The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 188 Entering the Divine Sense Illusion After Time Stops

In the lobby of Liuquan Inn in Tiandu City, Wuzhong Kingdom, on the continent of Huanchen.

Luo Yifei looked at the illusion in front of him and put down the steamed bun in his hand.

The illusion revealed the forbidden area behind Qingluan Valley.

The forbidden area was on the verge of collapse, boulders were rolling, and fireballs were shooting everywhere. The cultivators were terrified and screamed as they scattered and fled.

At that moment, the sky was covered with dark clouds. Clumps of black mist rose rapidly from the depths of the forbidden area behind Qingluan Valley, merging into the dark clouds above.

The black mist moved rapidly, and the cultivators on the ground tried to dodge its attacks. However, whether it was the cultivators from Qingluan Valley, the cultivators from Xingchen Palace and Huanying Pavilion who were attacking the mountain gate, or the cultivators from various sects who came to get a share of the spoils, they were all seriously injured by the black mist's attacks.

Many cultivators used their life-saving methods, unleashing various spells and supernatural powers. In an instant, various colored specks of light began to appear in the black mist in the sky.

One of the green dots dodged an attack from the black mist and then plummeted straight towards the ground. Just as the green dot was about to hit the ground...

The illusion suddenly stopped, and Luo Yifei withdrew his gaze, turning to look at Lin Feifan sitting diagonally opposite him.

Lin Feifan stood motionless, as did Qi Yuan, Nan Tian, ​​Su An, Shen Lixi, and Elder Wanshun, who were standing beside him, as if they had been frozen in place.

Elder Wanshun's gaze fell upon Lin Feifan, his chopsticks moving slowly in his hand.

Lin Feifan's primordial spirit did indeed leave his body, and then his primordial spirit changed its appearance, becoming a handsome and dashing young man.

"Let's go, there are some things I need to tell you. Come with me into the illusionary realm of consciousness," said the young man before us, whose true form was unclear—whether it was a primordial spirit or a soul.

"Who are you? What happened to them?" Luo Yifei asked.

"Ye Fan...they're alright, time has just stopped. To be precise, the flow of the River of Time has slowed down. I'm just a remnant soul now, and Elder Wan Shun's cultivation level is not low; I can't hold him off for long. Come with me into the illusion. I need your permission." The remnant soul, displaying only its upper half, flew directly to the Eight Immortals Table and spoke face-to-face with Luo Yifei.

“Okay,” Luo Yifei replied.

As soon as Luo Yifei finished speaking, he felt an invisible force pulling him, his consciousness began to blur, and his body seemed to be lifted up by soft clouds, slowly leaving his seat. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he found himself no longer at the Willow Spring Inn, but standing on a desolate land.

All around was endless darkness, with only a faint green light flickering in the distance. Luo Yifei turned to look at Ye Fan, only to see that Ye Fan's primordial spirit had fully manifested, no longer appearing as in the previous illusion, but instead regaining his original handsome face.

"This is an illusion, and also the dwelling place of my remnant soul." Ye Fan's voice echoed in the empty illusion.

Luo Yifei looked around and asked, "What are we doing here?"

Ye Fan smiled slightly and replied, "No rush. Time is frozen here. We have plenty of time. Let me tell you a few stories first."

As Ye Fan spoke, the surrounding scenery changed again. The illusion of Qingluan Valley, which had just paused, reappeared before Luo Yifei's eyes.

Then, the illusion before my eyes began to reverse time.

The dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and the black mist that had risen earlier returned to the ground. The collapsed rocks returned to the mountaintop, and the cultivators who had rushed into the forbidden area behind Qingluan Valley retreated back into Qingluan Valley.

Then, the speed at which time reversed began to accelerate.

The cultivators who were shouting at the mountain gate just a moment ago suddenly disappeared, and the light and shadow changed with the seasons.

The three characters "Qingluan Valley" on the gate tower at the mountain gate have been changed from old to new.

Then, the gatehouse of Qingluan Valley disappeared, time continued to rewind, and an old gatehouse suddenly appeared at the mountain gate, with the words "Tang and Song Gate" written on it.

"Tang and Song Sect." Luo Yifei couldn't help but utter these three words.

"We still need to look ahead." After Ye Fan finished speaking, the scene in the illusion continued to flow backward in time.

As the seasons change, the vegetation in the valley begins to shrink. Of the three characters "Tang Song Gate" on the gate tower at the mountain gate, only two remain—"Tang Gate."

"Ten thousand years ago, this place wasn't called Qingluan Valley, but Qinglan Valley, the 'lan' meaning blue. And this place is also the location of the Tang Sect on the Illusionary Star Continent. It's the base of a huge volcano. In the middle, there's a smaller active volcano. That's where the forbidden area behind the mountain is located," Ye Fan slowly explained.

“There’s no need to start from the beginning of time. Let’s just talk about the grudges and feuds that happened here,” Luo Yifei replied.

"See for yourself."

Further south in the valley are vast farmlands, clearly fertile land left behind by this extinct volcano after its eruption in ancient times.

Further south from the farmland are large areas of buildings, clearly indicating a small town.

The illusion's perspective focused on the town, then gradually zoomed in from the sky, revealing a noodle shop to Luo Yifei.

Four burly men led a little girl into the noodle shop.

The little girl's hands were tied and a rag was stuffed in her mouth.

The customers eating noodles in the noodle shop didn't pay much attention to them.

The burly men finished their food without a second thought.

“Brother, there are a lot of people here, so we’re not afraid she’ll run away. Let her eat by herself. I really don’t want to feed her anymore,” said a burly man with a long knife at his waist.

The burly man, who was called "Big Brother," nodded.

The little girl nodded, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes. She carefully walked to a corner of the noodle shop and found a seat. With her bound hands, she clumsily picked up her chopsticks and began to eat the noodles in front of her. Despite her difficult situation, a resilient light shone in her eyes.

Seeing this, the noodle shop owner quietly approached the little girl and asked softly, "Little girl, what's your name? Why are these people arresting you?"

The young girl glanced up at the proprietress, a hint of hesitation flashing in her eyes, but she finally answered softly, "My name is Xiaolian. They...they said I was a spy from the demon race and wanted to take me to the Tang Clan. After I was captured, they bought me. I've never harmed anyone..."

Upon hearing this, the proprietress's expression changed. She understood immediately that the many demon hunters in Qinglan Valley were not there to punish evil and promote good, but simply to make a living.

The Tang Clan is a mysterious and powerful force on the Illusionary Continent, and it would obviously not be a good thing for Xiao Lian to be handed over to them.

She looked around to make sure the burly men weren't paying attention, then whispered to Xiaolian, "Don't be afraid. I have some powder here. When they're not looking, sprinkle it on them and they'll be temporarily incapacitated. Then escape through the back door and head west. There's a mountain there, and on the mountain is a temple. A wise man lives in the temple; he might be able to help you."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of hope flashed in Xiaolian's eyes. She took the powder from the proprietress and clutched it tightly in her hand. She knew this was her only chance.

Just then, one of the burly men suddenly stood up and walked towards Xiaolian. He was the youngest of the four.

Xiaolian's heart tightened; she knew the time had come. She quickly sprinkled the powder on the burly man's face, and then, while he was covering his face, she escaped through the back door.

Following the landlady's instructions, Xiaolian ran westward at top speed. She didn't know how long she ran, only that when she finally reached the mountain, she was panting and exhausted. She looked up at the summit and saw an ancient temple standing quietly in the clouds.

Xiaolian gritted her teeth and continued climbing the mountain. Her heart was filled with fear of the future and memories of the past, but she knew that only by reaching that temple could she find a glimmer of hope.

Just as Xiaolian was about to reach the temple, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw several burly men hot on her heels. Xiaolian's heart sank, but she didn't give up. With her last ounce of strength, she rushed through the temple gate.

Inside the temple, an elderly monk with white hair sat in meditation with his eyes closed. He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing, as if he could see through all the turmoil of the world. Xiao Lian knelt down before the old monk with a thud, her eyes brimming with tears, pleading for help.

The old monk smiled slightly, extended a hand, and gently placed it on Xiaolian's head. A warm power instantly flowed through Xiaolian's entire body, and she felt an unprecedented peace and strength.

"Child, you need not be afraid. The grudges of the Tang Clan have their own cause and effect. You only need to remember that no matter when or where, you must hold fast to your original heart and not be swayed by the outside world." The old monk's voice was like heavenly music, purifying Xiaolian's soul.

Xiao Lian looked up at the old monk, her eyes filled with gratitude and reverence. She knew that from this moment on, her fate would undergo a dramatic change.

"Old monk, we four brothers had no intention of disturbing you, but one of the maids we bought has escaped into the temple. Please return her to us." The eldest of the four was the first to chase after her to the temple gate.

"I don't know how much silver you spent, but this woman is destined for Buddha. I wonder if the four of you, the Li family, would be willing to part with her?" The old monk walked out of the temple gate.

"Brother, stop wasting words with this bald monk. Let's just charge in, tie up that bird, and hand it over to the Tang Clan. Dragging this out any longer might cause more trouble," said the second brother among the four.

“Old monk, I know that Buddha helps those who are destined to be saved, but you also need to see clearly whether that little girl is human or not,” the elder brother said to the old monk, gripping the long knife at his waist with his right hand.

"It is truly remarkable that a thousand-year-old demon beast could transform into a human..." As the old monk spoke, a short knife was already inserted into his mouth.

It was the fourth brother who made the move.