Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Seeing Through the Illusion Realm
Xuantian Taoist was fast, but the others couldn’t keep up. Just as the two Body Integration Realm elders were about to flee, they were ensnared by Lu Sangjiu’s Thousand Silk Entanglement.
Then, for the first time that day, she unleashed her true, ultimate killing technique.
"Nine Netherworld... Burning Spirit Technique!"
In an instant, the Power of Nine Netherworld, like a force from Hell itself, enveloped the two Integration Stage Cultivators.
They couldn’t even manage a single cry. They felt themselves instantly devoured by the Power of Nine Netherworld, their bodies burning in excruciating agony.
Xuantian Taoist hadn’t expected Lu Sangjiu to attack at a time like this. Wasn’t she afraid of accidentally dragging those two into her Heavenly Tribulation and making its power even stronger?
’What a lunatic!’
He didn’t care what happened to Lu Sangjiu, but his Beast Taming Sect could not afford to lose two Body Integration Realm cultivators at once.
Otherwise, once he achieved Ascension, the Beast Taming Sect would be left without any powerful experts and would likely fall into decline.
Left with no other choice, Xuantian Taoist finally turned back, clinging to a sliver of hope.
’I have to get them out!’
But Lu Sangjiu was just waiting for him to turn back.
A nearly maniacal smile touched her lips. She held on to one elder and, with a single palm strike, sent the other flying toward Xuantian Taoist.
Xuantian Taoist froze. By the time he thought to turn away again, it was too late.
The man, struck by Lu Sangjiu’s palm, was now tainted with a trace of Tribulation Thunder Qi. As he hurtled toward Xuantian Taoist, the Qi instantly triggered the Spiritual Energy in the Taoist’s own body!
’...This is bad. I can’t suppress it anymore!’
Xuantian Taoist’s expression changed. He only had enough time to dispel the Power of Nine Netherworld from the Body Integration Realm Cultivator before he rapidly fled into the distance.
As she watched Xuantian Taoist flee, a Heavenly Tribulation began to gather in the sky in that direction. A smile tugged at the corners of Lu Sangjiu’s mouth.
Then she turned to the remaining elder, her gaze turning cold as she delivered the fatal blow without a shred of hesitation.
The elder was annihilated before he could even scream, leaving no possibility of survival.
’I said I would kill him today... so he must die!’
Having dealt with him, Lu Sangjiu shot a cold glance at the Beast Taming Sect below. In the end, she decided against wiping them out completely. Seizing the moment before her own Heavenly Tribulation fully descended, she turned, tore open the void, and departed.
She found a vast, empty place. As the first bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation struck, Lu Sangjiu felt excruciating pain rack her entire body.
One bolt after another... Lu Sangjiu’s body was charred black, and she felt as if she couldn’t endure any longer.
Yet at the same time, amidst the Heavenly Tribulation, some strange thoughts began to surface, just as they had before.
’For example... it felt like I had failed a Tribulation Crossing before?’
The thought grew stronger in her mind as the Heavenly Tribulation intensified.
Moreover, she felt an unshakeable conviction that she couldn’t die here. It seemed... she still had something important left to do. It seemed there was someone she wanted to protect, who was waiting for her.
Then, Bai Sheng’s face surfaced in her mind, and the recent events began to replay, one after another.
When the final bolt of the Heavenly Tribulation struck... Lu Sangjiu was not dead.
She lay on the ground, gravely injured, but her mind was clearer than ever before.
She remembered. As the agony replayed over and over until she was nearly numb, she finally realized what was wrong.
’I’ve experienced all this before... That’s right. I’m no longer the Demon Cultivator Gu Huang. I’m Lu Sangjiu, a lowly Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Seven Emotions Sect!’
’In the Qingyu Secret Realm, I ran into a stupid serpent that self-destructed, and then... then I went back several hundred years in time?’
’Time travel is impossible. Even if it did happen, I wouldn’t have lost my memory. So... this is an Illusion Realm!’
She suddenly recalled a certain type of Jiao Clan, born with a natural talent for Illusion Techniques. When their inner core detonates, it pulls everyone nearby into an Illusion Realm.
This kind of Illusion Realm is called the Dream Ruins. It doesn’t manifest out of thin air but targets a Cultivator’s deepest attachments and unresolved issues.
It forces a Cultivator to relive their most unforgettable memories again and again. Inside, they experience the same pain repeatedly. They either never wake up, or they develop a Heart Demon and will be plagued by it forever, even if they manage to escape.
’Although the giant serpent failed to Transform into a Jiao, both attempts were suppressed by the Secret Realm’s rules. Maybe its Level couldn’t break through, but could its inner core have gained a trace of a Jiao Pill’s power?’
’That would make sense. A normal Dream Ruins Illusion Realm should be far more dangerous for a Cultivator. This one is likely milder because the Jiao Pill’s power was weaker.’
With this thought, Lu Sangjiu closed her eyes.
’I used to live so freely and unrestrainedly. If there was any unresolved pain I couldn’t let go of, it would have to be this...’
’It was painful, yes, but not enough to create a Heart Demon.’
’Besides, I never forgot that I had to save my master and eldest brother. The Heavenly Tribulation also helped awaken that part of my memory. That’s how I finally came to my senses within the Dream Ruins.’
’Once you see through the Dream Ruins, you should be able to wake up quickly.’
Lu Sangjiu’s mind gradually settled. Then, she opened her eyes... and froze.
The Dream Ruins hadn’t vanished? ’I’m still here!’
「At the same time, at the bottom of the cliff in the Qingyu Secret Realm.」
Gu Jue, Liu Xi, Lin Ziye, and Chi Yan had all woken up one after another.
They were all still young and hadn’t experienced much in life.
Any unresolved issues they might have were minor, not causing them enough pain to be trapped, so they were able to awaken quickly.
By now, the four of them had taken Elixir Pills. Their injuries were no longer serious, and they were all gathered around Lu Sangjiu and Xie Ningyuan.
Lu Sangjiu and Xie Ningyuan remained frozen in the same position they were in when the giant serpent had self-destructed.
Lu Sangjiu was sitting, while Xie Ningyuan was half-kneeling before her, shielding her with his own body.
They were so close that their foreheads were gently touching, making the scene look... rather intimate.
Liu Xi asked, "Eldest Brother, who is this fellow cultivator? Do you think he likes Lu Sangjiu?"
It was no wonder she would ask. After all, Xie Ningyuan had first jumped off a cliff to save Lu Sangjiu, then shielded her with his own body during the demon beast’s self-destruction. No matter how you looked at it, their relationship wasn’t simple.
Gu Jue hesitated for a moment before replying, "We met him while fleeing a beast tide. In the chaos, this fellow cultivator only said his surname was Xie and that he’s a Buddhist Practitioner. I don’t know anything else."
"But since he’s a Buddhist Practitioner, he shouldn’t be falling in love with a woman."
Liu Xi was surprised. "He’s really a Buddhist Practitioner?"
’I didn’t see him use any Buddhist Practitioner techniques before, and his Cultivation Technique didn’t give away which sect he belongs to.’
’But if he’s a Buddhist Practitioner, then he probably really doesn’t have romantic feelings for Lu Sangjiu.’
’Then why is he so good to Lu Sangjiu in particular? How strange.’
Chi Yan wasn’t interested in this discussion. He watched anxiously from the side. "Why haven’t they woken up yet?"
"They look so awkward in that position. Should we separate them?"
"Don’t," Gu Jue stopped him. "This Illusion Realm is likely a Dream Ruins formed from a Jiao Clan’s inner core. One wrong move could cause them to develop a Heart Demon. We shouldn’t interfere with outside force."
"But..." A puzzled look crossed his face. "This giant serpent’s Jiao Power was insufficient. We all saw through the Dream Ruins Illusion Realm easily enough. Why have they been trapped for so long?"
