Chapter 147

Lu Fang frowned; he had already seen through that all of this was an illusion, yet why hadn't the illusion ended?

Did he have to kill the person before him?

Li Yu happened to meet Lu Fang's gaze, startled; she looked at him with innocent eyes and said, "You're playing tricks again—your gaze is terrifying. I'm truly frightened. I love you so much, and you want to kill me?"

Lu Fang remained silent. After long hesitation, he let out a heavy sigh and swept his sleeve toward the Li Yu before him.

The Li Yu before him instantly bled from all seven orifices; even as she faded away, she smiled and said, "I love you so much, yet you want to kill me? Isn't it better to stay with me forever?"

Boom! The scene shattered like a mirror into countless fragments.

Lu Fang once again broke through the illusion, but this time he felt no joy—only profound heaviness.

He remembered every detail of what had just happened.

Though he knew the Li Yu there was an illusion, witnessing it firsthand still left him deeply unsettled.

"You look pale. Are you alright?"

Zhao Qingzhu's voice came to him.

Lu Fang shook his head. "Not serious. I just need a moment to recover. If this is the extent of the illusion, I don't believe it can trap me."

The first illusion was what he feared.

The second was what he desired.

He didn't know what the third illusion would be, but it certainly wouldn't be easy. If his memories weren't blocked, he might not have become too immersed.

What he feared most was that, at some moment in the illusion, his memories would vanish, and he'd believe everything was real—like the second illusion, where he had to kill someone he loved, even if it was just an illusion, it wasn't easy.

After a brief rest, Lu Fang began climbing the Sword Mountain again.

Illusions arose endlessly, almost all centered on his friends, family, and those he cared for. Breaking them was never easy, yet he succeeded each time.

By now he had reached the mid-slope, and his heart had been tempered by the illusions into stone.

Thus, though the illusions at the mid-slope were harder, Lu Fang now dismantled them with ease—something that left him both amused and exasperated.

At this moment, the sky began to darken.

Zhao Qingzhu called from the mountain's base: "The Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon is about to emerge. Don't forget the time limit—what do we do? Keep climbing the Sword Mountain, or retreat for now?"

Lu Fang hesitated.

Getting here had been difficult. If possible, he didn't want to abandon it halfway. He was at the mid-slope—perhaps the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon couldn't enter. After all, entering this mountain required passing through illusions.

Yet he worried—what if the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon ignored these illusions?

As he pondered, Zhao Qingzhu suddenly exclaimed in shock: "The swords on the Sword Mountain have vanished?"

Lu Fang looked up—and indeed, the sword that should have been atop the peak was gone. He furrowed his brow and climbed upward, reaching the summit without encountering a single illusion.

Not only had the sword vanished—the illusions had vanished too.

After confirming this, he no longer hesitated and returned with Zhao Qingzhu to the Ancient Castle.

"It seems things aren't as simple as we thought. To obtain the sword from the Sword Mountain, you must break all the illusions during daylight—quickly."

Lu Fang said, frowning.

He had considered himself cold and ruthless in breaking illusions today. But if he had to break them all within a time limit, it wouldn't be a simple matter of one plus one equals two.

It would be one plus a hundred.

No wonder this was a Buddhist realm's trial ground. The illusions on this mountain were clearly meant to refine the heart.

Zhao Qingzhu sighed. "I tried one illusion today—it took me half the day to break it. Your speed before was already fast. Breaking every illusion on the mountain during daylight? It's practically impossible."

Lu Fang felt deeply moved. He forced a faint smile.

"It does seem difficult. But with repeated practice, improving speed to break illusions isn't entirely out of reach."

Zhao Qingzhu shook her head. "You're being too hard on yourself."

She had entered illusions herself. She knew the torment of breaking them one after another. Calling it "breaking illusions" was generous—it was more like enduring torture.

That night, the Ox-Horned Red-Eyed Demon appeared again, roaring and prowling near the Ancient Castle.

At dawn, it was dragged away once more by chains.

This time, Lu Fang wasted no time. He rushed to the Sword Mountain at top speed and began climbing without hesitation.

This time, his speed in breaking illusions increased dramatically.

Yet no matter how fast he moved, before dusk he had only climbed a short way past the mid-slope. As things stood, reaching the summit and claiming the sword during daylight still seemed distant.

Again and again, he sped up.

Again and again, he endured illusions.

Gradually, Lu Fang grew numb. His eyes grew hollow. Yet after nearly a month of accumulation, his speed in breaking illusions became terrifying.

He would enter an illusion and exit it almost instantly.

It was at this moment that Lu Fang encountered the illusion atop the summit.

As the illusions around him twisted, Lu Fang found himself back in the Wen Guan Marquis's mansion in the capital of Da Zhou. To his surprise, he remembered everything.

Then Li Yu and Lu Ling walked in together.

Lu Fang's face was expressionless. "This illusion seems too easy. I'm disappointed."

Li Yu smiled gently. "You're mistaken. This isn't an illusion. By the way, do you want to leave this punishment ground?"

Lu Fang frowned. "Of course I want to leave this hellhole—otherwise I wouldn't be here. If I had time, I'd gladly talk with you more. But night is coming."

"You're not Li Yu. She's not Lu Ling."

"Kill you both, and I'll see them again. So I feel no burden."

Lu Ling grinned. "Brother, you're mistaken. Li sister said it isn't an illusion."

Li Yu smiled at Lu Fang and added, "If you don't believe it, try it."

Lu Fang snorted, pointing sharply at Li Yu and Lu Ling. To his shock, the two women remained unharmed, and the illusion showed no sign of breaking.

Something's wrong!

In previous illusions, recognizing them as illusions and striking out would break them. Now, it didn't work.

Lu Ling spread her hands and laughed. "I didn't lie, did I? This isn't an illusion. To leave this place, it's simple—you die here."

"There has never been a sword on this mountain. That was only your illusion. To leave this place, you must willingly trade your life for another's freedom. Are you willing?"