Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

At this moment, on the white marble platform leading to the Liuyun Palace, about a hundred feet from the palace gate, stood three tall human-shaped figures of light and shadow!

The light and shadow were extremely solid, but the faces were blurry and the specific appearances were unclear. However, the figures were graceful, the Taoist robes were ancient and elegant, and the whole body exuded a powerful aura that was in harmony with this world. They had all reached the Foundation Establishment stage!

Three luminous figures stood in a triangular formation, blocking the only path to the palace gate.

At the edge of the platform, dozens of cultivators from different factions had already gathered. Among them were relatively powerful groups such as the Heavenly Sword Sect, Hundred Flowers Valley, Black Wind Stronghold, and Netherworld Valley, as well as several small, temporarily allied groups and scattered experts.

Everyone stood a hundred feet away from the three luminous figures, yet no one dared to approach easily; the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. On the ground, there were several pools of glaring blood and a few broken magical artifacts, clearly indicating that some skeptics had attempted to break through the barrier but paid a heavy price.

"What's going on? What are those three luminous figures?" Shi Tie muttered in a low voice. The three of them quietly blended into the edge of the crowd, found a broken pillar as cover, and observed the situation.

"It seems to be... a protective barrier?" Wang Hu swallowed nervously. The oppressive aura emanating from the three figures made his soul tremble.

Su Xiao stared intently and saw that the three figures were neither physical entities nor illusions, but rather "avatars" formed from pure spiritual energy and Dao principles.

The information from the jade slip given to her flashed through her mind. It vaguely mentioned that before the passing of True Person Liuyun, there might have been a "Daoist test" left in the core area, which would be difficult for those who were not destined or had a specific lineage to pass.

"This is the 'Flowing Cloud Illusionary Body'!" A knowledgeable old rogue cultivator beside him explained, trembling, to his companion. "It is said to be formed from a wisp of Daoist essence left behind by the Flowing Cloud Immortal, containing a trace of his understanding of the Great Dao!"

"Only by gaining the illusory body's approval in a specific way can one pass! Forcing one's way through... is likely a dead end! Just now, that disciple from the Blazing Sun Sect who was at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining tried to force his way through with his cultivation, but he was reduced to ashes by a single finger from the illusory body in the middle!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was utterly shocked. A Foundation Establishment stage cultivator's Dao aura incarnation! How could they possibly break through?

At this moment, the chief disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, a peak eighth-level Qi Refining cultivator, had a livid face, clearly indicating that they had also suffered a loss. He snorted coldly and asked a junior brother beside him who was skilled in formations, "Junior Brother Zhao, can you see the flaw in this illusion formation?"

Junior Brother Zhao, sweat beading on his forehead, shook his head and said, "Senior Brother, this is no ordinary formation. It is a manifestation of Daoist principles, leaving no trace and no key to break... Unless, we can find a 'key' that resonates with it."

"The key?" The chief of the Heavenly Sword Sect frowned.

On the other side, a beautiful female cultivator from Hundred Flowers Valley parted her lips slightly, her voice soft yet tinged with a hint of seriousness as she speculated, "Master Liuyun's cultivation technique is elegant and agile, containing the true essence of clouds and water. Perhaps... a cultivation technique or treasure of similar attributes is needed to trigger the opportunity?"

Her words immediately caused a stir, and many people began to try it.

Some cultivators unleashed water-based magical artifacts, their light swirling, yet their illusory forms remained unresponsive; others used wind-attribute movement techniques to try and bypass them, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier.

Even more extreme, someone took out an ancient jade piece that was said to contain cloud patterns and brought it close to the illusory body. The illusory body only rippled slightly before returning to its original state, which instead aroused even greater pressure, sending the person flying and causing them to vomit blood and suffer serious injuries.

After repeated failed attempts, the atmosphere on the platform grew increasingly oppressive and desperate. Were they really going to be stopped at the door by these three inanimate objects after all the hard work they'd put in to get here?

"Damn it! This won't work, that won't work! Are we going to go back empty-handed?" The scarred man from Black Wind Stronghold cursed anxiously.

Shi Tie was also anxious, rubbing his hands together as he asked Su Xiao, "Junior Sister Su, what should we do? I feel that the person in the light is incredibly powerful; forcing our way in is definitely not going to work! Do we have any 'keys'?"

Su Xiaoxiu frowned, her mind racing. The sect leader's jade slip did not explicitly mention a method to break the illusion, only stating, "The test of Daoist charm, the opportunity depends on one's own fate."

Liu Yun Zhenren's cultivation technique is elegant and contains the true meaning of clouds and water... The true meaning of clouds and water... Suddenly, she had a thought and remembered the unique understanding of the flow of spiritual energy like clouds and water contained in the "Basic Breathing Method Optimization Chapter" that she cultivated. She also remembered Shi Tie's "Liu Yun Dao Body"!

Although these two techniques are only basic, their underlying concepts seem to be related to "flowing clouds" and "agility"! Especially the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body," whose name directly points to "flowing clouds"!

A bold idea arose in her mind. Could it be... that her senior brother, the sect leader, had already foreseen this? Did he impart these two techniques not only to enhance their strength, but also for the sake of today's situation? Perhaps the "key" lies within themselves?

The idea made her heart race. But it was extremely risky; if she guessed wrong and rushed forward, she might end up like those who had gone before her.

Just as she hesitated, a cultivator shrouded in a black robe, revealing only a pair of eerie green eyes, stepped out from the Netherworld Valley's group. He spoke in a hoarse voice, suggesting, "Since cultivation techniques and treasures are useless, perhaps... we should use our essence blood or soul as a catalyst to sacrifice to our illusory body, to show our sincerity?"

Upon hearing this, many people's expressions changed slightly. Sacrifice? Isn't that the work of evil spirits and heretics?

The leader of the Heavenly Sword Sect immediately snorted and retorted, "Absurd! True Master Liuyun is a righteous senior; how could he resort to such underhanded tricks!"

But the Netherworld Valley cultivator ignored him, instead chanting incantations and forcing out a drop of jet-black, foul-smelling blood from his fingertip, flicking it towards the illusory figure in the middle!

"Buzz!"

The moment the essence blood approached, the illusory body trembled violently, its blurry face seemingly clearing for a moment, revealing a face full of disgust and majesty, and it raised its hand and waved!

"puff!"

The drop of blood essence instantly vaporized, and a vast and powerful force rebounded back! The Netherworld Valley cultivator screamed, his black robe ripped apart, and he flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into a distant stone wall. His bones were shattered, and it was clear that he was not going to survive!

"Hiss..." Everyone gasped, completely abandoning any thoughts of taking shortcuts.

The scene suddenly reached a stalemate, and an atmosphere of despair spread.

Su Xiao's gaze hardened. She couldn't wait any longer! The opportunity was fleeting!

She whispered to Shi Tie and Wang Hu, "Senior Brother Shi, Wang Hu, protect me. I have a method that might be worth trying! But whether it succeeds or not is a 50/50 chance."

Although Shi Tie and Wang Hu didn't understand, they trusted her completely and immediately nodded, standing guard on either side of her while vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Su Xiao stepped out from the crowd and, amidst their astonished and uncertain gazes, slowly walked towards the three illusory figures of flowing clouds.

She walked with ease and composure, her expression calm. The "Basic Breathing Method Optimization" was quietly operating within her body, and her breathing rhythm became long and rhythmic. The aura around her gradually resonated with the flow of spiritual energy in the surrounding world.

At the same time, she carefully recalled the cloud-like, misty, and ethereal meaning that Shi Tie had shown in his daily practice of the "Flowing Cloud Dao Body," and incorporated it into her own footwork.

One step, two steps, three steps... She didn't walk fast, but each step seemed to conform to some kind of universal truth. Her clothes moved without wind, creating subtle vortexes of air.