Ye Fan's opponent turned out to be Qing Lian, whom he had killed once before, which seemed quite absurd.

A person who has died once, why kill a second time? Is this really her soul, or just an illusion?

Unlike before when there were illusions, the Tongling Mirror would give a warning. This time, with Huang Ze and Qing Lian's appearance, the Tongling Mirror remained calm as usual, seemingly indicating that the scene before him was not an illusion but reality.

But a soul, without even a physical form, cannot cultivate. How can it battle with him?

"Ye Fan, walk over and try to inject spiritual energy into Taining!" Hua Wu's voice resonated like a bell.

Ye Fan walked towards Huang Ze and Qing Lian step by step, and with each step, the pressure he felt intensified. This pressure came not from them but from within himself.

At this moment, he seemed to understand something. Qing Lian was already dead, but she still existed within his guilt and regret. So, the Qing Lian before him was an illusion formed by his own mind, not one imposed externally.

Hence, even the Tongling Mirror did not react.

Qing Lian intended to harm Li Zhaojun's purity and repeatedly prevented her from reuniting with him. In his eyes, Qing Lian indeed deserved to die.

But from Qing Lian's perspective, she was merely "cultivating" Li Zhaojun, using a rather extreme method. She was still Li Zhaojun's master, and the relationship between teacher and student is as honorable as that between parents and child. Ye Fan always felt guilty for killing Qing Lian.

That's why he would see Qing Lian's "soul."

"Prepare to die!" The Qing Lian opposite had already drawn her magic sword and rushed towards Ye Fan. Even if it was just an illusion, her spiritual energy was extremely strong, imbued with a purely negative spiritual energy, which did not appear illusory in the least.

Though Ye Fan mentally understood this was a psychological barrier, he couldn't take it lightly. If he was harmed by his own demons, it would mean a mental breakdown. He might not die, but he would become insane, losing touch with reality and living within the illusions he created.

"You harbored ill intentions, killing you was justified!" Ye Fan, wielding the Fire Dragon Sword, faced Qing Lian head-on.

"You are wrong! I did all that for Zhao Jun's benefit. If you love her, you should fulfill her, allowing her to become immortal instead of immersing in human emotions with you and giving up the chance to become immortal!"

Qing Lian seemed quite "reasonable," so her attacks intensified, reaching a level even above the Transcendance Tribulation Stage. Ye Fan could see he had no chance of defending against her.

"Zhao Jun belongs to me. As long as we're together, why must we become immortal? Life and death are destined and cannot be forced!"

Ye Fan closed his eyes. His words weren't spoken but felt from within. In an instant, he refuted Qing Lian's "for Zhao Jun's good" theory.

As he strengthened his beliefs, his Fire Dragon Sword swiftly struck Qing Lian down once again, causing her spiritual energy to pour out just like when she died before. Ye Fan realized this was an unforgettable scene in his heart, filled with guilt towards Li Zhaojun for not erasing the memory of killing Qing Lian.

But at this moment, he understood everything.

The illusion shattered once more, and peace returned to his eyes.

Sect Master Huang Ze still stood before the offering table, but there were now several others beside him, including not only the disciples of the Tianxuan Sect but also the Sect Masters and witnesses from the other five sects.

Ye Fan realized what he just did took place under the surveillance of the Sect Masters and experts from the six sects, excluding the Diyuan Sect. The previous illusion might not have been the work of Shadowless alone, but possibly a collaborative effort from these people.

"Impressive." Huang Ze suddenly clapped and laughed, "What a rare and remarkable battle to witness, a fight within the human heart. Tianxuan Sect's Qing Neng was merely at the Golden Core Stage before, but within a short time, he has reached the Nascent Soul Stage, his spiritual power incredibly strong."

Though Huang Ze praised Ye Fan, the sinister smile on his face showed that he was ready to kill Ye Fan at any moment.

Hua Wu stepped forth from behind Ye Fan, "Sect Master Huang, you overpraise him. Qing Neng's progress is still short of completion, and he has much to learn. His return to the secret realm is merely to fulfill an agreement. The Sect Master wouldn't take issue with a junior, would he?"

"What issue would I have with him?" Huang Ze said, casting a cold glance at Ye Fan, "Nephew Qing Neng, back in the main hall of the Huangji Sect, you lost to Yun Zhao and had no chance to attempt lifting Taining. However, the chaos in the secret realm now prevents finding the chosen one, and you, with your exceptional talent, should have a try as part of your trial."

Ye Fan said nothing, slowly approaching the offering table. Just as he reached out to touch Taining, suddenly someone else stepped forward.

"Wait!" The man who stepped forward appeared to be a disciple in his thirties from the seven major sects, "Back in the Huangji Sect, one had to compete for a chance. Now he's only battling himself, and we don't know what really transpired, but this failure has the right to attempt having Taining recognize him as its master?"

Hua Wu coldly replied, "Your cultivation is shallow, and you don't understand how Qing Neng performed in the illusion. Stand down!"

"You are not the Sect Master of my Xinghe Sect. What right do you have to order me?" His words were barely concluded before Hua Wu struck him with a palm, sending him flying to the ground, lying there on the brink of death.

"Sect Master Hua, aren't you going too far?" Many felt that Hua Wu's actions were somewhat bullying.

Hua Wu said, "In normal times, disrespect to elders might go unpunished. Now, when the Pan Gu secret realm faces disaster, it's imperative to quickly find the chosen one. Who knows whether the troublemakers harbor ulterior motives? Hasn't the emergence of so many traitors within our sects already proven that?"

This statement left the representatives from the six major sects feeling ashamed.

Not even the people of the six major sects expected their sects would harbor a group of traitors. These traitors leaked secrets about defense restrictions within the sects. The Diyuan Sect, one of the seven major sects, attacked the six sects, and even the mysterious organization rising within the secret realm was secretly undermining the defense restrictions of the six major sects.

Huang Ze said, "Enough said, Nephew Qing Neng, begin the recognition ceremony!"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ye Fan emitted a burst of spiritual energy from his body, directly into Taining. Immediately, Taining radiated a brilliant yellow light, an unprecedented reaction. Just when everyone thought Ye Fan might be the rightful master of Taining, its regal glow suddenly dissipated, as if nothing ever happened.

Everyone remained untouched, with Taining standing precisely in place, the water undisturbed.

This was the same reaction as when Li Zhaojun attempted Taining's recognition.

Neither accepted as master nor rejected.

"Huh?" This elicited gasps of surprise from those present. Many had attempted to have Taining acknowledge them as its masters, only to suffer backlashes, with lower cultivation facing injuries and higher cultivation enduring inner breath damage. Yet for Ye Fan and Li Zhaojun, Taining was friendly, without even the slightest backlash during the recognition attempts.

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