Chapter 1024: Illusory Realm

Very few cultivators could navigate the Mysterious Ice Plain with the same ease as Qin Sang. The cultivators present, even if unharmed, had severely depleted their true essence to resist the cold. Qin Sang took note of each of them, knowing they might become his opponents when they eventually competed for the Soul Cleansing Liquid. Finally, he shifted his gaze to the two pavilions ahead.

Inside each pavilion was a teleportation array. One led outside the hall, while the other led to the third trial. Without hesitation, Qin Sang walked into a pavilion and entered the next trial, drawing several surprised glances.

Regaining his senses, Qin Sang found himself in a place that resembled a canyon. Thick, impenetrable fog surrounded him, capable of affecting one's spiritual sense and carrying a chilling aura, though it was far less severe than the Mysterious Ice Plain. Distant shapes shimmered vaguely, appearing to be towering cliffs or perhaps mountain ranges. What was more startling was that these shadows seemed alive, sometimes moving around and sometimes vanishing completely.

From deep within the dense fog, the strange roars of ferocious beasts occasionally echoed. It was unclear if someone had entered before him and disturbed them, or if the beasts roamed freely everywhere.

Qin Sang did not dare to be careless. He immediately activated his Demonic Transformation and summoned his Ebony Sword for defense. Next, he woke up the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. As Qin Sang observed the scenery within the dense fog, a few suspicions arose in his mind.

The Heavenly Eye Butterfly flew to Qin Sang's shoulder, rubbed against his chin, then spread its wings and activated its Heavenly Eye. The eyes on its butterfly wings came alive, subtly rotating, giving it an eerie appearance. Using the Heavenly Eye ability, Qin Sang saw through the dense fog, fixing his gaze on a distant mountain shadow, and finally discerned the truth.

"So it's an illusionary realm..." Qin Sang muttered to himself, remembering something. He recalled that one of the trials in the Trial Realm was renowned for its illusion arrays, known as the Thousand Mountains Array. It was said that the complete Thousand Mountains Array was an ancient top-tier illusion array, an elaborate formation laid out with countless mountain peaks as pieces. Once one entered, they would face endless variations and never find an exit.

Of course, the Trial Realm could not contain the complete Thousand Mountains Array; it had to be a partial array. Nevertheless, its power was not to be underestimated. Due to its unpredictable nature, the Thousand Mountains Array was considered one of the most dangerous trials among those known to cultivators. Their group was unlucky to have encountered this particular trial.

Despite this, Qin Sang felt no panic. The Heavenly Eye Butterfly's ability happened to be the perfect counter to such illusion arrays. As long as he didn't encounter top-tier ferocious beasts, navigating the illusion would not be too difficult.

Qin Sang stood still, not acting rashly, and activated his Heavenly Eye ability to observe his surroundings. In an illusion array, the most crucial thing was to maintain one's composure and not lose direction due to panic. Qin Sang wasn't worried about this aspect.

After pausing for a moment, Qin Sang took his first step. The dense fog parted to either side. Everything in the canyon seemed normal, and aside from the distant beast roars, it was exceptionally quiet. Qin Sang could even hear the faint sound of the mist flowing.

After a few steps, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly clearly perceived what Qin Sang had been observing earlier. There were no actual mountain shadows; everything was created by the illusion array. Their occasional disappearance or movement was merely a trick of the formation. After exploring for a while, Qin Sang gained a general understanding of the illusion array's methods and quickened his pace. Soon after, he emerged from the canyon entrance.

Just then, the dense fog ahead suddenly churned violently, and a jackal-like ferocious beast appeared before Qin Sang without warning, lunging at him with bared fangs and claws.

"An illusion!" Qin Sang sneered, as the Heavenly Eye Butterfly had long since seen through the beast's true nature. He unleashed a fierce sword strike, which, as expected, cut through empty air. The illusionary beast was pierced by the Ebony Sword and shattered on the spot.

The next moment, identical ferocious beasts suddenly lunged at Qin Sang from all directions: above, below, left, and right.

"Three fakes and one real!" Qin Sang was secretly surprised to find that the beast pouncing from directly above him was real. He was certain this beast hadn't been there before; it had appeared out of thin air. The Thousand Mountains Array could not only create illusions but also teleport real beasts from other locations. This blend of reality and illusion made it incredibly difficult to guard against.

Fortunately, these illusions had nowhere to hide from the Heavenly Eye ability. Qin Sang calmly responded, his true essence surging as he released a circular wave that shattered the other illusions. He then used his joined fingers to strike at the real beast.

*Boom!*

The beast was instantly killed, its corpse falling to the ground, emitting a pungent, bloody smell. With quick reflexes, Qin Sang flicked his finger, unleashing a flame that incinerated the corpse and its smell, then he surveyed his surroundings.

After exiting the canyon, Qin Sang noticed three mountain shadows standing side by side ahead. Three small paths appeared at his feet, each leading to one of the mountain peaks, and to the naked eye, they appeared identical.

"These must also be a mix of real and fake. I'll need to find the true path, won't I? A cultivator skilled in illusion arrays could probably find the exit by analyzing the formation's changes, but otherwise, one would have to try each path. The rumors are true; this place is indeed dangerous with its blend of reality and illusion." Qin Sang muttered to himself, instructing the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to fully activate its Heavenly Eye ability.

Soon, the Heavenly Eye Butterfly eliminated the mountain on the left. The end of that path was an illusion. However, to Qin Sang's surprise, the other two mountains were real, showing no flaws. "Does the Thousand Mountains Array have more than one exit path, or do I still need to find the single correct one out of these two?" Qin Sang didn't know much about this place, so he couldn't be sure. Previously, the Seven Kills Hall opened only about once every three hundred years, and the Thousand Mountains Array had appeared so rarely that there was very little information about it, forcing him to figure things out on his own.

After some thought, Qin Sang stepped onto the path leading to the middle mountain. He walked slowly, continuously having the Heavenly Eye Butterfly observe his surroundings. His Ebony Sword cleared the way, and he encountered no dangers until he reached the foot of the mountain.

Qin Sang paused briefly, looked up at the mountain peak, and after waiting a moment, stepped onto the first stair. At that instant, his eyes flashed, and he suddenly swung his sword towards an empty spot to his right.

*Boom!*

A ferocious beast, before it could even fully materialize, was struck by the Ebony Sword and sent flying, letting out a whimper before dying instantly. Simultaneously, a fluctuation appeared on his right.

"An illusion!" Qin Sang casually waved his hand, unleashing a stream of spiritual energy. Unexpectedly, as the spiritual energy touched its target, it was easily shattered.

*Crack!*

"Howl!" The beast, which should have been an illusion, let out a wolf-like howl, opened its maw, and viciously bit at him. A stench of blood assailed him!

Qin Sang's expression changed. The Heavenly Eye ability certainly wouldn't have made a mistake. Yet, the Thousand Mountains Array was indeed peculiar; it could transform illusion into reality, instantly teleporting a real beast at the moment of contact. A cultivator could easily be severely injured if careless. Fortunately, this beast wasn't strong; it seemed to be merely an appetizer, a warning to intruders.

Qin Sang slightly shifted his body and used his Ebony Sword to slay the beast. He stood there for a moment. Seeing no other changes in the illusion array, he continued his ascent.

Gradually, he began to grasp the patterns of the Thousand Mountains Array. Every time he advanced a certain distance, he would be attacked by ferocious beasts. Sometimes they were real, sometimes fake, and the real and fake ones would even switch roles, making it incredibly troublesome. He dared not show the slightest carelessness, even when facing illusions.