Covering the sky: I have the body of the sky, and I have inherited the ten evil methods

Chapter 124 Phantom Killing Array!
"Lao Lu!"

The world seemed to fall silent for a moment the instant the fissure closed.

The all-consuming dark rift, like a monster closing its massive jaws, emitted a muffled "boom" and vanished completely into the void.

Those ferocious and terrifying annihilation beasts vanished as the rift disappeared, leaving only a lingering stench in the air, stimulating everyone's sense of smell.

Lu Chenzhou, the hero who gave his life to buy time for everyone, collapsed helplessly to the ground.

His clothes had already been torn to shreds by the turbulent void, revealing deep, bone-revealing wounds.

Fresh blood gushed from the wound, staining the ground beneath him red.

He struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, looked at Xiao Chen, and a relieved smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, like a ray of sunshine in winter, warm yet desolate: "It seems I haven't lived in vain after all..."

Before he could finish speaking, he fainted.

Xiao Chen helped Lu Chenzhou up, an indescribable grief welling up in his heart. He clenched his teeth, his eyes red, but he forced himself not to let the tears fall.

Just when everyone thought the crisis was over and they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, the big black dog suddenly twitched its nose and sniffed the air.

His once cunning little eyes widened in alarm as he cried out, "Something's wrong! This void is still shrinking; we might not be truly safe yet!"

It whirled around, staring intently at the void behind it, its fur standing on end, and said in a trembling voice, "I sense... an aura even more terrifying than the Beast of Annihilation..."

This time, they were trapped, not by monsters, but by the crumbling structure of reality around them.

Escape, in this suffocating darkness, is like a glimmer of hope, yet feels impossibly distant.

Then, a voice as clear as a mountain spring broke the oppressive silence.

"Follow me. I know the way."

Everyone turned their heads to find the source of the sound.

From the swirling mist, a figure emerged—a woman dressed in a plain white robe, her face serene and peaceful amidst the chaos.

She introduced herself as Su Wan'er, a descendant of the guardians of the Heavenly Ruins.

Her words were like a lifeline thrown to a drowning person.

She remained hidden in the shadows, observing and waiting, until the core of the secret realm began to destabilize, at which point she had no choice but to make her move.

Following Su Wan'er, they walked deeper into the churning fog, the ghostly remains of the annihilated beasts hovering around their ankles like mournful spirits.

A primal fear permeated the air, a fear that seeped into the very marrow and lingered there.

The forest they traversed was like a labyrinth of twisted, ancient trees, their branches like skeletal fingers reaching toward the ever-shrinking sky.

Every rustling of leaves, every snapping of branches, sent a surge of adrenaline through their veins, making their nerves tense.

Finally, they came to an open space where a dilapidated teleportation array was embedded in the ground, its exquisite carvings covered by moss and decay.

It was so damaged that it was unusable.

Hope flickered briefly, then was about to be extinguished.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi walked forward with a calm and resolute expression, her elegant hands radiating a soft, ethereal light.

Beside her, Master Lingxu closed his eyes and began to chant softly with complete concentration, his voice deep and resonant.

The ancient runes on the teleportation array flickered slightly, responding to their combined power, like a sleeping giant slowly awakening.

While they were busy, Xiao Chen stood guard, his senses highly alert, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

An invisible energy permeated the air, and the tense atmosphere made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.

He could feel the heavy burden of responsibility weighing on him, making it hard to breathe.

Beside him, Su Wan'er said softly, "The chaos in the Celestial Ruins... is not a natural phenomenon. Someone is orchestrating this behind the scenes. I'm worried they want to unleash the full power of the Chaos Pearl."

Xiao Chen's heart tightened. "Who is it?"

He asked urgently, his voice tense.

Su Wan'er shook her head, looking worried.

“I don’t know. But my family has guarded this secret place for generations to prevent such a disaster from happening.” She met his gaze firmly.

"The secret realm is on the verge of destruction. I will do everything in my power to help you stop them."

In this desolate land, a peculiar bond blossoms from shared despair and a common enemy.

He saw in her a strength, a quiet resolve that resonated with his own.

He was not alone in this battle.

Just as the faint light of the teleportation array grew stronger, indicating that it was about to be activated.

A cold laugh echoed across the open space, like a sharp shard of ice shattering the tense silence.

“Foolish mortals,” the voice mocked, full of malicious ridicule.

Do you really think you can escape?

They turned around, searching for the source of the sound, but the fog offered no answer.

The big black dog whimpered, its tail tucked between its legs.

It sniffed the air, its eyes wide open in fear.

"No! This is the aura of the Phantom Killing Array! We're trapped!"

The world twisted, and the forest around them became a blurry, colorful vortex.

The ground beneath their feet vanished, and they were plunged into a constantly shifting vortex of reality.

Suddenly, everyone is isolated and helpless, surrounded by their deepest fears and most cherished desires, a series of illusions designed to destroy their minds.

Su Wan'er's screams echoed faintly, swallowed by the approaching darkness.

"Xiao Chen..." Xiao Chen gritted his teeth, his mind in turmoil.

The scene before me flickered between light and darkness, swaying uncertainly like a candle in the wind.

He tried desperately to grasp a sliver of clarity, only to find in vain that even the memories he should have known by heart were beginning to blur.

In a hazy vision, he saw his parents standing in the distance, smiling kindly at him and calling his name.

"Xiao Chen, come back, child..." The voice was full of endless love, like a spring breeze caressing his heart, making him feel warm and at ease like never before.

He could barely control himself; his feet moved forward uncontrollably, as if he wanted to rush into that long-lost embrace.

"This is an attack on the soul! Guard your true self and don't be deceived by illusions!" Xiao Chen roared, his voice echoing like thunder in the mist.

The power of his "source blood" surged wildly within him, desperately trying to protect his mind, which was on the verge of being torn apart. The aftershocks of the collapsing illusion lingered like a persistent ailment, attempting to drag him into an even deeper quagmire.

Looking around, his companions were in a precarious situation.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi had a dazed look in her eyes and a dazed expression, as if she had fallen into an endless nightmare, with even a strange smile on her lips.

Master Lingxu sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, his brows furrowed, and large beads of sweat on his forehead, clearly undergoing a fierce mental storm.

The most heartbreaking sight was Li Qingfeng. His longsword danced like a silver curtain of light as he frantically slashed at the empty space around him. The sword energy surged, yet it was as if he was venting his anger on thin air, making him appear both ridiculous and tragic.

Xiao Chen was extremely anxious. He understood that verbal reminders were completely useless against this kind of illusion that targeted the soul.

What they see, hear, and feel are all illusions, manifestations of their inner demons.

The only way is to find the weakness of the Illusion Killing Array and destroy it completely!

"Xiao Chen, don't panic, I might know some clues!" A slightly weak but extremely firm voice came.

Su Wan'er had somehow broken free from the illusion. Her face was pale and her forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, clearly indicating that she had expended a great deal of energy to resist the illusion's influence.

"Wan'er, do you know how to break this?" Xiao Chen asked anxiously, as if grasping at a straw.

Su Wan'er nodded and said in a solemn tone, "This Illusion Killing Array should originate from a strange object called 'Nine Nether Illusion Crystal'. To break this array, its core must be severed."

"Where is the core?" Xiao Chen pressed, his voice trembling slightly.

Time was of the essence, and he had to race against the clock; otherwise, his companions might really be in grave danger.

Su Wan'er raised her jade-like hand and pointed to a broken stone tablet deep in the mist, explaining in a low voice, "That stone tablet should be the location of the array's core. However, getting close to it will trigger even stronger illusions, so please be careful."

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, his eyes becoming incredibly determined.

Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, he will brave them!
"Wan'er, can you lend me a hand?"

Su Wan'er nodded without hesitation: "My Tianxu lineage has guarded the secret realm for generations and has a certain resistance to illusions. Perhaps it can help you resist some interference."

Without further hesitation, the two rushed side by side toward the stone tablet.

The mist, like a living thing, surged and churned, transforming into countless hideous faces that lunged at them with bared teeth and claws, attempting to devour their will.

These faces sometimes resemble the vengeful spirits of the dead, emitting mournful howls; sometimes they are the faces of loved ones, filled with sorrow and pleading; and sometimes they are demons and monsters, revealing ferocious smiles.

Xiao Chen kept his mind focused and dared not relax for a moment.

The power of "Source Blood" burned within him like flames, radiating a scorching and pure light that dispelled the surrounding darkness and mist.

Su Wan'er silently chanted ancient incantations, and invisible barriers gathered in front of her to resist the invasion of illusions.

However, the power of the illusion far exceeded their imagination.

Those hideous faces surged in like a tide, wave after wave, without end.

Xiao Chen felt as if his soul was in purgatory, being torn apart by countless claws and corroded by endless malice.

His consciousness began to blur, and one illusory scene after another appeared before his eyes.

He felt as if he had returned to the Xiao family home, seeing his kind parents and his lovely younger sister, who were smiling and waving at him...

"No! This is fake! It's all an illusion!" Xiao Chen roared in his heart, trying his best to maintain the last bit of clarity.

He bit his tongue, and the intense pain temporarily freed him from the allure of the illusion.

Just as Xiao Chen was about to touch the stone tablet, a dark figure appeared from the mist like a ghost, holding a black dagger, and stabbed towards his back like a venomous snake.

The dagger gleamed with a chilling light, clearly indicating that it was coated with a potent poison.

At the critical moment, a black lightning bolt suddenly pounced out and bit the shadowy figure's wrist.

"Woof! You despicable scoundrel, how dare you ambush your master! I'll bite you to death!" It was the big black dog!
It had somehow broken free from the illusion's constraints and arrived just in time to save the day.

Seizing this rare opportunity, Xiao Chen suddenly turned around and punched the shadowy figure in the face.

The power of "Source Blood" erupted like a volcanic eruption, carrying the power to destroy everything.

The shadowy figure clearly hadn't expected the big black dog to appear suddenly, nor had it anticipated Xiao Chen's sharp counterattack.

He screamed and flew backward, crashing hard into an ancient tree.

Xiao Chen gave him no chance to catch his breath, pounced on him, and stomped him under his foot.

"Who are you? Why are you stopping us?"

The dark figure struggled to raise its head, revealing an old and sinister face.

He sneered, spat out a mouthful of blood, and said in a hoarse voice, "I am Venerable Wuxiang, and I am here on orders to stop you from destroying the Illusion Killing Array."

"Since you insist on trying to pass the test, then stay here forever!" After saying that, he flickered and disappeared into the mist again, vanishing without a trace.

"The Venerable Wuxiang? It's those clowns hiding in the shadows again!" Xiao Chen spat, his anger burning.

Although they had temporarily repelled the Venerable Wuxiang, the Illusion Killing Array still enveloped them, and the crisis was not over.

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and began to carefully observe the stone tablet in front of him.

The stone tablet was covered with ancient runes, which wriggled like tadpoles and emitted a dim light.

Some of the runes are flashing continuously, clearly indicating a close connection to the operation of the illusion.

Xiao Chen had a sudden inspiration and slowly poured the power of his "source blood" into the runes on the stone tablet.

He wanted to try disrupting the formation's operation, hoping to find a way to break the illusion.

This move worked!

As the power of "Source Blood" was injected, the runes on the stone tablet began to become disordered, and the originally deep and stable illusion began to show cracks.

The surrounding fog grew thicker, and the hallucinations became more intense, but at the same time, the companions who were trapped in it gradually awoke.

The Holy Maiden of Yaochi was the first to open her eyes. She shook her head, seemingly trying to shake off the illusions lingering in her mind.

After everyone reunited, just as they were about to completely destroy the stone tablet, that eerie laughter rang out again: "Young man, you actually managed to break my Illusion Killing Array, which makes me look at you in a new light."

Before the words were even finished, the ground suddenly trembled violently, as if being torn apart by a tremendous force. The area where the teleportation array was located began to collapse rapidly, revealing a dark abyss below.

From the abyss came a chilling wailing sound, as if endless evil spirits were whispering, making one's hair stand on end.

Xiao Chen felt the ground beneath his feet sinking continuously, with endless darkness behind him and the relentless advance of the Formless Venerable in front of him.

Without hesitation, he grabbed Su Wan'er's wrist and whispered, "Trust me, we can definitely get through this!"

(End of this chapter)