Spirit Realm

Xue Moyan and the five Illusory Demon Sect girls could only curse, having been forced to give up on pursuing Qin Lie and Chu Li upon seeing that they could not catch up.

“That person was acting very strange just now. He stopped Chu Li from using the Terminator Profound Bombs even though he obviously wanted to stay and fight. He went so far as to warn us before he threw out a Terminator Profound Bomb.”

A round-faced Illusory Demon Sect girl swore for a while after they stopped pursuing the two, but when she calmed down, she noticed something strange and thought that something about the situation was somewhat odd.

“He must have known that he wasn’t our match and pretended that he did not want to fight us. Humph!” The oval-faced girl named Huang Zhuli seemed absolutely certain that Qin Lie was the killer.

“Yet that guy showed us mercy in every way,” the round-faced Pan Qianqian said.

“What’s wrong with you, Qianqian?” Huang Zhuli asked in irritation. “Didn’t you see that Little Die and our sister were obviously burned to death? That guy is just some nameless small fry at the early stage of Netherpassage Realm. How could someone as weak as him possibly show us mercy?”

Pan Qianqian was momentarily unable to say anything.

All of them were able to use their True Souls to sense that Qin Lie’s realm was weak. It seemed like he hadn’t even completely formed his True Soul yet.

If a small fry like him didn’t have Terminator Profound Bombs, he would literally be someone they could kill with a flip of the hand.

Yet Pan Qianqian still thought it was strange. She was used to observing other people, and from Qin Lie’s reaction, helplessness, bitter smile, and small movements, she suspected that things might not be as clear cut as they seemed.

However, it was true that she did not have any actual proof to support this.

In the end, she chose to keep quiet.

“That wasn’t how Chu Li would usually act.” It was at this moment that the ringer of Illusory Demon Sect, Xue Moyan, spoke up. She frowned and spoke with a crisp voice, “I may not have encountered this Chu Li before, but I have heard about his personality. This person isn’t afraid of anyone in the Land of Chaos. He literally shares almost the exact same personality as Forefather Terminator and loves causing trouble. If anyone argues with him, he would immediately fight them. He is a stranger to tolerance.”

All the girls who had previously heard of Chu Li’s character nodded slightly and agreed, “Chu Li is definitely that arrogant.”

“Yes, Chu Li’s actions today were kind of unusual compared to what he’s known for.” Pan Qianqian’s bright eyes shone with the light of doubt. “Lili, weren’t you with Little Die and Little Wan today? Why were you suddenly separated from them?”

Huang Zhuli’s expression was somewhat unnatural. “I... I needed to relieve myself and left them for a moment. When I came back, I heard their screams and chased them all the way here. When I arrived I saw them burn to death…”

“Let us go and investigate Xie Die and Xie Wan’s corpses.” Shock and doubt began to creep into Xue Moyan’s clear eyes as well. “Illusory Demon Sect and Black Voodoo Cult are both situated in the Heavenly Slaughter Continent. Both sides have never stopped fighting, either openly or in secret. We all know how terrifying Black Voodoo Cult is, and we know that high rank voodoo insects can burrow into a person’s brain and directly control that person.”

“Mm. Black Voodoo Cult is frightening, and Ye Yihao is the most talented voodoo insect and voodoo toxin user among the younger generation. We must be careful,” Pan Qianqian said.

“Let’s go. When we return, we’ll carefully check the bodies,” Xue Moyan ordered.

The group of Illusory Demon Sect girls went back to the site that their sisters had been burned to death in an attempt to reveal the truth.

“Buzz buzz buzz!”

However, just when they were about to return to the bodies, the eerie howls of the voodoo insects rang out.

The two voodoo insects that had been forced to leave after being burned by Qin Lie’s blood essences had not actually gone very far. When they discovered that Qin Lie had left and no longer sensed any aura of strong fire in the area, they returned once more.

“Voodoo insects! Two voodoo insects!” Pan Qianqian cried out in surprise. “I don’t think that guy lied! He said that there were voodoo insects in the area, and now there are exactly two of them!”

As soon as the Illusory Demon Sect girls saw the two charging voodoo insects, they immediately came to that realization.

The dirt on Qin Lie’s person was washed away just like that.

“Be careful! They are the larvae of the Eight Winged Centipede Queen, one of the scariest voodoo insects of Black Voodoo Cult!” Xue Moyan cried out softly, warning the others.

The two voodoo insects locked onto Xue Moyan and Pan Qianqian before charging at them.

The voodoo insects flew toward them and released bizarre howls, black motes of light, and thin black mist gushing from their flapping wings..

“Don’t let them get near your foreheads!” Xue Moyan cried out.

The moment those words left her mouth, she suddenly tossed an orb the size of a peach into the air.

The orb should have been translucent, yet it appeared somewhat misty. The haze inside of the orb portrayed continuously changing images, transitioning between sceneries of celestial palaces, visages of terrifying beasts, a glaringly bright sun, and the faces of numerous people.

It was as if the orb hid a small yet real world within it. It was mysterious and unfathomable.

This orb was called the Illusory Demon Orb. It was one of five such orbs, the five major components of Illusory Demon Sect’s most renowned spirit artifact, the “Illusory Demon Sphere.” The Illusory Demon Sphere was the spirit artifact of Illusory Demon Sect’s sect master. The Illusory Demon Sphere contained a world that had its own unfathomable secrets and mysteries.

The five Illusory Demon Orbs could communicate with the Illusory Demon Sphere and, as components of the Illusory Demon Sphere, they also contained extraordinary power and astounding abilities.

The Illusory Demon Orb that Xue Moyan currently held was one of the five Illusory Demon Orbs. Yu Lingwei had personally given the orb to her and taught her how to use it since she was participating in the Trial as Illusory Demon Sect’s ringer.

The Illusory Demon Orb suddenly glowed with bright colors.

The light immediately illuminated the area and made thin, clear, white mist appear out of nowhere, instantly transforming the area into a celestial domain.

In an instant, Xue Moyan became the ruler of this domain.

Even the tiniest wave of energy in this area was unable to escape her perception. While she was borrowing the extraordinary power of the Illusory Demon Orb, Xue Moyan was able to control the world under its influence.

“Withdraw!” Xue Moyan exclaimed in a soft tone.

The Illusory Demon Orb’s light suddenly retreated.

The dream-like scene instantly vanished like a mirage. The five Illusory Demon Sect girls abruptly returned to reality.

They didn’t understand what was going on, but they did notice that Xue Moyan now had two voodoo insects in her hands.

Furthermore, the voodoo insects directly moved into the Illusory Demon Orb and were captured as the light went out.

“Qianqian! Qianqian... you!” Huang Zhuli screamed.

Everyone looked at Pan Qianqian and saw that black threads were seeping from her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” Pan Qianqian herself had not noticed anything.

“Y-you’ve probably been poisoned with the voodoo toxin,” Huang Zhuli exclaimed.

Pan Qianqian’s expression changed, and after she examined herself for a while, her eyes went dim. “H-how was I poisoned? I didn’t feel anything.”

“Sister Xue!” The rest of the girls immediately looked to Xue Moyan.

“We will find Ye Yihao!” Xue Moyan gripped the Illusory Demon Orb tightly and observed the two voodoo insects inside of it, saying, “We will exchange these two voodoo insects for a drop of the mother insect’s blood! Ye Yihao will perform the exchange! It is incredibly difficult to raise a voodoo insect, and each one is definitely more precious than a drop of the mother insect’s blood. He should know what to do.”

“That damned Black Voodoo Cult!” Huang Zhuli yelled angrily.

“Let’s go.”

……

Meanwhile, within a forest of thorn-ridden foliage.

Qin Lie and Chu Li were chewing through dried meat. Each held a wine jar. They were eating.

The two of them were beginning to call each other “Little Brother Lie” and “Big Brother Chu.” They seemed to have gotten quite close to each other.

“I’ve heard about that girl, Xue Moyan, before. She’s not a simple martial practitioner. Even if you hadn’t stopped me earlier, I may not have necessarily been able to beat her.”

Chu Li chewed his dried meat with a savage look before guzzling down a mouthful of alcohol. Then he said, “I heard that Illusory Demon Sect’s sect master personally gave her an Illusory Demon Orb. That orb is incredibly powerful, and if she had used it earlier, the power of the shockwave caused by my Terminator Profound Bombs would have been reduced by nearly half. I would not have been able to hurt her at all.”

“An Illusory Demon Orb? What’s so special about it?” Qin Lie asked, a surprised look on his face. The corner of his mouth was stained with alcohol.

“The Illusory Demon Orb can connect to the Illusory Demon Sphere and borrow power from it. The orb would then change its surroundings into an extraordinary domain. Within that domain, the senses of that girl become several times stronger than before, enabling her to detect even the slightest wave of energy. Furthermore, that domain automatically reduces her enemy’s power and forces them on the defensive. She would be aware of everything they do before they do it.”

Oddly enough, Chu Li grew increasingly serious as he spoke. “If she used the Illusory Demon Orb’s spirit art and set up a trap beforehand, turning herself into your closest companion, you might not know what truly happened even upon death…”

“Be more specific,” Qin Lie said.

“Let me put it this way. If she had gone to Song Tingyu and He Wei and seen them beforehand, she would be able to borrow the Illusory Demon Orb and flawlessly take on their appearances. With the illusion art of the Illusory Demon Orb, she would be able to transform herself into either one of them. If you and I had accidentally entered her domain, we would have assumed that we got lost and returned to Song Tingyu’s and He Wei’s side for some reason.”

Chu Li rubbed his chin and thought for a moment. Then he smiled bitterly and said, “If it were you, she would take on Song Tingyu’s appearance. If it were me, she would take on He Wei’s appearance. If this happened, then she would toy with us until we died, or until she reverted to her actual appearance. Otherwise, both of us would assume that Song Tingyu and He Wei killed us, unable to rest in peace.”

“Is it really impossible to tell what’s real and what isn’t?” Qin Lie grew shocked.

Chu Li shook his head and said, “Unless your realm, soul perception, insight, and instinct are better than hers, it would be incredibly difficult to do so. You would not know who really killed you even after you died.”

Qin Lie looked like he had been overcome with caution.

“You don’t have to worry too much.” Chu Li slapped his shoulders and carelessly said, “She’s your fiancée, right? Just tell her about your relationship and you should be fine.”

“If she uses Song Tingyu’s appearance to kill me, I wouldn’t have any idea that it’s her. What should I do then?” Qin Lie asked.

“Oh. I guess you can just kiss yourself goodbye then,” Chu Li said dryly.

“What about you? Aren’t you afraid of her?” Qin Lie asked in surprise.

“Of course I’m scared, but it wouldn’t be that easy to kill me.” Chu Li chuckled. “I would ignite all of the Terminator Profound Bombs on me before I die. Since you can forge Terminator Profound Bombs, you obviously understand that it only takes a thought to trigger their detonation. Heh... Xue Moyan would have to be near me if she wanted to kill me. Even with the Illusory Demon Orb, she wouldn’t necessarily survive if I ignited all of the Terminator Profound Bombs on me at the same time!”

In a fit of madness, Chu Li declared, “I’ll definitely take someone down with me when I die!”

“I guess lunatics really are everywhere in the Land of Chaos!” Qin Lie smiled bitterly on the inside.

What he didn’t realize was that, in Chu Li’s eyes, he was also a lunatic.