"Whoa!"

Although everyone had somewhat gathered the scores from the supplemental examination, few actually believed the figure mentioned: over one hundred and twenty points. How was that possible? Yet, hearing the precise number spoken by Lanshang, all doubt vanished, erupting into an uproar of shock.

One hundred and twenty-four points!

This was a score that would make every outer city disciple participating in the supplementaries look up in awe. Furthermore, this score didn't even include the bonus twenty points. For a newcomer about to enter the Inner City to have such a substantial base of points meant their growth rate would likely far surpass that of others.

Seeing Nie Kong wear a slightly awkward smile, the Spirit Control City disciples who had been stuck in the Outer City for more than two years felt a twinge of envy.

Especially those Spirit Control City disciples who had secretly spied on Nie Kong’s trail during the final stretch of the journey deeply regretted it, feeling an urge to smash their heads against a wall.

If only they had mustered the resolve to snatch his one hundred and twenty-some maps back then, perhaps the first place would have been theirs now.

"Second place, Tai Hong, five years of points!"

"Third place, Tai Ji, thirty-eight points!"

Two more high scores, and judging by the names, they seemed to be a pair of sisters. The outer city disciples murmured in response, their eyes showing clear envy.

Lanshang proceeded to call out the names one by one...

Cheers erupted sporadically among the outer city disciples.

Just as Nie Kong had predicted, the results of this supplemental examination were extremely close. By the time they reached the fortieth position, the points had already dropped below ten. At this point, it was common for several, sometimes even a dozen people, to have identical scores, requiring ranking based on the order of arrival in the Inner City.

"Ninety-ninth place, Huang Yunfei, six points!"

"One hundredth place, Huai Song, six points!"

"..."

"One hundredth place, Huai Song? Ha," someone exclaimed. "I made it!"

Huai Song, whose face had been completely dejected, abruptly heard Lanshang read out the last name. He opened his mouth wide in disbelief, blinking dumbly a few times before finally realizing it. He immediately leaped up and laughed maniacally: "Hahaha, I passed! I passed! From today onward, I am also an Inner City disciple!"

Seeing his almost frantic display, the surrounding crowd didn't find it strange. Anyone clinging to the very last of the one hundred slots to enter the Inner City would likely be this overjoyed. After all, within Spirit Control City, the status, prestige, and cultivation environment of Inner City disciples were overwhelmingly superior to those of outer city disciples.

Only the few outer city disciples whose names were not called looked pale, their expressions sinking to the absolute bottom.

Huai Song, arriving last, secured the final spot on the list of newly promoted Inner City disciples. This indicated that their points were all below five. If they wanted to compete for an Inner City spot again, they would have to wait until next year, when another fierce competition would ensue.

Nie Kong, who had passed the supplemental examination with the highest score, had been sitting calmly observing everything. Seeing the wild celebrations of the last few outer city disciples, especially Huai Song's chaotic shouting, a strange thought surfaced in Nie Kong's mind: perhaps the feeling of Fan Jin passing the imperial exam in The Scholars from his previous life was similar to what Huai Song and the others were experiencing now?

Lanshang smiled and said, "Congratulations to these one hundred outer city disciples who have passed the examination. From now on, we are fellow disciples of the Inner City! For those who did not pass, there is no need to be discouraged; there will be another chance in a year. Now, please follow me to the Inner City to complete your procedures. Junior Brother Leng Yun, you will escort our outer city fellow disciples out."

"Mm!"

The black-clothed man seated at the desk rose to his full height.

The Inner City and the Outer City were starkly different.

Along the streets in the southern part of the Outer City, shops were visible everywhere, and figures from the Six Halls could often be seen in the north; it was quite lively and prosperous.

In the Inner City, however, there was only one prevailing sensation: silence!

The streets were lined with brilliant neon lights, but only occasionally could one see a few figures hurrying past, none of whom even spared a glance for Nie Kong and his group. The surroundings were so quiet that one could almost only hear their footsteps and hushed whispers. However, this silence was not one of lifeless stagnation.

Along the streets, Nie Kong could sense vibrant vitality everywhere.

Only Nie Kong could feel it; not all the outer city disciples who had just passed the examination shared this perceptive ability. The further they walked, the more perplexed they became. Those who had been chattering incessantly out of excitement when entering the city now involuntarily quieted their mouths.

Lanshang seemed to notice everyone's confusion and smiled, "The Inner City has a very unique characteristic: influenced by the Spirit Cultivation Illusionary Realm, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy becomes noticeably denser around nightfall. At this time, most people are cultivating in their residences. The city becomes lively during the day, but it cannot compare to the Outer City by any means. You will experience this in the future."

"So that's it!"

Everyone sensed it and indeed discovered the dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy swirling around them. Moreover, those Inner City disciples who had been socializing outside the city were now all gone, having presumably gone off to cultivate. They nodded in sudden realization, all their doubts vanishing.

The procedures were carried out in an exquisite small hall in the center of the Inner City...

The process was very simple: replacing their outer city waist tokens with new ones for the Inner City, and then depositing the points they earned from the supplemental examination into them. After that, everyone left the hall. Each person also received a small golden badge shaped like a city emblem.

Upon exiting, Lanshang repeatedly warned them: these waist tokens and golden badges must never be lent to others. If discovered, their Inner City disciple status would be revoked. Only when wearing both the waist token and the golden badge simultaneously could they avoid being confused by the illusory barrier surrounding the Inner City and move freely in and out.

Furthermore, only by wearing both the token and the badge could they access their residences in the Inner City.

After this stern warning from Lanshang, even those who had planned to lend these items to their outer city friends to show off became obedient. Several people chose to remain in the Inner City that very night. Nie Kong had a similar thought, but he had promised to return. The two little maids at the Red Chamber, Long Sao and Long Ting, wouldn't know what to worry about if he didn't return tonight to bring them news.

Thinking of them, Nie Kong suddenly felt a headache coming on.

Without needing to ask Lanshang, Nie Kong could imagine that certain private areas of the Inner City likely forbade outsiders, or at least made entry as difficult as climbing to heaven for ordinary people. Long Feng and Long Ting were not Inner City disciples, nor did they have the backing of a powerful figure like Hall Master Gu Changgong of the Medicine Palace. They naturally couldn't move freely in and out of the Inner City like Gu Cai, who grew up there. What should he do about arranging for them now? Leave them at the Red Chamber?

Perhaps that was the only option.

Nie Kong thought to himself. Fortunately, Long Xuechan had a close relationship with them; even without him, Long Xuechan would probably look after them. For the time being, although their speed of condensing spiritual power had greatly increased due to absorbing that special energy, it would still take at least another year for the spiritual power in their meridians to reach saturation. Only then would it be time for him to come out and help them absorb spiritual power again.

The permanent solution would naturally be to eradicate the source of their spiritual power condensation, but it was a pity that Nie Kong currently had no clue about the massive vortex within the acupoints on their necks.

What a troublesome matter!

Lost in thought, Nie Kong walked out of the Inner City gate.

Accompanying him were twenty or thirty people, including Miao Ge, Qin Hong, Xiao Chunji, Xiao Ruixi, Ye Xinlian, Feng Biao, and Jiang Liu. Guiding these people was that same Inner City disciple named Leng Yun.

Following behind Leng Yun, Nie Kong discovered that leaving the Inner City did not require climbing up the cliff via any secret path, but rather proceeding directly along the wide abyss.

About five hundred meters away from the snow-white city wall, the waist tokens and golden badges of the group emitted brilliant, colorful radiance, illuminating the surroundings clearly.

This must be entering the Illusionary Realm!

Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat. He looked around; the scenery showed no distortions whatsoever. There was absolutely no need, as in the supplemental examination, to execute a series of complicated steps to activate the spiritual runes on the ground to break the illusion. Just as Lanshang had said, with the waist token and the golden badge, the Illusionary Realm had no effect on Inner City disciples.

The most miraculous part was this:

After obtaining these tokens and badges, they all infused a stream of spiritual power into them. From then on, these items would only resonate with the spiritual power within the body when worn by the true owner, thus serving to break the illusion. They would be useless if stolen.

Because of this, Nie Kong’s respect for Spirit Rune Masters grew even stronger.

In the time he had been on the Tian Ling Continent, Nie Kong had come into contact with more and more spiritual rune tools: the golden needles he used himself, the jade plaque in the Apothecary Hall, the illusionary space, the Illusionary Realm, the maps, the waist tokens, the golden badges... all these were closely related to spiritual runes. He had even heard that the spiritual essence cauldron could be engraved with runes.

Spiritual runes were extremely widely applied in the world of Spirit Masters, not just, as Nie Kong initially thought, mostly on weapons.

However, up to this point, the only Spirit Rune Master Nie Kong had encountered was the Second Elder.

The nine spiritual rune golden needles he made for Nie Kong were incredibly mystical, but unfortunately, Nie Kong had not witnessed how he managed to engrave the spiritual runes onto them.

In the future, if he encountered another Spirit Rune Master, he must definitely ask for instruction.

Perhaps there are Spirit Rune Masters in the Inner City?

Nie Kong’s mind was racing with thoughts when he suddenly heard a chorus of gasps around him. He quickly refocused his gaze and discovered an extremely majestic and grand city appearing ahead—it was Spirit Control City, and they were located to the north of it.

Nie Kong found it incredible. They had only walked for about ten minutes—just enough to traverse the abyss—and they had already arrived at the Outer City of Spirit Control City.

From this, it was evident that the Inner City and the Outer City were extremely close to each other.

Nie Kong had been to this area before; there was no abyss or cliff to the north of Spirit Control City, only a mountain range. Now it seemed that the mountain range was the illusion. However, upon truly entering it, there was no sensation of illusion; the vitality of the vegetation and the spiritual beasts all felt real.

Walking into Spirit Control City alongside the equally astonished Miao Ge and the others, Nie Kong turned back. He saw the mountains rolling endlessly, with no trace of the abyss's true structure.

The Illusionary Realm was truly bizarre!

Nie Kong came back to his senses, let out a light breath, and after parting ways with Miao Ge and the others, he headed back toward the Red Chamber. As he entered the courtyard, two small, delicate figures flashed out—Long Feng and Long Ting rushed to Nie Kong’s side. Arriving with them was a seductive and alluring female voice...

Long Xuechan!

End: The second update is here.