96: Chapter 96 Inquiry

Jiang Hanzhou felt the white jade tower ship beneath his feet shudder slightly.

No, it was not the ship that was shaking.

It was the entire world, centered on the Dragon Abyss Palace, invisibly rippling with a "ripple" that defied description.

That ripple was neither light nor sound, yet it acted directly upon the depths of the Divine Soul of every Token Holder present!

Hum—

It was as if an ancient bell had tolled within his Soul.

It was also like ten thousand stars spinning within his consciousness.

Jiang Hanzhou felt his vision blur, and the surrounding azure sea, blue sky, white jade tower ship, the towering Dragon Abyss Palace, and even his peers beside him...

Everything transformed like a reflection on the surface of water disturbed by a thrown stone, instantly twisting, shattering, and dissipating!

The world spun around him.

His consciousness seemed to have been thrown into an endless tunnel, with bizarre, kaleidoscopic colors and fragmented images flashing past crazily.

He did not know how much time had passed; perhaps it was an instant, perhaps an eternity.

His feet touched solid ground.

Jiang Hanzhou snapped his eyes open.

Commotion.

Piercing honks, the roar of engines, the clamor of crowds talking, music drifting from shops... all merged into a massive, familiar wave of sound that instantly submerged him.

The sunlight was a bit blinding, and he subconsciously squinted.

Before him was a wide road with a dense flow of traffic.

On both sides stood towering skyscrapers, their glass curtain walls reflecting the sunlight.

On the sidewalk, men and women wore modern clothing that he found both familiar and like a lifetime ago, walking in a hurry with various expressions.

The air was filled with a mix of car exhaust, perfume, food, and the distinct dust of the city.

A giant screen on a high-rise building was playing an advertisement, the celebrity's smile dazzling.

City. A modern city.

Jiang Hanzhou stood where he was and looked down at himself.

He wore simple dark grey cloth clothes, completely out of place with his surroundings.

But strangely, the passing pedestrians did not seem to cast many surprised glances at him; they merely glanced briefly before continuing on their way.

"This is..." Jiang Hanzhou muttered to himself, his heart quickly calming down after its initial violent pounding.

He took a deep breath, and the air mixed with exhaust fumes surged into his lungs.

It was too real.

The touch, smell, sound, sight... everything was terrifyingly real.

It was as if he had truly Transmigrated through time and space, returning to the world he had once known so well.

But the next moment, he shook his head.

"Wrong."

He extended his right hand and slowly clenched his fingers.

Within his body, his Qi and blood flowed like mercury, the blood pill in his Dantian rotated steadily, his dao bone radiated a hazy glow, and his Heavenly Dipper Precious Qi lay dormant.

All his power was still there.

This body was still his martial arts body.

It was just the environment that had changed.

"An illusion." Jiang Hanzhou spat out the two words, his eyes instantly becoming as clear as ice. "The assessment has already begun."

He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the bustling crowds and traffic, looking deep into the city with sharp eyes.

"Since it is an illusion, then I shall break it."

He did not hesitate at all, nor did he even try to investigate the specific content of this illusion or the trials it might contain.

Because an illusion is, after all, an illusion.

Its Foundation lies in confusing the mind, shaking the will, and inducing a Heart Demon.

And Jiang Hanzhou, having Transmigrated in his Physical Body and experienced life and death, had long since tempered his will to be as firm as a rock.

More importantly, he had an absolutely clear understanding of "who I am" and "where I am going."

His Dao was beneath his feet, in that immortal Holy Land above the azure sea, not in this phantom of the past that, while familiar, was already distant.

With his mind set, his Divine Soul stood guard.

Jiang Hanzhou closed his eyes, no longer looking at the scenes of this bustling city, no longer listening to the noisy, clamorous sounds.

His consciousness sank into the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, like a reef standing amidst raging waves; no matter how the external illusions attacked, he remained unmoved.

The Mind-Cultivation Technique of the Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Skill flowed slowly through his heart; that supreme yang and rigid True Intent, which subdues the monkey-mind and horse-will, acted like a needle pinning the sea, suppressing all falsehoods.

Deep within his dao bone, a seven-colored glow flowed slightly, cleansing his Divine Soul and clarifying his spiritual platform.

"Break."

Jiang Hanzhou chanted silently in his heart.

There was no earth-shattering roar, no brilliant celestial phenomenon.

It was as if a thin, invisible glass shell had been gently pricked from the inside.

Crack—

A sound of shattering, extremely faint, as if it were an illusion, rang out in the depths of Jiang Hanzhou's Soul.

The traffic, skyscrapers, and bustling crowds before him... like a shattered mirror, were instantly covered in countless cracks, then with a crash, completely collapsed, turning into countless points of light and dissipating into nothingness.

Darkness. Then, light reappeared.

The salty, damp scent of the sea breeze and the warm, smooth touch of white jade returned to his perception.

Jiang Hanzhou opened his eyes.

He was still standing on the deck platform of the white jade tower ship.

The Azure Water Flood Dragon was swimming leisurely not far away, towing the tower ship slowly toward that magnificent Sect.

Fei Jingxing was still standing at the bow, currently slightly turned, his gaze fixed upon him.

And on the platform, the other eighteen Token Holders were now scattered all over the ground!

Some were pale, trembling all over, as if they had experienced great terror.

Some were tearful, muttering a name.

Some were furious, fists clenched, veins bulging.

Some had fallen into a coma, their breathing chaotic.

Zhao Yuanjing was half-kneeling on the ground, cold sweat beading on his forehead, his fine silk robes soaked through with sweat, his face still showing lingering fear and unwillingness.

Wu Huo was sitting cross-legged on the ground, hands forming seals, brows furrowed, seemingly still battling some scenes from the illusion.

The Blue-clothed Woman lay on the ground, a corner of her veil having slipped, revealing half of an exquisite but pale face, with tearstains at the corners of her eyes.

Lei Hong had a blank expression, sitting on the ground in a daze, seemingly not yet fully recovered.

Only Jiang Hanzhou stood alone, his expression calm, his eyes clear, as if he had merely closed his eyes to rest for a moment.

In Fei Jingxing's eyes, a clear emotional fluctuation appeared for the first time.

It was surprise, it was scrutiny, and then it transformed into a deep appreciation, and... a trace of realization.

The usual stern expression on his face melted like ice and snow, and the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, revealing a genuine, warm smile.

He straightened his plain white robe, stepped down from the high platform at the bow, walked through the crowd scattered on the ground, and went straight to Jiang Hanzhou.

Then, under Jiang Hanzhou's slightly surprised gaze, Fei Jingxing nodded slightly, his tone gentle, carrying a touch of closeness that was completely different from his previous business-like manner:

"Junior Brother Jiang, you may rise."

"Oh, no," he smiled and corrected himself, "I should say, welcome back."

"You are the first person in this year's East Sea recruitment to see through the 'Questioning the Heart Illusion'."

His gaze swept over the peers on the ground who were still struggling or lost, then fell back on Jiang Hanzhou, meaningfully saying:

"It seems that this time, I, Fei, have managed to recruit an extraordinary piece of raw jade."