Junior sister took first place again

Chapter 379 He Ling's Plan

The woman smiled slightly, a gentle light glimmering in her eyes. "I am the guardian spirit of this ancient castle. I exist to guide those who are qualified to pass the final test."

He Ling frowned slightly, but she didn't let down her guard because of the woman's words. "The final test? What do you mean?"

The woman gently raised her hand and pointed at the suspended ball of light. "This is the core of the castle and the trigger for the 'Illumination of Light' ritual. However, starting the ritual is not so simple. It requires the trial-takers to overcome their inner demons in order to succeed."

The disciples looked at each other, while He Ling frowned slightly and fell into a brief period of contemplation.

After a long while, she seemed to suddenly understand and said, "This is probably the 'examination of the heart' test in the Jindan area."

Hearing this, the woman couldn't help but smile slightly and nodded gently in agreement. Then, in a soft yet powerful voice, she explained to the crowd, "Inner demons are the fears and desires deep within every cultivator. They will manifest during the ritual and attempt to hinder you. Only a truly strong mind can overcome these demons and successfully initiate the ritual."

After hearing this, He Ling nodded thoughtfully again, and then asked, "I understand. So, what is the test question?"

The woman gracefully raised her jade hand and pointed toward the neatly stacked ancient tomes. She spoke softly, "These ancient tomes record the steps of the ritual and the necessary runes. You must study them carefully and then select the bravest and most determined disciples to perform the ritual."

He Ling's gaze turned to the ancient books following the woman's gesture, and a gleam of light flashed in her eyes.

"Everyone, we have no time to waste."

He Ling's voice echoed in the underground space. Now she had become the leader of the team, and her tone was decisive, "Work in pairs and begin studying these texts to find the specific steps of the ritual."

The disciples immediately took action. They divided into several groups, each responsible for a part of the classics, and began to read and study them carefully.

He Ling personally selected a disciple she considered the bravest and most determined, and prepared to have them participate in the ceremony. "Hu Shan, follow me."

He Ling pointed at the disciple, the only outlier in the team, a person from a noble family.

Hu Shan had no objection. He immediately put down the book in his hand and followed He Ling to the bottom of the light ball.

"Remember, no matter what illusions appear during the ritual, don't be fooled by them." He Ling's eyes swept over Hu Shan and the other disciples, and a hint of sternness appeared in her voice. "Only by sticking to your original intention can you defeat the inner demon."

The disciples nodded, their eyes gleaming with determination. They were all elites who had been rigorously selected to enter the secret realm, and they had absolute confidence in their own will and cultivation.

Time passed minute by minute, and with the deepening of research, He Ling and his disciples gradually mastered the essentials of the ritual.

They began to draw complex runes on the ground according to the descriptions in the ancient texts, and then placed the ball of light in the center of the runes.

While preparing for the "Light of Illumination" ceremony, He Ling stood in front of the ball of light, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.

Her inner demon also said excitedly in her sea of consciousness: "He Ling, do you feel it? The power contained in this ball of light is enough to take us to the next level."

He Ling smiled slightly, her eyes revealing the same greed as her inner demon: "Of course I feel it. This power will be the stepping stone for us to take a step further."

Inner Demon: "Then, do not hesitate. Let these disciples become sacrifices to our power. Their fear and despair will be our food."

He Ling nodded. She turned her gaze to the disciples who were concentrating on studying ancient texts, a cold glint in her eyes. "The Divine Master asked me to advance to the Nascent Soul stage before the secret realm closes. They are nothing more than tools to us. Once I obtain the power I deserve, their value will end."

Inner Demon: "Haha, well said! He Ling, you are becoming more and more to my liking."

The inner demon added, "But the power of this guardian spirit cannot be ignored. We must proceed with caution."

He Ling responded in her heart: "I know, I'm not stupid enough to do it here."

The runes were gradually drawn and the ceremony began. He Ling and his disciples chanted spells together, injecting power into the ball of light.

The ball of light began to glow, and the entire underground space was illuminated by a soft light.

The guardian spirits stood quietly by, observing the progress of the ceremony. The disciples were fully focused on the ceremony, their faith and strength being absorbed by the ball of light.

The disciples felt a powerful energy flowing in the space, and their heartbeats accelerated.

Suddenly, the faces of the disciples changed drastically, as if they had seen something horrible.

Some disciples began to scream, while others knelt on the ground with their hands on their heads, as if resisting some invisible attack.

He Ling also felt a strong sense of fear, and all kinds of terrifying images emerged in her mind. But she had already fallen into the devil's way, so she didn't feel anything when she saw these things.

However, in order not to appear abnormal, He Ling still showed a look of fear on her face.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, pretended to calm herself, and shouted, "Don't be trapped by your inner demons, stick to your heart!"

Her voice echoed in the space, trying to awaken the disciples who were troubled by inner demons.

However, the power of the inner demon is extremely strong. Many disciples have lost self-control, and some have even begun to attack their companions around them.

Inner Demon: "Look, their fear, desire, greed... these are all our strengths. He Ling, let us absorb them to our heart's content."

A hint of fanaticism flashed in He Ling's eyes, and she began to secretly change the spell, directing more energy to herself and her inner demon.

The disciples were becoming increasingly frantic. He Ling maintained a calm demeanor amidst the chaos. Her voice was remarkably clear amidst the disciples' screams and confusion: "Remain calm. Don't be misled by illusions!"

However, deep down in her heart, she was secretly rejoicing with her inner demons, enjoying the energy feast brought by this chaos.

Inner Demon: "Look, He Ling, the fear and despair of these disciples is such a wonderful power. Don't hesitate, absorb it and make us stronger."

He Ling responded in her heart, a subtle hint of satisfaction flashing in her eyes: "These are all our strengths. Soon, I will have enough power to achieve my goal."

Under the watchful eye of the guardian spirit, He Ling dared not directly express her ill will towards her disciples, but she secretly cast forbidden spells, quietly drawing strength from the disciples' fear and pain.

Her hands trembled slightly within her robe sleeves as she secretly formed hand seals, transferring the power into her body.

As the ceremony progressed, the light ball glowed brighter and brighter, and the disciples' inner demons grew stronger. He Ling felt her power growing, and her heart was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Inner Demon: "He Ling, you did a great job. The God will be satisfied with you and me."

He Ling smiled slightly, her voice low and full of confidence: "Yes, soon, I will surpass everyone here and become a truly strong person."

Under the secret manipulation of He Ling and the inner demon, the disciples' power was weakened, while He Ling's power continued to increase.

The guardian spirit didn't seem to notice He Ling's little movements. Her eyes were always gentle and concerned, encouraging the disciples to persevere.

Finally, when the light ball stabilized and a light gate slowly opened, He Ling's power reached a new height.

The disciples fell to the ground exhausted one by one. They passed this test of conscience, but they no longer wanted to recall what they had experienced.

He Ling stood breathlessly in front of the light gate. She turned around and faced her exhausted disciples with a gentle smile on her face: "We succeeded. Now, we can explore this new world."

The guardian spirit nodded in satisfaction. He Ling, however, was planning her next move. Once they entered a location without surveillance, she and her inner demon could unscrupulously absorb the disciples' power.

The disciples followed He Ling, stepped into the portal, and began their new adventure.

They didn't know that their senior sister He Ling had become even more powerful with the help of her inner demon, and they were just victims of her increased power.

After passing through the light gate, He Ling and his disciples came to a completely new space.

This place is full of various strange plants, which are extremely huge. Even the smallest weeds are ten feet tall. The leaves of trees make people look like ants. The air is filled with a mysterious and ancient atmosphere.

He Ling looked around vigilantly, she knew that in this unknown place, any danger might be lurking.

"Everyone stay alert, we don't know what danger there is here." He Ling's voice was low, and a hint of vigilance flashed in her eyes.

The disciples immediately followed her instructions, formed a defensive formation, and advanced cautiously.

At this moment, another group of people appeared in their sight. He Ling's eyes were as sharp as a knife, and she immediately recognized the leader - Mengxi Liu, Liu Shumo.

A disciple from an aristocratic family who was mentioned repeatedly in the Jindan realm area this time.

Liu Shumo also noticed He Ling's team, and his gaze lingered on He Ling for a moment.

He had heard of He Ling's name and knew that she was now very famous in the secret realm, but he had also heard of her past - a swordsman who had been injured and could no longer advance.

He was curious about He Ling's changes, but he also remained vigilant.

A hint of caution flashed through Liu Shumo's eyes. Within the secret realm, cultivators from different factions often became rivals, and the struggle for resources and opportunities was often accompanied by undercurrents.

He did not go forward to say hello, but quietly observed He Ling's every move. He Ling also had no intention of actively approaching Liu Shumo.

Although there was no direct conflict for the time being, in the secret realm, any party could become a potential threat. She swept her eyes over Liu Shumo's team, assessing their strength and possible threats.

The two teams kept a certain distance and explored the new space separately.

He Ling directed his disciples to continue looking for possible opportunities and resources.

A trace of calculation flashed in her eyes from time to time, but in her mind she was thinking about how to use this new environment to enhance her own strength.

Liu Shumo was not idle either. He used his knowledge of formations and began to set up some simple early warning and defensive formations around him to prevent any accidents.

He glanced in He Ling's direction from time to time, his heart filled with curiosity and suspicion about the true intentions of this Changxing Sect disciple.

As time went on, the two teams' exploration of the new space gradually deepened.

They encountered some strange creatures and unknown dangers, but they resolved them one by one with their own strength and wisdom.

Although there was no direct conflict between the two teams, the secret competition and vigilance were never relaxed.

By chance, the two teams almost simultaneously discovered a hidden spiritual spring that contained rich spiritual energy, which was of great benefit to the cultivation of monks.

This discovery immediately caused tension between the two teams. A hint of greed flashed in He Ling's eyes. She knew what such a rich spiritual spring meant to her cultivation.

She immediately signaled her disciples to prepare to occupy the spiritual spring, while looking vigilantly at Liu Shumo's team.

Liu Shumo also realized the value of the spiritual spring. Such resources are extremely precious in the secret realm and should not be missed.

The two teams confronted each other near Lingquan, and the atmosphere was tense.

He Ling and Liu Shumo both knew that any rash action by either side could lead to conflict.

Their eyes met in the air, each searching for the best solution to the problem. Finally, He Ling broke the silence: "Immortal Liu, this spiritual spring is valuable to both of us. I suggest we use it together to avoid unnecessary conflict."

Liu Shumo pondered for a moment, and he knew that He Ling's words made sense. In this unknown space, it was a wise choice to maintain strength and avoid unnecessary battles.

He nodded slightly, a look of agreement on his face, and said slowly, "What He Xianjun said is absolutely right. There's really no need for us to fight to the death over a mere spiritual spring. If that's the case, why not share it all together? But before that, we need to establish a few rules."

As soon as he finished speaking, two teams gathered around him. After some discussion, they finally reached a temporary agreement near the Lingquan Spring.

Afterwards, they began to take turns using the spiritual spring to cultivate according to the agreed order. Although on the surface, the two sides had reconciled, the vigilance and precautions hidden in the dark never relaxed in the slightest.

At the same time, He Ling was sitting quietly beside the spiritual spring, with her eyes closed, entering a state of cultivation. At this moment, the inner demon in her heart quietly emerged, and she secretly rejoiced.

The inner demon whispered in He Ling's mind with a voice full of bewitching words: "He Ling, He Ling, this disciple surnamed Liu is an excellent sacrifice."

He Ling's eyebrows moved slightly, and she resisted the urge to open her eyes and look at Liu Shumo.