Chapter 1130
A Warning to Others
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi raised an eyebrow and immediately walked to Shi Ji's side: "Let me take a look."
He reached out and lightly touched Shi Ji's Soul Mirror with his fingertips. A powerful force surged into it, helping Shi Ji break through the barrier. A moment later, Qing Xuanzi's expression became extremely solemn.
“This black aura… it’s actually the demonic shadow aura used by demonic experts for detection!” Qing Xuanzi said in a deep voice. “Moreover, this power contains an ancient forbidden demonic technique. It seems that the enemy we are facing is not to be underestimated.”
Upon hearing this, Shi Ji was enraged: "How dare these demonic cultivators be so arrogant! Whatever their schemes may be, we must thwart them and execute those demonic masters who are threatening the cultivation world!"
Liu Yichen nodded, his eyes revealing a firm resolve: "That's right, we can't let the demonic forces succeed. We must strengthen our defenses and find the demonic experts behind this black mist, drag them out one by one, and execute them as a warning to others."
Just as everyone was discussing and the atmosphere was tense, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence. A cultivator rushed over, looking flustered: "Senior Qing Xuanzi, we rescued a girl at the edge of the forest. She seems to have escaped from the clutches of the demonic path; she carries the aura of the demonic path!"
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi frowned and immediately realized that this girl might possess important information about the demonic path: "Bring her here quickly, we need to understand the situation immediately."
Soon, the girl was brought over. She was dressed in rags and her face was pale, but her eyes shone with an unwavering light. As soon as she saw Qing Xuanzi and the others, she immediately knelt down, her voice trembling with tears: "Please, seniors, save my family! They've been captured by the demonic path!"
Qing Xuanzi quickly helped her up and asked gently, "Don't be afraid, tell us, why did the demonic path kidnap your family? What are they plotting?"
The girl sobbed as she slowly began to speak: "I am a resident of a small village in the nearby mountains. A few days ago, the demonic forces suddenly attacked our village and kidnapped many villagers, including my family. They seem to be searching for an ancient treasure, which is said to possess great power. I overheard them talking about how this treasure is hidden beneath our village."
Upon hearing this, Shi Ji was enraged. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "How dare you, members of the demonic path, harm the innocent like this! We must rescue your family and thwart their conspiracy!"
Shi Ji's words were filled with anger and determination, and his words weighed heavily on everyone present. At this moment, the girl spoke again, her voice trembling: "They...they have a kind of illusion magic that came from the Western Regions, and it's very powerful. My family was bewitched by this illusion magic, which is why they were easily captured."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi's eyes narrowed. He knew the power of Western Region illusions; they could bewitch people, trapping them in a dreamlike state from which they could not escape. He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you know the specific usage of this illusion, or is there any way to break it?"
The girl shook her head, a hint of despair flashing in her eyes: "All I know is that they used some strange symbols and spells, and then I could see a phantom world. My family was taken away by them in that phantom world."
Liu Yichen frowned, pondering how to deal with this Western Region illusion. Then, he looked at Qing Xuanzi and suggested, "Qing Xuanzi, could we ask some cultivators skilled in illusion to help us? Perhaps they have a way to break this Western Region illusion."
Qing Xuanzi nodded, agreeing with Liu Yichen's idea: "Good idea. I'll go and contact a few cultivators who are proficient in illusion techniques. At the same time, we also need to make other preparations in case the demonic people use this kind of illusion technique again."
Shi Ji also stood up, his fists clenched, his eyes flashing with determination: "I also need to make preparations. Once we find traces of the demonic cultivators, we will immediately strike, rescue those innocent villagers, and thwart their conspiracy!"
Qing Xuanzi looked at everyone, his eyes revealing a firm belief: "Alright! Then let's split up. Shiji, you continue to use the Soul Mirror to probe the aura and location of the demonic path, and be sure to find their hiding place."
Shi Ji nodded, his eyes flashing with determination: "Don't worry, Senior Qing Xuanzi, I will do my best to investigate the aura and location of the demonic path, and contribute my strength to rescuing the villagers and destroying their conspiracy."
Qing Xuanzi turned to Shi Ji, his words carrying an undeniable firmness: "Shi Ji, you lead the team to prepare for battle. Once you find traces of the demonic people, attack immediately and do not give them any chance to escape."
Shi Ji clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fury: "Yes, Senior Qing Xuanzi, I will definitely lead the team to fight bravely and fight the enemy to get justice for the cultivation world and the innocent villagers!"
Then, Qing Xuanzi looked at Liu Yichen, his tone gentle: "Liu Yichen, you are responsible for protecting this girl and taking some people to the village to rescue the trapped villagers. Make sure they are safe and do not let them get hurt."
Liu Yichen nodded, his eyes revealing a gentle firmness: "Don't worry, Senior Qing Xuanzi, I will do my best to protect this girl and rescue the trapped villagers. I will protect them with my own life."
Finally, Qing Xuanzi's gaze fell upon himself, and his words carried a hint of determination: "As for me, I will contact cultivators skilled in illusion techniques and seek their help. We must break the illusion techniques of the demonic path in order to completely destroy their conspiracy."
The group responded in unison and quickly sprang into action. However, just as they were about to split up, a strange fluctuation suddenly rippled through the air—an indescribable illusionary fluctuation that seemed intent on eroding their minds.
Qing Xuanzi's expression changed, and he immediately shouted, "Everyone, quickly shield your senses! This is a demonic illusion attack!"
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately followed Qing Xuanzi's instructions, closing their eyes, shutting off their hearing, and trying their best to shield their senses to avoid being affected by the illusion. However, despite their efforts, some disciples were still slow to react and failed to shield their senses in time, thus falling victim to the illusion.
One of the disciples suddenly widened his eyes, a look of confusion flashing across them. He muttered to himself, "Where...where is this? How did I get here?"
Another disciple suddenly froze, as if he had seen something terrifying, and kept screaming in terror: "No! Don't come any closer! Help!"
Seeing this, Qing Xuanzi's expression turned grave. He immediately waved his sleeve, unleashing a powerful surge of energy in an attempt to awaken the disciples trapped in the illusion. However, the demonic illusion was far too powerful, and Qing Xuanzi's efforts seemed to have little effect. At this moment, Shi Ji suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with urgency: "Senior Qing Xuanzi, let me try to see if I can break this illusion with the Soul Mirror!"
Qing Xuanzi nodded. He knew the wonders of the Soul Mirror and thought it might actually be able to break the illusion. So, he immediately gestured for Shi Ji to step forward and try.
Shi Ji walked to the disciples who were under the illusion's spell. He closed his eyes tightly, the light of the Soul Mirror flashing in his mind. He tried to infuse the power of the Soul Mirror into the disciples' bodies, attempting to break the illusion.
As time passed, fine beads of sweat gradually appeared on Shi Ji's forehead. This illusion was simply too powerful; although his Soul Mirror could perceive the existence of the illusion, breaking it was not easy.
Just as Shi Ji was struggling to break the illusion, one of the disciples under its spell suddenly let out a shrill scream. He covered his ears with his hands, as if he had heard something unbearable. His eyes were filled with fear and despair. Suddenly, he rushed towards the wall, intending to kill himself by smashing his head against it.
"Stop him!" Qing Xuanzi shouted, and in a flash, he appeared next to the disciple and grabbed him.
However, the disciple seemed to have lost his mind. He struggled incessantly, uttering incoherent screams: "Let me go! Let me die! I can't take it anymore!"
Qing Xuanzi's expression turned extremely grave. He knew that if this illusion wasn't broken quickly, even more disciples would likely perish. He looked at Shi Ji, his voice tinged with anxiety: "Shi Ji, how's it going on your end? Can you break this illusion quickly?"
Shi Ji gritted his teeth. His Soul Mirror was already operating at full power, but the illusion's power was like a bottomless pit, constantly devouring his strength. He shook his head with difficulty: "Not enough... This illusion is too powerful... I need more time..."
Just then, another disciple under the illusion suddenly screamed. Her eyes widened as if she had seen something horrifying. She flailed her arms wildly in the air, crying out in terror, "No! Don't come any closer! I don't want to die!"
A surge of intense anger and helplessness welled up within Qing Xuanzi. He looked at the disciples who were under the illusion's spell; each one seemed to be choked by an invisible hand, unable to breathe. He knew he couldn't wait any longer; he had to take immediate action.
"Liu Yichen, Shi Ji!" Qing Xuanzi called out in a deep voice, his tone carrying an undeniable authority. "You two immediately lead your disciples to retreat and get away from the range of this illusion. Shi Ji, you continue to try to break the illusion. I will stay here to protect you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Yichen and Shi Ji immediately responded. They quickly organized their disciples, who retreated in an orderly fashion, moving away from the ever-spreading illusionary fluctuations. Although filled with worry, they knew that remaining calm and carrying out Qing Xuanzi's orders were of utmost importance at this moment.
Shi Ji kept his eyes tightly shut, the light of the Mirror of Souls growing ever brighter in his mind. He took a deep breath, trying to sink his consciousness deeper into the Mirror of Souls, searching for clues to break the illusion.
"Senior Qingxuanzi, I need your help." Shiji's voice suddenly rang out, with a hint of urgency. "Please use your power to stabilize the minds of these disciples. I need some time to break this illusion."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi immediately nodded in agreement. He formed a hand seal, and a gentle yet firm power emanated from him, enveloping the disciples who were under the illusion's spell. This power acted as a barrier, preventing the illusion from further eroding their minds.
With Qing Xuanzi's help, Shi Ji's pressure was greatly reduced. He could more clearly feel the conflict between the Soul Mirror and the illusion, and he also found a glimmer of hope to break the illusion.
"Just hold on a little longer, I'll find a way to break this." Shi Ji gritted his teeth, his voice weak but revealing an undeniable determination.
Just then, a strange fluctuation suddenly emanated from Shi Ji. His Soul Mirror seemed to have established a strange connection with the illusion, and began to slowly devour the power of the illusion.
Upon seeing this, Qing Xuanzi's eyes flashed with joy. He knew that Shi Ji had found the key to breaking the illusion. He immediately increased his power output, providing Shi Ji with even stronger support.
As time passed, Shi Ji's Mirror of Souls gradually gained the upper hand. The originally powerful illusion began to slowly dissipate under his efforts. The disciples who had been affected by the illusion gradually regained their senses, and their confused eyes became firm again.
Finally, thanks to the combined efforts of Qing Xuanzi and Shi Ji, the illusion was completely broken. The disciples who had been affected by the illusion collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, as if they had just woken up from a nightmare.
Upon seeing this, Qing Xuanzi immediately stepped forward to check on their condition. Only after confirming that they had only suffered mental damage and were otherwise unharmed did he breathe a sigh of relief. He looked at Shi Ji, his eyes full of admiration: "Shi Ji, you did a great job. It's all thanks to you that we were able to break this illusion in time."
Shi Ji smiled slightly and shook her head: "This is also thanks to Senior Qing Xuanzi's help. Without your support, I wouldn't have been able to break this illusion so quickly."
Qing Xuanzi gently patted Shi Ji's shoulder, his eyes full of satisfaction: "Shi Ji, your growth has truly surprised me. Now that the illusion has been broken, we must act immediately to find the demonic path's hiding place and rescue those innocent villagers."
Shi Ji nodded, knowing that time was of the essence: "Senior, I suggest we use the Wind Control Technique to search quickly. I can use the Soul Mirror to detect the aura of the demonic path, while the Wind Control Technique will allow us to move rapidly and cover a wider area."
Upon hearing this, Qing Xuanzi's eyes flashed with admiration: "Good idea! Then you will lead this search operation. I will inform Liu Yichen and Shi Ji to be prepared and ready to act at any time."
Shi Ji nodded, closed his eyes, and the light of the Soul Mirror shone once more. He began to concentrate, trying to capture any trace or aura left behind by the demonic path. (End of Chapter)