Chapter 2506: Brahma Eye

The Wind Rises Across the Nine Provinces

Huan Qing's detached nature made it hard for her to place sufficient trust in others, particularly strangers. Therefore, to be safe, an oath was naturally the more secure option.

“If an oath is sworn, the Will of the Star Abyss will surely respond, and the Mirage will detect it!” Huan Qing explained.

Lu Ye nodded. That was indeed the case; swearing an oath in the name of the Star Abyss's Will would generate subtle feedback that others might not perceive, but the Mirage would definitely sense it.

“Don’t worry, if you can truly resolve the current issue, I will hand the jade slip over to you,” Lu Ye assured her. “When can we begin?”

“Now!” Huan Qing said, slowly rising to her feet and turning to leave.

Lu Ye followed her.

Outside the Grand Commander's Manor, Huan Qing swiftly ascended to the top of the tall tower.

Lu Ye remained still, gazing up at her, genuinely curious as to how Huan Qing intended to locate the Mirage's true body. Even Yuan Xi, who vastly outmatched Huan Qing in strength and benefited from the amplification of a Heaven-grade Converging Dao City, had been unable to resolve this. Yet, in this world, many problems cannot be resolved by strength alone.

On the tower, Huan Qing remained still, her expression lifeless and her gaze vacant as she stared into the depths of the void. Only at a certain moment did her face suddenly harden with resolve. Lu Ye distinctly saw her lips twitch, then she opened her mouth and expelled a drop of blood, as crimson as a ruby, which pulsed with an incredibly peculiar energy. Lu Ye was unsure if it was Huan Qing's vital essence blood or tongue blood; it seemed to be neither, and he had no idea of its inherent mysteries.

Huan Qing then raised a hand, pressing her thumb onto the drop of blood, and then inverted her hand to press it onto her forehead. At that instant, her body began to tremble violently, as if she were enduring unimaginable pain. As her thumb slid slightly downwards, a slit slowly opened between her eyebrows!

Almost simultaneous with Huan Qing's action, the Mirage, who had been playing cards in the council hall, suddenly sensed something and sharply looked up in Huan Qing's direction. Its gaze seemed to pierce the void. With a single glance, its face dramatically changed, and it roared, “What are you doing?!”

The booming sound made everyone in the council hall's eardrums tremble.

Lu Ye instantly appeared beside Huan Qing, placing his hand on his Mountain-Shattering Blade in a defensive posture. Simultaneously, he activated the Blood Eye secret art to augment his vision and fiercely circulated his Dao power. Having taken this step, there was no turning back. He was unsure if Huan Qing truly possessed the ability to locate the Mirage's actual body, but based on her earlier remarks, she did seem capable of seeing through its methods. Lu Ye could only trust her this time, believing she wouldn't trifle with her own freedom. Even if Huan Qing's attempt failed, there was still Yuan Xi as a fallback.

Huan Qing's body trembled even more violently. As her thumb moved, the fissure between her eyebrows became increasingly pronounced. After three breaths, as her hand dropped, a crimson light suddenly burst forth. Lu Ye turned his head, his eyes narrowing slightly.

For at that moment, Huan Qing's entire demeanor had undergone a drastic transformation. Her previous aloofness and lifelessness were replaced by an air of profound mystery. A single blood-red eye had appeared prominently between her eyebrows, filled with intricate and complex patterns that formed a wondrous, slowly rotating design. With each rotation, a layer of crimson light emanated from the blood-red eye, pulsing outwards in all directions.

Within the council hall, the form of Yuan Xi, an illusion created by the Mirage, instantly dissipated upon being struck by the crimson light. An unidentifiable voice then resounded, “Brahma Eye? Are you of the Brahma Clan?”

This was clearly the Mirage's true voice; all previous voices Lu Ye had heard were merely those of the illusory forms it had assumed. However, its words completely baffled Lu Ye. He had always assumed Huan Qing was human, as she appeared no different from any other human. Yet, the Mirage now claimed she was from the Brahma Clan! Lu Ye had never even heard of such a race.

Almost simultaneously with the Mirage's words, Lu Ye felt a shift in the surrounding illusion. The entire world, bathed in the crimson light, seemed to shed a layer, abruptly feeling more real. The crimson light's reach was extensive; wherever it touched, the illusion gradually receded. As the illusion retreated, various creatures of different forms continued to appear abruptly, charging towards them with murderous intent. Yet, before they could get close, they were touched by the crimson light and vanished without a trace.

“Young lady, let’s talk this through; please don’t be impulsive!” The Mirage’s tone had clearly become anxious.

Lu Ye was greatly astonished. The Mirage, who held even Yuan Xi in low regard, now seemed to dread Huan Qing as if she were a viper.

“Your Brahma Clan’s Brahma Eye can only be used once in a lifetime. After using it, you’ll be no different from a human. Why waste it here? Retract your divine ability, and I’ll let you go!” The Mirage pleaded desperately, all the while still employing methods to try and disrupt Huan Qing’s actions.

But those illusions could not touch Huan Qing in the slightest; under the cleansing crimson light, all was naught but falsehood. Huan Qing remained unmoved by its pleas. The Brahma Clan’s Brahma Eye could indeed only be used once in a lifetime, but she had already begun; how could she stop now? If she were to believe the Mirage’s deceptive words, she would lose any means of restraining this strange beast.

The crimson light continued to pulse, and the world around them began to fade. It was as if this world, originally crafted with various disguises, was now slowly having those layers peeled away.

“How can there still be a Brahma Clan in this world? How could I be so unlucky, damn it!” The Mirage wailed in anguish and indignation. Across the entire Inner Realm, aside from a few renowned powerhouses it dared not provoke, it held no one else in regard. Only the Brahma Clan… their Brahma Eye was simply its bane. Yet this race should have been annihilated long ago. The one from Blood Drink City had once launched a purge against the Brahma Clan because the Brahma Eye also countered one of his divine abilities! Now, it appeared a survivor remained, and had even achieved Converging Dao cultivation. For the Mirage, this was nothing short of a disaster.

On top of the tower, Lu Ye's gaze sharpened, and he gradually discerned the true surroundings. A desolate void lay before him, with dilapidated Converging Dao Cities drifting throughout. These were sights he had not witnessed before; now that the illusion had dispersed, they were all visible. These Converging Dao Cities had undoubtedly stumbled into the Mirage’s domain of divine ability, trapped here for untold years until their eventual demise. There were at least several hundred Converging Dao Cities, both large and small, a sight that filled Lu Ye with shock. These were merely the ones trapped and unable to escape. Over countless years, there must have been fortunate individuals who managed to break free.

“Over there!” Huan Qing suddenly turned her head towards a direction and darted towards it.

Lu Ye followed close behind. He, too, sensed an abnormality in that direction.

The two figures soared forward. Numerous illusions surged towards them, but all were suppressed and dispelled by the Brahma Eye's divine ability, leaving their path unhindered. From a dilapidated Converging Dao City ahead, a small figure suddenly darted out at an incredible speed; for a moment, Lu Ye couldn't quite make out its appearance. Huan Qing, however, was prepared and, with a swift movement, pursued it. In terms of strength, Lu Ye was unsure who was stronger between himself and Huan Qing, but a Converging Dao cultivator’s speed was ultimately beyond his own. Thus, even after activating his Blood Escape technique, he found himself unable to keep pace.

Soon, however, the sounds of combat emanated from ahead. Lu Ye raised an eyebrow, realizing Huan Qing had caught the Mirage. He quickly advanced. A moment later, he indeed saw the two parties engaged in battle. Huan Qing's Dao artifact was a silk ribbon; her figure danced gracefully, but as the ribbon moved, it sealed the surrounding space. A tiny figure was trapped within. Lu Ye focused his gaze and finally discerned the Mirage's true form. It possessed none of the imagined grandeur or overwhelming presence. At first glance, the creature resembled a small civet cat, utterly unremarkable anywhere. Yet, this unassuming creature was a notorious strange beast, whose arcane divine ability domain had caused countless powerhouses in the Inner Realm to perish.

Yuan Xi was correct; the Mirage’s strength was not considerable. Once its most potent divine ability domain was countered, it had engaged Huan Qing for only a moment before being utterly overwhelmed. Had Huan Qing not held back from delivering a killing blow, its fate would likely have been sealed.

The Mirage was clearly spineless; it was now fighting Huan Qing while desperately pleading for mercy, babbling incessantly. Huan Qing paid it no mind. She didn't deliver a killing blow out of disinclination, choosing instead to use her Dao artifact merely to ensnare the Mirage, leaving its resolution to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye leisurely observed from the sidelines for a moment, then a corner of his mouth curved into a smile. “Senior, it’s certainly not easy to meet you face-to-face!” By his estimation, this was his first genuine encounter with the Mirage; everything he had seen before had been mere illusions.

“Kid, quickly, persuade her to stop! Can’t I just let you leave?”

“Senior, don’t you think it’s a bit too late for that?” Lu Ye scoffed lightly. “How unrestrained and carefree you were when you toyed with us earlier. Why have you lost your former composure now?”

“I was wrong, I was wrong, I was truly wrong. I shouldn’t have trapped you here.”

“Senior, some things, once done, are done. Apologizing won’t help!” Lu Ye said, slowly drawing his blade, instantly radiating murderous intent. “Do you have any last words? It will be too late otherwise!”

The Mirage was greatly alarmed. It didn't fear a Fusion Dao cultivator like Lu Ye, but the crucial point was that it truly wasn’t Huan Qing’s match. It immediately became distraught. “Let’s talk things through; why resort to blades… Oh, by the way, do you want Converging Dao Orbs? I’ll give you Converging Dao Orbs; I have many!”

“Oh?” Lu Ye raised an eyebrow, and his murderous intent instantly receded a little.

“As you’ve seen, many Converging Dao Cities have been trapped here over the years; all their Converging Dao Orbs have been left behind.”

“You’re lying! I haven’t sensed the aura of any Converging Dao Orbs!” Lu Ye’s killing intent solidified.

“I’ve hidden them! They’re my treasures, so of course I wouldn’t leave them lying around…” The Mirage quickly explained.