When the Loose Immortals had sent their spirit beasts into the Illusion Demon Realm, they hadn't felt anything at first. But Ju Hua was different. His Dao of Heaven and Earth had reached the Dao Domain Realm ten years ago, and naturally, his level had risen even higher over the past decade.
Ju Hua could clearly feel that he had just left the Great Xia World and entered a small world of its own. What's more, the boundary force between this world and the Great Xia World was astonishingly powerful. Ordinary short-range teleportation probably wouldn't be enough to get him back.
Of course, that was another matter if someone had mastered the great teleportation that could cross between Great Worlds!
But with my current strength, if I wanted to force my way out, this world's barriers couldn't stop me! The thought flashed through Ju Hua's mind. Then he shook his head, tightened his grip on the Mirror Stone, and strode farther into the Illusion Demon Realm.
Ancestor Tianyang had once given Ju Hua a detailed account of the Illusion Demon Realm. According to it, the deeper one went, the more real and terrifying the illusions became. At the very center of the Illusion Demon Realm, even Celestial Immortals would turn pale.
Celestial Immortals had all passed through the Heart Demon Tribulation and attained the Dao Heart of a Celestial Immortal. The terror of an illusion that could make even them turn pale was plain to imagine!
Ju Hua pressed on for nearly a hundred miles before finding a towering mountain nearby. With his immortal sword, he carved a simple cave abode into its side.
After setting up layer upon layer of formations and restrictions, Ju Hua sat down cross-legged inside.
With a wave of his hand, Ju Hua took out a humanoid puppet and formed hand seals to set several commands within it. After confirming that the puppet carried them out without error, he didn't hesitate any longer and handed it the Mirror Stone.
The moment the Mirror Stone left his hand, Ju Hua felt an invisible force tug at his spirit.
Soon, Ju Hua's vision blurred.
"Hahaha, Clan Cousin Ju Hua certainly has a keen eye! This woman's beauty ranks among the very best of all these beauties!" Zhuanshui Qing's laughter rang in Ju Hua's ears.
Ju Hua froze for a moment, then remembered what was happening.
He had fought Zhuanshui Pingqiu and displayed extraordinary strength. This had made Zhuanshui Qing, the clan leader, look upon him with new respect, and Zhuanshui Qing had even hosted a banquet in his honor. During the feast, a group of dancers had been brought out for him to choose from!
Ju Hua turned his head. A woman in white was leaning against him, gazing at him with shy, tender eyes.
She truly was breathtakingly beautiful, and there was a rather unique quality about her, too. Ju Hua had taken a liking to her at first sight!
No wonder I chose her! The thought flashed through Ju Hua's mind.
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The banquet lasted until late into the night. After bidding Zhuanshui Qing farewell, Ju Hua took the woman home.
The woman's cultivation was not high, but she was quite skilled at dancing. So Ju Hua guided her in her cultivation and, in his spare time, asked her to perform for him.
They did this every day, and the two of them lived in perfect harmony.
More than half a year later, Ju Hua was about to lead troops into battle. Unwilling to see him leave, the woman invited him to an open space behind the mountain and offered him a newly choreographed dance.
Her dancing was as superb as ever. Like a butterfly flitting among flowers, she drifted through the air, her graceful movements blending perfectly with the surroundings. Watching her made one feel as if they were intoxicated by the scene.
After a long while, the woman finished her dance. Before she could say anything, Ju Hua suddenly asked, "Does this dance have a name?"
"It's called Longing." The woman looked at Ju Hua with tender affection.
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Ju Hua said nothing more. He simply turned and gazed at the distant mountains.
The woman sensed something was wrong. She was just about to step forward when she suddenly discovered an invisible barrier between her and Ju Hua.
"Longing, longing! I nearly forgot even the people dearest to me!" Ju Hua sighed. At once, the distant mountains began to crumble. The destruction spread farther and farther, until it reached the ground beneath Ju Hua and the woman.
Boom!
Everything faded into nothingness, and Ju Hua's memories came rushing back to him. In that instant, he understood: the world he had just been in was an illusion.
But before he could think any further, another invisible force seized his spirit. Ju Hua's vision blurred again. Then he struggled to open his eyes.
"Big brother, you're finally awake!"
"Little sister?" Ju Hua rubbed his brow and sat up in bed.
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In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since Ju Hua entered the Illusion Demon Realm. Suddenly, the puppet that had been keeping watch before him placed the Mirror Stone in his hand.
A cool sensation swept through him, instantly dispelling the invisible force clinging to his spirit. Ju Hua himself jolted awake.
"."
It took him quite a while to distinguish reality from illusion, and he couldn't help showing a trace of alarm.
The Illusion Demon Realm truly was terrifying. The invisible force here could pull him into illusions, and those illusions seemed nearly endless: when one ended, another followed. Without the Mirror Stone's help, he could very well have become completely lost in one of them!
But only illusions like these could truly temper the Dao Heart, couldn't they? The thought crossed Ju Hua's mind. He gave it no further consideration and instead closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
After meditating and resting in the temporary cave abode for a few days, Ju Hua once again handed the Mirror Stone to the puppet. He himself entered the illusion once more!
Three months later, Ju Hua left the temporary cave abode and advanced another hundred miles into the Illusion Demon Realm.
He tempered himself in the illusions, and during his breaks, studied the Dao of the Sword and the Dao of Heaven and Earth. In the blink of an eye, ten years passed.
During those ten years, aside from one return to the army in response to a message from Qing Muling, Ju Hua spent all his time in the Illusion Demon Realm.
Ten years of tempering had naturally brought remarkable results. Ju Hua's Heartforce had reached the Second Level: the Ice Heart Realm!
In fact, after such continuous tempering, his Heartforce was already well past the initial stage of the Second Level. He was just one step away from the Third Level of Heartforce, the Dominator Realm.
Of course, that step was not so easy to take. Ju Hua felt that to reach the Third Level, he would need a stroke of fortune.
P.S. The original Desolate Era didn't describe in detail how one could reach other Great Worlds aside from using great teleportation. Ji Ning simply left the Great Xia World in a flash, and I'm just as puzzled... The so-called boundary force is a setting I made up, but it isn't important. Just go along with it!