Dan Tie

Chapter 515 The Consequences of Pretending to Know

"It's not certain yet," Ye Fan shook his head. "But I suspect... we might have entered an illusion array."

"Illusion array?"

Yun Hua Zhenren was clearly taken aback.

He had encountered quite a few illusion arrays before.

While some illusions were incredibly realistic, and he had even nearly become permanently lost in them a few times, any illusion array, no matter how powerful, would have some subtle indication when it activated.

It was only after activation, by disturbing their five senses, that they were unable to find their way out.

But from before until now, there had been no discernible sign of an illusion array activating.

Ye Fan's words were also heard by those from the Wujin Sect.

"Impossible!" an elder immediately retorted. "If an illusion array had truly activated, everyone wouldn't be so completely unaware."

"Exactly," another elder agreed. "Moreover, the scenery here hasn't changed one bit from the beginning. How do you explain that?"

An illusion, by its very nature, deceives people through environmental changes.

Would anyone go to such lengths to create an illusion array only to maintain an identical environment?

Wasn't that just asking for trouble, like a fool banging their head against a wall?

"Perhaps," Ye Fan replied casually.

It wasn't that he couldn't refute them, but rather that he couldn't be bothered.

The cultural and knowledge gaps in this world were too vast. It wasn't surprising they would react this way.

After all, you couldn't expect someone who had just learned to count to 10 to solve advanced mathematics.

Though he called it a suspicion, Ye Fan felt there was a high probability they had indeed entered an illusion.

This was because he detected a peculiar scent in the air.

A ninth-tier array material – Dreamy Crystal!

The reason he wasn't entirely certain was that the scent was extremely faint.

Furthermore, it was mixed with the surrounding heat and smell of burning, making it difficult for him to discern clearly.

Either they were too far away, or something was masking the scent.

There was also another point.

His body told him there was something wrong with the surrounding environment!

That's right.

Not his mind, but his body was transmitting this information!

It was a peculiar and strange sensation.

Somewhat akin to muscle memory, but not entirely.

This was a feeling Ye Fan had never experienced before.

As for when they might have fallen prey to it...

It could have been when they left the puppet hall, or after they had traveled for a while.

Or perhaps it was just now...

There was one point Ye Fan agreed with the others on.

That was that he hadn't detected any abnormal fluctuations throughout the entire process.

Although he currently had no cultivation, ever since he could guide spiritual energy to refine pills and artifacts, his sensitivity to spiritual energy fluctuations had returned.

An illusion array constructed with ninth-tier Dreamy Crystals would have a maximum tier of thirteen.

An illusion array within tier thirteen should not be able to escape his perception!

This was the most perplexing part for Ye Fan.

He could smell the array material, yet he couldn't perceive when the grand array was activated!

Only one thing was certain.

The environment here would not remain unchanged, nor would it remain safe forever!

The theory that illusion arrays merely trap people without posing any danger only applied to low-level illusions.

Truly high-level illusion arrays were no less terrifying than other killing formations!

The notion of being trapped to death was even more impossible!

Because before you could starve to death, you would have already been killed by the illusion array!

They had to find a way to break this illusion array immediately, or the danger would only grow!

"If you don't understand, don't spout nonsense," the elder from the Wujin Sect scoffed, and casually cast a spell towards the surroundings. "Today, I'll teach you a lesson. If this truly is an illusion, my attack will have absolutely no effect on the surroundings. This is the simplest way to identify an illusion. Remember it from now on!"

With that, he raised his hand and unleashed a spell.

"Don't..."

Ye Fan tried to stop him, but it was too late!

"Rumble—!"

A nearby building immediately collapsed into ruins.

"Kid, see that?" the elder pointed proudly at the rubble. "If it were truly an illusion, this place would quickly recover, or completely disappear."

"I'll go to your grandma's!" Ye Fan immediately cursed. "If you don't understand, don't pretend to! Are you trying to get us all killed?!"

The elder's supposed experience wasn't entirely wrong, it just applied to low-level illusions.

And an illusion set up with Dreamy Crystals clearly did not fall into that category.

Casually attacking something within an illusion was akin to playing with fire in a gunpowder magazine!

"Insolent!" the elder's anger flared. "A mere child dares to..."

Before he could finish speaking, a violent tremor shook the surroundings!

"Rumble—!"

All the buildings collapsed and then vanished!

The surroundings instantly turned a milky white!

They couldn't even feel the ground beneath their feet!

It was as if their entire bodies were suspended in mid-air!

As this white mist appeared, people were horrified to find their senses weakening!

Even more bizarrely...

This white mist contained no spiritual energy fluctuations, yet they felt a slight stagnation in their true qi!

Mobilizing it was far less smooth than before...

"Rumble—!"

The tremors continued.

Judging by the sound, it seemed to be getting closer.

Yet, they saw nothing at all...

The strangeness of it all immediately brought to mind the puppet assassin from before.

If it were something like that, it would be troublesome...

Finally, the tremors stopped.

"Roar—!"

A roar signaled the beginning of the battle!

"Bang—!"

A few cultivators who were too close were sent flying before they could even react!

Yun Hua Zhenren and the Sect Master of the Wujin Sect's eyes flashed.

It was demonic energy!

Demonic energy meant the opponent this time was a beast.

At least...

It was within a familiar scope for them!

Everyone immediately circulated their true qi and counterattacked.

Although they still couldn't see the enemy, they could lock onto its approximate location through the demonic energy fluctuations.

However, after fighting for a while, everyone couldn't help but frown.

This beast not only had fierce attacks but was also incredibly fast!

Often, by the time they located the beast based on its demonic energy and attacked, it had already dodged!

Then, the beast would strike from an unexpected angle with a fatal blow!

And this wasn't the most critical issue.

As time passed, the beast's demonic energy fluctuations grew weaker and weaker!

That faint demonic energy, mixed with so many spell fluctuations, was almost imperceptible!

They already couldn't see the beast, and if they could no longer detect its demonic energy fluctuations, then the game was truly up...

Furthermore, their own true qi was being suppressed by the white mist, making it extremely difficult to mobilize.

A spell that would normally be cast smoothly now required half a breath to complete!

Half a breath, though seemingly brief,

Even so brief that it could be considered negligible.

But in battles of this magnitude, half a breath was enough to result in countless deaths!

In terms of raw power, this beast was much weaker than the previous alchemical puppet.

However, with their own strength being continuously weakened, it was equivalent to indirectly strengthening the beast's power!

Their current predicament was even more dangerous than when they faced the puppets!

An elder from the Wujin Sect sensed an attack and immediately circulated his true qi to defend with all his might.

But his normally smooth true qi seemed to suddenly clog up...

Before he could even complete his defense, he took a solid blow!

"Bang—!"

His protective true qi instantly shattered!

He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string!

Along the way, he also knocked away several fellow disciples!

After landing and tumbling several times, the elder finally managed to stop.

"Cough cough..."

With every cough, he spat out a mouthful of blood.

His head buzzed, as if it had been hammered by a sledgehammer.

His entire body burned with pain, feeling as if it were being torn apart...

He tried to struggle to his feet.

But the moment he moved, he vomited another large mouthful of blood!

After several attempts, he ultimately failed.

He instinctively reached for his chest.

His ribcage seemed to be severely caved in...

His hand felt hot and sticky, as if it were blood...

Those soft things were likely his internal organs...

The pain began to subside...

His consciousness became sluggish...

His vision grew increasingly blurry...

Finally, his body slumped, and he closed his eyes...

...