Chapter 132: Is it real or fake?

"A Heart-Illusion's mirage?" Li Huowang stared blankly at Jiang Yingzi and Danyangzi, who still stood in the distance.

One was a three-headed, deformed flesh monster wrapped in immortal threads; the other was a naked girl with one arm, one leg, and gruesome scars all over her body. They stood motionless, staring at him with eyes full of hatred and amusement, respectively. The two figures appeared so real that Li Huowang couldn't distinguish whether they were genuine or mere illusions.

He tremblingly lifted his right foot, moving towards them, but Li Huowang quickly realized he couldn't reach them. With every step he took, the two figures in the distance simultaneously receded a little. They weren't moving on their own; rather, they were simply maintaining their fixed distance from Li Huowang.

"Young friend? Young friend Xuanyang?"

It took several calls from the voice within the cave for Li Huowang to snap back to reality. A voice emerged from one of the cave openings. Li Huowang recognized it as Shen Benyou, the square-faced man, who spoke with a touch of complex emotion: "Young friend, you look quite pale."

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Li Huowang replied almost instinctively. But after only a few words, Li Huowang abruptly fell silent. He immediately realized his mistake. How could he be fine? His problems were far more significant now. This wasn't just about Danyangzi and Jiang Yingzi in the distance; it also concerned what he himself had become. Until this issue was resolved, no one could guarantee whether more such illusions would appear, or what form they would take.

"Young friend, are you alright? It's natural for a Heart-Illusion to struggle distinguishing between reality and illusion, isn't it?" the voice continued. "Since you've survived your coming-of-age ritual, you should be accustomed to this. Why are you so surprised?"

Li Huowang swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and tried to steady himself. After much deliberation and barely digesting the information, he finally spoke again: "Elder, I heard that Grand Master Jingxin's son also visited you previously. He was also a Heart-Illusion. Could you tell me if he exhibited similar symptoms?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Benyou's voice paused for a long time before resuming. "Ah, that's difficult to say. Generally, Heart-Illusions are quite mad. I only heard that he referred to himself as a 'ship'."

Before Li Huowang could ask another question, a rough voice emanated from another dark opening in the wall. "I know about this. That man would often wake up in the middle of the night, shouting that the 'Three Pure Ones' were staring at him. Before long, he went completely mad."

"The Three Pure Ones? What are they?" Li Huowang's question was quickly answered by Shou San, who was nearby.

"'That which you look at but cannot see is called Yi; that which you listen to but cannot hear is called Xi; that which you grasp at but cannot hold is called Wei.' Yi, Xi, Wei – one transforming into three, and three merging into one – that is the Three Pure Ones."

"Taoists of different sects in the south worship the Three Pure Ones. I've only heard of them; I've never seen them, nor have I ever heard that the Three Pure Ones would actually 'look at' people." Hearing this, Li Huowang found it hard to process. The man's symptoms seemed quite different from his own.

At this point, Shen Benyou's voice came from inside the cave again. "That man came here of his own accord, but Grand Master Jingxin of An'ci Temple always blamed us for driving him mad, even leading to some conflict between us. It was truly an undeserved misfortune."

"Young friend, you've seen for yourself these past few days. Have we broken any rules? Under heaven, where the sky is round and the earth is square, breaking rules is a grave taboo."

Li Huowang paid no attention to what the other person said next. His mind was buzzing, a chaotic mess. "Then... is there any solution for my condition?"

"Haha, young friend, you jest. If only we truly had a solution," Shen Benyou responded. "A Heart-Illusion's fate is self-inflicted, unsolvable by any method or person. If anyone ever claims to have a cure, young friend, you must be wary; that person almost certainly intends to harm you."

"You should know this, shouldn't you? To many, a Heart-Illusion is a prized commodity. Many seek them out to refine elixirs, concoct medicines, or use them in other cultivation methods to advance their own powers."

Hearing these words, Li Huowang realized he felt completely alienated from his own body. The name "Heart-Illusion" encompassed too much. He stood there for a long time, contemplating, first looking up at the two figures in the distance, then glancing at the silent members of the Aojing Cult around him.

"At least Danyangzi won't assimilate me anymore. That should count as a good thing, right?" Li Huowang tried to comfort himself with a wry smile.

Then, Li Huowang clasped his hands and bowed towards the karst cave in front of him. "Six Elders, thank you for clarifying my doubts. May we meet again if fate allows." After speaking, Li Huowang reached out and touched the bun that had followed him, then, accompanied by Danyangzi and Jiang Yingzi, he began to retrace his steps.

Dazed, he arrived back at the desolate town. Li Huowang stopped and faced the two figures; both illusions simultaneously began to speak.

"My child, I truly have become an immortal. As long as you continue to help your master achieve complete enlightenment, all past transgressions will be forgiven."

"Why don't you die! Why are you alive! You murderous fiend!!"

Yet, no matter what they said or how close they seemed, they made no tangible contact with Li Huowang.

"Heh heh... at least it's livelier now. I'm not alone anymore."

Li Huowang didn't know whether his current situation was better or worse than before. The only thing he knew was that, for better or worse, he had to keep going.

Li Huowang picked up the long sword stuck in the earth and began digging grave pits again, reburying the other skeletons in the town. Jiang Yingzi, dragging her tattered body, came to Li Huowang's side and hissed into his ear, filled with endless hatred: "Do you think burying them will make it go away? You killed them!"

"If you truly want to atone, you should take your own life and die! Otherwise, everything you do is futile!!"

"Li Huowang, why don't you just die?! What kind of good person are you pretending to be! Go die!"

Li Huowang remained silent, pressing his lips together tightly, and continued to dig pit after pit amidst Jiang Yingzi's grating insults.

Inside the Aojing Cult's cave, Shen Benyou's voice came from within again. "Shou San, Tou Qi, you may disperse. Next time this person comes, just stop him outside the mountain gate. Everything between us is concluded; there are no longer any ties."

"Yes, Elder Shen Benyou." Shou San, his body charred black, bowed respectfully and then led the other Aojing Cult members away from the elders' quiet retreat.

Soon after, the entire environment fell silent, leaving only the wall with its six cave openings. Suddenly, a sharp female voice broke the silence.

"Hee hee... that Heart-Illusion actually believed it. He believed everything! San Tiao, your method truly works!"

This voice seemed to flick a switch, and the entire wall, riddled with dense black cave openings, suddenly appeared to come alive. Piercing cackles, rough guffaws, and mocking chuckles – all kinds of joyous laughter poured out from the openings, filling the entire cave.