Illusion Suddenly Arises

"Dao Master Li, please rest here..."

A guard from the Four Seas Pavilion, surnamed Zhang, found a spot sheltered from the wind by the temple wall. He diligently laid down a felt mat and invited Li Qingyun to rest.

During their journey, the Zhang guard had almost been bitten by a Corpse Dog when he wasn't careful. Fortunately, Li Qingyun had timely struck it down with a bolt of lightning, eliminating the Corpse Dog.

"Thank you for your trouble!"

Li Qingyun smiled and nodded, not refusing. He sat down cross-legged, narrowed his eyes, and began to meditate.

Meditation increased one's cultivation, so naturally, he would sit down whenever he had the chance.

The battle on the road had been quite stimulating for him, especially seeing the female cultivator Wang Muyun from the Azure Nether Temple, whose magic beads roared and flames blazed, powerfully controlling the battlefield.

Compared to cultivators like Wang Muyun, who had achieved great success in their cultivation and possessed powerful magic artifacts, he felt he was still lacking.

"No wonder they say Junior Brother Qingyun likes to meditate and comprehend the Dao, but the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art doesn't just have one posture for absorbing Qi through meditation..."

Zhao Yifan, looking exhausted, also laid down a mat nearby and sat down to rest. Seeing Junior Brother Qingyun already meditating with his eyes closed, he felt a mix of admiration and speechlessness.

Not far away, Wang Muyun washed her face with water provided by the caravan guards, her beauty appearing even more refined and fresh.

She glanced at the silhouette of the meditating young man, a faint smile seeming to appear on her lips, before returning to her private carriage to rest.

Qian Fuguan, meanwhile, directed others to tend to the wounded and set up guards for the night. He even had them place the Daoist effigies on the outer edge of the small square in front of the ruined temple, then led people to burn incense and worship devoutly.

The faint light of many statues, which had dimmed on the road, slowly brightened again.

Finally, the circles of Dao Lord's light connected, forming a halo that repelled evil and subdued demons, protecting the people and horses behind them.

More than thirty Daoist effigies of various sizes emitted a faint, clear light, appearing increasingly inviolable. Sensing this power, ghosts and demonic beasts around the ruined temple actually kept their distance.

In the vast darkness, the ruined temple was bustling with activity. To demonic creatures and strange spirits, it was as conspicuous as a candle in the dark. However, due to its imposing aura, ordinary ghosts and demons dared not approach.

Cultivators like Li Qingyun could sense that although the ruined temple was long dilapidated, the land where it stood still retained traces of Daoist magic, which could deter some low-level demons.

For a time, the ruined temple enjoyed a rare period of peace.

The night wind was bleak, the distant stars faint, and sporadic, inexplicable sounds occasionally echoed from around the ruined temple.

Everyone in the ruined temple, except for those on guard duty, gradually fell asleep.

Li Qingyun sat cross-legged on his straw mat, his mind calm, visualizing and chanting the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art.

In his mind, the mysterious Daoist effigy's phantom lowered its eyebrows, and wisps of clear Qi continuously emanated from its head.

Scattered specks of mana gradually generated in his meridians, but then vanished like mud in the ocean, their destination unknown.

"Cultivation is cultivation; naturally, one's realm is paramount. If I were like Wang Muyun, with a cultivation base of Qi Refining level eight or nine, I could have faced the Corpse Dog and other ghosts with ease!"

"Time waits for no one! Without the techniques for Qi Refining level four and above, will I just waste my time? Even now, mana is clearly being generated when I meditate..."

Li Qingyun felt unwilling. At the same time, he was testing whether, without the later-stage techniques of the Precious Furnace Qi Absorption Art, the mysterious Daoist effigy in his mind could bring him any new surprises.

Therefore, even though his meditation time for the day was full, he wanted to try.

Quantitative change would lead to qualitative change; accumulating small steps could lead to traveling a thousand miles. Qi Refining level four was just a minor hurdle, not a major breakthrough across realms...

He felt his meridians begin to ache, with a slight tearing sensation, but he felt he could bear it. Through diligent practice these past few days, his physical body and roots had been somewhat strengthened by the nourishment of mana, seemingly beginning to extend his meditation duration, though still very subtly.

This subtle sign filled him with joy, and he naturally continued to challenge his limits.

"I've heard that cultivators with profound cultivation can go into seclusion for years or even decades without issue. My aptitude only allows me to meditate for six hours a day, which is child's play compared to the great beings. I truly wish for such a day to come!"

Mana continued to generate in his meridians, only to disappear formlessly.

Li Qingyun's mind was as still as water, enduring the swelling pain throughout his body as he tried to trace the dissipating mana.

He vaguely felt that this mana was not dissipating into nothingness but was dissolving into his undeveloped Divine Treasury or Inner Scenery, which were like desolate darkness within him.

"Perhaps it's just not enough accumulation! I'll persist and see if, without the techniques for Qi Refining level four, I can leverage the continuous impact of mana to pry open that Divine Treasury and break through the bottleneck on my own..."

It was merely Qi Refining level four, not some heavenly gate. With the mysterious Daoist effigy as his backing, Li Qingyun was naturally unwilling to give up.

Suddenly, he felt his six senses grow quiet, empty and vast.

He didn't know what time it was, but the strange noises around the ruined temple abruptly ceased and faded away. The vast night sky was deep and eerie.

Unconsciously, some familiar figures appeared in his mind.

In a daze, he first saw Madam Cui, the matriarch of the Marquis's Estate.

She sat on her high seat, looking down with malice.

"Third son, everything you eat and use comes from this estate. Why are you so greedy, even coveting the position of heir!"

"I told you, when you reached Lingbao Temple, you were to write a letter to report your safety, and a letter every month to report your cultivation progress. Where are they? Do you think you can ignore me just because you've left the Marquis's Estate..."

Madam Cui's malicious and cold gaze was like needles, but Li Qingyun couldn't help but sneer.

"A mere venomous shrew!"

"Begone!"

His thoughts turned into lightning, and Madam Cui's figure vanished like smoke.

The next moment, another familiar figure appeared – his birth mother, Lady Liu!

She materialized in his mind, standing weakly and helplessly in the depths of the darkness, pouring out her longing for him.

"My child, you must take care of your health while cultivating. Too much or too little is not good! I've been suffering so much here, and I miss you terribly..."

As Lady Liu appeared, Li Qingyun's mind became somewhat dazed, his consciousness sinking into a state of nothingness.

Deep within his heart, a surge of intense unwillingness, resentment, and longing suddenly welled up.

This was the instinct hidden in the deepest part of this body, or perhaps a lingering trace of the previous owner's soul, stirring his mind.

He slowly opened his eyes and looked out into the vast darkness beyond the dilapidated temple.

In the distance, Lady Liu's indistinct, frail figure appeared, beckoning him.

"Come, come, my child, come..."

His mind was hazy, as if in a dream. He stood up and was about to take a step.

But in the next moment, Li Qingyun's eyes suddenly cleared, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Hmph!"

He formed the Thunder Seal, chanted an incantation, and the thunderous intent erupted both inside and out. A thunderclap suddenly sounded deep within his heart.

Crack!

The last wisp of obsession in the depths of his mind vanished completely amidst the thunder, and the heavy illusion instantly shattered. His mind returned to a state of clear tranquility.

This time, he had broken free from the nightmarish illusion on his own, without relying on the mysterious Daoist effigy in his mind.

"That evil spirit actually managed to bypass the clear light of the Dao Lord statue without me noticing and controlled so many people..."

With his clear gaze, Li Qingyun immediately saw the martial artists, caravan guards, and others before him, as if sleepwalking, taking steps to cross the ring of the statue's clear light and walk into the deep, eerie darkness.