As the Yin Yang Power that sustained the Illusion Realm Array dissipated along with the deaths of Qianhe and his men, the Triple Yin Yang Formation vanished on its own.

Emerging from the Illusion Realm, Qin Fan exhaled a heavy breath.

Although the illusions had not truly shaken his mind, seeing the deepest secrets of his heart laid bare once more still caused him to sink into a sorrow he could not control.

He shook his head with a self-mocking smile and muttered, My Dao Heart is still not firm enough!

Indeed, for a cultivator aspiring to join the Immortal Class, the Dao Heart was crucial. It often determined the success or failure of Ascension. A Dao Heart capable of Ascension would never be troubled by the mundane world, but in his current state, Qin Fan’s was clearly far from sufficient.

Normally, a cultivator in the Golden Core Stage would not need to worry about their Dao Heart. After all, the path ahead was long, and becoming an Immortal was not something that happened overnight. The problem was that Qin Fan had come from the Mahayana Realm. The five hundred years of spiritual tempering he had undergone seemed to have completely vanished after his rebirth, returning him to square one.

Cultivating to become an Immortal... If it were that easy, then Immortals would be worthless! So be it, whether my Dao Heart is firm or fragile. In my past life, I could act freely, without reservation, only because I had no emotional attachments. Now that I have returned in this life, how can I possibly abandon the people and feelings I consider my greatest treasures? I will just let nature take its course. What is meant to be, will be!

Muttering this self-consolation with a bitter smile, Qin Fan shook his head to clear the clutter from his mind.

Without using his Divine Sense to probe the situation inside, he slowly stepped toward the grand doors of the Worship Room.

Facing the tightly shut doors, he suddenly lashed out with his foot!

BOOM!!!

Under the force of the powerful kick, the heavy doors flew inward! As the doors of the Worship Room burst open, a tremendously oppressive aura immediately surged out.

Well now? The main battlefield isn’t here?

Seeing that the Worship Room was completely undamaged and intact, Qin Fan let out a derisive chuckle. Then, he leisurely stepped inside.

In the adjacent Worship Hall, candles flickered all around. On each Spiritual Tablet were inscribed names so sin-laden that being sent to the eighteenth level of Hell would still be an act of mercy.

Looking at these names, all too familiar from his study of history, Qin Fan clenched his teeth.

With a sweep of his hand, he sent a blast of Qi Force hurtling toward the hall.

However, before the Qi Force could smash these tokens, a formidable aura instantly materialized, blocking its path.

"I admit you are strong, but this is not a place for you to run wild!"

As the Qi Force dissipated, an elderly man slowly appeared out of thin air. Once his feet touched the ground, he looked at Qin Fan and stated, word by word, in perfectly enunciated Huaxia, "Are you from Huaxia?"

The moment the old man spoke, the horrifying killing intent radiating from Qin Fan became completely undisguised.

If this man really is from Huaxia, I will absolutely make him understand the meaning of a fate worse than death!

"No! You’re mistaken. I am not from Huaxia," the old man said indifferently, his expression a blank slate. "But I lived in Huaxia for thirty years. You could say Huaxia is my second homeland."

His aged voice carried not a single trace of emotion, as if it were mechanically synthesized.

Qin Fan felt slightly relieved. "Are you the guardian of these Spiritual Tablets?" he asked, his gaze fixed intensely on the old man.

"That’s right! I am the guardian of these Spiritual Tablets! My very existence is to ensure these noble spirits are not disturbed in the slightest! I know you Huaxia people despise them to the core, but in my eyes, they are great heroes. They are my faith. They are heroes who sacrificed themselves to make their nation strong! Your companion came in earlier. Because he had no intention of destroying these Spiritual Tablets, I left him alone to engage my disciple in a battle to the death! But if you intend to destroy these Spiritual Tablets, then I’m sorry, but you will not succeed!" the old man said, his eyes locked on Qin Fan with an extremist’s fervor.

Heroes?

Faith? 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Sacrifice?

What absolute bullshit!

Hearing these utterly vile, extremist words, a furious flame born from his loyal Huaxian heart erupted in Qin Fan’s chest. He believed that no one from Huaxia could tolerate such rhetoric.

"You think you can protect these abominations?" Qin Fan laughed, a laugh born from the apex of rage.

"Across East Asia, Abnormals from several countries have tried to destroy them. In the end, their bodies were all buried on the back mountain as offerings to the heroic spirits! Although you broke the Onmyoji’s Illusion Realm Array outside, that is not enough for you to act so recklessly here! So, between life and death, you still have a choice to make!" the old man said, his eyelids lifting slightly as he maintained his irritatingly nonchalant tone.

"Haha! It’s been a long time since someone spoke to me like this! A very long time! Today, I’ll see what this old ghost from Japan can possibly do to stop me! And for what you just said, I will gift you a punishment from Huaxia. It’s called the Sky Lantern!"

As his wild laughter died down, Qin Fan’s aura exploded outward!

Struck by the sudden release of Qin Fan’s aura, the old man’s murky eyes widened in shock. Hmm? It seemed he could not believe his opponent’s aura could be so immensely powerful.

But the flicker of shock was gone in an instant.

His emotionless voice sounded once more, "Since you wish to die, I will oblige. The back mountain is due for some fresh offerings anyway."

As his words fell, the old man’s figure flashed.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

In the next instant, multiple afterimages flickered into existence before Qin Fan’s eyes.

Three.

Nine.

Eighteen.

Watching these ostentatious, illusory figures, Qin Fan shook his head with a cold, disdainful sneer. Without a cultivator’s Divine Sense, this kind of trick might have been difficult to handle. But to his Golden Core Stage Divine Sense, this was no different from a cheap circus act.

Standing his ground, Qin Fan did not immediately counterattack. Instead, he scanned the multitude of afterimages with a mocking gaze.

Suddenly, when the number of illusory figures reached thirty-six, they all stretched out their claw-like hands and lunged at Qin Fan in unison.

"Are these cheap tricks the extent of your power?" With the unshakeable calm of a mountain, Qin Fan chuckled coldly, simply treating the attacking claw shadows as if they were transparent.

To act this way in such a situation, one is either truly badass or a real idiot.

The old man naturally could not believe that Qin Fan, with his astonishing aura, was an idiot. Hearing these words, he could not help but furrow his pale, old brows.

"DIE!!!"

In the next moment, his previously emotionless tone had turned violent. A roar of that single word shook the entire Worship Hall.

Thirty-six figures, a mix of solid and illusory, all opened their mouths as one. As the command fell, a vicious and sharp claw attack descended upon Qin Fan.