Though Dao Zun and the others had not seen Zi Wu Zhen Xian's true form, they were aware of some basic information about him.
Thus, the moment they saw the middle-aged man bathed in the glow of the twilight, they immediately recognized him as Zi Wu Zhen Xian.
"I am not Zi Wu Zhen Xian; I am merely a spirit forged by the master. You may call me Jin Guang, and this immortal mansion is named Jin Guang Immortal Mansion."
The refined, middle-aged man's gaze swept over the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon formation, finally landing on Zhang Fan, and he spoke.
A spirit?
Everyone was taken aback. This spirit was remarkably similar to Zi Wu Zhen Xian.
"Greetings, Senior Jin Guang!"
Despite their surprise, Dao Zun and the others bowed respectfully.
Even though this was just a spirit, with Zi Wu Zhen Xian's capabilities, even a casual refinement would result in the Jin Guang Immortal Mansion being at least of Heavenly Treasure grade.
Furthermore, this Jin Guang Immortal Mansion was a place of opportunity. It was only right to show respect to the spirit guarding it.
Zhang Fan observed the scene calmly. Given his status, even though his current strength was diminished, he would not bow to a spirit of Heavenly Treasure grade.
Jin Guang paid this no mind and instead said, "Being able to enter the immortal mansion does not mean all of you are qualified to compete for the opportunities left by the master."
Jin Guang's gaze fell upon Lin Yun as he spoke, "The master left these opportunities to nurture a top-tier genius cultivator. All cultivators participating in the competition for these opportunities must at least have condensed a second-grade, high-tier Golden Core. Otherwise, it would be a blasphemy to the master."
Lin Yun, hearing this, felt a slight surprise but not much hesitation. He had already formed a Nascent Soul, and the so-called opportunities would be of little use to him. Moreover, he was well aware that with Zhang Fan present, the chances of anyone else obtaining the opportunities were negligible.
With a wave of his hand, Jin Guang slowly opened the golden gate that had been shut. After exchanging a farewell with Xue Jing, Lin Yun gradually walked out of the immortal mansion.
Once Lin Yun departed, the immortal mansion's gate closed again. This time, Jin Guang turned his attention to the Five-Clawed Golden Dragon formation and declared, "You may dismantle this formation. Within the immortal mansion, there are rules. The first rule is that private combat is forbidden."
"Violation results in death!"
As he spoke, Jin Guang exuded an incredibly powerful aura, drawing upon the might of the entire immortal mansion. Under this pressure, Dao Zun and the others could not help but tremble.
Hearing Jin Guang's words, Tian Hua Zhen Jun and the others also felt at ease and removed the formation, revealing their true forms. However, despite Jin Guang's assurance, their gazes towards Zhang Fan still held a hint of fear and reverence.
After all, without the protection of the formation, they were utterly defenseless against Zhang Fan.
After Lin Yun left, among the twelve individuals within the immortal mansion, apart from Zhang Fan, the remaining eleven were all top-tier powerhouses who had condensed a second-grade, high-tier Golden Core.
Although Zhang Fan had not condensed a Golden Core, he had already inscribed nine Golden Core Dao patterns. Jin Guang, while unable to discern this, had vaguely sensed Zhang Fan's realm through the immortal mansion and therefore said nothing to him.
"Next, I will explain the rules of this immortal mansion to all of you."
"The Jin Guang Immortal Mansion has three layers, and each layer presents a life-and-death trial. Those who overcome all three layers will obtain the ultimate opportunity."
"Here, I must inform you in advance that only one person will receive the ultimate opportunity, and all other participants will surely perish during the trials."
"Therefore, I must ask one last time: are you all certain you wish to participate in the competition for these opportunities? I will give you three breaths of time to consider."
Jin Guang's gaze swept across everyone, imbued with an unassailable majesty.
Dao Zun and the others exchanged glances, seeing the resolve in each other's eyes. Even Tian Hua Zhen Jun did not falter at this moment. After all, outside the immortal mansion, a powerful Nascent Soul cultivator awaited them.
The other nine had clearly made up their minds to fight for this opportunity. If he retreated alone, he would still be unable to escape Lin Yun's ambush. It was better to gamble within this immortal mansion.
"I withdraw!"
Xue Jing stepped forward without the slightest hesitation.
No one present seemed surprised by Xue Jing's withdrawal. After all, Xue Jing was merely Zhang Fan's subordinate. Although his strength was considerable, even a minor level stronger than Dao Zun, only one person could ultimately obtain the opportunity, and the others were destined to die. Xue Jing saw no reason to remain in the immortal mansion to court death.
After the three breaths of time passed, apart from Xue Jing, no one else spoke. Dao Zun and the others had endured great hardships to enter the immortal mansion. Even if death was certain, they were unwilling to retreat. Moreover, who was to say that the strongest would always win this competition for opportunities?
Jin Guang nodded and waved his sleeve, opening the golden gate once more. Xue Jing nodded to Zhang Fan and slowly walked out of the immortal mansion.
As Xue Jing departed, the immortal mansion's gate slowly closed, and the atmosphere within the entire mansion became subtle.
"The first layer of trial! Illusions!"
"Only cultivators with strong mental fortitude can walk further on the path of cultivation. A strong mental state is also the foundation for becoming an unparalleled powerhouse. Therefore, in the first trial, what you must do is break free from the illusion."
"During the first trial, attacking other challengers is forbidden. Violation results in death!"
"Those who fail to break free from the illusion within twenty breaths will die!"
The moment Jin Guang uttered his last word, everyone suddenly felt the space around them undergo a cataclysmic change.
Zhang Fan felt his body shrinking limitlessly as the surrounding space expanded. Dao Zun and Tian Hua Zhen Jun, along with others, vanished from his sight. A desert scorched by flames appeared before Zhang Fan's eyes.
The scorching heat made the very air seem distorted. Zhang Fan gently wiped sweat from his forehead, suddenly feeling his body gradually losing weight, sinking… sinking…
The desert was almost submerging him, and Zhang Fan's gaze grew hazy.
Suddenly, a flash of golden light appeared before his eyes. Zhang Fan opened them helplessly, all sensations disappearing, and his clarity returned.
"It seems rather difficult to become completely immersed in this illusion."
Zhang Fan's mental fortitude was rare even among Immortal Emperors, which was why he had the courage to contend with Immortal Emperors of a hundred races.
He wanted to immerse himself in the illusion, to understand this illusory world, and to grasp the state of mind of Zi Wu Zhen Xian when he left behind this immortal mansion. However, due to his own exceedingly high mental state and unparalleled willpower, the illusion was riddled with flaws in his eyes, making it feel utterly uninteresting.
Zhang Fan's gaze swept around. At this moment, Dao Zun, Wen Hou, and the others were still struggling within the illusion, their expressions ranging from contorted with ferocity to wracked with pain, some appearing to revel in it, and others lost and bewildered… Clearly, they were all deeply trapped in the illusion.
Only Tian Hua Zhen Jun appeared more composed. As a master of formations, his mental fortitude was significantly higher than cultivators of the same level.
…