Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Illusion Art
“Roar!”

The dried leaves were blown into a noisy swirl by the wave of wind carried on the roar.

A demonic beast covered in black scales, ugly and ferocious, charged out of the forest with a roar.

Its eyes shone with a cruel light. Its bloody mouth gaped open as foul drool dripped down its sharp fangs, leaving a long wet trail on the ground.

Standing in its path ahead was a thin young woman.

She stood there blankly, as if she had been scared silly by the sudden attack.

Zhang Jun, who was hiding not far away, felt his scalp go numb. He grabbed his sword and was about to rush forward when Zhou Jin Yue caught him and held him back.

“First Senior Sister, Junior Sister Yu is in danger!”

Zhang Jun was burning with anxiety.

The sect had sent Disciples to Dragon Roar Valley to temper themselves. That was the whole point.

Zhou Jin Yue and Zhang Jun, as experienced Senior Sister and Senior Brother, knew how important real combat was for Cultivators. So they had arranged for Yu Zhao to face the demonic beast alone while they guarded from the side.

But Zhang Jun had never thought that Yu Zhao would be so scared in the very first round that she could not move at all.

Demonic beasts had tough skin and thick flesh. One slap from a claw or one bite from those jaws would cause huge damage to a Cultivator. How could he just stand by and watch Junior Sister Yu suffer? He was so anxious that he wanted to rush to her rescue.

Zhou Jin Yue whispered: “Junior Sister Yu has her own plan. Do not mess things up.”

A person’s reaction when shocked was different from their reaction when relaxed.

Right now, Yu Zhao’s eyes were bright and steady. Her expression was calm and unhurried, with no sign of panic at all. Clearly, she was very sure of herself.

Zhang Jun focused and looked again, and he really did see the difference. He let out a long breath of relief and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

In the short time they spent talking, the ferocious beast was now less than one zhang away from Yu Zhao.

The beast let out an excited roar. All four limbs kicked hard against the ground as its huge body leaped high, blocking out the sky.

“Hiss…”

Zhang Jun could not help but suck in a cold breath.

He turned his head and complained helplessly to his Senior Sister: “First Senior Sister, you are hurting my arm.”

Hearing this, Zhou Jin Yue quickly loosened her grip on his arm and kept saying she was sorry, but her eyes did not blink as she stared ahead.

Zhang Jun did not mind. His gaze locked tightly on the demonic beast, the sword in his hand ready at any time.

But what happened next left the two of them stunned and amazed.

After jumping high into the air, the demonic beast did not pounce on Yu Zhao. Instead, it leaped right over her head and started fighting wildly with several tall trees.

There were loud crashes and beastly roars.

Tree-trunk fragments and black scales flew through the air together.

Dust billowed.

In the middle of all that chaotic violence, Yu Zhao stood untouched, her snow-like brows and eyes cold and clear.

Not long after, the demonic beast crashed heavily to the ground.

Its body was covered in wounds where the skin had split open, and its flesh was bloody and torn. The corners of its thick mouth were curled into a strange arc.

“It… it beat itself to death?”

Even though he had watched it with his own eyes, Zhang Jun still felt it was unbelievable.

[Did this demonic beast go crazy or something?]

Otherwise, why would it suddenly go mad for no reason?

Zhou Jin Yue came back to her senses from the shock and quickly walked to Yu Zhao’s side. Her eyes were bright as she asked: “Junior Sister Yu, how did you do that?”

Compared to the hard battle she and Zhang Jun would have to fight to kill a demonic beast, Yu Zhao’s method did not even shed blood.

This was the first time Zhou Jin Yue had seen such a strange method, and her curiosity rose to its peak.

Yu Zhao smiled and flipped her hand, revealing a lotus-shaped gilt incense burner hidden in her palm.

“With Illusion Art as the guide and drugs as support.”

The “illusion” in the Illusory Tide Art Yu Zhao cultivated was the same “illusion” as in Illusion Art.

Wanderer Bright Moon had used a heart cut off from emotions to gain Dao Comprehension, holding fast to their own heart, seeing what others lacked in theirs, and using Illusion Art to lure them.

After Illusory Tide Art reached great success, a single glance would be enough to pull an opponent unknowingly into an Illusory Realm.

Right now, Yu Zhao had only cultivated Illusory Tide Art to the second layer. To create an Illusory Realm, she still needed a special medium.

The medium could be a water-element Magical Artifact, or Formation Array Arts, or drugs. As long as it was used correctly, even a single flower or leaf could serve as a medium for Illusion Art.

Yu Zhao had taken care of the herb garden on Lone Moon Peak for many years, so she knew the nature of different drugs very well. Before they set out, she had specially made an incense blend that relaxed people’s emotions and put it into the Lotus Incense Burner.

When the scent began to curl up in the air, the Illusion Art had already started quietly.

Not to mention simple-minded demonic beasts, even a quick-minded Cultivator would have trouble noticing anything wrong at first.

Zhou Jin Yue’s eyes were full of shining light. “So it was Illusion Art! How did I never think of that?”

Not seeing someone for three days meant you should look at them with new eyes.

What she had once looked down on, she now admired.

In three years, not only had Yu Zhao’s looks changed, but her heart and abilities had changed as well.

She felt more and more that the people of Lone Moon Peak had been blind, letting a bright pearl that should have shone long ago remain covered in dust for years.

“Junior Sister Yu, I have never fallen into an Illusion Art before. Can you let me experience it?”

Zhang Jun rubbed his hands together and laughed, his smile carrying a hint of silliness.

Yu Zhao gave him a look. “Sure.”

With that, she snapped her fingers.

Zhang Jun waited eagerly for the Illusory Realm to appear.

One breath passed, then two…

After a while, the smile on his face collapsed. “Junior Sister Yu, why do I not feel anything?”

“Senior Brother Zhang, please wait patiently.”

“Alright.”

Zhang Jun waited a bit longer.

He still did not feel anything.

His brows drooped and he muttered, “Why is it still not working?”

This time, Yu Zhao did not explain anything. She only looked at him calmly.

Being stared at like that made Zhang Jun feel annoyed. His voice rose without him noticing.

“Junior Sister Yu, why will you not answer me?”

Zhou Jin Yue stared wide-eyed as her Junior Brother talked nonsense to empty air. She was shocked beyond words.

Zhang Jun was at the Early Golden Core Stage, while Yu Zhao’s cultivation level was only Mid Foundation Establishment. There was not just a minor cultivation realm between them, but a whole major realm.

Did this mean Yu Zhao could fight on equal terms with a Golden Core Cultivator?

Yu Zhao seemed to see through Zhou Jin Yue’s thoughts. She said softly: “It is not that easy. The reason Senior Brother Zhang did not notice anything is because he trusts both you and me, and also because I do not truly wish him harm.

“If it were a strange Golden Core Cultivator, they would be able to sense that something is wrong in three breaths.”

The more firm a Cultivator’s Dao heart was, the harder it was to affect them with Illusion Art. That was why a medium was needed to distract them, so you could slip in and take advantage of the opening.

Rustle.

While Yu Zhao and Zhou Jin Yue were discussing Illusion Art, light footsteps sounded from deep within the forest.

Zhang Jun’s pupils tightened, and his mind cleared.

When he looked again, Yu Zhao was nowhere to be seen.

Meeting his First Senior Sister’s teasing gaze, he could only give a bitter smile.

A technique that could pull someone into a made-up scene without them noticing was truly terrifying and hard to guard against.

Even from the natural instincts of a Cultivator, a faint sense of wariness toward Yu Zhao rose in his heart.

“May I ask if the three of you are Fellow Daoists of the Five Elements Dao Sect?”