Chu Xingchen's expression was grave, but before he could say anything, Xie Lingyu was the first to let go of his hand.
Chu Xingchen glanced sideways at Xie Lingyu, only to see her gently shaking her head at him.
Then, from her spatial ring, she took out several things that Chu Xingchen couldn't recognize.
In just a moment, over a dozen protective barriers surrounded Chu Xingchen and Xie Lingyu. Behind them, a pale-blue formation rotated, exuding an imposing pressure from some unknown treasure.
"I was being stubborn back in Yuzhou City, refusing to carry extra protective treasures," Xie Lingyu said calmly, her spirit sword already unsheathed at her waist. "After spending more time with you, looking back, it seems rather childish."
"Don't worry about me, just make your move. If things go wrong, retreat. I have ways to ensure you return safely."
Xie Lingyu naturally didn't want to be dead weight.
She had never liked being a burden. If this trip had been pointless, she wouldn't have come with Chu Xingchen even without him asking.
Xie Lingyu's expression remained calm. She could still have Chu Xingchen's back in a critical moment.
Hearing this, Chu Xingchen showed a faint smile and nodded understandingly.
"Then I'm counting on you... Omnipotent Lady Lingyu."
With that said.
Chu Xingchen held his great blade, accompanied by the rolling blood energy surging around him, he charged toward the white dot churning in the sea of blood.
The blood energy churned like a sea, rushing toward Luo Yue to annihilate it.
With a punch that shattered the incoming layers of blood sea, Luo Yue quickly spotted Chu Xingchen charging with his blade. Or perhaps it sensed the unbridled top-tier divine ability.
In the sky, a dark-red blade, as if tearing the earth and annihilating everything, fell straight down.
Luo Yue looked up directly at that pure blade strike.
The outside world had changed so much?
Could evil cultivators also be equipped with such top-tier divine abilities?
What level of great demon could cultivate such a thing?
Moreover, this evil cultivator's Transformation God realm cultivation was clearly far too strong. The power alone was definitely not inferior to a cultivator at the Integration realm.
Could it be that evil forces were running rampant in the outside world?
Luo Yue then glanced at Xie Lingyu. This woman's aura was that of a proper righteous sect.
Could it be that the righteous sects were also in chaos now?
However, Luo Yue had no time to think more. The blade above its head had already pressed down in an instant.
Seeing this, Luo Yue no longer entertained any wishful thinking. Things always tended to go in the worst direction.
"Ten Thousand Blossoms... Pluck the Moon!"
A full moon rose behind Luo Yue, like endless shadows yet glowing with the moon's radiance.
The moon was enormous, as if rising from the horizon.
But in the next moment, that single moon directly withstood the frenzied blood energy divine ability.
Luo Yue took a deep breath, its gaze lifting to lock onto Chu Xingchen.
"Ten Thousand Blossoms - Garden of Dreams!"
In the next moment, brilliant white light surged from the earth, rapidly melting the blood energy that seemed intent on destroying everything.
Countless gorgeous flowers bloomed from the white light, covering everything.
Just like... the Flower Ridge outside the secret realm.
The blood energy churned and rolled, vicious and surging, yet it was still being completely annihilated by these seemingly peaceful flowers.
Moonlight blossomed.
Luo Yue's originally plain clothes transformed into a magnificent white battle skirt.
It raised its hand. A bright moon rose up, shattering the heaven-destroying divine ability, dissolving the churning sea of blood.
Luo Yue opened its palm. A pale-green long spear appeared, which it firmly grasped, pointing straight at Chu Xingchen high in the air. Its cold expression spoke words of extreme contempt.
"Evil cultivator! Let's go again!"
Chu Xingchen stood in the air. The blade in his hand transformed from a ghost-head saber to a long sword.
"Evil cultivator? My second disciple wouldn't want to hear that!"
In the next moment.
Under Luo Yue's extremely surprised gaze, the evil cultivator Chu Xingchen's presence changed completely.
From a top-tier evil cultivator to a pure orthodox righteous cultivator.
Clear and bright spiritual energy, and pure proud sword intent. Moreover, within this sword intent... there was also the righteous aura of those scholars?
A pure evil cultivator... knowing righteous sect techniques, it could accept. Knowing top-tier righteous sect techniques, it could also accept!
But this evil cultivator actually knew the righteous aura of those scholars?!
Who could accept that?!
Luo Yue's expression instantly became grave. This person could actually cast illusions to confuse it within its own domain?!
When did this happen?
Luo Yue's divine sense extended, spiritual energy surging throughout its body. The bright moon behind it radiated brilliance.
It directly used all its top-tier illusion-breaking methods. But what came back was... this was not an illusion.
Luo Yue looked around warily. After all, if one was caught in an illusion, anywhere could be the source of danger. Common logic wasn't enough to protect oneself.
This evil cultivator had such top-tier illusion arts!
It was once a genuine Great Vehicle realm cultivator. Now it had fallen for a mere Transformation God realm cultivator's illusion.
It was once famous for illusion arts. Now it had capsized in a small ditch.
Chu Xingchen watched as Luo Yue suddenly acted as if surrounded by danger. Its gaze and attention weren't on him, as if some greater danger was approaching.
What was this situation?
Chu Xingchen couldn't tell for a moment whether Luo Yue was performing some act or if some real danger was approaching?
Could it be that Luo Yue was here to suppress something?
But this didn't stop Chu Xingchen from charging up first.
Lin Luoyu's sword had progressed quickly through the Hidden Sword Mountain cultivation. He thought there might be a surprise. But after sensing it, it still wasn't as good as Li Yingling, and the gap was quite large.
So the Yingling Great Method was still more effective.
In the next moment, sword intent surged. Countless sword-intent water dragons wound and stretched around Chu Xingchen.
Luo Yue sensed Chu Xingchen's aura changing again, becoming even more certain this was an illusion!
But there was one helpless thing. It couldn't break through this illusion.
However...
"Ten Thousand Blossoms - Old Dreams!"
Luo Yue raised its head. The moonlight behind it flickered intensely.
If it couldn't break the illusion, then it would drag its opponent into the illusion together!
Chu Xingchen saw Luo Yue make the first move. Although he didn't understand the situation, he didn't hesitate to slash down with his sword.
However, as the sword fell.
The surrounding scene instantly transformed.
Chu Xingchen hurriedly looked back, only to find Xie Lingyu also dissipating like a bubble illusion.
At this moment, in the still-incomplete illusion, all Chu Xingchen could see was Luo Yue.
Luo Yue raised its spear to meet the attack. A white light surged from the spear tip. The long spear danced, the light connecting into a line. Destructive aura emerged from the light, destroying the incoming sword-intent water dragons one by one.
In the next moment, the illusion was fully constructed.
It was an endless rolling sea of fire, a sea of fire that seemed to have no end in sight.
Ash flew through the sky, nearly obscuring the entire sky, making it impossible to tell day from night.
Chu Xingchen narrowed his eyes. His White-Green Great Method allowed him to clearly sense this was an illusion.
However...
Chu Xingchen's peripheral vision glanced at several figures still fleeing in panic within the sea of fire.
Were those spirits?
But one somewhat familiar figure made Chu Xingchen take a second look.
It was a white figure, its expression panicked and fearful. Its skin had already been burned red in the sky-filling sea of fire.
Its eyes held only fear as it desperately moved its legs, closely following the spirits ahead.
Just from appearance... it looked somewhat like a young version of Luo Yue.
Luo Yue also looked at the fleeing figures.
Facing an illusion it couldn't detect, Luo Yue didn't take any chances.
Memories weren't just the past. They could also be nightmares one couldn't recall, the root of fear.
And naturally, they were the most flawless illusions.
Because... everything was real.
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I've been pouring my heart into this story, updating regularly even when life gets overwhelming. But I'm facing something I never anticipated—mass cancellations have left me in genuine financial distress. I'm struggling to make ends meet, and the reality is that I may not be able to continue writing if things don't change.
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