“I’m full. We are going out for a stroll to aid digestion. You two… carry on chatting.”

After enduring the most precarious and agonizing meal of his life—sandwiched between a manipulative “Green Tea” and a terrifying Dao Integration powerhouse—Qi Yuan finally seized an opening. He mumbled an excuse and fled the Phoenix Palace as if his robes were on fire.

Back in his own bedchamber, Qi Yuan collapsed onto a chair and let out a long, shuddering breath. He looked up at the azure sky through the window, feeling as though a lifetime had passed since he entered this nightmare.

I can’t stay in this damn Illusion Realm a second longer!

To break this deadlock, he had to escape the illusion before the master-disciple duo regained their senses.

As long as he fled the “scene of the crime” ahead of time, he was confident he could muddle through. If questioned later, he would claim he crushed the Phantom Star Fruit in a desperate bid to “prove his innocence” by letting Shao Xuanji inspect his soul, only for the fruit to backfire.

After all, even a Dao Integration expert like Shao Xuanji fell victim to it. Who could possibly argue that a mere Nascent Soul cultivator planned this?

Without hard evidence, even the Sect Master of the Exquisite Sanctuary couldn’t convict the Holy Scion of Supreme Mystery—unless she wanted to start an inter-sect war.

Of course, this plan relied entirely on him not being present when the two women woke up.

In order to maintain his “Faint Ruler” persona, he had taken… liberties during that banquet.

Especially with Xiao Yueni. Apart from the final step, he had pretty much crossed every line of propriety. Coupled with her sudden awakening of some terrifying “harem intrigue” personality, she was liable to go berserk the moment her memories returned.

And then there was Shao Xuanji, the “Empress.” Just thinking about what he had done to her made Qi Yuan feel like his soul was about to crack apart.

When women go crazy, logic goes out the window. If I’m still standing here when they wake up, my survival rate is zero.

I have to run. Far, far away.

Having made up his mind, Qi Yuan calmed down and began to examine his surroundings.

The illusion was high-grade, bordering on perfection. Every carved balustrade, every golden pillar, felt incredibly real. There were no obvious visual flaws.

The narrative context, however, was a dumpster fire. The memories implanted in his head painted a picture of a ruler so debauched that even Qi Yuan—a self-proclaimed veteran of “internet culture”—felt his horizons expanding.

This little grass spirit has been reading way too much trashy fiction. Who taught it to write plotlines?

Generally speaking, there were three ways to break an Illusion Realm:

Wait it out: Lie flat and let the narrative run its course until the energy dissipates. (Like the “Ximen Qing” incident.)

Logic Bomb: Find enough logical inconsistencies (flaws) in the world that your subconscious rejects the reality, shattering the illusion.

Brute Force: “One force breaks ten thousand techniques.” Smash the array with raw power.

For Qi Yuan, option two was the only viable path. Fortunately, his memories were intact, so he already knew this world was fake.

He glanced at Eunuch Dai, who was standing quietly in the corner like a piece of furniture. A thought struck him.

“Eunuch Dai, come here.”

The middle-aged eunuch scurried over immediately, bowing low. “Your Majesty, what does Your Majesty command?”

“Bring your face closer.”

Qi Yuan crooked a finger. Eunuch Dai didn’t understand but obediently leaned in.

Slap!

A crisp sound rang out. Eunuch Dai spun halfway around from the force, clutching his burning cheek. He immediately threw himself to the ground, kowtowing violently.

“This old slave deserves death! Please calm your anger, Your Majesty!”

Qi Yuan ignored the wailing. He examined his hand. There was a sensation of impact, but it felt… off. Like a strong suggestion of touch rather than actual physical contact. More importantly, his hand didn’t sting.

Pain is dulled. But this isn’t enough.

He looked down at the terrified eunuch. “I slapped you for no reason. It’s only fair if you slap me back. Come on, hit me!”

“Ah?”

Eunuch Dai froze. His face drained of all color, as if he had just seen his entire family tree being pruned.

He shook his head so hard it became a blur. “This old slave dares not! Your Majesty, please spare me! Even if you killed my whole clan, I wouldn’t dare touch a hair on your head!”

Seeing the NPC about to glitch out from fear, Qi Yuan curled his lip in disappointment.

“Tch. Coward. What use are you?”

He looked around the room, his gaze landing on a tall pagoda visible through the window. His eyes lit up.

That’s it.

“Eunuch Dai! Go find me two solid iron balls—one large, one small. We are going to conduct an experiment.”

“Iron… balls?” Eunuch Dai blinked, struggling to keep up with his erratic sovereign. “Yes! This old slave obeys!”

A short while later.

Qi Yuan stood at the very top of the highest pagoda in the palace. Below him, a crowd of eunuchs, maids, and harem beauties—including the Empress and Noble Consort—looked up in anxiety.

“Your Majesty, please come down! It is too high!”

“Your Majesty, your Dragon Body is worth a thousand gold! Be careful!”

Qi Yuan ignored the noise. He held out his hands, a heavy iron ball in each.

“Listen well!” he shouted to the crowd below. “I have here a large iron ball and a small one. If I drop them at the same time, they will hit the ground at the same time. Do you believe me?”

The crowd exchanged confused glances.

“Your Majesty jests,” a minister called out. “The heavy one will obviously fall faster. That is the way of the world!”

“Indeed! It is common sense!”

Qi Yuan smirked. “Common sense? Let us see.”

He released both balls simultaneously.

Whoosh!

The balls plummeted.

To the naked eye, the large iron ball shot down like a meteor, smashing into the pavement with a heavy thud.

A full second later, the small ball landed with a lighter clink.

See? The crowd nodded sagely. The heavy one fell faster. His Majesty has gone mad again.

However, on top of the tower, Qi Yuan’s grin widened.

Gotcha.

The moment the balls landed at different times, the world around him fractured.

A wave of dizziness washed over him, and the opulent palace dissolved into mist. The azure sky shattered like glass.

When Qi Yuan opened his eyes again, he was back at the secluded spirit spring.

He let out a long breath.

Indeed. When in doubt, trust science.

Even in a cultivation world, gravity is a constant. If heavy things fell faster, the universe would fall apart.

The little grass spirit’s illusion was realistic visually, but it hadn’t taken Physics 101. It simulated the “common sense” belief that heavy objects fall faster (Aristotelian physics) rather than the actual law of gravity (Galilean physics).

This violation of fundamental natural law was a flaw so massive it shattered the illusion instantly.

Kids, stay in school. Read more books.

Qi Yuan glanced at the two women nearby. They were still frozen in place, eyes glazed over, trapped in their respective roles as Empress and Consort.

He smirked.

Time to settle accounts with that Innate Divine Beast.

I paid a heavy price for this opportunity—my reputation, my innocence, and nearly my life. If I go home empty-handed now, I’ll never forgive myself!