Immortal Road.

Although the blue halo is not dazzling, its soft glow illuminates the entire mortal world and the sea of ​​stars, and it is one of the most central locations!

There are more than a dozen tracks connecting to it, and different routes can lead here. You can also see people from other holy sites coming in from other directions. Obviously, everyone is heading to the same destination and knows that this is the final place.

At the entrance, the great Confucian scholar Mei Shafeng of the Haoran Holy Land was in charge, with a table in front of him displaying several paintings and descriptions, instructing the disciples coming and going to be careful after entering.

Among the treasures involved was the Formless Star Cocoon!

Lin Shan and the Kong family patriarch also came over to take a look.

[The Formless Star Cocoon is essentially a blue, egg-shaped substance of varying sizes. It typically takes many forms within illusions, disguising itself as different objects, requiring careful identification.]

[Earthbound Spirit, a sixth-tier innate earth spirit, gentle in nature, lazy and fond of sleeping, with strength between the late Nascent Soul stage and a Great Divine Power expert.]

[Goblin Spot, the epitome of the earth's essence, a sixth-order fire-type spiritual creature, containing scorching heat; anyone below the Golden Core stage who touches it will die instantly. It is the main ingredient of the famous Nascent Soul stage breakthrough pill, the 'Earth Spirit Pill'.]

[Eternal Silent Coal, a unique type of coal formed from fossilized vegetation buried deep underground during the previous chaotic era and irrigated by countless waves of spiritual tides. It contains boundless flammability, and one piece is equivalent to dozens of sixth-tier spiritual crystals.]

[Burning Spirit Illusionary Flame, a sixth-tier illusionary flame, widely exists in everyone's illusionary realm. It can burn anything, melt everything, and doubles the damage to the soul, except for silver artifacts, which it is immune to.]

There were more than a dozen items listed, all of which were treasures suitable for the Nascent Soul stage!
The great scholar Mei Shafeng stood at the door, giving detailed instructions to each of his disciples who passed by.

"Whenever you encounter such treasures in the illusion, grab them without hesitation, regardless of whether they are real or fake. Then try to get to the giant stone plaza in the center of the illusion, where the powerful primordial spirits of the holy land are waiting for you."

"As long as you can obtain a treasure and hand it over voluntarily, you will receive the Holy Land's full support!"

"When you first go in, remember to check if the Burning Spirit Illusion Fire is real or fake. If it is real, use a silver container to hold and collect it."

"Remember that everything you encounter inside may not be entirely fake; some may be real people! You need to distinguish between truth and falsehood yourself!"

The disciples of the Vast Holy Land entered the circle of light in pairs, one team after another, their fighting spirit palpable.

Lin Shan and the patriarch of the Kong family were also among them. After listening to the introduction by the great Confucian scholar Mei Shafeng, they stepped into the final battlefield!
Swish~~
The two figures descended simultaneously into a scorching desert.

Ring ring ring!
The sound of camel bells rang out below as a caravan traveled along the sand ridge, leaving a trail of footprints that were quickly buried by the sandstorm.

"Leader Lin, did you see that white flame?"

Lin Shan nodded. In the middle of the camel caravan below, there was a cart piled with firewood, and a fire barrel was burning in the middle.

He casually took out a magical artifact and threw it in.

Surprisingly, the magical artifacts melted away completely, but the fire bucket and the cart were able to withstand them—this is the magic of the illusion.

Under the power of the rules, no treasure can withstand the flames, but items in the illusion can.

The patriarch of the Kong family also threw in some random things, but they too sank without a trace, melting away completely.

"Try replacing the silverware!"

The silverware was useless; the result was the same.

"Unfortunately, it's not the real Burning Spirit Illusionary Flame. It seems it's not meant for us."

The two then stopped and did not attempt it again.

After some conversation, they realized that their environments were still different: Lin Shan was in the desert, while the ancestor of the Kong family was walking on the grassland.

"Let's not separate for now. This illusion must be very large. If we separate, it will be difficult to find each other. Let's explore it together first."

Centered on this place, Lin Shan searched for half a day, even digging three feet into the ground, but found nothing. It seemed to be a desolate place with no sign of human habitation.

Only that camel caravan moved slowly through the desert.

The two had to part ways as a result.

Lin Shan decided to continue following the camel caravan. This illusion seemed rather strange, and he could no longer find any other exit. Meanwhile, the Kong family patriarch had obtained new clues, and he needed to leave this place and explore further afield.

"Master Lin, I'll take my leave now. If anything happens, please remember to contact me."

"Go, Brother Kong."

Watching the patriarch of the Kong family disappear in a streak of light, Lin Shan landed in the camel caravan below.

Ring ring ring~~~
Amidst the crisp sound of camel bells, caravan guards, wearing felt hats and carrying scimitars at their waists, dozed off on their camels under the scorching sun.

Behind them were several carriages carrying caravan leaders and monks, who were resting and escaping the heat inside.

He glanced around and saw that most of them were ordinary people, with only the monks possessing some cultivation, though they were all at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stage, except for one person.

It was actually a Golden Core cultivator!

Lin Shan was slightly surprised. A Golden Core cultivator had infiltrated a mortal caravan?

He activated his Eyes of Truth, piercing through layers of disguise to see the cultivator's true face, only to discover that it was someone he knew.

Red-faced ascetic!

"My lord, we estimate that we are about thirty miles ahead and will reach the Yulan Sect, the headquarters of the Joyful Sect's secret teachings. We should be able to leave this desert by sunset."

"Yes, let's hurry on our way."

On the other side, a guard at the front reported to the leader inside the carriage.

The leader then jumped off the vehicle, went to the back carriage, knocked, and the red-faced monk inside invited him in.

"Dear masters, we are almost there."

All the monks kept their eyes closed, except for the red-faced ascetic who opened his eyes and told him that he understood.

"Our Jizhao Nunnery has traveled a long way to the main altar to participate in the Huanxi Sect's once-a-decade Buddhist worship ceremony. Remember to keep a low profile and do not cause any trouble, or I will not forgive you when I return!"

"Yes!"

The monks then opened their eyes and responded respectfully.

Lin Shan became increasingly confused as he listened.

The red-faced ascetic was a disciple of the Joyful Sect whom I met in the cultivation world of the Song Dynasty. Later, for some unknown reason, he was taken under Zhang Yunxi's command.

If I remember correctly, I should be in the Nascent Soul stage now, following Zhang Yunxi on a void warship, infiltrating the extraterrestrial demons to travel to my previous universe, right?

How would it appear here?

Joyful Church Headquarters
Could it be the Pilo Desert?
The timing of this illusion is not in the present or the future, but rather a fact that has already happened in the past.

He guessed that this must be a plot illusion, and that he had not found any other place before, so the only way to get there was to follow this camel caravan, otherwise he would just be wandering around aimlessly forever.

After walking for several hours, the sun gradually set.

Finally, just before nightfall, a majestic silhouette appeared ahead.

Lin Shan, who once led troops to invade the Joyful Cult and personally destroyed half of its territory, immediately recognized that this was indeed the headquarters of the Joyful Cult!

However, it wasn't the Joyful Sect or the Spiritual Pivot Sect that I had visited before, but rather the Magnolia Sect, one of the three major altars.

The Joyful Sect was led by its leader, Gu Hun; the Spiritual Pivot Sect was led by its matriarch, Shi Luoyu; and the Jade Orchid Sect was the territory of the sorceress, You Meiji. Back then, he did indeed conquer the Spiritual Pivot Sect and the Joyful Sect. If he remembered correctly, the Jade Orchid Sect was conquered by Zhang Yunxi's men. That girl and he advanced from two directions, dividing up all the Joyful Sect's strongholds.

This is probably just a warm-up.

Meanwhile, outside the sect, braziers were already set up, and disciples of the Jade Orchid Sect stood guard, scrutinizing monks from all directions.

The once-every-ten-year Buddhist festival is an important event in the Virudhaka Desert, and various monasteries send representatives to participate.

Jizhao Nunnery had been gradually developing and growing in the past few years, and had just reached a certain scale when it received an invitation from the Yulan Sect.

The camel caravan was stopped outside, and then they began unloading their cargo.

When I actually opened the sandbags, I found they were full of kids who were tanned dark from the sun!

Their lips were turning purple and they were severely dehydrated. They had suffered inhuman abuse, and no one knew where they had been abducted from.

After the people from the Jade Orchid Sect inspected the area, they let everyone pass and waved them inside.

“These seedlings with spiritual roots are quite good. Send them directly to the Pilu Temple and let the old Bodhidharma teach them.”

It turns out that these mortal caravans were actually tasked with transporting children with spiritual roots to the Joyful Church, which explains why it happened every ten years.

It's like opening the temple gates wide to recruit disciples!

The Joyful Sect teaches without discrimination, and the more the merrier. It doesn't care much about talent. As long as you can cultivate immortality and chant Buddhist scriptures to provide a continuous stream of incense offerings for the higher-ups, then you are allowed to become a member.

Otherwise, where would they find disciples? They would have to come from outside the desert!
The Jizhao Temple, where the red-faced ascetic resides, is now a well-known temple, so a seat was arranged for him. He was attending this Buddhist worship ceremony, and he looked rather furtive, so it was unclear what important responsibility he was carrying.

Lin Shan followed them in and soon saw a large group of monks gathered together, enjoying a feast of fish and meat, chatting and eating with great relish!

This continued for three whole days.

The red-faced monk gradually became familiar with the people at the main altar of the Jade Orchid Sect, easily becoming one of them and making them lower their guard.

Later, a grand Buddhist ceremony was held, attracting huge crowds and an atmosphere of fervor.

Lin Shan simply skipped this part, as he wasn't curious about it. He wasn't interested in the monks' sermons and debates.

During this time, the red-faced monk remained well-behaved, did not do anything inexplicable, and participated in the conference in a proper and orderly manner.

After the event, due to his extensive knowledge of Buddhist scriptures and profound understanding, he debated with the monks and was awarded the honor of being ranked second. He was specially retained by the Yulan Sect and given a place for further study.

To put it bluntly, the three major altars have their eyes on the talents from smaller, less prestigious families outside, so they want to siphon these talents into their own ranks, drawing nourishment to strengthen themselves.

The red-faced monk gradually integrated into the Jade Orchid Sect, leaving behind the stepping stone of the Jizhao Nunnery, and became a Golden Core Protector. He gained the appreciation of the Nascent Soul stage Dharma King and steadily progressed to higher levels.

During this process, Lin Shan discovered a magical sight.

This final destination seems to be a jigsaw puzzle made up of overlapping illusionary pieces. Even after entering the Jade Orchid Sect, the characters inside will only slowly appear before your eyes as events unfold.

If other characters don't appear in the main storyline, they're essentially non-existent!

The desert from which he came has disappeared from the illusion map, and now he can only wander around the area around the Jade Orchid Sect.

He guessed that the final blue circle of light had to accommodate too many people, especially since so many people from the five holy sites wanted to enter, which overwhelmed the system and forced it to implement flow control.

Being trapped here wasn't a big deal. Lin Shan wasn't anxious at all to cause trouble. He just stood there, watching the situation unfold without moving an inch.

He could tell that the protagonist of this illusion seemed to be the red-faced ascetic.

As this person's cultivation level rose higher and higher, until he had accumulated profound knowledge at the peak of the Golden Core stage and was beginning to show signs of reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he was finally able to meet the spiritual symbol of the Jade Orchid Sect.

The Witch Doctor Youmeiji!
"Hmm, not bad, he's definitely a good prospect."

The red-faced monk bowed his head with a devout expression and kissed Youmeiji's toes, a unique ritual of the Joyful Sect.

At this moment, You Meiji's face was rosy and her figure was alluring. Her full curves made everyone in the hall feel thirsty and their hearts were filled with desire.

Some lewd monks couldn't wait to pounce on her and unleash their dual cultivation techniques, but knowing the difference in their cultivation levels, they could only lower their heads and dare not look over, glancing enviously at the red-faced monk licking You Meiji's toes out of the corner of their eyes.

"By the sorceress above, your disciple prostrates himself, vowing to dedicate himself to eternal diligence, to praise the name of the divine lord, to nurture faith, and to gather the power of incense, for the great cause of our Jade Orchid Sect throughout the ages."

The red-faced monk muttered incantations, speaking with remarkable conviction, and the other monks nodded in agreement.

Youmeiji asked with a smile:

"Are you truly willing to dedicate everything to the great cause of my Jade Orchid Sect?"

"Of course I do."

"Very well, then go to hell!"

Unexpectedly, in the next moment, Youmeiji suddenly turned hostile and struck out with a palm, killing the red-faced monk on the spot!

bang~
The skull exploded open.

Red and white splattered all over the ground, and the body lay directly down the steps.

The Dharma King and Dharma Protectors of the Yulan Sect were all shocked, wondering what was going on and why the sorceress had suddenly turned on them.
Even Lin Shan, who was secretly observing from the side, was dumbfounded!
this.
The red-faced monk is dead?

Died at the hands of the past Demoness?

wrong,

This kid clearly worked under Zhang Yunxi later, and even his cultivation level rose to the Nascent Soul stage. How could he have died so early at this critical juncture in the past?

Youmei Ji's face was filled with murderous intent as she coldly withdrew her hand.

"Traitor! If I had known you would betray my Jade Orchid Sect, I shouldn't have helped you break through to the Nascent Soul stage back then. Now it's time to kill you and end it all!"

"."

The monks were all bewildered, staring at each other wide-eyed, unable to understand what the sorceress was talking nonsense about.

Only Linshan!

He suddenly felt a chill run through his body; it was simply unbelievable!
This Ghostly Fairy is actually a real person?!
In the past, the red-faced monk acted as Zhang Yunxi's inside man. Later, during the attack on the Piluo Desert, he betrayed the Yulan Sect from within and without, leaving Youmeiji homeless.

But in the illusion, Youmeiji actually returned from the future and nipped the red-faced monk in the bud! This is completely illogical!
There is only one truth.

This Youmei Ji is not a character from an illusion, but her real self in reality!

"Who's there?! Where are you hiding? Show yourself!"

Just as Lin Shan's emotions were fluctuating wildly, You Meiji keenly noticed something amiss and immediately shifted her gaze to behind the bronze pillars in the main hall.

A powerful aura emanated from a great being, instantly filling the entire area.

Lin Shan was forced to show himself, his face extremely grim.

Wasn't this woman captured and taken to the Star Palace by me? How come she suddenly appeared here?

(End of this chapter)