Chapter 1095: Holding Hands, Running Towards the Grim Reaper's Direction

The moonlight was slightly cold, and people felt a subtle chill, as things changed and stars shifted, all seeming the same.

On Xukong Island, the Yin Yue that should not exist had vanished from Xu Xiaoshou's spiritual world and appeared in the illusion world on the other side.

“This is impossible—”

A terrifying and shrill howl echoed through the nine heavens, drifting across more than a dozen streets in this land of giants, but alas, the place was deserted, and the screams went unheard.

Xie Lao and Gui Po stayed glued to each other, never turning their backs or even letting their gazes slip out of alignment, ensuring they could always catch each other in their peripheral vision to avoid mistaking one for the other.

After learning that the one who had trapped them with Huan Jian Shu was the Da Shi Xiong of Can Yue Xian Cheng, the two had been overcome with fear and dread.

Yet, even trapped in this situation, both were seasoned assassins and knew how to counter illusions.

If one person fell into an illusion, they could hold onto their true self and break through the array's core to escape.

But if multiple people were ensnared and couldn't find the array's core right away to destroy it, the most dreadful outcome wasn't helplessness—it was the illusion itself.

A single misalignment of the eyes, and no one could tell if their companion had been swapped under the illusion master's influence.

If one turned their back, they wouldn't know if the ally behind them had turned into a grotesque monster.

Or perhaps their companion was already dead, and what lingered beside them was just an illusionary facade created by the realm.

This kind of horror and terror was the true purpose of a high-level illusion.

It tore down defenses from within the heart and spirit; once the mind's guard fell, even against equals, victory or defeat could be decided in an instant.

What's more, Xie Lao and Gui Po didn't believe that together they could even compare to the Da Shi Xiong of Can Yue Xian Cheng, who single-handedly ruled the entire Dong Yue Realm!

“Impossible, absolutely impossible! I've tried so many methods—how could we still be on this same street?!”

After the shriek of terror, Xie Lao's eyes bulged wide like those of a dead fish, devoid of life, as he stared at Gui Po, shaking his head in panic:

“Xiao Kongdong is the array's core—we can never defeat him or break through it.”

“In that case, the only ways to counter the illusion are two,” Gui Po replied, her pupils darting left and right amid the rustling wind. “Influencing the environment, spotting flaws in the details to return to reality, or holding firm to your true self—if your spirit doesn't succumb to the illusion he created, you can always find the line between truth and falsehood to escape back to reality...”

“Is that right, old man?”

Xie Lao clutched his head, hands pressing hard against his temples, his face as pale as if he'd been soaked in water for days. Though only a moment had passed in the illusion world, it felt like years of torment, pushing him to the brink of collapse.

“You're spot on, but don't forget, what Xiao Kongdong is using isn't simple 'illusion techniques'—it's 'Huan Jian Shu'!” Gui Po's eyes shifted nervously as she spoke, scratching at the skin on her face and body.

This wasn't a sign of poisoning; it was her own quirk—after tension built up, her whole body itched, and she had to scratch to ease her emotions.

Xie Lao watched with half-lidded eyes as Gui Po clawed at her ugly face, turning it a mottled red and white, with some spots even breaking open and bleeding. Her freshly changed clothes were torn, revealing skin wrinkled all over and dotted with dark spots...

The sight was more horrifying than the illusion itself!

If not for their years as assassin partners, Xie Lao might have thought this was something Xiao Kongdong had conjured to shatter his mental defenses.

But these details confirmed that the illusion hadn't harmed their companion—at least, Gui Po was still Gui Po, not replaced.

“I can't take it anymore!”

Xie Lao gripped his head, pressing so hard it seemed he might crush his skull, and growled through gritted teeth:

“I've tried over ten methods, and nothing works—it's all traps he set on purpose, toying with us like dogs!”

“But! We can't panic, we can't panic...”

Xie Lao thought it through, calming himself a bit as he shook his head and continued:

“Clearly, he's stalling because he doesn't have the confidence to take on both of us at once.”

“That's obvious, isn't it? We're both Tai Xu, and Xiao Kongdong is at most Tai Xu peak. If we fought desperately, we could take him down with us, and no one would come out ahead.”

“So, he's waiting for his companion to arrive...”

“It's definitely not Xu Xiaoshou!”

Xie Lao was psyching himself up, his thoughts growing clearer and his voice stronger and more confident:

“He's waiting for that old man, that guy, his companion... Once they come... We're all done for!”

Gui Po scratched furiously at her chest, her eyes flickering even faster as she mumbled, “Do you know that old man?”

“Who the hell knows him!” Xie Lao roared like a madman, pointing at Gui Po and cursing, “You couldn't even recognize Xiao Kongdong with your own 'Mian Hun Ban,' and you want me to... You're the one who's sick!”

“I am sick...” Gui Po was stunned by the scolding, murmuring before snapping back and flying into a rage. “Then do you know him? The Da Shi Xiong of Can Yue Xian Cheng—there are hundreds, even thousands of portraits of him floating around. How many times have you been to the East Domain? Have you ever seen his real face? If you were in this situation, could you recognize him?”

“Calm down, calm down.” Xie Lao suppressed his anger and actually grew calmer. “This is exactly the effect he wants—to make us turn on each other. You're right, aren't you?”

“You're absolutely right!” Gui Po nodded vigorously, calming down as well, though she scanned their surroundings without daring to move her leaden feet an inch.

“So, after running all that way, we're back where we started... Now, do you have any other ideas?” She turned her head. “Bring out your 'Xie Shu.' I'm done with normal ways to break the array—Xiao Kongdong's illusion array is part of Huan Jian Shu!”

Gui Po was truly frightened.

The terror of ancient sword cultivators from the East Domain lay in the fact that mid-domain spirit refiners rarely encountered them.

After all, there were so few ancient sword cultivators, and each was a top-tier expert. Ordinary spirit refiners didn't even get the chance to interact with them, let alone challenge them, so how could they accumulate experience to counter Huan Jian Shu?

—Any so-called experience was just the blind speculation of those stuck in their wells.

“There's still a way, there has to be...” Xie Lao muttered to himself, pondering for a moment before his eyes flashed with determination. “I have one last method—hidden in my Xie Men Xie Shu. It's the final trick: opening the Chong Yin Zhi Yan on myself. This is the most reckless move!”

“Chong Yin Zhi Yan will pierce through all illusions, since it's the embodiment of 'evil strangeness.' I'll briefly tap into the power of the Xie Shen— that's... that's power on another level!”

“Xie Shen?” Gui Po stopped scratching, her eyes wide with shock.

“Yes, but I—I will...” Xie Lao gasped heavily; this trump card had been hidden deep, and now he had no choice but to reveal it. “I'll go mad! Completely lose my reason! But I'll break through the illusions and lead you back to the real world. I've always been good to you, and all you need to do is...”

He paused, suddenly grabbing Gui Po's shoulder with a vice-like grip. “You have to knock me out and get me out! You must take me with you, understand?”

Xie Lao's eyes were bloodshot from the strain.

Trust between assassins was rare.

But he had no other option; he was entrusting his life to this partner of decades.

If Gui Po fled in fear at the end, it would all be over.

He would be fully consumed by the Xie Shen's will, buried forever in this Xukong Island grave.

“Don't worry, I won't abandon you. Without you, I couldn't survive on Xukong Island.” Gui Po pried his hand away and vowed firmly.

“Good, that's good... Remember what you said! Remember you saved my life in the Blood Realm! Remember I still owe you—and that I'm of great use to you alive!”

Xie Lao gave her a deep look, then hesitated no longer. He pulled a gleaming golden pill from his pocket and popped it into his mouth.

The pill, named “Shen Zhi Bi You,” embodied his devout intent in that moment. As its power dissolved, Xie Lao quickly formed hand seals, his spiritual energy surging.

He closed his eyes.

The next second, they snapped open.

“Chong Yin Zhi Yan—Xie Shen Fu Ti!”

With those heavy words, a boom echoed as endless black-purple Xie Qi erupted from Xie Lao's body.

The strange black-purple Xie Qi, guided by his will, surged straight into his forehead.

“Ugh, ahhh—”

Screams rang out as Xie Lao convulsed, his skin cracking and bleeding in agony.

Soon, a purple mark split open at the center of his forehead, and amid the flowing blood, a black-purple eyeball grotesquely emerged.

In an instant, the heavens and earth shifted.

The entire world constructed by Huan Jian Shu began to tremble and crack, as if it couldn't withstand this terrifying force.

“This is the power of 'Xie Shen'...”

Gui Po stepped back in alarm, glancing at the black-purple Chong Yin Zhi Yan despite knowing better, only to feel a stabbing pain in her mind and evil thoughts racing through her body, nearly leading to Qi deviation.

“How bizarre!”

The Chong Yin Zhi Yan was enormous, the size of two infant fists, brimming with madness, distortion, and strangeness.

The moment it appeared, it took up two-thirds of Xie Lao's forehead, pushing his original eyes downward and to the sides.

His entire face became twisted and terrifying because of it.

“Heh heh heh...” A faint, miserable laugh escaped Xie Lao's throat, low but thunderous.

“Xie Lao, hold on!” Gui Po called softly, avoiding the sight of the Chong Yin Zhi Yan.

Her voice seemed to give Xie Lao direction amid the overwhelming madness, and his drooping, displaced original eyes twitched slightly, focusing.

“Chong Yin Zhi Yan—Break the Illusion!”

He formed seals again, seizing the chance to find a way out.

“This way!”

Quickly, he turned toward the rear side, pointing. “Go straight—don't let those tall buildings fool you; they're all fake! My time is running out—get us out of this damned place, use Blood Escape!”

Xie Lao had no intention of using the Xie Shen's power to fight Xiao Kongdong.

Not only was his lucidity short-lived, but he didn't even know if this borrowed power could match Xiao Kongdong's—and he'd never tested it before, nor did he want to now.

“Run!”

He grabbed Gui Po's hand, feeling his sanity slipping, and used his last bit of strength to charge them out of the world of Huan Jian Shu.

Once they were out, whatever happened next—fleeing for their lives—would be up to Gui Po and whether she still cared to help him.

“Yes, run, run with all your might, stake your life on it...”

Gui Po echoed, letting Xie Lao pull her toward the illusory city tower, laughing as she went. “Then let's see how far you can get.”

Xie Lao's figure halted abruptly upon entering the false city tower, a chill surging through him from the Chong Yin Zhi Yan.

That voice...

It was a man's voice!

Still holding what he thought was Gui Po's hand, Xie Lao felt the grip of death. He whipped around and, with his illusion-piercing Chong Yin Zhi Yan, saw the one he'd pulled along...

He was refined and elegant, with a warm smile, his right hand in Xie Lao's grasp while his left held a shimmering spatial sword high. His narrowed eyes were full of admiration and satisfaction.

“Not bad at all—you can borrow such power. I knew no one reaches Tai Xu without being exceptional.”

“Xiao... Kong... Dong!”

Xie Lao lost it, black-purple Xie Qi blasting from all three of his eyes.

In that instant, countless images flashed through his mind.

They'd never lost sight of each other, not even for a moment—how could she have been swapped?

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

This collapse was the final straw that broke him.

Already struggling against the Xie Shen's will, with his sanity nearly erased by the evil thoughts of the Chong Yin Zhi Yan, Xie Lao suddenly realized.

Yes, it was impossible after Huan Jian Shu began.

But what about before it started?

After all, he and Gui Po had been struck without knowing when.

So, was it possible that Gui Po had already escaped, leaving another “Xie Lao” to go after Xu Xiaoshou?

“You bastard...”

Before he could finish, Xiao Kongdong's spatial sword, wreathed in green Mo Jian, plunged straight into Xie Lao's Chong Yin Zhi Yan.

Black-purple Xie Qi and red blood sprayed out together.

“How filthy.”

With the sword thrust in, Xiao Kongdong dusted off his hands and leaped back, not wanting to see the Chong Yin Zhi Yan's changes, returning to the heights above.

In the illusory giant kingdom under the false Yin Yue, only the real black-purple waves remained, spreading wildly from Xie Lao's body like an ocean of Xie Qi.

The screams filling this sea of twisted, purple-black evil were pure madness and despair.

“Ugh, ahhhh—”

“Gui Po, you betrayed me!!”