“The Ninth-Generation Holy Son of Jialan Holy Land? In that case, this lord’s Cave Heaven is indeed on the verge of collapse. However—” The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord shifted his tone. “The Mirage Tree’s choice of destination is up to it alone. I hope you two young friends won’t force the issue. Otherwise, as the Mirage Tree’s close friend, this lord will fight for its freedom.”
Yan Zhen shook his head.
“This is probably the last Mirage Tree left in the world. If even this one is lost, the Mirage Tree will go extinct entirely—a tremendous loss for the entire continent. I doubt anyone would stand by and let that happen.”
The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord gave a half-smile.
“Are you sure it’s not your own greed talking? That you want to claim the last Mirage Tree for yourselves?”
“Oh dear, Senior Thousand Illusions, you make it sound so sinister. There’s no ‘claiming’ about it,” Yan Zhen said with a bashful grin. “With only one left, whoever ends up with it could say they’re claiming it. Besides, I guarantee that once the Mirage Tree is transplanted to our Jialan Holy Land, it will enjoy treatment on par with an elder or even a peak lord.”
“You’re an honest kid, I’ll give you that.” The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord shook his head helplessly. “But this lord stands by his words: everything depends on the Mirage Tree’s will. If you want to take it to Jialan Holy Land, you’ll have to get past me first. Otherwise, I won’t be able to face it.”
Yan Zhen blinked.
“I’d rather not. It can’t have been easy for you to leave behind even a strand of divine sense, Senior Thousand Illusions.”
The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord paused, then burst into amused laughter.
“Such bold words from someone so young. Don’t think that flame in your hand can take on this lord… The Heavenly Extreme Flames are powerful, sure, but aside from the Jade Firmament Purple Dome Flame, none of them can touch my illusions.”
—Not true. You’re clearly unfamiliar with Extreme Flames, Senior.
The top five on the list were all freakishly powerful.
The Primordial Injunction Flame, embodying order and restraint.
The Pseudo-God Tribulation Fire, symbolizing destruction and rebirth.
The Three Thousand Dao Fire, representing the Great Dao and Origin Sources.
The Creation Destruction Divine Fire, encompassing worlds and all things.
And the Extreme Flame: Boundless, elusive across past, present, and future.
Yan Zhen felt a thrill just thinking about it.
He cleared his throat.
“You’ve got it wrong, Senior. The fire seed in my hand isn’t an Extreme Flame. Its power goes beyond my imagination, so I think we should keep things peaceful.”
The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord bristled.
“If you’re so confident, this lord would love to see it. Just what makes this fire seed so special that it can even dispel the Mirage Mist?”
At those words, Yu Shizun tensed instantly. She extended her Supreme Domain to envelop Yan Zhen, shielding him.
“Yan Zhen, don’t be reckless. We’ll take him on together.”
The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord nodded approvingly.
“Exactly. Come at me together, you young couple. This lord will test whether Jialan Holy Land’s prodigies still shine as brilliantly as they once did.”
Young couple? The term caught Yan Zhen off guard. He raised a hand in timeout and explained, “Senior Thousand Illusions, we’re not a couple yet.”
The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord adopted the knowing look of an elder.
“You’ve already embraced each other—how are you not? This lord saw it clear as day. Sure, one’s a Holy Son and the other’s a peak lord, so there’s a difference in seniority. But love is free. As long as it’s true, it can overcome any obstacle.”
—Whoa… you’re pretty forward, Senior.
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek shyly and glanced at Yu Shizun. Her face was veiled, hiding her expression, but her eyes wavered noticeably. When she noticed his gaze, she quickly looked away.
“Enough chit-chat,” the Thousand Illusions Saint Lord said leisurely. “If you’re not coming at me, then this lord won’t hold back.”
With that, he formed a sword gesture with his fingers and held it to his chest. Boundless Mirage Mist surged forth, coalescing behind him into a colossal giant of fog that pierced the heavens.
The Mirage Mist Giant was enormous—its fingernail alone dwarfed a house. Its mere presence brought crushing pressure, and the aura unique to a Mystic Saint Expert made it hard to even breathe.
The Mirage Mist Giant raised its head and slowly swung its palm down toward the pair below. The motion seemed sluggish, yet for some reason, neither felt any urge to dodge.
“Be careful. Even the Jialan Saint Lord wouldn’t take this palm lightly.”
Yu Shizun’s heart raced in alarm. She sensed that single strike could shatter the world. She immediately summoned her Natal Mystic Artifact, the Sea Dragon Pearl, and fused it into her domain.
“Yan Zhen, fall back. I’ll block this.”
But Yan Zhen waved her off.
“It’s just an illusion. See through it, and there’s no harm. Fail to, and it’s like clashing head-on with a Mystic Saint Expert.”
Yu Shizun still felt suffocated.
“No, this… this feels real.”
“It’s fake. No real attack hidden inside, either. Senior Thousand Illusions just has that dignified presence.”
“But I can clearly feel…”
Seeing Yu Shizun’s confusion, Yan Zhen quickly raised his fire seed to meet the oncoming giant palm.
The fire seed trembled faintly. The giant palm and the entire giant dissolved away, the pressure vanishing with them. Yu Shizun snapped out of it, still shaken.
“What a terrifying illusion.”
“You saw right through it, just like that?” The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord reappeared, genuinely surprised. “That flame of yours is impressive. If it’s not an Extreme Flame, then what is it?”
Yan Zhen didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Senior Thousand Illusions, if you have any more tricks, bring them on. Even as a mere strand of divine sense, a Mystic Saint Expert like you wouldn’t be limited to this.”
“You’ll be disappointed, then. This lord really only has that one move.” The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord said proudly, “But while your fire seed breaks illusions, your little girlfriend doesn’t have one… It can only protect you, right? Otherwise, she would’ve seen through my illusions earlier.”
Yan Zhen started, whipping around—only to see Yu Shizun looking perfectly fine. She even shook her head at him.
“Don’t worry. I’m okay.”
Yan Zhen relaxed a fraction and grumbled, “Senior Thousand Illusions, if you’ve got beef, take it up with me. Don’t pick on Yu Shizun.”
“Already so protective? Youth is wasted on the young. If only I’d cherished her like that back in my day.”
“…”
—This Senior Thousand Illusions has quite the backstory.
“Senior, if you’re not going to attack, can you let us pass?”
The Thousand Illusions Saint Lord stood with one hand behind his back, looking utterly at ease.
“No rush. Take another look at your little girlfriend. Truth be told, she’s already caught in my illusion. It’ll take effect soon.”
—What? Again?!
Yan Zhen turned back to Yu Shizun—or rather, stared intently, searching for any sign of something off. But no matter how he looked, she seemed exactly as always.
It was the first time Yu Shizun had been stared at like this by Yan Zhen. Her heart inexplicably quickened, and beneath her veil, her stunning face quietly flushed red. Just as she was about to look away, Yan Zhen exclaimed,
“Yu Shizun, y-you’re not actually affected, are you?”
Yu Shizun shot back immediately,
“I told you, I’m fine. The senior’s just messing with you.”
“Then why won’t you look at me?”
“I…”
