Chapter 3023: Emperor's Illusion Technique?

Zhao Yun?

Hearing that name, many people exchanged glances. Most had never heard of it. Only a few, like Di Huang, Ming Jue, Bai Zhi, Chu Jiang Wang, and Qin Mengyao, knew of him. Qin Mengyao, especially, trembled slightly at the mention of Zhao Yun. She had been on the Taigu Road for so long and had never heard the name before, which stirred up old memories. That wandering cultivator from the Netherworld had left an indelible mark on her heart. So many years had passed, yet her feelings for him remained unchanged.

Ming Jue and Bai Zhi subtly furrowed their brows. Clearly, Zhao Yun was in the vortex. When had he arrived in the various heavens? When had he entered the Taigu Road? How could he survive in the vortex? Did he possess some divine secret that allowed him to reach the Huang Di realm?

Compared to Zhao Yun's name, more people were focused on the female emperor, staring intently at her with expressions that seemed to ask: Respected female emperor, are you sure the person you saw in the vortex was Ye Chen? That can't be right! Isn't he standing right here?

The female emperor slightly furrowed her brow, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. She occasionally glanced at Ye Chen. The figure she had seen before her Dao body dissipated was indeed Ye Chen, without a doubt. She was absolutely certain, yet this only deepened her confusion. How could it be Ye Chen? Was there another Ye Chen in the world—one here and one in the vortex?

Beside her, Ye Chen also narrowed his eyes, his gaze profound and distant. The female emperor was completely sure, and so was he—the person he had seen was definitely Zhao Yun, a figure etched into his soul. But he, too, was perplexed as to why Zhao Yun would be there.

After a long while, he turned his head and looked at the female emperor with an enigmatic expression.

You saw me in the vortex?

The female emperor said nothing, but her expression conveyed everything.

As the two of them gazed at each other, the other emperors and divine generals watched them with peculiar looks. One had sent a Dao body, the other a Fa body—both at the Tian Di level, with perspectives transcending the mundane. Why weren't they seeing the same person? They had agreed there was only one person in the vortex, so were there actually two?

Silence descended, enveloping the end of the Taigu Road in quietness. No one spoke; they simply looked at one another, all confused and bewildered, as an eerie atmosphere settled in.

"Illusion technique?"

After a long pause, the female emperor murmured softly, glancing toward the void.

Not just her, Ye Chen thought the same. Looking back at the vortex in the void, there was clearly only one person struggling inside, so why weren't they seeing the same individual? Perhaps illusion techniques explained it—a mysterious force was deceiving their perceptions, making them see two completely different people. If this guess was correct, the void was terrifying indeed, capable of misleading even Tian Di.

Behind them, Qin Mengyao stepped forward, hesitating as if she wanted to ask Ye Chen for confirmation: Was it really Zhao Yun? If it was him, that would be wonderful.

In the end, though, she didn't ask. Ye Chen might not have an answer, as his current expression showed some uncertainty.

"It's probably an illusion technique."

Ren Wang stroked his beard, straining his eyes to see, but he caught nothing. If even Di Huang couldn't see it, what chance did he have?

"For it to deceive a Tian Di, that illusion technique must be incredibly fearsome."

Zao Hua Shen Wang sighed. Though he couldn't see anything, the situation felt strangely illusory and eerie.

"I think it's worth going down there to check it out."

Long Ye tucked his hands behind his back, his curiosity driving him to uncover the truth. They had to get to the bottom of this.

And so, at the end of the Taigu Road, a dense crowd gathered—everyone from Tian Di to Zhun Di, whether they could see or not, stared wide-eyed at the void. It was like a group of idle people crowding around to watch a show. Even though they saw nothing, they watched with great interest.

It was fortunate that the supreme beings in the Taigu Honghuang were unaware; if they knew, they'd likely be furious. We're all struggling to hold on, and you're all just standing there without a care? Is that appropriate?

It was also fortunate that Ming Di and Dao Zu didn't know, or they'd probably curse up a storm. The Tian Mo's Chong Qi Sha phantom has already appeared, and the apocalypse could strike at any moment—stop watching the show!

At some point, the female emperor's eternal light bloomed once more, manifesting her Dao body and sending it into the void.

In the same instant, Ye Chen also manifested his Fa body, bypassing the usual time limit by altering the laws' concepts, forcing it out and sending it into the void. He was determined not to be wrong—if Zhao Yun was truly there, he had to save him. The female emperor shared the same resolve, certain she had seen Ye Chen, and was determined to bring him out for a thorough investigation.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the Dao body and Fa body, carrying their respective original selves' missions, delved deeper into the void, silently reciting the eternal heart mantra to guard against any illusion techniques disrupting their minds.

"Don't keep a straight face all the time; I don't owe you money."

"Your original self and my original self are a couple."

"We're basically in this together through thick and thin, so how about we, heh, get cozy?"

The Fa body was restless, circling the female emperor's Dao body as he walked deeper, rubbing his hands with a cheeky grin, embodying much of Ye Chen's personality—especially the roguish side.

The Dao body remained silent, her expression aloof and unchanging, never once glancing aside. As a Dao body, she possessed independent thoughts shaped by the female emperor's essence. The female emperor was detached from worldly desires, her heart undisturbed by mortal affairs, and so was the Dao body. Her aloof demeanor even carried a hint of coldness, completely ignoring the Fa body's words.

"That Fa body—I quite like him."

A descendant standing at the end remarked meaningfully, clearly referring to the fact that the Holy Body's Fa body was flirting with the female emperor's Dao body. Even from across the void, they could see his sleazy smile, just like Ye Chen's.

"Do you think if the Fa body and Dao body got together, they could have a child?"

Xiao Yuan Huang scratched his monkey fur, always full of wild ideas.

"Whether they can or not, we could always try."

The elders stroked their beards or tucked their hands away, while a few of the more improper ones had eyes gleaming with excitement, even more eager than the Fa body. Who knows, maybe there'd be some entertaining scenes in the void—like a live broadcast.

Slap! Slap! Slap!

Then came a series of sharp smacks, as if multiple people were being slapped, the sounds crisp and successive, oddly satisfying to hear.

Looking at those improper individuals, they were all clutching their faces and staggering, each with a bright red, delicate handprint on their cheek. Blood streamed from their noses uncontrollably. Being mouthy came with a price—teasing the female emperor meant they were lucky to still be alive, thanks to their past good karma.

Everyone fell silent after that, including Hou Yi and Xing Tian, who had been about to chime in but decided silence was the safest option. If the female emperor lost her temper, even Ye Chen would get beaten.

Of course, there were still some serious ones, like Di Huang, Mo Zun, and Sheng Huang, who narrowed their eyes and stared intently at the void, pushing their vision to the limit in hopes of seeing the vortex's scene.

As for Ye Chen, though he watched the void with a serious face, he couldn't hide the pride in his eyes. The Fa body never disappointed; it was making him look so good.

The female emperor glanced at him briefly, her expression as calm as an ancient well, showing neither anger nor embarrassment. She simply looked at Ye Tian Di with utter composure.

Yet that single glance made Ye Chen feel a chill run through him. Even as a Tian Di-level Holy Body, he seemed insignificant before the female emperor. If it came to a fight, she could send him back to his mother's womb. There was no helping it—he was only at the initial stage, while she was at the peak. The Holy Body's invincibility only applied at the same level, and she was clearly an exception.

"People should always save face, no matter where they go."

In the void, the Fa body was still chattering away. It wasn't just talk anymore—he had even gotten handsy, draping an arm over the female emperor's Dao body's shoulder.

From behind, they looked like the best of buddies.

However, before the Dao body could react, her expression remained unchanged, without a ripple. It was the female emperor herself who responded, standing at the end of the Taigu Road with an urge to castrate Ye Chen.

Joking aside, they still had serious business to attend to.

Watched by everyone, the Fa body and Dao body moved one to the left and one to the right, venturing deep enough. They carefully passed through the gaps between the many vortices, gradually approaching the central vortex. The terrifying devouring force made even them unsteady, so they linked through eternity to bolster their bodies, preventing being swallowed before they arrived.

Even so, they couldn't escape being pulled in and were engulfed by the vortex. In the instant before they dissipated, they looked toward the person in the vortex.

Pfft! Pfft!

With their destruction, Ye Chen and the female emperor both spat blood, more violently than before. The destructive backlash was overwhelmingly powerful, impossible to fully eradicate even with eternity.

The emperors and divine generals said nothing, their eyes fixed on the two, waiting for them to reveal who it was.

The female emperor and Ye Chen exchanged a glance. He was silent, and so was she, both finding the answer in each other's eyes. They still weren't seeing the same person—Ye Chen saw Zhao Yun, and the female emperor saw Ye Chen.

Illusion technique?

The question arose in their minds once more. After two attempts, the result was the same. With their cultivation, mindset, and vision, they couldn't distinguish reality from illusion.

"Ye Chen, was it him?"

Qin Mengyao finally couldn't hold back and asked softly, her watery eyes misty with emotion.

"No."

Ye Chen replied faintly. He had seen Zhao Yun, but he didn't believe it was really him. That guy, no matter how monstrous, couldn't survive in the vortex. Back then, even the Huang Di-level female emperor had nearly perished there—what could Zhao Yun use to protect himself? He understood Qin Mengyao's feelings, which was why he gave that answer.

Instantly, Qin Mengyao's tense body relaxed, and she lowered her eyes silently. The mist in her gaze, under the dim light, condensed into frost.

Di Huang sighed, as did Ming Jue and Bai Zhi. Anyone who knew of Qin Mengyao and Zhao Yun's past felt a quiet sorrow in their hearts.

Swallowing a similar sigh was Tian Mo Zun. Back in the Honghuang era, she had met Qin Mengyao, who was Luo Shen, a great god of that age. In terms of seniority, she would have to address her as a senior from a previous life. Luo Shen had long been buried in the river of time, and for some reason, had fallen into the Yin Cao underworld. Though Tian Mo Zun had no memories of Luo Shen, she inherited her divine power, just as radiant as in the past. She had lived an extra life, yet was still trapped by love.

Suddenly, Qin Mengyao turned and returned to the Hun Dun Ding.

The divine generals glanced at one another and retreated to their respective places.

Here, the female emperor had already withdrawn her gaze from the void, forming seals with one hand. Though she wanted to figure it out, there was no time to delay—they needed to head to the Taigu Honghuang as soon as possible.

Ye Chen steadied himself, taking one last look at the vortex before forcibly averting his eyes and suppressing his emotions. When his cultivation reached its peak, he would return for a closer look.

Buzz!

Accompanied by a hum, the Taigu Road extended onward.

The female emperor controlled the direction, both continuing and forging a path, not in a straight line but绕ing around the clustered vortices in the void.

"I told you not to come in, but you insisted."

"That's nonsense; you're the one who dragged me in."

"I have to admit, that 'get lost' you said earlier was impressively bold."

"Don't change the subject."

"That's not what I'm doing."

In the vortex of the void, faint and ancient voices echoed.

Unfortunately, the Zhutian expedition army could no longer hear them.

PS: Wish book friends Xing Yu and Jia Yi eternal love and everlasting happiness.