Qing Qing wanted to rush in front of Shen Qing to block the attack for her, but there was an invisible barrier in front of him blocking his way.
Seeing the village head launch an attack, the other villagers also raised their huge palms and attacked Qing Qing like an overwhelming tide.
Qing Qing slapped the invisible barrier hard and summoned the "Growth of All Things", but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break through.
"Stay still and watch carefully."
A cold voice came from behind. Qing Qing turned around abruptly and was surprised to find that the Dark Wolf was staring coldly.
Beside him stood Luo Ling, with no trace of vitality in her eyes, like a soulless puppet.
"Dark Wolf... It's you... You can talk!"
"Why did you bring us here? Why did you trap Shen Qing inside? Do you want to kill her?!"
The Dark Wolf shook his head and stared fixedly at Shen Qing inside the barrier.
"Watch carefully... I also want to know what will be different this time."
Shen Qing's sleeves and skirt fluttered in the wind of the palm strikes, making a rattling sound.
"Arrogant! A mere oath. We won't believe it!!!"
The palms of the village head and the villagers descended. Just as they were about to touch Shen Qing, they stopped.
A look of surprise flashed across their green eyes.
Then, rays of light emanated from around Shen Qing's body.
"The Dao Oath has been made. If Shen Qing violates this oath, her path to immortality will surely be ruined, and she will be condemned to the animal realm for all eternity!!"
A glint of light flashed on Shen Qing's forehead and then disappeared into her brow.
"You've truly made a Dao Oath... Cultivators are heartless. How could you do this?"
Shen Qing replied, "It's not that cultivators are heartless, but the Great Dao is heartless, and the world is heartless. However, with the cycle of cause and effect, the Great Dao has feelings, and the world has feelings. There will always be those who will forge ahead without complaint or regret for the Great Dao in their hearts."
"There is a path between immortals and mortals. It's not a dead end, but a battle against the heavens. One contends for the universe above and the plants below. All living beings are on the same path in the end!"
"Hahaha! What a wonderful saying about the same path in the end. If Luo Ling had been more determined back then... Maybe she wouldn't have ended up sacrificing herself for the formation."
The Dark Wolf's laughter was full of desolation.
Suddenly, the barrier shattered, and the figures of the village head and the villagers inside the barrier slowly faded away.
Shen Qing felt the spiritual energy surging towards her from all around. The Golden Core in her dantian was nourished by the rich spiritual energy.
After a few days, the golden light around Shen Qing dissipated, and her cultivation advanced from the early stage of the Golden Core to the middle stage.
"Good. It's the first time I've seen someone achieve enlightenment under such circumstances. To reach this point, you're truly outstanding among them."
The Dark Wolf slowly walked towards Shen Qing. He changed from walking on four legs to standing upright. His sharp claws turned into long, fair fingers, and his snow - white fur became long white hair.
Only those deep blue eyes remained, as cold as the water in a deep pool...
Shen Qing turned around and was surprised to see the Dark Wolf transform into a human form. At the same time, a look of admiration flashed across her face.
Even the light veil and the misty rain were not enough to describe the Dark Wolf's appearance.
His face was as flawless as jade, and his skin was fairer than snow. His white and thick eyelashes, combined with his blue eyes, made him look mysterious and lazy.
"Dark Wolf, you can talk!"
The Dark Wolf smiled faintly. "You just made assumptions."
"Alright, it's time for all this to end."
With a wave of the Dark Wolf's arm, the entire village disappeared like a receding tide.
He snapped his fingers, and the world shattered like porcelain. Then, the whole world was left with only a blank expanse of whiteness.
"This is the Reincarnation Illusion Realm. All those who enter the secret realm will first come to the Reincarnation Secret Realm."
After saying that, circular light screens appeared around them. Inside the light screens were the scenes that each person had experienced after entering the Reincarnation Illusion Realm.
Shen Qing searched for the figures of Hong Chaoyang, Qi Nian, and Li Xian in the light screens one by one.
Qing Qing was also looking for his fellow disciples.
When Shen Qing saw Hong Chaoyang knock the village head down with one punch and then forcibly take Luo Ling out of the village, she couldn't help but laugh.
"Forcibly taking Luo Ling out of the village will result in a failed mission, and there will be no rewards."
The Dark Wolf kindly explained beside her and looked disapprovingly at Hong Chaoyang's violent actions.
Her punches almost killed the village head, and half of the houses in the village were destroyed.
Shen Qing asked, "What will happen if the mission fails?"
The Dark Wolf explained, "Not much. They will just be ejected from the Reincarnation Illusion Realm in advance and sent to a place outside the illusion. However, in this secret realm, the amount of resources you can obtain depends on how many tasks you complete. After leaving the Reincarnation Illusion Realm, there won't be many good resources left in the secret realm."
Shen Qing nodded and thought to herself. Could it be that Lin Yibai got half of the cultivation technique because she completed the task well?
How well did she complete the task this time? What rewards could she get?
Going further, Shen Qing saw Lin Yibai in the light screen. What made Shen Qing nervous was that Li Xian's current state didn't seem to be very good.
There were four people in their team. A wandering cultivator was captured and made into a bully, while the other three went to complete the task.
Lin Yibai's method was to exchange the magic treasures in her storage bag for Luo Ling's freedom.
However, the village head also had many magic treasures, so Lin Yibai's method didn't work.
Finally, Lin Yibai did something to the wandering cultivator, making him willingly sign a slave contract with the village head.
In exchange for Luo Ling's freedom, a Golden Core cultivator would guard the village for life.
"Although I don't really like her solution, she finally brought Luo Ling out safely without harming anyone else in the village. So, she has completed the task."
"I will reward her with half of a cultivation technique..."
"No!"
Shen Qing blurted out. Under the Dark Wolf's confused gaze, she explained reluctantly.
"Dark Wolf, look. If that wandering cultivator hadn't signed the slave contract, how could this female disciple have completed the task? I think the reward should go to that wandering cultivator. Don't you think so?"
The Dark Wolf frowned. He seemed to have never thought about the problem from this perspective.
He only saw that Lin Yibai had successfully persuaded the wandering cultivator and taken Luo Ling away, but he didn't consider that it was the wandering cultivator who had paid the price, while Lin Yibai got the final reward.
This was indeed a bit unfair...
After thinking for a while, the Dark Wolf said, "You're really something. Then I'll reward that female disciple with some rare spiritual herbs, and as for that half of the cultivation technique..."
"Forget about the cultivation technique. It's difficult to cultivate with only half of it, and it's easy to go mad. It's better to give something more practical."
After much persuasion, Shen Qing finally dispelled the Dark Wolf's idea of giving the cultivation technique.
Shen Qing heaved a sigh of relief. Neither the wandering cultivator nor Lin Yibai was a good person. They shouldn't be given that half of the cultivation technique.
After leaving the light screen, they came to a light spot. The Dark Wolf said, "Pass through this light spot, and you can leave the illusion. I'll give you the rewards when you leave. It will be a surprise."
Shen Qing nodded and led Qing Qing through the light spot, leaving the illusion.
But at the moment of leaving the illusion, a sense of unease suddenly flashed through Shen Qing's mind.
She turned around and saw Luo Ling, who had been expressionless by the Dark Wolf's side, and the jade token around the Dark Wolf's neck.
No! Something was wrong. The mission wasn't completed yet!