Chapter 817: Heavenly Demon Illusion

Chapter 817: Demon Illusion Realm

Ye Jiuyou was indeed displeased; just yesterday she had felt quite comfortable with that rare sense of trust, and now this bastard was already on guard against her.

Putting aside everything else, did Zhao Changhe think she was an idiot? Since they were to cooperate, how could she possibly go and kill an ally’s wife before the cooperation had even formally begun, before she had even met Ye Wuming? That would ruin the whole partnership—were all her previous efforts just a joke?

If she wanted to kill, she would go straight for you yourself. Do you think you can withstand a few of my moves now?

The only explanation was that Zhao Changhe cared too much about his wives, losing his usual calm and rationality in other matters. Since that was the case, Cui Yuanyang was also your wife—you choose.

Over there, Zhao Changhe was stunned for a moment, then roughly figured it out. To his surprise, he clasped his fists and apologized to Ye Jiuyou: “My apologies.”

Ye Jiuyou was taken aback, gave a “hmph,” and did not reply.

Zhao Changhe said, “In that case, I’ll go with Piaomiao. Please show the way.”

Ye Jiuyou lightly pointed a finger at the void, revealing a distant direction: “Here.”

Zhao Changhe was startled: “Within this same secret realm?”

“Where I am… the chaos of space causes all paths to be connected; in essence, they are different fragments of space.”

Zhao Changhe suddenly recalled that earlier, Hongling had entered the Boxun secret realm, saying it was vast and immense, spending months circling around with the Snow Owl people, and it even connected directly to Xiangyang. He had thought it was due to Boxun’s mystery and power, but it turned out the true great power was Ye Jiuyou.

Thinking of this, he broke out in a cold sweat. Luckily, Hongling had the fortune of a heroine—she had been right under Ye Jiuyou’s nose at the time but hadn’t provoked her; otherwise, the grass on her grave would be three feet tall by now.

Hongling’s past experiences had been shared with him, which made things much easier this time. He now had a good grasp of what Hongling had once encountered.

With that in mind, Zhao Changhe said no more, clasped his fists once more in salute, and turned to leave.

Over there, Piaomiao stood expressionless for a long while. She hadn’t even asked when Zhao Changhe had seen her naked, and now he had already run off. Suddenly realizing that his hasty departure was precisely to avoid this issue, Piaomiao stamped her foot and chased after him: “Stop right there!”

Ye Jiuyou watched the two go far away, and her originally somewhat annoyed expression suddenly turned into a smile.

The air in front rippled slightly, and Ye Wuming suddenly appeared before her.

Ye Jiuyou was not surprised: “Finding me through him? That’s all you’ve got? Seems you’re not even as good as Ying Wu.”

Ye Wuming couldn’t be bothered to argue about that, and said calmly, “Why do I get the feeling you have some malicious intent to set up Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao? Making him watch Piaomiao bathe isn’t just because you were seen and want to drag someone else down with you, is it? And now you’re even arranging for them to go together.”

Ye Jiuyou laughed heartily: “Is it that hard to understand, my dear sister? You want to kill Piaomiao but find you can’t, so you plan to use Zhao Changhe’s hand… To make Zhao Changhe want to kill Piaomiao, you deliberately let her awaken early to contend with Cui Yuanyang for the body, so that Zhao Changhe would have to kill her for his wife’s sake. That’s a judgment anyone can see, isn’t it?”

Ye Wuming said coldly, “So what?”

“Unfortunately, Piaomiao is ultimately a benevolent deity; Zhao Changhe can’t bring himself to do it. But as long as the problem remains unresolved, the possibility of a falling-out always exists. Unless you’re willing to step in, no one can be sure of handling this—even if the entangled souls can be properly separated, there’s still the issue of how to split them into two people, and countless other troubles… There’s only one method that’s most reliable: make Zhao Changhe also like Piaomiao. Then, no matter what, he won’t kill her, and your scheme naturally falls apart.”

“In fact, from the moment you maliciously invited Zhao Changhe here alone, you already had this intention.”

“Of course. Otherwise, with him bringing along a flock of chirping beauties, how could he build a relationship with Piaomiao? Naturally, I had to invite him alone.”

“You might as well change careers; being a matchmaker suits you well. By the way, do we have a demon god in charge of marriage? Are you interested?”

Ye Jiuyou couldn’t be bothered with her mockery and laughed joyfully: “Dear sister, I’ll just watch whether you show up to sabotage the relationship between Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao. If you don’t, I think those two will easily get together. Piaomiao shares a body with his wife, and they’re constantly hugging and sleeping together—that premise is too deadly… Plus, what Piaomiao represents is exactly what Zhao Changhe protects today; the two are almost on the same path… The likelihood of success, you understand better than I do.”

“…Why should I understand better than you?”

“Hehe.” Ye Jiuyou didn’t answer, but said leisurely, “Anyway… even if I die in the future, as long as Piaomiao doesn’t die, your scheme will never be complete.”

Ye Wuming said coldly, “Arrogant.”

“Who’s the one being arrogant?” Ye Jiuyou also dropped her smile and said coldly, “The thing Hanchi suppresses is far more terrifying than the world imagines. Such an important matter, you keep it bottled up? Do you really think you can calculate everything alone?”

“Oh? Could it be that you, like Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao, have begun to feel a sense of responsibility for the mortal world?”

“Hah… Just like in ancient times, whenever something goes wrong, the blame for annihilation always falls on me. Why should it have nothing to do with me?” Ye Jiuyou said coldly. “To this day, some still believe the collapse of the era was caused by me.”

“Blame?” Ye Wuming suddenly smiled. “Think about it—how long has it been since you felt the desire for annihilation? In the thirty years since you awakened, how many living beings have you personally extinguished? Has that desire for annihilation disappeared, or is it buried deepest, ready to rise and bring death to the three realms?”

Ye Jiuyou was startled, frowned for a moment, and then suddenly asked, “Ye Wuming, let me ask you again: the origin of our birth.”

“Since you’ve begun to seek the truth, seek it yourself. If you can’t, go find Zhao Changhe.” Ye Wuming drifted away. “Oh, and one more reminder: the Spirit Clan’s small world is not something you can touch now. Take care of yourself.”

“Who are you pretending to be? Can you even fathom your own truth?” Ye Jiuyou sneered behind her. “How do you feel, knowing Zhao Changhe is now plotting against you?”

Ye Wuming did not respond.

…

Over there, Zhao Changhe had already gone far. Piaomiao chased after him, pressing a hand on his shoulder: “Stop!”

Zhao Changhe halted and coughed dryly: “If I’m not mistaken about the time, it hasn’t been an hour yet. It should still be Yangyang’s turn. Have you suppressed her again in advance?”

Piaomiao said coldly, “From now until the end of the Boxun journey, it will be me. Cui Yuanyang cannot handle Boxun’s battles; she would only be a burden.”

Cui Yuanyang laughed in her consciousness. This sister was starting to make excuses now—clearly, she had been so embarrassed by her own words earlier that she didn’t want to let her ramble on any longer.

Zhao Changhe could only say, “It’s still a long way before we even see Boxun.”

“You’re just avoiding the issue!”

“I did see it, and it was indeed an accident. Tell me what compensation you want, and I’ll do it…” Zhao Changhe said helplessly. “Kill me? Gouge out my eyes? Or take responsibility and marry you?”

Piaomiao stood woodenly.

None of the three seemed acceptable.

“So… isn’t avoiding the problem better for everyone? Ye Jiuyou wouldn’t dwell on this; she knows it’s meaningless.” Zhao Changhe sighed. “Don’t say I’m being smug after getting an advantage. Theoretically, you shouldn’t be bothered by these things. You’re not even human—why would you have human shame? Is it the influence of your current life’s thinking?”

Piaomiao said coldly, “I don’t know about other primordial demon gods. For me, I was formed from the veins of human destiny, so I naturally inherit some human thought. Why should I be shameless? You might as well ask Ye Wuming if she knows shame.”

“Uh…” Zhao Changhe apologized. “It seems I misunderstood. Then, from this perspective, the birth of love and hate also has its reasons. It’s just that before reaching the point of being deceived and killed, it’s not enough to provoke your hatred?”

Piaomiao wanted to say he was changing the subject again… but she held back, knowing he was right. Pushing this matter wouldn’t lead to a resolution. Would she really make him take responsibility and marry her?

—I will take responsibility for Piaomiao. That sentence he had said earlier suddenly floated through her mind. Piaomiao suppressed herself again and finally spat out, “The truly shameless one is Ye Wuming!”

With that, she flew off first, heading straight for the Boxun secret realm.

Zhao Changhe breathed a sigh of relief and followed.

With their speed, the seemingly vast mountain range reached its end in an instant. As if a ripple passed through the void, they had already arrived in another space.

The moment they stepped into this new space, they immediately felt a different atmosphere from before.

Earlier, it was the chill of the abyss from Ye Jiuyou’s long cultivation there, causing endless snow and a thick, desolate stillness in the air, with almost no ordinary life—even the trees were withered.

But here, the environment was normal: green grass, fresh flowers, babbling streams, birdsong and insect chirps, matching the outside world’s April-May scenery—if no special circumstances caused a difference, the seasons of the two realms should be the same.

Yet this place had its own peculiarity. As soon as they entered, their minds felt a bit fuzzy, with many hallucinatory thoughts flickering through their consciousness. Their vision blurred, like being nearsighted, seeing everything hazily, unable to distinguish illusion from reality.

In the distance, celestial maidens seemed to dance, glimpses of spring allure appearing, tempting to the utmost. In their ears, divine music seemed to float, soothing body and mind.

Demon Illusion Realm.

Those who came were Zhao Changhe and Piaomiao, along with the strength of Yue Hongling from the past. For an ordinary martial artist entering, the environment alone could drive them mad; there would be no need for a fight.

But for Zhao Changhe, his first reaction was: “Good, it’s different from the mental invasion at Hanchi’s Ice Abyss… and quite different from Jiuyou’s.”

Piaomiao glanced at him. This man had a bit of a martial obsession, always pondering these things; no wonder he improved so fast.

“Most importantly, it’s much weaker, within my comfort zone.” As Zhao Changhe spoke, he suddenly drew his blade and slashed through the void.

Ahead, a phantom twisted and howled, transforming into different human faces before distorting and dissipating.

Illusory beasts… one of the types mentioned in the Book of Chaos: “various vajras, maras, strange beasts, remnant souls,” among which there would be powerful ones.

Just as the abyssal creatures that should exist in Ye Jiuyou’s domain, different realms naturally had their corresponding creatures. Ye Jiuyou’s side probably hid in her abyss unseen, while here in the Demon Illusion Realm, they were everywhere.

Zhao Changhe swung his long blade like a tiger among sheep, charging straight ahead, instantly killing his way several miles out. Piaomiao followed calmly behind, not making a single move, as if letting Zhao Changhe gain experience.

In truth, these peripheral creatures had long ceased to offer any meaningful training value for someone of Zhao Changhe's current level... This was a place where even Yue Hongling, before she had broken through to the Imperial realm, could have roamed for months—for Zhao Changhe now, it was no different from stepping on ants. The real trouble lay in the core zone, which Yue Hongling had never dared to approach.

Zhao Changhe tested the waters briefly, found it uninteresting, and turned to Piaomiao: "There's little point in probing here; let's just fly straight across."

Piaomiao watched as a phantom beast, identical in appearance to herself, was cleaved apart before her, and said flatly, "You've dealt with such phantom beasts before? You show no hesitation at all. If one didn't know you, they might think you a heartless man, able to cut down even a face like Yangyang's without a second thought."

"I've never dealt with them, but my wife came here before and knows the tricks. Many phantom beasts wear a face you'd hate to strike, using that to sway the outcome... It means at least our hearts are reflected by this environment—whatever we love in our hearts will manifest before us."

Piaomiao's expression remained blank: "Mm, whatever we love in our hearts."

Zhao Changhe looked at the face of Cui Yuanyang before him, then at the vast expanse around him filled with Yue Hongling, Tang Wanzhuang, Xia Chichi, Huangfu Qing, Sansi, and a qin-bearing figure, and then... Ye Wuming.

He could only hack forward in silence, unable to speak, even forgetting his own suggestion to fly over.

Fortunately, the face of the ancient Piaomiao did not appear; otherwise, this fight would have been impossible to continue.

Actually, it wasn't about manifesting "what one loves," but rather what would affect one's state of mind, causing hesitation... Further away, he could also see many men—for instance, Ying Wu, who had recently become very close, Cui Yuanyong, Situ Xiao, and others, his fathers-in-law, and... the long-unseen Han Wubing.

Hmm, Tang Buqi surprisingly didn't appear, which meant he really wanted to beat him up and would never hesitate.

Piaomiao followed silently, her heart a tangled mess of emotions. Even men appeared, yet the ancient Piaomiao did not... Did that mean he wouldn't hesitate with her?

Was it that he had no clear impression of what the ancient Piaomiao looked like, or...

He had even seen her bathing, yet he wouldn't hesitate! What a scumbag.

"These are?" Piaomiao caught sight of some unfamiliar faces, asking as if casually.

Even faces unknown to Yangyang's memory appeared, yet the ancient Piaomiao did not!

Zhao Changhe was answering: "My parents... my grandparents, my maternal grandparents..."

Piaomiao: "...Logically, the faces of the deceased shouldn't appear. Do you still have so many living relatives?"

"Mm." Zhao Changhe's blade had indeed softened considerably... Heaven knows what it felt like to hack one's way through a crowd of beloved faces—this advance was sheer torment. The frost giants of the Hanchi Ice Abyss were nothing compared to this.

Piaomiao noticed his blade path had gone awry and said, "Should I take over? I have no one who could make me hesitate."

Zhao Changhe silently struck a few more blows: "No... This is a trial; I should face it myself."

"Shua!" As he spoke, they happened to round a mountain spur.

Zhao Changhe's eyes suddenly widened. He slammed on the brakes, turned back, and grabbed Piaomiao: "Wait, hold on."

Piaomiao, baffled, shoved him aside and peered around the corner.

Beyond the bend, a group of ancient Piaomiao appeared—and they were not wearing clothes.

Zhao Changhe's face flushed crimson.

"Hahahaha..." Deep in his consciousness, Cui Yuanyang was rolling with laughter.

Piaomiao's face burned like blood. Instinctively, she raised her hand and reduced the entire group of herself to ash.

The feeling was too bizarre—she had been displeased by her own absence, but now that she was present, it was deeply awkward.

She shouldn't have come with him... What a terrible idea from Ye Jiuyou! And what in the world was Yangyang so happy about?

Just as she thought this, Cui Yuanyang in the consciousness let out a "pfft" and laughed even more gleefully.

Piaomiao looked closer and felt her face nearly catch fire—because of her intervention, the phantom beasts had begun to manifest her own "objects of hesitation."

Thus, in the distance ahead, the vast expanse was filled, aside from a few Cui Yuanyangs, entirely with Zhao Changhe.