Chapter 1215: Ape's Cry

Xiaohua brewed tea for Xu Yang, wishing for him to also enjoy the fragrant aroma. Xu Yang then began to play the ancient guqin before him. The melodious and intricate guqin music, along with the roars of tigers and cries of apes in the surroundings, formed a beautiful picture at that moment. As he played, Xu Yang's rhythm quickened, and his brow furrowed slightly.

Clearly, he was concentrating immensely powerful spiritual energy, which began to spread deep into the entire canyon. Xu Yang was using this method to detect all spiritual energy fluctuations hidden around him, aiming to find the true source of the illusion.

As expected, after playing for more than half an hour, an incredibly clear spiritual force surged into Xu Yang's spiritual sea of consciousness, colliding with his own spiritual energy and creating a strong resonance. However, Xu Yang's soul world was so vast, and his spiritual energy so powerful, that it was simply beyond what anyone in this world could contend with. After several successive touches, those spiritual energies were completely swallowed, like stones sinking into the sea, without eliciting any feedback.

The other party also seemed to realize Xu Yang's power and ultimately did not dare to proceed further. They quickly withdrew all spiritual energy fluctuations. Following this, Xu Yang continued to play an ancient piece by King Wei. After the music ended and the last note faded, the scene before them had undergone a complete transformation.

The strait scenery, which had repeated countless times, finally presented a completely new view. The Eight Gates members, along with the Fifth Prince and others, all returned to the deck. Upon seeing that the endlessly repeating strait scene had completely vanished, everyone cheered excitedly.

"My heavens, boss, how did you do it? You just played a piece of music and completely broke this illusion. You're truly a divine being!"

Undoubtedly, this accomplishment once again elevated Xu Yang's esteemed position in the hearts of his team members. Everyone felt that Xu Yang was a deity sent by the heavens to them, a guide helping them change their destiny.

"Don't celebrate too soon," Xu Yang cautioned. "I can't guarantee how long this will last. It's very possible that this illusion will reappear before long. Just in case, I need to add another step."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Ghost Valley Qimen Array condensed beneath Xu Yang once more. He deliberately activated the Ghost Valley Qimen Array to pinpoint the fleet's direction. With the help of the Ghost Valley Qimen Array, even if they encountered an illusionary space again, Xu Yang would be able to detect it immediately, preventing unnecessary delays and precisely guiding the team to the correct course.

After all this was done, the Fifth Prince gazed at Xu Yang for a long time with an expression of utter astonishment. "Thankfully, you are my friend and not my enemy," he remarked. "Otherwise, I don't think any of my ambitions could ever be realized. Being your enemy would be the greatest nightmare for all those on Yingzhou Continent who aspire to conquer the world!"

Hearing this, Xu Yang shook his head with a wry smile. "The nightmare of conquering the world should be you, not me. I should be the nightmare for those ill-intentioned cultivators. Who dares to stop me from achieving my desires? Only those people will experience a true nightmare. What just happened was merely a common occurrence in life. In the world we originally came from, a world rampant with gods and demons, an illusion of that level wouldn't even be worth mentioning."

Everyone gasped, instinctively feeling a deep fear for the more expansive world from which Xu Yang and Xiaohua came. In their eyes, the Yingzhou Continent was already an immeasurable expanse between heaven and earth, yet they didn't realize that in Xu Yang's world, it was merely a small space in the palm of his hand.

If Xu Yang wished, he could destroy the entire Yingzhou Continent with his power at any time. The cries of apes completely vanished, even though the previously beautiful sacred land also disappeared with them. However, the illusion did not reappear, which for everyone meant it was completely dispelled. The illusion, identified as one of the Four Great Wonders, was completely gone, replaced by new, never-before-seen scenery. The towering mountains on both sides of the ape-crying strait area were extremely high, but now, the view in this part of the space had significantly broadened.

More importantly, Xu Yang's team finally experienced their first night. This was the first time everyone had seen such beautiful night scenery since entering the Barren Maple Gorge, and they couldn't help but return to the deck. The nights on Yingzhou Continent were always filled with countless shining stars, appearing incredibly brilliant, yet conspicuously lacked a bright moon. For Xu Yang and Xiaohua, such a night still felt exceptionally empty.

However, the gentle breeze in the strait offered them a remarkably comfortable experience; the soft wind caused no ripples on the water, while the stars in the sky adorned the deep sea, making it shimmer with a unique charm.

Soon after, a series of azure lights began to appear at the edge of their vision. These lights, never seen before, suddenly surged into view, bringing a deeply shocking reaction from Xu Yang's Eight Gates team.

"Your Highness, are those your guards coming to meet us?" The Fifth Prince looked utterly bewildered. How could he possibly have made such arrangements? After all, this was the first time his own team had come to the Barren Maple Gorge.

"Absolutely not. Our people have been with us the whole way. Besides, I've never seen these azure lights before either. Could it be...?"

The Fifth Prince's expression suddenly darkened. After Xu Yang and Xiaohua exchanged a glance, the same answer appeared in both their minds. "If our judgment is correct," Xu Yang stated, "this should be the second of the Four Great Wonders of the Barren Maple Gorge: the Ghost Parade. Those azure lights are what's referred to as 'ghosts traveling at night'!"

"Although we can't yet sense their energy fluctuations, these azure flames wouldn't appear out of nowhere. They must be sustained by some special power. In other words, they are materialized energy forms, and they are bound to cause some damage to our team. Fifth Prince, issue the order: all guards following us, immediately brace yourselves for combat. We're about to find out just how strong this so-called 'Ghost Parade Legion' truly is."

Upon hearing Xu Yang's instructions, the Fifth Prince immediately took action. More than ten accompanying ships and hundreds of guards all prepared for battle. As for the Eight Gates team on Xu Yang's main ship, every member was eager and ready for combat. The azure lights drew closer, yet still, not the slightest energy fluctuation could be sensed from them.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Yang leaped into the air, pushing his movement speed to its limit. He continuously approached the area where the azure lights were, wanting to experience firsthand what kind of trick these azure lights truly were.