And everything that had just happened was not entirely an illusion.
The thatched cottage had indeed been blasted apart, and the force of the palm strike had gouged a deep crater where Liu Shuyue had been standing. The Cloud-Swallowing Palm could not have caused such destruction without hitting its target...
What was real, and what was an illusion?
For a moment, even Song Wei could not tell!
"Your attempt to recruit me was only a pretense... you actually wanted to kill a Lotus Cloud Sect disciple and devour their spiritual energy to strengthen yourself," Liu Shuyue continued. "I can sense that your spiritual energy shines far more brightly than when you left the mountain. Unfortunately, its outline has become rather blurred. Have you... stolen other people's spiritual energy as well?"
"You've misunderstood, senior sister. I truly want to work with you! If you'd agreed to my plan, why would things have come to this?" Song Wei feigned bitter anguish, but inwardly, he activated the new technique he had developed.
Soul Fusion!
As his intent unfurled, the two subordinates he had brought stiffened and collapsed. Vast amounts of spiritual energy poured into him, instantly boosting his aura by several tenths.
Now he could hear insects crawling over the treetops and see the finest lashes on Liu Shuyue's face. He felt boundless power coursing through him. The other Lotus Cloud Sect disciples did not even deserve to be compared to him!
"Immortal master, be careful! There's something wrong with his aura!" Fu Jiaolu warned.
"Too late." Song Wei tossed out a stack of paper figures. The instant they hit the ground, they transformed into nine-foot puppets. Two charged at Fu Jiaolu, while the remaining seven or eight all lunged at Liu Shuyue.
He was the Lotus Cloud Sect disciple most proficient in