Sage Ruler Jin De finally emerged from the illusion formation. She had managed to see through the illusion with some difficulty and was feeling quite proud of herself. However, upon discovering that she was the last to exit, her cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
"What? Fan Li was the first to break through?" Jin De's expression darkened further upon hearing the news.
But after a moment of thought, she convinced herself she understood. ‘The Golden Illusion Formation must adjust its power based on the cultivator's realm. Fan Li is only at the Foundation Building stage, so the formation's power was significantly weakened, allowing him to break through first.
I am the only Great Vehicle Realm cultivator here, so the illusion I faced must have been the strongest!’
Jin De had also expended a considerable amount of spiritual energy. She took out a vial and poured a few pills into her hand. As she was about to swallow them, she noticed that Fan Li and the others were also taking medicine.
Jin De sneered. "The Golden Illusion Formation is indeed powerful. We have all lost a lot of spiritual energy and need to replenish it quickly. Unfortunately, this Earth grade, rank seven Golden Crow Profound Yuan Pill requires a unique cultivation technique to be consumed, so I cannot share it with you."
However, as soon as she finished speaking, a rich medicinal fragrance filled the air.
"You..." Jin De gulped. "What kind of pills are you taking?"
Yan Yuan answered truthfully, "Five Spirit Pills."
Jin De couldn't believe it. "Heaven grade, rank one pills? How could you bear to consume them?!"
She also carried a Heaven grade pill with her, but she would never use it unless it was a matter of life and death or a breakthrough was imminent. Using Heaven grade pills to replenish spiritual energy was simply a waste!
"Duke Jin gifted them to us. It would be a shame not to eat them," Guo Jia said with a smile as he popped a pill into his mouth, his carefree demeanor evident in his slightly messy way of eating.
Zhuge Liang, on the other hand, pinched a pill delicately between two fingers and consumed it slowly, his movements much more elegant.
"Ah, when will my Wu Kingdom be as prosperous as the Chu Kingdom?" Zhou Yu sighed as he also swallowed a Five Spirit Pill, then bowed his thanks to Fan Li.
Sage Ruler Jin De's face grew dark. She refused to lower herself and ask Fan Li for pills, and Fan Li wouldn't offer them to her either.
"If everyone has rested enough, let's proceed to the third formation," Master Yichuan announced.
The group followed him as they continued their ascent up the mountain.
Along the way, Yichuan suddenly asked, "May I ask what you all experienced within the Golden Illusion Formation?"
"Do we have to answer?" Jin De frowned.
Yichuan remembered that when he had attempted the Five Elements Formation, the Golden Illusion Formation alone had trapped him for an entire month. Yet, the group before him had all broken through within an hour at most.
He felt dissatisfied!
Master Guiguzi had once said that the Golden Illusion Formation did not judge one's cultivation level but tested their mind and character. Could it be that these people all possessed superior minds compared to him?
"Ahem, you must answer," Yichuan said, putting on an air of authority. "This is Master Guiguzi's instruction. I need to relay your experiences to him."
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Of course, this was a lie. But by invoking Guiguzi's name, even Sage Ruler Jin De had no choice but to accept.
"I'll speak first," Zhang Juzheng suddenly said.
He didn't want to be the first either, but Crown Prince Wanli had signaled him with a look. As the Crown Prince's teacher, despite the difference in their status as ruler and subject, Zhang Juzheng had to pave the way for Wanli.
"I dreamt that Yan Song had fallen from power, Teacher Xu had retired, and I had earned the trust of His Majesty, who appointed me as the Grand Secretary of the Great Ming."
Everyone nodded silently. As expected of the Golden Illusion Formation, it truly struck at the heart of one's desires. Zhang Juzheng, as a civil official of the Great Ming, naturally aspired to the position of Grand Secretary.
Master Yichuan asked curiously, "Since you had already achieved the position of Grand Secretary in your dream, how did you resist the temptation and break through the formation?"
Zhang Juzheng smiled wryly. "Because during His Majesty's reign, there is no possibility of me becoming the Grand Secretary."
He left it at that, refusing to say another word even when Yichuan pressed him further.
"Hey, do you know how Zhang Juzheng saw through the illusion?" Lu Fubao asked Fan Li in a low voice, curious.
She figured that as the most powerful official in the Chu Kingdom, Fan Li should share some understanding with Zhang Juzheng.
Fan Li nodded. He had indeed guessed part of it.
"As you know, the most illogical aspect of an illusion is its greatest flaw.
Zhang Taiyue possesses the talent of a prime minister and is capable of great things. However, as Wanli's teacher, once Wanli ascends the throne, his status as the Emperor's teacher will naturally elevate him to the highest ranks of the court.
If the Jiajing Emperor were to appoint him as Grand Secretary now, once Wanli becomes Emperor, there would be nothing left to reward him with. The Jiajing Emperor, a wise and powerful ruler, would never put his son in such a difficult position."
Lu Fubao suddenly understood. "You truly are the most cunning official in the Chu Kingdom."
"I'll share mine as well." Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan and sighed. "In the illusion, I assisted His Majesty in restoring the Han Dynasty and returning to the old capital."
He stopped there, leaving the rest unsaid. The old capital, Chang'an, currently belonged to the Wei Dynasty. With the current alliance between the three kingdoms, there was no way the Han could conquer the capital of Wei.
Guo Jia gave Zhuge Liang a meaningful look and said, "What a coincidence. The scene I witnessed in the illusion was precisely the opposite of yours, Kong Ming."
"Ha?" Zhou Yu laughed. "What a coincidence, the scene I saw in the illusion was also the opposite of both of you."
The three of them fell silent, exchanging glances before bursting into laughter.
"The world is yet to be settled. Let us not allow a mere illusion to damage the spirit of our alliance!"
Crown Prince Wanli and Zhang Juzheng observed them, secretly lamenting the missed opportunity. If a single experience in the Golden Illusion Formation could have caused a rift between Wei, Han, and Wu, it would have been a great victory for the Great Ming.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere, Yan Yuan smiled and said, "In the illusion, I achieved mastery in Confucianism and had three thousand disciples, including seventy-two sages. My disciples compiled my teachings into books that spread throughout the world."
"Oh?" Master Yichuan narrowed his eyes. "Brother Yan, with such grand ambitions, how did you manage to break through the formation?"
Yan Yuan smiled wryly and shook his head. "In the illusion, I flipped through my own books, but every page was blank. Realizing that I had not yet achieved enlightenment, the illusion shattered."
Master Yichuan felt embarrassed upon hearing this. He had often fantasized about becoming the world's greatest Confucian scholar but had never considered whether he truly possessed the knowledge and wisdom required. Yan Yuan's courage to question himself, his magnanimity, was something Yichuan could not compare to.
At this point, everyone's eyes turned to Fan Li.
He scratched his head awkwardly. ‘Strange. Why did I dream about going on blind dates? Could it be that deep down, I am actually that desperate? No, there must be a bug in the Golden Illusion Formation...’
As Fan Li rambled, he noticed Lu Fubao staring at him curiously. "You go first," he blurted out, trying to deflect the attention. He hadn't expected Lu Fubao to blush instantly.
"I... I have nothing to say! It was just ordinary daily life, tending to flowers and plants, reading, playing the zither, and so on."
She wasn't lying, but she wasn't telling the whole truth either. Lu Fubao had dreamt of herself in the Chu palace, still as the Imperial Consort, but sharing a loving and harmonious relationship with the Emperor. However, the Emperor wasn't Xiang Ning.
‘Ah! Why did I dream of him as the Emperor? Should I admit that I once accidentally saw the memorial he presented to the Emperor and recognized his handwriting?!’
Back in Lu City, the imperial decree with its aura of imperial power that soared through the sky had deeply impressed Lu Chunqiu. Lu Fubao, having studied Confucianism with her father since childhood, had developed the same appreciation. The strokes of that imperial decree were etched in her memory.
Who would have thought that the Emperor of Chu was a woman, and the decree was actually written by Fan Li?
Lu Fubao’s heart was in confusion.