Nie Fengbo roared like an enraged lion, pivoting sharply. As he turned, his right fist swept out, unleashing a wave of scorching heat.

"Boom!"

The two fists collided violently. The burly, dark-skinned youth staggered backward as if struck by a heavy blow, his face turning crimson. His entire left arm, including his fist, was charred black, with faint beads of blood seeping from the mottled cracks on his skin's surface.

Seeing his appearance clearly, Nie Fengbo bellowed, "Nie Xiuge, it's you, you little bastard! With your paltry cultivation, you dare attempt a sneak attack on me? You must be tired of living. Considering your mother is my cousin, I won't kill you this time. Get lost!"

After unleashing a torrent of curses, Nie Fengbo quickly scanned his surroundings, feeling both anxious and furious. Where was Nie Kong?

"Tch, if you can ambush Xiuzhu, why can't I ambush you?" Nie Xiuge grit his teeth, fighting through the searing pain in his left arm, his voice hoarse as he shouted. Recalling how Nie Xiuzhu was blasted into fragments by a punch from behind by this very man, Nie Xiuge’s eyes burned with such hatred they seemed capable of spewing fire. He swung his right fist and lunged forward again.

Nie Fengbo desperately wanted to pursue Nie Kong, but he was entangled by Nie Xiuge. Hearing his words nearly made Nie Fengbo’s nose twitch with anger. He kicked Nie Xiuge hard in the lower abdomen, cursing, "You little scoundrel, are you brainless? I didn't kill Nie Xiuzhu, but Nie Kong will kill him anyway!"

Nie Xiuge collapsed onto his knees, spitting out a mouthful of blood, but he quickly forced himself back to his feet and rushed forward. "Don't run! Nie Kong killed him honorably, but you? You just sneak around taking advantage of others, and you killed Xiuzhu so miserably."

He managed only two steps before his waist was seized. Nie Fengbo was so furious he felt smoke issuing from his orifices, shouting wildly, "Get off! Get the hell off me!"

No matter how Nie Fengbo kicked and struck, Nie Xiuge held on tight, stubbornly yelling, "I won't! You want to kill Nie Kong, don't you? I’ll make sure you don't get your way! If you have the guts, kill me first!"

"Do you really think I wouldn't dare?"

Nie Fengbo’s face was ashen. Being held by Nie Xiuge made him furious; the Samsara Illusionary Realm was vast, and the longer they delayed, the harder it would be to find Nie Kong. He struggled violently a few times but couldn't break free of Nie Xiuge's arms. Rage erupted in Nie Fengbo, and he drove an elbow into Nie Xiuge's right ribs.

Nie Xiuge cried out in pain, his body slumping to the ground, violently coughing up large amounts of blood. Nie Fengbo didn't even glance back before anxiously sprinting toward the depths of the dense forest...

...

The trees gradually thinned out, and their height and girth began to increase slowly. The ground was carpeted with a thick layer of dead leaves.

Nie Kong darted swiftly through the woods, the rustling sound of his steps echoing intermittently.

While contemplating a countermeasure moments ago, Nie Kong had inadvertently glimpsed Nie Xiuge's familiar face hidden in the grass behind Nie Fengbo, his eyes radiating intense resentment.

At first, Nie Kong thought the anger was directed at him, but only when Nie Xiuge winked at him did Nie Kong realize that Nie Xiuge’s target of hatred was actually Nie Fengbo. Moreover, Nie Xiuge’s gaze conveyed the message that he would hold Nie Fengbo back, allowing Nie Kong to escape.

Not a single word passed between them; just a look was enough for Nie Kong to understand Nie Xiuge's intent. Thus, Nie Kong deliberately said things to provoke Nie Fengbo, even feigning an attack posture to draw his attention, thereby masking the sounds Nie Xiuge made while moving.

Once his goal was achieved, Nie Kong immediately unleashed his speed and plunged into the forest to hide, only relaxing once he heard Nie Fengbo mention the kinship between him and Nie Xiuge.

This success relied entirely on luck, but luck couldn't be counted on twice. Although he successfully escaped Nie Fengbo, he felt little joy, as Nie Fengbo was merely a minor player. There were far more formidable entities within this Samsara Illusionary Realm. If he encountered them, he might not be so fortunate.

Besides those youths, there were also hordes of Spirit Beasts.

According to reliable intelligence gleaned from Nie Qingfeng, Spirit Beasts were rarely encountered on the first day within the Samsara Illusionary Realm; they generally remained dormant in their lairs. However, as time progressed, almost all Spirit Beasts would emerge and become increasingly savage.

Especially on the sixth and seventh days, they would attack frantically at the mere scent of human presence. Therefore, every time the Illusionary Realm opened, even youths who could survive the initial five days often failed to endure the final two, unless they could find a hidden sanctuary.

The terrain within the Illusionary Realm constantly underwent subtle shifts. A safe location five years ago might be a Spirit Beast den five years later. Consequently, the experience accumulated by the clan seniors in the first layer of the "Samsara Illusionary Realm" was practically useless.

As for the Spirit Masters patrolling the realm, their task was to eliminate any Spirit Beasts that had grown to the Third or even Fourth Rank over the past five years. They generally did not interfere with the killing among the youths, unless they happened to encounter someone attempting a lethal blow—like crushing the opponent's skull—at which point they would intervene.

This situation was rare, however, as they were all clansmen, and their cultivation levels were not vastly different. When faced with such a scenario, one could opt for suicide.

"I can't rely on the patrolling Spirit Masters for help; everything depends on myself!"

Nie Kong kept running without stopping, his mind racing over how to survive these seven days and endure until the end. After all, the ten who exited last would receive rewards from the clan. Although the rewards were unspecified, they were unlikely to be insignificant—perhaps spiritual medicines to enhance cultivation.

Following the recent incident, Nie Kong had mostly abandoned his initial plan of searching for medicinal herbs in the Samsara Illusionary Realm. He recognized very few of the herbs in this world, and he had no time to identify and seek them out in this realm; staying alive was the paramount objective.

About an hour later, Nie Kong stopped on a shrub-covered ridge, collapsing, breathless. The extended run had nearly depleted the spiritual energy in his meridians.

"Ah—"

A shrill scream echoed through the mountains.

It was happening again!

Nie Kong’s heart jumped, and he instantly sat up. That previous scream had led him into the encounter with Nie Xiuge and Nie Fengbo; he hoped this time he wouldn't be so unlucky.

Faintly, sounds of fierce shouting and clashing reached him on the wind.

Nie Kong followed the sounds, walking several dozen meters along the ridge, only to see nearly ten figures—no, eight youths—fiercely battling at the mouth of the valley below. They were surrounding a single white silhouette.

Focusing his gaze, Nie Kong quickly discerned the identity of the white figure: it was none other than the young girl from the Bai family, Bai Yuqing, known for her youthful face and prodigious chest.

Bai Yuqing’s snow-white robes billowed, flickering through the group like a blooming snow lotus. The eight youths appeared to all possess cultivation at the Spirit Unification Realm, yet they were being forced into clumsy maneuvers and frequent cries of alarm by the Spirit Unification Eighth Rank girl, resulting in utter chaos.

"Ah!"

Bai Yuqing suddenly appeared behind one of the youths and struck his back with lightning speed. A layer of cyan-blue ice crystals rapidly spread over the area beneath the youth’s chest. Then, with a gentle hook of her right foot, the youth tumbled to the ground, half his body shattering violently, followed instantly by a wretched scream escaping his lips.

"A Water-based Ice Spirit Master!"

Watching the youth writhe and shriek before dying, Nie Kong inwardly gasped, astonished both by Bai Yuqing's ruthless efficiency and her unique constitution. Ice Spirit Masters, though stemming from Water Spirit Masters, were extremely rare across the entire Celestial Spirit Continent, and he hadn't expected this girl to be one of them. Of course, in terms of rarity, Ice Spirit Masters still couldn't compare to a Wood Spirit Master like Nie Kong.

...