Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

The dark gold runes flowing along the blade shone brightly, intertwining with each other as if forming a fragmented ancient totem.

A deep and chilling sword intent, seemingly transcending endless time and space, slowly awakened from the depths of the blade.

The blade became incredibly hot, as if I were holding a red-hot branding iron, and faint, fine golden electric sparks flickered and danced along the edge.

What shocked Li Yuan even more was that at the moment the sword intent condensed, he seemed to see an extremely blurry picture through the blade.

Mountains of corpses and seas of blood, fallen gods and demons, shattered stars... A colossal, blood-stained blade pierced through a gigantic being so large it could blot out the stars...

The scene flashed by in an instant, yet it carried a devastating intensity that sent shivers down one's spine.

Indeed, ancient marks remained within this nameless sword, and the vine demon's wood-attribute primordial demonic power seemed to be one of the keys to awakening these marks.

The nameless sword is slowly repairing itself.

At this moment, after absorbing a massive amount of energy, Li Yuan could no longer suppress his cultivation level, which he had been holding back.

The barrier to achieving a state of perfect inner peace shattered like paper, and the true energy within the body surged and began to circulate wildly, impacting everything!

The scene before him suddenly became blurry and distorted. Li Yuan knew that this was the inner demon tribulation of the Breaking Illusion Realm, a process of seeing through illusion and clearly seeing one's true self...

coming!

Unlike the "Questioning the Mind" realm, which examines one's true nature and strengthens one's resolve to follow the Tao, the "Breaking Through Delusion" realm tests one's ability to see through the various illusions of the world and directly point to the true self.

Wine, lust, wealth, anger, fame, profit, passion, infatuation... anything that can shake one's resolve and obscure one's spiritual understanding is illusory.

The illusions that ordinary cultivators experience are usually what they crave most, but the scene before Li Yuan's eyes was exceptionally real.

In the illusion, with his ninth-level talent, his cultivation progressed by leaps and bounds, sweeping aside his peers and becoming the undisputed number one among the younger generation of the Tang Dynasty.

He joined the Demon Suppression Bureau, vanquished demons and monsters, made countless contributions, and was revered by the people. He was valued by the emperor and rose through the ranks, eventually being enfeoffed as a marquis and appointed as a general. In the end, he was enfeoffed as the Duke of Zhenguo for quelling a horrific demonic disaster that affected several states. He held immense power in the court and was renowned both at home and abroad.

Even the emperor had to show him respect, and the demon race was terrified of him. Throughout the world, no one dared to disrespect him or defy him.

He stood at the pinnacle of power, enjoying all the glory and honor of the world. At first, he still remembered his original intention: to protect the people and slay demons.

But gradually, he became arrogant, unable to listen to dissenting opinions, and single-mindedly pursued greater power and a more eternal life.

Time flew by in the illusion. In order to break through the legendary state of forgetfulness, pursue immortality and transcendence, he became increasingly ruthless and unscrupulous.

He began to believe that the lives of ordinary people were as worthless as grass, and that for a greater goal, even the sacrifice of millions of lives was worthwhile.

He even began to secretly contact some shrewd demon clan forces, using their power to achieve his own goals.

His former classmates and comrades gradually drifted away from him, or were used and abandoned by him. He became more and more lonely, stronger and stronger, and more and more unlike his original self.

In the illusion, Li Yuan stands atop a fairy mountain overseas, overlooking the sea of ​​clouds. His eyes are filled with only a cold longing for eternal life, devoid of any human warmth.

Outside the illusion, Li Yuan's real consciousness, like a sober observer, watched himself step by step walk down that seemingly glorious but actually cold and lonely path.

A powerful sense of absurdity washed over him, screaming wildly in his heart.

"Is this still me?"

"Is this really the future I want?"

"Holding absolute power, achieving immortality, transcending all emotions... is this the ultimate goal of cultivation?"

"Is it acceptable to disregard life, betray oaths, and associate with demons for the sake of power?"

"No! This isn't me!"

"Power should be used to protect, not to enslave!"

"Immortality should not come at the cost of humanity!"

"The highest form of detachment should mean forgetting personal feelings and petty love, not the great love for all living beings!"

Each question, like a thunderclap, resounded deep within his soul.

The power of prediction he had just gained seemed to transform into a guiding light, allowing him to clearly see that at the end of that road, what awaited him was not true transcendence, but endless emptiness.

See through illusions and see your true self.

What is illusion?

Those seemingly glorious powers, eternal life, and supreme strength, if they come at the cost of losing one's true self and betraying morality, are the most deceptive illusions.

"No!"

Just as Li Yuan let out a shout.

The illusion shattered with a crash!

Like a mirage, it vanished in an instant.

A pure and refined aura rose from his dantian and flowed throughout his body.

His spiritual awareness surged, his perception became incredibly keen, and his control over himself, the world, and power entered a completely new level.

The nature of the true energy within the body subtly changed, becoming more refined and condensed, carrying a trace of the clarity unique to the Breaking Illusion Realm.

Breakthrough Realm, Initial Stage, Success!

Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes, golden light swirling within them, deep as an ancient pool, yet clearer than before.

The injuries on his body healed rapidly under the nourishment of the life force from the breakthrough.

He immediately looked at his hand. The nameless blade was still scorching hot, but the violent devouring intent had subsided, and the dark gold runes on the blade had dimmed, returning to their usual appearance.

But a faint spiritual aura flowed over it, subtly connecting with his heart.

The knife is different now.

He raised his head again and looked into the distance.

Leng Ning Shuang stood quietly in the corner, surrounded by a thin layer of ice-blue light, firmly protecting the unconscious hostage behind her.

The surface of the light shield was covered with fine cracks, clearly indicating that it had withstood tremendous pressure during the energy turbulence just now.

Her exquisitely beautiful face remained expressionless, but her deep, icy eyes were fixed on Li Yuan.

His eyes held a mixture of inquiry, shock, and a hint of apprehension.

She had clearly witnessed the entire process of Li Yuan's breakthrough and had also vaguely sensed a terrifying energy.

Seeing Li Yuan looking over, Leng Ning Shuang slightly shifted her gaze and removed her protective light shield: "You've broken through?"

"Yes!" Li Yuan nodded, clasped his hands in a fist salute to her, and said, "Thank you for protecting me just now, Senior Sister Leng."

He was caught in a breakthrough state and had no defenses against the outside world. If Leng Ningshuang hadn't taken the initiative to protect him and the hostage with an array and guarded him, there might have been some unexpected incident.

Leng Ningshuang shook her head, her gaze falling on the nameless knife in Li Yuan's hand before quickly shifting away. She said indifferently, "It's just a matter of each taking what they need."

"The hostage token is here; as agreed, each of us will receive half."

Li Yuan stepped forward, picked up the wooden plaque, thought for a moment, and handed it to Leng Ning Shuang: "Please keep this safe, Senior Sister Leng."

Leng Ning Shuang glanced at him, did not refuse, and took the wooden plaque. She nodded, put the plaque away, and then looked at the unconscious hostage: "He was frightened and needs to be sent out for treatment as soon as possible."

"Okay, let's go..."

Before Li Yuan could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a slight tremor in his heart as he sensed a violent fluctuation coming from somewhere in the forest.

His expression changed slightly as he looked at Leng Ning Shuang, only to see that Leng Ning Shuang had also furrowed her brows at almost the same time, clearly sensing something as well.