Led by the Tatian Boot, which chattered nonstop about the "glorious days" it had shared with its master—eight out of every ten sentences were blatant bragging—the group ventured deep into the stone forest toward the Thousand Illusions Spider's nest.
According to the Tatian Boot, the Thousand Illusions Spider was a troublesome creature skilled at creating illusions and weaving invisible webs. Its nest was filled with traps, and the spider itself was no weakling either, roughly comparable to a late-stage human Golden Core cultivator.
"But with me here, don't worry!" The Tatian Boot bounced along at the front, its sole slapping the ground with sharp smacks. "I know that stinking spider's tricks inside out! Once we find Earth-Splitting, my brother and I will join forces and become invincible in the world... uh, invincible in this nest!"
Listening to its boasting, Li Wuyang could not help but retort, "If you're so amazing, why didn't you save it yourself?"
The Tatian Boot was immediately at a loss for words. It stammered, "Well... that... I was making a strategic retreat! Yes, a strategic retreat! Waiting for the right opportunity! And wasn't that how I ended up waiting for you?"
Everyone: "..." As if anyone believed that.
The closer they came to the nest, the thicker and more oppressive the air became. The light dimmed and warped, while strange whispers and phantoms flickered around them. Clearly, this was an illusion barrier laid by the Thousand Illusions Spider.
"Careful, the illusions have begun," Qingyunzi warned. The disciples quickly circulated their cultivation to guard their minds.
With the Great Dao Imprint protecting him, Li Wuyang's passive Immunity to All Magic made him practically immune to such low-level illusions. Everything he saw looked as if it had been covered by a cheap filter. Xuan was even more direct.