Lord Xue Ying

Early the next day, as the sun rose, the sun ray penetrated through the arrays of Blade Emperor City, causing them to turn gentle as they shone down on the many structures.

“Xun Yi.”

Just as he was prepared to leave his courtyard, Xing Huo Xun Yi saw that muscular figure seated inside. Xing Huo Xun Yi greeted: “Father.”

Monarch Xing Huo said, “I’ve gone to meet Elder Dong Bo the previous day. His attainment in the Dao of Mirage is the highest across cultivators cultivating in the laws and profound mysteries system. He cultivated the “Dark World” and Vermillion Nightmare inheritance and had reached the sixth level Star Pagoda strength. He had even altered the original limit of the Vermillion Nightmare inheritance at the Unity realm! And now, he is half a foot into the seventh level. Furthermore, he has cultivated for tens of billions of years currently, and there is no other talent as capable as he is in the illusory realm since the primitive Ancient Sacred World era.”

“You should go and find him. He might be able to help you.” Monarch Xing Huo said.

“He might be able to help me?” Xing Huo Xun Yi frowned, “I’ve met those Primal Chaos giants who specialized in the illusory realm, yet they are helpless for my case. Does Dong Bo Xue Ying have any idea as to how to solve my issue?”

“Those Primal Chaos giants you met previously were all ancient cultivators!” Monarch Xing Huo coldly said, “The ancient cultivation system is utterly different from the laws and profound mysteries system. In the ancient cultivation system, it is counted as a success when the user is able to unleash the technique. As for the laws and profound mysteries system, the cultivator would have to research in the underlying profound mysteries. They have to truly grasp hold of the most essential profound mysteries and thus, would have to have a deeper understanding of the illusory realm.”

Xing Huo Xun Yi was startled. He then slightly nodded.

He agreed on this point.

Different cultivation system would head in different directions.

Like the devour class cultivation system, they did not have to use their brains even in the early stages. They only needed to ‘devour devour devour’, and they would grow stronger over time.

As for the laws and profound mysteries system, they were required to research into the laws and profound mysteries system even at the Transcendent stage. They were expected to grasp hold of the complete law of the world before they could transcend into the True God realm! Subsequently, they had to grasp hold of the complete ‘law system’ before even stepping into the Void God realm. Thus, the difficulty for the laws and profound mysteries system was much higher than that for the devour-class cultivation system when entering the Void God realm.

Even the hex cultivation system which was known to be of equivalent difficulty took on a different direction as compared to the laws and profound mysteries system.

The laws and profound mysteries system targeted the essence directly! It was about researching the core of the world–the laws and profound mysteries.

The hex cultivation sought to understand the essence of the world through the ‘myriad existences’. As the world developed, many laws would also show up on the myriad existences. They felt that the ‘laws and profound mysteries system’ was too empty, and only by researching the myriad existences could they dissect the world and accumulate sufficient understanding of it. Once they gathered enough experiences and knowledge, they would be able to strengthen their body, their soul, and could even attain an extremely high realm in arrays, refinements, and others.

“Alright, I’ll go.” Xing Huo Xun Yi replied.

Even though he could never forget his true love, Xing Huo Xun Yi was clear in his heart that everything was ultimately an illusion. He understood that he had to wake up from his dream and should focus on his cultivation.

But…

Currently, he was entirely lethargic of cultivation; he felt sick and tired of it. The moment he started cultivating, he would think of his time in the illusory realm, bringing about the memories of his wife who had been destroyed along with the illusory realm. This emotional injury originated from the illusory realm, seeping deep into his heart and causing him to dislike everything related to the illusory realm. This was something entirely out of his control.

“You shouldn’t neglect this.” Monarch Xing Huo said, “Even if he can’t help you this time, being the person with the highest attainment in the Dao of Mirage, Dong Bo Xue Ying might be able to help you in the future as he grows stronger.”

“Mn.” Xing Huo Xun Yi headed out.

…

At the same time when Xing Huo Xun Yi went out, Xue Ying had already gone out to enjoy some delicacies. There were many restaurants within the Blade Emperor City. Those ancient cultivators who were talented in culinary arts would make food that was so delicious that it could cause experts like Xue Ying to exclaim in admiration. Naturally, he would frequently go out to savor the good food.

“Ah.” Xue Ying could see with a glance that a golden-robed young man was waiting silently by the courtyard entrance.

Being a teacher of the convention, many talented cultivators would frequently come and seek to meet him. It was normal for others to seek his guidance, and to this, the teachers of the convention would not reject them. Instead, they would take this opportunity to guide them which gave them a chance to better understand the talented cultivators.

But this time, it was Xing Huo Xun Yi who came?

“Greetings Elder.” The golden-robed young man respectfully bowed.

“Xing Huo Xun Yi? Come in.” Xue Ying chuckled.

“Yes.” The golden-robed young man was obedient and polite. He did not seem to be someone with an issue from the surface.

After the two entered, Xue Ying sat down within the courtyard, while Xing Huo Xun Yi stood by the side.

“Your father has already told me about your matter.” Xue Ying directly said.

“Does elder have any ways of solving it?” Xing Huo Xun Yi looked at Xue Ying.

“Let’s try first.”

Xue Ying chuckled.

Xing Huo Xun Yi felt that the smile of Xue Ying became exceptionally huge… and after that, he felt himself being brought out of reality.

He entered the ‘Boundary Stone’ world as the master of the illusory realm, which was why he could maintain consciousness within. But currently, it was Xue Ying who pulled him into the illusory realm, causing Xing Huo Xun Yi to lose himself immediately.

‘Let’s see if I can treat him using the illusory realm.’ Xue Ying thought, ‘Even though some Primal Chaos giants who specialized in the illusory realm have tried before, those Primal Chaos giants are all ancient cultivators, and their control of the illusory realm isn’t as exquisite as mine.’

He had similarly cultivated in the ancient cultivation system.

Like the ‘Vermillion Nightmare inheritance’, the illusory realm came along with the technique, and thus, the inheritance could allow the cultivator to unleash this technique continuously. Nevertheless, the profoundness in its control of the illusory realm was weaker.

…

Xue Ying sat there. He enjoyed his fruit wine with Xing Huo Xun Yi sitting next to him petrified. He was wholly immersed in the illusory realm.

In the blink of an eye, an hour had passed.

An hour had passed in the real world, but Xue Ying had let the other party experience a total of 1,000 reincarnations in the illusory realm. Of which, a few hundred times contained emotional calamities. There was also righteousness for the nation and the race, a relationship between disciple and the sect, the close familial relationship between parents and children… all sorts of jarring emotional situations were used to influence him.

Xing Huo Xun Yi’s eyesight gradually regained its consciousness.

“Are you better?” Xue Ying asked.

“Elder Dong Bo’s technique is indeed amazing.” Xing Huo Xun Yi lightly shook his head, “I’ve forgotten about the past in the illusory realm, but that is an entirely new experience, and it feels like a dream! After dreaming a thousand times, I’ve woken up from all my dreams! The encounter with my wife is absolutely the moment when I was conscious. Every single moment had been carved on my soul using a blade.”

Xue Ying’s expression slightly changed.

That’s right.

He would forget about the past in the illusory realm. It was like dreaming. But after waking up, when there was a clash between the memories of the dream and memories of his true self, the dreams would have a weaker influence as compared to what the one experienced when he was absolutely conscious.

“I know that every moment I had with my wife occurred in the illusory realm. I also feel that this is ridiculous. There are even times when experts have come to seal my memories, and I would rather have these memories completely sealed, yet to no avail. The memories can be sealed, but the influence of the emotions on my soul can’t be treated. I still find cultivating a chore! The Cosmos Gods have all said before that it is better if I have my memories with me. As long as I face this period and recover from it, I would have succeeded.” Xing Huo Xun Yi’s voice was soft. There was a gentle smile appearing on his face, “Even though others feel that it is ridiculous, I still feel that the time with my wife in the illusory realm is the most beautiful memory I ever had.”

“I can’t forget it.”

“Even though rationality is telling me that I should not let such an experience affect me and that I’ve promised my wife to not let her past existence confuse me, and that I want to try my best to cultivate again…” Xing Huo Xun Yi shook his head, “Nothing works. It’s useless. Everything is useless.”

Xue Ying stood by the side looking at this young man in front.

This young man was unquestionably talented. Nevertheless, this talent was plundered from him.

“Reality and illusion. Fake and truth.” Xue Ying chuckled, “We think that everything in the illusory realm is false. But what exactly constitutes reality? The living beings in the illusory realm have parents, are of a race and belong to a nation. They experience love and vengeance and know how to cultivate as well. To them, they feel that they are absolutely real. Are they right?”

Xing Huo Xun Yi was startled.

Right.

Even to the end as he explained to his wife about everything, it was only after he controlled the world as the master of the illusory realm did his wife finally believed in him. So it seemed that this vast world was all an illusion. She was part of the illusion. Previously, all the beings were ordinarily evolving. The weak would grow old and die. The strong would cultivate and fight.

“They are independent living entities. They have memories and emotions.” Xue Ying said, “Actually, they can be considered as a form of unique real being, albeit they are living within the illusory realm.”

“Real? Real?” Xing Huo Xun Yi’s eyes brightened. His face was slightly red, “My wife is a real being?”

Including his father and other Primal Chaos giants who specialized in the illusory realm, none had ever mentioned about this point. Xing Huo Xun Yi also thought that it was just an illusory world.

“Life. What is considered a true lifeform? Isn’t an independent entity that contains memories, emotions, gratitude, and grudges a true lifeform?” Xue Ying said, “Must it really have a soul? What about those metallic lifeforms and the more unique beings? They do not have souls! They have other life cores. And your wife is similarly a soul light formed by the illusory realm–that is their life core.”

Only with a life core could the existence have their own independent memories and emotions. They could also cultivate and do other things.

Most illusory realms would naturally not be so formidable. The illusory realm developed by the Boundary Stone was much more exquisite than what Xue Ying could unleash currently. Its constitutional operating laws were considered to be at the level of a miniature cosmos and was lacking by a strand as compared to an actual cosmos. It was able to give birth to many living beings within, and all of them were incredibly real.

“That’s right. With a life core, independence, with memories, emotions, gratitude, and grudges, and if they can cultivate, right, they are considered a true lifeform.” Xing Huo Xun Yi nodded. His voice was slightly vibrating, “My wife is real. She is a real existence!”