Han Li and Yuan Yao plunged downward, vanishing into the deep, icy underwater world in an instant. The oppressive might of the twelve Water Essence Warriors above and the spiritual light of their pursuers behind abruptly receded, leaving an eerie silence all around them. The lake water was not pitch-black; instead, it shimmered with a hazy blue glow from luminous crystals and algae scattered across the bottom. The spiritual power within the currents was pure but chaotic. Their spiritual sense could reach only a few dozen yards before an invisible force distorted and weakened it.
"Stay close to me. Spiritual sense is restricted here, and there's an illusion array!" Yuan Yao transmitted. The fragment of the Water Essence Token in her hand radiated a soft blue glow, pointing in one direction like a compass. Moving like a fish, she darted nimbly between jagged reefs and vast forests of aquatic plants.
Han Li followed closely behind, the faint azure gleam of his Profound Yin Spirit Eye barely piercing some of the illusions. He could make out ruined palace foundations and toppled statues scattered across the lake bed, like an ancient ruin that had sunk beneath the waters. Schools of faintly glowing fish occasionally swam past, paying the two no heed.
After traveling only a few miles, they encountered an enormous Coral Forest. Its corals had bizarre shapes and bewitching colors, radiating a dreamy halo. The moment Han Li entered, the scenery around him warped, and countless illusions came rushing in: splendid immortal palaces where celestial maidens danced; hells filled with evil ghosts and roaring asuras; and even reflections of the desires and fears buried deep within his heart... An ordinary cultivator would likely have lost control of their mind in an instant.
"Guard your mind! This is the Thousand-Illusion Coral Forest!"