Fan Daoyi leaned back on the sofa, which was made of large, soft cloud-like shapes, and closed his eyes to rest.
"Aren't you going to watch it?" Azure Dragon asked, noticing his actions.
Fan Daoyi said calmly, "No need."
Azure Dragon said nothing and turned his gaze back to the clouds.
At the height of the fight, Azure Dragon stood undefeated against five opponents, but he was also helpless against the five who had initiated the attack.
As the mastermind of the Illusion Realm, his goal was to lure out the mastermind behind it all and prevent the situation from escalating.
So he cheated and granted some GM privileges to the internal Azure Dragon.
With GM privileges, a small portion of their abilities are disabled, but control is maintained to prevent them from noticing the anomaly.
Similarly, a bit of luck was added, which helped break the deadlock.
For example, when He Piaojian forward, he didn't notice the small stones on the ground and fell directly to the ground, causing his sword to fall to the ground.
With such a good opportunity, Azure Dragon could strike and trap He Piaojian in the maze while he was off guard.
Given He Piaojian's personality, he won't be able to leave anytime soon. So, once we've dealt with one of the main melee attackers, we can start eliminating the two interfering mages.
However, Gen Mountain used brute force to throw a punch, Azure Dragon released his energy, forcing the man back.
In fact, he always believed that Gen Mountain had chosen the wrong path. Since it was a defensive capability, he should have just honestly activated the shield, but instead he insisted on taking the route where the best defense should be offense.
Gen Mountain was forced back a few steps, but he grabbed Azure Dragon's wrist with his other hand. Instantly, a tremendous force pressed down on Azure Dragon's back, immobilizing him in place.
He looked at Gen Mountain in surprise, Cloud Beasts gathered around him, attacking Gen Mountain.
Gen Mountain stood still, undeterred by the attacks of the Cloud Beasts, without sustaining a single wound.
Immediately, Gen Mountain punched Azure Dragon in the jaw.
He took a solid hit, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The Azure Dragon spat out blood and foam, and then it got serious.
"Average combat skills, poor defense. You tried to pursue a dual path, but you performed mediocrely on both. You're a complete waste!"
Birds and beasts appear in full force, and ink paintings of Cloud Beasts are displayed.
The eagle's sharp talons reached for the high-altitude Li Fire, unafraid of the flames, and ripped out her heart. The fire Li Fire, only to be reborn anew.
Lions and tigers on the ground bared their teeth and surrounded them, unafraid of thunder and lightning, they pounced on them with their claws, pinning them to the ground. Their saliva made their prey unable to move.
As for Gen Mountain, her defenses were as fragile as paper in the face of the Azure Dragon at full power. Sharp claws tore through her defenses, and she was then slapped off the platform.
To fight Governance Realm with the strength of the Fusion Realm cultivator is simply a pipe dream. No matter how many people there are, they cannot turn the tide.
Because those at the Governance Realm don't need to worry about backlash from overusing their abilities; they are the masters of their own abilities.
The Xun Wind and Kan Water are relatively weak. Kan Water can only heal them, but soon new injuries will be inflicted, increasing their suffering.
At this moment, there is utter despair.
Fan Daoyi, who was outside, finally opened his eyes at this moment. He sat up straight and stared at the tragic scene inside the clouds.
"Do you want me to stop?"
Azure Dragon considered this possibility when Fan Daoyi suddenly opened his eyes.
Fan Daoyi simply shook his head. "No, increase the intensity."
This will better unleash their potential.
Within the [Eight Trigrams] group, Fan Daoyi had clashed with them multiple times. He discovered that these guys lacked a crucial element: a sense of crisis.
Today, Guixu is too ordinary due to its constant repetition, and it is completely different from when it was first created.
As a result, the combat experience of the younger generation of geniuses born in such a comfortable environment is far inferior to that of the older generation.
The moves are too general, lacking individuality and flexibility.
If there are no answers ahead, it will cause them to get stuck in one place and stagnate.
They cannot simply follow the paths of their predecessors; they must forge their own way.
After a brief moment of thought, Azure Dragon nodded in agreement with Fan Daoyi's opinion.
Perhaps, in their dying moments, they can forge their own path.
Boom!
Just as Azure Dragon was about to make his move, the illusion that had trapped He Piaojian broke free. He emerged from it with vacant eyes, his Sword Heart intent regaining its dominance.
Based on past experience, without external interference, He Piaojian would not be controlled by Sword Heart during this period.
At this moment, it seems as if he has voluntarily handed over his main consciousness to Sword Heart, solely for the purpose of fighting Azure Dragon.
Is it really worth such a sacrifice just for Fan Daoyi?
Azure Dragon glanced at the person involved to the side.
"I know what you're thinking," the person involved said slowly. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
Azure Dragon pondered, "Perhaps only I can see this problem clearly."
"Isn't there a saying that those involved are often confused, while bystanders see things clearly?"
"You are different." Azure Dragon's gaze was fixed on He Piaojian, who was being led by Sword Heart. "What others see is a facade; only you know the truth."
"But..." Azure Dragon changed the subject, "If I had to give an answer, my answer would be that you lack a sense of belonging."
"Really? This is your answer...?"
"Isolate yourself and stand at the absolute center. Over time, will you become fatigued and shift your body's center of gravity to one side, thus relaxing?"
Fan Daoyi stood up and walked towards the door.
"Are you leaving?" Azure Dragon didn't see him off; he just sat quietly.
Fan Daoyi did not reply, but only said something completely unrelated.
"The Guixu is never friendly; the dead are resurrected, defying the heavens. The price for this is not something that can be paid off with a single obstacle."
"Of course I know."
The Azure Dragon looked up and saw countless tiny threads, like spider silk, connecting him. Only he could see them, and they were barely perceptible to the naked eye.
Perhaps at this moment, he, who has been resurrected, is like a puppet being manipulated, performing on a stage. He is not himself, but merely a pitiful wretch under the control of the Guixu.
Helpless, he gave a wry smile. When he turned around, Fan Daoyi had already left the room.
"Dao Yi..." the Azure Dragon murmured the name, "Guixu or the Present World, what will you choose?"
Before long, he refocused his mind on the Illusion Realm and sent a message to Qian Heaven, asking him to cooperate with him.
According to Fan Daoyi's plan, Azure Dragon suppressed He Piaojian and others to unleash their potential.
After the setbacks following the realization of their potential, and in conjunction with the performance of Kun Earth Qian Heaven, their consciousness was erased and they were taken away to continue the trial of Fan Daoyi.
Because of this incident, Azure Dragon suppressed Fan Daoyi for the time being and decided to continue on another day.
As Fan Daoyi thought stirred within him, influencing the Azure Dragon's Illusion Realm and creating a non-existent person within it, leaving behind an excuse for what would happen later.
A sense of belonging...
Fan Daoyi walked alone on the quiet street, where cars parked along the roadside were filled with unconscious people.
The group from Guixu wanted to strengthen the connection between this body and the Present World, leaving a significant mark on their memories.
In this way, he would no longer be able to die and start anew with a perfunctory excuse, as he had when he first came into this Present World.
But... why?
Even though I'm consciously very close to their ideas, there's always a thin film separating or... peeling away that understanding.
Cognition does not exist; in endless contemplation, there is only emptiness.
Unbeknownst to him, he walked onto the bridge, and the bamboo staff in his hand transformed into a light dagger.