123: Dream of Tide

Snowflakes drifted down.

A hazy phantom slowly materialized.

Qin Tian focused his gaze.

It was an old man leaning on a cane. Although his face was ancient, his life force was vigorous, and his eyes were bright, filled with astonishment and doubt.

[Name: Illusion Heart

Realm: None

dao seed: None

Special: None

]

Three 'Nones' again... Little Bell, Phantom Demon, what exactly is their background?

Qin Tian felt extremely puzzled, his eyes coldly sweeping the area in front of him.

“Tell me, what is your true purpose!”

“I assume it's not as simple as absorbing vital essence, right?”

“Those dried-up corpses outside are also forged from ice; they aren't real living beings...”

“What are you trying to achieve with this elaborate setup?”

The Phantom Demon's eyes trembled, and he sighed softly.

“Even a Heavenly Monarch would find it difficult to spot the flaws in these illusions. I truly cannot understand how you discovered them.”

Qin Tian smiled.

Initially, he hadn't actually noticed anything unusual.

It wasn't until the ice sculptures of Yun Xi and Xue Yi appeared that he realized something was wrong.

The heaven and earth map showed no trace of the two women, yet their bodies appeared right before him.

The only explanation was that their bodies were fake.

From this, Qin Tian thought back to the hanging bodies he had seen along the way... When the heaven and earth map was activated, what it displayed was not living beings, but cold ice.

Everything was an illusion.

However, he definitely wouldn't reveal a single detail.

“If it's an illusion, there will always be flaws,” Qin Tian said lightly, looking toward a certain spot.

“Little Bell, you don't need to hide anymore. Come out.”

“Ah!” A sound of surprise rang out.

“Y-y-you, how did you find my location?”

Little Bell impossibly squeezed out from inside a massive rock.

Qin Tian glanced indifferently, “You are working together!”

“Ah!”

Little Bell jumped up, mouth wide open, “How did you know?”

“You said that living beings come here every half year, yet there is no trace of any living beings existing here.”

Qin Tian swept his gaze coldly. He had already confirmed it several times using the heaven and earth map, finding not a single trace of a living being's remains.

“Furthermore, ever since I met you, you've pretended to be cute and naive, but in reality, everything you said was meant to lead me here...”

“I'm genuinely curious, what are you trying to achieve by going to such lengths?”

Little Bell scratched her head sheepishly.

“Actually, we don't have any malicious intent... Revered Master just told us to test you...”

“Who is this Revered Master you speak of?”

Little Bell giggled, “I can't tell you that yet; you haven't passed the test.”

“Old hag, stop staring, let's move!”

The Phantom Demon smiled, “My apologies. Originally, you only needed to offer a drop of vital essence, but now...”

Ice fog dispersed, enveloping Qin Tian.

The figures of the Phantom Demon and Little Bell vanished completely.

Qin Tian frowned deeply.

heaven and earth map, activate!

Instantly, the surrounding scenery appeared in his mind.

“Eh? Where is this?”

The ice fog dissipated, and the scene before him was no longer the snowy mountain, but a place Qin Tian knew intimately—

Dao Seeking Immortal Sect, Divine Firmament Peak.

“An illusion?”

Qin Tian smiled slightly.

With the System, what illusion could possibly trap him?

He spread out his Divine Thought.

There was no one around.

Only inside Shenxiao Palace was there a trace of abnormal Qi.

He flashed toward the source of the anomaly.

Qin Tian's breath hitched slightly, “Revered Master's bedchamber?”

He gently pushed open the palace door.

There was no one inside.

“Abnormal Qi...”

Qin Tian carefully sensed it, and finally, his gaze landed on the icy silk stockings beside the bed... The familiar sense of déjà vu made Qin Tian freeze for a moment.

“It's just an illusion. These stockings must be the foundation of the illusion...”

As the thought settled, Qin Tian flashed to the bedside and took the icy silk stockings into his hands.

Hmm?

They seem... warm...?

“Tian'er, what are you doing?”

Qin Tian's heart skipped a beat.

He slowly turned around, just in time to see Yun Xi's flawlessly beautiful face.

“Revered Master... I wasn't...”

Wait a minute!

This is an illusion!

This isn't the real Revered Master!

What is there to be afraid of!

Qin Tian suddenly realized.

“Phew...”

“Well, goodbye, Revered Master.”

As he finished speaking, Qin Tian whooshed, ready to leave immediately.

However.

Before he could move, he was grabbed by a jade-like hand.

“Ma...”

Just as Qin Tian was about to speak, he felt a sense of suffocation.

It took him a long time to realize what was happening.

Yun Xi had pulled him tightly into her embrace?

Thump, thump... Qin Tian's heart uncontrollably pounded wildly.

“Illusion...”

“This is an illusion...”

Qin Tian kept warning himself.

“Tian'er, Revered Master likes you...”

A gentle and melodious voice drifted past Qin Tian's ear.

The pair of jade arms hugged Qin Tian tighter and tighter.

Qin Tian's body suddenly froze.

Revered Master, likes him...?

The illusion is born from the heart... So he really does feel something for Revered Master... For a moment, Qin Tian was at a loss.

The emotions that had been hidden deep in his heart gradually surfaced.

In a trance, an absurd thought arose in Qin Tian's mind.

If only this were real, how wonderful would that be... “Tian'er, Revered Master truly wants to be with you forever and ever...” Yun Xi's voice trembled.

For some reason, she was crying... Tears streamed down from the corners of her eyes, flowing unrestrainedly onto Qin Tian.

Qin Tian was stunned for a long time.

“Revered Master, Tian'er likes you too... From the time I was ignorant until now... I have always liked you very, very much...”

Yun Xi's body trembled.

“Tian'er...”

She slowly released her arms, her palm gently stroking Qin Tian's cheek.

Qin Tian looked up and saw her stunning face, tear-streaked like a pear blossom bathed in rain, and his heart clenched suddenly.

Why was Revered Master so sad...?

“Revered Master, you...”

Before he could speak.

A fragrant breeze rushed over, and Yun Xi actually kissed him directly... The softness of her lips felt like an electric shock, sweeping through his entire body.

Although it was an illusion, the feeling was incredibly real.

Qin Tian could no longer hold back and wrapped his arms around Yun Xi... Inside the bedchamber, the curtains fell, and sounds of passion echoed around the beams, lingering for a long time... At the same time.

Deep within the Ancestral Land of the Xue Clan, three figures lay quietly.

They were Qin Tian, Yun Xi, and Xue Yi.

Beside the three of them, a white-haired woman with a stunning face raised her red lips, her eyes full of amusement.

“Heh heh.”

“Clearly, they have feelings, but they only dare to express them in a dream.”

“Fascinating, truly fascinating...”

As her words fell, two figures flashed into existence not far from the woman.

The newcomers were none other than Little Bell and Illusion Heart.

“Revered Master, we're back!”

Little Bell skipped over to the white-haired woman, “Revered Master, how is he?”

“Actually, Revered Master, he doesn't seem like a person of poor character at all.”

The white-haired woman looked up, “One who eats gets a short mouth. That's true enough.”

Little Bell's face flushed, “Although what he gave was delicious, my heart will always belong to Revered Master!”

Illusion Heart smiled, “Revered Master, shall we continue?”

The white-robed woman slowly shook her head.

“No need.”

“Only those with a heart can have feelings.”

“Send them back...”

...