609 Illusion? Reality?

"Make my acquaintance?" Instead of giving Shen Yue any relief, these words made his heart sink instead. He quietly opened his Aperture acupoints and revolved his Interior as he raised his guard, prepared to make a move at any time. He dared not underestimate this middle-aged man.

This man was an aged evil spirit with a terrible reputation for being ferocious. Even after being stuck in Bomi for nearly two decades, he would still be the stronger one. After all, his realm and strength back then surpassed those of Shen Yue even today.

How could it be as simple as making an acquaintance when the evil spirit had secretly chased and intercepted him?

Seeing the elegant figure clad in a green robe with indifference to the vicissitudes of life in his eyes, Shen Yue felt as if a great mountain was weighing on his heart. He felt that this was an enemy whose strength he would never be able to fathom, much less defeat.

Meng Qi appeared not to have noticed the change in Shen Yue's mood. "Which sect are you from, my young friend? Would you mind introducing me to masters of the same path in the area?" he asked, still wearing a faint smile.

The sun was gradually setting over the horizon, painting the clouds a fiery red. The radiance dyed the green robe an almost golden red color. However, Meng Qi's breath remained dark. The sunlight that spilled on him brought no splendor. Instead, it seemed to be absorbed into his breath. It made his silhouette look even more nefarious than before.

Shen Yue felt even more stifled. It was as if he could smell danger right at his nostrils. Merciless Tyrant seemed like he would violently retaliate if he was defied.

"Humph! He hasn't even crossed the first step of the Celestial Ladder, so the gap in our realms isn't even that large. We're both Top Class Master Pros, so what do I have to fear?"

"Even if I can't win, can I not escape?"

Shen Yue's eyes were narrowed but the corners of his mouth were curved into a smile. "I don't suppose you've heard of a small sect like the Reflected Shadow Sect..."

Before his voice even faded, two dirks appeared in his hands. One was pitch-black while the other was a pure white. Both were shrouded in light that flickered incessantly.

Simultaneously, Meng Qi's shadow, which had been stretched under the setting sun, began to wriggle as if it had come to life. It became an integral whole that abruptly leaped at Meng Qi.

The breath and the immeasurably deep feeling of the pitch-black shadow were similar to Meng Qi's, yet they were laced with demonic undertones, making them seem exceptionally dangerous. It was the supreme art of Reflected Shadow Sect, the Flitting Shadow! The user would use his own Interior to link with his opponent's shadow, and if he had crossed the first step of the Celestial Ladder, interweave with the Dharma and Logos. The linked shadow could emulate nearly 80 percent of the opponent's strength, making it a perilous thing especially if used suddenly.

Even if Shen Yue's strength was currently insufficient, the shadow under his manipulation could not be underestimated. It was in the Exterior realm—enough to make one raise his guard against it. Its killing intention was relentless!

Together with him as an auxiliary force, regular Top Class Master Pros would definitely be at a disadvantage.

Shen Yue, being a Heterodox Demon, trusted no one but himself. He was constantly vigilant, especially against peers on the Devil Path. He preferred to strike first to gain the upper hand.

The shadow linked itself to both of Meng Qi's feet, putting him within a stretch of its hand. It was honestly terrifying.

The shadow coiled around Meng Qi's body just as Shen Yue's sword light was about to cut through the void to reach him. Suddenly, complete darkness blanketed the sky and swallowed the sunset. There were no signs of the fire-like clouds, not even the slightest hint of light.

The loss of light also meant the loss of shadows. The darkness was so immense that Shen Yue could not even see his fingers. His link to the shadow had been instantly severed!

The night had taken over the day!

While sensing his surroundings, Shen Yue detected the green-robed Merciless Tyrant taking a step forward and abruptly enlarging. His body turned so tall and gigantic that he was towering over everything. It was as if the demonic sky had descended upon them, cramming itself between heaven and hell. His expression was apathetic as he enveloped a hundred miles with the palm of his hand, pressing it down with a posture that hid the sky and covered the earth. He separated his five fingers to form a cage that would cause his victim to despair.

"This..." Shen Yue was barely able to suppress his turbulent emotions, refusing to be awestruck. Even so, he had lost all will and strength to fight.

Being capable of connecting his Interior with the Exterior proved that Master Tyrant's cultivation had not been stagnant. Shen Yue understood that the class of Force of Heaven and Earth and Dharma and Logos triggered by the Exterior had its unique rhythm. It would not produce a terrifying power that spread far and wide, but rather, it would produce an illusion that could deceive the mind and senses. The strange, unfathomable illusion could kill without being tangible. If one lost his cool against such an opponent, defeat was inevitable!

The Devil-like green shadow was undoubtedly an illusion. However, he had to keep his guard against Merciless Tyrant's concealed killing intent!

The whites of his eyes turned black as his pupils turned into vortices. No matter how hard he tried, he could not distinguish between illusion and reality. It was as if the green-robed Devil-like creature that crammed itself between heaven and hell was real. The palm that seemed to envelop everything felt real too.

Knowing that he could not wait for impending death, Shen Yue used the most idiotic yet effective method. He twisted his body and thrust his two swords forward, emitting both pure white and pitch-black sword lights. In the manner of a sweeping tide, the sword lights inundated and cut off their surroundings.

The sword lights were deep and far-reaching, slashing the gigantic green-robed figure into many small pieces. It began to sway like waves.

"It's an illusion! I knew it!" Shen Yue's heart leaped with joy.

It was at this moment that all of the pieces transformed into green-robed figures with white hair on the temples with a hand behind their backs. When the figures thrust their right palms, Shen Yue felt dark palm energies pressing onto him from all directions. The energies felt as heavy as a mountain. Whistling wind resounded in his ears without ceasing.

Merciless Tyrant had turned illusion into reality!

Shen Yue's heart thumped loudly as a deep sense of danger pierced him. He could feel the palm energies coming from all directions tearing and squeezing him, forcing his body into total collapse.

He took a deep breath. He twisted his swords around him, causing the pure white and pitch-black sword lights to entwine and form a black-and-white ring around him that kept him safe within its confines.

Bang, bang, bang! Clang, clang, clang!

There was a continuous mix of slapping noises and the cries of swords. Shen Yue felt like a small boat floating on a stormy sea amid howling winds and torrential rain. His Qi and blood were boiling; his Interior revolved cryptically. He felt as if he was about to puke blood.

It was with great difficulty that he managed to weather this wave of attacks. Resentment was born in his heart. Biting the bullet, he thrust his pair of swords in a crisscross manner, linking the heads and tails of the pure white and pitch-black sword lights. It looked like two legendary rain-summoning dragons, killing and plundering everything within their reach. This was none other than the unique skill of Reflected Shadow Sect, the Serpent's Panic! Unfortunately, without a shadow to coordinate with the skill, it was not as powerful.

The nimble sword lights intertwined continuously, cutting everything except for Shen Yue, shattering the green-robed figures. Even the darkness became fragmented.

"Success!" Shen Yue's consciousness shook ever so slightly. Just as he was about to persist in order to completely shatter the illusion, he discovered that darkness had fallen over him once again. A green figure with white hair on the temples emerged from the darkness. The figure had a refined temperament and a pair of eyes that had witnessed the vicissitudes of life. It pointed with its right hand, calling forth a substantial, slow-moving darkness.

"How is he still fine?" Just as the thought occurred to him, something made Shen Yue hold his breath. Though there were no changes whatsoever in the pointing figure, its heaviness had reached its peak. There was a pinhole-sized dot of darkness at the tip of the finger that was different from the surrounding pitch-black darkness. In fact, the darkness around him had become warped and distorted as it shrunk.

Against his will, Shen Yue flew toward the slender, spotlessly fair finger of the Devil-like figure. He felt as if his body and Vital Spirit were about to be torn apart.

"What a terrifying finger!" He desperately sucked in a breath of air. The twin sword lights suddenly clashed, the pure white and pitch-black lights flowed into each other and produced terrifying explosions that sent undulating waves of Qi. The rays of light dispersed like water, rushing toward the finger.

Thud!

The frightening suction force disappeared with the waves of light.

Shen Yue flew several feet away with his eyes fixed on a distant place, expecting his attack to work; but the relaxed green-robed figure endured.

Meng Qi did not pursue him but smiled faintly instead.

"This old man won't die as long as your wicked heart remains."

"What?" Shen Yue's heart tightened. Many thoughts crossed his mind but he could not grasp the true meaning of the man's words.

Suddenly, he realized that the darkness had disappeared and he was still standing in the shadow of the deep mountain. The confident, elegant green-robed middle-aged man in front of him still had his hand behind his back, staring at the setting sun with his body partially turned away. The sun dyed the white hair on his temples a layer of red. His pair of eyes simultaneously carried deep longing and a sense of apathy. There was no sign of him ever having made a move.

The fire-like clouds filled the entire horizon, ushering in the cold wind along with the evening. It was the exact same scene as when the man had first appeared. It was as if the fierce battle earlier had been a mere illusion!

"Everything that happened was an illusion?"

"No! How can it be an illusion when it felt so real?"

However, Shen Yue knew at this moment that it must have been an illusion.

"Or is what's happening now an illusion?"

For a while, Shen Yue found it impossible to distinguish between truth and untruth, reality and illusion. He did not know what was truly unfolding and what was not.

He felt a chill as the evening breeze swept past him and he could not help shuddering. Before he even realized it, his back and forehead were already drenched in sweat.

"How can this old man not know the Reflected Shadow Sect when it's one of the large sects of the heterodox path? Is Elder Sun doing well?" Meng Qi asked. He kept his body turned sideways without turning his head. He demonstrated the might and disposition of a stronger master of the previous generation.

He had recalled what he knew about the Reflected Shadow Sect and chose to ask after a heterodox master who was around the same age as Merciless Tyrant.

Following their "exchange of blows" earlier, Shen Yue had lost all desire to try to escape. He found the old devil before him to be an unfathomable abyss—absolutely not a senile and ignorant old man who had wasted his twenty years. Instead, Merciless Tyrant still had the style of his former self who had once been thought to have great potential to ascend the Terrestrial Rankings and Black List—no, he was even stronger now. In the past, Merciless Tyrant was merely an eye-catching master who attracted praise and was considered 'promising'. Now, he gave off the feeling of being a master on the Black List.

Currently, only the 63 highest-ranking masters on the Black List were qualified to enter the Terrestrial Rankings.

"Elder Sun is doing well. He has a bad temper now as he hasn't been able to cross the first step of the Celestial Ladder." Shen Yue replied honestly.

He had always been one to bully the weak.

Meng Qi finally turned to look at him with a smile. He had distinct facial features that carried a profound charm.

"Now, are you willing to introduce me to our friends of the heterodox path in the area?"

Shen Yue's heart jolted and he replied reluctantly. "There are faces in this area that you're familiar with, senior."

"Who?" Meng Qi asked absentmindedly.

"'Soul-chasing Demon Monarch' Mo Tiange. He went missing for many years after a terrible calamity in the past, but he has now crossed the first step of the Celestial Ladder. There's a great advancement in his strength. It seems there's an extraordinary force standing behind him."

Shen Yue had secretly probed the emotional shift in Meng Qi. After all, those two had been enemies for many years!

"Good times are finally coming for him, huh?" Meng Qi replied indifferently.

"To think there's not even the slightest hint of resentment or comparison! It's as if Soul-chasing Demon Monarch is just someone trivial!" Shen Yue was struck by deep astonishment. Not daring to speak out of turn again, he decided to change the topic. "There's also Senior 'Six-apex Devil' Ling Hu. He's currently ranked 93rd on the Black List and his fame has spread far and wide. He's our role model..."

Meng Qi listened quietly as Shen Yue enumerated all the heterodox demons that he knew one by one, only stopping the latter when he heard a particular name.

"Madam Baihua, the keeper of a certain brothel in Ying City. Her strength isn't known but she has quite the reputation for training strong 'daughters'."

She was not the mastermind behind the brothel in Ying City but an unremarkable brothel keeper. Meng Qi gave a small nod and suddenly asked, "Is Madam Baihua the one who sent Tower Lord Duanmu his new concubine?"

Shen Yue shook his head helplessly. "I'm not quite sure."

Meng Qi said no more and allowed him to continue. When Shen Yue was finally done, Meng Qi waved his hand and signaled for him to leave.

Shen Yue was greatly impressed and felt a deep sense of disbelief. He slowly and cautiously left, relaxing only when he was a hundred miles away. He found himself shivering a little.

Meng Qi watched Shen Yue leave with his hands behind his back, suppressing a smile. Using the Gist of Trueness core and technique of the Yin-Yang Seal, the One Heart Affecting Another ability of the Ananda Oath-breaking Bladesmanship, as well as the mystical essence of Supernatural Power of Shaking Heaven and Hitting Earth, he triggered the Seven Immortal Illusions. The end result was quite mystical! It was worth the effort of seeking out Shen Yue and experimenting on him!

"Madam Baihua..." Frowning, he decided that he would wait for Duanmu Bei's reply first.