Illusion Technique Displays Its Might

This was not even the most terrifying part. Since the Illusion Realm was one hundred percent real, what would happen if one refined pills inside it?

If you were testing a pill formula and succeeded in the Illusion Realm, did that mean you could copy those steps in reality and succeed there as well?

One had to know that countless experiments could be conducted in the Illusion Realm without wasting any materials from the real world. That ability was simply heaven-defying.

Of course, this ability was far too chicken-rib for Long Xuan. He did not need to spend huge amounts of time experimenting when creating his own pill formulas; his method was a hundred times more efficient. But for others, this ability was absolutely a top-tier divine skill.

Yet pill refinement was far from the only thing that could be done in the Illusion Realm. Anything could be done there. In a sense, how was this any different from foreseeing the future?

Anything one dared not do in reality could be done in the Illusion Realm instead. If it succeeded there, then it would inevitably succeed in reality. This Illusion Technique was equivalent to predicting the future.

He could even foresee what treasures any Household possessed. If he wanted to know what treasures some great clan had hidden away, he merely had to copy that clan's treasure vault into the Illusion Realm and walk in to take a look.

Long Xuan was thoroughly frightened by this inconceivable ability. Sure enough, even the most ordinary ability could produce terrifying effects after passing through his wild imagination.

But that still was not the most terrifying part. Since the Illusion Realm was one hundred percent real, what would happen if someone was killed within it? The more Long Xuan thought about it, the more his scalp tingled.

He felt he could not develop it any further. If it continued exceeding the limits, this Illusion Technique might just get banned by the Heavenly Dao.

After repeated experiments, Long Xuan finally figured out the restrictions of this Illusion Technique.

Although the Origin Realm could copy any scene, he had to have seen that scene with his own eyes. A rough outline was enough; he did not need to know every minute detail.

At the same time, the larger the scene, the longer it took to copy. If the scene contained high-grade treasures, the copying time would be extended even further.

Thus, this move had greater auxiliary value than combat value. It had severe limitations in actual battle, though it would be extremely useful against enemies who loved to spout nonsense.

Furthermore, although the Illusion Realm could simulate any precious material in a scene, it did not include conscious lifeforms or the things they carried, such as the clothes they wore and their storage pouches. The Illusion Realm did not yet possess the ability to create artificial intelligence.

However, for the sake of realism, he could pull the consciousness of every living creature in the scene into the Illusion Realm.

In other words, the Origin Realm could absolutely achieve one hundred percent realism. Dead objects in the real world would not be affected, but the consciousness of living creatures would be dragged into the Illusion Realm, while their bodies outside would appear dazed and sluggish.

Most terrifying of all, the illusion world perfectly replicated the real world they occupied. The scene remained the same, without any abrupt transition, so they would not notice that they had fallen under an Illusion Technique. They would continue wandering through the Illusion Realm, trapped within it without realizing it.

As for what would happen if Long Xuan slaughtered those living creatures in the Illusion Realm, he did not know for the moment. He had not tested it yet.

He could no longer wait to steal the secrets of great clans.

Long Xuan hurriedly packed his things and raced into the market without stopping. After choosing his target, he rented a room on the second floor of the inn opposite it, hid inside, and kept letting out sinister chuckles. Chilling laughter echoed through the quiet room.

His chosen target was an old acquaintance: the Qian Clan Merchant Association, the very merchant association whose gambling-stone shop he frequented. He had no idea how many times he had already fleeced them, yet this time he still would not let them go.

After the Qian Clan Merchant Association moved into Far Western Market, it had opened far more than just a gambling-stone shop. It had stores in nearly every line of business.

Just like the clan's surname implied, they truly were rich. There really was a reason they were named Qian; they lived up to their name.

And directly opposite this inn stood the Treasure Pavilion opened by the Qian Clan Merchant Association. It contained countless treasures of every kind, including cultivation manuals. Naturally, top-tier manuals had to be non-sale items, but that was already enough for Long Xuan.

He immediately pushed open the window. From there, he could see the Treasure Pavilion in its entirety, and the distance was close enough to meet the activation conditions of his Illusion Technique.

He let out another sinister chuckle, then lay down on the bed, preparing to activate the Illusion Technique at once.

This was also the drawback of the Illusion Technique. Whatever effect it had when cast on others would naturally occur when cast on himself as well.

Once his consciousness was pulled into the Illusion Realm, he would be no different from anyone else dragged inside. With his consciousness within the Illusion Realm, his physical body would naturally become blank and motionless.

If someone attacked his body at that time, the trouble would be enormous.

His body would be completely defenseless then. Even the slightest attack could take his life. This was an extremely fatal weakness, and he had to make preparations in advance.

Fortunately, there happened to be an inn opposite the Treasure Pavilion where he could perfectly hide his body. Otherwise, he truly would not have known what to do.

After Long Xuan closed his eyes, the Eye of Heavenly Secrets suddenly appeared between his brows, radiating an alluring light.

Beneath this eye, the Treasure Pavilion opposite him was perfectly copied into the Illusion Realm, with every treasure inside present in full. Of course, none of them could be taken out; Long Xuan could only learn what was inside.

He did not rush in. Instead, he first conducted a small experiment to see whether pulling someone into the Illusion Realm truly would go unnoticed.

So, in a prankish mood, he chose Qian Jinjin, the eldest daughter of the Qian Clan Merchant Association. With a thought, he pulled her consciousness into the Illusion Realm.

From then on, the Illusion Realm had one more moving person, finally bringing life to that deathly still world.

Because the scene remained unchanged and the scenery before her eyes had not abruptly shifted, Qian Jinjin had no idea she had fallen under an Illusion Technique. She continued reading quietly.

Of course, she was indoors at the moment. If she walked outside and discovered that there was not a single person around, she would surely realize something was wrong.

But she clearly noticed nothing unusual now. This Illusion Technique was simply too perfect. Even the book she was reading, an unpassed-down secret, had been flawlessly copied by the Illusion Technique. There was not the slightest flaw to be found.

Long Xuan nodded in satisfaction. If even an unparalleled genius like Qian Jinjin could not see through this Illusion Technique, ordinary Gu cultivators would have even less chance.

If, as the Eye of Heavenly Secrets grew, the area of the copied world became larger and larger, perhaps even encompassing an entire region and pulling everyone in that region into the Illusion Realm, making an entire region fall under an Illusion Technique without realizing it, that would be truly wonderful.

As Long Xuan smugly entertained that thought and prepared to end the prank and withdraw, Qian Jinjin in the room suddenly stood up.

Then, right before Long Xuan's eyes, she began removing her clothes piece by piece before finally stepping into the bath. Long Xuan was completely dumbfounded.

At that moment, he finally saw the peerless, flawless face hidden beneath her veil. For a time, he was so captivated that he lost himself.

Sure enough, people who wore veils always hid breathtaking beauty, never ugly faces.

In other words, women who wore veils were all beauties.

He could not help swallowing.

Long Xuan was in the prime of youth and had been single for many years. How could he withstand such a sight? To avoid bleeding to death from a nosebleed, he hurriedly ended the Illusion Technique. He swore that this had absolutely been an accident; he truly had not done it on purpose.

Who could have expected that she would not bathe early or late, but happen to bathe at precisely this moment, allowing him to feast his eyes?

As Qian Jinjin's consciousness returned to her body, her view finally shifted as well, changing in an instant from bathing to reading. How could she fail to realize that something was wrong?

"Who?"

She immediately sprang to her feet, her lovely face turning pale with shock.

"Damn it! What kind of Illusion Technique is this? It is so terrifying that even I could not see a single flaw!"

Qian Jinjin slammed the book in her hand heavily onto the table and gritted her pearly teeth. She was ashamed and furious. The moment she thought of what she had just been doing, flames seemed to shoot from her eyes, and her face flushed scarlet with embarrassment. She wished she could find that bastard and hack him into ten thousand pieces.

"Qian Shaoshao, immediately investigate which experts at the Marrow Cleansing Stage or above have entered the market. I want the results now!"

Qian Jinjin shouted furiously toward the door, and at once, a maid outside answered, "Yes!"

Still, the name she had been given was rather strange—Qian Shaoshao. Who would dare employ someone so careless? The more they used her, would they not have less and less money? The parents who named her were certainly talents.