Chapter 4: Reward in Hand

Before Zhao Xing could react, he had unknowingly entered the illusionary realm.

"Master..."

The beauty in the bathing tub pressed close, making him forget everything. His eyes were filled with this incomparably charming, utterly captivating peerless beauty, and only frenzied, primal desire remained in control.

Only when his strength was completely spent did he, supported by the beauty, lie down on the bed and fall into a deep sleep.

When Zhao Xing awoke again, the yellow paper on his forehead had already dried, its ink faded, and drifted to one side.

The guiding talisman on his abdomen, however, had been soaked through with sweat.

"Mm, what a comfortable dream..."

Zhao Xing clutched his head and sat up straight, remaining still for a long while before finally coming back to his senses about what had happened.

"What? I failed?"

"!!"

Yet the lingering aftertaste of the dream remained, and the panel still had several notification records:

【You have entered the secret realm 'Great Dream Academy'】

【You have entered the 'Heart-Questioning Platform' trial.】

【Heart-Questioning failed; you gained nothing from this attempt.】

Zhao Xing closed the panel and muttered:

"It must be that this body is too young, right at the prime age of abundant vigor, or perhaps the old version of the Heart-Questioning Platform is too powerful... that's why I entered the treasure mountain only to return empty-handed."

"No matter, I'll try again next time. I'll definitely take it in one go!"

After comforting himself, Zhao Xing saw that the sky was already growing light, so he immediately dressed and went out to begin the day's labor and cultivation.

The second night.

Great Dream Academy.

"Mm, what a comfortable dream... Hm? Failed again?"

The third night.

Great Dream Academy.

"What tremendous power—it makes one involuntarily sink into indulgence. I'll definitely pass next time!"

Repeating like this for half a month, Zhao Xing had been living amid vexation and pleasure.

Even Chen Ziyu and Qian Dong found it a little strange:

"Brother, why have you lately always looked so listless and worn out?"

"Could it be that he's sneaking out behind our backs to have some fun?"

"Ziyu, how could you think that about our brother? Brother must have been training day and night, which is why he looks a little weary."

"... You two, stop talking."

Zhao Xing was somewhat melancholy—the old version of the 'Heart-Questioning Platform' was simply too powerful, and combined with the fact that a young man's body was at its peak of desire, he found himself unable to pass for the time being.

Resolving to learn from his painful failure, Zhao Xing re-examined his inner self.

The Great Dream Academy was a supreme treasure of the Great Li Dynasty for testing elites; without putting in real effort, it was truly hard to pass the old version of the Heart-Questioning Platform.

He began throwing himself wholeheartedly into cultivation, banishing all distracting thoughts each day—apart from eating and sleeping, he only practiced spells and gathered Yuan.

He used a fanatical self-discipline to fortify his resolve; sometimes he even applied self-discipline to his meals.

When he was very hungry, he would deliberately set out a bowl of delicious food, yet force himself to hold back and not take a bite, only eating once he had endured the prescribed time.

He was not trying to eliminate desire, but to make his body achieve one goal: delayed gratification of desire.

Finally, on a certain night.

Great Dream Academy, Heart-Questioning Platform.

"Master..."

The woman by the bathing tub turned around,

Her posture incomparably alluring, and she nestled into Zhao Xing's embrace.

But Zhao Xing made not the slightest move.

"Master~ Is the herbal bath this servant prepared comfortable?" the beauty whispered into his ear, as if murmuring.

This time Zhao Xing remained clear-headed. Recalling his previous failures, he sincerely praised, "It is indeed comfortable."

"Then why is Master so unmoved? Has this servant failed in some way?" The beauty raised her head, her eyes brimming with tears, looking pitifully endearing.

"I still have desire." Zhao Xing shrugged, then pushed the woman away in one motion: "It's just that my ambitions lie higher."

"If one is to play, one should play with the best, and this trial of lust cannot be counted as the best."

The illusionary realm shattered amid the beauty's somewhat stunned expression.

Next, Zhao Xing charged up ten steps in one breath.

All manner of beauties appeared before him, doing their utmost to tempt and provoke him.

But Zhao Xing shook them all off quickly. After going through his self-disciplined struggle, he had finally recaptured the feeling of his past life as a 'pro player' tackling the Heart-Questioning trial, and was no longer affected by this life's body.

A false illusionary realm—sampling it once was fine, but how could one truly lose himself in it?

"Scholar Zhao Xing, Heart-Questioning of the Lust Trial: Success."

"Having passed the first Heart-Questioning trial at the early stage of Gathering Yuan, your Dao Heart is steadfast. Reward: 'Dao Embryo Pill'."

A voice sounded in his ear, and Zhao Xing saw an ancient box drift out from within the clouds and mist.

"Dao Embryo Pill? The very first trial actually rewarded a treasure like this?"

Zhao Xing's calm and composed expression instantly crumbled the moment he heard the reward.

So much so that he didn't even attempt the eleventh step, and directly chose to awaken on his own.

Sitting up with a sudden start, Zhao Xing immediately looked down.

He saw that his left hand was holding an ancient box, exactly the same as in his dream.

"Dao Embryo Pill — before the Resurgence version, this was the absolute top-tier refinement-type pill one could obtain! No question about it!" Zhao Xing was overjoyed.

He hadn't even taken one of these in his previous life — making one himself was too expensive. Buying one from others, he couldn't afford it either — too expensive!

By the time he could afford one and get his hands on it, he no longer needed it.

"Is this real?"

Zhao Xing still couldn't quite believe it now, thinking he was still in the dream, so he quickly rubbed his eyes, and only confirmed it after seeing the panel record.

【You have entered the secret realm 'Great Dream Academy'.】

【You have entered the 'Heart-Questioning Platform' trial.】

【Heart-Questioning successful. This run's reward: 'Dao Embryo Pill'.】

【Dao Embryo Pill: A treasure of the ancient Great Li Dynasty's imperial house. It can help one shed one's mortal body and remold one's Dao foundation.】

"The Heart-Questioning Platform actually rewards such an outrageous treasure?"

Zhao Xing quickly deduced a reason: "Is it because my realm is too low, yet I managed to pass the tenth tier of Heart-Questioning, so the reward tier got a massive boost?"

The Great Dream Academy's assessments were not entirely fixed in their rewards, but rather judged based on individual performance.

Zhao Xing being able to pass the tenth tier of Heart-Questioning at the Qi Gathering Realm (the Li Dynasty's cultivation system) was extremely rare — this had nothing to do with time spent; even if a Qi Gathering second-tier cultivator took a hundred years to pass, it would still be just as impressive, so the Heart-Questioning Platform gave out a high reward.

"I'm taking it!"

Zhao Xing couldn't wait. He opened the box and swallowed the pale red pill inside in one gulp.

A tremendously fierce wave of heat instantly washed over his entire body, and Zhao Xing's body couldn't help but tremble once.

But the next second, this sensation abruptly vanished.

The anomaly came quickly and left quickly.

The marvel of the 'Dao Embryo Pill' lay right here — apart from that initial flash of anomaly, it would not cause the taker any discomfort, nor would it directly advance one's realm; instead, it would gradually and subtly transform the foundation.

But the change the Dao Embryon Pill brought Zhao Xing was still considerable!

It could be seen right from the panel.

【Name: Zhao Xing】

【Realm: Unranked】

【Fortune: Yan Two】

【Spells: Basic Cultivation (Max Level)】

【Robust Growth: Beginner (201/9999)】

【Moving Clouds: Beginner (352/9999)】

【Qi Gathering: Second Tier (142/1000)】

【Shed Mortal Body, Remold Dao Foundation: Special Status (In Progress). This status cannot be detected by those below first-rank.】

"An extra special status appeared — truly worthy of being the strongest refinement treasure."

"Qi Gathering went from first-tier 71 points to second-tier 142 points, directly doubling. No choice — even if it only shows a tiny bit of effect at the start, it's enough to give a massive boost at this stage. Fortunately, this kind of boost isn't too eye-catching at the low-tier stage."

"Wait, why did my Fortune grade also become Yan Two? I've never heard that taking a Dao Embryo Pill could also raise one's Fortune grade."