Chapter 232

The moment the Cloud Wall opened, darkness poured out as if a dam had burst.

At this moment, everyone passively endured the impact. This darkness caused no physical harm, yet it felt as if it could sever you from the world. Your shouts, your calls, could not attract the attention of those right before your eyes. Even you yourself felt a blur and estrangement from your own existence. This was an unprecedented loneliness and banishment.

Li Zhuiyuan was strenuously exercising self-restraint, striving to re-integrate and synchronize his consciousness with his body. In Daoist terms, it was like bringing a forcibly dislodged primordial spirit back to its rightful place. Bear in mind, they hadn't even truly entered yet; merely the fringes of the darkness seeping out already had such a potent effect. Once inside, it was feared that all one's perceptions would be utterly suppressed and buried by this terrifying oppression.

This was the true prison. Without bars or cells, yet it could trap you endlessly.

Li Zhuiyuan finally broke free from this influence and regained consciousness. His will was inherently stronger than ordinary people's. Furthermore, as an inner demon now, if he couldn't clearly perceive his own existence, how could he possibly counteract and suppress the main body?

The young man turned to look at his companions beside him; they were mostly in a state of numbness. Tan Wenbin, on the other hand, seemed more lively. As expected, he was likely the second person after himself to adapt to this environment and regain consciousness. This was because after each overdraft, others faced physical recovery issues, whereas Tan Wenbin dealt with self-awareness restoration. Even though his two adopted "sons" had absolutely no ill intent, the pressure he endured meant that each time he used his ghost-mastery art, it was almost like being "resurrected through another's corpse." Repeatedly drifting in the absence of "who am I" self-awareness had instead forged a stronger sense of self in him. This kind of training was truly impossible for others to replicate, as few spirits could resist the temptation of "living again," and even if they could resist once, it wouldn't be possible repeatedly.

His two adopted sons sat on his shoulders, one on each side, hugging Tan Wenbin's neck and trying hard to call out to him. Finally, like a drowning person surfacing, Tan Wenbin opened his mouth wide, gasped for air, and awoke. He first looked at Brother Xiaoyuan, and seeing Brother Xiaoyuan watching him, he initiated a greeting: "Brother Xiaoyuan... Brother Xiaoyuan..."

His voice sounded like he was speaking underwater, with gurgling sounds in his ears. Actually, after calling out the name, Tan Wenbin said a lot more, but he himself didn't know what he had said and was somewhat anxious.

Li Zhuiyuan nodded at Tan Wenbin. This action appeared as afterimages in Tan Wenbin's eyes. In this environment, merely regaining oneself was incredibly difficult; one shouldn't even think about changing the surroundings.

Li Zhuiyuan looked at the others. Tan Wenbin also began trying to call out to Runsheng and Yin Meng beside him. But no matter how he called, Runsheng and Yin Meng stood side by side, their expressions rigid, like they were taking their first group photo, incredibly constrained. No matter how the photographer prompted them, they remained motionless, unsure how to move.

Lin Shuyou's eyelids slightly swelled, a subtle effort, and then they stopped swelling. Li Zhuiyuan noticed this detail. He knew that the Spirit Child had done its best. Previously, the young man had often been dissatisfied with the Spirit Child's work ethic, pulling it down several times to threaten and scold it. But since arriving here, the young man had not expressed any dissatisfaction towards the Spirit Child. Because, putting himself in its shoes, the Spirit Child's performance on this trip had truly been flawless.

Currently, it seemed Runsheng, Yin Meng, and Lin Shuyou couldn't wake up on their own. Li Zhuiyuan dared not release his red thread, as everyone's self-awareness was suppressed at the moment. His red thread connection required the other party's unconditional and active acceptance. If he dared to connect now, it would inevitably fail and lead to severe backlash.

Looking at the monkey again