Ji Shiyou, guided by Mingyue's enlightenment, discovered a loophole in the Qian Tian Illusion.
Compared to the real world, food in the illusion had no taste.
This was not Master Fox Shadow's fault, as normally, those who entered the formation did so with their souls, their bodies unable to enter. Souls did not feel hunger and did not need to eat. Therefore, no one had ever discovered a loophole to break out before.
However, Ji Shiyou and Mingyue, due to a twist of fate, had their bodies swapped. Their souls attached to each other's bodies and entered the formation. Furthermore, they encountered Mingyue, who prioritized eating above all else. It was then that Ji Shiyou discovered the difference between the Qian Tian Illusion and the real world.
He then shouted loudly, breaking the Qian Tian Illusion. The illusion vanished, and Ji Shiyou and Mingyue reappeared in the valley of Sifang Mountain. They had never left the valley; the illusion had merely concealed their presence.
Checking the sky, it appeared that about two hours had passed. In the illusion, they had spent nearly a day and a night. It seemed time flowed differently in the illusion compared to the real world. Ji Shiyou silently noted this, his anxiety about not having enough time to reach Sifang Mountain before the treasure appeared significantly reduced.
Meanwhile, for the Golden Crow Palace disciples remaining in the valley, after Ji Shiyou had deciphered the Five Elements Maze, the mist in the valley dispersed, revealing its true appearance. Tian Jian, holding the golden crown, still hesitated to let everyone leave. Instead of Ji Shiyou returning, they were met by Jun Shuxue, who had awoken from her unconsciousness.
With Ji Shiyou still absent, Tian Jian led the group to search the valley. They searched for two hours, covering the entire valley, but found no trace of Ji Shiyou, as if he had vanished into thin air. As they were wondering what to do, the valley began to shimmer with light. Ji Shiyou and a woman in white appeared, and the disciples rushed towards them with joy.
"Senior Brother!"
"Senior Brother, where did you go? Who is she?"
Tian Jian and the others surrounded their Senior Brother, bombarding him with questions. Seeing so many people surrounding him, Mingyue was initially taken aback. Then she realized she was in Ji Shiyou's body. The Golden Crow Palace disciples mistook her for Ji Shiyou.
"Hahaha! You were worried! I accidentally entered the Qian Tian Illusion and was saved by Fairy Mingyue. Fairy Mingyue's cultivation is profound, and I have invited her to travel with us. We will journey together to Sifang Mountain to collect the treasure. You have met Fairy Mingyue before, so you can look out for each other on the way."
Mingyue, with a smug expression, praised herself profusely. Seeing her Senior Brother smiling warmly and introducing the woman in white, the Golden Crow Palace disciples were stunned, forgetting to pay their respects. Was this their Senior Brother, who was usually taciturn and always wore a stern expression? Their Senior Brother could smile and speak so much in one go?
"Too much talking. Let's go!" Ji Shiyou glared at Mingyue, annoyed by her garrulousness, and whispered beside her.
"Let's go!"
Mingyue's expression sharpened. She knew she had violated their agreement of three rules. She immediately adjusted her demeanor, put on a cold expression, and, mimicking Ji Shiyou's tone, uttered two words. However, she felt a surge of satisfaction. All her life, she had only had one subordinate, He Zhu Ji, who was disobedient and always argued with her. Now, she was the Senior Brother of the Golden Crow Palace and wanted to savor the feeling of being followed and obeyed.
Seeing their Senior Brother's command to depart, everyone agreed. This was the Senior Brother they were familiar with, who never spoke more than five words at a time.
"Wait, Senior Brother, she's really going with us? What's her background? Do you know? Our mission is important, and not just anyone can participate."
Just then, Jun Shuxue stopped everyone, voicing her dissent. She was feeling displeased and looking for trouble. She had been the first to rush towards her Senior Brother when he appeared. To her surprise, her Senior Brother hadn't even looked at her, instead exchanging glances with the girl named Mingyue. Jun Shuxue immediately felt a sense of insecurity, so she deliberately targeted Mingyue, hoping to make her Senior Brother change his mind.
In reality, she had wronged Mingyue. When Mingyue saw everyone surrounding them, she was a bit flustered and looked to Ji Shiyou, constantly signaling to him, asking what to do. This was mistaken by Jun Shuxue as flirting, igniting her jealousy.
Jun Shuxue was the most beloved granddaughter of a Golden Crow Palace elder. She usually relied on her grandfather's power within the palace, acting imperiously, and no one dared to provoke her. Over time, she developed a spoiled personality. Everyone in the Golden Crow Palace knew she liked Ji Shiyou. All female disciples who approached Ji Shiyou had been warned by her. Eventually, no female disciple dared to get close to Ji Shiyou. Jun Shuxue also considered Ji Shiyou as her possession. Seeing a woman standing next to Ji Shiyou just now made her feel as if her territory had been invaded. Thus, she stepped forward, objecting to Mingyue traveling with them.
Tian Jian, Nu Tao, and other Golden Crow Palace disciples sensed Jun Shuxue's anger. They tacitly lowered their heads and remained silent, avoiding drawing trouble upon themselves.
Facing Jun Shuxue's accusations, Mingyue didn't know how to respond. She was just an insignificant demon and was unfamiliar with the sect's rules. She feared saying something wrong and revealing her true identity.
"Presumptuous!"
Just then, a furious roar echoed, startling her. Turning around, she saw that the voice belonged to Ji Shiyou. Not only Mingyue but everyone else was also startled. Tian Jian and the others inwardly admired Fairy Mingyue's boldness in daring to reprimand Jun Shuxue. After all, in the entire Golden Crow Palace, only Palace Master Golden Crow Fairy and Senior Brother Ji Shiyou dared to do so.
Ji Shiyou was losing patience and couldn't help but scold her. Jun Shuxue was not originally on the list for this mission. She had pestered the Grand Elder until he spoke to the Grand Elder, and Golden Crow Fairy, out of respect for the Grand Elder, had reluctantly added her at the last minute. However, throughout the journey, this young lady had been nothing but trouble, constantly demanding breaks or complaining about food and lodging, causing significant delays. To avoid missing the treasure's appearance, everyone had decided to take a shortcut. Furthermore, her constant disturbances had caused Nu Tao to misread the compass and enter Sifang Mountain. Now, she was preventing Mingyue from joining them, which was tantamount to asking herself to leave the team. Thus, Ji Shiyou lost control and shouted in reprimand.
After speaking, Ji Shiyou realized that in the eyes of his fellow disciples, he was not their Senior Brother but Mingyue. He was momentarily unsure how to explain to everyone.
"Mingyue is right, you are presumptuous! I am the Senior Brother of the Golden Crow Palace and the leader of this mission. You dare to question my decision; are you rebelling? Let me tell you, Mingyue must travel with us. If you are unwilling, return to the Golden Crow Palace by yourself. Do not follow us. What are you standing around for? Let's go!"
At this moment, Mingyue, with a stern face and a cold tone, spoke. She hadn't known Ji Shiyou's attitude towards Jun Shuxue and couldn't speak. However, upon hearing Ji Shiyou's reprimand, she understood. It seemed Ji Shiyou was also very annoyed by this woman, so she knew what to do. She then pretended to be stern like Ji Shiyou and spoke forcefully. After speaking, Mingyue glanced at Jun Shuxue and, taking Ji Shiyou's hand, led the way. Seeing their Senior Brother leave, Tian Jian and the others quickly followed.
Jun Shuxue was shocked that Ji Shiyou would show her such disrespect in front of their fellow disciples. Moreover, he had held that woman's hand, making her eyes well up with tears. But seeing everyone walking further and further away, with no one paying attention to her, she stomped her foot in anger and chased after them, thinking, "Mingyue, you're dead!"