Star Journey: Destiny Returns

The morning sun filtered through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows. Mist enveloped the entire valley like a veil, casting a hazy veil over the earth. Yunxuan and Yaoyue stood at the valley's entrance, gazing at the faintly visible path before them, their hearts filled with wariness.

"After the trial of the Lingquan secret treasure, I didn't expect the scene ahead to be like this." Yunxuan frowned slightly and clenched the star map in his hand.

Yao Yue nodded, a hint of doubt in her eyes: "This fog seems a little strange, even the guidance of the star map has become blurred."

Yunxuan looked at the star map in his hand. The once clear route was now obscured by a thin layer of mist. He sighed and said, "It seems we must find a way out on our own."

"No matter what, we have to be careful." Yaoyue reminded softly, with a hint of vigilance in her eyes.

The two men stepped into the mist, their surroundings gradually becoming blurred. All around them was silent, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing through the fog. The occasional chirp of an unknown bird only added to the valley's mysteriousness.

"Yunxuan, do you feel that the fog here seems to have a sense of oppression?" Yaoyue gently gripped the silver blade in her hand and asked in a low voice.

Yunxuan nodded, his expression solemn: "Yes, it feels like... someone is secretly watching us."

At this moment, a breeze blew by, and the fog seemed to become even thicker. Suddenly, Yunxuan felt his shoulders sink, as if something was pressing down on him.

"Yaoyue, be careful!" Yunxuan shouted vigilantly, turning around to protect her.

Yaoyue also felt something strange. She concentrated and calmed her mind. She seemed to hear a low murmur in her ears, as if someone was telling her something.

"Who's there?" she asked coldly, glancing around.

No one responded, only the fog continued to roll in. Suddenly, a vague figure emerged from the fog ahead, gradually becoming clearer.

"That is..." Yunxuan's pupils shrank and his heartbeat suddenly accelerated.

He was a middle-aged man with a kind face, and there was something familiar between his eyebrows. He smiled at Yunxuan and said in a gentle voice, "Yunxuan, long time no see."

Yun Xuan stood there in a daze, muttering, "Father? How is this possible..."

Yao Yue looked at Yun Xuan's expression and immediately realized that something was wrong. She reached out and tugged at Yun Xuan's sleeve, whispering, "Yun Xuan, this is an illusion, don't believe it!"

However, Yunxuan didn't seem to hear her words. He stared at the man with a complex emotion in his eyes: "Father, haven't you already..."

The man smiled slightly and walked closer slowly: "Kid, I've been waiting here for you."

Yunxuan's mind began to wander, memories of the past flooding back. His father had passed away when he was young, and this had always been a pain in his heart.

"Yunxuan, wake up!" Seeing this, Yaoyue immediately grabbed his wrist and squeezed it hard.

Yunxuan felt the pain, but his expression slightly recovered. He turned to look at Yaoyue, a trace of confusion flashing in his eyes: "Yaoyue, I..."

"This is an illusion. It's taking advantage of your inner weaknesses." Yao Yue said firmly, her eyes full of concern.

Yunxuan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He looked forward again. The man's figure had begun to distort, and the smile on his face had become strange.

"You are not my father! Get out of here!" Yun Xuan shouted, unsheathed his sword, and the sword light flashed like lightning, piercing the phantom.

Under the sword light, the phantom transformed into a ball of black mist and dissipated into the air. The surrounding fog also dissipated slightly.

Yaoyue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Very good, you have overcome the confusion in your heart."

Yunxuan smiled bitterly: "I was almost deceived by the illusion, thanks to you."

Yao Yue was about to speak when suddenly, a familiar figure appeared before her eyes. It was a beautiful woman in a white dress, with a gentle smile.

"Yaoyue, sister is here to see you." The woman said softly, her voice like a spring breeze.

Yaoyue's body trembled slightly, tears welling up in her eyes: "Sister..."

Seeing this, Yunxuan immediately realized that Yaoyue had also fallen into an illusion. He hurriedly held her hands and said firmly, "Yaoyue, don't be fooled by the illusion!"

However, Yaoyue's gaze still lingered on the woman, tears streaming down her cheeks: "Sister, are you really back?"

"Yes, I've always been here." The woman smiled and stretched out her hand as if she wanted to touch Yaoyue's face.

Yunxuan was anxious. He knew that if Yaoyue indulged in the illusion, the consequences would be disastrous. He gritted his teeth and gently patted Yaoyue's cheek: "Yaoyue, wake up! This is fake!"

Yaoyue's body trembled slightly, and her eyes began to blur. She murmured, "Fake... Is it true?"

Yun Xuan looked deeply into her eyes and said solemnly, "Your sister is gone. This is the illusion taking advantage of your emotions. You must overcome your inner weakness!"

Yaoyue's eyes gradually regained clarity. She wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath: "Thank you, Yunxuan. I almost..."

"It's okay, I'm glad you woke up." Yunxuan smiled with relief.

Just as the two were encouraging each other, the surrounding fog suddenly surged violently, turning into countless black tentacles and rushing towards them.

"Oh no, the illusion is starting to fight back!" Yun Xuan gripped the sword tightly, the sword light flashed, and he cut off several tentacles.

Yaoyue also quickly swung the silver blade, and stood back to back with Yunxuan, vigilantly responding to the attacks from all sides.

"We must find a way to leave the illusion as soon as possible!" Yaoyue said.

Yun Xuan pondered for a moment, and suddenly an idea occurred to him: "Since this is a test of the mind, we can only break through the illusion by completely defeating the fear and confusion in our hearts."

"Then what should we do?" Yaoyue asked.

Yun Xuan said firmly: "Go all out, without fear!"

They both closed their eyes, calmed their minds, and focused their spiritual energy into their hearts. The black mist tentacles around them continued to attack, but an invisible barrier formed around them, preventing them from getting close.

"If the mind is clear, illusions will break." Yunxuan muttered in a low voice.

As their hearts calmed, cracks began to appear in the illusion. The surrounding scenery gradually collapsed, and the fog began to dissipate. Finally, everything returned to its original state, and they stood in the original valley again.

The sunlight penetrated the clouds and mist, shining on them, bringing long-lost warmth.

"We succeeded." Yaoyue smiled slightly, a relaxed expression on her face.

Yunxuan nodded: "Yes, this trial has made us understand the power of our hearts more clearly."

Yaoyue looked at him gratefully: "Thank you, if it weren't for you, I might still be trapped in this illusion."

Yunxuan shook his head: "We are partners and should help each other."

The two smiled at each other, and their trust in each other deepened.

At this moment, Yunxuan noticed that the star map in his hand was glittering again, and the originally blurred route became clear again. He said in surprise, "Yaoyue, the star map has been restored!"

Yaoyue came over and looked at the star map with him: "It seems that we have passed the test of our state of mind. The star map is guiding us forward again."

Yunxuan put away the star map and looked into the distance with a determined gaze: "There may be more challenges waiting for us ahead, but I believe that as long as we work together, we will be able to overcome everything."

Yaoyue nodded gently, smiling brightly: "No matter what lies ahead, we will face it together."

A gentle breeze blew by, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers and plants. The two embarked on a new journey, their backs appearing particularly determined in the sunlight.