round, Illusory Heart Road, begin!” With a command from the outer courtyard dean, the space in the center of the square twisted, and a huge light gate slowly emerged. Beyond the light gate was a winding stone staircase leading to the mountain peak, shrouded in mist, emitting a soul-stirring soul fluctuation.

“All participants, enter the Illusory Heart Road! Those who cannot persevere, crush the jade token in your hand to be teleported out! Timing begins!”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Figures rushed into the light gate impatiently. Xiao Chen took a deep breath and also stepped in with the flow of people.

As soon as he entered, the surrounding scenery instantly changed! The square and the crowd disappeared, replaced by an endless desert, scorched by the scorching sun, with yellow sand filling the sky. A powerful soul pressure surged like a tide, attempting to erode his will. At the same time, various illusions began to appear: there were gold coins and treasures, peerless cultivation techniques, beautiful women’s temptations, and even the reappearance of his deepest fears… “Petty tricks.” Xiao Chen’s soul power vibrated slightly, and these primary illusions shattered like bubbles. His steps were steady, his speed undiminished, and he quickly moved forward along an invisible path. The power of his Spirit Realm Soul was fully displayed at this moment. Many disciples with decent Dou Qi cultivation were already struggling under the dual torment of soul pressure and illusions, and some quickly crushed their jade tokens and were teleported out.

Xiao Chen took the lead, quickly surpassing most people. Ahead, there were only a few figures like Liu Qing, Lin Xiuyai, and Zi Yan. They were also rapidly breaking through the illusions with their powerful Dou Qi cultivation and firm willpower.

However, as they delved deeper, the difficulty of the Illusory Heart Road increased sharply. The soul pressure grew stronger and stronger, and the illusions became more and more realistic, even directly attacking the soul! Sometimes, thousands of wronged souls wailed and rushed at them; other times, inner demons whispered temptations of degradation.

Xiao Chen had no choice but to activate the Spirit Nurturing Art, forming a layer of soul protective barrier on his body, while carefully avoiding the most dangerous illusion attacks. He tried to cast the Illusionary Dream Realm, which he had initially mastered, to inversely affect the surrounding illusions. As expected, the pressure greatly reduced, and his speed of advancement increased again.

Gradually, he surpassed Lin Xiuyai, caught up with Liu Qing, and even walked side-by-side with the monstrously strong loli, Zi Yan!

Liu Qing felt someone surpassing him, snorted coldly, and his earthy yellow Dou Qi erupted, forcefully shattering a patch of illusion, and his speed surged. Zi Yan curiously glanced at Xiao Chen, seemingly interested that he could keep up, then skipped and jumped forward, as if this terrifying Illusory Heart Road had no effect on her.

After an unknown period, when Xiao Chen felt his soul power was nearly half depleted, the endpoint finally appeared ahead—a platform emitting a soft glow. On the platform, several figures were already sitting cross-legged, adjusting their breathing. These were Liu Qing, Zi Yan, and a few others who had broken through first.

Xiao Chen stepped out of the Illusory Heart Road and onto the platform. Instantly, all the illusions and pressure vanished, replaced by a sense of soul relaxation and fullness.

“Xiao Chen, passed the Illusory Heart Road, time taken: one incense stick plus three minutes, ranking: fifth!” An elder responsible for recording announced loudly.

Fifth place! Among thousands of outer courtyard geniuses, he stood out and ranked among the top five! This achievement caught the attention of the top geniuses on the platform. Liu Qing gave Xiao Chen a deep look, Lin Xiuyai nodded to him, and Zi Yan even directly came closer.

“Hey, you’re that Xiao Chen who has no Dou Qi but very strong soul power? Interesting!” Zi Yan blinked her big eyes, unreservedly scrutinizing Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen smiled slightly and cupped his hands, saying, “Senior Sister Zi Yan, you flatter me.” In his heart, however, he dared not be careless in the slightest. Zi Yan gave him an extremely dangerous feeling; a monstrous power seemed to be hidden within her body.

The first round ended, and Xiao Chen successfully advanced, proving the worth of his “no-Dou-Qi genius” with absolute dominance! Next, would be an even more brutal and direct arena competition!

And just as Xiao Chen was adjusting his breathing and recovering, preparing for the second round’s challenge, in an inconspicuous corner at the edge of the square, a figure shrouded in shadow was watching Xiao Chen on the platform with cold eyes, a bizarre arc forming at the corner of his mouth.

“Spirit Realm Soul… fifth place… Very good, increasingly valuable for capture. Kid, enjoy this last bit of glory well, your soul, my Soul Hall will have it!”

The hidden viper had already bared its fangs. Xiao Chen’s path to the Inner Academy was destined to be fraught with thorns.