Illusion Tempers the Heart, Washing Away the Dross

Swish swish! swish swish!

On the high platform, Xuan Kongzi looked down at the figures below, who were like locusts swarming into the dark gray Illusionary Realm Trial. He nodded slightly, put his hands in his sleeves, and a barely perceptible ripple flashed across his calm eyes as he spoke softly.

"This year's Pill Gathering is truly more interesting than previous ones. Unexpectedly, some well-known old hands who haven't been seen for years have also been drawn here..."

His gaze seemed to pierce through the distorted space, landing on several figures with exceptionally deep and aged auras.

"The Three Thousand Burning Flame are far superior to ordinary Heavenly Flames. The Star Power and immortality they contain hold an irresistible attraction for these old guys who have been stuck at their bottlenecks for many years. Naturally, they want to join in the fun and give it a shot."

Beside Xuan Kongzi, Tian Lei Zi with a stern face, raised his eyelids slightly. His sharp, lightning-like gaze swept over the figures who had entered the illusion, and he spoke in a low voice. Although he was not one to smile, his observation skills were meticulous.

"The younger generation is pushing the older generation aside. Some of today's young people are just as sharp and capable as these old guys." Xuan Yi in a cheongsam, dressed in black, smiled slightly.

Her red lips parted slightly, uttering elegant syllables. "Even if they disregard their reputation and take action, they'll likely end up humiliated and disgraced by these young people..."

Upon hearing this, Xuan Kongzi smiled, stroking his long, snow-white beard, and agreed, "Indeed. The younger generation has indeed produced some remarkable figures. The aura that old fellow Yao Chen brought earlier, Xiao Yan, was quite peculiar. His white-blue flames appeared intensely hot, yet possessed an underlying chill. It seems Yao Chen has passed on his signature technique, the 'Bone Spirit Cold Flame,' to this lad. Able to fuse multiple Heavenly Flames, his future is limitless."

At this moment, Tian Lei Zi paused, his gaze deepening, his tone carrying a hint of genuine surprise and anticipation. "However, what intrigues me most is that little fellow named Lin Ming... High-Grade Spirit Realm soul at such a young age is unheard of. Sheng Yao and you all say he's extraordinary, and I'm very interested to see how far he can go in this Pill Gathering."

Just as the three giants were talking, Lin Ming's figure had already rushed into that dark gray, distorted space.

The instant his body touched the distorted space barrier, he clearly felt a strange fluctuation emanating from the Seventh Grade Alchemist badge on his chest. And it was under the spread of this fluctuation that a powerful suction force burst forth from the distorted space, pulling his figure in without any hindrance.

The sudden shift in space caused Lin Ming's vision to blur slightly. When his vision cleared again, he found himself in a strange space completely filled with thick, dark gray gas.

As far as the eye could see, there was a field of vision of less than half a meter, and everything around seemed to be shrouded in a thick gray veil. Moreover, in some spaces within sight, there was a noticeable sense of distortion and wrinkling, where light bent and broke, appearing bizarre and surreal. An invisible pressure enveloped the soul, making one feel depressed and lost.

"This is the so-called Soul Illusion Realm..." Lin Ming understood.

He gently placed his feet on the seemingly tangible, dark gray gas, not wandering around like a headless fly, but standing quietly in place. His eyes were slightly closed, and his vast and boundless Soul Power spread out slowly but firmly, like ripples on a calm lake, reaching out to the surroundings.

As Ye Zhong had predicted, this dark gray "Illusionary Soul Beast Qi" had an extremely strong suppressive and interfering effect on Soul Power. After the Soul Power left the body, it was as if it had sunk into a viscous swamp, and the range and clarity of perception were greatly reduced. If it were an ordinary Seventh Grade Alchemist, the Soul Power would probably be at its limit after leaving the body by several feet, and the perception would be blurry.

However, this was not an insurmountable obstacle for Lin Ming, whose Soul Realm had reached the Spirit Realm Grand Perfection. The oppression had a limit; with the current strength of his Soul Origin, even with the heavy obstruction of this strange gas, his Soul Perception could still clearly cover an area of about a hundred feet in radius! It was just that this range was greatly compressed compared to the outside world.

"This is a vast maze created by manipulating space and combining it with the Illusionary Soul Beast Qi... The method of trapping people is quite novel and ingenious." Lin Ming's face showed a thoughtful expression as his Soul Perception carefully sorted out the chaotic and distorted trajectories in the surrounding space.

He understood that this space had been intricately folded and distorted by the powerful Pill Tower cultivators, forming countless "spatial folds" and "circuits" that were indistinguishable to the naked eye and ordinary souls. If one were to recklessly wander into these folds, one would be trapped within them, like being in a maze with no exit, and would ultimately lose the opportunity due to exceeding the time limit.

The key to breaking the deadlock lies in "perception" and "patterns." To successfully break through, one must rely on powerful Soul Power to understand the traces and patterns of these Space Distortion, and find the one correct "curved path" hidden among countless erroneous paths that leads to the exit.

It sounds simple, but it's extremely difficult in practice. In an environment where vision is almost completely deprived and Soul Perception is severely suppressed, accurately discerning those incredibly complex and constantly shifting spatial traces is extremely challenging. This is undoubtedly the ultimate test of Alchemist's Soul Power, fine manipulation skills, patience, and insight.

Fortunately, Lin Ming was definitely not one of these "ordinary" cases.

Swish!

The sound of wind breaking through the air came from not far away, mixed with angry roars and panicked shouts. Relying on his Soul Perception, Lin Ming "saw" many Alchemist rushing into this place, who, due to their haste or misjudgment, crashed into those distorted spatial folds.

They rushed around aimlessly like headless flies, only to find themselves going in circles, unable to find the right direction. Despair gradually crept onto their faces, and finally, an invisible Space Power gently "invited" them out of this illusion, disqualifying them from their place.

Lin Ming smiled faintly, his heart as calm as a still pond. He placed his hands behind his back, and his Soul Power, like the most sophisticated radar, quietly spread, continuously constructing and analyzing the complex spatial structure in front of him in his mind.

He treaded lightly on the void, unhurried and leisurely, following the optimal path detected by his Soul Power.

This distorted space created by the Pill Tower is unexpectedly vast and boundless, seemingly without end. Coupled with its layers upon layers of constantly shifting spatial folds, it resembles a colossal, three-dimensional maze, fraught with peril.

Despite the vast space and long journey, Lin Ming did not become impatient in the slightest.

His pace remained unhurried, his mind completely absorbed in his Soul Perception and spatial deduction. Along the way, he had witnessed too many contestants who had entered dead ends due to momentary recklessness and impulsiveness. He knew that in this place, calmness and patience were far more important than speed. Any trace of anxiety could lead to failure.

As he continued his journey, Lin Ming's Soul Perception also detected many other contestants who were still struggling.

To his alarm, most of these people possessed considerable power, and many of them keenly sensed his formidable soul scan.

However, these people did not rush forward to talk to him or follow him. Instead, the moment they sensed him, they retreated to a distance like startled rabbits, with a strong sense of vigilance, fearing that Lin Ming might harm them.

Lin Ming was not surprised by these people's reactions.

The competition in the Pill Gathering is fierce; before it's clear whether someone is friend or foe, keeping your distance is the wisest choice.

However, he was quite amazed. The Alchemist participating in the Pill Gathering were indeed a hidden force, with most possessing considerable strength and Trump Card. At least judging from the current situation, many people had relied on their true abilities and had not been easily stopped by the first Illusionary Realm Trial.

Amidst the pervasive dark gray gas, Lin Ming tirelessly walked forward. He silently calculated that he had been in this illusory space for almost the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

At this moment, he could also clearly feel that the Space Distortion structure within the range of his Soul Perception was becoming more and more complex and intricate.

Sometimes, it may even be necessary to circle around a certain area several times, analyzing it meticulously, before successfully bypassing the interlocking spatial folds that block the way and finding the correct connection point.

"This Illusionary Realm Trial truly lives up to its reputation, fraught with danger at every step..." Lin Ming's gaze narrowed slightly, his soul perception detecting an area ahead where the Black Qi seemed exceptionally dense, with faint fluctuations emanating from it that made one's mind tremble. He understood that this was probably not just a spatial maze, but also incorporated illusionary attacks that directly affected the mind.

Sure enough, when he stepped into that area, the surrounding dark gray gas surged, and the scene before him suddenly changed!

It was no longer a distorted space, but had become... the living room of his familiar, slightly cramped, yet cozy little home before his previous life.

The news was playing on TV. His mother, wearing an apron, brought out steaming hot food from the kitchen, nagging him to eat more and spend less time on the computer. His sister looked up at him with a familiar, joyful smile...

The illusion was incredibly realistic! Even the aroma of food in the air and the familiar, concerned look in the mother's eyes were exactly the same! It directly affected the depths of the soul, evoking the deepest and most irreplaceable longing.

Those with weak wills, upon suddenly seeing this captivating scene, would likely lose their composure instantly, become immersed in it, and be unable to break free, ultimately being assimilated by the illusion and eliminated from the game.

However, Lin Ming's reaction was different from everyone else's.

Unlike the others, he didn't close his eyes in terror or frantically try to dispel the illusion by channeling his Soul Power. Instead, he... stopped.

He gazed at his "mother's" familiar face, listened to her familiar nagging, and a complex mix of reminiscence and sorrow flashed in his eyes. Then, he did something that, if known to the outside world, would have astonished everyone—

He deliberately relaxed his mental defenses, allowing the power of the illusion to pull him deeper into it!

Lin Ming stepped forward, sat down at the "dining table," picked up his chopsticks, and took some dishes that tasted like his memories. He listened to his "mother" and "sister" chatting about their family matters... He wasn't indulging in it, but rather experiencing it all again with a detached, participant's mindset.

He knew it was an illusion, a lie.

But he knew even more that this illusion stemmed from his deepest, most authentic memories and emotions. For him, whose soul had already reached the Spirit Realm Grand Perfection but was somewhat "superficial" due to its rapid ascension and had not yet fully settled, this was a rare and proactive journey of "refining the heart"!

One hallucination after another followed.

Relatives, friends, regrets, joys... those scenes long buried in the corners of memory, thought to have faded away, are awakened and reappeared one by one by the power of the illusion.

Lin Ming was like a calm observer, yet also like a deeply affectionate participant, actively stepping into each illusion to experience, feel, and savor its joys and sorrows, its ups and downs. Then, relying on his unwavering True Heart and boundless Soul Power, he transcended them.

Each time he emerged from the illusion, his eyes became clearer, and his Soul Origin became more solid. The immense power belonging to the Spirit Realm Grand Perfection no longer had the slightest arrogance or extravagance. Instead, it was like divine iron that had been forged a thousand times, its impurities washed away, completely restrained, becoming perfectly harmonious, transparent, and incomparably solid!

This act of actively drawing illusions to refine the mind is an unprecedented burden for the Seventh Order Demonic Beast beasts at the core of the illusion realm—those that provide "Illusionary Soul Beast Qi"!

Because they need to mobilize deeper forces to construct such a realistic illusion that strikes at the Soul Origin, and they also have to withstand the impact and shock brought about by Lin Ming's powerful soul during its experience and departure!