51: Chapter 51

Mu Wanqing gave an "Oh" and obediently put away the porcelain bottle.

Chen Xuan took out a bottle of sixth-grade Nourishing Origin Pills from his System space and tossed it to his Eldest Disciple. "Take one to treat your injuries and reflect on your experience in the tower. It will benefit your future cultivation."

"Thank you, Revered Master!"

After taking a Nourishing Origin Pill, Mu Wanqing sat cross-legged on the spot and began her breathing exercises.

She relaxed completely, tending to the injuries within her body.

As long as Chen Xuan was there, she didn't have the slightest worry; her heart was filled with a deep sense of security.

About two hours later, seeing that his Eldest Disciple showed no signs of opening her eyes, Chen Xuan took a wooden table and bamboo chair out of his storage space and leisurely brewed tea.

In the meantime, he watched the Fellow Daoists who were flying out of the mirror heart trial tower from time to time.

After learning that the reward for the eighth floor was merely an Earth-rank Divine Ability, Chen Xuan lost interest in entering the tower himself.

The prize really wasn't very attractive; drawing a random Divine Ability from the Divine Ability Pavilion would be better than this reward.

"Look, it's the Sect Master of the Joyful Union Sect."

"Whoa, it really is Fairy Ruyan! I never thought I'd get a chance to see Fairy Ruyan's beautiful face. This trip to the Spirit Void Secret Realm was definitely worth it."

"That sissy from the Yin Yang Sect is following behind her. He really is the Joyful Union Sect's loyal dog, following her wherever she goes without any shame."

"Look to the west, the people from the Crimson Firmament Sect have arrived too."

In a short while, a large number of Cultivators gathered around the mirror heart trial tower, more than six times the previous amount.

Yin Yang Sect Master, whose face was delicate and beautiful, blinked her phoenix eyes and looked delighted. "Sect Master Liu, this is the rumored mirror heart trial tower. Our luck is quite good."

Liu Ruyan gave a light chuckle. "It's too early to say that. This trial isn't so easily passed."

"It might be difficult for others, but with your Aptitude, Sect Master, it will be a walk in the park," Yin Yang Sect Master flattered naturally.

Liu Ruyan nodded slightly, her mood quite good.

"Go, clear away the ants underfoot! This Palace Mistress wants to see what's so extraordinary about this mirror heart trial tower."

"Yes!"

Yin Yang Sect Master bowed and withdrew, leading people down to clear the area like a sycophant.

Under the prestige of a Hegemon-level Force, many Cultivators, caught between feeling humiliated and feeling angry, chose to swallow their anger and obediently stepped aside.

The only ones who remained were those from the Crimson Firmament Sect, which was also a Hegemon-level Force.

"Second Elder, it's Sect Master Liu Ruyan of the Joyful Union Sect!"

The Second Elder, who was portly and had a handlebar mustache, laughed. "So it's that slutty woman."

"Second Elder, what should we do now?"

The Second Elder squinted and smiled. "No matter, let's first see which floor that slutty woman can reach."

As Liu Ruyan slowly descended from the sky, the eyes of everyone around fell upon her graceful figure.

"I wonder if Sect Master Liu can defeat that illusory Puppet. If even she is helpless, then that Puppet must be an invincible existence."

"With Sect Master Liu's talent and her terrifying Golden Core Realm cultivation base, she'll surely reach the fifth or sixth floor in the blink of an eye."

"Hard to say. Since I arrived here, I haven't seen anyone defeat that illusory Puppet."

"I really want to join the Joyful Union Sect. If I Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm, I wonder if I can become a divine Dao Companion with Sect Master Liu."

"Tsk tsk... those legs, that butt, that figure... and that slutty aura. She truly is the Sect Master of the Joyful Union Sect. This trip was not in vain, not in vain at all!"

Liu Ruyan was long accustomed to the burning gazes of the surrounding Cultivators. As the Sect Master of the Joyful Union Sect, what grand scenes had she not witnessed?

She walked into the tower with her long, fair legs and swaying, graceful waist.

Following a sudden shift of light and shadow, a Puppet with the same appearance and aura as Liu Ruyan manifested.

Liu Ruyan had long heard of the mirror heart trial tower and knew the Puppet before her was the trial.

"Try this!"

She slowly raised a hand, a pale green brilliance condensing at her fingertips. The moment the silver bells on her wrist chimed softly, the brilliance suddenly surged, transforming into three intersecting wind blades that whistled through the air toward the Puppet's face.

This was her usual Earth-rank Divine Ability, 'Green Duckweed Slash.' A normal Golden Core Cultivator would be injured upon contact.

However, the Puppet merely tilted its body slightly while raising a hand to draw a circle in front of it. The pale green brilliance struck the invisible barrier and vanished as silently as a stone cast into a deep pool.

A look of surprise appeared in Liu Ruyan's charming eyes, and then a smile curled at the corners of her mouth. "A bit interesting."

Boom!

A loud explosion rang out, instantly drawing everyone's attention. Immediately after, a graceful figure flew out of the tower like a kite with a broken string.

It was none other than Liu Ruyan!

Her thin dress was torn in several places, and a few strands of black hair were messily stuck to her sweat-dampened cheeks.

She stumbled through several rotations in the air, each one stirring a ripple of pale pink Spiritual Qi to slow her retreat.

After stabilizing herself, Liu Ruyan's chest heaved violently; she had clearly suffered a significant shock.

Her eyes were full of bewilderment. Why was the Puppet in the tower so strong?

Even though their cultivation base and Cultivation Techniques were identical, Liu Ruyan felt as if all her Moves were seen through by the opponent.

No matter what technique she used, the Puppet always managed to counter her a step ahead.

"Hiss... Sect Master Liu actually failed the trial. She's a Golden Core Great Power."

"Man, it's my first time seeing Sect Master Liu in such a disheveled state... it's actually quite nice!"

"What kind of bullshit trial is this? Even a Golden Core Expert can't pass it."

"How long did Fairy Ruyan last? It seemed to be thirty breaths? I also lasted fifteen breaths; doesn't that make me equivalent to half a Golden Core Expert?"

Coming back to her senses, Yin Yang Sect Master quickly ran to Liu Ruyan and asked with careful concern, "Sect Master Liu, are you alright?"

Liu Ruyan didn't reply, only saying with a firm tone, "This trial is strange. It's impossible to defeat that illusory Puppet alone."

"Hahaha!"

"Liu Ruyan, if you're not good enough, don't make excuses."

The crowd's attention shifted to see the Crimson Firmament Sect's Second Elder slowly rising into the air, his large belly protruding as he said smugly:

"It seems the Joyful Union Sect is starting to decline."

Hearing this, Liu Ruyan narrowed her eyes slightly, raised a hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, and said in a charming, whimpering tone:

"I wondered who was talking big here, so it's the Second Elder of the Crimson Firmament Sect. I wonder, after all these years, have you Breakthrough to the Golden Core Third Layer?"

"Oh, right! I forgot that your Crimson Firmament Sect's Grand Elder was killed by a single sword strike before even entering the Secret Realm. I should be calling you Grand Elder now."

The Second Elder's face darkened, and he gave a cold snort. "Only trash would indulge in such glib talk. This old man will show you how this trial is passed."

Liu Ruyan stuck out her small tongue and licked her bright lips. "Second Elder, don't underestimate glib talk; it's quite a profound skill."