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Chapter 536 Illusion
With the blessing of faith, the originally inanimate Arhats all stood up, stretched out their fingers, and pointed to the clouds and mist in the valley.

In an instant.

The world seemed to be frozen in place.

No, it shouldn't be said that it was as if, from top to bottom, from outside to inside, every inch of land and every bit of air in this valley was frozen and tended to be still.

Heaven and earth were transformed into a three-dimensional image, and everything was frozen in place except for the monks performing the spells.

But there are still things that can move.

An invisible, intangible wave rose from the valley, forcefully churning the frozen canvas—clearly, this was 'Silence' making its final struggle, unwilling to be trapped here.

but.

Similarly, the two remaining elders of Hanshan Temple also came out.

The two men showed no emotion, only clasped their hands together, bowed before the Arhat formation, and then cut off their own heads without hesitation.

This became the last straw that broke the camel's back. As all the mountain-like Arhat statues chanted in unison, the Dharma body of Nirvana appeared faintly in the sky and then pointed towards the valley.

In an instant, all the struggles ceased.

The clouds and mist began to condense rapidly, and then fleshy chunks emerged from the void, quickly transforming into an enormous human body.

The human body was covered by no cloth, its entire body was smooth as a mirror, without a single hair, and it had no ears or nose on its head, only a huge, toothless, tongueless mouth that was open and facing Zhou You's side.

Since the old monk Hongyi was unable to speak at this time, Faxian took over the command. The only remaining disciple took a deep breath and then shouted to the group of evil cultivators.

"What are we waiting for? This thing has been immobilized. Now is the best opportunity. Charge in and seize the Heavenly Treasure!"

Otherwise.

No one moved.

After all, this thing had exceeded their expectations—these guys originally thought they were just coming to deal with some kind of monster—but now it seems...
This thing.
Perhaps, maybe, possibly, it seems, it should be a great mystery?

Ganni Niang, with just this few people, they're not that crazy to go on a monster hunt!

Seeing the group of guys hesitating, Faxian's face immediately turned ugly, and his voice became even colder.

"The temple can promise that, apart from those few key items and what is promised to the Five Elements Temple, you may take whatever else you want. You should know that any item you pull out of this place is a treasure worth a thousand gold pieces."

Some people are tempted, but many others are still unwilling to risk their lives and fortunes.

Therefore, Faxian had no choice but to issue his final ultimatum.

"Don't forget, the temple holds your blood oath. If you refuse to go..."

This sentence finally became the last straw that broke the scales.

Those evil cultivators gritted their teeth and jumped into their mouths one after another. In the end, only the bald men chanting scriptures and Zhou You and Faxian remained outside.

Faxian wouldn't dare to force someone like that.

He first gave a deep bow, and then asked respectfully.

"May I ask, sir/madam, are you ready?"

Zhou You didn't mind going down, but he still asked a question.

“I am Faxian.”

"Donor, please tell me."

"Your temple has planned for so long and made so many preparations, yet you've entrusted the most crucial task to an outsider like me who is disorganized and undisciplined. Isn't that a bit too risky?"

Faxian also gave a wry smile.

"My lord, it's not that we want to take this risk, but the die is cast."

"Why?"

Faxian pointed upwards.

"Because, this day is about to change drastically."

--What's the meaning?
However, Faxian seemed to have a deep-seated taboo about it, shook his head, and then said...

"You will know in time. Time is of the essence now, so I will ask one more time—are you ready?"

What else could Zhou You say at this point?
He gripped the sword and bow tightly, pursed his lips, and then thrust them into his mouth.

He leaped in.

After Zhou You's figure disappeared, the old monk Hongyi finally raised his head and spoke.

"Faxian."

"The disciple is here."

"Your previous calculations were correct, weren't they? This guy can really fulfill our grand ambitions?"

Upon hearing this question, Faxian gave a mysterious smile.

"This disciple is entirely certain, after all..."

"This person is the legendary chosen one."

When Zhou You opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a very ordinary official road.

The ground was covered with loess and paved with small stones. The overall workmanship was very rudimentary. In modern terms, the person in charge would probably be sentenced to life imprisonment, if not executed.

But this was in ancient times.

Especially in ancient times when the imperial court collapsed and each sect only cared about its own affairs.

Such well-maintained official roads are extremely rare, if not exceptionally rare.

But there is another problem.

—I clearly jumped into the mouth of silence, how did I suddenly end up here in the blink of an eye?

I looked up and gazed at the sky.

The sun was shining brightly, it was a clear and sunny day, and it didn't look like something inside the body.

Re-opening.

With lush trees and abundant rice paddies, it is a rare peaceful scene in this chaotic world.

so
Where am I?

Just as Zhou You was puzzled, he suddenly frowned and then pressed his hand to his head.
For some reason, he suddenly felt a strong sense of disorientation.

Heaven and earth seemed to turn upside down together, and the world spun in a strange way. My whole body was swaying, as if I might fall to the ground at any moment.

When he finally came to his senses, he realized that he had unknowingly changed his appearance.

Wan Ren, the Broken Moon Bow, and even his heavily armed gear had all vanished, replaced by a straight-cut cloth robe, over which was a blue satin overcoat, and a leather belt around his waist.

How should I put it? It's like the attire of an ordinary, moderately well-off family.

Wow, this place is quite thoughtful. Did they see that my original outfit was too shabby, so they specially changed it for me?

Zhou You pursed his lips, but didn't panic. Instead, he closed his eyes and began to examine his Diancang Ring.

Everything was inside, including weapons and talismans, but it was as if there was a thin veil between them, making it difficult to see clearly.

Although it would take some effort, fortunately, it could still be retrieved if needed. The fact that the item wasn't lost reassured Zhou You somewhat. However, just as he was about to circle around a couple of times to check the surroundings and try to find those evil cannon fodder, a voice suddenly rang out from afar.

"Isn't this Zhou Jia Dalang? What are you doing here?"

Who?
Zhou You raised his head and looked closely, but all he saw was a middle-aged man carrying a bundle of firewood and wearing hemp clothing.

enemy?

Zhou You narrowed his eyes slightly, but then shook his head.

No, he had no murderous aura or magical power whatsoever; he looked like an ordinary commoner.

But then a problem arises.

How could an ordinary commoner appear out of thin air inside the belly of a giant monster?

Zhou You remained vigilant but did not make a move; he simply responded with a smile.

"I was just bored and thought I'd come out to catch some wild game for a treat. Are you busy, sir?"

He couldn't figure out his identity for a while, so he could only use his appearance to find a more plausible excuse.

but.

It seems I guessed correctly.

The middle-aged woodcutter casually glanced at him a few times, then sighed.

"Zhou family's eldest son, don't think I'm being too talkative—we're married now, it's time to settle down and stop wandering around outside all day. You have such a beautiful wife at home, any normal person would want to be with her all day long, but you're nowhere to be seen for days on end. Sigh, the best thing to do is let your father hold his grandson sooner rather than later."

Zhou You was inexplicably scolded, but why did he fall into even greater confusion afterward?

--marriage?
When the hell did I get a wife?
—My dad?
No, he passed away many years ago. I can barely remember what he looked like. When did he crawl out of the ground?
However, Zhou You still didn't reveal the truth, and his expression didn't change at all. He just smiled and said...

"You're right, I'll definitely remember that—but I tripped and fell while chasing a rabbit, and I'm still a bit dizzy and not quite clear-headed, so..."

The middle-aged woodcutter gave him an extremely puzzling look.

"You can get lost even in your own neighborhood? Seriously, you're something else."

Even so, he didn't say anything more, but just gestured with his lips, indicating that Zhou You should follow.

Nothing else went wrong after that.

Under Zhou You's cautious and persuasive questioning, and given that the middle-aged man himself wasn't on guard, he managed to find out quite a bit about the matter.

First, this place is called Fan'an City, a small city in Lianzhou under the rule of the Dasheng Dynasty.

Secondly, Zhou You's identity here is that of the eldest son of a jade shop in the city—not exactly wealthy, but certainly well-off. Moreover, because his family has produced several officials, his status is quite good, far from being considered a lowly servant.

It's an ordinary place with ordinary people.

Otherwise.

However, it didn't match anything in Zhou You's memory.

The script does indeed feature a court, but it's now more like a mascot, and it's not called the Great Sheng Dynasty, nor does it have any imperial examinations.

As for one's own identity
The jade shop may not be the best, but at least it provides a stable place to live out the rest of my life. My parents are understanding, and my wife is virtuous. Living out my life like this isn't a bad choice.
and many more!

wrong!

Zhou You suddenly realized something.

Without realizing it, he seemed to have already embraced the identity of this body.

And that's not all.

My past, my experiences, my swordsmanship, and the adventures I had taken along the way are now in my mind, but they are like a thin mist, blurry and seemingly ready to dissipate at any moment.

Zhou You took a deep breath and then closed his eyes.

The next moment, his blood began to boil like magma, his entire body was stained a bright red, and steam rose faintly from the surface.

In that brief moment, the Heavenly Dragon bloodline had been pushed to its limit—

However, I did not sense anything unusual.

His body remained exactly the same, except for the 'insect pill' that had been suppressed in his stomach; there was nothing else to be seen. After this shock, the fog in his mind vanished without a trace, and his consciousness returned to clarity.

It was as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

Seeing Zhou You stop, the woodcutter in front turned around and said something that seemed rather strange.

"Zhou family's eldest son, what happened?"

At this moment, as the bloodline calmed down, the strange phenomenon also disappeared without a trace. Zhou You looked at that ordinary face and suddenly laughed.

"No, it's nothing, it's just that the sunlight is making me a little dizzy. Don't worry about it, I'll be fine soon."

The woodcutter shook his head, unsuspecting.

Zhou You looked at the clear blue sky and suddenly his expression turned solemn.

The official road is not far from Fan'an City.

The city is a typical ancient town, with rammed earth walls covered with layers of new bricks. The gates are open all year round, and a half-eaten drum hangs above them—the other half is nowhere to be found.

However, to Zhou You's surprise, the place was actually quite prosperous.

Everywhere you look, you see itinerant vendors, their calls echoing through the streets. There are vendors selling fried dough sticks, others selling steamed buns, and you can even spot someone leading a monkey, performing acrobatics.

Although it was mostly just food and snacks, in this world where strange creatures roamed and people could only rely on their sects to survive, it was a rare scene of peace.

The middle-aged woodcutter first unloaded the firewood from his back, then gave it to several food stalls, earning about ten copper coins. He then exchanged the last bit for two bowls of steaming hot tofu, and handed one bowl to Zhou You, saying with a cheerful smile.

"Brother, you helped me last time, and I don't have much to repay you with, so please accept this bowl as my treat!"

Zhou You looked at the tofu with gravy and a layer of bright green vegetables, then at the middle-aged woodcutter's genuine smile. After thinking for a moment, he took a spoonful.

It has a smooth and tender texture, and is indeed a normal food to eat.

The woodcutter then greeted the stall owner again, saying that he would bring the two bowls back later, and then led Zhou You, eating as they walked towards the city.

Gradually, those crude houses disappeared, replaced by sturdy brick houses.

The woodcutter reluctantly licked the last crumbs from the bottom of the bowl before explaining.

"Uncle Zhou is probably not in the shop at this time, and since you've been missing all morning, he's probably as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. It would be best to go and let him know you're safe first."

Zhou You simply smiled and nodded in response.

But for some reason, he felt increasingly alienated from the scenery—not in a strange way, but in a way that was both incredibly familiar and completely unrecognizable.

After a while, the two arrived at the mansion of a wealthy family. The middle-aged woodcutter walked up, knocked on the door knocker, and called out.

"Is Master Zhou here? I'm Zhang San. I met Da Lang on the road and just brought him back."

Before he could finish speaking, the door was pushed open.

Then, a strange and extremely anxious face appeared before me.

"My son, you've finally returned!!!"

(End of this chapter)