The Stars Beyond

Chapter 429: The Live Action Version Has Arrived

Wang Xuan opened his eyes and felt a touch of coolness on his forehead and face. The scorching pain brought by the red substance had been alleviated, and he looked at the two figures before him.

"Here we go again. Do they really think I've lost my memory?" said Wang Xuan while he glanced at the dreadful meteorite passage. Above the rock walls, the Demonic Flower was only a short distance away. It was not far at all.

"Hurry up and get up," Demon Lord Yan Yan said. Her red gown was torn to shreds by the flames.

Wang Xuan didn't care at all. He pushed her away and even grabbed her delicate white wrist, intending to toss her aside. However, he was lifted up before he could throw her and an enlarged pristine white fist was about to strike his face. With a bang, Fang Yuzhu reached out and grabbed Demon Lord Yan Yan's wrist, stopping the scene. The aftershock of the fist made Wang Xuan feel intense pain on his face. The fist seemed to carry unimaginable destructive power even without hitting its target.

"It looks just like the real thing," said Wang Xuanhe, remaining calm. It wasn't his first time in this place.

Did they really think illusions could deceive me? What a joke!

Then, he calmly reached out and shook his hand in front of Demon Lord, saying, "Wake up, you're just a puppet."

The scene fell silent instantly. Demon Lord Yan Yan seemed somewhat surprised and incredulous. Then, Wang Xuan suddenly pinched her cheek when she was still in a daze.

"Actually, this dream seems quite real. Demon Lord's face is fair and translucent, it's quite elastic. I haven't seen her perform her demon dance in reality. How about doing it here?" Wang Xuan said calmly.

The passage fell into a deathly silence and there was no sound at all. Only terrifying red particles drifted down from above which caused him excruciating pain.

"This kid... is insane!" Not far away, someone finally spoke amid the crimson mist. It was Zhang Daoling.

Wang Xuan glanced at him and said, "Old Zhang, sorry about it. Your appearance rate is relatively high in the illusion, maybe because I often mention you in my thoughts."

The scene turned eerie. Demon Lord's complexion shifted from fair to a trace of grimness. She raised her right hand instantly and was trying to slap Wang Xuan.

"He's just waking up and still a bit groggy," Fang Yuzhu spoke, quickly interrupting her.

Not far away, Qi Yi, the Demon Ancestor, Qi Teng, the Blood Emperor of the Abyss, and Zheng Yuantian, all appeared and had burn marks on them. They wore strange expressions and were all looking at Wang Xuan.

"Huh, it's exactly the same scene as when I left last time. Who are they trying to fool?" said Wang Xuan. He didn't find it funny at all. He thought the Demonic Flower was underestimating him and had actually continued the last dream he was having.

Was this going to become a serialized drama?

He was annoyed and said, "Can't you be more professional and deceive me with real scenes?"

He found that the Demonic Flower did pay attention to details. Even the environment hadn't changed. It appeared exactly the same as last time, with the suspended meteorite blocks in identical positions. As for the states of those few individuals and other subtle details, they were all too accurate and were overly realistic. Wang Xuan felt shaken for a moment.

Could they be real people?

He shook his head and said, “It was impossible.”

He crushed the fruit of the best immortal tea tree in his mouth, then clinked the iron awl in his hand against the furnace lid. The crisp and realistic sounds that came from the clinking shocked him awake and he broke free from the dream.

In fact, as the surrounding lights dissipated, his mind cleared and he really woke up. But why were those figures still there? They were all looking at him with strange gazes, their facial expressions were too accurate.

"He's gone mad. Keeping him here is useless. Let's kill him," Demon Ancestor Qi Yi said.

Wang Xuan glanced at him and said with a smile, "Old Qi, even your son with dissociative identity disorder has been subdued by me. Call me uncle." Even if it was an illusion, so what? He could chat a lot with anyone on a regular day, and he didn't mind speaking up now.

"Just kill him," Zheng Yuantian said while he was in his full body armor.

Wang Xuan glanced at him and said, "Old Zheng, are you trying to act cute here? Don’t you know? You're already dead!"

Then, he felt it. The overwhelming force was like burning mountains and boiling seas. Zheng Yuantian didn't hold back at all. He swung his palm straight towards him. The meteorite passage trembled violently, with rocks falling everywhere, and red substance pouring down. It seemed like this place was on the brink of destruction.

"Old Zheng, are you still so fierce even in death?!" said Wang Xuan with astonishment. His spirit would probably shatter if such power struck him.

This didn't feel right. He couldn't help but lightly prick himself with the iron awl to keep his mind clear.

Am I still having an illusion?

But his other hand wasn't idle either. Holding the furnace lid, it transformed into a shield as large as a door and guarded him. He didn't dare to strike out. He was worried that this illusion of the Demonic Flower was leading him astray. He was afraid that amidst all the falsehoods he might ultimately smash himself to death.

What if the target was my own head?

In passive defense, a loud bang resounded as Master Zheng struck the furnace lid. Strange runes burst out of it, and the entire passage echoed incessantly.

"Damn it! Has Old Zheng turned into my inner demon to torment me in the illusion after his death. He’s still so ferocious!" exclaimed Wang Xuan, feeling incredulous.

He felt something was off. How could it seem like a live action version, rather than a dream? Throughout this process, he attempted multiple times to wake himself up. He was trying to avoid being trapped in a deep dream.

Although he could sense the falsehoods being cut away and the illusions being worn down, he still hadn't reached enlightenment. However, those figures in the meteorite passage were indeed there. They looked very real, with unfriendly expressions.

"Don't stop me. He must be killed!" Zheng Yuantian said coldly.

"Old Zheng, have you noticed the extraordinary nature of the lid in his hand? We also think there's something fishy about it. Shall I take over?" Demon Ancestor spoke, with thick brows and eyes that emitted black qi. Of course, his hair had been almost entirely burnt off by now.

"Damn it, it's like they've all come back to life and were acting so dramatically. Is this my own psychological illusion? But I'm not usually dramatic, nor do I like to think about these things," said Wang Xuan as he felt it was absurd. This experience was so bizarre it left him puzzling and frowning, as if he was facing a group of real patriarchs.

He kept himself composed, then looked at Zheng Yuantian again, saying, "Old Zheng, we haven't had a chance to chat much, because you're dead."

As these words came out, Master Zheng’s eyes suddenly turned icy and showed no intention of speaking to him. He only wanted to crush him straightaway!

Wang Xuan continued saying, "I'm sorry. I was the one who killed you in the outside world. I haven't even burned incense paper for you yet. Let me light two for you here. Hmm, to pay my respects. Overall, you died peacefully, without suffering."

"Kid, you're really insane!" said Hades Blood Patriarch. Even he couldn't help but shake his head.

Zheng Yuantian and Demon Ancestor Qi Yi approached him. One intended to kill him, and the other was eyeing the lid in his hand. Both were itching to make a move.

Fang Yuzhu stepped forward and blocked their path alone by herself. She was facing them calmly. Her demeanor made the two powerful individuals hesitant to join forces against her.

"Sister Yuzhu, it's okay. It's all an illusion. I'm just experiencing the impact of the Demonic Flower. I'm momentarily unable to break free. Instead of fighting them in the dream, it's far better for us to have a chat.”

Wang Xuan grabbed Fang Yuzhu's hand and urged her to step back. What's the use of caring about illusions? It's all about refining the heart. He wanted to confront the Demonic Flower head-on. The others around him were stunned as they heard him address Fang Yuzhu as sister without using her surname.They couldn’t believe what they heard. Fang Yuzhu turned her head and pulled her hand back. She also showed a hint of surprise.

Even Zhang Daoling sighed, "This kid is beyond help. Either he's got hysteria or he's genuinely gone insane."

Bang!

Wang Xuan was hit, not too heavily but not lightly either. His body flew sideways. It was Demon Lord Yan Yan Yan, who struck him. Her gaze grew increasingly hostile.

At this moment, Wang Xuan had a feeling that these people really had spirituality, with the light of the spirit. It made him break out in a cold sweat. He shook the furnace lid repeatedly with the iron awl and the Godslaying Banner.

Something was definitely amiss today. Why was it like this?　

"I don't believe anyone can come here!" shouted Wang Xuan. He stared at the rough stone wall of the meteorite passage, where there used to be a hole. According to the last dream, it led to a Spiritual Realm related to the Dao Shielding Banner, but now it was blocked.

Could someone really enter this place from there?

Wang Xuan absolutely didn't believe it.

"Awake!" He shouted loudly, repeatedly shaking the lid and exerting all his effort to activate the scripture of the severely mentally disordered patient.

The more awake he became, the more he felt a sense of horror. Zhang Daoling, Fang Yuzhu, Demon Lord, and others were so vivid. They were hardly any different from the real living people. At the very least, they possessed genuine power of the spirit. They weren't illusions no matter how you looked at it. He thought he had already awakened and was not dreaming anymore.

Why did everything still look like this?　

Wang Xuan turned and walked away. Mainly because he couldn't bear it any longer. The red substance burned him so badly as if he were about to transcend. It made him feel on the verge of collapse. It seemed that those people couldn't bear it either. They continuously bombarded the cliff wall. They were trying to reopen the passage to catch their breath.

As he descended, Wang Xuan glanced back and activated his spiritual eye. He was certain that those people indeed possessed the light of the spirit, they were not illusions. Goosebumps rose on his body.

What was happening? They... really came?

It was inconceivable and inexplicable. Finally, he escaped from the passage and hid far away to clear his mind.

Am I still in the illusion? It shouldn't be!　

He hurried away, leaving that place and returning to the Pool of Life. Sitting down, he plucked a tea fruit and bit into it without brewing it. It tasted bitter and had a hint of fragrance.

"I should have left there. I'm not in the illusion anymore. If I were so deeply immersed in it, the Demonic Flower would have killed me long ago," Wang Xuan muttered. He had completely calmed down.

He spread out his palm and held a piece of red cloth in it. It was a corner of the burnt red dress worn by Demon Lord Yan Yan. It was quietly taken by him without anyone noticing.

"It's not an illusion. I really saw them? Impossible!" Wang Xuan felt a bit flustered. He wasn't calm at this moment.

"Could it be that I never left the meteorite passage, and have only broken free now? And my recent experiences, killing Zheng Yuantian, Heng Jun's tragic death, the mysterious figure trying to devour me, are they all fake?" said Wang Xuan while shivering. He felt poisoned, and was unable to distinguish between what was real and what was not.

He cautiously buried the corner of the red dress at the edge of the pool. He decided to go back to the meteorite pit again. Otherwise, he couldn't calm his restless heart and felt like he was going crazy.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, a peerless figure spoke up, "Upon careful consideration, my light of the spirit is spreading, blurring, and transforming into illusion..."

"Something's wrong. What... is this situation? Could it be that the most terrifying event of the past is happening again?" said another person that was awakened by the alarm.