"Why, why, why!"
Li Wen turned his head to look at Qin Shu unwillingly. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hands trembled non-stop. He took out dozens of Qi Refinement Pills from his storage bag and stuffed them into his mouth, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Suddenly, a violent spiritual energy fluctuation emanated from Li Wen's side. Li Wen bit his finger, and blood flowed out. He raised his hand and wrote something in the air.
As he wrote, the sky darkened, and dark clouds gathered, with traces of lightning forming within them.
"That's a Level 5 Origin Pattern Technique, the Myriad Lightning Technique!"
Zi Yue's expression immediately turned ugly. Even if Li Wen could only harness a fraction of this technique's power, it was beyond their capabilities at their current level.
"Qin Shu, go to hell!"
At this moment, Li Wen had completely lost his composure. He wanted to obliterate Qin Shu, even though he knew it would be futile to do so here.
"It seems we won't make it to the final test," Xuanyuan Quanlong sighed. Although he had managed to turn the tables with Qin Shu's help, he hadn't anticipated Li Wen possessing such a formidable ability. Even if he used the royal family's secret technique, it would be challenging to counter this.
Qin Shu took out his storage bag and placed an inconspicuous item on his chest. After silently reciting a blessing, he charged at Li Wen once more, albeit at a slower speed this time.
"Qin Shu, have you lost your mind?" Zhao He, Xuanyuan Quanlong, and the others were shocked by Qin Shu's reckless actions. Even in the illusion realm, injuries would transfer to the real body, albeit with minor consequences.
"Come on, come on."
"Not only will you die in the illusion realm, but you'll also die in reality!"
Li Wen had completely lost his sanity at this point. Bloodstains in the air transformed into blood-red talisman papers that flew out, and heavenly lightning descended. Several massive bolts of lightning buried Qin Shu entirely.
Outside the illusion realm, Qin Shu's eyes remained tightly shut, but traces of blood trickled from the corners of his mouth.
"It appears they are engaged in a fierce battle," the Fifth Elder remarked while sitting at a table, leisurely fanning himself. He was playing chess with Pang Yuan and couldn't help but comment.
"Master, is this alright? The only thing capable of injuring them in the illusion realm is likely a Level 6 Origin Pattern Art or higher," Pang Yuan expressed his concern.
This bell was a relic left by the Blackheaven Sect's sect master. It not only facilitated cultivation but could also simulate entire worlds or universes.
The location where Qin Shu was undergoing the assessment had been personally created by the Fifth Elder.
"No, the illusion realm I constructed can only harm them up to Level 5. For those below Level 5, the illusion realm serves as a means of relief," the Fifth Elder calmly explained.
"Level 5... That's equivalent to the cornerstone treasure of an average sect," Pang Yuan exclaimed.
The only time he had witnessed a Level 5 Origin Pattern Art was when the Fifth Elder had employed the Art of Rebirth to save him in the mountain's depths. On that occasion, all the beings in the vicinity who had perished were resurrected, halting the pursuing demons and enabling their escape.
Since then, he had remained at the Fifth Elder's side, hoping to learn some skills, but the Fifth Elder had refrained from using his abilities.
"Level 5 is indeed high, but they are still in the Qi Refinement stage. Even if they advance to the Foundation Establishment stage or the Golden Core stage, they won't be able to fully grasp the power of a Level 5 Origin Pattern Art."
"This is the difference between external force and true strength. While it can be wielded, it's a double-edged sword for both the caster and the unfortunate recipient."
The Fifth Elder was sipping tea, but a fragment of his spiritual essence had entered the illusion realm to observe which disciple had the chance to learn a Level 5 Origin Pattern Art.
He was curious why Qin Shu, that young brat, hadn't left the illusion realm after being struck by the Level 5 Origin Pattern Art.
Inside the illusion realm at that moment.
The intense lightning engulfed the entire forest, forcing everyone into a defensive posture. However, Li Wen remained perched on a tree, his eyes gradually clearing. He understood that by unleashing this attack, he had become like an arrow at the end of its flight.
Upon touching the teleportation talisman in his pocket, Li Wen's heart finally found some solace. His actions may have been reckless, but he was determined to secure a spot as an inner disciple.
Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Quanlong stood at the center of Zi Yue's defensive formation. He channeled his blood essence to heal his wounds while constantly scanning the area for any sign of Qin Shu.
The surroundings were shrouded in smoke, obscuring visibility. It was impossible to ascertain the situation within.
At this moment, almost all the outer sect disciples on the scene fled in all directions when Li Wen released the Myriad Lightning Technique. Although they did not know how powerful this technique was, the spiritual energy fluctuation made them tremble in fear.
"In the end, you can't defeat me."
Li Wen, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, knew the severe repercussions of using this technique, even within an illusion realm. If possible, he wouldn't have employed it.
However, to protect his younger brother, Li Wu resolutely used the Fire Ape Fist to block Qin Shu's attack, sacrificing his chances of competing for inner sect disciple status.
Had it not been within the illusion realm, Li Wu's soul might have been annihilated.
"What a pity. Given Qin Shu's abilities, he had the highest likelihood of receiving guidance from the Fifth Elder."
"Qin Shu!" Zhao He shouted into the smoke, his disbelief palpable. Despite knowing the slim chances, he held onto hope that Qin Shu could survive.
"Stop shouting. He's already lost the qualification for the test," Shi Qianfeng retorted coldly. Even if they attacked together, they wouldn't withstand such a Myriad Lightning Technique, let alone Qin Shu.
"You're right. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator would struggle against such lightning, let alone Brother Qin, who is only at Level 6 Qi Refinement." Zhao He sighed, his knowledge of miscellaneous books reaffirming the devastating power of the lightning technique.
"D*mn, that hurts."
Just when everyone assumed Qin Shu had lost his qualification for the assessment, a faint voice emerged from the dissipating dust. Though feeble, it sent shockwaves through those present.
Under everyone's astonished gazes, the smoke cleared, revealing Qin Shu seated on the ground. His clothes lay in tatters, but his aura remained potent. Aside from a hint of fatigue on his face, there were no apparent severe injuries.
"How... how is this possible!"
"No, this can't be real. It's a trick. It must be!"
Li Wen trembled uncontrollably at this moment, losing control of his spiritual energy and tumbling from the tree to the ground.
"Luckily, I had the Heart Protection Mirror. Unfortunately, it's a one-time use."
Qin Shu retrieved the shattered mirror from his pocket and casually tossed it to the ground.
"The Heart Protection Mirror? How could he possess it?"
Li Wen suddenly felt utterly defeated. The Heart Protection Mirror was a gift from the elders bestowed upon one after advancing to an inner sect disciple. How could Qin Shu, a lone individual, possess such a magical treasure?
"Heart Protection Mirror?" Xuanyuan Quanlong recognized the mirror and frowned, as if reevaluating Qin Shu.
"Is there something special about this mirror?" Qing Yuan, leaning against Zi Yue, inquired.
"Miss Qing, do you know how one can obtain the Heart Protection Mirror?" Xuanyuan Quanlong continued, "It is a reward given to those who pass the inner sect examination and garner the favor of an elder. Each person is granted only one. It is considered an absolute life-saving magical treasure."
"Unfortunately, this item can only be used once. After deflecting a fatal blow, it shatters and becomes useless. Hence, it is highly cherished, with almost no one willing to buy or sell it."