Looking back, it was all like a fairyland.

It’s really...

Su Mu shook his head and disappeared. He had to go meet the Mirage Dragon. What was the procedure? Now the main and supporting actors were in place, waiting for the show to begin.

It only took him a few breaths to get from Fukong Mountain to Shangjing Sect. After paddling for so long after entering this cave, it was time to get down to business.

Emperor Jun.

Although he had known about this person for a long time, he had never taken the initiative to explore their details. But after meeting Li Shu, Su Mu unexpectedly saw a glimpse of truth beneath the false appearance—from the Golden Crow? Or from the Heavenly Emperor Di Jun, who had never appeared but left traces everywhere.

Su Mu never underestimates any opponent, and it is no different now.

The Mirage Dragon fished the other out, and who knows, this might be what that person wanted. And there were those several sect leaders and the Great Demon, who had always been rumored, but never fully seen. Who was behind this, calculating and being calculated?

Suddenly he had a headache.

Su Mu wasn't someone who couldn't think, but he was better at using his fists than thinking. One had to admit, even after traveling through time, even after changing into a new body, even after becoming incredibly powerful, Su Mu hadn't become much better at these things.

He always uses his strength to smash all conspiracies and tricks.

This is indeed the case. No one is perfect, and Su Mu still has a clear understanding of herself.

Now, he was surrounded by a bunch of old scoundrels, their constant scheming and calculations giving Su Mu a headache. Fortunately, he only had to focus on crushing everything. It was clear that his friends also had a clear understanding of Su Mu.

As long as Su Mu is there, they dare to do it, and everything will be backed by strength.

Come to think of it, they are the villains this time.

At least that's the case for this cave world; they are the invaders.

Within the golden array, tassel-shaped golden light shot up into the sky, enveloping the entire space. Above the ground, arrays nested and merged, relying on the Shangjing Sect's mountain protection array, a peerless formation centered around the sect leader.

Within this golden formation, everything was frozen in place, frozen in place. The air, the wind, the ground, and even the animals that hadn't had time to escape—the fluttering butterflies, the flying birds, the panicked deer, the cranes, the spirit beasts—were all frozen in place, unable to move.

It was as if time in this space had stopped.

However, unlike time standing still, the creatures trapped within the formation died the moment they were enveloped. Hearts stopped, blood circulation ceased, and they became unable to breathe or eat—any of these would lead to death.

All the creatures that look lifelike are actually just dead specimens, and the vitality in their eyes has long been exhausted.

In fact, the formation didn't only cover plants and animals, but also the cultivators of Shangjing Sect. In order to prevent the mirage dragon from escaping, the headmaster of Shangjing Sect was ruthless enough.

"You sacrificed so many people, was it worth it? After all, I don't think I harmed any innocents. At least the people I killed were those who wanted me dead, while you personally killed your own disciples." The Mirage Dragon looked mockingly at the sect leader sitting cross-legged opposite him, its words aimed straight at the other's vulnerabilities.

Facing the question from the Mirage Dragon.

The sect leader, sitting cross-legged opposite the mirage dragon and looking rather disheveled, said calmly: "As long as I can trap you, what does it matter if some die?"

"A ruthless person like you, wouldn't you care if you were to sacrifice yourself?"

"You don't need to waste your breath. At our level, words can no longer sway our resolve. Since I've done it, I already know the consequences. In other words, since I know the consequences and still did it, I don't care about others' opinions. As for myself, why wouldn't they take me with them?"

The mirage dragon's eyes changed, and he put away some of the teasing in his expression.

"Actually, I'm very curious, what's your purpose in doing this?"

"For myself."

"That's honest of me. I thought you'd say it was for the sake of all living beings, for the greater good."

"What's the difference? I did it for myself, but that doesn't stop me from temporarily alleviating the suffering of all people."

The Mirage Dragon was speechless: "Please, while you're wallowing in self-pity, ask yourself honestly, what have I done? It was your disciples from the Shangjing Sect who provoked me first. And how do you know that my going out would inevitably harm the common people? This is all just your wishful thinking, hypocrisy."

The headmaster could not deny the accusation made by the Mirage Dragon.

But with the power of a mirage dragon, what else could it be but a great demon? Although this great demon hadn't shown any signs of aggression so far, who knew if it was just a disguise? And the fact that it hadn't crawled out of the abyss was quite intriguing.

For a moment, the golden light formation fell into silence.

There was not a single movement. The wound on the Mirage Dragon's hand was slowly healing. The hand had been struck by the Sun's True Fire, and the entire hand had been reduced to white bones.

The Sun's True Fire was truly extraordinary. Even a single flame had injured him. Furthermore, it was attached to his hand. He needed to extinguish the Sun's True Fire first if he wanted to heal. He stared at the golden flames burning in his hand.

"So pathetic."

At that moment, a voice approached from afar. A figure calmly walked into the golden light formation, but the dangling silk threads showed no sign of reaction. Even the headmaster sitting across from him remained silent.

The Mirage Dragon was delighted. Seeing Su Mu was like seeing its backbone. The surrounding space shifted, but in the eyes of the Sect Leader, the Mirage Dragon was still before him. To keep this great demon under control, the Sect Leader of Shangjing Sect even offered himself as a jailer.

But this didn't seem to have much effect. At this moment, the real Mirage Dragon had already entered a pure white space.

The flesh of the hand that had been reduced to bones began to grow at a speed visible to the naked eye. In an instant, the Sun's True Fire broke away from the Mirage Dragon and landed in Su Mu's hand.

Feeling the scorching heat of the strongest and brightest, Su Mu became interested.

"I suffered a bit of a loss, that was the true fire of the sun. I didn't expect to see it at a time like this. It seems these golden crows aren't as weak as I thought." The Mirage Dragon said, looking at its intact hand.

"Are you sure it's the Golden Crow, and not that one?"

Su Mu shifted her gaze from the True Sun Fire to the Mirage Dragon. The Mirage Dragon frowned slightly upon hearing Su Mu's question, knowing that Su Mu had definitely discovered something, and asked directly: "What did you discover?"

"I've been observing the whole way, and the being you fished out seems rather strange. It doesn't look like a Golden Crow; deep within its soul lies an ancient aura, far older than you imagine, at least older than you."

"The Golden Crow should be from the same era as you."