213: Chapter 212 Illusion (Part Two)

After walking twenty zhang, the white mist billowed for the third time.

This time, what emerged from the mist was no longer the past, but the future.

It was a majestic palace.

Inside the hall, he stood at the highest point, his entire body surrounded by brilliant golden light. Below, countless people knelt on the ground, prostrating themselves before him in worship. Their eyes were filled with awe and fanaticism.

Floating before him was a completely transparent long saber—the form of the Heart Blade after reaching Perfection. With one strike, it could sever the heavens, the earth, people, oneself, and all things.

Standing behind him were Teng Yuzhi, Huo Qingfeng, Zhao Yuanjing, Song Hu, and Liu Ningshuang—those former companions were now his subordinates, standing respectfully behind him, awaiting his orders.

Beneath his feet, he was stepping on a person.

That person's face was buried in shadow, making their features indistinguishable, but those eyes—filled with resentment and malice—were staring fixedly at him.

It was Zhao Yuanjing.

Or rather, it was the future Zhao Yuanjing.

That illusory figure was currently manifesting in an extremely bizarre way—it was both himself and not himself. It represented his desire for the future, his pursuit of power, and his yearning for status and authority.

The figure spoke.

The voice was his own, yet it carried an indescribable temptation:

“Do you want this?”

“To stand at the highest peak, looking down upon all living beings, with everyone kneeling at your feet?”

“You have the strength, you have the talent, and you have the Opportunity.”

“As long as you keep moving forward, one day, you will reach this height.”

“At that time, no one will dare to bully you, no one will dare to betray you, and no one will dare to control your destiny.”

“Do you want it?”

The voice was like a demonic curse, echoing repeatedly deep within his Sea of Consciousness. With every echo, a sliver of greed, a sliver of desire, and a sliver of impatience were lured out from the deepest parts of his heart.

Jiang Hanzhou's gaze fell upon that illusory figure, upon that majestic palace, upon that transparent long saber, and upon the kneeling crowds.

A glint flashed in his eyes.

That glint was desire.

He did indeed desire power.

He did indeed desire to stand at the highest point.

He did indeed desire that no one would ever control his destiny again.

That was his original intention for embarking on Cultivation and the motivation that kept him moving forward.

However—

He looked at that figure, looked at that palace, and looked at that long saber for a long time.

Then, he smiled.

The smile was faint, yet it carried an indescribable clarity.

“I want it,” he said.

A flash of joy appeared in the illusory figure's eyes.

But Jiang Hanzhou's next words caused that joy to instantly freeze.

“But I will not be controlled by 'wanting'.”

He looked directly at the figure and said word by word:

“Power is a tool, not the goal.”

“Standing at the highest point is to protect those who should be protected, not to enjoy the worship of others.”

“These things you've conjured are too fake.”

“So fake that I can see through them at a glance.”

His gaze suddenly became as sharp as a blade.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade vibrated violently!

The dark-gold dragon patterns on the blade's surface suddenly lit up at this moment!

The brilliance was so dazzling that it illuminated the entire Sea of Consciousness!

In the next instant—

The Heart Blade shot out from between his brows!

This time, it wasn't an invisible blade light, but the Heart Blade itself!

The dark-gold short blade, carrying peerless sharpness and dominance, slashed straight into that illusory figure!

The moment the blade slashed in—

BOOM!!!

The figure exploded!

At the moment of the explosion, countless tiny points of light splattered in all directions, like fireworks blooming!

Contained within those light points were the majestic palace, the transparent long saber, and the kneeling crowds—everything he desired, yearned for, and pursued now turned into nothingness, dissipating into the white mist.

The third illusion, shattered.

Jiang Hanzhou withdrew his Heart Blade and stood in place, panting slightly.

Shattering three consecutive illusions, even with the power of the Heart Blade, had consumed quite a bit of his Divine Soul power.

But he did not stop.

He simply took a deep breath and continued walking forward.

The mist was still thick, and the surroundings were still vast and hazy.

But he knew the direction was correct.

Because deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade was vibrating slightly, guiding him toward the direction to break the illusions.

The closer they were to the core, the more powerful the illusions became.

The more powerful the illusions, the more violently the Heart Blade vibrated.

And at this moment, the vibration of the Heart Blade was even more intense than before.

Ahead, even more powerful illusions were waiting for him.

He gripped the tiger soul saber tightly and quickened his pace.

—

Meanwhile, in other parts of the Illusion Zone, completely different scenes were unfolding.

—

Teng Yuzhi stood amidst the billowing white mist, her body wreathed in the crimson-gold Lihuo True Flame.

Her gaze fell upon an illusory figure.

It was the figure of a youth, roughly seventeen or eighteen years old, with a handsome face and gentle eyes. He wore a set of cyan robes, with a long sword hanging from his waist, and he was smiling at her.

“Yuzhi.” The youth's voice was as gentle as water, “Long time no see.”

Teng Yuzhi's pupils contracted slightly.

It was—that person.

The name she had never mentioned to anyone, the secret buried in the deepest part of her heart.

When she was fifteen, she had saved a heavily injured youth on the shores of the East Sea. The youth was a Loose Cultivator, belonging to no sect, yet he possessed extraordinary talent. They spent three months together; she taught him Cultivation, and he taught her swordsmanship.

Three months later, his enemies found him. To avoid involving her, he lured the pursuers away alone, and there had been no news of him since.

She had searched for him for three years without any information.

She thought he was dead.

The figure looked at her, the tenderness in his eyes unchanged:

“Yuzhi, have you been well all these years?”

“I've been looking for you, did you know?”

“I didn't die. I escaped. I've been waiting for you, waiting for you to come find me.”

“Come with me. Leave the Dragon Abyss Palace, leave all this fighting and killing. We'll find a place where no one is around and live our lives peacefully.”

The voice was like a spring breeze, softly brushing against her heart, stirring the longing, guilt, and regret she had deliberately suppressed.

Teng Yuzhi's gaze wavered slightly.

But that wavering lasted only for an instant.

In the next instant, her gaze became cold and clear once more.

“You are not him.” Her voice was as calm as water. “If he were alive, he would not use this method to make me give up.”

“If he were alive, he would come find me openly and honorably, rather than hiding in an illusion, trying to trap me with the past.”

She raised her right hand.

In her palm, a cyan light suddenly flared!

Wind-Thunder True Intent, 20%!

Within that light, countless tiny wind blades could be vaguely seen spinning and howling!

She waved her right hand.

The cyan light shot out from her hand, transforming into a sharp sword light that slashed straight into the illusory figure!

The moment the sword light slashed in, the figure trembled violently!

Then, like a bubble, it dissipated into the white mist.

Teng Yuzhi withdrew her hand, took a deep breath, and continued walking forward.

Her steps were firm.