This place is fun

Chapter 201 Breaking the Formation
Because the previous level was passed using the original body's soul, Su Daoshan's own soul remained in an observer's state when entering this level.

The cell was large and dark.

"Self" sat on the cold ground, firmly bound by a magic circle with obscure and incomprehensible symbols. The light threads of the magic circle intertwined into chains, binding "self" like a giant cocoon of light.

When Su Daoshan saw what "himself" looked like, he was startled.

In the blink of an eye, the once spirited young man in green robes, who had just shattered the illusions of the abyss, had his hair turn gray, his face was bloodless, and his whole body exuded a lifeless and desolate aura.

It's as if they've been sitting here for thousands of years.

Immediately, the information that inexplicably surfaced in his mind made Su Daoshan "recall" everything.

I am a disciple of a righteous sect. Five years ago, I left the mountains to roam the world, fighting demons and protecting the righteous. Deep in the mountains, I saved a tribe that was almost wiped out by demonic cultivators.

At that time, it was pouring rain, which lasted for three days and three nights. He and sixteen demonic cultivators chased and fought in the mountains and forests within a radius of a hundred miles. In the end, he suffered six serious injuries and more than a hundred minor injuries before he finally killed all his opponents.

Afterwards, he led thousands of people from his tribe, traversing mountains and rivers, enduring countless hardships, and finally escaped the wilderness, returning to the human world, and settling down in a mountain forest near the sect.

Today, not only do the tribe members live in peace and prosperity, but many young members have also joined the sect. Among them, the talents of three are even rarer than those in the sect's history.

For a time, tribes and sects complemented each other and prospered.

Just when everything seemed to be developing in a positive direction, an unexpected disaster struck.

It turned out that when he led his tribe to migrate, he had passed by a dilapidated temple that no one had taken care of.

It was already late, and the crowd was full of complaints. Several elders came and pleaded with him before he finally agreed to stop and rest. However, to avoid causing trouble, he strictly forbade anyone from entering the temple or engaging in any disrespectful behavior.

Unexpectedly, while the tribal elders readily agreed, the other side disregarded their promises. Not only did some people complain about the dampness of the forest and go to the temple to stay in the middle of the night, but several teenagers also kicked over a clay sculpture in the temple's backyard and urinated in the offering container.

But now, the long-overdue wrath of the gods has arrived.

Under divine power, all are but ants. He and his tribe had only two choices: either the entire tribe would be wiped out, or he, the leader, would die. There was no third option.

The deadline given by the gods was seven days, and today is already the sixth day.

Whether the tribe is destroyed or he dies depends on this moment.

When he "remembered" this point and looked at his own haggard appearance, Su Daoshan was completely convinced.

This time, he finally understood why, in the nearly one hundred years since the opening of the Spirit Realm, so many people had passed the second level, but not a single one had been able to pass the third level.

The saying goes, "It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Human nature's flaws are the hardest to overcome. And ironically, this third level of trials, with its series of illusory tests, targets precisely the most unsolvable aspects of each person's character.

Take the Abyss of Fear we just talked about, for example.

When I first entered the third level, my consciousness was still in control, so this abyss of fear was aimed at me.

Su Daoshan understands himself very well.

As an ordinary person born in a peaceful era, in terms of character, I am far inferior to the natives of this cruel world, let alone the older generation in the war-torn or impoverished eras of the original world.

Therefore, I cannot get past that hurdle.

The original owner of this body was able to survive because he was born in this chaotic world and grew up watching the Mad Puppet. He was accustomed to the clash of swords, the mountains of corpses, and the seas of blood. In addition, he was simple-minded, resolute, and unmoved by external things, which enabled him to forge ahead without hesitation.

However, what Su Daoshan didn't expect was that if the Abyss of Fear was aimed at him, then the next challenge was aimed entirely at the original body.

No one understands the original owner's personality flaws better than Su Daoshan.

This bookworm is stubborn, inflexible, and vain, and loves to show off. If you asked him to choose between his own life and the lives of thousands of his tribe, the outcome is obvious.

For the original owner, this was also an abyss.

Moreover, the most crucial and insidious point in this predicament is... Su Daoshan's gaze fell upon the magic array that trapped the original body.

The magic array is called the "Illuminating Heart Array".

As its name suggests, this magic circle not only imprisons the human heart, but also constantly reflects it. Within this magic circle, you can try every possible way to escape your predicament. However, you must not harbor demonic thoughts, and every decision you make must not go against your true nature.

Such expedient measures that go against one's true nature are themselves a form of going astray.

At this moment, three chains from the magic circle were wrapped around "himself".

Su Daoshan reached out and touched the first chain.

As his fingers touched the chain, thousands of threads of light traveled along the chain to his eyes. Instantly, he saw a scene—a young Su Daoshan, sitting upright at a table, reciting a book with a swaying head. Despite being a child, he possessed an air of profound wisdom and maturity.

"Life is what I desire; righteousness is also what I desire. If I cannot have both, I will give up life for righteousness..."

Su Daoshan sighed and released his grip. The threads of light that had spread along the chains retreated like a swarm of snakes. The scene vanished.

Su Daoshan reached out to touch the second chain.

A second scene appeared in my field of vision—after the incident, the three elders of the tribe, along with the elderly, women and children of the tribe, knelt down in front of "himself" in a dark mass, saying nothing, only kowtowing repeatedly.

Several children were unhappy and started to throw a tantrum, but were immediately pinched hard a few times and forcibly pressed down.

Su Daoshan narrowed his eyes and let out a cold laugh.

He released the second chain and placed his hand on the third chain—a tall and majestic building appeared before him.

Above the main hall, a plaque hangs high. The solemn-looking senior members of the sect are looking down at "themselves".

"Not to mention that many of the tribe's youths have now joined our sect, with limitless potential. Just consider the lives of these thousands of people. If we just stand by and watch them die, how are we any different from the demonic cultivators?"

"Even if the sect agrees to the idea of ​​saving one person while killing a thousand, the grandmasters of the Righteous Path Alliance will surely be furious."

"Why didn't you discipline them strictly when they passed the temple that day? In the end, the root of the problem lies with you. Since you led them out, you must bear the consequences."

"Daoshan, you have been taught since childhood. If these thousand people die because of you, will you be able to sleep soundly for the rest of your life? Even if you manage to survive, you will never be able to uphold your original intentions. The day the tribe is destroyed will be the day you fall into demonic ways!"

"Look behind you, how much your fellow disciples admire you. Many new disciples see you as a role model and are proud of you. Whether you fall into the demonic path or sacrifice yourself for righteousness is entirely up to you..."

Seeing this, Su Daoshan could no longer bear to watch.

Let's not talk about the first chain; that's because the original owner locked himself up.

In the scenes depicting the second and third chains, the kowtowing villagers and sect elders, whether silent or speaking, all conveyed the same message—"Go to hell!"

……

But ironically, these three chains were useful to the original owner.

Under the restraint of these three chains, Su Daoshan had no doubt that, given the original owner's rigid and inflexible mindset and nature, he would not be able to break this formation, let alone in seven days, or even in a thousand years.

To him, the tribe had a thousand lives, while he himself had only one. As a righteous disciple, it should be his turn to die.

As for the sect leaders, they held unparalleled authority in his mind.

Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher. A teacher's command is as weighty as a mountain.

For a disciple to disobey his master is a grave offense.

Getting such a bookworm to see through the absurdity of it all, and to dare to question and rebel, is harder than getting a two-dimensional being to break out of the three-dimensional world.

However, having worked as a junior lawyer for two years in his previous life, Su Daoshan was quite adept at handling these situations.

With a thought, Su Daoshan's divine sense replaced his original body, and he immediately stepped out of the magic array.

"We can't leave..."

The first chain instantly pulled Su Daoshan back. In his field of vision, the boy reciting his lessons was looking at him earnestly, saying, "Read the books of sages and cultivate a noble spirit. Now is the time to sacrifice oneself for righteousness, how can one…"

Su Daoshan didn't even glance at him, walking straight ahead, his body passing directly through his illusory form.

"You ventured deep into the barren lands, fought fiercely against demonic cultivators, braved fire and water, and narrowly escaped death—that was self-sacrifice for righteousness. Later, you led them back to the mortal world, tirelessly and without regard for honor or disgrace—that too was self-sacrifice for righteousness..."

"But they are who they are, and you are who you are. You have no obligation, much less the right or the qualification to pay the price for their mistakes."

"Taking on one's own the responsibilities that others should bear is not greatness, but foolishness. It is not fairness and wisdom, but prejudice and ignorance. It is not self-sacrifice for righteousness, but a failure to distinguish right from wrong and black from white."

"Righteousness is what is appropriate. What is inappropriate is unrighteous. Even benevolence, if it is inappropriate without principle, is neither benevolence nor righteousness."

"A father's kindness, a son's filial piety, a brother's friendship, a younger brother's respect, a husband's harmony, a wife's obedience, elders' benevolence, younger people's compliantness, a ruler's benevolence, a subject's loyalty... Everyone fulfills their duty and has their responsibilities. Who do you think you are to presume to steal someone else's responsibilities?"

"You think you are noble, but you don't realize that you are violating the principles of heaven and human relations, and the way of nature."

The boy who was blocking Su Daoshan's way was struck dumb, completely stunned.

"If you can disrupt the natural order of this village today, you can disrupt the lives of hundreds of thousands, millions, until the social order is lost, responsibilities are unclear, and everyone is confused, unable to distinguish between good and evil..."

After Su Daoshan's body passed through his illusory form, he finally had an epiphany and understood. The boy solemnly straightened his clothes, respectfully clasped his hands in a fist salute towards Su Daoshan's back, and bowed deeply to the ground. Immediately, his small figure transformed into countless specks of light and vanished without a trace.

The first chain of the magic circle suddenly snapped.

Su Daoshan continued forward without stopping at the foot of the mountain.

As the first chain broke, the second chain, like activated octopus tentacles, suddenly wrapped around him tightly, taut and straight.

The scene before my eyes appeared: a dark mass of old people, women and children all kowtowing.

Su Daoshan charged straight into the crowd, where illusory figures tried to reach out and grab him, like ghosts.

"it's useless."

“Yes, you are the elderly, children, women and kids… but in my eyes, that’s just a label, not a moral high ground. It’s not a reason for you to take advantage of your age or youth to do whatever you want.”

"I've seen far more moral blackmail than you have."

"Moreover, I know the true nature of some of you better than anyone else. Whether you are old, woman, or child, there are many who are scheming, malicious, unreasonable, greedy, ignorant, and repay kindness with enmity."

“If it were that naive bookworm, he might fall for your act, but I really can’t.”

"I've seen too many shameless old people and too many unruly children..."

"When disaster strikes, you come begging and begging me to die in your place. But back in the temple, I repeatedly warned you, yet you paid no heed and ignored my warnings. You only listened to what benefited you, and ignored what didn't. If you hadn't been so selfish, where would this disaster be today?"

"Do you really think that since one side is the life of a thousand people and the other is the life of one person, it should be my sacrifice to save you? You can calculate it that way, but you can't reason with people like that!"

"No matter how many of you there are, you can never surpass reason. No matter how vast the sky you cover up, it can never surpass reason!"

"When an avalanche occurs, no snowflake is innocent."

More and more people rushed forward, some howling, some wailing, some with ferocious expressions, some with desperate eyes...

Su Daoshan's body passed through countless distorted figures. They reached out to grab him, initially unable to reach him. Later, with Su Daoshan's resounding voice, his body began to glow.

Those figures that approached him, like ghosts exposed to the scorching sun, shattered into fragments amidst violent screams, melting into wisps of black smoke, then twisting and evaporating like water vapor.

Then, the second chain broke inch by inch.

"stop!"

With the first two chains broken, the magic array, now only having the third chain remaining, transformed directly into a burly old man with a flowing white beard and a dignified demeanor.

His face was ashen as he coldly stared at Su Daoshan and angrily rebuked him: "You wretched child, you have committed such a grave mistake, yet you dare to escape punishment and run away?!"

"Master?!"

Upon seeing the old man, Su Daoshan immediately felt an invisible pressure, and his body involuntarily stopped in his tracks, bowing to the old man in greeting.

This oppression is like invisible threads, constantly coiled around the bones of the body, omnipresent and ever-present. It's also like an invisible mountain pressing down on you, making it difficult to move.

"Authoritative?" Su Daoshan pondered.

Immediately, under the old man's shocked gaze, his body slowly straightened up. The threads wrapped around his bones snapped one after another, and the invisible mountain that had been pressing down on him lost its weight.

“You…” Master’s pupils suddenly dilated.

"Isn't it strange that the power that was originally able to suppress me suddenly stopped working?" Su Daoshan stretched his body with ease.

"How dare you betray the sect, dare you deceive your master and ancestors?!" The master shouted incredulously, "Don't you know that if you harbor even the slightest demonic thought, even without the gods to take you away, this Heart-Illuminating Array will ensure your eternal damnation!"

“Of course I know.” Su Daoshan nodded.

The Heart-Illuminating Array not only has a series of heart locks, but most terrifyingly, this array can monitor the inner demons of the imprisoned.

This is why Su Daoshan knew that the original body could not get rid of this magic array even after a thousand years.

On the one hand, it's due to his own personality. If he can't change his nature, he'll never be able to break out of that circle or escape the shackles of those three chains.

On the other hand, if one changes their nature in order to break free from shackles, it is very easy to develop evil thoughts.

For example, if Su Daoshan, as a child, directly denies the words of sages and the way of the gentleman in the book in order to survive, or even goes against them, then he has become possessed by demons.

For example, the second chain.

The original owner of this body was a bookworm who couldn't see the underlying principles, nor did he understand what moral blackmail was. Therefore, if he wanted to live, he could only go against his beliefs and choose to let others die in order to survive himself.

That too is a manifestation of demonic thoughts.

The saying goes, "One thought can make you a Buddha, and another a demon." Sometimes, a person who has been a good person all their life can become far more terrifying than an evil person if they harbor demonic thoughts.

However, Su Daoshan is not among them.

Because of his upbringing, his perspective, and the values ​​he has formed are different from those of people in this world. Naturally, his logic, critical thinking skills, and the depth and angle from which he views problems are also different.

He was neither a good person nor a bad person. His upbringing made it impossible for him to have the demonic thought of "killing millions to prove his path." Therefore, in terms of absolute humanity, the Heart-Illuminating Array could not subdue his evil.

However, he was neither the kind of person who was a pushover without principles nor the kind of bookworm who couldn't see the truth.

Therefore, some ideas that others consider monstrous are perfectly natural to him. What would drive others to madness just thinking about, he finds as natural as eating and drinking.

If there are no demons in your heart, then demonic thoughts will naturally not arise.

“A teacher is one who imparts knowledge, instructs in skills, and resolves doubts,” Su Daoshan said, looking at the old man with a mocking smile. “Since when have teachers been able to use their position to decide the life and death of others?”

The old man's expression changed: "You..."

“If I were guilty of heinous crimes, that would be one thing,” Su Daoshan sneered, “but in reality, you all know that no matter how much you plan, this matter cannot be attributed to me.”

"However, from a profit perspective, a tribe of over a thousand people is far more valuable than an ordinary disciple like me."

"In addition, I am a bookworm by nature. As the saying goes, a gentleman can be deceived by his own methods. So, you tacitly trapped me in this Heart-Illuminating Array, letting my own heart lock strangle me."

The old man's face turned ashen, but he couldn't utter a single word.

"Can't speak, huh?" Su Daoshan laughed.

"Because this is the Mind-Illuminating Array, your existence merely represents your so-called authority, nothing more than the idea you've repeatedly instilled in me that 'the fewer people should obey the more people'..."

"Even if your initial intentions stem from selfishness, even if your thoughts are so filthy, despicable, and self-serving, you can still stand on the side of justice and righteousness, speaking with righteous indignation."

As Su Daoshan spoke, he flipped his right hand and suddenly produced a sharp sword.

The old man's expression changed immediately upon seeing the sword.

"The source of authority is the obedience and awe of others. You need obedience and awe, so you brainwash people year after year, day after day, to consolidate your authority."

“But once someone sees through your hand, this trick won’t work.” Su Daoshan said, looking down at the sword in his hand. “Like this sword… In the Heart-Illuminating Formation, only those who grasp the principles can wield the weapon…”

He looked up at the old man with a livid face, then slowly walked up to him and slowly plunged the sword in his hand into the old man's heart.

"I have a sword, what do you have?"

"Look, you have nothing. From beginning to end, you've been nothing more than a mere inner demon trying to plant itself in my heart."

"Killing you is as easy as killing a chicken."

"Boom!" A silent thunderclap resounded, and an invisible shockwave swept across all directions.

The sword in Su Daoshan's hand, the old man in front of him, and the magic array threads entwined around him all turned into thousands of light points and disappeared.

"You passed?" Su Daoshan looked at his empty hands and glanced around.

The dark cell was gone, and the sky gradually brightened. The air was as fresh as after the rain, with a breeze on your face and birds chirping.

Just as Su Daoshan took a deep breath and enjoyed the tranquility and freedom of the moment, he was suddenly struck by a violent feeling of weightlessness. It was as if an invisible hand was pulling him into the sea, and he sank into a dream.

Dreams are pink.

In his dream, Su Daoshan saw a woman. He couldn't see her face clearly, but he knew perfectly well that she matched all his beautiful fantasies. Her skin was silky smooth and cool, and her breath was warm and fragrant.

In that state of blissful yet endless descent, he could hear his own heartbeat, the whispers in his ear, the panting, the soft chuckles…

Su Daoshan knew he would not wake up.

Even if I could wake up, I wouldn't want to.

He was completely bewildered, until the bookish voice rang out: "Miss, please have some self-respect!"

(End of this chapter)