Chapter 86

(Third update of the day, over 3,000 words! Thanks to Zombieturtle for the support and encouragement! I'll keep typing, I'll keep typing, I'm a happy little typist! Ugh, my fingers are sore! I'll roll around and promote this, I'm going all out today, striving for 12,000 words!)

The fire in the cave was still crackling, but the temperature had strangely dropped a lot!

Belle moved closer to Dongsheng's chest, smacking her lips, feeling a bit cold!

Little Lulu, on the other hand, had completely tucked her head under the fur blanket, mumbling something in her sleep.

At this moment, no one noticed that the Soul-Linking Grass placed nearby suddenly emitted a strong black-blue light, illuminating Dongsheng's face, which looked eerie and terrifying!

His face was pale, his features twisted, as if he was dreaming of something...

...

Endless pain, endless darkness, reaching out to grab the faint light, but failing every time!

The world was upside down, time was flowing, his mind was in chaos! It was as if something was churning in his brain!

Suddenly, he seemed to wake up.

"Where am I?" His head was still dizzy, he squinted his eyes slightly, as if he had just woken up!

A blinding white light came, so bright yet strangely warm! There was a buzzing in his ears, as if there were chaotic footsteps and continuous shouts!

"Bang!"

His head suddenly hurt, and Dongsheng opened his eyes completely, looking around!

This is...

Endless sunlight was pouring over the land, seeping through the door cracks and the transparent glass of the windows! A warm feeling spread over his body, making him feel nostalgic!

"How could... the Abyss... where am I?" He looked around in confusion, the warm and comfortable sunlight felt unfamiliar, and he instinctively raised his paw to shield his eyes, but then he froze!

Looking at the thing in front of him, Dongsheng was taken aback.

This was not a paw, but a human hand, and the scars and familiar calluses on it told him that these were the hands he once had!

"Is this my hand? Where are the paws? The tail? The horns?" He frantically touched his body, but they were all gone!

"I wasn't in the Abyss, how could I be here..."

"Bang!"

His back of the head was hit again, and a voice that Dongsheng had longed to hear rang out!

"Little Junior Brother, what time is it, still sleeping! Master is already angry, get up quickly!" He turned his head, and a young and beautiful girl appeared before him, with a big ponytail and a tight, neat practice suit on her slender figure!

The newcomer exuded a graceful and efficient aura, standing there with a commanding presence!

"Senior Sister? How are you here! I was in the Abyss, wasn't I!"

"Bang!" His forehead was tapped lightly again, a familiar and gentle action!

"Are you confused? What Abyss? Nonsense, get up and wash up, Master is looking for you!"

"..."

In a daze, under the watchful eye of this familiar Senior Sister, Dongsheng washed up and came to the courtyard!

The warm sunlight, the fresh scent of grass, the fragrance of the earth, the allure of flowers, a few butterflies slowly flew by, their beautiful wings making Dongsheng dazed! So familiar yet so strange! What was going on?

Is this real or fake?

Is it Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi? Who can tell the difference!

When the fake becomes real, the real becomes fake, and the same principle applies.

Dongsheng and his master lived in a village, far from the pollution of the city, which was more conducive to cultivation and self-cultivation! Of course, this was for Daoist practices! Internal martial arts had no such requirements!

It was now the season of spring and blooming flowers, the buzzing of bees and the chirping of birds filled the air. Dazed, he followed Senior Sister through the hall and a short country path, arriving at a large hall where he saw the venerable old man who had always been in his heart!

His master!

He was still as robust, wearing a thin robe, holding a large pipe, sitting quietly there, his presence like a mountain, broad and imposing! His gaze was stern and commanding!

"This, this is really Master!" The scene was so familiar, it had appeared countless times in his mind! When he first arrived in the Abyss, during those difficult times of survival, it was this face that sustained him!

Dongsheng couldn't hold back his tears and burst into sobs, kneeling on the ground and wailing!

Regardless of whether this was real or not, he needed to let it all out.

"Master!"

A man does not shed tears lightly, but only when he is truly heartbroken! Seeing his master, who was like a father to him, Dongsheng couldn't help but cry uncontrollably!

"What, what is this!" Dongsheng's actions startled the old man, who quickly helped up his beloved youngest disciple! The scolding words he had prepared were suppressed.

Among all his disciples, Dongsheng was the youngest, and although his master was strict with him, he also loved him deeply!

"What's wrong, what's going on, why are you crying for nothing! Did your Senior Sister bully you again?"

"..." Do you have to be so biased towards your youngest disciple!

"No, Master, I'm fine, I just couldn't help it!" After venting, Dongsheng slowly calmed down. Whether this was real or not, he could only wait and see!

"Foolish! How have I taught you! We warriors shed blood, not tears, we kneel to heaven, earth, and parents! Even if I am your Master, you are not allowed to kneel!" The old man suddenly said angrily.

"Kneel, kneel, kneel! All you know is to kneel! Why has our country suffered so much in modern times? Because the Qing Dynasty implemented kneeling! Kneeling produced a bunch of traitors! The country was lost, yet they still thought of kneeling to foreigners! What is this? Slaves, lackeys! Do you understand!"

Hearing his master's familiar angry words, Dongsheng's heart, which had calmed down, was stirred again!

From this, it could be seen that the path of the warrior or demon that Dongsheng followed was all passed down from his master! Even when recruiting subordinates, he detested sycophants and lackeys who lacked ambition!

"Master, I understand, I just had a nightmare last night and missed you!" Dongsheng replied softly. His thoughts were still in chaos, so it was best not to act rashly!

"Sigh, you, you are good in many ways, but you lack ruthlessness, your compassion is excessive, how can I be at ease!" The old man sighed, his expression seeming somewhat melancholy!

"Go back and think about what I said! Reflect on it carefully!" He waved his hand and picked up his pipe, smoking again!

...

Leaving the hall, Dongsheng was silent. He was thinking about how to break this situation and where the danger lay!

"Right, Master will be testing everyone's martial arts skills this afternoon, remember to come to the training ground!" Senior Sister turned a corner, gave a reminder, and left!

"Is that so, a competition!"

Looking up at the glaring sun, its rays seemed so unreal!

"The fox's tail is finally showing!"

"Let me see your tricks!"

His mind was now clearer. He understood that he was definitely trapped in an illusion created by a malevolent spirit. To break this illusion, he had to find the malevolent spirit hidden in it and kill it on the spot to safely escape!

Everything around him, from the grass to the trees, felt so familiar and real, all constructed from his deepest memories!

Dongsheng now recognized the terrifying power of the malevolent spirit. It used some strange ability to envelop his memories and soul, creating the most familiar scenes for him!

It seemed that this malevolent spirit was still very weak and lacked the power to kill Dongsheng directly, so it used this method to trap him in an illusion, making both of them pawns on a chessboard. If Dongsheng didn't quickly find the hiding place of the malevolent spirit, the illusion would become more and more real, trapping his soul until it withered. This process would be quick, and he had to act immediately!

"So, who is the malevolent spirit?"

It was like a guessing game, and Dongsheng had to patiently search for any clues and find the answer within a limited time! He couldn't break the rules; this illusion was constructed by the malevolent spirit using his soul memories. If he tried to force his way out, his soul would also be damaged, which was exactly what the malevolent spirit wanted!

"So, is it Master?" He shook his head. If it was a fake, it wouldn't be so real like in his memories! But there was a slight possibility!

"Senior Sister? The other seniors?" It was also impossible for the same reason. Dongsheng was very familiar with them, though a few with whom he had a distant relationship might be possible, as he wasn't very familiar with them.

What could it be? Flowers, birds, insects, plants? These were unlikely, as a demon's soul was very large, especially for soul-type demons! Their souls were even larger, and such small things couldn't hide their soul fluctuations!

"Headache!"

He hated guessing games!

Leaning against the window, watching the butterflies dancing outside, feeling the warmth of the sunlight, Dongsheng suddenly smiled. Perhaps staying in this illusion a bit longer wasn't such a bad choice!

How long had it been since he last saw the sunlight! He was almost forgetting that familiar feeling.

...

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