Chapter 161 The Illusion of the East Sea Abyss, The Three Heroes Join Forces for the First Time
The sword-wings of the Silver-Armored Puppet sliced through the sky, carrying Lin Yue and Ye Qingcheng straight toward the Abyss of the East Sea.
As they drew closer to the sea, the moisture in the air grew denser, mingled with the salty stench of the sea breeze and a faint, lingering Evil Qi, causing even their Spiritual Qi circulation to become sluggish.
On the distant horizon, dark clouds hung low as dark purple lightning flickered within the layers. The sea surged with ink-black giant waves, and between the crashing billows, one could actually see tiny spatial cracks, flickering with a dangerous cold light like shattered glass.
That was the edge of the Abyss of the East Sea, the legendary site of the ruins left by the Sea God Yu Qiang; at this moment, it was emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.
“Be careful, the barrier of the Abyss of the East Sea is just ahead.” Ye Qingcheng controlled the Silver-Armored Puppet to descend slowly, pale blue Spiritual Qi condensing at her fingertips. “Ancient records state that the periphery of the Abyss of the East Sea is guarded by a natural illusion created by the Shen Dragon Clan. Once you step inside, your deepest obsessions will be stirred. One careless move and you will be lost in it.”
Lin Yue gripped the sea-suppressing bead in his hand. The translucent blue orb emitted a gentle water-attribute Spiritual Qi, isolating the surrounding Evil Qi. “The sea-suppressing bead can suppress the malevolence of the sea; perhaps it can resist the erosion of the illusion. We must proceed with caution. If we encounter anything abnormal, we will immediately retreat into the Hongmeng Space.”
As soon as the two stepped into the sea's range, the surrounding scenery shifted abruptly. The originally surging giant waves vanished, replaced by a calm sandy beach. At the end of the beach stood a magnificent palace, its roof embedded with countless brilliant pearls—it was exactly the sight of the Kunlun Sect's mountain gate.
“Is this... my illusion?” Lin Yue’s heart stirred, and his Divine Sense instantly became clear. He saw through the flaw of the illusion at a glance—though the grains of sand on the beach were realistic, they lacked the irregular patterns formed by nature, clearly condensed from the power of a Shen Dragon.
However, Ye Qingcheng beside him had a dazed look in her eyes as she walked slowly toward the palace.
In her illusion, the palace displayed countless rare mechanical Materials. On a high platform in the center lay the final supreme treasure needed to refine her life-bound Puppet, ‘Silver Moon’—the Astral Core.
That was the Opportunity she had pursued for many years. Now that it was right before her eyes, it was difficult to resist.
“Qingcheng, wake up! This is an illusion!” Lin Yue reached out to grab her, but was blocked by an invisible barrier. The power of the illusion spread along the barrier, attempting to invade his Sea of Consciousness and stir up his own inner obsessions.
In an instant, the scene before Lin Yue’s eyes also changed.
He had returned to the East Peak of the Qingyun Sect. Liu Qingyan, Su Qingyuan, Luo Ningshuang, and A He were surrounding him, their expressions anxious.
Something had gone wrong during their core formation process; their Spiritual Qi was in chaos, and they could suffer a Qi Deviation at any moment. Meanwhile, the sea-suppressing bead in his hand was dim and lusterless, and the Hongmeng Space had lost its response. He could only watch helplessly as they fell into crisis.
“Is this your obsession? Wanting to protect everyone, yet being powerless.” A cold voice rang out in his Sea of Consciousness—it was the will of the Shen Dragon. “Sink into it. Here, you can protect them forever; you don't have to face the dangers of the Abyss of the East Sea.”
Lin Yue's mind wavered slightly. The scene before him was too real—those familiar faces, those anxious cries—it almost made him give up his resistance.
But he soon regained his clarity—true protection was not indulging in a false illusion, but using one's strength to clear away all dangers so they could be safe and worry-free.
“sea-suppressing bead, break!” Lin Yue activated the Golden Core power within his body and injected it into the sea-suppressing bead.
The orb's translucent blue light exploded like a brilliant sun, instantly tearing apart the illusion before him. The beach and palace dissipated, revealing once again the surging giant waves and the dark purple sky.
He turned to look at Ye Qingcheng, only to see that she had already reached the core area of the illusion, her fingertips about to touch that Astral Core. Lin Yue did not dare to hesitate; the sea-suppressing bead turned into a streak of blue light and flew straight toward the space between Ye Qingcheng’s brows. Gentle Spiritual Qi poured in, awakening her from the illusion.
“I... what happened just now?” Ye Qingcheng came to her senses, her eyes full of alarm. “I saw the Astral Core, I almost...”
“It's the Shen Dragon's illusion, specifically designed to stir up inner obsessions.” Just as Lin Yue finished speaking, he sensed a familiar fluctuation of Spiritual Qi from the sea to their left. He turned to look and saw Zhang Luoyan hovering in mid-air, the moon crystal wheel spinning in her hand as she tried to resist the erosion of the illusion, but her eyes also held a dazed look; she had clearly fallen into a predicament as well.
In Zhang Luoyan's illusion, she had returned to the Saintess Hall of the Kunlun Sect. The Sect Head and Elders were looking at her with disappointed eyes: “As the Saintess, you have consorted with wicked people and defiled the reputation of the Kunlun Sect. As of today, your position as Saintess is revoked!”
Rumors and slanders flooded in like a tide, and the fellow disciples who once respected her all stayed away; she had become the shame of the Kunlun Sect. This was the scene she feared most, throwing her mind into chaos. The light of the moon crystal wheel grew dimmer and dimmer as the power of the illusion took the Opportunity to invade, wanting to completely seize control of her Sea of Consciousness.
“She won't last much longer!” Ye Qingcheng said urgently. “The Shen Dragon illusion grows stronger as the obsession deepens. If this continues, her Divine Soul will be swallowed by the illusion!”
Lin Yue did not hesitate and said to Ye Qingcheng, “Use the Silver-Armored Puppet to pin down the peripheral power of the illusion. I will go break her illusion's core. The sea-suppressing bead can suppress Evil Qi; perhaps it can help her wake up!”
Ye Qingcheng nodded and formed a seal with her fingers. The Silver-Armored Puppet instantly disassembled into countless silver shards, transforming into a silver web of light that shrouded the illusion's power surrounding Zhang Luoyan. The mechanical patterns on the silver shards lit up, emitting a piercing hum that tore several gaps into the power of the illusion.
Lin Yue leaped up, the sea-suppressing bead blooming with brilliant light in his hand as he passed through the light web to arrive before Zhang Luoyan. At this moment, Zhang Luoyan's eyes were hollow, the rotation of the moon crystal wheel was slowing down, and the Spiritual Qi around her was in total disarray.
“Saintess Zhang, wake up!” Lin Yue pressed the sea-suppressing bead against her brow, gentle Spiritual Qi pouring in. At the same time, he shouted in a low voice, “You possess the Lunar Spirit Body and are the pride of the Kunlun Sect. How can you sink because of a mere illusion? The rumors of the outside world are but passing clouds; only your own strength is the foundation you stand upon!”
The power of the sea-suppressing bead and his words took effect simultaneously. Zhang Luoyan’s body shuddered violently, and the hollowness in her eyes gradually receded. She looked at Lin Yue before her, then at the surging illusion power around them, instantly realizing she had fallen into a dangerous situation.
“You two again?” Zhang Luoyan's tone was still cold, but the wariness in her eyes had lessened. She could feel that Lin Yue's Spiritual Qi was helping her resist the illusion, and it wasn't out of malice.
“Now is not the time to argue!” Lin Yue said solemnly. “The core of the Shen Dragon's illusion is in the deep sea below. We must join forces to destroy it, or we will never be able to enter the Abyss of the East Sea!”
Before his voice could fade, the sea surface suddenly surged violently, and a massive phantom emerged from the deep sea. It was a Shen Dragon with a colossal body, covered entirely in silver-white scales, its eyes emitting a ghostly purple glow—it was the very source of the illusion.