The disciples entered the first layer of the prison one after another.
As soon as they entered, they lost their sense of direction. This was because the first layer was shrouded in thick fog.
No matter if through the naked eye or by divine sense, it was impossible to penetrate this fog. It felt as if the fog wasn't in the prison, but rather in their minds.
In the Immortal Performance Hall, an elder stroked his long beard and said,
"Although it's a trial for new students, this is indeed a test for the older students of the second and third terms. If one is careless, they might also get caught in this first layer of 'Illusion Fog.'"
Another elder nodded,
"Cultivators have no fear of the thick fog before them. They only need to keep walking step by step. But if the fog grows in the heart, even if one can see a thousand miles, it would be hard to take a single step."
"Solving puzzles, solving puzzles... I only hope these young ones can truly understand that in the path of cultivation, the only 'puzzle' lies within the heart. It's not about solving the world's mystery, but the mystery in the heart."
"Look, is that Fu Ming?!"
The elders immediately turned their gazes, seeing Fu Ming standing beside Fan Wubing in the mist.
Upon seeing this figure, the elders instinctively felt a tension.
Lin Xing, the Immortal Performance Peak Master, calmly said,
"That is not the real Fu Ming; it is merely the puzzle in Fan Wubing's heart. This 'Illusion Fog' is a reflection of the troubles within the heart. It seems that for him, Senior Sister Fu Ming is the trouble."
"It might also be longing," said Sect Leader Mei Jinqiu softly. "For Fan Wubing, after Master Yushan went into seclusion, Senior Sister Fu Ming was the only close person left. It's normal to encounter her within the Illusion Fog."
Lin Xing said,
"The mystery projected by the Fog is usually a difficult problem encountered in the past. Solve it, and one can pass through. For those who have matured, it shouldn't be difficult."
A trace of worry crossed his face,
"But like this, being alone, he might find it hard to cope."
An elder asked,
"Why is that?"
"Seeing only one person in the Illusion Fog indicates that this person is a deep-seated bond. Such ties often go deep into the marrow, very hard to break. You know what kind of person Fu Ming is; she is virtually flawless. Can Fan Wubing overcome the image of his Senior Sister in his heart?"
With this being said, no one had confidence in Fan Wubing, thinking that the first layer of the Illusion Fog was likely the end of his journey.
The girl beside Mei Jinqiu, who had rarely spoken before, suddenly said,
"He can do it."
Everyone looked at her.
Mei Jinqiu asked,
"Why are you so sure?"
"Intuition."
That answer was practically meaningless.
"Have you interacted with Fan Wubing?"
The girl lowered her head,
"He may have forgotten about me."
Wei Changkong laughed,
"Junior Sister Fu is joking; no one would forget you after meeting you."
The girl shook her head silently, thinking, if he didn't forget me, why couldn't he recognize that rabbit?
...
As soon as Fan Wubing entered the mist, he lost sight of Luo Qingyao.
He tried calling out to her, but received no response, as if he had arrived in an empty world void of any objects. An inexplicable sense of confusion and fear welled up inside him. He was afraid to move forward and just wanted to stay where he was.
"Solve the puzzle... solve the puzzle, let's find the puzzle first..."
Holding onto this thought, Fan Wubing persevered, choosing a direction to head in. As long as it wasn't a sphere, he would eventually encounter a boundary.
But no matter how he walked, he couldn't reach that boundary.
"I should have been walking for almost a day, why hasn't anything changed? Could it be that the puzzle isn't here?"
No, maybe I've been deceived by the passage of time.
Fan Wubing considered this possibility, he turned off the passive Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill and took out a dagger, cutting a small wound on his arm, blood spilling forth,
[You suffer continuous bleeding damage, HP -0.5]
[-0.5]
[-0.5]
The bleeding damage in "Endless Immortal Path" occurs once per second.
But Fan Wu felt it was a minute before another drop of blood disappeared.
This indicated that,
"My perception of time was slowed down. I haven't been in the mist for a day, but rather for two quarters of an hour."
Upon this realization, the mist before him seemed to thin slightly.
Just as he was about to continue forward, he heard someone call out,
"Wubing."
This voice... Fan Wubing trembled, turned around,
"Senior... Senior Sister?"
Fu Ming, in a black robe and dress, stood there. She hadn't changed, as beautiful as ever, like a mountain beyond the heavens, like a reflection in the lake. She always gave off a feeling, both real and unreal, both gentle and distant.
Fan Wubing couldn't see through her and couldn't understand her. All he knew was that she cared for him as a Junior Brother.
After not seeing her for so long, Fan Wubing was momentarily stunned.
Fu Ming stepped forward,
"Wubing, while I was away, did anyone bully you?"
"No, Senior Sister, I've been doing well."
Fu Ming stood in front of Fan Wubing, gently straightening his robe,
"Wubing, you've grown taller and more handsome."
Fan Wubing trembled slightly, suddenly pulled out his dagger, and stabbed it into Fu Ming's heart.
In an instant, the illusion dissipated, and the mist cleared, revealing the true form of the prison.
He looked at the dim prison and muttered in his heart,
"My Senior Sister couldn't even make a bed properly. If she were to arrange my clothes, she'd probably strangle me, but here she did it so well and quickly. It was certainly fake; I almost got fooled."
In the Immortal Performance Hall,
The crowd once again fell into silence.
An elder looked at Lin Xing,
"Junior Brother Lin Xing, is this what you meant by being difficult to handle? I saw that Fan Wubing resolved it in one stroke."
Lin Xing was speechless but being upright in character, he explained,
"Either Fu Ming is very weak and easy to bully in Fan Wubing's heart, or Fan Wubing has a strong and resilient mind, or he possesses calmness and wisdom. Choose a reason for yourself."
Choosing the first one would never be an option. Fu Ming, weak and easy to bully? That would be a huge joke; her not bullying others meant that person's ancestors deserved credit.
...
Fan Wubing saw that the cell he was confined in had already been opened, so he walked out.
He stood in the cold corridor, looking around, seeing that in every cell, there was someone imprisoned.
Luo Qingyao was right next to him, lying on the ground.
He walked over, about to see if he could wake her, when he suddenly saw her smirking foolishly, mumbling nonsense,
"Senior Brother, hehe, Senior Brother, Senior Brother... so fragrant, Senior Brother, so fragrant..."
Fan Wubing was speechless, where did this little girl come from, why was her mind filled with nothing but improper thoughts!
Don't take advantage of me in the illusion!
Damn it! I really want to know what she did to me in the illusion.
Fan Wubing shook his head to dispel impure thoughts, seeing that she wouldn't wake up anytime soon, he decided to walk around.
He slowly moved forward along the dark, desolate prison corridor. Seeing behind the gloom, it seemed there was a door at the end of the corridor.
What would be behind that door?
An intangible pressure hindered him, making every step increasingly heavy. The closer he got to that door, the more he felt the pressure.
Roughly thirty zhang later, just as he was about to step over the threshold, a flying sword suddenly flashed in his mind. That sword, carrying heavenly thunder, plunged from the sky to the mortal world. Amidst the layered dark clouds, a gigantic figure could be faintly seen. That figure seemed to be drenched in blood, standing suspended in the air, like a True Immortal in the heavens.
The blood-soaked figure suddenly looked at him, and the sword of thunder was coming straight for him!
Being struck would certainly mean annihilation... Fan Wubing instinctively stepped back continuously, and the pressure gradually eased.
[You suffer Sword Qi attack, HP -821.9, current HP 379.4]
[Unwarranted Qi Creation Skill in effect]
[+1.2]
[+1.2]
"Huff—huff—"
Fan Wubing panted heavily,
He almost died. If he hadn't eaten those monster beast flesh before, increasing his life limit, he would have perished!
Terrifying, too terrifying, this was just a remnant of Sword Qi. If it were the true body... it's unimaginable...
Fan Wubing dared not test further, honestly returning to the cell of Luo Qingyao, quietly waiting.