Chapter 2226 - 1196: Mirage

"It’s an illusion!"

Yang Xiao drew out the Ghost Lantern with a reverse grip, and as he poured his spiritual power into it without restraint, the previously extinguished Ghost Lantern flared up with a "puff," its flame growing stronger and stronger.

The green glow spread out, yet even covered by the green light, these elder deans were not affected in the slightest, each one staring at Yang Xiao.

In that moment, Yang Xiao’s shock was no less than facing the Cannibal Buddha. The Ghost Lantern, the artifact meant to break illusions, had indeed failed.

"Yang Xiao, this is where it ends." The eight Sheng Yanlin simultaneously raised the Wisdom Sticks in their hands, pointing at Yang Xiao with faces devoid of emotion.

In that moment, Yang Xiao also sensed something was off. It seemed that this Elder Dean was possessed by some ghostly entity. He thought of using the Soul-Capturing Mirror in his hand to escape, but it was futile; the space around them seemed completely sealed.

"Elder Sheng, spare me, I... I am Yang Xiao! I’m the one who saved you from the Dharma Sect!" Yang Xiao cried out in terror.

But Sheng Yanlin acted as though he hadn’t heard, his expression cold and rigid, his hands unceasing, his voice hard and cold, strange as if from another world:

"Exile..."

As an unprecedented sensation descended, Yang Xiao instinctively raised the lantern for one last defense, closing his eyes to prevent the oppressive feeling from robbing him of his spirit.

But...

"Thud"

"Thud, thud"

Yang Xiao did not experience the uncontrolled sensation of exile, a high-rank Spiritual Apostle’s ability capable of stripping a person’s senses, plunging them into an eternal spiritual night.

Instead, he took three light taps on the head, as if someone gently tapped him with a stick.

Unclear of the situation, Yang Xiao cautiously squinted one eye open, then saw only one Sheng Yanlin standing before him, tapping his head with the Wisdom Stick and laughing heartily, delighted like an eighty-year-old child:

"Hahaha—" Sheng Yanlin nearly laughed until tears came out.

Realizing he had been fooled, Yang Xiao was furious, pointing at Sheng Yanlin, trembling with anger: "Was it fun, huh? I ask you, was it fun?!"

"You’re a person of such age, yet you play these petty tricks with a junior. Elder Sheng, you’re supposed to be the esteemed dean of Yiling Academy, a renowned elder in the martial world. Isn’t it embarrassing? Shameful, huh?!" Yang Xiao begrudged him for not being more dignified, although he had indeed been frightened earlier; the sense of imminent death was more skilled and real than the Cannibal Buddha’s.

Sheng Yanlin laughed without ceasing, raised his hand to tap the ground with the Wisdom Stick, straightened up and said, "The High Priest taught you to forge ahead, to find life in a dead end, but I teach you a lesson: Those truly skilled in strategy triumph, with deception and cunning, tricking the heavens and using deceit."

"Next time, go trick someone else; stop amusing yourself at the expense of a junior." Yang Xiao crossed his arms, disdainful of the Elder Dean’s actions.

Unexpectedly, Sheng Yanlin narrowed his eyes, even happier, laughingly saying, "Little Yang, honestly, tricking others isn’t that amusing. Being able to fool you shows real skill. Back in the day, I didn’t get nearly the sense of achievement tricking the Netherworld Envoy as I did fooling you, hahaha!!"

Yang Xiao: "I was unnecessary in saving you back then..."

After laughing for a while, Sheng Yanlin eventually restrained himself somewhat, then looked seriously at Yang Xiao and said, "Little Yang, remember, what the High Priest taught you—those things are just for listening. That’s the dignity and romance of top-level masters, unrelated to you."

"If you want to survive, you must be practical, which means solving opponents in the most direct and least damaging way."

"Ambushes, sneak attacks, poisoning, kidnapping, calling for help, hiring assassins, slander, framing... You must fully utilize your natural righteous status in the Patrol Defense Office to create momentum in public opinion, to strike your opponents’ reputations. Have no bottom line, don’t be restricted by any rules or moral constraints."

"Remember, history is written by the victors; surviving is everything."