“Master, I like you!” Xiao Hei stood there, a shy flush on his face, yet stubborn resolve burned in his eyes.
A faint smile curved Ying Jiuhua’s lips as he gazed steadily at the boy before him, listening again and again as Xiao Hei repeated those words. After a long moment, Ying Jiuhua suddenly raised a hand and lightly tapped Xiao Hei. Seeing the shock that instantly appeared on Xiao Hei’s face, the smile on Ying Jiuhua’s lips turned strange. A gust of wind swept through, scattering stone dust—there was no longer any Xiao Hei, only a stone the size of a fingertip resting in Ying Jiuhua’s palm.
He idly examined the stone in his hand, his brow lifting slightly. Was it because he had come into contact with the Thousand Illusion Stones so often? The scenes within the illusion were becoming more and more real—so real that even he had momentarily lost track of what was true. Thinking of the affection in Xiao Hei’s eyes within the illusion, Ying Jiuhua’s gaze darkened. Almost unconsciously, he glanced at the real Xiao Hei waiting not far away, a determined gleam surfacing in his eyes.
Carefully putting away the stone, Ying Jiuhua added it to the three he had previously found—this was already the fourth Thousand Illusion Stone. According to his calculations, the entire illusion should have six array cores, corresponding to six stones. Xiao Lingyu already had one, which meant only one remained. Quickly mapping out the locations of the array cores in his mind, Ying Jiuhua smiled and beckoned to Xiao Hei in the distance.
Xiao Hei had been standing far away, guarding Ying Jiuhua while carefully avoiding stepping into the illusion’s range. Seeing his master smiling within the illusion, Xiao Hei could not help but wonder what he had seen inside. Maybe… he saw me? The thought flashed through his mind, and he hurriedly pushed it away. Instead, the intimate scenes he himself had seen within the illusion surfaced one by one, making his body heat up as his face flushed red. Sneaking a glance at Ying Jiuhua, Xiao Hei secretly felt relieved that his master had not let him enter the illusion—if he had hugged a stone and called out “Master” in front of him… just imagining it made him want to die of embarrassment.
Watching his young disciple standing there alone, face flushed like rosy clouds, Ying Jiuhua suddenly thought of Xiao Lingyu’s name and felt a surge of displeasure. He strode quickly toward Xiao Hei.
“Crack!” A loud sound suddenly rang out, breaking Xiao Hei’s wandering thoughts. Startled, he looked up to see the already fractured sky splitting wider, countless streams of gray mist pouring through the cracks and gathering overhead.
As the裂隙 widened, the surrounding pavilions, towers, green trees, and red blossoms all vanished. The previously faint outline of a black mountain now appeared clearly before them. To everyone’s surprise, the entire mountain was inverted—what they had thought was the peak was actually its base. From afar, the black hall at the summit seemed to be embedded upside down into the void.
Xiao Hei looked around in shock. The entire black mountain floated within a silent, lifeless expanse, surrounded by swirling gray mist. A faint, transparent barrier seemed to separate it from the outside.
While Xiao Hei was still dazed, Ying Jiuhua had already reached his side. He looked him over carefully, a trace of concern flashing through his eyes before he spoke casually, “The illusion has been broken. Stay behind me.”
Xiao Hei blinked in surprise. “Didn’t Master say there were six array cores? But we’ve only found four.”
Ying Jiuhua’s expression remained unchanged. “If I can deduce their locations, others can as well. Or perhaps they stumbled upon them by chance.” As he spoke, a thought flickered through his mind—had Xiao Lingyu obtained the Thousand Illusion Stone intentionally, or by accident?
He glanced at Xiao Hei without revealing anything and swallowed the question he had intended to ask. Regardless of how Xiao Lingyu got it, he would never mention that name again in front of Xiao Hei.
Xiao Hei also thought of Xiao Lingyu at that moment. Recalling the way Xiao Lingyu had looked at the Thousand Illusion Stone, Xiao Hei’s heart stirred. It seemed Xiao Lingyu recognized it—could it be that he had found the last stone? Instinctively, Xiao Hei wanted to tell Ying Jiuhua, but then he remembered his master’s hostility toward Xiao Lingyu. For Xiao Lingyu’s sake, it was better to say nothing. No matter who it was, breaking the illusion was a good thing.
Thus, the two of them reached an unspoken agreement regarding Xiao Lingyu. Ying Jiuhua cast a thoughtful glance at the empty void outside, then led Xiao Hei toward the grand hall at the mountain’s peak.
—
When the illusion shattered, Xiao Lingyu was holding back laughter, looking obediently at Chu Mingwei, hoping to change the subject as quickly as possible.
Chu Mingwei and Old Ghost Head were glaring at each other. Every time Chu Mingwei tried to make an intimate move, Old Ghost Head would sneer. No matter how composed Chu Mingwei was, he could not act freely under such scrutiny—especially knowing that their earlier intimacy had been witnessed. His expression could only be described as… “colorful.”
Xiao Lingyu silently reflected that he had grown so used to Old Ghost Head being around since childhood that he had not found anything awkward. Now seeing his senior brother’s reaction, he realized this was the normal response. After reflecting, Xiao Lingyu decisively cast a silencing spell on Old Ghost Head, then turned to deal with Chu Mingwei.
Just as he was trying, the surroundings suddenly shifted. Chu Mingwei immediately stood up, scanning the area before turning to Xiao Lingyu. “Lingyu, the illusion array has been broken.”
Xiao Lingyu frowned. “Could it be Leng Hanyuan? From his earlier behavior, he seemed quite familiar with this cave. Breaking the illusion isn’t impossible for him.”
Chu Mingwei looked around thoughtfully. “Now that the illusion is gone, we must find a way out quickly and return to Wu City.”
Their gazes met, and at the same time, both turned toward the hall atop the mountain.
—
Not long after Xiao Lingyu and Chu Mingwei left, a figure in white rushed over from afar. Soon, Leng Hanyuan appeared amid the collapsed ruins of the hall, his face dark.
After surveying the wreckage, he carefully took out a round, palm-sized artifact, dark in color and covered in strange symbols. At its center, a blood-red needle spun rapidly—it looked strikingly similar to the device once held by the Ghost Spirit Sect disciples.
When the needle kept spinning without stopping, Leng Hanyuan’s expression grew uglier.
Who was it? Who had arrived here first? Who had taken that item?
His face twisted with fury. The thought that his ancestor had exhausted all his strength—risking complete soul destruction—to locate that treasure, and that he himself had nearly died countless times to reach this place, only for it to be taken first… filled him with uncontrollable rage. He wanted nothing more than to cripple the one who had taken it, to flay them alive and scatter their soul.
As his anger surged, wisps of black energy seeped from his body, swirling around him like a ghostly aura. At the same time, the needle in the device spun faster—then suddenly jerked and pointed toward a corner of the hall.
Leng Hanyuan’s eyes flickered. He strode over, quickly overturning a pile of black stones. Beneath them lay a pale face.
His gaze darkened as he examined the unconscious Xu Xuan. Whatever had happened, Xu Xuan’s spiritual power was completely gone—he was like a cripple.
As Leng Hanyuan approached, the red needle locked firmly onto Xu Xuan. A cold smile appeared on his face. It seemed that item was on Xu Xuan.
Although he briefly wondered why the device had not reacted earlier, seeing it now fixed on Xu Xuan dispelled his doubts. Carefully lifting Xu Xuan from the rubble, Leng Hanyuan searched him thoroughly.
Nothing. There was nothing.
His expression darkened as he examined Xu Xuan’s bare body—he had already torn off Xu Xuan’s clothes in the process, even checking his storage pouch. Yet no matter how many times he searched, he found nothing.
Glancing at the device, whose needle still pointed at Xu Xuan, Leng Hanyuan felt certain he was not mistaken. This artifact, refined under his ancestor’s guidance, was designed specifically to locate ancient demon relics. Wherever the needle pointed, demonic energy would be present—it could not be wrong.
Convinced the item was still with Xu Xuan, Leng Hanyuan’s gaze turned cold. As long as it was on him, he would find a way to obtain it.
Thinking of Xu Xuan’s infatuation with him, Leng Hanyuan’s lips curved. The dark expression on his face melted into gentle warmth. He held Xu Xuan tenderly, his hands idly brushing over the pale body in his arms, a glint of interest flashing in his eyes.
“Mmm…”
Xu Xuan awoke in pain, his body weak and powerless. Trying to circulate his spiritual energy, he found nothing—his meridians were completely empty. Panic filled him as he opened his eyes, meeting Leng Hanyuan’s concerned gaze.
“Junior Brother Xu, you’re finally awake.”
“Senior Brother Leng?” Xu Xuan murmured in surprise, only then realizing he was in Leng Hanyuan’s arms. Adjusting his position gently, Leng Hanyuan spoke with concern, “It’s good that you’re awake. Do you feel unwell anywhere?”
Leaning against him, Xu Xuan thought of his empty meridians and looked miserable. “Senior Brother… my spiritual power is gone. Am I… useless now?”
Leng Hanyuan smiled gently. “Of course not. You’ve only exhausted your energy. Once we return to the sect and rest for a few days, you’ll recover.”
“Really?” Xu Xuan’s eyes lit up, and Leng Hanyuan nodded.
Overcome with emotion, Xu Xuan tried to sit up, only to suddenly gasp and shrink back into Leng Hanyuan’s arms—he realized he was naked beneath the outer robe.
Seeing his flushed face, Leng Hanyuan said softly, “It’s my fault. I was in a hurry to treat your injuries and had to remove your clothes. You won’t blame me, will you?”
Xu Xuan bit his lip, looking shy. “How could I blame you? I should be thanking you.”
A trace of mockery flickered in Leng Hanyuan’s eyes, though his expression remained affectionate. “I’m glad you don’t mind.” Then he added, “The illusion is broken. The others must already be trying to leave. Bear with it—I’ll take you to meet up with them.”
Having awakened in Leng Hanyuan’s embrace and receiving such tenderness, Xu Xuan felt as though his long-held wish had finally come true. Whatever Leng Hanyuan said, he followed without question, enduring the pain as they made their way toward the hall atop the mountain.