13: Chapter 13 The Promise of Qingli Shocks the Entire Audience

Her own decision?

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Destroying the illusion you set up yourself was your own decision? What kind of reason is that?

Madam Qingli seemed to see everyone's confusion. She smiled softly and continued, "To be more precise, this is a promise between this seat and your Hehuan Sect's founding Ancestral Master—'Hehuan Fairy'."

“Boom—!”

This sentence was even more shocking than the shattering of the illusion!

The founding Ancestral Master?! Hehuan Fairy?!

That was a figure from thousands of years ago!

She was a legendary existence who founded the Hehuan Sect and brought it to the status of a top-tier Sect in the Demonic Path!

It was said she had long since ascended to the Upper Realm or perished within some Secret Realm.

Madam Qingli actually had a promise with her?

The expressions of several Grand Elders changed.

The white-haired old woman at the lead, who was also the highest-ranking Grand Elder of the Hehuan Sect, "Granny Jingxu," had a sharp glint burst from her cloudy old eyes. She spoke in a deep voice, "Madam Qingli, what do you mean by this? This old one has never heard the Ancestral Master mention such a thing."

Madam Qingli looked at Granny Jingxu, her expression becoming slightly more serious. "Fellow Daoist Jingxu, this matter was a private agreement between Hehuan Fairy and me. It was not recorded in the Sect's archives, so it is only normal that you are unaware."

She looked around the venue, her voice clearly reaching everyone's ears. "A thousand years ago, I traveled here and discussed the Dao with Hehuan Fairy for three days, finding in her a kindred spirit."

"She invited me to stay at the Hehuan Sect and set up this 'Great Fox Illusion' to help her Disciples temper their will."

"I agreed, but on one condition."

Everyone held their breath.

Madam Qingli cast her gaze into the distance, as if lost in memory. "I said at the time that I would maintain this illusion until one day, someone could truly 'break' it using their own power."

"Not by passing the trial, not by the length of time they endured, but by breaking skill with force, breaking illusion with the heart, fundamentally shaking or even destroying the illusion's Foundation."

She withdrew her gaze and looked at Xu Ruyu, who was still somewhat dazed beside her. A flash of complex, indefinable light crossed her eyes. "I promised Hehuan Fairy that if such a person ever appeared, that would be the time for me to leave the Hehuan Sect."

"My mission would then be complete."

"And today..."

Madam Qingli took Xu Ruyu's hand and raised it slightly. Her voice suddenly rose, carrying an air of announcement:

"That person has appeared."

"He, Xu Ruyu, as a Mortal, possesses a strange power. Under the rotation of this seat's three aspects—'Lust', 'Authority', and 'Fear'—he not only held fast to his original heart but also triggered the hidden power within his body, resonating with the illusion's Origin and finally... breaking out of the realm!"

"He has achieved what countless Prodigies and countless powerful experts have failed to do for a thousand years!"

"He is the person that Hehuan Fairy and I have been waiting for!"

As her voice fell, the entire venue became deathly silent.

Everyone was shocked into silence by this sudden, earth-shattering reversal.

Destroying the illusion wasn't a crime, but rather the fulfillment of a thousand-year promise? Xu Ruyu wasn't a sinner, but instead... the person of destiny chosen by that thousand-year promise?

The twist was too big and too sudden, leaving everyone's minds momentarily blank.

On the high platform, Xiao Nianyin's fingers curled slightly within her sleeves. Watching Xu Ruyu, whose hand was being held by Madam Qingli below, a barely perceptible smile flashed in her eyes.

It worked.

She really hadn't misjudged him.

No, she hadn't misjudged this kid's... "ability."

Having Xu Ruyu participate in the trial was a mere formality on the surface, but in reality, it was a carefully calculated move.

She knew Madam Qingli too well—this powerful expert of the Taihu Clan seemed detached from the world but was actually proud and arrogant, especially confident in her own charm techniques.

When she learned that Xu Ruyu was a Personal Disciple that Xiao Nianyin "regarded differently," she would definitely be curious and want to test him personally, perhaps even resorting to some "special" means.

And the Saint Realm Power within Xu Ruyu's body, which belonged to her, shared the same source as the charm techniques. Under extreme stimulation, it was very likely to produce an unexpected reaction.

Coupled with Xu Ruyu's own exceptionally vigorous energy and... "talent," once Madam Qingli personally took the field to use her charm arts, the outcome would be hard to predict.

Xiao Nianyin was gambling on that "hard to predict."

It seemed now that she had won the bet, and won more beautifully than she had expected.

Not only did she get Xu Ruyu safely through the second stage, but he had also unexpectedly "fulfilled" the thousand-year promise, turning Madam Qingli—an uncontrollable factor—into a potential ally to be won over.

Although seeing Madam Qingli's close attitude toward Xu Ruyu... Xiao Nianyin felt inexplicably uncomfortable, the big picture was more important.

Granny Jingxu remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, her voice dry. "Madam Qingli, this... is a matter of great importance. Do you have any proof?"

Madam Qingli seemed to have anticipated this. She let go of Xu Ruyu's hand—he only just reacted, quickly pulling his hand back with a flicker of discomfort on his face—and then flipped her jade-like hand over. An ancient pink Jade Slip appeared in her palm.

The moment the Jade Slip appeared, a vast, ancient, yet somewhat enchanting aura spread out.

"This is the 'Hehuan Spirit Covenant' left behind when Hehuan Fairy and I made our agreement. It contains a wisp of her Divine Soul imprint; it cannot be faked."

Madam Qingli tossed the Jade Slip toward Granny Jingxu.

Granny Jingxu caught the Jade Slip and sank her Divine Sense into it.

A moment later, she looked up, her expression complex—shocked, enlightened, and also somewhat disappointed.

She passed the Jade Slip to the other Grand Elders beside her to read.

After checking it, the other Grand Elders also remained silent.

The aura within the Jade Slip was indeed the unique "Heavenly Charm True Qi" imprint of the founding Ancestral Master, and the contents of the covenant were exactly as Madam Qingli had described.

The evidence was irrefutable.

Granny Jingxu sighed deeply, looked at Madam Qingli, then at Xu Ruyu, and finally fixed her gaze on Xiao Nianyin. "Sect Master, this matter... it seems to be exactly as Madam Qingli said."

"Xu Ruyu is not only guiltless, but rather... he has rendered a great service."

A great service?!

These words were like a resounding slap to the faces of those who had just been clamoring for Xu Ruyu's severe punishment.

Elder Li's face turned pale and then flushed; he opened his mouth but could say nothing.

Lei Xuan was even more thunderstruck, staggering back two steps. Looking at Xu Ruyu, who was protected by Madam Qingli and acknowledged by the Grand Elder as having "rendered a great service," he felt a surge of blood rush to his head, and his vision darkened.

Why?! Why this trash?!

Madam Qingli nodded with satisfaction and looked at Xu Ruyu again with a gentle smile. "Little fellow, you are very good."

"You have fulfilled the thousand-year promise between Hehuan Fairy and me. According to the agreement, I should leave the Hehuan Sect."

Xu Ruyu finally managed to clear his head a bit. He hesitated and said, "Senior, I... I really didn't do it on purpose. I didn't know..."

"No matter," Madam Qingli interrupted him, the smile in her eyes deepening. "The process isn't important; the result is."

"You did it, and that's enough."

She paused, then suddenly leaned close to Xu Ruyu's ear, whispering in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of playfulness, "Besides... back in the illusion, you 'performed' quite well."

"This seat... is very satisfied."

Warm breath brushed against his ear, and Xu Ruyu's face instantly turned beet red. Scenes of those chaotic and intense moments in the illusion flashed uncontrollably through his mind, and his heart skipped a beat.

Madam Qingli chuckled, stepped back, and resumed her elegant posture. She said to Granny Jingxu and Xiao Nianyin, "Since the promise has been fulfilled, it is time for this seat to take her leave."

"This seat will depart from the Hehuan Sect."

Granny Jingxu quickly said, "Madam, why the hurry? Even if the promise is fulfilled, you are still a distinguished guest of our Hehuan Sect, always welcome..."

"There's no need." Madam Qingli waved her hand, her gaze drifting seemingly aimlessly toward Xu Ruyu. "This seat has her own destination."

Having said that, she gave Xu Ruyu another deep look, her eyes filled with many complex emotions—appreciation, curiosity, a trace of indefinable sentiment, and... a certain decision.

Then, her figure blurred, transforming into a streak of pink light that shot into the sky, vanishing into the distant horizon in the blink of an eye.

She arrived suddenly and left freely.

Leaving behind only a mess on the square and a group of dumbfounded people.

Xu Ruyu stood where he was, feeling the lingering warmth on his hand and that faint fragrance. Looking in the direction Madam Qingli had disappeared, his mind was blank.

Was it... over?

He had somehow "fulfilled" a thousand-year promise? And he seemed to have... "offended" yet also "pleased" a powerful expert?

He turned to look at Xiao Nianyin on the high platform.

Xiao Nianyin was also looking at him, their eyes meeting.

The corners of Xiao Nianyin's lips curled up almost imperceptibly.

Then, her gaze swept over the people below with their various expressions, finally landing on the pale faces of Lei Xuan and Elder Li. Her voice rang out coldly:

"The second stage of the trial continues."

"As for Xu Ruyu..."

She paused, and under everyone's tense gaze, she slowly uttered two words:

"Pass."

Her voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable decisiveness.

Xu Ruyu breathed a sigh of relief, but deeper doubts and unease welled up in his heart.

He knew that things would definitely not end so simply.

Madam Qingli had left, but she said she had her "own destination"...

And Xiao Nianyin's calculations were likely only just beginning.

This Disciple Recruitment Competition was getting more and more interesting.