Chapter 86. The Masked One in the Dark Illusion

Chapter 86. The Masked One in the Dark Illusion

The disciples’ illusions took a dark turn. If the original illusion was beautiful, it would vanish; if it was terrible, it would become even worse.

Han Fairy quickly turned her attention to her disciples and discovered that Su Kexin’s peach blossom garden had become engulfed in flames. Lin Nuo, who lived with her, was now collapsed in front of her, a sharp dagger still clutched in his hand.

She seemed unable to believe what she was witnessing. Her perfectly fine peach blossom garden was consumed by fire, and in her mind, she had killed Lin Nuo with her own hands.

The dagger slipped from her hand as she covered her face and wept.

The sudden darkness was indeed a huge blow to a simple young girl.

“It’s quite cruel to kill the one you love; it’s an extreme test of one’s ability to cope.”

Han Fairy let out a soft sigh, hoping that Su Kexin could endure it. She had already prepared to comfort her disciples.

As Xuanyun Sect cultivators, they cared for the world’s people and would eventually face harsh realities. If they couldn’t withstand the cruelty of illusions, how could they save the world?

As for Liu Shuqin, her path had diverged more than before, and a heavy, dreary voice echoed around her ears like a devil’s chant, urging her to make a choice. She plugged her ears, but the oppressive sound continued to surround her.

If she failed to make a choice, her legs would slowly sink into the ground, as if threatening her with death.

Han Fairy sighed again, praying that her eldest disciple wouldn’t become despondent.

As for the second disciple, Qin Shili, she was in quite an optimistic state. She had been soaring over the vast blue sea and sky, but suddenly everything transformed into a bottomless abyss of darkness, unlit and filled with chilling ghostly wails.

However, she didn’t become anxious, troubled, or confused. With a calm expression, she continued to fly, as if searching for an exit while also confronting the surrounding darkness head-on.

Han Fairy and Elder Yuan were very pleased. After all, she was the strongest among her peers, excelling in both strength and mindset compared to Liu Shuqin and Su Kexin.

Meanwhile, Lin Nuo remained in complete darkness; they couldn’t discern his situation at all.

“What’s going on? Why can’t we see Lin Nuo’s dark illusion?” Han Fairy wondered.

Master Zhao stroked his long beard, worried. “It’s possible that this illusion is too dark, blocking our sight.”

At that moment, Master Cong volunteered, “Master, if we can’t see the disciples’ illusions, we can’t understand their mental state during this darkness. Moreover, if the situation worsens and we can’t intervene in time, the impact on our disciples will be dire. I can use a secret technique to delve into his illusion and find out what’s happening.”

“That would be best. Thank you for your effort.”

Master Zhao agreed, allowing Master Cong to enter Lin Nuo’s illusion.

Master Cong was one of the few respected masters skilled in the secret technique of entering illusions. His purpose for entering Lin Nuo’s illusion was twofold: to understand its conditions and simultaneously increase the difficulty, ensuring he couldn’t easily overcome the darkness. Ideally, he would create psychological shadows.

For disciples like them, the extent of darkness in their illusions was minimal. If he increased the intensity, Lin Nuo might not be able to cope and could even suffer a mental breakdown.

This wouldn’t be the first time he has secretly suppressed disciples from other sects.

He waved his fingers, starting the spell. Soon, his consciousness had entered Lin Nuo’s illusion.

It was pure darkness; he couldn’t see his hand in front of him.

First, he needed to set up a barrier, cutting off any external connections. This way, no one outside would be able to see the condition of the illusion, allowing him to act freely.

Alright, now to find Lin Nuo.

He moved his fingers, a ball of spiritual light glowing at his fingertips, gradually expanding as he tried to dispel the darkness of the illusion.

However, the effect of his spell didn’t meet his expectations; the radiance of the spiritual light failed to completely dispel all the darkness.

Weird, what’s going on?

Confused, he intensified the spell. This time the spiritual light was stronger, and he could see the environment around him.

Beneath the gloomy sky were continuous towering cliffs, with countless skulls scattered across the ground. It was silent, eerily quiet.

This environment fit the description of a dark illusion, but it was unclear how this dark peak was related to Lin Nuo, who was previously slumped on a bench, looking at a picture book.

He hadn’t spotted Lin Nuo yet; logically speaking, the illusion shouldn’t be too vast, and he should be able to encounter Lin Nuo at his current location.

A strong aura surged from behind him.

An assassin!

He quickly dodged to the side, and suddenly, a massive chasm erupted where he had just stood, firing up with violet flames.

“Who?”

Master Cong spun around and saw someone standing atop a craggy peak.

They wore a skull mask, draped in a black battle cloak, and wielded a long black dragon-patterned sword.

Master Cong couldn’t see the person’s true face, but he could tell that they were looking down at him condescendingly.

That fiery chasm had seemingly been created by the dragon-patterned sword.

Such astonishing destructive power was something Master Cong had never encountered before.