Chapter 2263: Immortal Mountain Shadow Trace

If defeated by a demonic shadow, one would be replaced.

So, if the true body were to kill the demonic shadow here, would the outcome be different from before?

Qin Sang watched Xi Rui, who was drawing nearer, sensing that his aura was rapidly recovering. He then saw Xi Rui deliberately slow his escape, evidently confident in his ability to deal with the demonic shadow.

However, Qin Sang couldn't continue observing. Unlike Xu Mu, whose strength was greatly diminished, Xi Rui, at his peak, would be locked in a prolonged battle with the demonic shadow, making a quick resolution unlikely.

Given Xu Mu's predicament as a precedent, Liu Li's situation was a cause for concern. Yet, ever since entering this place, the various sights Qin Sang had witnessed had given him an idea.

Qin Sang cast a deep glance at the swiftly approaching light of escape, then turned and departed.

Not long after flying away, Qin Sang heard a colossal roar behind him, like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting. Xi Rui had engaged the demonic shadow.

Without looking back, he flew straight ahead. Along the way, he encountered several other battlefields. One of the combatants was an expert from the Vermilion Ape clan, currently in a stalemate with a demonic shadow; it was impossible to tell who had the upper hand.

However, Qin Sang could not immediately reveal himself to help. He urgently needed to verify something.

The secrets of this realm were yet to be uncovered, and exposing himself now would be unwise.

Since entering the Sacred Land, Qin Sang had deliberately held back his strength in front of the demonic shadows. The shadows hadn't learned much from him, and if Qin Sang wished, resolving them would not be difficult.

Moreover, once Qin Sang made a move, he wouldn't be able to maintain the Heavenly Thunder Robe. If his aura were to leak, attracting demonic shadows would be a minor concern. Qin Sang worried that his cultivation, once fully restored, would surge instantly and be detected by the mysterious Azure Luan.

This couldn't be explained by talent alone, and the mysterious Azure Luan would surely become suspicious of him.

Qin Sang did not wish to break ties with the mysterious Azure Luan. If his ideas were confirmed, he would need to rely on her in the future!

He merely cast a glance downwards as he sped past above the battlefield, completely unnoticed by the warring parties.

Along the way, no one, neither human nor demonic shadow, could discern Qin Sang's movements.

As Qin Sang continued forward, the faint sensation he had been feeling grew increasingly clear.

Upon entering this realm, Qin Sang had sensed unusual signs: a mysterious force within the world was constantly flowing in one direction.

Others might also have sensed it, but they were preoccupied with fending off demonic shadows and couldn't afford to be distracted. Only Qin Sang could proceed with such ease.

In Qin Sang's perception, the gathering point of the mysterious force was drawing closer, right ahead.

As he drew nearer, the landscape below gave Qin Sang a sense of familiarity.

What felt familiar wasn't the vegetation, but the alignment of the mountain ranges, like the veins of the earth. They were very similar to what Qin Sang had seen in the illusory realm before he was pulled into the illusion!

At that time, he hadn't had time to explore the entire illusory realm, only operating in the area between its edge and the Divine Mountain.

He had once stood atop the Divine Mountain, gazing into the depths of the illusory realm. The crisscrossing mountain ranges etched in his memory now corresponded perfectly with what lay before him.

At the same time, Qin Sang strained his eyes to look into the distance. He saw the distant mountains shrouded in mist and suffused with clouds. Between the mist and clouds, one area was particularly dense, appearing vast and boundless.

His heart stirred, and he headed straight for that area. As he drew closer, he could finally discern a mountain faintly visible within the depths of the clouds!

The mountain was steep and majestic, shrouded in ethereal mist and encircled by clouds, clearly no ordinary peak.

Although he hadn't seen it clearly, Qin Sang was already certain that this was the Divine Mountain from the illusory realm outside!

Soon after, Qin Sang saw the full outline of the Divine Mountain and noticed many differences from the one outside. This mountain had no jade platforms, no designated seating arrangements, and no signs of artificial carving; it was entirely natural.

Without jade platforms, there were naturally no meditating cultivators either.

This was the Divine Mountain, yet not the Divine Mountain.

This aligned with Qin Sang's conjecture: they had not truly returned to reality but were in a zone where reality and illusion intertwined. This mountain must have been formed by the Divine Mountain's power, projected from reality into the illusion.

Gazing at the Divine Mountain before him, Qin Sang's expression grew solemn.

This confirmed his suspicion: the reason they could sense the Heavenly Omen and were pulled into this realm when the supreme treasure emerged was certainly related to the Divine Mountain.

As for Liu Li and others who didn't manage to ascend the Divine Mountain before the illusion erupted, they likely hadn't entered this realm and were still immersed in the illusion!

This must have been a contingency plan prepared by the Immortals: by having them ascend the Divine Mountain beforehand, they would be awakened through the mountain to retrieve the treasure when it emerged within the illusion.

As for the demonic shadows, they were likely obstacles created by the illusion itself—the 'Heavenly Secret' as the mysterious Azure Luan called it.

If this were the truth, the implications for Qin Sang and Liu Li would be difficult to assess, both beneficial and detrimental.

Liu Li had fallen into the illusion while undergoing her heart demon tribulation. If she had been pulled into this realm, she would likely be in a worse state than Xu Mu, already overcome by a demonic shadow. If she remained immersed in the illusion, she might escape this calamity, but Qin Sang would also be unable to find her here.

However, these were still just Qin Sang's conjectures. Given Liu Li's safety was at stake, Qin Sang dared not make hasty conclusions; he needed to search for her himself.

As expected, this realm seemed to correspond to the illusory domain in reality. Qin Sang had already consulted the Purple Cloud Mountain's ancient texts detailing the illusory domain, so he had a general understanding.

Furthermore, Qin Sang noticed another unusual sign: the mysterious power was converging at the summit of the Divine Mountain.

"Could the supreme treasure be born at the peak of the Divine Mountain?"

Qin Sang mused to himself, glanced at the summit, then bypassed the Divine Mountain and continued forward.

Before long, Qin Sang let out a soft exclamation, fixing his gaze on a mountain below.

In reality, this was the exact location where he had placed the Daiyu Immortal Mountain.

Following True Master Ning's guidance, he had allowed the Daiyu Immortal Mountain to absorb the essence of immortal mountains. Unexpectedly, not long after placing it there, anomalies began to occur, and he was pulled into the illusion before he could retrieve it.

Qin Sang didn't know how much time had passed in reality or if the Immortal Mountain had absorbed enough immortal mountain essence.

He had initially thought he would need to return to reality to retrieve the Daiyu Immortal Mountain, but as he passed this mountain, he suddenly felt an inexplicable connection.

He had already swept the entire mountain with his spiritual sense over a dozen times. Unlike in reality, the mountain was solid, without any caves, so the Daiyu Immortal Mountain was not here.

Yet, Qin Sang's sensation was undeniably real; as the master of the Daiyu Immortal Mountain, he couldn't be mistaken.

"Could it be..."

Qin Sang considered a possibility.

The foundation of the Immortals' Sacred Land was Yuanjiao Immortal Mountain, one of the Five Great Immortal Mountains. The illusory domain contained immortal mountain essence, and the Divine Mountain was born near this essence. And the Daiyu Immortal Mountain shared the same origin as Yuanjiao Immortal Mountain... Stringing these clues together, could it be that the Daiyu Immortal Mountain could also traverse between reality and illusion?

Perhaps because the Daiyu Immortal Mountain hadn't yet absorbed enough immortal mountain essence, Qin Sang could only sense it but couldn't summon it forth.

According to True Master Ning, if he could recall the restored Daiyu Immortal Mountain during the decisive battle, it would be an extremely powerful aid to Qin Sang!

Unfortunately, the time was not yet ripe.

After a brief pause, Qin Sang left the area and continued flying forward, arriving above the place where Liu Li had undergone her tribulation.

Looking down at the mountain scenery, the trees were lush green, full of vitality.

Qin Sang hadn't held much hope to begin with. Seeing that Liu Li was indeed not there, he began searching elsewhere.

Meanwhile, in reality.

The illusory domain remained in eternal night.

The Divine Mountain was shrouded in darkness, with numerous jade platforms scattered across it. Most of these platforms had a person meditating on them.

Their eyes were tightly shut, as they lay motionless in a deep slumber, rendering the entire mountain silent as death.

Suddenly, a figure on a jade platform just above the mountainside trembled.

This was Xu Mu, who had earned this position by providing information to the Immortals.

Xu Mu had been meditating quietly, but suddenly twitched, his face contorting in pain, yet he did not awaken.

He remained seated, his expression becoming increasingly distorted, alternating between agony and eerie smiles, growing ever more grotesque. In the darkness, he resembled a terrifying demon.

Just then, the jade platform beneath him suddenly emitted a faint glow, strikingly visible in the darkness.

The faint light gently enveloped Xu Mu, seemingly offering a calming effect. His expression softened somewhat, but it remained severely distorted. The light could only alleviate his suffering, not free him from his current predicament.

Xu Mu was not the only one on the Divine Mountain experiencing such an anomaly.

Their reactions varied; some were similar to Xu Mu, while others were gripped by extreme fear, trembling like leaves. Without exception, their expressions were slowly changing, gradually morphing to resemble someone else.

Undeniably, all these individuals, like Xu Mu, had been possessed by demonic shadows within the illusion, and this was indeed affecting their true bodies in reality.

As these anomalies occurred within them, the jade platforms beneath them also began to emit faint glows.

These faint glows were the protective power bestowed upon them by the Divine Mountain.

It was evident now that their positions on the platforms varied, as did the brightness and solidity of the faint glows. The higher one's position, the brighter the glow and the stronger the protective power, indicating a better situation than those below.

Unfortunately, the Divine Mountain could only offer temporary protection, slowing the demonic shadows' possession of their true bodies. The faint glows could not immediately repel the shadows or pull them back into reality. If the true bodies failed to suppress the demonic shadows in time, they would likely eventually succumb.

The positions on the Divine Mountain, as well as the true bodies' state of mind and willpower, would all influence the fate of Xu Mu and the others.

As these anomalies manifested in these individuals, they were immediately detected by Hong Tian and others.

"It's finally about to emerge..."

Hong Tian gazed into the depths of his mind lake, secretly letting out a sigh of relief.

The Great Dream God Lord and other Immortals were deeply entangled in the dream, their future uncertain. Meanwhile, those outside, responsible for preventing the dream from spilling over, were also under immense strain, with each resistance against the dream's impact consuming a vast amount of energy.

The next moment, Hong Tian's expression subtly changed. A formidable aura suddenly burst forth from a distance, its intention undisguised, locking onto the Divine Mountain from afar.

Hong Tian snorted coldly, knowing that someone was preparing to seize the treasure.

Although there were signs of the treasure's emergence, no one had made a move, for three reasons.

Firstly, they had only recently broken through to the Saint Realm, their foundations were insufficient, and they were struggling to hold on.

Secondly, they were currently unable to break through the dream or intervene within it. The best time to act would be when the supreme treasure emerged, causing turmoil in the dream.

Thirdly, they also feared being implicated and falling into the dream themselves, which was why they dared not directly attack the Divine Mountain now.

However, with such a great opportunity before them, no one was willing to show weakness.

Hong Tian had secretly allied with helpers, but he didn't fully trust anyone. In crucial moments, he still had to rely on himself and guard against those veteran grand cultivators. It was conceivable that a chaotic battle would erupt at the final moment.

Qin Sang and others, assigned by them, were likely already close to the supreme treasure, and their role was critical.

If someone managed to acquire the treasure beforehand, they would gain a crucial advantage.

*Whoosh!*

From Hong Tian's embrace, a red thread shot forth, floating lightly into the high sky, hovering motionlessly, and transforming into a crimson glow.

The crimson glow, whose nature as a treasure was unknown, also locked onto the Divine Mountain from afar, just like the previous person, poised to act at any moment.

Immediately afterwards, powerful auras soared into the sky, and undercurrents began to stir.

"She's not here!"

Qin Sang searched everywhere but found no trace of Liu Li, not even lingering signs of her cultivation battles.

Liu Li was not an isolated case.

Other cultivators who hadn't managed to ascend the Divine Mountain before the illusion erupted were also nowhere to be found.

Various signs corroborated each other, largely confirming Qin Sang's suspicions.

"It seems we were indeed pulled into this realm by the power of the Divine Mountain, and Liu Li is still trapped in the illusion," Qin Sang mused to himself as he flew towards the Divine Mountain.

Upon returning near the Divine Mountain, Qin Sang noticed that no one else had arrived yet.

During this time, he had seen some individuals possessed by demonic shadows, vanishing as Xu Mu had; others defeated a demonic shadow, which did not reappear, yet they remained motionless. Most people, however, were still entangled in combat with the shadows.

It was foreseeable that those who had defeated the demonic shadows and escaped trouble would soon arrive.

While others were preoccupied, could he do something in advance? The Heavenly Thunder Robe likely wouldn't last until the supreme treasure emerged.

This thought crossed Qin Sang's mind, and he personally approached the Divine Mountain.

The mountain peak, indeed, had undergone new changes.

Centered around the Divine Mountain's summit, mist and clouds began to rotate, forming a colossal vortex.

The Divine Mountain lay at the center of the vortex, with a continuous flow of mysterious power converging upon it.

Qin Sang's perception of the mysterious power grew increasingly clear, but after observing for a moment, his expression suddenly changed.

"This power... this power..."

Qin Sang recalled the moment the darkness had first encroached; this mysterious power was, astonishingly, the power of the illusion itself!

The power of the illusion surged endlessly towards the Divine Mountain's summit. The summit seemed like a bottomless pit, furiously devouring, yet never becoming full.

Thus, it appeared that the emergence of the supreme treasure involved devouring the power of the illusion. In other words, the illusion served as the treasure's sustenance, providing nutrients for its growth!

At this rate, by the time the supreme treasure fully formed, this illusion would likely be completely devoured and cease to exist.

What consequences would that bring?

Those within this realm would likely receive the Divine Mountain's protection and return to reality.

Among them were elite descendants of powerful cultivators, like Xi Rui, and clan leaders such as Yuan Xiang—all preeminent figures of their time. The Immortals surely wouldn't be so ruthless as to abandon them.

But what about those like Liu Li, who were still trapped in the illusion?

If Liu Li were expelled when the illusion dissolved, it would undoubtedly disrupt her heart demon tribulation, and Qin Sang would be unable to intervene.

Yet, this wasn't the worst outcome!

What if Liu Li were to perish along with the illusion, or remain lost forever...?