txolops Chapter 295 The Illusory Black Palace
Chapter 295 The Illusory Black Palace
Upon hearing this, Luo Ming felt somewhat relieved. The confidence of the Heavenly Mirror Hermit was not unfounded.
A great cultivator who once stood at the pinnacle of the human realm possesses a will and insight that cannot be easily shaken by ordinary illusions. With him "sitting in" in my sea of consciousness, I undoubtedly have an extra layer of protection when fighting against illusions.
"In that case, I can rest assured. With you here, senior, we should have a better chance of navigating this wondrous illusion."
Luo Ming took a deep breath, adjusting himself to his optimal state. He silently circulated the "Azure Nether Scripture" and the "Myriad Spirits Blood Technique," his blood and magical power slowly flowing, stabilizing his physical essence and magical power; his divine sense was contained, like a calm lake reflecting himself; and the divine power of the Qianyang Fire Eye was also ready to be activated at any time.
A resolute glint flashed in his eyes. Without further hesitation, he took firm steps into the square bluestone passage, heading towards the ever-changing, hazy white light at the end.
Luo Ming's footsteps landed, and he stepped into that familiar, hazy place.
The surrounding scenery was swirling and misty. The illusion that initially appeared was just as Luo Ming had imagined. As soon as the misty fog condensed, it transformed into graceful young women who emerged from the haze.
They leaned or swayed, their eyes rippling like water, full of affection; or they gently unfurled their wide sleeves, their slender waists swaying gracefully, each one exuding just the right amount of charm, as if they wanted to crush all the myriad emotions and deliver them directly to the heart of the intruder.
After watching it with interest for a while, Luo Ming felt somewhat bored.
After all, he had seen the world in his previous life, where technology was advanced. These things seemed rather mundane to him, except for some exotic costumes that piqued his curiosity.
He didn't stop walking, treating it as if he were watching a rather boring dance of colorful costumes that had nothing to do with him.
Perhaps sensing this heartless indifference, the illusion finally began to change. Those bright, ingratiating smiles, like rouge washed away by water, gradually faded, replaced by a melancholy and sorrowful hue.
A trace of impatience finally crossed Luo Ming's brow. Deep within his eyes, a spark of crimson-gold silently ignited, not violently, but with an absolute clarity that pierced through illusion. Whatever his gaze fell upon was like snow being splashed with boiling water.
In an instant, that beautiful and sorrowful face, that poignant and unspoken figure, all vanished like smoke and clouds.
There were no screams, no struggles, only the most essential form revealed—there were no beautiful women, only wisps and strands of purer, more concentrated mist, silently circulating around him.
Luo Ming's gaze fell on the ethereal energy returning to its origin, and he understood.
"So that's how it is..." he murmured to himself, his voice unusually clear in the silence where only mist remained. "All that I saw just now, the illusions of the seven emotions, the appearances of greed, anger and lust, all originated from these things."
Luo Ming probed the mirages with his divine sense and immediately felt a faint but persistent disturbance to his soul, as if countless subtle thoughts were being stirred up and then quickly calmed down. With a thought, his Qianyang Fire Eyes heated slightly, and a very faint crimson-gold halo flowed deep within his pupils, instantly isolating the invisible intrusion and keeping his mind clear.
Looking at the ever-changing multicolored mirage around him, Luo Ming suddenly had a thought and remembered the thousand-year-old multicolored spirit clam in his spirit beast bag.
This beast's innate ability is to breathe out five-colored mirages to create realistic illusions, which helped him a great deal back then.
The mirage energy formed from the restrictions of the Void Heaven Palace before us is extremely similar to, or even more refined than, the mirage energy emitted by the Spirit Clam, in terms of its shape, aura, and the disturbing nature of it!
"The mirage here... could it be of great benefit to this beast?" A thought flashed through Luo Ming's mind, and his eyes gleamed slightly.
Without further hesitation, the Five Spirit Bracelet on his wrist flashed with a faint light, and a five-colored ray of light rolled out, landing on the open ground beside him, transforming into a giant spirit clam the size of a millstone, with a shimmering shell covered in mysterious natural patterns.
Over the years, Luo Ming has not mistreated it, feeding it a lot of spirit stones. Its aura is much stronger than before, and it has faintly reached the level of a fifth-level demon beast. The power of the illusions it creates has also increased, and even ordinary late-stage Core Formation cultivators can fall into its trap if they are not careful.
However, Luo Ming's own divine sense had already reached the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage, and he also possessed supernatural abilities such as the Qianyang Fire Eye. Therefore, the illusionary techniques of the spirit clam were no longer very effective against him. Thus, he kept it inside the Five Spirit Bracelet to keep the Azure Dragon company and focused on his cultivation.
As soon as the spirit clam appeared, it seemed to sense the rich and pure aura of the same origin in the surrounding environment. Its two thick, multicolored shells opened and closed slightly, appearing somewhat "excited".
"Go, try and see if you can absorb and refine this mirage energy?" Luo Ming communicated with his mind and issued the command.
As the thousand-year-old clam received the command, its shell opened a crack, and an invisible yet exquisite suction force emanated from within. This suction force was not directed at spiritual energy or physical objects, but specifically at the ethereal aura that could create illusions.
A strange thing happened!
The surrounding, previously drifting, seemingly unrestrained, multicolored mirage seemed to be summoned, changing direction and transforming into slender streams of multicolored energy that rushed towards the opening of the spirit clam! Their speed was so great that they formed a small, multicolored vortex around the spirit clam!
"It really works!" Luo Ming's face lit up with a joyful smile upon seeing this. The mirage energy within the Void Heaven Palace was an excellent tonic for this thousand-year-old spirit clam!
"It seems that the opportunity for this spirit clam has arrived." Luo Ming was in a great mood. While maintaining the operation of the Qianyang Fire Eye to resist the invasion of the remaining mirage energy, he led the spirit clam towards the core area where the mirage energy was even denser.
With the Spirit Clam, the "Mirage Devourer," leading the way, Luo Ming's progress was greatly reduced. The Spirit Clam was like a bottomless pit, greedily absorbing all the misty vapors it encountered along the way. Wherever it passed, the colorful mist noticeably thinned, dimmed, and even struggled to maintain its complete form.
At first, Luo Ming had to use his Qianyang Fire Eyes to resist the mirage's invasion. But after walking for about an incense stick's time, the surrounding mirage had been mostly absorbed by the spirit clam, becoming so thin as to be almost transparent.
And so, Luo Ming, with the ever-feeding thousand-year-old spirit clam, strolled through this illusory passage that should have been fraught with peril, with an almost leisurely air. The contrast was stark compared to the intense danger of the lava path they had encountered earlier.
About an hour later, the passage ahead came to an end.
The view suddenly opened up, but it also brought an even heavier sense of oppression.
Beyond the passage lay a vast, seemingly naturally formed underground plaza. The plaza's surface was a dark, black rock, smooth as a mirror, reflecting the faint, pale light cast from above.
At the end of the square stands a colossal palace, entirely black, with an ancient and simple design, and a magnificent presence that is awe-inspiring!
The temple was constructed of an unknown material, neither gold nor stone, and its entire structure exuded a strange quality that seemed to devour light and absorb sound, as if it could draw one's gaze and mind into it.
The hall was several tens of feet tall, with its eaves and brackets appearing heavy and menacing. Dark bronze bells, whether decorative or ritual implements, hung from the corners of the eaves, yet remained silent. The entire hall exuded an aura of antiquity, vicissitude, and death, completely out of place with its surroundings.
Most striking is a massive, blood-red plaque hanging above the main entrance of the hall. The plaque is made of neither wood nor jade, its crimson color seemingly dripping with blood. Inscribed on it, with twisted, unrestrained strokes, brimming with resentment and obsession, are two large characters that stir the soul at first glance: "Question Your Heart!"
Luo Ming's gaze sharpened, and his divine sense subconsciously probed forward, wanting to perceive the "Hall of Inquiry" more carefully.
However, as soon as his divine sense approached the area within a hundred feet of the main hall, it was as if he had hit an invisible and intangible yet incredibly resilient wall, and was mercilessly bounced back and blocked! No matter how much effort he put in, his divine sense could not advance even an inch further, as if that hundred-foot space had been sealed off and isolated by some absolute rule or power.
"Is this the legendary...Illusionary Black Palace?" Luo Ming frowned, his gaze solemn as he scrutinized the hall in front of him, its doors tightly shut, like a giant beast closing its mouth, waiting for its "prey" to walk into its trap.
He could sense that this "Hall of Inquiry" was the true core and end of the "Exquisite Illusion." The colorful mirages outside were perhaps just an appetizer; the real test lay within this colossal black hall that seemed capable of devouring everything.
The thousand-year-old spirit clam behind him seemed to sense the terrifying pressure and completely different aura coming from ahead. Its shell closed slightly, conveying a sense of vigilance and unease.
Luo Ming stared at the "Inquiry into the Heart" Black Hall before him, his mind racing. Combining what he had seen and learned from the Lava Road, the Scripture Pavilion, and other checkpoints, a bold guess gradually emerged.
"The first level, 'Land of Ghostly Grievances,' tests the cultivator's spiritual resilience and ability to deal with evil spirits; the second level, 'Path of Ice and Fire,' tests the cultivator's survival, adaptability, and combat prowess in extreme environments, and offers targeted 'treasure selection' rewards to compensate for weaknesses or enhance strengths."
Now, the core of this third level, the "Exquisite Illusion," is the "Hall of Inquiry," which directly targets the Dao heart, examines the true self, and tempers the will...
"The challenges along this route are interconnected, covering almost all the key tests and bottlenecks that cultivators need to face when trying to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, from the soul and mana to combat and mental character."
The rewards for clearing the level, whether it's the top-tier cultivation techniques and secret arts in the Scripture Pavilion, the rare elixirs in the Pill Refining Chamber, or the powerful ancient treasures in the Treasure Pavilion, are all immensely beneficial to Core Formation cultivators. Not to mention the final Heaven-Mending Pill, which can improve aptitude and assist in condensing the Nascent Soul…”
"This Void Heaven Palace... no matter how you look at it, it seems to be an ancient trial ground for inheritance, meticulously designed, systematically selected, cultivated, and supplied with native Nascent Soul stage seeds from the Chaotic Star Sea!"
A flash of understanding crossed Luo Ming's eyes. "And the trials of this 'Hall of Inquiry' are so similar to the inner demon tribulations that cultivators inevitably experience when breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage! If one can experience and overcome these trials here beforehand, or even just become familiar with the form and power of the inner demon illusions, then when truly breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, facing the inner demon tribulations will naturally give one more confidence and more composure!"
This discovery gave Luo Ming a completely new understanding of the "true purpose" of the Void Heaven Palace. It may not just be a secret realm for storing treasures, but may also carry a far-reaching plan left by some ancient powerful being to continue or strengthen the power of the high-level cultivators of the Chaotic Star Sea.
"It is said that this palace was built by an ancient powerful being, and it seems that this is not an unfounded rumor." In the sea of consciousness, the voice of Tianjing Sanren rang out, carrying a trace of vicissitude and sigh.
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