Illusion Warrior Flow

Having created the prototype of the "Black Stone Prison," Qin Zhao felt both joy and a clear recognition of its greatest weakness—a lack of effective soul attack methods.

This Black Stone Prison excelled at trapping and weakening enemies, but if he couldn't quickly finish off those trapped inside—especially opponents with strong mental wills or special life-saving measures—he might end up in a stalemate, or even allow them to find a flaw and escape. The reason Linley's Black Stone Prison was so terrifying was precisely because it combined with the "Soul Stone," containing powerful soul attacks that could dismantle enemies from within.

However, Qin Zhao was a martial artist, not a Spirit Reader. Although he possessed decent soul resistance thanks to system rewards, he was almost completely blank when it came to actively launching soul attacks. He couldn't execute precise offensive soul techniques like an Illusionist.

After racking his brains with no solution, Qin Zhao decided to seek advice from his teacher, King Lanchen.

At the core of the Thick Earth Continent, inside King Lanchen's seemingly simple but internally vast and boundless divine temple.

Qin Zhao stood respectfully below, reporting in detail the creation of the "Black Stone Prison" prototype and the predicament he faced.

"...Teacher, this disciple's 'Black Stone Prison' currently only has its form. It can trap enemies, but lacks the decisive soul-killing ability. I am a martial artist, a complete layman in the path of soul attacks, and don't know how to make up for this shortcoming. I ask for your guidance." Qin Zhao's attitude was sincere.

King Lanchen sat above, his aura merging with the entire temple and even the Thick Earth Continent outside. After listening to Qin Zhao's account, a glint of approval flashed in his warm, jade-like eyes.

"For you to create a binding secret technique with such potential at the Star Level is already rare. As for soul attacks..." King Lanchen paused slightly, then spoke slowly, "The path of a martial artist is not completely cut off from soul attacks. Have you ever heard of the 'Illusion Warrior' school?"

"The Illusion Warrior school?" Qin Zhao's heart stirred. If he remembered correctly, in the original Swallowed Star story, one of the Earth trio, "Hong," seemed to follow this path. It was said that with a single spear thrust, it also carried an illusion attack, striking both physically and at the soul!

"Correct." King Lanchen nodded slightly. "Spirit Readers can control Telepathic Weapons and also use soul techniques to directly attack the soul. Martial artists, though lacking the advantage of Telepathic Weapons, can integrate their own will, their insights into the laws—especially illusion techniques that affect the mind and create phantasms—into their blade, sword, or spear techniques."

"With one slash of the blade, it not only carries a physical attack, with the laws following the blade's light, but can also stir an enemy's inner fear and weave endless illusions! This is the Illusion Warrior." King Lanchen explained. "Your Black Stone Prison itself contains the Mystery of the Pulse of the Earth, which can directly vibrate and affect an opponent's soul. That's an excellent foundation. If you can master the Illusion Warrior's methods and integrate illusion attacks into the prison's fluctuations, or when you personally enter to fight, have your blade techniques carry illusions, combining internal and external forces, your power will multiply."

Qin Zhao's eyes blazed with sharp light as he listened! This clearly pointed him toward a broad path! Integrating soul (illusion) attacks into a martial artist's methods perfectly suited his situation.

"Teacher, this disciple is willing to learn the Illusion Warrior path! How should I begin?" Qin Zhao asked eagerly.

King Lanchen looked at Qin Zhao's eager gaze and smiled calmly. "The core of an Illusion Warrior lies in 'Will' and 'Illusion Construction.' A strong will is the foundation for casting illusions and resisting backlash. As for illusion construction, you need to learn certain secret techniques that lean toward soul methods—that shouldn't be difficult for you!"

"You have already gained the recognition of the Law of Earth. Earth is the foundation of all things, and also carries memories and history. You can try to delve into the part of the Law of Earth Origin concerning vitality. As for the Law of Space, it is mysterious and unpredictable, and can also be used to affect perception and create illusions."

"However, compared to illusion construction, I am more worried about your mental will! If your mental will is insufficient, the significance of the Illusion Warrior path to you will be greatly diminished! But fortunately, mental will can be continuously strengthened through tempering. If you want to walk the Illusion Warrior path, you must start with mental will now!"

"As for willpower training..." King Lanchen paused briefly before continuing, "The Virtual Universe Company has the 'Illusion Sea' for tempering will and testing the soul, with excellent results. Although I cannot completely replicate the Illusion Sea, imitating its principles to create a separate 'Willpower Training Space' for you is not difficult."

As his words fell, King Lanchen flicked his finger, and a point of earthy yellow light vanished into the void. At the same time, he sent a new permission link to Qin Zhao through the Virtual Universe Network.

"I have constructed a 'Thousand-Fold Illusion Heart Realm' in your exclusive Cultivation Plane within the Virtual Universe." King Lanchen's voice sounded in Qin Zhao's mind. "This realm imitates some of the mysteries of the Illusion Sea, divided into a thousand layers, each one progressively deeper. It contains various illusions—heart demon invasions, sinking into desire, manifestations of fear, memory recalls... It will dig into your innermost weaknesses and construct the most realistic phantasms. Within it, you must hold fast to your true heart, distinguish truth from falsehood, and break through the illusions with a strong will."

"This 'Thousand-Fold Illusion Heart Realm' has two main purposes: First, to temper your will. The stronger your will, the greater the power of your future Illusion Warrior techniques, and the stronger your resistance to soul attacks. Second, you can personally experience the construction and operation of various illusions, learning how to influence others' minds with will and laws. This will greatly benefit your understanding of the Illusion Warrior path."

"Yes! Thank you, Teacher!" Qin Zhao looked at the permission link, his eyes brimming with eagerness to try. This was exactly what he needed most right now!

"Go." King Lanchen waved his hand. "First, temper yourself in the 'Thousand-Fold Illusion Heart Realm.' Once your will has achieved something and you have some understanding of illusions, I will then teach you how to integrate soul methods and laws into your attacks, taking your first steps into the door of the Illusion Warrior. Remember, illusions are a double-edged sword. Learn to use them. Hold fast to your true heart, and you will see it through to the end."

"Your disciple will remember!" Qin Zhao solemnly accepted, and his consciousness immediately connected to the Virtual Universe.

Virtual Universe, Qin Zhao's exclusive Cultivation Plane.

Above the original vast plain, a hazy, constantly twisting and shifting entrance to a strange space had appeared, as if leading to countless bizarre dreams. Above the entrance, five characters—"Thousand-Fold Illusion Heart Realm"—faintly emerged, radiating a pressure of will.

Qin Zhao took a deep breath and stepped in without hesitation.

"Wooom—"

The scene instantly transformed. He found himself in a familiar setting—Earth, China, the small rental apartment he had lived in before his transmigration. The computer screen still showed unfinished code, and outside the window was the sound of traffic. Everything was terrifyingly real, even down to the faint smell of instant noodles in the air.

"So this is an illusion? Truly impressive..." Qin Zhao's heart tightened. If he hadn't known this was the Virtual Universe, a space just constructed by King Lanchen, he might have really thought he had been in a long dream, and that everything about Swallowed Star and the Coiling Dragon System was the illusion.

He tried to mobilize his power, only to find his primal energy and mental energy sluggish, as if suppressed by the rules of this illusion. A voice kept echoing in his heart: "Come back, this is reality. That universe of fighting and destroying stars is just a fantasy born from your excessive stress..."

Qin Zhao closed his eyes. Deep in his soul, the Midgod realm of his Earth God Clone and the sense of stability brought by the recognition of the Law of Earth surfaced, while his main body's insights into the Law of Space remained crystal clear. He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade: "Merely an illusion! Break for me!"

His powerful will, like a sharp sword, slashed at this seemingly warm but actually binding illusion.

"Crack!"

Like glass shattering, the scene of the rental apartment shattered inch by inch. He appeared in the second layer of the illusion...