Chapter 450

Chapter 450: Extraordinary Performance

When Xie Peng used the last shred of his rationality to cast a spell that dispelled the illusion, he found himself still trapped in another layer of illusion.

"What does it matter if I fall into an illusion? Facing death and finding life in despair is my specialty," Xie Peng declared before fully succumbing to the illusion.

In this illusion, Xie Peng held the hands of two celestial maidens and joined a grand feast among heavenly beings.

The feast boasted exquisite wine from the Yao Pond, dragon liver, phoenix gallbladder, and rare delicacies from across the world—nothing was missing.

After downing the first cup of Yao Pond wine, Xie Peng closed his eyes and completely surrendered to the splendor of the celestial palace.

The scene below made the watching disciples of Qianling Sect feel a pang of envy.

This was no ordinary illusion meant to shatter one’s spirit; it was an indulgence in delicacies they could never experience in a lifetime.

"Well, for the sake of the friendship between our sects, let’s save some face," Little Red sighed.

At that moment, the Tian Puppet Master’s puppets, now controlled by grapes, began to cast spells in unison.

A black barrier descended, completely shrouding the arena and blocking the view of the watching disciples.

Meanwhile, the elders maintaining order at the edge of the arena had already received word and were curiously observing the scene within.

The black barrier might block the disciples’ view, but it couldn’t obstruct the elders.

Only Xu Fan, Spirit Cut, Third Grand Elder of Qianling Sect, Master Qianling, and the Integration Elder by their side could still see what was happening in the arena. Everyone else was left in the dark.

The disciples below grew restless.

"Why is the arena sealed? Why can’t we see?"

"What’s going on in there?"

"Is Brother Xie still lost in the illusion?"

Only the disciples from Qianling Sect voiced their complaints.

Meanwhile, the few disciples from Hidden Spirit Sect who knew what was happening breathed a sigh of relief, glad they wouldn’t have to witness the brutality.

As the celestial banquet unfolded, Xie Peng savored the most exquisite flavors of the mortal realm.

After finishing the wine and celestial dishes, he felt as though he had no regrets left in life.

At that moment, accompanied by the celestial maidens, he picked up a piece of dragon liver.

Just as he was about to eat it, the dragon liver flickered and quickly returned to its original form.

Xie Peng paused, confused. "Was that just an illusion?"

For a moment, he had felt the dragon liver transform into something indescribable.

But he didn’t dwell on it and popped it into his mouth.

"Why does it taste different now?"

A strange flavor exploded in his mouth.

Meanwhile, the two elders and the Third Grand Elder, who could still observe the arena, exchanged uneasy glances.

"This… this is too much," the Integration Elder said angrily.

"If you’re going to spar, then do it properly. Why resort to such destructive techniques?"

"This technique is truly terrifying," remarked the Third Grand Elder, who hoped never to experience such a technique himself.

At that moment, Xu Fan watched the scene on the arena in the secret realm. Thinking it over, for the sake of the friendly relations between their sects, he proactively sent a message to the Third Grand Elder of Qianling Sect.

"Enough, this round is a draw."

The voice of the Third Grand Elder resonated above the arena.

It shattered Xu Lingtai’s illusion of the celestial palace and also saved the still disoriented Xie Peng.

As Xie Peng was enjoying the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace, he suddenly felt the scene around him change.

The celestial maidens were gone, the heavenly beings disappeared, and the exquisite dishes that had captivated him were no longer there.

"Have I broken free from the illusion?" Xie Peng looked around the arena, puzzled. Although he had escaped the illusion, a small sense of disappointment lingered in his heart.

"The Third Grand Elder has declared your match a draw," said the Integration Elder at the edge of the arena, glancing at Xu Lingtai.

His gaze held admiration, a warning, and deeper, a hint of fear.

It’s like a martial arts master fighting an ordinary person; while the master could easily defeat the ordinary person, if that person had a bucket of excrement in one hand and a scoop in the other, wouldn’t he throw the excrement at the master when attacked?

"Do you have any objections?" the Integration Elder asked Xu Lingtai.

"None at all. I feel fine; a draw is just fine."

Truthfully, after Xu Lingtai used the Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace technique, he had some regrets.

Having a way out now was indeed great, much better than making another enemy in life and death.

"Is this really a draw? I feel like I can still hold on," Xie Peng said, unwilling to accept the outcome.

"No, you can’t hold on. Don’t contest this; let it be a draw."

The Integration Elder directly restrained Xie Peng and escorted him down from the arena.

"Alright, let the two sects continue their exchange."

Meanwhile, outside the secret realm, Spirit Cut suddenly asked curiously, "Grand Elder, do many of the disciples in the sect learn renowned spells from your five disciples?"

"Quite a few. Those who study spells have at least learned some techniques."

"Those who didn’t learn also like to carry such spell talismans when they go out," Xu Fan replied.

"But there is a rule in the sect that enemies in life and death are not allowed to use such spells, right?"

"Indeed, it’s easy to offend someone to death," Spirit Cut nodded.

"It seems after I return, I should also learn this technique."

"Does the Grand Elder have any techniques that are even more advanced than this?" Spirit Cut chuckled.

"Of course. If Spirit Cut Elder is interested, after returning to the sect, you can go to the Sutra Pavilion and find a technique called ‘The Most Beautiful Meal.’"

"I believe your level should unlock that," Xu Fan mused.

"The name of this technique is indeed unusual," Spirit Cut said with a smile.

"If this technique is cast effectively, it would be revenge for a father’s death or hatred for a wife stolen," Xu Fan considered the power of this spell.

"Just from the name ‘Grand Feast at the Celestial Palace,’ one can infer how terrifying this technique is," Spirit Cut remarked with a serious expression.

At this point in the secret realm below, disciples from the two sects had fully engaged in both attacking and defending the arena.

This situation continued for three days.

In the end, the Hidden Spirit Sect Disciple secured fourteen arenas, while the disciples of Qianling Sect occupied six.

The top 20 rankings were entirely taken by the Hidden Spirit Sect Disciple.

The Integration Elder outside the secret realm looked somewhat grim; if it weren’t for the six arenas belonging to Qianling Sect disciples, he would truly feel it was a betrayal of the trust the sect had placed in him.

"Not bad; it’s a bit stronger than I imagined," said Master Qianling as he watched the situation below in the secret realm.

"Are you saying this performance is still considered good?" the Third Grand Elder looked at Master Qianling.

"It’s indeed an extraordinary performance. Five out of the top ten disciples emerged from here. Achieving this result shows that the underlings have taught well," Master Qianling nodded.