Chapter 13: The Forest and the Desert

After a dizzy spell, Ye Xiao opened his eyes to find himself in the midst of a forest. His feet had landed precisely in a small clearing within the woods.

“Is this an illusion?” Ye Xiao recalled what Feng Buxing had just said and reached out to touch a leaf nearby, unable to help but marvel, “This illusion feels so real!”

Although the Ye family had once been a moderately ranked clan, it was still far too weak compared to a colossal institution like the Yin-Yang Academy. This kind of technique was something he had never encountered before.

Just as he was admiring it, a figure slowly materialized not far ahead of him. Ye Xiao’s heart tightened; he swiftly drew the broken sword hanging behind him, gripping it tightly, his eyes wary as they fixed on the apparition.

The figure gradually took shape—a man of roughly Ye Xiao’s stature, but his face was indistinct.

“What is this...?” Ye Xiao’s eyes filled with confusion.

Unexpectedly, the faceless figure spoke.

“Defeat me, and you may proceed to the next level!”

Ye Xiao’s expression tightened. This illusion was also at the seventh level of the Xuan realm!

“A fight against someone of equal level? Interesting!” After assessing his opponent’s power, a faint smile curved Ye Xiao’s lips. Since his recent strength increase, he hadn’t had a proper battle. Today, he wanted to see just how much gap there was between him and someone of his own rank.

With that thought, Ye Xiao wasted no time and struck first.

His left foot slammed down fiercely, creating a crater in the earth beneath him, and he shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The illusionary figure matched his speed without hesitation, launching forward as well!

The two collided with brutal force; their swords clashed, sparks flying, the shrill sound ringing sharply in Ye Xiao’s ears.

Raising an eyebrow, Ye Xiao suddenly twisted his body and delivered a flying kick aimed at the illusion’s waist.

His opponent reacted swiftly, pressing his toes to the ground and stepping back to evade the strike. As he dodged, his long sword came down in a sweeping blow.

Had Ye Xiao not withdrawn his attack, this strike would have instantly crippled his leg, rendering it useless in battle.

With no choice, Ye Xiao pulled back, parrying the long sword with his broken blade, then retreated several steps before stopping.

They exchanged a steady gaze, each recognizing the seriousness reflected in the other’s eyes.

There was no denying it—the illusion possessed genuine strength.

***

“No wonder so many fail to pass the fifth level. If the first level is this difficult, I can’t imagine what awaits beyond,” Ye Xiao thought grimly.

The illusion gave him no time to ponder further and surged forward again. The two engaged in another fierce round of combat.

After nearly half an hour, Ye Xiao, panting heavily, knelt on one knee. Opposite him, the broken sword was thrust deep into the illusion’s chest.

As the glow faded, the illusion vanished, and the broken sword clattered to the ground.

“Finally over!” Ye Xiao said, rising and retrieving his sword. Glancing around, he spotted a strange glowing gate between two trees not far off.

Beyond the gate lay an upward staircase.

“This must be the entrance to the second level,” Ye Xiao murmured.

He stepped toward the light portal and, after some thought, entered.

Ascending the stairs, the second level drew nearer, and a scorching heat began to press upon him.

A faint yellow hue shimmered beyond the gate.

Stepping through, a vast desert stretched endlessly before him.

“This...” he muttered, surprised that each level’s scene was entirely different.

He walked forward for quite some time, finding nothing but the boundless sands and no signs of life.

Yet, the more desolate it seemed, the more cautious Ye Xiao became.

After a long trek, a sudden jolt ran through him; every hair on his body stood on end as a wave of dread washed over his heart.

Before he could react further, he scrambled backward—but it was too late.

The sand beneath his feet began to churn violently, and from it emerged a massive tiger, its entire form made of swirling sand.

One enormous paw swung toward his chest!

Startled, Ye Xiao raised his broken sword to block the blow.

But the sheer force sent him flying, crashing hard into the desert floor, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He struggled to his feet, feeling as if his body was about to shatter.

Focusing intently, he saw that the sand tiger was also at the seventh level of the Xuan realm.

More alarmingly, he noticed the tiger’s paw—shattered by his broken sword moments ago—had already fully regenerated.

This meant the sand tiger possessed an astonishingly rapid healing ability.

With the entire area filled with sand, the tiger was nearly invincible. How was he supposed to deal with such a foe?

The thought gave Ye Xiao a headache.

***

Before he could devise a solution, something even more troubling occurred.

The tiger suddenly let out a fierce roar toward the sky.

Almost immediately, the surrounding sand began to writhe frantically.

Within a few breaths, another sand tiger materialized beside the first.

“Damn it! Run!” Ye Xiao didn’t hesitate; he spun on his heel and bolted.

One tiger was already tough enough; two might be beyond his ability to overcome.

He suspected there must be some hidden way to handle this challenge somewhere nearby.

Otherwise, no one of equal rank could possibly subdue these twin sand tigers.

Ye Xiao raced through the vast sea of sand, the two tigers relentlessly pursuing him.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Not far ahead, a patch of green caught his sight.

“An oasis?”

Drawing nearer, he saw a massive locust tree standing tall. Its lush canopy spread wide, casting a cool shadow that blocked the sun like a magnificent parasol.

Beneath the tree grew countless shrubs, and a crescent-shaped pool shimmered in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.

As Ye Xiao stepped into this small oasis, he heard two roars behind him.

He stopped, panting, and looked back. The tigers halted about a hundred paces from the oasis.

Something here made them wary of approaching.

Ye Xiao breathed a sigh of relief; at last, he could rest.

He approached the pool, peered into the crystal-clear water, then hesitated before crouching down and splashing some water on his face.

An immediate coolness spread deep into his soul.

“Is this really an illusion?” Ye Xiao stared in disbelief. The sensations here were so vivid, unlike any illusion he had ever heard of.

Under the locust tree, he looked up at the vibrant green leaves swaying gently in the breeze.

Beyond the oasis, the two sand tigers prowled, circling warily at a distance.

“Could it be this locust tree that makes those two tigers so cautious?” he wondered.

...