I cultivate the Chaos Technique

Zhang Yifan and Lin Qingzhu struggled forward in this eerie illusion, surrounded by a deathly aura, like the mist in an abyss, as if countless unseen eyes were watching them from the darkness.

Although there was not a trace of wind in the air, it was oppressively heavy, as if some hidden force was binding everything firmly in this space.

"This place is like an endless nightmare."

Lin Qingzhu gripped the longsword tightly, her voice tinged with tension.

Her steps faltered, her eyes darting around as if afraid she might inadvertently fall into some inescapable trap.

"Stay vigilant and don't be fooled by illusions."

Zhang Yifan reminded him in a low voice. Although he remained calm on the surface, the pressure and anxiety in his heart were constantly accumulating.

The black mist attack was still vivid in his mind, and the feeling of his soul being slowly eroded seemed to remind him that every step in the illusion was fraught with deadly danger.

They walked through this desolate illusion, their footsteps swallowed by the surrounding mist, each step feeling like walking on nothingness.

The surrounding scenery seemed unchanged. No matter how far they went, it was still desolate and dilapidated, as if they could never get out of this desperate situation.

"This place seems to have no end."

Lin Qingzhu's voice was tinged with exhaustion; her spiritual power was almost depleted, and the mental pressure made her feel an unprecedented sense of despair.

"Illusions are best at weakening our will and judgment; the more hopeless we feel, the easier it is for us to fall into them."

Zhang Yifan looked up ahead. Despite being shrouded in mist, he still tried to sense any hidden dangers with his spiritual awareness.

Suddenly, Lin Qingzhu stopped in her tracks, her face turning pale, and a deep fear and confusion showing in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" Zhang Yifan immediately noticed her unusual behavior and hurriedly turned to ask.

"What's that ahead...?" Lin Qingzhu's voice trembled as she pointed into the mist not far away.

Zhang Yifan followed her gaze and his heart tightened. In the mist ahead, a hazy figure vaguely appeared. The figure was indistinct, its outline blurred, yet it was so familiar—it was Lin Qingzhu's father, Elder Lin.

"Father...it's Father!"

Lin Qingzhu's voice was choked with sobs and disbelief, her eyes filled with longing and excitement, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope.

Zhang Yifan saw through the illusion at a glance, but he also knew that this was the most terrifying aspect of the illusion—it would seize upon people's deepest desires and turn them into deadly temptations.

He immediately spoke up to stop him:

"Qingzhu, don't go there! That's just an illusion!"

However, Lin Qingzhu seemed to completely ignore Zhang Yifan's advice. Her eyes were unfocused, and her steps moved involuntarily toward that figure, as if she were being pulled by some invisible force.

Her movements quickened, completely absorbed in her longing for her loved ones, and she didn't even notice the changes in her surroundings.

"Father! Is that you? Are you still alive?"

Lin Qingzhu's voice trembled with hope, as if she had suddenly seen a glimmer of hope in a desperate situation.

"Qingzhu! Come back! That's not your father!"

Zhang Yifan shouted loudly and rushed forward to try to grab her arm, but she had already broken free of his hand and quickly ran towards the figure.

Lin Qingzhu almost ran towards the figure, tears welling up in her eyes from excitement. However, just as she was about to touch the person, the figure suddenly turned around.

That wasn't the warm and loving father she remembered; instead, she was greeted by a lifeless, pale face. The face was bloodless, the eyes empty and lifeless, yet a strange smile played on the corners of his mouth, as if mocking her foolishness and cowardice.

As that smile appeared, his entire figure rapidly twisted, eventually transforming into a cloud of black mist that lunged fiercely towards Lin Qingzhu.

"Ah!" Lin Qingzhu cried out in surprise, her body suddenly stiffening, her face a mixture of fear and disappointment.

Her legs seemed to lose their strength, and she collapsed to the ground instantly.

"Green Bamboo!"

Zhang Yifan's eyes narrowed, and he rushed over, pulling her into his arms.

The black mist rushed towards him, carrying a chilling aura and a deadly sense of oppression. Zhang Yifan suddenly drew his sword, and a sharp sword light instantly cleaved the black mist in two.

The black mist dissipated rapidly under the impact of the sword light, and the surrounding air seemed to return to calm.

Lin Qingzhu's body trembled violently, her eyes filled with deep fear and despair. She murmured softly:

"I almost thought... that my father was really still alive... Why did this happen... Why..."

Zhang Yifan gently patted her shoulder, comforting her:

"The most terrifying thing about illusions is that they can exploit the most vulnerable parts of a person's heart, luring us into despair. What happened just now was just an illusion, not real."

Lin Qingzhu raised her head, her eyes already brimming with tears, but she struggled to suppress her emotions and slowly stood up. Her voice was hoarse but firm:

"I'm sorry... I was too weak."

"No, anyone would be affected in such an illusion. We must now concentrate and prevent the illusion from finding any more flaws."

Zhang Yifan slowly stood up, his gaze fixed firmly on the distant mist.

They continued onward, each step more difficult than the last. The whispers in the illusion grew louder, sometimes near, sometimes far, as if they were constantly uttering some strange words in their ears.

Those voices carried an irresistible seductive power, seemingly constantly enticing them to obey and submit.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, they finally saw a faint light ahead. The light source appeared exceptionally bright in the mist, as if guiding them forward.

"That light... might be the exit from the illusion!"

A glimmer of hope flashed in Zhang Yifan's eyes. He looked at Lin Qingzhu and gestured for her to quicken her pace.

The two rekindled their fighting spirit and ran towards the light source with all their might.

However, just as they were about to reach the light, the earth suddenly began to shake violently.

A huge crack appeared in the ground beneath their feet, from which countless dark phantoms spewed forth. These phantoms, like undead, carried endless curses and resentment, baring their fangs and claws as they lunged at them.

"Damn it, it's those monsters again!"

Zhang Yifan gritted his teeth, swiftly wielding his longsword. The sword energy surged like a dragon, slashing towards the charging black shadows.

Each sword light carried powerful spiritual energy, tearing apart the illusions, but their number seemed endless, almost filling the entire space.

"We simply can't kill them all!"

Lin Qingzhu was panting heavily, her face pale. Her spiritual power was completely exhausted, and each sword strike was extremely difficult.

"Stop fighting! Charge straight for the light source!"

Zhang Yifan gave the order decisively, knowing full well that continuing to entangle with these phantoms would only plunge them into a deeper predicament.

The only hope right now is that light.

The two worked together to break through the encirclement and ran desperately toward the light source.

Behind him, shadows surged like a tide, and Zhang Yifan could feel his strength rapidly draining away, each of his sword strikes becoming heavier and heavier.

Lin Qingzhu was also extremely weak, but they had no way out but to rush towards the light source.

Just as they were about to be swallowed by the shadows, light surged in like a tide, enveloping them.

The light was warm and intense, instantly dispelling all darkness and illusions.

Zhang Yifan and Lin Qingzhu were panting heavily, their bodies already soaked in sweat, but they had finally shaken off those eerie ghostly phantoms.

They stood in a dazzling light, warm and gentle, as if dispelling all their weariness and fear.

Zhang Yifan finally breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Lin Qingzhu. Both of them were filled with the relief of surviving a disaster.

Ahead, a massive stone gate came into their view.

The stone gate was covered with intricate runes, radiating an ancient and powerful energy that seemed to silently proclaim the secrets behind it.

"This is... the door to the next level?"

Lin Qingzhu's voice trembled; she couldn't believe they had reached the end of this floor.

Zhang Yifan nodded, his gaze firm: "We have finally come this far, but the future remains fraught with unknown dangers."

"Let's go, the road ahead is still long." He took a deep breath and led Lin Qingzhu step by step toward the stone door.