Chapter 1568: Chapter 798: Wangguo Resentment Realm

This is no ordinary secret realm!

Li Yan was on guard, instinctively gripping the hilt of the Duan Chen Blade.

Before he could take a closer look, the dense fog ahead suddenly surged, like a giant curtain slowly unfurling.

In an instant, a cacophony of sounds rushed toward him.

But on the murky river, there lay a huge painted boat.

The boat was massive, with three layers, its style ancient and peculiar, certainly not of the current dynasty’s design.

The wood of the ship’s body was dark brown, almost black, covered with traces of age; the towering ship’s eaves and architraves were intricately carved, yet everywhere the paint was peeling, the gold leaf dim, exuding an air of decayed luxury.

On both sides of the ship, countless eerie red lanterns were hanging.

As seen earlier, they painted the murky river waters around them a blood red.

The sound of strings and flutes rose from the ship, cacophonous, mixed with a faint song:

"Candle shadows sway red, dancing along the beams, gold entwines rotting wood with a fragrant scent.

Ice strings bitterly draw the wails of vengeful souls, blood sleeves sway inviting malevolent specters.

Half-painted face, bones beneath frost, past favors turned to tattered clothes.

Whole boat’s silk drape shrouds corpses, who remembers the heart-rending dance of rainbow garbs?"

The lyrics were from an old Song Dynasty Jinling ballad, the singing was melodious and lyrical, yet carried an eerie stickiness, accompanied by the sharp cries of waiters, the clamor of drinkers making their rounds, the flirtatious laughter of women, the clattering of dice within cups...

All these sounds mingled together, weaving a decadent tune of a civilization in decline.

From this distance, everything was clearly visible.

Through the open windows of the painted boat, Li Yan could see the shadows of people bustling about, all dressed in Song Dynasty attire!

Scholars with wide robes and large sleeves, officials in gauze hats and blue robes, song girls in bright see-through silk embracing pipa, waiters carrying wine bottles rushing around... their faces flickered in the swaying red lantern light.

Movements seemed pulled by invisible strings, conveying a rigid and eerie "bustling."

Like... a meticulously arranged puppet show.

This feeling inexplicably nauseated him.

"Red Silk House..." Li Yan murmured, his gaze as sharp as a hawk’s.

He took a deep breath, the rotten sweet air filled his lungs, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

Without hesitation, his figure moved like an arrow from a bow, skimming across the scarlet water towards the brightly lit, phantom-infested ancient painted boat!

Swish!

In a breath’s time, he crossed over the twenty-zhang river surface, landing on the deck.

But strangely, the moment he landed, all the figures and sounds around him vanished completely.

All that was left was an eerie silence, the decaying red lanterns illuminating the empty cabin.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes, "Trading is trading, what’s the point of these games?!"

However, still, no one responded.

"Hmph!"

A flash of anger crossed Li Yan’s eyes as he activated his Divine Thought.

Rattle~

The copper coins on the Arm Guard Thousand Thoughts jingled, and instantly a fierce wind arose around, lanterns shook, red light flickered.

Simultaneously, he formed a hand seal and chanted: "Nuogao, left brings Three Stars, right brings Three Prisons, heaven and earth overturned, all paths blocked, making you lose heart, east is west, south is north..."

This was the "North Emperor Protection Spell," specifically used to protect against evil magical illusions.

As the spell was recited, the scene before him rippled like water.

Sure enough, it was an Illusion Array!

Li Yan kept changing hand seals, increasing the power of the spell.

However, just as the light and shadow began to tear apart, an abrupt change occurred!

The violently wavering Illusion Realm before him, instead of shattering, collapsed inward and spun around as if a sticky swamp had been thrown with a stone, followed by a surge of cold mist that directly enveloped him.

Buzz—!

Li Yan felt a wave of dizziness, as if he were tossed into a massive whirlpool.

When he opened his eyes again, the surroundings had changed.

He frowned and looked down to see that he was now wearing a half-old, lake blue silk robe. A longsword more decorative than practical hung by his waist. A strange, drunken melancholy and confusion filled his mind, along with a surge of information.

His name was Luo Yuan, a... downfallen Jianghu Guest at the end of the Great Song Dynasty?

A wanderer mingling along the Qinhuai River, drowning his sorrows in wine, escaping reality in a life of drunken dreams?

What kind of Illusion Array is this?

Li Yan felt a slight headache.

He realized he had still underestimated those old demons.

The original plan was to rescue people and immediately figure out a way to escape, send a signal, have the Navy bombard the place, and then summon Yin Department Soldiers to capture the Earth Immortal yin criminal, but since arriving here, everything had gone beyond expectation.

The Hook Paper’s sense had vanished.

Those guys had no intention of showing up in front of him.

Without any hesitation, Li Yan tried the "North Emperor Protection Spell" again.

He infused his Divine Thought into Arm Guard Thousand Thoughts, but the Astra Bane Qi seemed disconnected, unable to sense it.

Unable to mobilize Astra Bane Qi, the spells naturally became ineffective.

Li Yan frowned slightly, but was not surprised.

Even an Earth Immortal couldn’t completely isolate the Astra Bane Qi. He vaguely suspected that this was the special feature of the "Red Silk House" secret realm, which is why they had lured him here.

If he were to perish here, the Hook Paper, or whatever, would no longer matter.

With this thought, he coldly surveyed the surroundings.

This was now inside the Red Silk House cabin, brightly lit, with a morbid and ghastly red glow.

The space inside the massive painted boat was far more expansive than it appeared from outside.

The intricately carved beams and golden paint glistened, showing none of the previous decay, as if newly built.

The air was filled with the sweet powdery scent, the rich aroma of vintage wine, the greasy fragrance of delicacies, forming an extravagant odeur.

Unlike before, the cabin was once again bustling with noises.