Breaking through a bottleneck in one's sleep—such things were not unheard of, but witnessing it firsthand was a first for everyone.
The spiritual energy surge from breaking through the third bottleneck was far more intense than the previous two. A gentle breeze brushed their faces for over half an hour as nearly all the spiritual energy on the island gathered around Ji Tongzhou, shimmering and glowing like radiant threads.
Breaking through the third bottleneck meant one was qualified to become a direct disciple and could then study the Advanced Immortal Techniques that combined the five elements. In the Immortal Sects, only after overcoming three bottlenecks could one truly step into the realm of the Immortals, experiencing the profound and ever-changing mysteries of the Advanced Immortal Techniques.
This young prince must have stumbled upon some incredible luck to break through his bottleneck while simply sleeping.
Ye Ye noticed that despite being asleep, Ji Tongzhou's expressions shifted endlessly—sometimes sorrowful, sometimes sinister—which unsettled him deeply.
Though Ji Tongzhou hadn’t spoken of what he experienced in the illusion, Ye Ye could guess most of it. It must have been related to the Yue Kingdom and Long Mingzuo. The way Ji Tongzhou treated Long Mingzuo and his group made it clear that this matter had long been a festering wound in his heart.
Ji Tongzhou was different from him. When the Gaul Country fell, Ye Ye had been only six or seven, too young to fully understand. Later, he met the Baili Sisters, entered the Academy, and joined an Immortal Sect—his path had been smooth and fortunate. Over the years, as he grew from a child into an adult, the towering hatred in his heart had faded considerably.
But Ji Tongzhou had always lived a privileged life. Now, no longer an ignorant child, if something truly happened to the Yue Kingdom, he might well lose his mind completely. Even if he knew everything in the illusion was false, this young prince, who had never truly suffered hardship, might struggle to break free—especially since, for all his rough and carefree exterior, his heart was not resilient. Among them all, the Mirage Dragon’s illusions affected him the most.
Baili Gelin suddenly sighed, "What if he starts causing trouble again when he wakes up? Do we all jump in together? No one can control him. Maybe we should just tie him up now."
"Don’t be ridiculous," Ye Ye shot her a glare. "Let’s all sleep here tonight. Li Fei, set up an Earth Barrier. If he starts making noise when he wakes, at least the commotion will rouse us."
Ji Tongzhou wandered the snowy plains again, utterly alone, with nowhere to go.
His kingdom had fallen, his people gone. He longed for revenge but lacked the strength; he sought someone, yet the world was vast, a thousand mountains and endless Cloud Sea—where could he possibly find them?
For some reason, he suddenly recalled a moment long ago during the new disciple selection at the Academy. Full of anticipation, he had sought out Elder Xuanshan Zi, only for the elder to shake his head and say, "Your nature burns like fire—you are a man of deep passions, unfit for my Profound School. Those who enter my school must possess the karmic destiny to transcend the illusions of desire. You lack such a destiny."
Back then, he had been stunned and aggrieved. "A man of deep passions? But... I don’t even understand love yet..."
"Passion is not merely the love between men and women. All forms of love, resentment, and hatred—the boundless mortal world, the unquenchable fire in your heart—you are a man of this world, not one who transcends it. Go to the Star Rectitude Hall. Its splendor suits you best."
Now, as he pondered the words "the boundless mortal world, the unquenchable fire in your heart," a tumult of emotions overwhelmed him. Gazing at the vast, desolate snowscape, the thin clouds and bleak mist, he realized he had lost everything—yet his heart refused to die.In the depths of his consciousness, a voice seemed to whisper that all of this was but an illusion, a fleeting bubble. Ji Tongzhou suddenly burst into laughter—what did it matter if it was real or fake? This past had already been imprinted in his memory, haunting him incessantly, driving him to madness. All the wild desires buried deep within his heart had awakened because of this dream—his longing for towering mountains and rivers, his yearning for beauties as flawless as jade, his attachment to those intoxicating, dreamlike days that filled him with soaring ambition.
He had gained too much; there was no returning to the ignorant past when he hadn’t even known what he truly wanted.
Ji Tongzhou let out a long sigh, clasped his hands behind his back, and gazed into the distance. The endless flurry of snow vanished in an instant, replaced by countless floating islands—yet it was the Young Phoenix Academy from his memories. The walls of the disciple rooms were densely covered with serpentine vines, clusters of wisteria flowers tumbling down. Everything before his eyes was reduced to shades of black and white.
He walked slowly along the outer walls of the disciple rooms until he reached a familiar courtyard gate, carved with the numbers "Seven, Eight, Nine." Staring at the long-unseen labels—"Qilin Chamber, Thousand Fragrance Chamber, Quiet Mystery Chamber"—a rare warmth blossomed in his heart.
Pushing open the gate, he saw a little girl in the Academy’s red-and-white disciple uniform standing in the courtyard, looking up at the lush vines. Hearing the door open, she swiftly turned around, her thick braid swinging in a graceful arc. Her features were plain, but her eyes sparkled brilliantly.
From where she stood, colors burst forth, instantly devouring the monochrome world of black and white. Frowning, she looked at him without the slightest pretense of politeness, then punched him on the shoulder like a man would. "Weren’t we supposed to copy the books together, all four of us? Where did you run off to?"
Ji Tongzhou gazed into her clear, bright eyes and felt an overwhelming surge of emotion. Then, someone called from behind him, "Tongzhou!"
Turning around, he saw Ye Ye, Baili Gelin, Baili Changyue, Lei Xiuyuan… His friends and rivals were all there, still the same naive children. The blazing sunlight stung his eyes—this vibrant, carefree world was so beautiful. Before he had met them, his life had been so dull. The myriad colors had only appeared after he came to know them.
And the one who had first brought him all of this was Jiang Li Fei.
If he hadn’t provoked her in Lu Gongzhen, he would never have encountered these hues—the beautiful colors in his life were all because of her.
Ji Tongzhou abruptly opened his eyes. The sky was dark yet tinged with a faint, transparent blue at the horizon—dawn was breaking. The world was silent, save for the steady rhythm of breathing around him.
Slowly sitting up, he looked around in silence. Ye Ye and the others were sprawled haphazardly on the ground nearby, fast asleep. Besides the Invisibility Spell and Bronze Wall Technique, a transparent Earth Barrier had been erected around them—likely to prevent him from running away again if he woke up.
Jiang Li Fei lay curled on her side, using a disciple uniform jacket as a makeshift pillow, her long hair spread across her back as she slept soundly.
Unable to resist, Ji Tongzhou crawled toward her and sat by her side, gazing at her sleeping face.
In her slumber, Li Fei sensed someone’s gaze fixed upon her. Groggily opening her eyes, she suddenly saw a figure sitting beside her and gasped in shock, her mouth opening to scream.A hand suddenly covered her mouth. He shook his head, signaling her to stay silent. Only then did Li Fei realize it was Ji Tongzhou—he had actually woken up! He had slept for a full three days and nights! No one expected him to sleep for so long. Ye Ye had checked his clothes; his wounds had long healed. She had also examined his Eight Extraordinary Meridians—everything was normal. Yet he remained asleep, unresponsive to pushing, patting, or calling. There was no discernible reason.
She sat up abruptly and glanced around. The others were still sound asleep—Baili Gelin’s foot was even propped on Lu Li’s stomach. None of them had dared to leave these past few days, all keeping watch here.
"You're awake? Do you feel unwell anywhere?" Li Fei asked in a hushed voice. Someone who had broken through the third bottleneck and then slept for three days straight—who knew if there might be complications?
Ji Tongzhou gave her a faint smile but said nothing.
Li Fei was puzzled and studied him closely. His expression now was unfamiliar, eerily calm—yet different from his usual calmness. She couldn’t pinpoint the difference, but it made him seem much more mature, more restrained.
"Ji Tongzhou?" she called softly, uncertain.
Still, he didn’t speak, only gazed at her deeply. Gone was the eerie, ghostly look in his eyes, yet his stare still made her skin crawl. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand, pushed up her sleeve, and glanced at her wrist—her skin was smooth and flawless, not a single scar left.
Was he going to bite her again?! Li Fei yanked her hand back. Ji Tongzhou pressed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, though it carried a hint of melancholy. "What are you afraid of?"
With that, he stood up, looking around as if he didn’t recognize the place. Then, he chuckled, stretched lazily toward the dawn, and let out a loud yawn. The noise woke the others, who blinked at him in confusion before slowly registering what had happened.
Ye Ye sprang up in alarm. "Tongzhou?"
Ji Tongzhou ran a hand through his tangled, disheveled hair and turned with a grin, only to find everyone staring at him like dumbstruck geese. His brows furrowed, and his usual arrogant, princely tone returned. "Breaking through the third bottleneck feels amazing."
He shot a smug glance at Lei Xiuyuan, who coldly averted his gaze, yawned, and lay back down—he still hadn’t slept enough.
Relieved that he had woken up without another violent episode, no one wanted to bring up the illusions and risk setting him off again. Baili Gelin pointed at him and burst into laughter. "Ji Tongzhou, you really need a bath! How can a prince be so filthy? You’re disgusting!"
After his injuries, he had slept until now, covered in blood and dirt, his hair a tangled mess, his face filthy—nothing like the neat, image-conscious young prince he usually was.
Li Fei tossed her wooden comb to him. "Here, you can borrow it."
Ji Tongzhou caught it. The comb was far from exquisite—old, clearly used for years, its carvings worn smooth. He traced the patterns with his fingertips, ran them along the teeth, then silently tucked it into his sleeve without a word.
Li Fei added, "Hurry up and return it when you're done. I need it too!"
But he acted as if he hadn’t heard and walked away without a word.When the refreshed young prince returned, Li Fei waited for a long time but didn’t see him returning her comb. She had no choice but to approach him with her hair still loose. “Where’s my comb?”
Ji Tongzhou raised an eyebrow. “It accidentally broke while I was using it, so I threw it into the sea.”
Threw it away?! Li Fei was utterly dumbfounded. “How could you just toss someone else’s belongings like that?”
Ji Tongzhou smiled. “No need to be angry. I’ll buy you a new one later.”
Still the same domineering and extravagant prince as ever. For some reason, Li Fei felt like laughing—and she actually did. She patted his shoulder like a man would. “This version of Ji Tongzhou is much more agreeable.”
Suddenly, Ji Tongzhou picked up a lock of her long hair and let it fall gently. In a low voice, he said, “You’re a woman. Don’t be so careless when patting someone next time.”
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