Chapter Twenty-Three: The Illusion Returns

As expected, after wandering through the secret realm for quite some time, Luo Longyu eventually had no choice but to sit down beside a pond. Surrounded by lush greenery, he muttered to himself, “What kind of godforsaken place is this? There’s not even an exit.”

“Divine Son, this is a secret realm. Without the proper method, you can’t get out,” came Hua Ziye’s voice from within the paper umbrella.

Luo Longyu was in a foul mood and said, “I told you, stop calling me Divine Son. My name is Luo Longyu.”

“Oh, all right, Luo Longyu,” Hua Ziye replied, not daring to challenge him.

After a long silence, Luo Longyu suddenly asked, “Do you know the method then?”

Hua Ziye couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “I’m just a wandering ghost, how would I know the secret methods of the ancient demon clans? Most of those methods have been lost to the outside world—if you’re not a direct disciple, you’d never know them. Besides, even if I did know, with my abilities, I couldn’t use them.” She paused, then continued, “But this place is quite nice. The spiritual energy is abundant. Staying here, I feel comfortable all over, and the erosion of my soul by the outside world has completely disappeared.”

“What do you mean?” Luo Longyu was puzzled.

Hua Ziye explained, “I told you before, didn’t I? Wandering ghosts who can’t find the path to reincarnation and linger in the mortal world are gradually eroded by the world’s energy. After all, souls don’t belong here. Over time, the soul grows weaker until it vanishes completely—scattered and gone forever.”

“So the secret realm is different from the outside world, still retaining the aura of ancient times?” Luo Longyu guessed.

“Yes, that’s probably it,” Hua Ziye replied, though she wasn’t entirely sure. Still, she couldn’t think of any other explanation.

Luo Longyu nodded and fell silent. After a while, Hua Ziye said, “Longyu, are you still angry with that old man?”

“Am I? Do I look angry?” Luo Longyu’s expression stayed grim.

Hua Ziye hesitated, then said, “Don’t get upset, but I actually think… that old man wasn’t trying to condemn humans. He seemed to have a deeper meaning, though I can’t figure it out.”

“You’re taking his side? Didn’t you hear how he talked about humans, as if their demon clan is perfect? My mother’s body was stolen by their kind!” Luo Longyu’s anger flared again. He picked up a stone and hurled it hard into the pond, sending a sparkling splash briefly into the air.

Hua Ziye showed her ghostly form and sat beside Luo Longyu. “That’s not entirely fair. The Saint’s body wasn’t just coveted by the demon clans. The main culprits were actually foreigners.”

“Foreigners… I just can’t understand. Why would foreigners want my mother’s body?” Luo Longyu muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Just then, a giant turtle suddenly leapt out of the pond with a startled cry, scaring Luo Longyu so much his hair stood on end. Without thinking, he lashed out with his foot, landing a solid kick on the turtle’s face. The creature let out a piteous scream, flew backward, and crashed into the rocky wall behind the pond. There, it transformed into a human form—it was Luo Mengxuan.

Watching Luo Mengxuan scramble awkwardly onto the shore, Luo Longyu’s eyes widened in disbelief. “So you’re actually a turtle spirit?”

“You’re the turtle spirit! Your whole family are turtle spirits! This is a transformation technique—do you understand transformation?” Furious from both the kick and the accusation, Luo Mengxuan nearly lost her mind and looked ready to pummel Luo Longyu.

Hua Ziye was also badly startled by the sudden appearance of the giant turtle and still sat there in shock, staring at Luo Longyu and Luo Mengxuan.

“Transformation?” Luo Longyu blinked, then leaned in to ask Hua Ziye in a low voice, “What’s transformation?”

“Uh… it means changing shape, I guess,” Hua Ziye replied blankly.

“Hmm… like Sun Wukong’s seventy-two transformations?” Luo Longyu asked.

Hua Ziye nodded. “About the same, I suppose.”

“Oh, now I get it.” Luo Longyu nodded, then looked at Luo Mengxuan, who was rubbing her nose. “Of all the things to transform into, why a turtle? And such a huge one at that.”

“I’ll do as I please—what’s it to you?” Luo Mengxuan snapped, sitting on a stone and glaring fiercely at him.

Luo Longyu realized he was in the wrong and, feeling awkward, just glanced at the foot he’d used to kick Luo Mengxuan. He muttered, “That felt good, though…”

“So, what’s your true form, then?” Luo Longyu asked, just to keep the conversation going.

“None of your business!” Luo Mengxuan shot back, leaving him speechless.

Perhaps shy, Hua Ziye fell silent as soon as Luo Mengxuan appeared. In her eyes, she was just a lowly ghost, while Luo Mengxuan belonged to the royal house of the Eastern Emperor—a difference of worlds.

Rubbing her sore nose, Luo Mengxuan eyed Hua Ziye and said sarcastically, “From the first moment I met this wretch, I sensed a ghostly aura. At first, I thought it was just mixed in with corpse energy, but turns out you really are a ghost. Hiding a beauty in a golden house, huh? No, in an umbrella… hiding a ghost!”

Luo Longyu shot her a sidelong glance. “Stop with the nonsense. You’re always popping up out of nowhere. What do you want this time?”

“Nothing. I was chasing a rabbit. Saw you sitting by the pond and thought you might be about to throw yourself in, so I came to talk you out of it.” Luo Mengxuan was still rubbing her nose.

Luo Longyu rolled his eyes. “First time I’ve seen someone try to counsel another by turning into a giant turtle.”

“I became a spirit turtle—not a turtle!” Luo Mengxuan bared her teeth angrily.

“Is there a difference?” Luo Longyu looked at her.

Luo Mengxuan was momentarily stumped. After a while, she muttered, “Fine, with someone as dense as you, there’s no point explaining.”

Luo Longyu couldn’t be bothered to bicker. “How do we get out of this secret realm? You must know the way.”

At this, Luo Mengxuan jumped up proudly. “Of course I do. But why should I tell you? Well, maybe I could, if you beg me.”

“I don’t beg for anything,” Luo Longyu said, folding his arms and rolling his eyes.

Luo Mengxuan’s face darkened. She shook her fist. “Who are you calling a dog? Say that again!”

“Fine, fine, I won’t argue with you. I’ll go ask the elder instead. Such a profound method, you probably don’t know it anyway.” Luo Longyu started to walk away.

“Haha, profound method for opening a secret realm? With your lack of brains, I’ll be merciful and tell you: Form three seals, body of heaven and earth, combine the secret door, make yourself the key, follow the seal to open, reverse it to lock.” As she spoke, Luo Mengxuan demonstrated the three seals with her hands, then shrugged. “It’s simple to form the seals. What’s hard is making yourself the key. You won’t manage it anyway.”

Luo Longyu sneered and copied the hand seals, but nothing happened. He turned to see Luo Mengxuan snickering and asked, “You’re not messing with me, are you?”

“Why would I bother messing with someone so clueless? I’d be embarrassed myself,” Luo Mengxuan laughed, clearly enjoying the show.

Just then, a ripple flickered through the void. The air split open, revealing the secret door.

“Is it like this?” Hua Ziye asked innocently, making the hand seals.

Luo Mengxuan was so shocked she turned to stone, mouth forming a perfect “O.” She hadn’t expected the ghostly girl to succeed in one try—it had taken her over three days to master it herself.

Even Luo Longyu was incredulous, but quickly recovered, grabbed the umbrella, bundled Hua Ziye inside, and laughed. “Thanks, turtle spirit—see you!” With that, he dashed through the secret door.

Luo Mengxuan finally snapped out of it and shouted, “Hey! I didn’t say you could leave! Come back!”

“Only a fool would go back! Hahaha!” Luo Longyu’s laughter echoed.

“First Celestial Palace, suppress!”

“Damn you!” Luo Longyu’s indignant yell was cut short as the Celestial Palace suddenly appeared and swallowed him whole…

An hour later, Luo Longyu sat in a stone pavilion, still sulking, glaring hatefully at Luo Mengxuan, who was munching an apple and humming a tune. At last, he couldn’t stand it. “Stop that humming! It’s awful!”

“Then listen south if you don’t like north,” Luo Mengxuan retorted, humming even louder.

Before long, the old man slowly entered the pavilion. Seeing Luo Longyu, his smile grew even wider, as if unaware Luo Longyu had been forcibly dragged there by Luo Mengxuan. He sat down and greeted him, “Ah, young man, you’re here.”

Luo Longyu rolled his eyes. “Brought here by the turtle spirit.”

“Turtle spirit?” The old man blinked, then glanced at Luo Mengxuan, who nearly choked on her apple. Sensing what had happened, he chuckled.

Luo Longyu gazed at the sea of clouds beside them and said coldly, “What do you want this time? Just say it, then let me go.”

Instead of answering, the old man walked to the edge of the pavilion, looked up at the blue sky, and asked, “Can you see the stars?”

Luo Longyu glanced upward. “Elder, with the sun so bright, how could I see stars?”

The old man smiled. “You can’t, but I can. See there? That withered galaxy, all fallen. And those metal warships, tumbling from the shattered sky—flames, death, terror, burning the earth.”

As the old man spoke, Luo Longyu felt something was off. Wasn’t this the illusion he often saw before? He looked up at the sky, and to his shock, truly saw the scene: like a mirage, sky and earth burning, people fleeing and perishing, warships streaking across the heavens, falling amid bursts of light. Mighty beings trampled the skies, invincible, and collapsing stars spun in endless despair—pure, overwhelming despair!