From the fake emperor to the concubine

Just as he was about to reach out, the image of Wei Siling suddenly flashed through his mind.

What will happen to Wei Siling if he leaves? She still has friends like Zhuo Liqun and Zheng Tianhao, and the guidance of senior Zheng Yi.
"No, this must be an illusion!" Zhang Yunfan suddenly realized. "My father couldn't possibly be here!"

As his resolve hardened, the illusion began to crumble. The valley vanished, and the figure of "Father" disappeared into nothingness.

But the illusion did not end; another scene appeared next.

He envisioned himself becoming an unparalleled powerhouse in the cultivation world, revered by thousands. Countless beauties would throw themselves into his arms, and boundless wealth and power would be within his grasp.

This is an illusion of desire, more dangerous than the illusion of kinship.

Because people can easily resist false affection, but find it hard to resist real desires.

Zhang Yunfan felt an unprecedented temptation; the feeling of standing at the peak and looking down on all living beings intoxicated him.

But just as he was about to succumb to despair, he remembered what Zheng Yi had once said: "Strength is merely a means, not an end. A true strongman is one who can control his own heart."

"These are all illusions," Zhang Yunfan insisted through gritted teeth. "True strength is cultivated step by step, not obtained through fantasy."

As he reaffirmed his resolve, the second illusion also disappeared.

Next, the illusions shift continuously, depicting scenes of fear and anger. Each scene directly targets the deepest weaknesses of the human heart.

After countless struggles and perseverance, Zhang Yunfan finally returned to reality after the ninety-ninth illusion ended.

He found himself still standing in that stone chamber, but Wei Siling was still struggling in the illusion.

“Si Ling’s mental cultivation is not yet sufficient; she needs help.” Zhang Yunfan wanted to step forward to help, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.

"Everyone must navigate the illusion through their own strength; that's the rule," Zheng Yi's voice echoed in his mind. "You can only wait on the sidelines."

Half an hour later, Wei Siling finally woke up from the illusion.

"Master!" She rushed into Zhang Yunfan's arms as soon as she saw him. "That was so scary! I thought I'd never see you again."

"It's alright, it's all over now," Zhang Yunfan comforted her, gently patting her back.

Just then, the stone platform in the center of the stone chamber began to sink, revealing a downward staircase.

"The entrance to the second level has appeared." Zhang Yunfan took a deep breath. "Siling, are you ready? It might be more dangerous down there."

“No matter how dangerous it is, I will follow my master,” Wei Siling said firmly.

The two walked down the stairs and soon arrived at the second floor.

Unlike the spaciousness of the first level, the second level is a vast underground forest. Towering ancient trees block out the sun, and various exotic flowers and herbs emit an alluring fragrance.

But Zhang Yunfan knew that this place was definitely not as wonderful as it seemed on the surface.

Sure enough, as soon as they stepped into the forest, they heard a deafening tiger roar.

A huge white tiger leaped out of the forest, its white fur as white as snow and its eyes as sharp as lightning, clearly a powerful demon beast.

"A White Tiger in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage!" Zhang Yunfan's heart tightened.

In his current state, dealing with such a monster is indeed quite difficult for him.

But retreating is not an option; since we've come this far, we must forge ahead.

"Siling, be careful, we'll join forces against the enemy!" Zhang Yunfan drew his longsword, ready for battle.

The white tiger seemed to sense their hostility, letting out a low roar before pouncing.

The white tiger moved with lightning speed, its massive body leaving a white afterimage in the air, its sharp claws aimed straight for Zhang Yunfan's throat.

Zhang Yunfan had no time to think and instinctively dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow. The tiger's claw grazed his cheek, and the force of the wind it generated made his cheek sting.

"Such speed!" Zhang Yunfan was shocked.

This white tiger was even stronger than he had expected. Not only had its cultivation reached the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, but it also had extremely rich combat experience, and every move it made was a killing blow.

The white tiger, having missed its first attack, immediately adjusted its stance and pounced on Zhang Yunfan again. This time, its attack was even more ferocious, striking with both claws to block all of Zhang Yunfan's escape routes.

"Siling, attack from the side!" Zhang Yunfan shouted, swinging his sword to meet the attack.

Wei Siling understood and immediately circled around to the right flank of the White Tiger, her long sword gleaming coldly.

"Ding!"

Zhang Yunfan's sword clashed with the tiger's claw, producing a metallic clang. The immense impact sent him sliding backward several meters, his arm tingling with numbness.

"This guy's strength is too great!" Zhang Yunfan thought to himself in shock.

Given his current injured state, he is simply incapable of a direct confrontation with the White Tiger. He must devise a strategy to outsmart the White Tiger, otherwise he will only suffer a faster defeat.

Just then, Wei Siling's attack arrived. Her swordsmanship was light and graceful, like willow catkins dancing in the air, the tip of her sword aimed straight for Baihu's vital side waist.

Sensing the threat, the white tiger had to divert some of its attention to deal with Wei Siling. It sidestepped the sword tip, while its tail swept out like a steel whip.

Wei Siling hurriedly retreated, but was still hit on the shoulder by the tiger's tail, and was sent flying, only stopping when she crashed into a big tree.

"Siling!" Zhang Yunfan exclaimed in shock upon seeing this, immediately rushing towards Baihu. "Your opponent is me!"

He used the 'Phantom Steps' technique, his figure moving like a ghost around the white tiger, looking for an opportunity to attack.

Although the white tiger was powerful, it was still slightly slower than Zhang Yunfan. Faced with Zhang Yunfan's mobile attacks, it was unable to effectively counterattack for the time being.

"Shattering Star Finger!"

Zhang Yunfan seized an opening and pointed a finger at the back of the white tiger's neck.

But the white tiger reacted extremely quickly, turning around abruptly and opening its blood-red maw to bite Zhang Yunfan.

Zhang Yunfan quickly pulled back, but his clothes were still torn by the tiger's teeth, leaving several bloody marks on his chest.

"No, I'll be worn down sooner or later if this continues," Zhang Yunfan thought anxiously.

The White Tiger is stronger and has more stamina than him. This kind of war of attrition is extremely disadvantageous for him, and he must find a way to deal with it as soon as possible.

"Senior, does this white tiger have any weaknesses?" Zhang Yunfan asked anxiously in his divine sense.

"Although the White Tiger is strong, it has a fatal weakness," Zheng Yi's voice rang out at the opportune moment. "Its left foreleg was once severely injured. Although it has healed, it still aches faintly during intense battles."

"Left foreleg?" Zhang Yunfan immediately focused his attention on the white tiger's left foreleg.

After careful observation, he did find that the white tiger's left foreleg moved somewhat unnaturally when it landed, indicating that it was indeed injured there.

"We've found the weakness!" Zhang Yunfan's spirits lifted.

He deliberately exposed a weakness to lure the white tiger into attacking.

As expected, the white tiger fell for the trap and roared as it pounced. Just as it was about to pounce, Zhang Yunfan suddenly crouched down, dodging the tiger's claws, and thrust his sword at the white tiger's left foreleg.

"puff!"

The sword tip pierced precisely into the old wound on the white tiger's left foreleg. Although it didn't cause significant damage, the intense pain caused the white tiger to let out a painful roar. Enraged, the white tiger opened its mouth and spewed out a white beam of light. This was its innate divine power—Tiger Roar Light Wave, possessing immense power.

Zhang Yunfan had no time to dodge and could only parry with his sword.

"boom!"

The light wave struck the sword, and the immense impact sent Zhang Yunfan flying, crashing heavily to the ground. He felt a churning in his chest and almost vomited blood.

"Master!" Wei Siling rushed over despite her shoulder injury upon seeing this.

"I'm fine." Zhang Yunfan struggled to his feet, but his face had turned pale.

That attack just now consumed a lot of his spiritual energy, and coupled with his already damaged meridians, he is now in a very bad state.

The white tiger seemed to realize this as well, its eyes gleaming with a mocking light, as if it were looking at two lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

It no longer rushes to attack, but slowly approaches, enjoying the desperate fear of its prey.

"Damn it, this beast is playing tricks on us!" Zhang Yunfan gritted his teeth.

But despite their anger, the situation was indeed extremely unfavorable for them. In his current state, he could only hold out for a quarter of an hour at most; if he couldn't find a way to defeat the enemy, he would truly perish here.

Just then, he noticed his surroundings.

Although this is an underground forest, there are still some mechanisms and magic arrays left by Zheng Yi. He hadn't noticed them during the battle, but now, upon closer inspection, he discovered some peculiar runes on the ground.

"Senior, what are these runes?" Zhang Yunfan asked.

"Those are auxiliary magic arrays I left behind, which can provide you with assistance in critical moments," Zheng Yi explained. "However, activating these arrays requires a significant amount of mental energy, which you may find difficult to withstand in your current state."

"We can't worry about that now!" Zhang Yunfan gritted his teeth. "It's better than dying here!"

He began to channel his mental energy, attempting to activate the runes on the ground.

The white tiger sensed something amiss and immediately launched an attack. It couldn't allow these two humans any further chance to turn the tide.

"Siling, hold it off!" Zhang Yunfan shouted.

Without a word, Wei Siling swung her sword to meet the white tiger. Although she knew she was no match for the white tiger, she was willing to pay any price to buy time for her master.

The white tiger's claws slammed down on Wei Siling. Wei Siling managed to block with the blade of her sword, but the immense force still sent her staggering backward, cracking her tiger's mouth.

But she did not back down; instead, she attacked even more desperately, using her own flesh and blood to buy precious time for Zhang Yunfan.

"Faster, faster!" Zhang Yunfan's forehead was covered in cold sweat.

Activating the runes was more difficult than he had imagined, requiring extremely precise mental control. The slightest mistake would not only prevent the array from activating, but could also cause a backlash against his consciousness.

Finally, just as Wei Siling was about to give up, the runes on the ground began to glow.

"Success!" Zhang Yunfan exclaimed with joy.

The next moment, the entire forest began to tremble. Countless vines sprouted from the ground, coiling towards the white tiger like serpents.

The white tiger was shocked and tried to dodge, but there were simply too many vines to avoid them all.

Soon, its limbs were entangled in vines, greatly restricting its movement.

"Now!" Zhang Yunfan seized the opportunity and unleashed his strongest attack.

"Shattering Star Finger - Chain Attack!"

Nine fingers were pointed out in succession, each one accurately hitting the White Tiger's vital points.

The white tiger roared in agony, struggling desperately to break free from the vines' hold. But the vines were exceptionally resilient, tightening their grip the more it struggled.

"Not enough, not enough!" Zhang Yunfan could sense that although the White Tiger was injured, it was far from being defeated.

He needs to use a stronger move.

But in his current state, what stronger moves can he possibly unleash?
Just then, he remembered the powerful force that Zheng Yi had taught him during his last battle with Ox-Head and Horse-Face.

"Senior, I need your help!" Zhang Yunfan pleaded in his mind.

"Kid, your physical condition is worse than last time. If you force yourself to increase your strength again, you may suffer permanent damage," Zheng Yi warned.

“I know the risks, but I have no other choice now!” Zhang Yunfan said resolutely.

Zheng Yi was silent for a moment, then finally said, "Alright, but this time I can only give you a very small amount of power, and it will last only a short time. You must win with one strike, understand?"

"clear!"

The next moment, a surge of pure power flowed into Zhang Yunfan's body. Although this power was far less powerful than the last time, it was enough for him now.

"Shattering Star Finger - Heaven-Shattering Style!"

This was the strongest attack he could muster, and his last hope.

With a single finger, the void seemed to be pierced, and the force of destruction headed straight for the White Tiger's head.

Sensing the threat of death, the white tiger struggled with all its might to break free from the vines' restraints and unleashed its strongest attack—the White Tiger Sky-Piercing Slash.

A massive white blade of energy erupted from its mouth, colliding with Zhang Yunfan's Shattering Star Finger.

"boom!"

A deafening explosion rang out, shaking the entire forest. Countless ancient trees were destroyed by the aftershocks, sending debris flying and dust billowing everywhere.

When the smoke cleared, Zhang Yunfan and Baihu were both exhausted.

Zhang Yunfan knelt on both knees, panting heavily, his face as pale as paper. That attack had almost exhausted all his strength.

The white tiger wasn't much better off; it had a deep, bloody gash on its forehead, from which blood flowed freely. That was a wound left by Zhang Yunfan's Shattering Star Finger technique; although not fatal, it had still seriously injured it.

The two sides stood in a stalemate, neither possessing the strength to launch another attack.

After a long while, the white tiger suddenly let out a low roar, but this time there was no hostility in the roar; instead, it carried a hint of recognition and respect.

It slowly stood up, gave Zhang Yunfan a deep look, and then turned and disappeared into the depths of the forest.

"It's gone?" Wei Siling said in disbelief.

"Yes, it acknowledges our strength." Zhang Yunfan smiled weakly. "Beasts of this level all have their pride. Now that it's a draw, it won't make things difficult for us anymore."

Although he said that, Zhang Yunfan knew in his heart that if they had delayed any longer, they would have been the ones to lose.

The White Tiger left partly because he was injured, and partly because he was moved by their indomitable will.

"Master, are you alright?" Wei Siling asked with concern as she helped Zhang Yunfan up.

"I'm not going to die yet," Zhang Yunfan said with a wry smile, but he could feel waves of excruciating pain in his meridians, much worse than before. (End of Chapter)