95: Misty Forest, Illusionary Maze

At Hai Shi, the Misty Forest was shrouded in deep night. Thick white mist, like a tangible substance, enveloped the entire area, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. Even the moonlight was completely obscured, leaving only a dead silent blur. The mist at the edge of the forest was still thin, but the deeper one went, the denser it became. One could even see faint grey air currents mixed within the white mist, exuding an eerie aura—this was the Illusion Mist that could block Divine Sense probes. When Lu Chen led everyone here, it was already deep into the night. To avoid alerting their target, they did not rashly venture deeper, but instead set up a temporary camp at the forest's edge to rest and await orders, preparing to begin their investigation the next morning.

Early the next morning, as dawn broke, the mist still hadn't dispersed. Instead, illuminated by the morning light, it gained a more ethereal and illusory quality. Lu Chen divided the group into two teams. Zhao Feng led the vanguard Disciples to clear the path, using their familiarity with the terrain to avoid traps and dangerous areas on the forest's periphery. Lu Chen, Yu Lan, Chu Feng, and Valley Master Yao Chen followed behind, with the holy spirit mirror and evil suppressing jade pendant ready at all times, vigilant against surrounding illusions and anomalies.

The moment they stepped into the forest, everyone clearly felt their Divine Sense being forcibly suppressed. The range of their spiritual perception was greatly reduced, barely able to sense movements within a few feet around them. Any area slightly further away was completely obscured by the thick mist, making it impossible to detect. The fallen leaves underfoot were thick, rustling softly with each step. Occasionally, the roars of unknown Yao Beasts could be heard, but due to the mist's obstruction, the exact location of the sound source could not be determined, keeping everyone's nerves constantly on edge.

"This mist is indeed strange; Divine Sense cannot penetrate it at all. We can only rely on our eyes and senses to barely move forward, making it easy to fall into illusions." Chu Feng frowned slightly, his azure cloud sword held firmly in his hand, as he vigilantly observed his surroundings. His spiritual power circulated, ready to respond to any sudden situation. He could clearly feel that the mist contained a special energy that constantly interfered with Cultivators' minds; a slight lapse in concentration could lead to being misled by illusions and losing one's way.

The myriad manifestations pendant around Yu Lan's neck and the evil suppressing jade pendant at her waist simultaneously glowed faintly with spiritual light. Her Precognition and Sensing Art operated at full power, and the jade pendant's perceptive ability struggled to extend through the mist, attempting to penetrate the dense fog and detect dangers ahead. She softly said, "The mist contains powerful illusionary energy that can stir up people's deepest fears and obsessions, forming real illusions. We must guard our minds and not be misled by them. The jade pendant can barely perceive dangerous movements ahead, and I will guide everyone to avoid areas with higher illusion concentration."

Lu Chen nodded, the holy spirit token suspended above his shoulder, its sacred spiritual light quietly spreading, enveloping several people around him, attempting to dispel the surrounding Illusion Mist. However, the mist's power was extremely stubborn; the sacred spiritual light could only temporarily resist the mist's erosion, unable to completely dispel it. It could only barely allow everyone to maintain clear minds, not easily misled. "Everyone, stick close to the team, do not act alone. If you feel uneasy, immediately circulate your spiritual power to guard your original heart, or use the power of the holy spirit token and jade pendant to purify your mind."

Everyone cautiously moved forward in the forest. The mist grew denser and denser, and the surrounding scenery gradually became illusory. Occasionally, blurry light and shadows flickered in the mist, appearing both real and fake, making it difficult to distinguish. Zhao Feng led the vanguard Disciples, and suddenly, one Disciple stopped, his eyes becoming dull, a strange smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. He was clearly misled by an illusion, trapped in his own obsession.

"Be careful! He's been fooled by an illusion!" Zhao Feng's expression changed. He immediately circulated his spiritual power, and a fiery spiritual light landed on the Disciple, attempting to awaken him. But the Disciple showed no reaction. Instead, he suddenly wielded his weapon and fiercely slashed at his companions, his eyes filled with madness. He was clearly completely controlled by the illusion.

Seeing this, Lu Chen immediately activated the holy spirit token. A sacred golden light landed on the bewildered Disciple. The purifying power surged into the Disciple's body along with the golden light, dispelling the illusionary power from his mind. After a moment, the madness in the Disciple's eyes gradually faded, and he regained clarity. Looking at the weapon in his hand and the vigilant crowd around him, his eyes were filled with lingering fear and confusion: "I... what happened to me just now? I seemed to see what I most desired, and unknowingly lost control."

"This is the power of illusions. They can stir up people's inner desires and obsessions, making them fall into them, unable to extricate themselves." Lu Chen said in a deep voice, his eyes filled with solemnity, "Everyone must guard your original heart and not be disturbed by inner Distractions, otherwise the consequences will be unimaginable."

Everyone became even more vigilant, circulating their spiritual power to guard their minds, not daring to relax in the slightest. Not long after continuing forward, Zhao Feng suddenly stopped, his body trembling slightly, his eyes becoming complex, and the fiery spiritual power around him also becoming chaotic. Before his eyes, the tragic scene of the Zhao family's destruction gradually appeared—his father's despairing eyes before death, the sight of his clansmen brutally killed, his own pathetic state of being hunted by the Alliance. These scenes clearly replayed in his mind, causing his inner regret and pain to instantly erupt, almost causing him to fall into a demonic trance.

"Zhao Feng! Guard your mind!" Lu Chen was quick-witted. He immediately sent a sacred golden light onto Zhao Feng and simultaneously shouted loudly, trying to awaken him. Yu Lan also activated the power of her jade pendant, and a purifying spiritual light merged into Zhao Feng's body, helping him dispel the illusion from his mind.

Zhao Feng trembled all over. The confusion in his eyes gradually faded, and he regained clarity, his forehead covered in cold sweat, gasping for breath, his eyes filled with lingering fear: "Just now... just now I saw the scene of the Zhao family's destruction. Those images were too real; I almost fell into them." He knew in his heart that he had always felt guilt and regret over the downfall of the Zhao family, and the illusion had seized upon this, attempting to completely control his mind.

Lu Chen patted Zhao Feng's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "What's past is past. You have already made up for your mistakes with your actions; there's no need to be bound by past obsessions. Only by guarding your original heart can you avoid being misled by illusions and continue forward."

Zhao Feng nodded, took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual power to calm the fluctuations in his heart, and his gaze became firm again as he continued to lead everyone forward. Chu Feng watched this scene from the side, his eyes filled with emotion. He could feel that the illusionary power of the Misty Forest was far more terrifying than imagined. It could not only evoke fear but also amplify obsessions; even Cultivators with strong wills found it difficult to completely resist.

During their journey, Chu Feng suddenly stopped. His spiritual power circulated, his azure cloud sword gripped tightly in his hand, and his eyes became sharp. Before him, the figure of the Demon Lord appeared. The Demon Lord was grinning ferociously as he slaughtered Qingyun Sect Disciples, the Sect's main hall was destroyed by Devilish Qi, and his Senior Brothers died tragically before him. Intense anger and killing intent surged into his heart, making his Sword Intent even more formidable. But Chu Feng's will was extremely firm; he knew this was an illusion. He forcibly circulated the Qingyun Sect Mind-Cultivation Technique, guarded his original heart, and transformed his anger and killing intent into motivation to temper his Sword Intent. The madness in his eyes gradually faded, and his Sword Intent instead became purer and sharper.

"Brother Chu Feng, are you alright?" Lu Chen asked with concern.

Chu Feng shook his head, a relieved smile appearing at the corner of his mouth: "It's fine. Although this illusion is strong, it can also temper the mind and make my Sword Intent purer. It seems this Misty Forest is not only a dangerous place but also an Opportunity to temper oneself."

Lu Chen's eyes were filled with relief. Chu Feng's will far surpassed ordinary people; to be able to maintain his original heart in an illusion and even temper his Sword Intent with it was truly rare. Everyone continued forward. Yu Lan's jade pendant's perceptive ability grew stronger and stronger, gradually sensing that the mist density ahead suddenly increased, and it contained strong Evil Energy fluctuations. This was clearly the core area of the Illusion Maze, and likely where Mo Qianchou was hiding.

"Ahead is the core area of the Illusion Maze. The Evil Energy fluctuations are extremely strong; Mo Qianchou is most likely inside." Yu Lan said softly, her eyes filled with solemnity, "At the center of the maze, there is Evil Energy emanating from a blood god pearl, forming a bloody pillar of light. Although it's obscured by the mist, the jade pendant can clearly perceive it. We need to proceed carefully, Breakthrough the maze, and then we can find Mo Qianchou's Cultivation place."

Lu Chen nodded. The holy spirit token's sacred spiritual light surged, enveloping everyone. At the same time, he took out the holy spirit mirror. Golden light flickered on the mirror's surface, and purifying power slowly spread, attempting to dispel the surrounding Illusion Mist. "Everyone, follow me closely. With the purifying power of the holy spirit token and the holy spirit mirror, let's Breakthrough the maze, find Mo Qianchou, and completely slay him!"

Everyone nodded, gripping their weapons tightly, their eyes becoming firm. Lu Chen took the lead, walking towards the core area of the maze. The sacred spiritual light and purifying power worked together, barely carving out a path through the dense mist. Everyone followed closely, step by step, heading deeper into the Misty Forest. The bloody pillar of light at the center of the maze became clearer and clearer, and the Evil Energy fluctuations grew stronger and stronger. Mo Qianchou's aura was vaguely discernible. A final showdown with the Blood Shadow Sect Leader was about to begin in the core area of the Misty Forest. And the secret of the Misty Forest's Divine Sense-blocking mist being from the same source as the illusionary power of the ancient battlefield might also gradually be unveiled in this confrontation.

At this moment, a tattered booklet quietly fell from Lu Chen's Storage Pouch. The cover read "Illusion Breaking Art," detailing methods for breaking various Illusion Mazes using one's own spiritual power and purifying power, including techniques to guard one's mind, dispel illusions, and crack the maze's core. Lu Chen picked up the booklet, his heart stirring. He quickly flipped through it, memorizing the methods for breaking illusions. With this art, his confidence in breaking through the maze increased. He informed everyone of the core points of the art. Everyone nodded, circulating their spiritual power according to the methods described in the art, guarding their minds, and preparing to jointly Breakthrough the Illusion Maze and confront Mo Qianchou.