Spirit Illusion Realm - Gate of Darkness

"Ahem."

Han Tianyi coughed lightly, interrupting the subtle atmosphere.

Gu Yue snapped out of her daze, hurriedly pulling her hand from Fang Lin's grasp, a faint blush surfacing on her face.

Fang Lin also withdrew his hand, his expression calm, showing no signs of anything unusual.

It was just that the tips of his ears were slightly red, and his heart was inexplicably beating a little faster.

"You two..."

Leng Yaozhu watched this scene, her red lips parted slightly, a trace of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

She couldn't help but blink, almost thinking she had seen wrong.

Was this really her disciple Gu Yue, who had always been cold and ethereal, never getting close to anyone?

"Teacher..."

Gu Yue spoke, her voice uncharacteristically tinged with embarrassment.

She opened her mouth, as if wanting to explain something, but didn't know where to begin.

"Very well."

Leng Yaozhu raised her hand in a gesture for silence.

Her red lips curved slightly, carrying a knowing smile, "I won't say anything more."

Although she said that, her beautiful eyes darted back and forth between Fang Lin and Gu Yue with great interest, full of hidden meaning.

Han Tianyi held his teacup, his gaze falling quietly on Fang Lin, taking a sip while lost in thought, saying nothing.

The atmosphere in the office thus fell into a strange silence.

"Brother, I'm here."

Just then, a crisp, melodious voice rang out.

Na'er pushed the door open and walked in, smiling brightly.

However, the next moment, her gaze landed on Gu Yue, her footsteps faltered slightly, and the smile on her face froze for an instant.

World-Shocking Appetite and World-Shocking Wisdom!

Na'er muttered to herself, "Gu Yue... why is she here too?"

A sense of foreboding suddenly surged in her heart.

She subconsciously looked at Fang Lin, then at Gu Yue, her gaze sweeping rapidly between the two.

It was as if she were trying to capture some trace of evidence from their expressions.

"Hmm?"

Gu Yue looked at Na'er with a calm gaze, her expression indifferent.

A trace of doubt also rose in her heart: "Na'er, why is she here?"

"And... she called him brother?"

The two gazes met for an instant, then each calmly shifted away.

The air seemed to grow quiet for another moment.

"Teacher, Your Excellency Heavenly Phoenix, please continue."

Fang Lin spoke first, breaking the subtle silence.

His voice was calm and steady, as if nothing had just happened.

"Elder Han, what is your decision?"

Leng Yaozhu withdrew her gaze, pulling the topic back on track, her tone returning to its usual composure.

"In a while."

Han Tianyi set down his teacup, his tone calm, revealing no emotion.

"Very well."

Leng Yaozhu nodded, then stood up and looked at Gu Yue, "Gu Yue, let's go."

"Alright."

Gu Yue replied softly.

She took one last deep look at Fang Lin.

Then, Gu Yue followed Leng Yaozhu out of the office.

The door closed gently, and the sound of footsteps gradually faded into the distance.

"Brother..."

Na'er began, her voice tinged with a sense of hesitation.

She looked at Fang Lin, her lips pressed together as if she wanted to say something but did not know how to begin.

Fang Lin asked in a gentle tone, "Na'er, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Na'er shook her head and said no more.

Yet, a hint of sadness lingered in her bright purple eyes.

"Alright, Na'er."

Fang Lin said, reaching out to gently ruffle her silver hair, "How about Big Brother takes you to get some chicken cartilage?"

"Okay."

Upon hearing this, Na'er's purple eyes instantly lit up.

That momentary sadness seemed to have never existed; she curved her eyes, and a smile returned to her face.

"Little Lin, have you constructed your Spirit Illusion Realm?" Han Tianyi suddenly asked, his tone indifferent.

"Yes."

Fang Lin nodded.

"I see."

Hearing this, Han Tianyi set down his teacup and stood up. "I will take you both to experience a Spirit Illusion Realm."

The next instant, centered on his own body, a wave of invisible yet silver-haloed spiritual energy blossomed outward.

In that moment, the entire room turned dim.

Within the vision of Fang Lin and Na'er, they had entered an entirely new white world.

As far as the eye could see, everything was pure white, boundless and endless.

"Alright, let us begin."

Han Tianyi's voice rang out, echoing through the white space with an unquestionable certainty.

"Teacher, didn't you say you were going to let us experience it?"

Fang Lin asked, his tone tinged with a hint of helplessness.

He clearly remembered Han Tianyi saying "experience" just moments ago; how had it changed so quickly?

"I never said training wasn't an experience."

Han Tianyi replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

Fang Lin's mouth twitched slightly at these words, but in the end, he said nothing more.

The next moment, the white world where Fang Lin and Na'er stood underwent a heaven-shaking transformation.

The pure white receded like a tide, replaced by rough rocks and cracked earth.

The air was dry and scorching, carrying a faint scent of sulfur.

A desolate world slowly unfolded before their eyes, bleak and magnificent.

Before them stood a massive volcano, towering and majestic, its slopes covered in dark red fissures like scars upon the earth.

A great sun hung high in the sky, its intense heat baking every corner of the land, causing even the air to shimmer and distort.

Fang Lin and Na'er stood on the parched ground, feeling the heat wave rushing toward them.

This was no illusion, but a world so real it was suffocating.

Every grain of sand, every wisp of heat, every crack was impeccably detailed.

From the rock crevices not far ahead, a group of creatures crawled out with a rustling sound.

Earth-Fire Lizards.

These fire-attribute soul beasts ranged from one to three meters in length, their bodies covered in dark red scales that shimmered with a metallic luster under the sun.

Their limbs were thick and powerful, their claws sharp as hooks, and long tails dragged behind them, the tips burning with an inextinguishable flame.

Earth-Fire Lizards, fire-attribute soul beasts with exceptional defensive capabilities, typically lived near volcanoes and possessed powerful fire-based abilities.

At this moment, they were staring coldly at Fang Lin and Na'er with vertical pupils, flicking their scarlet tongues and emitting low hisses.

"Na'er, let me handle this."

Fang Lin stepped forward, shielding Na'er behind him.

He raised his hand slightly, his gaze focused and intense.

The next moment, a terrifying spiritual force erupted from him as the center.

The invisible spiritual power transformed into tangible pressure, causing the very air to tremble.

Spirit Illusion Realm—Gate of Darkness!

An illusory Gate of Darkness coalesced in the void, pitch-black and radiating a majestic pressure that seemed to suppress all things.

The Earth-Fire Lizards sensed danger, letting out terrified hisses as they turned to flee.

However, their bodies seemed bound by invisible chains, frozen in place and unable to move.

The pressure from the Gate of Darkness swept over them like a tidal wave, causing the Earth-Fire Lizards to stiffen.

They then collapsed without a sound, all of them suppressed and killed on the spot.

Their scales remained intact, and there was not a single mark on their bodies, but their souls had been completely annihilated under that terrifying power of suppression.

Fang Lin slowly withdrew his hand, and the Gate of Darkness dissipated, turning into specks of light that merged into the void.

"Not bad."

Han Tianyi's voice rang out, carrying a hint of approval.

Immediately, the Spirit Illusion Realm receded like a tide.

Fang Lin and Na'er returned to reality.

The light in the office returned to normal, and the sunlight streaming in through the window was warm and soft, forming a sharp contrast to the scorching volcanic world from just moments ago, as if it were a lifetime away.

"Teacher, are there no more monsters?"

Fang Lin asked, his tone carrying a hint of surprise.

He had expected a few more waves of monsters, or perhaps some more difficult trial.

"None left; you wiped them all out in one move."

Han Tianyi picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression indifferent.

He paused, his gaze landing on Fang Lin. "The reference point for your Spirit Illusion Realm is a door?"

"That's right."

Hearing this, Fang Lin nodded.

"I see."

Han Tianyi responded thoughtfully, lost in his own thoughts.

"Teacher, we'll be heading off now."

Fang Lin said, then left with Na'er.