Chapter 343: A New Use for Illusions

With the aid of the Invincible Pill, Lu Yang successfully made his escape from the puppet's clutches.

The moment Lu Yang stepped off the peak of Heaven's Gate, the puppet ceased its pursuit, standing a short distance away to watch his receding figure.

"Thank goodness that puppet cannot descend the mountain," Lu Yang sighed in relief, having long realized that its range of activity was restricted, unable to leave Heaven's Gate Peak.

"Senior Brother Lu, why are you running so fast? Is there some sort of danger on Heaven's Gate Peak?" Tao Yaoye's voice resounded from behind him.

With the Eldest Senior Sister residing there, how could Heaven's Gate Peak possibly be dangerous?

"No, it's nothing. I just haven't run in a while, so I'm stretching my legs," Lu Yang stammered, unable to admit he was being chased and thrashed by a puppet, which would be far too embarrassing.

"Are you free right now? I've recently come up with some new ideas regarding illusion arts and wanted to discuss them with you."

Lu Yang pondered for a moment, realizing he truly had nothing else to do. "Sure, shall we head to Dustless Peak?"

On the way to Dustless Peak, Lu Yang asked casually, "What kind of new thoughts do you have on illusions, Junior Sister?"

"It was inspired by the time you, Senior Brother Meng, and Junior Brother Man fused together. Since the three of you willingly accepted my illusion, it got me thinking—could illusion arts be applied outside of combat?"

"That is indeed an intriguing line of thought. Do go on."

"When casting an illusion, the greatest obstacle lies in making the target succumb to it. So why don't we invert our thinking: are there situations where someone would willingly immerse themselves in an illusion?"

Lu Yang grew thoughtful; he had never considered this angle before, and he felt he was faintly grasping the point Junior Sister Tao wanted to convey.

Following her train of thought, he said, "To willingly surrender to an illusion, two conditions must be met: safety and comfort."

"Safety ensures that it isn't a method used in combat, which is the most fundamental guarantee. Comfort is the prerequisite for making someone willingly accept the illusion."

"The defining trait of illusion arts is their immersive nature. If we allow them to experience a form of enjoyment they cannot find in reality, they will naturally indulge willingly."

"Could it be that you mean to show them scenes they normally could never witness, such as..." Lu Yang looked at Tao Yaoye in disbelief, never expecting that despite her innocent appearance, she would think of things that usually only crossed men's minds.

Tao Yaoye nodded in delight, thinking that Senior Brother Lu was indeed the most quick-witted, grasping her meaning so rapidly.

"Precisely, we will let them witness scenes of cultivators engaged in battle!"

Lu Yang: "..."

I am sorry, my mind wandered down the wrong path, I shall reflect on myself.

Tao Yaoye continued excitedly, "I am not talking about battles between low-level cultivators, which are common enough. Battles between Golden Core cultivators are rare to behold, especially since they can fly through the air, possess far more spiritual energy than Foundation Establishment cultivators, and can cast countless spells. It is highly spectacular!"

"Mortals and low-level cultivators have no opportunity to see those above the Golden Core stage fight. If we use illusions to show them such battles, they will surely be more than willing!"

"Of course, I am not running a charity; this will be a paid service."

She was counting on this to make a fortune.

"What I am considering now is whether launching straight into a battle without any context would seem too abrupt. Should we add some plot?"

The two arrived at the entrance of Tao Yaoye's cave dwelling on Dustless Peak.

Tao Yaoye appeared exceptionally thrilled. "Let me demonstrate for you. Do not resist."

"Alright."

Tao Yaoye unfurled her red paper umbrella, using it to shield her body as she swayed it gently twice before Lu Yang. Lu Yang felt a sudden daze, and when his senses returned, he found himself amidst rolling, endless mountains.

Sensing something, he looked up and discovered two silhouettes standing in mid-air, dressed in similar attire, appearing to be fellow disciples.

One of them was shedding tears, his voice trembling slightly: "Senior Brother, tell me, why did you murder Master, why did you kill your favorite Little Junior Sister, and why did you slay our other senior brothers and sisters? Why!"

The other burst into raucous laughter, a sinister black aura billowing from his body: "Hahaha, why? Then you ought to ask Master! Ask yourself!"

"Me?" The junior brother was astonished, utterly bewildered by the implication.

"I was the first to enter the sect, practicing diligently day and night just so I could inherit Master's mantle one day. Even when other disciples joined later, I paid them no mind, for none possessed talent equal to mine!"

"Yet everything was shattered upon your arrival. Master actually intended to pass the position of Sect Leader to you!"

"I questioned Master as to why, and he claimed I was overly eager for quick success and short-sighted, while you were the most suited to inherit his mantle!"

"I was consumed by rage! Was all my effort over these years nothing but short-sightedness in his eyes? In my fury, I struck him down. It just so happened that Little Junior Sister witnessed it; she screamed in terror, drawing the attention of the others. To silence them, I had no choice but to kill them all!"

"Little Junior Brother, now that you know the truth, you must die too! Your cultivation is far inferior to mine, so yield without a fight!"

A golden mist surged from the junior brother's body, his radiating aura faintly rivaling that of his senior brother.

The senior brother was struck with horror. "How can this be? You should only be at the early Golden Core stage, so how are you at the late Golden Core stage just like me?"

The junior brother's expression was icy cold as he recalled the field of corpses he found upon arriving at the sect, remembered his dying Master transferring all his cultivation to him, and remembered Little Junior Sister losing all signs of life in his arms.

The culprit behind all this must die!

Light dawned upon the senior brother, and his expression turned maniacal: "I see! That old fool transferred his entire cultivation to you! I knew he was biased toward you!"

Having received the sect's inheritance, the junior brother held two magical treasures. He brandished a pair of scissors in his hand, which transformed into two golden flood dragons that lunged at the senior brother with bared fangs and claws.

A massive ghostly claw extended from behind the senior brother, suppressing the two golden flood dragons.

The junior brother uncorked a jade vial, and yellow sand erupted forth like a tsunami, crashing toward the senior brother. With a great shout, the senior brother drew the blade at his waist and unleashed a wave of saber qi, slicing the tsunami of yellow sand cleanly in two.

The two fellow disciples engaged in a fierce battle, with magical treasures, spells, and schemes unfolding one after another, creating a dazzling spectacle that made the onlooker yearn to join the fray.

Suddenly, the scene shifted into a landscape painting, which was then immersed in water, dissolving the ink as everything vanished. Lu Yang snapped out of it, finding Tao Yaoye holding her red paper umbrella, looking at him with a beaming smile.

"Senior Brother Lu, how was it? How did it feel? I tried adding some plot. Isn't it better than just dry fighting?"

Lu Yang remained silent for a long time, internal criticisms piling up one after another, leaving him at a total loss as to where to begin.

Isn't this thing basically a movie?

And a holographic simulation-level movie at that!

Needless to say, the battle scenes felt absolutely real; the plot was merely a bit thin, but that did not matter since this was only the beginning, and the story could be fleshed out at any time.

If this were placed in his previous world, it would absolutely dominate, as no special effects could ever compare.

"What a brilliant idea."

Lu Yang sighed in admiration. He believed that once this concept was refined and introduced to the public, it would undoubtedly be an absolute goldmine!

(End of Chapter)