Chapter 34

The trial of the Green Illusion Realm takes place once every ten years, involving the four sects and the twenty-five families from the seven cities.

The seven cities, equal in status to Black Cloud City, have a total of twenty-five families. Some families, due to their recent outstanding performance, are granted quotas by the four sects.

These families will arrange for their most talented young members to join the prodigies of the four sects in the Green Illusion Realm.

As the trial of the Green Illusion Realm is about to begin, the twenty-five families from the seven cities are all eagerly preparing, pouring as many resources as possible into the young members who will participate in the trial.

Some of these young members are equipped with high-level spirit artifacts from their families, while others are given precious elixirs, all ready to make a big splash in the Green Illusion Realm.

However, Nie Donghai, due to his financial difficulties over the years, can only offer Nie Tian care and some advice.

The next day.

Early in the morning, Nie Donghai led Nie Tian to wait in front of the Nie family's gate.

"An Shiyi, that girl, although ruthless, is very principled. She has her limits and, given her status, she would never harm you," Nie Donghai said calmly. "I am very放心 (reassured) to entrust you to her. Just remember to be careful in the Green Illusion Realm and don't reveal your secrets."

Nie Tian nodded slightly, "Grandpa, don't worry, I will take good care of myself."

"Good." Nie Donghai squinted his eyes and looked toward the location of the Yun family within the city. "Yun Song, the son of Yun Zhiguo, will also go to the Green Illusion Realm for the trial. Yuan Qiuying, that vicious woman, hates you to the bone, and I'm worried she might order Yun Song to attack you in the Green Illusion Realm."

"Yun Song?" Nie Tian curled his lips in disdain. "When I was at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, I could make him spit blood. It's only been a few months, he should still be at the sixth level of Qi Condensation, while I... am also at the sixth level. Hey, he'd better pray he doesn't run into me in the Green Illusion Realm!"

"I'm not just worried about him. Yuan Feng from the Yuan family in Cold Stone City, who has a good relationship with Yuan Qiuying since childhood, is the real tough guy," Nie Donghai said with a serious expression. "Yuan Feng broke through to the ninth level of Qi Condensation a year ago and has been officially accepted by the Ash Valley. Moreover, he is highly regarded in the Ash Valley and is the leader of this trial. Yuan Feng is older than you and has a higher realm. As the leader of the Ash Valley, all the Ash Valley participants in the Green Illusion Realm will follow his orders."

"Remember, you must stay with the Spirit Treasure Pavilion's participants and try not to get separated."

"If you do get separated by accident, if possible, find Nie Xian and team up with the Lingyun Sect's participants. Although you are entering with the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, the Nie family is a subordinate family of the Lingyun Sect, so the leader of the Lingyun Sect should accept you."

"In the Green Illusion Realm, forming a team is crucial. Individual strength is only one aspect, remember this!"

Nie Donghai earnestly instructed.

Nie Tian listened attentively, nodding from time to time, becoming increasingly excited about the trial of the Green Illusion Realm.

He enjoys such competition in his bones!

Seeing Nie Tian's fighting spirit, Nie Donghai nodded inwardly, suddenly feeling that the trial of the Green Illusion Realm might transform Nie Tian, making him truly understand the cruelty and danger of the Qi Condensation world.

He vaguely felt that Nie Tian could adapt to that place.

"Old Master Nie, my young miss has sent me to take Nie Tian to the Green Illusion Realm." An He, the old servant of the An family, drove a carriage from the quiet street at dawn.

"Thank you for your trouble," Nie Donghai said, then looked at Nie Tian and said earnestly, "Call him Uncle An."

"Uncle An!" Nie Tian hurriedly bowed.

An He, who appeared somewhat stout, nodded expressionlessly at Nie Tian and gestured for him to get in the carriage.

Nie Tian did not dawdle and entered the carriage under Nie Donghai's watchful eye.

After he got in, An He said to Nie Donghai, "Old Master, you don't need to worry. I will escort Nie Tian to the trial of the Green Illusion Realm, and nothing will happen to him on the way."

An He glanced in the direction of the Yun family, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

"Thank you." Nie Donghai clasped his hands in gratitude.

He clearly knew An He's status in the An family and his strength, so he was extremely reassured.

"I will bring Nie Tian back safely in half a year." With that, An He said no more and whipped the reins, striking the strong black horse.

The powerful hooves of the black horse echoed on the quiet street, and the carriage gradually moved away, soon disappearing from Nie Donghai's sight.

...

Three days later, in a desolate swamp near Thunder City.

Large patches of peat moss were scattered throughout the swamp. At a small lake with relatively clear water, An Shiyi, feeling the heat, waved a paper fan with her jade-like hands, explaining the matters to be noted in the Green Illusion Realm to fourteen well-dressed young men and women.

These fourteen young people came from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and some families affiliated with it.

Their realms were mostly at the seventh and eighth levels of Qi Condensation, with only three at the ninth level.

These three wore simple, bright yellow robes with a prominent "Treasure" character embroidered on the left chest, clearly distinguishing them from the other eleven.

—They are the disciples already recognized by the Spirit Treasure Pavilion.

The three disciples of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, two boys and one girl, were led by a beautiful girl.

The girl bore a resemblance to An Shiyi, with a curvaceous figure despite her young age, and her every move exuded a sense of nobility, clearly accustomed to giving orders.

"Enough, enough, don't you find it tedious to say so much?" The girl named An Ying, with an impatient look on her face, said, "The elders in the pavilion already told us these things before we came, no need to repeat them."

"You talk too much!" An Shiyi glared at her.

An Ying laughed lightly, her voice as clear and pleasant as a lark's, "Who made you my sister? They find you annoying but don't dare to say it, so I have to say it."

Before An Shiyi could scold her, she quickly added, "When will that Nie family boy arrive? He's not even from our Spirit Treasure Pavilion, yet he makes us all wait for him, what a big shot!"

An Ying, who had already reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation, was a disciple of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion and the leader of this trial.

Three days ago, when An Shiyi returned to the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, she specifically found An Ying and told her that the An family's quota for the trial was given to a boy named Nie Tian from the Nie family.

An Shiyi instructed An Ying to keep a close eye on Nie Tian in the Green Illusion Realm and pay attention to every abnormality about him.

The An family's quota for the trial was hard-won and was originally intended for one of An Ying's younger brothers.

An Shiyi giving the quota to Nie Tian greatly displeased An Ying.

Although she knew that An Shiyi had ulterior motives in letting Nie Tian enter the Green Illusion Realm, An Ying was still quite annoyed.

Thus, even before meeting Nie Tian, she had already developed a dislike for him, who had taken her brother's place.

The trial was about to begin, and Nie Tian was still not there, making her even more discontent.

"Black Cloud City is far from here, so it's not surprising that he's a bit late. Don't worry, if we calculate the time, they should be here soon," An Shiyi, knowing that she was upset, did not take it to heart. "Ying, although Nie Tian is not from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, since I gave him the token to enter the Green Illusion Realm, you should be more generous and not make things too hard for him."

"I have a big heart, I won't hold a grudge against him," An Ying huffed and glanced at the other two ninth-level Qi Condensation boys from the Spirit Treasure Pavilion. "As for others, I can't control them."

The two boys, under An Ying's gaze, raised their heads slightly, looking proud.

"You little girl!" An Shiyi said angrily.

She knew that the two boys recognized by the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, Zheng Rui and Pan Tao, admired An Ying and followed her orders in everything.

If An Ying showed even a slight dissatisfaction with Nie Tian, those two would surely find ways to make things difficult for him.

Zheng Rui and Pan Tao were the grandsons of the elders of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, and even she couldn't control them.

"Anyone who dares to enter the Green Illusion Realm, especially with the token of the Spirit Treasure Pavilion, should be prepared to be targeted..." An Shiyi muttered to herself, knowing that persuasion was futile, and gave up.

"Sister, don't worry, I will take good care of him in the Green Illusion Realm!" An Ying said confidently.

"He's here." At that moment, An Shiyi's eyebrows twitched, and she suddenly looked into the distance.

On a muddy path, An He of the An family, leading Nie Tian, slowly appeared and quickly approached.

...