An Illusion Realm?

A memory?

Chu Sheng froze for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.

’Scared the hell out of me. I thought I’d transmigrated again.’

’So I’ve just been put into someone’s perspective, experiencing a piece of their memory.’

’Emergency defense function?’

Chu Sheng remembered that the last time this thing had appeared was when he was facing the Evil God’s Will that had tried to possess him.

’Looks like the "master" of this place is a real powerhouse too, to make the system trigger a warning on its own.’

However... ’Ten thousand Evolution Points?’

’Why don’t you just rob me?!’

’This Lord Mosquito has worked so hard to build up a little fortune. Is it for you to squander like this?’

’Besides, if it’s an Illusion Realm, that means there’s a story. A story means secrets, and secrets mean opportunities!’

’If I back out now, wouldn’t that be like leaving a mountain of treasure empty-handed?’

"No! Don’t activate it yet!"

’Fortune favors the bold. I’ll check things out first!’

The system said nothing more, seemingly accepting his reckless decision.

Only then did Chu Sheng turn his attention back to what was in front of him.

Three meters ahead of him stood a person.

A figure, seen from behind.

The person wore a green robe and stood with their hands clasped behind their back at the edge of a cliff. Their clothes fluttered in the wind, as if they might ride the breeze and depart at any moment.

Although it was just a figure seen from behind, it gave off an extremely contradictory feeling.

It projected an aura of dominance that could swallow mountains and rivers, as if they were the only one worthy of respect in the world, yet it also exuded an indescribable loneliness and desolation.

Just as Chu Sheng was sizing him up, the person spoke.

His voice was clear and gentle, yet tinged with a faint melancholy, like a mountain spring flowing over broken stones.

"Xiaobai."

’Xiaobai?’

’Who’s he calling? Me?’

Before Chu Sheng could react, the mouth of the body he was in moved uncontrollably.

It was a strange experience. His consciousness was like a spectator in a VIP seat at a movie theater, watching "himself" perform, able to feel the body’s emotions but unable to control it.

"What are you calling your dad for?"

The owner of this body replied in an extremely lazy, even somewhat punchable tone.

Chu Sheng was speechless.

’Hot damn!’

’I like this personality! It’s got spice!’

’Looks like the original owner of this body was really tight with the man in green. To dare to speak like that...’

The man in the green robe ahead seemed accustomed to this kind of reply. Without even turning his head, he just sighed softly and continued speaking.

"The next time we meet, remember to bring me a bouquet of flowers."

He paused, his tone softening slightly.

"Orchids will be fine. I like orchids."

The body Chu Sheng was in froze for a moment, then let out a sneer.

"Why would I bring that stuff? So cheesy."

"Not bringing any."

The rejection was crisp and final.

The man in the green robe smiled and slowly turned around.

His face was exceptionally handsome, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, though his complexion was a bit pale. His gaze was so deep it seemed to hold an eternal, star-filled sky.

He looked at "Chu Sheng," the corners of his mouth curving into a meaningful smile.

"No."

"You will."

The moment his voice fell, the world around them seemed to fast-forward. Light and shadow flowed, and entire seas and fields transformed in an instant.

The scene shattered and reassembled.

When it became clear again, they were still on the same mountain peak.

But the man in the green robe was gone.

In his place was a small mound of earth and a crude stone slab gravestone.

It was identical to the one at the bottom of the sea!

"Chu Sheng" was still standing there, but now, he was holding the Jade Pendant.

His fingers trembled slightly.

"You bastard... you’re such a liar."

"Chu Sheng’s" voice was deep and hoarse, filled with sorrow suppressed to its absolute limit.

"Is this the place you chose for yourself?"

"Talking about ’the next time we meet’..."

"There is no next time."

"But..."

"Chu Sheng" took a deep breath and, using his finger as a sword, began to rapidly carve into the Jade Pendant.

A moment later, a lifelike orchid appeared on the smooth Jade Pendant.

"You win again."

"I brought the flowers."

He crouched down, split open the small mound of earth with his bare hands, carefully placed the Jade Pendant carved with a sunflower inside, and then re-buried it.

After doing all this, he stood up, his gaze falling on the stone slab gravestone.

"You didn’t even take your sword."

"You knew all along you weren’t coming back, didn’t you?"

"I really don’t get it. What were you fighting for? Was this world really worth that much to you?"

"Chu Sheng" shook his head, a self-deprecating, bitter smile on his face.

"I’m different from you. Before, I had no reason to fight."

"But..."

He snapped his head up, and a terrifying battle intent, so powerful it seemed to drain the color from the sky and earth, erupted from his body!

The force of this aura was so strong it directly tore apart the surrounding sea of clouds!

"Now, I do."

BOOM—!!!

As this battle intent exploded outward, Chu Sheng’s consciousness was instantly and violently thrown out of the body!

His perspective pulled back and shifted.

He was once again an observer, back to the perspective of the mosquito.

And now, he finally got a clear look at the "Xiaobai" whose body he had been inhabiting.

It was also a figure seen from behind.

Dressed in white robes, his black hair danced wildly.

Compared to Lin Daosheng’s gentle, jade-like demeanor, this "Xiaobai" had less softness and more of an untamable arrogance and dominance, enough to pierce the very heavens!

Just the sight of his back was enough to make Chu Sheng feel a tremor deep in his soul.

’This motherf... He’s definitely a Divine Realm master too!’ 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

’And the decisive, murderous, and extremely protective type of powerhouse!’

Just as Chu Sheng was frozen in shock,

the "Xiaobai" who had his back to him suddenly...

turned his head!

His eyes, sharp as blades and seemingly capable of piercing through time and space, stared directly at Chu Sheng in the void!

To be precise, he was looking at the insignificant consciousness of a mosquito, hidden in a corner of this memory!

’What the fuck?!’

Chu Sheng felt his scalp go numb.

’I’ve been discovered?!’

’This is a memory Illusion Realm! How can someone in here possibly see me?!’

However, in the next second, the man spoke.

"Little thing."

His voice crossed the long river of countless ages and exploded directly in Chu Sheng’s mind.

"You can be considered... a witness to this final meeting between Brother Lin and me."

"In that case..."

The man called "Xiaobai" raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing an arrogant smile.

"I shall gift you the sliver of Divine Soul Power I left here."

"I don’t know how much time has passed, or how much of this power is left."

With that, a sharp light flashed in his eyes.

BOOM!

A vast and boundless torrent of Spiritual Power, pure to the extreme, transformed into a white flood. It instantly broke through the barriers of the Illusion Realm and brutally poured into Chu Sheng’s Sea of Consciousness!

[Ding! Emergency defense function has been forcibly triggered!]

[Deducting 10,000 Evolution Points!]

The system’s notifications sounded almost simultaneously.

But Chu Sheng could no longer hear them.

He only felt as though a star had been stuffed into his brain. The splitting pain made him lose consciousness instantly.

’Dammit...’

’This is a forced sale!’

’My Evolution Points!!’

...

「At the same time.」

Ten thousand meters below the sea, in the Mortal Domain.

Gu Yuexi, who was standing before the broken stone slab gravestone, suddenly trembled slightly.

Her originally dazed eyes instantly regained their clarity.

But deep within her pupils, a new, incomparably sharp Sword Intent had appeared!

It was a kind of... resolute will that embraced death to find life, a determination that would never retreat!

"So that’s how it is..."

Gu Yuexi murmured to herself, her voice tinged with respect and newfound understanding.

She walked step by step to the gravestone, slowly raised her hand, and her slender, jade-like fingers gently tapped the rough, broken stone slab.

CRACK—

The crisp sound of cracking was exceptionally clear in the silent Realm.

Immediately after,

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

Countless cracks spread out from the point of her finger, rapidly covering the entire gravestone.

A moment later.

BANG!

The stone exterior shattered, sending fragments flying.

A simple and reserved cold light was revealed from beneath the stone skin.

It was a sword.

A longsword, still in its scabbard.

The Sword Scabbard was grayish-white, made of a material that was neither metal nor wood. It bore no decorative patterns and looked as plain as a fire poker.

But this very sword, floating quietly before Gu Yuexi, seemed to make the very air of the entire Mortal Domain freeze solid.

Gu Yuexi reached out and gripped the hilt.

VMMMM—

The blade trembled lightly, letting out a joyful hum, as if after waiting for countless ages, it had finally found its new master.

Gu Yuexi gently stroked the Sword Scabbard, a complex light flashing in her eyes.

"Since fate has brought us together,"

"then in this life, I will be the one to take you..."

"back to the Divine Realm!"