Zanxing walked out from the darkness, stopping only when she reached the Mirage Woman.

The Mirage Woman stared at her and spoke in disbelief: “How did you get out?”

“I just came out. Is that difficult?”

The Mirage Woman’s gaze carried some suspicion: “My illusions are sustained by people’s desires. The illusions can glimpse of what you most want deep in your heart. A cultivator who has just formed her Golden Core couldn’t possibly see through my illusions. How exactly did you get out?”

Zanxing smiled: “Maybe you didn’t give me enough?”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you certain that what was in the illusion was what I most wanted?” Zanxing spoke dismissively: “I don’t think so. Your illusions are just so-so – you can’t even see clearly what’s in my heart.”

These words instantly angered the Mirage Woman. Her gaze darkened, and the snake staff suddenly stabbed forward. Gu Baiying shouted “Danger!” and the Embroidered Bone Spear met it. A loud crash echoed through the secret chamber as Gu Baiying’s back hit the hard stone wall, and he fell to the ground, nearly crushing Mimi’s tail.

“Master Uncle!” Zanxing ran to his side and helped him up.

“How overconfident.” The Mirage Woman withdrew her snake staff, her jade hand stroking the head of the staff. The two snakes hissed and flicked their tongues under her gentle caress as she looked at Gu Baiying: “Did you think you could still use your Yuanli here?”

Zanxing frowned: “If this is your illusion and everything is fake, why are our Yuanli restricted?”

The Mirage Woman laughed lightly, her expression showing some smugness: “It doesn’t matter if I tell you. From the moment you entered the Wudan Forest Desert, you fell into my illusion. So at first, your Yuanli should have only been weakened. As you got closer and closer to Wufan City, entering deeper into the illusion, the restrictions on your Yuanli became stronger and stronger. Now, having entered Wufan City, you’ve completely sunk into my illusion, so naturally you must follow my ‘dao.’ In my illusion, only I alone reign supreme over everyone.”

“So,” she looked at Zanxing and the other, like a cat toying with mice: “you’re now just two ordinary mortals without cultivation.”

“You’re far too confident.” Gu Baiying half-knelt on the ground, supporting himself with the Embroidered Bone Spear, staring at her coldly.

“Speaking of which, you truly surprise me.” The Mirage Woman looked at him with interest: “So young, yet already at Spirit Transformation cultivation. To see through my illusion in such a short time, with soul power rarely seen in this world – if not for your damaged spiritual meridians, I really wouldn’t be confident I could handle you.”

Zanxing was stunned: “Damaged spiritual meridians?”

“It seems you don’t know yet.” The Mirage Woman was somewhat surprised: “Little girl, let me tell you – your Master Uncle was born with damaged spiritual meridians, his Yuanli naturally stagnant. Recently, it seems he recklessly circulated his cultivation, causing the Yuanli in his body to run wild. Even without coming to Wufan City, his situation would be very dangerous. I guess he won’t live much longer.”

“Master Uncle,” Zanxing suddenly looked at him: “Is this true?”

Gu Baiying stared at the Mirage Woman angrily: “Demon woman, stop spouting nonsense!”

He didn’t answer Zanxing’s question, but Zanxing understood. In an instant, Mendong’s constant extra protection of Gu Baiying seemed to have an answer. She had always wondered why, when Gu Baiying’s cultivation was higher than most cultivators, Mendong always cared for him as carefully as if he were a fragile porcelain vase.

So that was it.

“I’m not lying. In your illusion, weren’t you also brooding over this?” The Mirage Woman smiled slightly: “Wanting to live is everyone’s instinct – no need to hide it. Besides, it’s not entirely hopeless.”

“What are you scheming now?” Gu Baiying gripped the Embroidered Bone tightly.

“Back then, the Serpent Witch made trades with the common people of Wufan City entirely through this snake staff. The snake staff can fulfill people’s wishes.” She smiled slyly: “Seeing how handsome you are, I can make a trade with you. After the trade is completed, the gaps in your spiritual meridians will be repaired, and you’ll be able to live.”

Gu Baiying sneered: “What’s the price?”

The Mirage Woman’s face showed troubled contemplation for a while before she spoke reluctantly: “Oh my, you’re so cute, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. How about this – you just need to kill the woman in front of you, and this trade will be complete.”

Zanxing: “……”

The Mirage Woman spoke as if saying, “You’re so pretty, I’ll give you a 30% discount.”

Before Gu Baiying could speak, Zanxing spoke first: “Adding someone else to your trade – don’t you need their consent? Besides, according to the Serpent Witch’s rules back then, she wouldn’t do things that involved harming others for profit.” She then said to Gu Baiying: “Master Uncle, don’t listen to this demon woman’s bewitching words. She’s lying to you. Even if you killed me, she wouldn’t help repair your spiritual meridians.”

Gu Baiying took a deep breath: “I know. Shut up.”

“Trading one woman for a chance to live – that’s a very good deal. Such opportunities don’t come every day.” The Mirage Woman laughed softly: “Immortal, won’t you reconsider?”

Gu Baiying looked at her calmly: “Is this how you bewitch those lost people, making them kill each other?” He flicked his silver spear, and from the corner, a section of white bone rolled out with a “clatter.”

Zanxing was startled. Only then did she see clearly that the corner of the former secret chamber, which had been carelessly piled with jewels and gold and silver, now had those treasures disappear. Looking closely, it was accumulated white bones.

The smile on the Mirage Woman’s face froze for a moment, her red lips slightly curving: “It seems you’ve discovered it.”

The Mirage Woman had seized the Serpent Witch’s snake staff and turned all of Wufan City into her illusion. Anyone who entered Wufan City would be devoured by the illusion and forever remain in the illusory mirage. But over so many years, it was impossible that no cultivators of extraordinary ability had mistakenly entered this place. The Mirage Woman’s illusions weren’t without those who could see through them.

And when that time came, even if cultivators saw through the illusion, they would find their Yuanli completely gone. The Mirage Woman would then seemingly kindly point out a way to survive – these trades were almost always their companions’ lives. She made them kill each other, turn against each other, with former friends who had advanced together plunging knives into their companions’ hearts for a thread of hope. This interest was truly vile.

“No need to put on such a disgusted expression.” The Mirage Woman bent down to pick up a section of white bone from the ground, stroking it gently as if caressing a lover. She said, “Guess how many cultivators over the years have been willing to make trades with me in this place?” In her narrow eyes lay faint mockery: “Whether disciples of great sects or immortal cultivation geniuses rarely seen in a century, when hanging by a thread, they all show the same ugly behavior. Loving couples who were affectionate one moment, speaking of sharing hardships and being buried together, the next moment draw swords against each other and become enemies. Young people, I’ve seen far more than you have.”

Zanxing frowned: “Is this how you toy with people’s hearts?”

“How can you call it toying with people’s hearts?” The Mirage Woman curved her eyes: “It’s that human hearts simply can’t withstand testing.”

She glanced at Gu Baiying and suddenly smiled. In the next moment, the golden gauze dress had already appeared beside Gu Baiying. The Mirage Woman’s slender, cold fingers flirtatiously traced the young man’s chin, her tone ambiguously sticky: “From the first moment I saw you, I’ve been thinking what a handsome young man – I couldn’t bear to let you die. Seeing how beautiful you are, I can spare your life. Just stay here and keep me company forever.”

Gu Baiying pointed his spear, the Embroidered Bone Spear, fiercely slashing down at her. The Mirage Woman spun to dodge, her golden gauze dress blooming in the darkness like a magnificent golden flower.

The woman said coquettishly: “You don’t know how to cherish beauty.”

Gu Baiying’s face was dark: “Don’t touch me with your filthy body!”

“Why not?” The Mirage Woman’s fingertip traced her red lips as she glanced at Zanxing, her tone casual: “This woman isn’t very important to you anyway.”

“How is she not important?” Zanxing was stung by the contempt in her eyes and stood up with a cold laugh: “We’re also a loving couple who share hardships and would be buried together. Our love is stronger than gold – of course, we couldn’t do something like betraying our dao companion!”

Hearing this, the Mirage Woman laughed loudly as if she’d heard some amusing joke. While laughing, she said: “Not to mention that one of you is a Master Uncle and the other a martial niece – even if you didn’t have this relationship, he’s so handsome and lovely, why would he choose an ugly woman like you? Lovers indeed – how shameless of you.”

Zanxing: “……”

She just didn’t understand. It was just one extra black scar on her face, and her features were still bright and pretty. Why was she emphasized as having the “ugly woman” attribute wherever she went? Was this the background setting of “Nine Heaven Summit”? It made no sense.

“Do you think you’re beautiful?” Zanxing simply calmed down: “No matter what, we’re both human race, while you’re an old demon who stole someone else’s spirit artifact through despicable means.”

It was fine not to mention “old,” but once she said “old,” the Mirage Woman’s face immediately darkened. She gripped the snake staff in her hand and charged straight at Zanxing: “Bitch, today I’ll make you beg for death!”

“Yang Zanxing!” Gu Baiying’s face changed.

Zanxing held her Panhua Stick and met the attack.

……

This was a spacious residence.

The main gate of the residence was painted with beautiful red lacquer, with copper door handles. Right above, there was a golden plaque with the words “Tian Residence” written on it.

Tian Fangfang felt this place looked somewhat familiar.

After hesitating, he pushed open the main gate of the residence, stepped over the threshold, and walked inside.

This courtyard covered a large area, with winding corridors, spacious courtyards, and ponds. The vegetation near the pond had been carefully tended and was very exquisite. Beside the house near the back courtyard, there was a tall apricot tree with apricots covering the branches, heavy with fruit.

Tian Fangfang’s steps paused under this tree before he continued walking inside.

The main hall was hung with various beautiful calligraphy and paintings. The table was set with various fruits and pastries, and a roasted chicken. Servants and maids passed by, respectfully calling him “Young Master.”

Tian Fangfang was stunned and pointed at himself: “I’m the Young Master?”