Illusion

"Father, everyone, you..."

Suppressing the agony in his heart, Xu Xuan lifted Xu Xiao's head from where it had rolled onto the ground. Step by heavy step, he slowly walked forward. Gazing at the ruins before him, he gently wiped the corners of his eyes.

"Whoever did this, I will never let him get away!"

Xu Xuan roared in fury.

At that moment, he had forgotten that he was inside the nine-story palace. All he knew was that this was the Cloud Azure Territory, the place where he had been born and raised!

"Hm?"

Suddenly, Xu Xuan blinked. He seemed to have seen a purple figure dart past.

"What was that?"

Watching the purple figure streak past, Xu Xuan looked puzzled. Before he could think any further, a wolf claw slashed viciously toward his face!

"Hm?"

Xu Xuan raised his brows slightly. Rather than retreating, he advanced.

"You think you can hurt me?"

With a cold sneer, Xu Xuan slapped straight at it.

The phantom purple claw vanished. Sneering repeatedly, Xu Xuan strode over the ruins and came straight to the wide, open pit ahead.

"Xu Xuan, you're finally here."

An utterly sinister face slowly floated into the air. Several members of the Purple Moon Wolf Clan, with human heads and wolf bodies, stared at Xu Xuan with cold sneers!

"Today, I will avenge my husband and child with your blood!"

A purple curved saber appeared in the Purple Moon Empress's hand, and she slashed at him without hesitation.

Traces of blood still stained the purple saber, giving off an overpowering bloody stench.

"This blade is stained with all your blood. Your fellow disciples, your father, your sectmates, your elders-I killed every living creature here!"

"Be afraid! Tremble! Die!"

The Purple Moon Empress's face was utterly sinister as she kept recounting it all. Meanwhile, over a thousand members of the Purple Moon Wolf Clan appeared beside the ruins.

The thousand-plus members of the Purple Moon Wolf Clan fixed Xu Xuan with vicious stares.

They were ready to pounce at any moment and sink their teeth into him.

"A pack of vile beasts! How dare you!"

Xu Xuan ignored the Transforming Sea demonic wolves below and flew straight up to the Purple Moon Wolf Emperor.

"Oh?"

"You actually broke through?"

The Purple Moon Wolf Emperor looked at Xu Xuan in surprise, then nodded lightly. "That works too. Slaughtering you now will bring even greater glory to my clan!"

The instant he finished speaking, the Purple Moon Wolf Emperor charged, his murderous aura surging into the heavens!

Xu Xuan advanced instead of retreating, his own murderous aura soaring just as high!

"You killed my people! You deserve to die!"

A third eye suddenly appeared on Xu Xuan's forehead.

"Spirit-Burning God-Slaying Art!"

"First heaven, Heaven-Burning!"

The third eye on his forehead opened wide, then grew several times larger before the assembled Purple Moon Wolf Clan!

The surroundings instantly became scorching hot.

A sea of fire materialized in the air. Gazing at the flames filling the sky, every member of the Purple Moon Wolf Clan was struck with horror!

"Die!"

Without a shred of mercy, Xu Xuan swept his finger downward. This was truly his first time using Heaven-Burning!

As his shout rang out, the sea of fire descended, blotting out the sky. His eyes were bloodshot, and the third eye soon vanished from the air!

"Pfft!"

It was his first time using such a powerful divine ability. Even Xu Xuan could barely withstand the strain. He staggered back two steps before finally coughing up a mouthful of blood.

Below him, however, the Purple Moon Wolf Clan had been burned away completely by the heavenly fire. Neither the clan members nor the Wolf Emperor remained anywhere in sight.

"Finally... are they all dead...?"

His expression dimmed slightly, and Xu Xuan collapsed. "Father, I... avenged you!"

"Xuan? How are you?"

Yun Qingxue shook him repeatedly, supporting his body as she called to Xu Xuan, who lay exhausted on the ground.

"He's just severely depleted. Let him recover a little on his own, and he'll be fine."

Luo Xiaotian spoke calmly beside her, glancing at the door that had appeared ahead.

"Bring him through with us. Otherwise, that door will close soon. The illusion he just experienced couldn't have been simple, or it wouldn't have drained him so badly."

Luo Xiaotian gave Xu Xuan, who lay on the ground, a long look and spoke with concern on his face.

"All right."

Yun Qingxue nodded and hauled Xu Xuan onto her back before following Luo Xiaotian through the door.

After passing through the second illusion, the three arrived on the third floor.

On the third floor, there was only an old man.

In the empty room, the old man sat in the seat of honor like a statue.

As though sensing intruders, the old man finally opened his eyes slightly. Looking at the two people before him, he smiled faintly, a trace of disdain on his face.

"You two dragged a useless fellow who can't even move here. Are you looking down on me?"

"I alone am enough to deal with you!"

Luo Xiaotian stepped forward and spoke without expression.

"You're nothing but a mass of energy. Why should I fear you?"

As Luo Xiaotian spoke calmly, clumps of spiritual energy gradually appeared in his palm.

"With your cultivation at the fifth level of the Heavenly Mansion realm, you can't stop me."

He spoke evenly.

"But this is my duty. Since you have come to take my life, I naturally cannot stand by and do nothing!"

With a faint smile, the old man clawed at Luo Xiaotian's face.

"That's all?"

Luo Xiaotian shifted slightly to the side, seized him, and launched a fierce attack!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three explosions rang out. The old man retreated again and again, his face expressionless.

"Good lad, you have some skill. As expected of the inner sect's top disciple!"

"If the palace master hadn't already taken you as a disciple, I might not have been able to resist the temptation myself."

The old man chuckled. The next moment, he seemed to attack Luo Xiaotian, but his arm suddenly twisted, changing direction to claw at Xu Xuan, who lay on the ground!

Luo Xiaotian had been on guard all along. He cursed, "Hey, you old bastard! Can't beat me, so you try a sneak attack?"

"I'll kill you!"

As he spoke, Luo Xiaotian instantly moved in front of the old man and unleashed a merciless punch.

Bang!

The punch sent the old man flying. Ripples spread across his body, and before he could react, he dissipated in an instant. Even the energy that had formed him vanished without a trace.

Once the old man had been dealt with, another door of light appeared ahead.

Only then did Xu Xuan slowly wake, utterly bewildered.

He stared blankly at his surroundings, gazed at the light before him, then looked at the two people beside him.

"What... was all that I just experienced?"

"It was all an illusion. It seems the illusion you experienced was no simple one-it actually left you unconscious. Luckily, I was here. Otherwise, you might have been trapped here forever."

Luo Xiaotian gave Xu Xuan a long look before speaking.

Xu Xuan shrugged, relief instantly washing through his heart.

So all of that had been nothing but a dream!