Chapter 2703: Psycho City Lord

A brief, nauseating weightlessness and dizziness.

Jin Chen quickly glanced around, his brows knitting; before him was no longer the gloomy, eerie pavilions of the ghost city, but mist-wreathed mountains brimming with spiritual energy.

The mountain wind brushed his face; in the distance, the clear cry of a crane sounded faintly, and atop the peak flew the upturned eaves—this was the Divination Dao Sect.

"Senior Brother!" came Chu Jiu Shan's incredulous voice from beside him, "We… we're back? We've left the ghost city?"

Jin Chen lifted his gaze to the familiar sect; it was utterly real, so real it felt eerie.

Moreover, the timeline seemed off.

He turned to the flustered Chu Jiu Shan, "Before entering the altar, did you hear anything?"

Chu Jiu Shan strained to recall, brows furrowed, "It… in a daze, I seemed to hear a voice asking me a question… asking where I wanted to go, or what I wanted? I can't recall… my mind was fuzzy then, and as soon as I opened my eyes I was here."

He wore a bewildered expression, "Senior Brother, do you mean… this isn't real?"

Jin Chen also heard that question, and when it sounded, the answer that surfaced in his mind belonged to the original owner.

Presumably, like Chu Jiu Shan, he wished to return to the sect, to before everything happened, to five years ago.

But is this truly five years ago?

Just then, a clear, warm voice tinged with indulgence came from the small path behind them.

"Xiao Chen, Xiao Shan! You two sneaked down the mountain to play again? Let me, your uncle, find you easily!"

Chu Jiu Shan's whole body jolted, and he abruptly turned.

Seeing the visitor, he seemed frozen, that familiar handsome face reflected in his pupils; tears spilled over, his voice choked and trembling: "Little… little Junior Uncle…"

Jin Chen's heart also stirred, his gaze falling on the youth.

Indeed, five years ago, this Junior Uncle who treated them like a younger brother, both teacher and friend, had not yet perished in that fierce calamity.

At that time, the Divination Dao Sect had not yet fractured; it remained a coveted place of cultivation within the Profound Gate.

Jin Chen stepped forward, blocking Chu Jiu Shan who lunged ahead, and looked calmly at Yun Qingzi, his tone neutral: "Junior Uncle, what year is it tonight?"

Yun Qingzi was startled by the question, then chuckled, reaching to ruffle Jin Chen's hair, but Jin Chen subtly avoided him.

He didn't mind, laughing: "Xiao Chen, did you go down the mountain and play yourself silly? You even forgot the year? Today is naturally the twelfth year of the Yunshi era."

The twelfth year of the Yunshi era.

It is today, not five years ago.

Jin Chen's eyes flickered; this illusion blended memory and reality.

Jin Chen turned to Chu Jiu Shan, who hastily wiped his face with his sleeve, put on an overly bright smile, took a few steps to the Junior Uncle's side, and affectionately grabbed his arm, shaking it: "Junior Uncle! We know our mistake! We'll go back, we'll go back! I'm dying for the osmanthus cake on the mountain!"

Yun Qingzi smiled and nodded, then turned to lead the way.

Chu Jiu Shan walked two steps behind, then suddenly remembered something, looked back at the motionless Jin Chen, ran back quickly, and leaned close to his ear, lowering his voice.

"Senior Brother, I know! I know this is definitely the work of that nightmare fiend! It's an illusion! But… but since we're here, that fiend must be hiding in the sect! We have to go in to find it and break this illusion!"

"Don't worry, I won't be deceived! I know Junior Uncle has already…"

He spoke with conviction, but his slightly reddened eyes gave him away.

Jin Chen raised his hand and tapped his head, giving a half‑hearted warning: "You'd better be."

——

Several days passed quietly within the illusion.

The mountain's morning and evening bells remained, and the disciples' sword practice and chanting sounded exactly as remembered.

Chu Jiu Shan initially spoke with conviction, claiming he would never indulge in this false tranquility, but perhaps the feeling of returning to the past was too wonderful; he gradually stopped seeking Jin Chen to discuss dispelling the illusion, instead behaving as if truly returned to the past, trailing the Junior Uncle all day—either going down to the village to "capture" insignificant little sprites, or squatting in the Divination Hall to go through the motions of fortune‑telling.

Seeing this, Jin Chen simply stopped bothering and let him be.

Jin Chen covertly examined the entire illusion, and as he expected, the nightmare fiend's ability, though strange, also had limits.

Within the illusion it constructed, every blade of grass and tree was lifelike; yet once one tried to step beyond the mountain gate's range, the surroundings became shrouded in mist, the scenery blurred and distorted, and further ahead lay only void.

That day, Jin Chen was about to venture deeper into the mist when he heard a commotion coming from the sect's main courtyard.

Many disciples gathered together, whispering and discussing heatedly.

"Have you heard? Junior Uncle brought back a boy from outside!"

"What background? Could Junior Uncle be taking on a new disciple?"

"No… that boy looks…… tsk tsk, way too bewitching! Dressed all in red, his gaze is incredibly alluring!"

"I don't think it's proper…… could it be… that Junior Uncle found a furnace cauldron from somewhere?"

"Shh! Watch your words! Junior Uncle wouldn't be that kind of person!"

Jin Chen had no mind for such idle gossip; as he passed the gate at a distance, he casually glanced over the crowd—and locked eyes with someone.

Beside Yun Qingzi stood a youth clad in scarlet robes.

Though the youth's stature was not yet full, he already bore peerless elegance; his ink‑black hair fell like a waterfall, setting off a face of exquisite, otherworldly beauty—who else could it be but Yin Chaosheng?

But at this moment, having shed the gloomy, malevolent air of the ghost city's lord, he truly resembled an innocent yet naturally lethal‑charming sprite of a boy.

Jin Chen: "……"

His face remained impassive, but inside he felt amused.

His playful side was no small matter—he actually managed to mix in looking like that.

He walked straight toward the crowd.

Seeing him, the disciples respectfully made way, calling in unison, "Senior Brother!"

Jin Chen walked up to Yin Chaosheng, stopped, his gaze carrying a hint of teasing as he looked him up and down in this new guise.

The youthful Yin Chaosheng, lacking his usual gloomy depth, gained a touch of lively slyness; seeing Jin Chen approach, he was not fearful but instead tilted his head slightly, the corners of his mouth lifting in a pure, innocent arc, his voice clear and ringing with just the right hint of timidity.

"This Senior Brother… do you also want to take me as your furnace cauldron?" Having said that, his ears tinged with a faint blush.

Jin Chen raised an eyebrow, "Do what?"

Yin Chaosheng grew more shy, lowering his head; his voice was as faint as a mosquito: "Furnace cauldron… it's just a furnace cauldron, they all say that about me…"

He lifted his wet eyes, the strange beautiful gaze watery, looking at Jin Chen, as if he had suffered a great injustice.

Jin Chen lightly glanced around at the gossiping disciples, his gaze though faint carried an invisible pressure, causing the few disciples who spoke most fervently to fall silent instantly, lowering their heads.

He took Yin Chaosheng's cool wrist, lightly saying: "Come with me."