He knew, he was completely certain that this wasn't real. But they both felt so real, so lifelike as they stood there in front of him. It was as if that horrible day had never happened, allowing their family to live on in peace. He wanted it to be real, he prayed for it to be real. His mother, the brown-eyed and black-haired Qing Lan walked forward with quick steps, sharply pinching Liang Chen's ear as she scolded him.
"How dare you stay out for so long?! You know you have to get back before the night sets in!"
The pain felt so real, as if his mother was really pinching his ear. Even her voice sounded so real, just as soft and gentle as he remembered it. Even if this was an illusion or a dream, he couldn't help but want to lose himself in it. He quickly put on an apologetic, gently holding onto his mother's wrist.
"I'm sorry, I completely lost track of time."
His father, the brown-eyed and brown-haired Qing Feng also walked over. He placed his hands on Qing Lan's shoulders, a faint smile on his face as he tried to calm her down.
"Come on now dear, don't be too angry. Chen'er isn't a child anymore, so that curfew is completely unnecessary."
He had tried to tell her several times that Liang Chen was already 16, there was no need to restrain him so much, but she wouldn't listen. Qing Lan sharply turned around, giving Qing Feng a glare that only an angry mother could produce. Qing Feng quickly shrank back, letting out a slightly awkward cough as he changed the subject in hopes of distracting his wife.
"Come now, let's return before dinner gets cold. We can't keep that lass Chun'er waiting for too long."
This clumsy attempt seemed to work, as Qing Lan let go of Liang Chen's ear. Liang Chen rubbed his ear to get rid of the pain, tilting his head slightly as he questioned. Had this illusion also created an image of Qing Chun?
"Big Sister Chun is also here?"
Last time he had seen Qing Chun was when the two of them were forced to split up. Even now he still remembered the mighty power that her two guards radiated. When would he be able to see her again, when would he be able to listen to her story? Qing Feng quickly let out a hearty laugh, placing his hand on Liang Chen's shoulder as they started to walk down that familiar street.
"Of course she is! Your wedding is in three days, so she needs as much time with your mother as she can get, otherwise, things won't get ready in time."
Liang Chen immediately stopped walking, completely dumbfounded. His parents stopped walking to see what was going on, tilting their heads slightly. Liang Chen couldn't help but give voice to his dumbfoundedness.
"...Wedding?"
He was getting married in this illusion? And to Qing Chun of all people? He looked like he had reached 17 years or so of age in this illusion, so he was at a ripe age to get married. But why to Qing Chun? Exactly what had happened in this illusion for the two of them to end up marrying? Was that what would have happened if his parents hadn't been executed? Qing Feng let out a light chuckle, rapping Liang Chen's forehead with his knuckles.
"Did you hit your head while you were out and about and forget about your own wedding?"
Liang Chen quickly shook his head to regain his clarity. It was a bit of a strange choice for the illusion, but he wanted to see where it went, wanted to stay a bit longer with his parents. So he shook his head and lied with an amused chuckle.
"No, of course not! It was just a joke, not my fault you guys don't have any humor."
Even though they were nothing but illusions, Liang Chen had just lied to his parents. His parents had told him to never ever tell a lie, and now he had lied directly to them, or at least to an illusion of them, and it hurt his heart, far more than he thought it would. Qing Feng let out a light snort, ruffling Liang Chen's hair.
"Cheeky brat, trying to insult your parents?"
Liang Chen simply let out another chuckle, not responding. The three people continued to walk down a familiar street, quickly arriving at that familiar house. In this illusion, it was a place he could return to whenever he was hurt. But in real life, he had nowhere to return to, this house already burned down and turned to ash.
pacing around in front of the house was a more grown-up Qing Chun. Her chestnut brown hair hung was tied into a small ponytail that hung down over her shoulder, her clear blue eyes filled with worry. When she saw Liang Chen and his parents arrive by the house, she immediately ran up to them, embracing Liang Chen and burying her face in his chest, scolding him lightly.
"Chen'er, you're back! You shouldn't worry aunty Lan like that."
Liang Chen looped his hands around her waist and held her tight, placing his nose against her hair and inhaling that familiar fragrance, one of the last things that remained of his old life. He let out another light chuckle, lying with an apologetic face.
"Sorry about that, I promise that it won't happen again."
The group entered the house and gathered around the table, eating a hearty and warm meal that was filled with so many familiar flavors that Liang Chen had to force his tears back. Qing Chun and his parents thought that he was acting a bit weird, but they didn't think anything too much about it.
Liang Chen continued to indulge himself in the illusion, spending the days in peace. He would go hunting with his father, he would help his mother with the wedding preparations, he would go on dates with Qing Chun. Each day was filled with bliss and warmth, Liang Chen's heart praying that it would never end.
When the day of their wedding arrived, the entire town was covered in red and golden cloth and decorations. The streets were lined with people as they watched Liang Chen, who was clad in a crimson robe decorated with a roaring dragon, and Qing Chun, who was clad in a red dress that was tight at the top and loose at the bottom, walk through the city hand in hand.
When they arrived outside their home, Liang Chen followed the traditions and kowtowed three times, once to the heavens, once to his parents, and once to his spouse, Qing Chun. After he kowtowed, the both of them paid their respects to the Qing clan, to their deceased ancestors, and then to their parents.
Once they finished paying their respects, the invited guests went to the prepared feast, while Liang Chen and Qing Chun went to their bridal chambers to consummate the marriage. They were both very clumsy and awkward, but it was a moment for just the two of them, so they took their time to make sure that everything was right and that both were satisfied.
Once the wedding was over, the peaceful and calm days returned, with Liang Chen spending as much time as he could with his parents and Qing Chun. But he knew that even though he wanted to drown in this sweet illusion, he could not do so, he had to keep moving forward, he would keep moving forward.
Six days after the wedding took place, Liang Chen sat in the living room of their house. He and Qing Chun sat on one of the couches, while his parents sat on the couch across from them, the four of them drinking tea and enjoying each others presence. Qing Chun locked eyes with Liang Chen's mother for a short second, nodding her head and speaking up, looking at Liang Chen with worried eyes.
"Chen'er, are you okay?"
Liang Chen was slightly caught off guard by the question, worried that they had discovered something strange about him. He knew that he had to end this illusion, but he was a bit unwilling to do so just yet. He wanted to soak in this long gone warmth for just a bit longer, so he tilted his head curiously and acted like nothing.
"What do you mean? Do I not look okay?"
Qing Chun looked deeply at him, studying his face for any signs of what might be wrong with him. Under such a close inspection from Qing Chun, Liang Chen couldn't help but get a bit nervous. Luckily, Qing Chun pulled back after a bit, tightly grasping his hand.
"You have been acting different since a few days ago. Your eyes have changed, it's like they're not looking at the things around you. You might be able to fool others, but you can't fool me or your parents."
Liang Chen's heart skipped a beat after hearing her words. Ever since he arrived in this illusion, he would occasionally stare into empty air or at certain places or people, comparing the illusion to how it was in reality. Liang Chen put on a slightly forced smile, gently cupping Qing Chun's face.
"It's nothing, I'm fine, I'm looking at you properly."
He had fought hard and suffered so much pain, was he not allowed to enjoy this warmth for a bit longer? Qing Chun rested her head against Liang Chen's hands, her eyes turning red as she begged him.
"You're a bad liar, you always were. Please, look me in the eyes and tell me what you see, please!"
Liang Chen looked her deep in the eyes, and in the end, he let out a deep and sorrowful sigh. It seemed like it was time to stop this charade, this charade that had almost, but only almost, absorbed his heart and mind. No matter how much longer he wished to rest in this warmth, he had to let go before it became too late, before he became unable to let go. He let go of Qing Chun's face, standing up from the couch.
His eyes stared into the distance, as if they could see through everything. In front of his eyes, the house they were sitting in started to burn, the garden his parents had planted started to burn, an angry mob standing outside the gates. When he glanced at the couches, he saw the headless bodies of his parents, and Qing Chun was completely gone. But once he blinked, everything returned to normal. Liang Chen let out a low and weak laugh, rubbing his wrist.
"What I see? I see a perfect paradise, but it's tearing at the seams."
This illusion was truly a perfect paradise where he had everything it wished for. But he knew that it was fake, he knew how things really were. He continued to rub his wrist, searching for a bracelet that wasn't there, tears slowly starting to fall from his eyes.
"I wish it was real, I wish I didn't have to deceive myself in an attempt to believe it. I tried so hard to sink into it, to convince myself that all of this was real. But I can't erase the past, I can't change what has already happened. No matter how much I hope, this will never be real."
A light flashed in his hand, a spear made out of ashen wood appearing in his grasp. As the spear appeared in his hands, his appearance also returned to how it really looked, his scarred body, his emerald hair, and his golden eyes. He didn't know how to end this illusion, how to leave it, so he could only take drastic measures. Seeing a spear appear in Liang Chen's hand, Qing Chun and his parents couldn't help but call out in shocked voices.
"Chen'er?!"
Liang Chen closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as if he was trying to drown out their voices. He opened his eyes again, his gaze landing on the silver tip of his spear. This was real, they were not. When a dream was faced with reality, it would shatter and vanish. He raised the spear, his arm trembling slightly.
"I know that this is fake, that none of you are real. But please, please forgive me for this."
He didn't know if his arm was trembling from sorrow at what he was about to do, or if it trembled from rage at whoever created this illusion and forced him to do this. He also didn't know if he was asking the illusions to forgive him, or if he was telling himself to forgive him for what he was about to do.
The sound of thunder exploded out within the living room, Liang Chen's spear turning into a blur as it moved. Three quick stabs, each one piercing one heart, spraying blood all over the room. Qing Chun and Liang Chen's mother died instantly, but his father was able to hold on for a short moment, placing a bloody hand against Liang Chen's cheek, his voice weak and filled with sorrow.
"My son...why?"
Right after speaking, the light vanished from Qing Feng's eyes, his body falling to the ground, his bloody hand sliding down Liang Chen's body and leaving a stain. Liang Chen continued to tell himself that it wasn't real, muttering out in a weak voice.
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"Please, forgive me. One day, I hope that one day we can all gather together again, for real."
If there truly was a way to bring back people from the dead, then he could meet up with his parents again, part of this illusion could turn into reality. As for what he would do if there wasn't a way to bring back the dead, Liang Chen didn't dare think about that yet. Things had to be taken one step at a time.
He stored the spear into his bracelet again and took a deep breath, the stench of blood flooding into his nose. Whenever he took part in battles, the scent of blood was rather sweet and delicate to him, but now it seemed like the worst stench in the world, his stomach turning. After waiting for another few seconds, everything around him started to blur, the city turning into an arid valley, allowing Liang Chen to let out a breath.
"It's over."
The city quickly vanished completely, disappearing along with the breeze. Liang Chen stood at the bottom of the valley, a dusty breeze blowing past him. There was no longer any crushing pressure pushing down on him, his body also seemed completely revitalized, the wounds he had suffered on his arms and legs from crawling for so long had already completely vanished.
But to his surprise, Liang Chen realized that the bloody handprint that Qing Feng had left on his cheek and clothes still remained. He touched the blood, which still felt warm and wet, a question he had no answer to escaping from his lips.
"In the end, what was it that I just saw?"
Liang Chen was a bit curious where he had to go now, as he could see the end of the valley a few thousand meters ahead of him. Just as he thought he had to walk over there, the booming voice that announced the trials rang out around him.
"You have completed the trial, receive your rewards and await the arrival of the remaining challengers."
It seemed like he had indeed cleared the trial, now he just had to sit down here and wait for the others. He wondered how long he would have to wait, as well as how long he had actually been indulging in the illusion, had it truly been several days? There was no answer to his question, a white light flooding his surroundings and taking him the same white space where he had received the reward from the first trial. The same peach-colored light appeared in front of him, taking human shape and speaking up.
"Challenger, your performance rank is Great. You showed great determination in moving forward and your result in the Dream Heart trial was wonderful."
Liang Chen was a bit curious at how this trial was judged. He had indulged himself in the illusion for quite some time, so how was his result wonderful? Was it perhaps because he had realized from the start that something was wrong and that it was an illusion or something similar? The human shape raised its hand, a deep crimson ring appearing above its palm.
"Your reward will be this ring. It was forged by a friend of mine, Sovereign Blacksmith. Not only can you speed up and slow down the passage of time within it, but it can also hold minor living beings like plants and herbs, allowing you to carry around your own herbal garden."
Sovereign Blacksmith, just what level did he have to reach to earn that title? The ring flew over to Liang Chen, landing in his palm. The white space vanished, so Liang Chen sat down on the ground and inspected the ring, which radiated a powerful energy. Upon grasping it, he learned that he had to drop some of his blood on the ring to personalize it, making it so that only he or those he gave permission to could use it. Upon dropping some blood onto it, the energy it radiated pulled back, the information on how to use the ring entering his mind. It was completely empty, but the space within it was countless times larger than the bracelet he wore right now. He also played around with the time control function, which was surprisingly easy to use.
He didn't put on the ring, storing it into his bracelet for the moment. If the people from the other four sects learned about this ring, they might just choose to kill him to acquire it, so he had to hide it until he was safe. After putting away the ring, he felt his stomach growl, so he took out some food and water, slowly eating as he waited for the others to arrive.
After waiting for two days, someone new appeared in front of Liang Chen in a flash of silver light. The amber-eyed and brown-haired Xuan Bao looked at his surroundings with a sharp gaze, his eyes eventually landing on Liang Chen.
"You were the first one to clear it? How did you manage that?"
Xuan Bao knew how horrifyingly hard this trial had been. Had it not been for the fact that he trained in the Fiendgod Manual, he would probably have collapsed long ago. And that terrifying illusion at the end, he had almost lost himself in it. Liang Chen had already prepared a lie, so he simply shrugged his shoulders.
"The trial must have been easier for me because of my low cultivation, I only had to resist the pressure for one day and then pass through a weak illusion."
Since the trial changed according to the mood of the guardians, no one could prove that he was lying. They could only assume that the guardians had pitied this weak child and made the trials easier for him. Hearing Liang Chen's lie, Xuan bao couldn't help but stare at him with his mouth agape.
"They weakened the trial by that much for you? Did you get a reward for that?"
He had to resist the pressure for close to twenty days, constantly moving to avoid dying. And then he even had to break through that horrifying illusion, spending another 10 days, all so that he could get a performance rank of Decent. If he not only got a weaker trial but even got to earn rewards, Xuan Bao would really find it too unfair. Liang Chen's smile turned bitter as he disappointedly shook his head.
"No. My performance rank was Poor, so the human shape refused to give me a reward."
Xuan Bao gave a slight nod, letting out a stealthy sigh of relief. Liang Chen was merely a child, Xuan Bao refused to believe that he was able to lie in front of his overpowering presence. Xuan Bao sat down a bit of a distance away from Liang Chen, quietly cultivating as he waited for the others to arrive.
After Xuan Bao finished the trial, people started to arrive more frequently, five or six people finishing the trial each day. Xiao Yong and the others also arrived one by one, each of them looking ragged and exhausted, but alive.
Seven days after Xuan Bao finished the trial, Yan Ying arrived in front of Liang Chen in a flash of light. His face was as white as a sheet of paper, his eyes completely bloodshot. He looked both mentally and physically exhausted. Liang Chen took out a waterskin from his bracelet, tossing it at Yan Ying.
"You look absolutely horrible."
Yan Ying returned to his senses when the waterskin hit him in the face and Liang Chen's voice sounded out. He caught the waterskin before it hit the ground, taking a few deep swigs. After drinking his fill, he handed it back to Liang Chen, a weak laughter escaping his lips.
"Heh, it wasn't a very pleasant trial."
Yan Ying walked forward and sat down a short distance away from Liang Chen, seemingly scared of getting closer to him, his hands trembling faintly. He took out a small crystal that contained a slight amount of Qi, his reward for this trial. He closely examined it, but in the end, he let out a self-deprecating smile.
"As I expected, a pretty poor reward."
He put the crystal away and laid down on the ground, letting out a deep sigh. Liang Chen could tell that something was on Yan Ying's mind, but he could also tell that he didn't want to talk about it, at least not yet.
Half a day after Yan Ying arrived, a flash of light appeared in front of Liang Chen, Yan Ling arriving. She was also pale and had bloodshot eyes, but she looked a bit better than Yan Ying. Liang Chen noticed that when Yan Ling arrived, Yan Ying actually shrank back slightly, turning his face away in shame.
Yan Ling didn't even check the reward she got, she immediately scoured the area for Yan Ying. Once she spotted him, she quickly ran over and gave him a tight hug, speaking to him in a gentle voice.
"It's okay. I promise, it's okay. I don't blame you, nor do I hate you. No matter what, you will always be my Big Brother."
Liang Chen could see Yan Ying's eyes turn red, tears starting to run down his cheek. He raised his arms to return the hug, but stopped halfway, seemingly uncertain if he should do it. In the end, he managed to embrace her with trembling arms, his voice choked.
"...Thank you..."
The two continued to hug for a bit, both shedding tears. After a few minutes passed, they separated, wiping away their tears. It had only been a short hug, but Liang Chen could tell that Yan Ying was already looking much better, like he had dropped a heavy weight from his shoulders. Only after making sure that Yan Ying was doing better did Yan Ling take out the reward she had gotten, a ring that was almost identical to the one Liang Chen had gotten, the only difference being that her's was violet in color. She hadn't had time to personalize the ring yet, so when she brought it out, it radiated a strong energy, letting the others know that it was an excellent treasure, resulting in some of them clicking their tongues in envy.
"Tch, seems like your luck in getting rewards is really great."
First, she had gotten that excellent armor, and now she even got that ring? Just how much luck could one girl have? Yan Ling played with the ring a bit before her eyes landed on Liang Chen, who sat on his own a short distance away. Seeing a chance to gloat, she quickly skipped over.
"Nihihi. Little Freak, look at this reward that I got! Not only can I slow down or speed up time in it, but I can also store herbs inside it!"
Yan Ying stood up after Yan Ling left, also walking over and sitting down closer to Liang Chen, his face now much calmer and energetic. Yan Ling remembered the reward Liang Chen had gotten in the first trial, so she continued to rub it in as she held the ring in front of his face.
"So how about you, what did you get? Another piece of jade?"
Liang Chen sat a bit away from everyone else, so no one was paying attention to them, not having heard Yan Ling's words. Seeing the gloating and teasing smirk on her face, Liang Chen decided to knock her down a peg, so he took out the crimson ring he had gotten, flashing it in front of her face for a short moment before putting it away again. Just like he thought, Yan Ling's smirk vanished after seeing the ring, as she could tell that it was the same as hers.
"Geh, you also got one?"
She lowered her voice as she talked, as she could tell that Liang Chen didn't want the other groups to learn about the reward he had gotten. Teasing and gloating was one thing, but she wasn't going to be dumb and cause trouble for Liang Chen just because she wanted to have some fun. Feeling a slight sense of victory, Liang Chen responded with a smirk of his own.
"What, are you the only one allowed to get good rewards here?"
His first reward had been a fragment of jade that was useless to him, while Yan Ling had gotten a powerful suit of armor that could change shape as she wished it. This fact was something she made sure to rub in his face, so now that he had gotten a treasure that was just as good as hers, how could he not retaliate a little? Yan Ling sat down next to Liang Chen, puffing out her cheeks slightly.
"Humph, just you wait for the next trial. I'll get a reward so good that it'll leave yours in the dust."
If she didn't manage to get a better treasure, how could she possibly rub it in Liang Chen's face and gloat? Yan Ling was a proud girl, so when she encountered Liang Chen, who was more useful than her in this hidden realm, she had to at least tease him and gloat whenever she got the chance. Facing her strange challenge, Liang Chen only gave a slight smile.
The groups continued to wait, with more and more people arriving. After another three days of waiting, another person arrived, the booming voice sounding out through the valley.
"All remaining challengers have arrived, prepare for the next trial."
Liang Chen swept the surviving people with his gaze. Surprisingly enough, quite a few people had survived, only six or seven people missing. So many people had managed to survive that ungodly pressure? Of course, what he failed to account for was the fact that everyone here had a higher cultivation and various treasures they could use to protect themselves. Compared to them, he had nothing. A silver light flashed in front of everyone's eyes, everyone vanishing from sight.