Chapter 481: with translation of chapter title

Dong Jiao knew this was an illusion realm and expected phantoms to appear, but she never imagined she would encounter hundreds of identical people saying the same words.

She furrowed her brows, "What on earth is going on?"

Yuan Yao smiled, "I was just holding a bronze mirror, staring at my reflection, and at the same time I kept silently visualizing myself in my mind, which created all these false selves. Want to give it a try?"

Dong Jiao, after hearing that, seemed to understand a bit.

A try?

Why would she do something so boring?

A moment later.

Within the illusion realm, a large group of strikingly beautiful Yuan Yao wielding multicolored long swords stood upright, while opposite them a large group of lively‑eyed Dong Jiao with kitchen knives strapped to their waists faced them.

Both sides were clearly delineated, their aura fierce, as if two armies about to launch a massive battle.

Yuan Yao raised an eyebrow and smiled, proposing, "Let's slash each other! Use the fakes to confuse the real, and see who can first locate the other's true form!"

Dong Jiao heard this, twirling the gleaming sharp kitchen knife in both hands, her tone excited, "Alright! I've been itching for a fight! Let's see whose sword is faster or whose knife sharper!"

Immediately, the two groups surged together like floodgates opening, Boom—colliding, and began slashing at each other!

In an instant, sword light flickered, knife shadows flew!

This scene left the onlookers outside dumbfounded, their mouths involuntarily twitching.

At that moment, Dong Ning Immortal Venerable and Xiang Li Immortal Venerable, seated on the ceremony platform, were both startled, then exchanged a helpless glance, seeing the same bewildered expression in each other's eyes.

Immediately, they keenly sensed many profound Daoist gazes repeatedly turning toward their position, some laced with teasing and mockery.

Dong Ning Immortal Venerable cleared his throat, his complexion unchanged, his eyes drifting afar as if studying the clouds.

Xiang Li Immortal Venerable lifted his teacup, took a gentle sip, covering the barely suppressed smile at his lips, and said, "Jiao'er, mischievous, you made everyone look foolish."

Dong Ning Immortal Venerable and Xiang Li Immortal Venerable hail from the Fourth Province and are Dong Jiao's parents.

Suddenly, President Cang Cong of the Dan Alliance laughed, "I think Yuan Yao guessed the trick to earn points, which is why she acted this way."

Those nearby, hearing this, involuntarily glanced toward the ranking beside the water‑mirror spirit crystal; Yuan Yao's Ninth Province team led the points by a wide margin.

Moreover, no other continent or island team topped the leaderboard above her.

The crowd saw Dong Jiao's Fourth Province team ranking surge quickly to first place.

Besides the Cultivators of the Fourth and Ninth Provinces, whose faces could not hide pride and excitement, spectators from other continents or islands felt a mix of emotions, rather displeased, when Yuan Yao and Dong Jiao's points skyrocketed, leaving their own top competitors far behind.

In the audience, a Cultivator said with obvious sourness and accusation, "Ha, their actions literally break the rules of this illusion contest! How can they be so opportunistic?"

Another Cultivator in a blue robe immediately echoed, "Exactly! Such nonsense, what dignity is that? If every contestant copied them, avoiding direct combat with the illusion realm's monsters and resorting to these side tricks, wouldn't the contest be total chaos? Where would fairness be?"

"Indeed! It's downright heretical!"

Many people voiced their agreement.

At that moment, a Cultivator from the Fourth Province sprang up, his voice booming like a great bell, retorting, "Your words are mistaken! Rest assured, this contest will not fall apart because not everyone possesses the steadfast Dao heart of the two Immortal Venerables Yuan Yao and Dong Jiao, able to swiftly discern the illusion's nature, separate reality from unreality, and act decisively in such a short time!"

"Moreover, this illusion heart test examines the younger generation's Dao‑heart stability, willpower, and adaptability! Their rapid breakthrough shows they far surpass their peers in these aspects, doesn't it?"

"If we only discuss cultivation strength, a hard‑fought clash, that will naturally wait for the second contest, where true merit will appear! Right now it's merely a heart test; they proved their temperament at the fastest speed, so why the baseless criticism?"

The Fourth Province Cultivator's words were reasoned and resonant, instantly silencing the dissenting voices.

The listeners fell into contemplation, finding his point indeed had merit.

At this time, Kui Qian Immortal Venerable spoke.

"They have not violated the rules."

Everyone present, hearing this, immediately dared not speak out of turn.

Meanwhile inside the illusion realm, many were deceived by the false images.

Yuan Yao and Dong Jiao slashed each other for a while, eventually uncovering each other's true forms and clearing all the monster‑created phantoms.

Dong Jiao looked at Yuan Yao, shocked, and said, "You've become much stronger!"

Yuan Yao sheathed her sword and replied with a smile, "You too."

Dong Jiao invited, "Shall we go check around together?"

"Sure." Yuan Yao was already thinking so.

The two then set off together.

Not long after, they ran into several young disciples in yellow robes, who were people from the Seventh Province.

Those Seventh Province young disciples became alert the moment they saw them.

Yuan Yao sensed slightly and discovered that among them, aside from the boy Bind with a high ponytail, the rest were monster‑created phantoms.

In the next instant, she keenly noticed the boy's expression was off, as if trapped in a hallucination; his pupils contracted, showing sorrow, and he shouted, "No—Brother Fu!"

A phantom near the boy suddenly burst like fireworks and vanished, followed quickly by the remaining phantoms.

The boy seemed in unbearable pain, eyes tearing as he stared at Yuan Yao and Dong Jiao, then drew his sword toward them.

"I will kill you!"

"Kill you monsters!"

He screamed hysterically, then swung his sword, repeatedly slashing at them.

Yuan Yao instantly realized he had fully fallen into the illusion, treating them as the monsters that killed his fellow disciples!

Yuan Yao swiftly raised her sword to meet him, then flipped him onto the ground!

Bang!

The boy fell heavily to the ground, groaning in pain.

Immediately, he gritted his teeth, rolled up quickly, and attacked Yuan Yao again!

Yuan Yao, seeing this, narrowed her eyes, darted forward, and struck the boy's back with the back of her blade; the boy let out a wail.

"Ah—"

Immediately, she released spiritual energy, forcefully invading his sea of consciousness.

Yuan Yao could clearly "see" the chaotic scene inside his sea of consciousness.

She slightly raised her brow, "Forget it, I'll help you heal."

However, she had to collect payment.

The payment is——

Confess to her, then awaken.