Wang Fang sat in the center of the silence, his mind diving deep into the secrets he had unlocked.
That technique I saw...
He pondered, his breathing becoming as thin as a thread. I've read the book cover to cover, and I see it now. The two methods are branches of the same tree. If I fuse them...
In the darkness of his consciousness, the World Illusion Revelation Technique flickered to life.
When the mind quiets and the heart becomes still, the world cracks like fragile glass. This is not a sword that cuts flesh, but an eye that peels back the false skin of reality. Mountains lose their weight. Rivers lose their flow. It reveals the grand deception woven by power, fear, and ambition, the threads of destiny itself.
Yes, Wang Fang thought, a rare smile touching his lips. At its peak, I won't just see the illusion... I will rewrite it. My enemies will strike at air, thinking it is my heart.
But then, he let out a sharp sigh.
I can't learn this here. I'm still a prisoner of this abyss, and my cultivation is too shallow for such a divine art.
"WANG FANG!"
The shout shattered his focus like a stone through a window. Wang Fang's eyes snapped open. He saw Ye Heimin's mouth moving frantically, his hands gesturing for Wang Fang to resist the danger.
What?
Suddenly, his hair stood on end. A cold, murderous pressure descended from above. A sword was whistling toward his shoulder, aimed to sever his arm and end his path as a cultivator forever.
Wang Fang didn't panic. Since childhood, he had trained like a beast on the mountain, pushing his body until it screamed.
Why does reality hate me this much? he thought bitterly. I cause no trouble, yet it hunts me down!
With a desperate burst of strength, Wang Fang dashed from the stone ledge.
"Cloud-Stepping Sword Dance!"
Ye Heimin exploded into motion. His body became a blurred silhouette, moving like a storm cloud drifting across the sky. His speed was terrifying, nearly a hundred times faster than the others, as he activated his high-speed combat art.
Wang Fang and Ye Heimin passed each other in a perfect X-shaped blur. Ye Heimin dropped low, his sword humming with a lethal blue light.
CLANG!
The sound of shattering steel echoed through the tunnel. Su Qingmei's sword, an elegant weapon of the inner sect, didn't just deflect. It snapped in two.
Su Qingmei leaped back, staring at his broken hilt in disbelief.
Ye Heimin landed heavily, his chest heaving. This technique... he thought, his muscles twitching. It's too much for a Qi Gathering cultivator. My body is screaming.
"So you're helping him?" Su Qingmei's voice was a toxic hiss. "You've chosen a village brat over your own Sect Brother? A nobody from a place that doesn't even exist on the map?"
"Aren't you ashamed, Su Qingmei?" Ye Heimin snapped, his eyes flashing with disgust. "This 'village brat' saved your soul from being a monster's snack! And you reward him with a blade in the back?"
"Enough!" Mo Xuan barked, stepping up behind Su Qingmei. "Ye Heimin, you are just a War Disciple! How dare you speak to an Inner Disciple like that? You should be on our side! Siding with this loser is treason against the Nine Heaven Sword Sect!"
"Shhh. Shut up," Su Qingmei interrupted, not even looking at Mo Xuan. "The strong are speaking. Don't interrupt."
Mo Xuan coughed. What Su Qingmei said really stung, his expression changed. Bastard, he whispered in his mind. I was supporting you, yet this is how you repay me?
Su Qingmei looked at Ye Heimin, his mind racing. I can't beat him. Even if our cultivation wasn't sealed, his level is higher than mine. Not just his cultivation, he's a master of speed. So I have to break his mind instead.
A cruel, jagged smile spread across Su Qingmei's face.
"Oh, Ye Heimin... I wonder... what would the General think of you if he saw you now? After such a... disappointing performance."
The effect was like a physical blow. Ye Heimin's eyes widened, and his face went deathly pale. The mention of the General seemed to unlock a dark room in his soul. His playful, rowdy expression vanished, replaced by a cold, hollow killing intent.
"...Then I have no choice," Ye Heimin whispered.
He didn't use a fancy sect stance. He shifted into a basic, efficient killing posture used by soldiers on the front lines.
"I'll just kill you both here," Ye Heimin said, his voice as sharp as a blade. "I'll tell the Sect the creatures got you. And I'll protect my friend."
The air in the tunnel grew heavy as he lifted his sword