Chapter 42 - Chapter 43: The Mysterious Illusion Realm

The air in the chamber still lingered with the acrid stench of the Watcher Lord's defeated essence, mingling with the group's exhausted breaths. As they took a moment to catch their bearings, Luna walked over to the now - still symbols on the wall that marked the Path of Eternity. Her slender fingers traced over the glowing lines, and a hidden passageway groaned open, revealing a dimly lit corridor filled with a swirling mist that seemed to writhe like living tendrils.​"Through here lies the next trial," Luna said, her violet eyes solemn. "Beware, for this is a realm of illusions. What you see may not be real, and it will prey on your deepest fears and desires."​Chen Jiuzhang tightened his grip on the crystal - key, which had returned to its soft, white glow. But he could sense a faint unease within it, as if the artifact was also wary of what awaited. "Let's stay together," he said, looking at his companions. "We can't let these illusions break us."​As they stepped into the corridor, the mist closed in around them, obscuring their vision. Shen Qingluan held up the fragment of the Imperial Jade Seal, but its light was quickly swallowed by the dense fog. Suddenly, soft whispers filled the air, voices that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.​Zhang Chengying's eyes widened in alarm. "Do you guys hear that? It sounds like... like people calling for help."​Su Nian's chains tensed. "Don't listen to it. It's probably a trap." But even as she spoke, her voice wavered slightly.​The whispers grew louder, and images began to form in the mist. Chen Jiuzhang saw his 二叔,standing before him with a sorrowful expression. "Jiuzhang, you've led your friends to their doom," his 二叔's voice said, filled with disappointment. "You're not strong enough to save anyone."​Anger flared within Chen Jiuzhang, but he remembered Luna's warning. He closed his eyes and focused on the hum of the crystal - key. When he opened them again, the vision of his 二叔 was gone. But the others weren't as fortunate.​Shen Qingluan was frozen in place, tears streaming down her face. In the mist, she saw her homeland in ruins, with her loved ones lying dead. "No... this can't be real," she murmured, her hands trembling.​Zhang Chengying was facing his own nightmare. He saw himself as a failure, his broken peachwood sword discarded, and his friends looking at him with disdain. "I'm not good enough," he muttered, sinking to his knees.​Su Nian's chains lashed out wildly as she fought against an invisible enemy. In her illusion, she was back in the hands of her former captors, being tortured. "I won't go back!" she screamed.​Wu Laogou, puffing on his pipe to steady his nerves, tried to snap them out of it. "It's all an illusion! Remember what Luna said!" But his words seemed to have little effect.​Luna, her starlight - woven gown flickering as if in distress, rushed to each of them. She placed her hands on their foreheads, and a soft, silver light glowed. "Break free from these falsehoods!" she commanded. Slowly, one by one, the group began to snap out of their illusions.​But just as they thought they had overcome the first wave of deceptions, the ground beneath them began to shift. The corridor dissolved, and they found themselves in a vast, open field. Above them, the sky was a strange, blood - red color, and in the distance, a towering figure emerged from the horizon. It was the Watcher Lord, seemingly resurrected, its eyes glowing with an even more menacing light.​Chen Jiuzhang's heart sank, but the crystal - key in his hand suddenly flared brightly. The runes on the key began to spin rapidly, and a voice echoed in his mind. "Look beyond the surface. The truth lies in the balance."​With a deep breath, he raised the key high. "This is just another illusion. We won't be fooled again!" he shouted. The rest of the group, inspired by his words, readied their weapons, prepared to face whatever false horrors this illusion realm threw at them.​