Chapter 2275: Exposed

Outside the Heart Lake, the gazes of all the powerful beings were fixed on its depths. After a series of arduous battles, Hong Tian and the others were visibly fatigued and greatly depleted, though the situation remained manageable. At this critical juncture, these formidable entities finally reached a consensus: they would unite and launch an attack on the dream realm!

From all directions around the Heart Lake, streaks of spiritual light shot towards the Divine Mountain. These lights, varying in color, were either manifested divine abilities or projections of spiritual treasures and artifacts. Without exception, they all possessed terrifying power, indicative of the Integration Stage. The spiritual lights converged simultaneously, reaching the dark region where the Divine Mountain resided. Almost all of them plunged into the darkness at once, leaving only one behind.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The combined spiritual lights surged into the darkness, seemingly met with immense resistance. As they collided with the forces within, terrifying fluctuations erupted, creating waves of chaotic energy that even obscured the lights themselves. The final streak of spiritual light remained suspended, patiently waiting for its opportunity.

Once the other spiritual lights had penetrated deep into the darkness, carving out a multicolored passage, the last streak of light finally moved. "Buzz!" The spiritual light hummed, and then, astonishingly, a single finger flew out from its core. It was a man's finger, with pronounced knuckles, as white as jade, and it gently pointed towards the darkness.

In an instant, the chaotic forces parted, with the other spiritual lights clearing a path. The finger effortlessly penetrated the darkness. "An Integration Stage cultivator!" Qin Sang exclaimed in shock. He had anticipated this day ever since he decided to target the supreme treasure. Hong Tian and the others would undoubtedly not sit idly by after discovering the treasure was being repeatedly shattered.

It was unexpected that Hong Tian and the others would act so swiftly, intervening directly even before the supreme treasure fully manifested. Unlike the divine ability transmitted to him by the mysterious Azure Luan, this was a genuine strike from an Integration Stage mighty being — a true, direct assault! Only by confronting an Integration Stage mighty being head-on could one truly grasp the vastness of the power disparity. The sheer aura emanating from it was a harbinger of death!

"I'm exposed!" Qin Sang's mind snapped taut. The aura instantly pierced through the disguise of his Heavenly Perception Thunder Robe, locking onto him. Not only was escape impossible, but under the oppressive weight of the aura, he found it difficult to even stir. Furthermore, Xi Rui and others were nearby, watching him intently, ensuring Qin Sang couldn't get close to the mountain peak to damage the supreme treasure. Could the Bone Luan Battle Formation withstand this strike? Qin Sang dared not risk it, nor did he harbor any hope.

Dying here might mean reincarnation, not true death, but he had painstakingly built up his cultivation in this illusion and was unwilling to abandon it. As things stood, it seemed his only option was… A decisive look flashed in Qin Sang's eyes. He suddenly retracted the Heavenly Perception Thunder Robe, revealing himself in the void, his aura completely exposed.

"It's you!" Several gasps of surprise echoed from afar, including the voices of Xi Rui and Yuan Jian. They had speculated on the mysterious figure's identity multiple times but were astonished to discover it was Qin Sang, the outsider. The Winged Human Race Prince's gaze also flickered, a brief expression of surprise crossing his face. He remembered Qin Sang, who had conspicuously outshone them during the Divine Mountain battle.

Meanwhile, somewhere at the boundary between the illusion and this realm, a figure drifted aimlessly within the void currents – it was Qin Sang's demonic shadow. Initially, when the supreme treasure manifested and this realm appeared, both Qin Sang's main body and his demonic shadow would be drawn to it. However, a barrier separated the demonic shadow from the Divine Mountain, requiring it to sense the main body's aura to pinpoint the realm's exact location. Because Qin Sang had consistently worn the Heavenly Perception Thunder Robe, his demonic shadow always found itself in this predicament, enraged but powerless.

This time, however, was different. Qin Sang's demonic shadow suddenly opened its eyes, and its form flickered, vanishing. The next moment, before the Divine Mountain, Qin Sang sharply turned his head. His gaze swept over the mountains, and he spotted a familiar figure. "Demonic shadow, we meet again!" Qin Sang's lips curled into a dangerous smile.

Simultaneously, Qin Sang's aura underwent a dramatic transformation; he felt his power surging back! His cultivation, his spiritual treasures, and countless other aspects of his being were returning at an astonishing pace. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly also reappeared; Qin Sang sensed its profound affection, a feeling both intimate and like a reunion after an eternity. And the Wandering Cloud Sword, the Thunder Beast Battle Guard, the Sky-Trapping Golden Lock, and so forth…

This recovery speed far surpassed that of others. During this period, Qin Sang had observed many individuals who only regained a fraction of their strength after being found by their demonic shadows. It was clear that this disparity was linked to the degree of one's immersion in the illusion; Qin Sang, notably, had remained fully conscious and had not succumbed in the slightest! Consequently, his strength recovered almost instantaneously.

Meanwhile, Qin Sang's demonic shadow finally entered this realm. Sensing its main body's location, a sinister grin spread across its face, only to instantly freeze and be replaced by a look of profound alarm. The terrifying aura overhead caused it to tremble uncontrollably. This aura, however, was not directed at it. What truly terrified the demonic shadow was the small Azure Luan, which had retreated ahead of time and was now locking onto it. This small Azure Luan could contend with late-stage Void Refinement cultivators, and crucially, its essence was a divine ability of the mysterious Azure Luan, unrelated to Qin Sang, meaning the demonic shadow could not imitate it.

Qin Sang, aware of the demonic shadow's limited mimicry abilities, decided to eliminate it first for safety before proceeding. The demonic shadow, realizing it was outmatched, cried out in alarm and turned to flee. Although it had learned the Thunder Escape technique from Qin Sang, it lacked the support of true Azure Luan thunder and thus was no match for the small Azure Luan. It was quickly overtaken, helplessly witnessing the small Azure Luan self-detonate right beside it.

"Boom!" The surrounding mountain peaks were obliterated by the azure thunder. Qin Sang's demonic shadow was not spared, vanishing instantly. Meanwhile, Qin Sang didn't even spare a glance at the scene. He stood resolute in the void, preparing to face the finger descending from the heavens.

Upon the demonic shadow's demise, something seemed to merge into Qin Sang's body, but his expression remained steadfast; he dared not be distracted. The finger, initially a blurry outline, gradually became clearer, as if a membrane between it and this realm was dissipating. It seemed poised to pierce the firmament at any moment, descending with unmatched power. Heaven and earth vibrated, and hearts trembled. Qin Sang, directly confronting the finger, felt his blood nearly congeal.

Despite his mastery of the Sword Domain and his ability to wield the Void Domain, making him a top-tier, if not the absolute pinnacle, cultivator among those at the Void Refinement stage, Qin Sang still felt he had little power to retaliate against an Integration Stage mighty being. With a sigh, Qin Sang recalled the Bone Luan Battle Formation, unwilling to see them destroyed in this place.

At that very moment, a figure appeared before Qin Sang, blocking his path. It was the Thunder Beast Battle Guard! Its left eye contained a sealed divine ability from an Integration Stage mighty being, and it was time to unleash it. The Thunder Beast Battle Guard stepped forward, absorbing the immense pressure on Qin Sang's behalf, its body crackling with bolts of lightning and booming with thunderous roars. As the finger became clearer, the Thunder Beast Battle Guard stood unyielding, unafraid of death. Its left eye flashed, erupting with a dazzling radiance.

Within that brilliance, an Azure Dragon materialized. Chains that had coiled around its body snapped one by one, completely releasing it. The Azure Dragon swam forth from the Thunder Beast Battle Guard's pupil, manifesting in the world. Fortunately, the divine ability from the external mighty being had to contend with the dream realm's invasion and navigate numerous obstacles to enter this realm, granting Qin Sang precious time to execute his plan. Having successfully released the Azure Dragon just before the mighty being's divine ability descended, Qin Sang finally allowed himself a breath of relief.

Meanwhile, after forcing Qin Sang to reveal himself, Xi Rui and the others immediately fled, fearing they might be caught in the collateral damage or that the external mighty being might whimsically strike them down. The external mighty being's attack would undoubtedly obliterate both Qin Sang and the unformed dream seed. However, they reasoned that upon their next entry, they could then compete for the dream seed based on their own abilities. As they fled, they sensed another powerful aura behind them, rapidly resurfacing, and they all turned back, utterly astonished.

"Roar!" Above, a single finger pressed down, dominating the heavens and earth. Below, the Azure Dragon soared, its roar reverberating through the sky. Heaven and earth seemed to hold only these two, their terrifying auras clashing, stirring up countless winds and clouds.

The incessant roars caused Qin Sang's vital energy to fluctuate. The Azure Dragon, immediately upon its manifestation, displayed a formidable power that was in no way inferior to that of the descending finger.

In fact, Hong Tian and the others had all achieved breakthroughs to the Saint Realm in the Sacred Land within short intervals of each other, making their strengths nearly identical. With the Azure Dragon now released, Qin Sang's direct involvement was no longer needed. The Azure Dragon was a divine ability gifted to him by a powerful being, barely contained within the Thunder Beast Battle Guard. Qin Sang was currently incapable of fully controlling it; he could only direct its attacks. Fortunately, the Azure Dragon was not a sentient creature; it feared no death and would obey Qin Sang's commands without question, striking precisely where indicated.

High above, an astonishing scene unfolded. A jade-white finger gradually materialized, descending with boundless divine might. The Azure Dragon raised its head and lashed its tail, conjuring clouds beneath it as it soared directly upwards, actively charging into the skies to confront the jade finger, its aura continuously escalating.

Outside the Heart Lake, Hong Tian's expression changed subtly. From a distance, an angry roar erupted; it was the contemporary Feather King, the owner of the descending finger. After the powerful beings had reached their consensus, they had agreed that the Feather King would lead the attack, with others monitoring his every move to ensure no selfish intentions. The moment the Azure Dragon's aura was revealed, the Feather King instantly recognized its origin and vociferously questioned it.

On the other side of the Heart Lake, a female cultivator also sensed her own divine ability, her eyes flashing with surprise, yet she offered no response to the Feather King's inquiry. Hong Tian, however, was filled with immediate regret. They had initially suspected some unforeseen development within the dream realm, never imagining that the true orchestrator was Qin Sang, the very person he had selected. Qin Sang's actions undoubtedly had a purpose, most likely to secure more dream seeds. The divine ability was originally given to Qin Sang as a trump card, and now it had been forced out, with Hong Tian himself inadvertently assisting its release. This left him feeling both amused and exasperated.

The die was cast; regret was futile. Hong Tian could only resolve never to agree to a joint effort again. It was clear that Qin Sang held the upper hand within the dream realm; Hong Tian merely needed to wait patiently and reap the rewards. Simultaneously, Hong Tian secretly contacted his allies, informing them of the truth and preparing to withdraw his divine ability, intending to prevent the Feather King from exerting greater pressure on Qin Sang and hindering his progress.

Outside the Divine Mountain, before the two divine abilities even truly collided, a storm began to rage from the periphery. Violent winds, torrential rains, vibrant auroras, and dark mists — a myriad of both common and unusual celestial phenomena — descended rapidly, engulfing the entire battlefield. The world grew dim, and an unsettling atmosphere intensified. Qin Sang commanded the Thunder Beast Battle Guard and the Bone Luan to clear a path, as he fled with all his might.

The collision of these two divine abilities would undoubtedly level the Divine Mountain and shatter the supreme treasure, negating any need for Qin Sang's personal intervention. Finally, to the horrified gaze of all onlookers, the finger and the Azure Dragon slammed into each other! The finger pressed directly onto the Azure Dragon's brow, while the dragon, raising its proud head, fearlessly charged straight into the finger. Time seemed to halt at this moment; the Azure Dragon and the finger remained locked, two immense forces in a standoff.

"Swish!" The Azure Dragon's entire body erupted with azure light, beams shooting from its eyes and between its scales, a torrent of green light sweeping across the cosmos. The finger, too, surged with white light, bursting forth in conjunction with the azure. Both the finger and the Azure Dragon vanished, transforming into pure energy — one white, one azure, one above, one below — neither yielding an inch. What appeared to be merely two pure lights caused Xi Rui and the others' expressions to change dramatically, compelling them to avert their gazes.

Having long experienced the Azure Dragon's formidable power, Qin Sang dared not linger. He executed the Thunder Escape technique, fleeing under the protection of the Thunder Beast Battle Guard and the Bone Luan. However, as he activated Thunder Escape once more, he immediately sensed a difference. Specifically, the True Azure Luan Thunder within his body had undergone a transformation. Before he could fully grasp the implications of this change, Qin Sang made another astonishing discovery.

"My cultivation!" Upon his main body's return, the cultivation realm of the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* had not fallen; it remained at the mid-sixth layer! Did this imply that his efforts within the illusion were not in vain, that he could bring his cultivation realm back to reality, and wouldn't need to restart his cultivation after returning? He had spent hundreds of years in the illusion, yet presumably, very little time had passed in the real world. In such a short span, he had actually advanced an entire realm!

Qin Sang had chosen to primarily cultivate the *Purple Micro Sword Scripture*, which logically meant his *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* cultivation should have fallen far behind. Yet, unexpectedly, it had caught up in this manner. Furthermore… Qin Sang's eyes glinted. Perhaps there was even an opportunity for the *Heavenly Demon Refining Form* to surpass the *Purple Micro Sword Scripture*. All he needed were more sacred artifacts of the Azure Luan race!

A faint breeze swept across the land. Compared to other celestial phenomena, this breeze was incredibly gentle, yet wherever it passed, everything dissolved into dust. In an instant, mountains silently vanished, including the Divine Mountain and the supreme treasure! The familiar scene unfolded once more. This realm and the supreme treasure disintegrated simultaneously, while Qin Sang was still frantically fleeing, a trace of delight lingering on his face.

"Cough! Cough!" Back in his familiar cave abode, Qin Sang still felt a lingering sense of trepidation. This encounter had been incredibly perilous; without the Azure Dragon divine ability, he might have been forced to recall the Daiyu Immortal Mountain. He wondered if the Daiyu Immortal Mountain, combined with the Void Domain, could have withstood such a strike.

"Now that Hong Tian knows I was behind this, he shouldn't just stand by and let other powerful beings interfere with the illusion, should he?" Qin Sang mused internally. Hong Tian still intended to use him to compete for treasures, so Qin Sang trusted him to manage the external affairs and buy him time. As long as the external powerful beings didn't intervene, Qin Sang could maintain his current position. Having dared to deceive both parties, he had naturally long since thoroughly analyzed the desires of others. Just then, the mysterious Azure Luan proactively contacted him. "You're awake. This time... did... something happen?" Qin Sang's eyes flickered. He raised his head, his gaze piercing through the cave walls, looking out at the countless stars. After a long silence, Qin Sang seemed to make a firm decision. He asked in a deep voice, "Senior, are you truly unaware of what transpired inside?"