Not long after.

By the spiritual pond of the Exquisite Sanctuary.

Bang!

The illusion shattered with a deafening mental roar. Shao Xuanji’s consciousness snapped back to reality. Memories of her “imperial life” flashed through her mind like a fever dream, plunging her into a brief, stunned silence.

A moment later, reality set in.

“Damnable beast! How dare you make This Seat fall into a hallucination!”

Shao Xuanji gnashed her teeth, her face flushing with a mix of fury and intense shame. She remembered everything—being someone’s “Empress,” fighting for favor, and… other indignities. Despite her Dao Heart being forged of iron, the sheer embarrassment made her want to tear the instigator into a thousand pieces.

Her icy gaze swept the surroundings. The Supreme Mystery Holy Scion was gone. Only her beloved disciple, the Exquisite Holy Maiden, remained, still trapped in the nightmare, kneeling by the pool.

Whoosh!

Forcing herself to calm down, Shao Xuanji flicked her sleeve. A gentle beam of spiritual light shot out, sinking into Xiao Yueni’s brow and entering her Violet Mansion.

Xiao Yueni’s delicate body trembled. She let out a soft, dreamlike moan, her eyelashes fluttering as consciousness slowly returned.

“This… what is going on?”

Confusion clouded her eyes for a split second before horror washed over her. Her face turned deathly pale.

“Just now… that was an illusion? I… how could I act like that…”

Her beautiful eyes widened in disbelief. Her mind replayed every outrageous scene: throwing herself at a man, acting like a manipulative “Green Tea” concubine, and even fighting her own Master for the Emperor’s attention.

Shameful. Utterly shameful.

If this got out, the Exquisite Sanctuary would become the laughingstock of the cultivation world. She would never forgive herself.

Overcome with mortification, Xiao Yueni fell to her knees, her face burning crimson.

“Master! This disciple has no face left to live! Please grant me death!”

“Yueni, have you gone mad?!” Shao Xuanji’s expression changed drastically. She rushed forward to stop her, her voice stern but comforting. “This is not your fault. The Phantom Star Fruit is a supreme hallucinogen; even I couldn’t resist it, let alone you.”

Her eyes narrowed, glinting with a dangerous light. “That fruit likely came from a ten-thousand-year-old herb. I was careless and nearly caused a disaster.”

“Fortunately,” she continued, her voice dropping an octave, “that little thief Qi Yuan seems to have fled before doing anything… irreparable. Otherwise, even if it meant war with Supreme Mystery, I would extract his soul and refine it in hellfire!”

Xiao Yueni relaxed slightly, though her eyes remained filled with complicated emotions. “Master, perhaps he didn’t mean it. He only crushed the fruit in a moment of desperation to prove his innocence. How should we handle this?”

“Yueni, you are young and too trusting.” Shao Xuanji’s face hardened. “Even if it was an accident, we cannot risk him blabbering about this. For the reputation of the Sanctuary, we must deal with him. At the very least, we must wipe his memory.”

She glanced around. “He inhaled the same dose. He shouldn’t be awake yet. He’s likely wandering lost in the illusion somewhere nearby.”

She transformed into a streak of light, shooting into the sky.

“Let’s go. We will capture him now. No matter his excuses, he will be punished severely. I will not rest until this humiliation is avenged!”

“Master…”

Xiao Yueni opened her mouth to speak but fell silent. She gritted her teeth and flew after her Master.

Meanwhile.

Qi Yuan was flying at top speed.

Ahead, a colossal tree loomed, blotting out the sky.

From a distance, it looked like a pillar holding up the heavens. Its roots coiled like ancient dragons, and its canopy spanned a thousand miles, the dense foliage forming a green cloud that obscured half the horizon.

“This is… the Exquisite Ancient Tree!”

Qi Yuan’s pupils contracted. This tree, a relic of the Primordial World, was the namesake of the Sanctuary.

And sure enough… the Cheng Huang is nesting here.

It made perfect sense. Innate Divine Beasts were drawn to such ancient spiritual roots.

Cheng Feihuang… Cheng Huang…

The names aligned too perfectly. Qi Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. His gamble was paying off.

If his theory was correct, the Exquisite Sanctuary’s legendary Great Ascension Ancestor, “Cheng Feihuang,” was actually the innate divine beast, Cheng Huang, in human form!

This was a high-stakes bet. If he won, he’d gain immense rewards and the leverage he needed to survive Shao Xuanji’s wrath. If he lost… well, he had an escape plan. At the very least, he wouldn’t die.

Success or failure hinges on this one move!

As Qi Yuan landed beneath the massive roots, two female guards in colorful dresses stepped out of the void, blocking his path.

“Halt! Who are you?” they shouted, eyes vigilant. “This is Ancestor Feihuang’s secluded cultivation ground. Unauthorized personnel are forbidden!”

They eyed Qi Yuan with curiosity. Men were a rare sight here, especially one this bold.

“Greetings, Senior Sisters.”

Qi Yuan smiled elegantly, adopting his Holy Scion persona. He presented a jade token. “I am Qi Yuan, Holy Scion of Supreme Mystery. I have come to pay my respects to your Ancestor. I have the Exquisite Holy Maiden’s permission; this is her token. Please announce me.”

“Supreme Mystery Holy Scion?”

The guards exchanged surprised glances. They examined the token—it was indeed genuine. Their hostility melted away.

“Please wait, Holy Scion. I will report to the Ancestor.”

“Wait!”

Qi Yuan stopped them gently. He reached into his storage ring and pulled out his own Holy Scion Seal.

“Take this as well,” he said with a charming smile. “This is my official Seal. Your Ancestor will recognize my identity immediately upon seeing it.”

As he handed it over, he imperceptibly infused a wisp of Heavenly Dao Aura into the seal.

He was banking on biology. For an innate divine beast, the aura of the Heavenly Dao was like catnip—an instinctive, irresistible call.

The guards looked at each other, then nodded. “Very well. I will present it to the Ancestor.”

Moments later, a clear, melodious, and distinctly youthful voice drifted down from the canopy of the ancient tree:

“Let him in.”