I meet all the requirements for becoming a god in this world!

Chapter 240 Zhang Xiang, you are my father!

Cheng Laiyun felt a blur before his eyes—the city gate disappeared, and the gray-robed man vanished.

The silvery-white fur that the fox had left on the blue bricks had also disappeared.

He stood in a vast, white void, with no solid ground beneath his feet and no sky above him.

There were no landmarks around to help determine the direction.

Then a rooster crowed in the distance, as if it were just dawn.

Suddenly, white mist surged in from all directions, enveloping his hands and feet, his torso, and his eyes.

He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the white mist had dissipated.

Before me stood a familiar... Eastern Palace??

He stood under the eaves of the side hall of the East Palace. The morning sunlight slid down from the glazed tiles and fell on the blue brick floor, casting a warm golden glow.

The air was filled with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms, and the faint sounds of eunuchs sweeping the courtyard could be heard in the distance; everything was quiet and ordinary.

The Crown Prince stood before him, dressed in a moon-white robe with a jade belt around his waist. His face was fair and round, possessing a perfectly measured composure. He looked at Cheng Laiyun, his brow furrowing slightly, his tone tinged with concern:

"Zhongjie, what are you daydreaming about? Come with me to the Imperial Study to pay our respects to Father Emperor."

Um? ?

Cheng Laiyun was somewhat bewildered.

What happened?

Weren't we just talking about eliminating the thief Yang Shi'en in the sky above the Imperial Study?

How did you end up at the East Palace in the blink of an eye?

Is it...

A sense of absurdity surfaced in Cheng Laiyun's mind: I've been reborn again?

Having experienced time travel, was he reborn again?

Has God been so kind to me?

Before figuring out what was going on, he dared not show the slightest hint of anything on his face. After all, he had the experience of time travel once before, so he was quite familiar with the process and knew that it was especially important to remain calm in situations like this.

Just as he was about to speak.

A familiar voice suddenly rang in his ears.

This sound, however, did not belong to this world; it seemed to be a sound from beyond the heavens.

……

Outside the illusory mist.

Yu Qingzheng's expression changed as he watched the pale gray mist of the spirit fox completely engulf Cheng Laiyun.

He subconsciously turned around to look at Xie Yuheng:

"What is the Time-Space Illusion Mist? What's going on with Cheng Laiyun?"

Xie Yuheng stared at the churning gray mist and sighed:

He said, "I also saw it in the handwritten works of the Confucian sage."

"The so-called Time-Space Illusion Mist is also known as a miniature world." "Some say it's an illusion, others say it's another real world; the opinions differ."

"But one thing remains the same—the illusion of spacetime is one of the branches of the laws of heaven and earth. To emerge safely from it, one must pass the test set by these laws of heaven and earth."

"What kind of test?"

Xie Yuheng shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I don't know, we can only wait."

"Waiting for what?" Yu Qingzheng pressed.

"You see, while we're talking, Cheng Laiyun has already spent a whole day and night in the mist. That means the flow of time in the mist is different from the flow of time in our reality."

"To find out what the test is, we must wait until the flow of time within the illusionary mist becomes exactly the same as the flow outside."

"That will be the time when the illusionary mist completes its cycle, and the true test of the laws of heaven and earth will descend. If Cheng Laiyun can overcome it, the illusionary mist will naturally dissipate; if he cannot—"

He paused, then didn't continue.

"Then... is the test difficult?" Yu Qing was staring into Xie Yuheng's eyes.

Xie Yuheng remained silent for a long time, then said something that sent chills down the spines of everyone present:

"The illusionary mist will block the intruder's memories, which means that the intruder has no idea that he is in the illusionary mist. He will think that the world he is in is the real world!" "The illusionary mist of time and space has descended six times throughout history."

"On five occasions, the intruders remained in the illusionary mist for their entire lives until they died of old age."

Only one person survived unharmed.

"Who?" Yu Qingzheng hurriedly asked.

"The true sage of Confucianism."

……

Everyone felt a sudden sinking feeling in their hearts.

The intruder, unaware that he was in the illusionary mist?

He probably doesn't know when his test will come!

…………

Within the illusory mist.

Cheng Laiyun stood there, stunned. This wasn't a rebirth??

I just accidentally wandered into the illusory mist...

But... according to Xie Taifu's idea.

The illusionary mist will block the memories of intruders.

The intruder was unaware that he was in the illusionary fog.

Why is there nothing wrong with my memory, and why can I still hear their conversation outside the illusionary mist?

Just as he was wondering...

The crystal-clear light of the Pure Heart Crystal in the depths of the sea of ​​consciousness is slowly flowing.

The divine power that had just been upgraded to the "Universe" level was radiating a scorching light, protecting his sea of ​​consciousness.

See here.

Cheng Laiyun finally understood.

"So it was a cheat program protecting me." "Then it's alright."

After thinking it through, he suddenly realized that if that was the case, then as long as he remained calm and listened to the people outside the illusionary mist talking about how the flow of time had become uniform, he would know when the test would come.

It was just an open-book exam.

He knows this person very well.

"They've arrived," he replied, following behind the Crown Prince as he walked towards the Imperial Study.

……

Meanwhile, outside the illusory mist.

Xie Yuheng watched as Cheng Laiyun and the Crown Prince walked towards the Imperial Study through the illusory mist, and continued to explain:

"The so-called 'test' is often a dead end—either he dies, or the most important person or thing in his heart is destroyed."

"The illusionary mist will force him into a dead end where he has to choose between two options; let's see what he chooses."

"Therefore, the test is not his cultivation or his wisdom, but his true nature."

"If his will is unwavering, the illusion will dissipate on its own; if his will wavers even slightly, the illusion will trap him within it and kill him." Yu Qingzheng listened, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

He didn't care about the laws of heaven and earth, or the handwritten words of the Confucian sage; he only cared about one thing—whether Cheng Laiyun could emerge alive from this cloud of gray fog.

He turned to look at Xie Yuheng, his voice low and deep, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth:

"But his memories have been blocked, and he has no idea he's in the illusionary mist. How can he save himself?"

"He doesn't even know what the test is, how is he going to break through?"

Xie Yuheng remained silent for a long time.

The night wind on the city tower began to blow again, stirring his faded blue scholar's robe and causing the remaining specks of light from the spirit fox to drift slowly through the air.

"So, does that mean Minister Cheng is doomed?"

Emperor Jianye stood at the entrance of the city gate, having woken up at some point.

His face was still very pale, and there was still cold sweat on his forehead from when his destiny was stripped away. He held onto the stone pillar of the city wall with one hand, his fingers trembling slightly, but his back remained straight.

He stood there, the night wind ruffling the hem of his bright yellow dragon robe.

"Greetings, Your Majesty." Everyone on the city wall bowed in unison, even the man in gray robes lowered his head slightly.

After Cheng Laiyun was sucked into the illusionary mist, his face returned to its blank expression, as if he were a machine.

Emperor Jianye waved his hand and stepped into the middle of the crowd.

His gaze swept across Zhang Linzheng's face, then across Yu Qingzheng's face, then across Xie Yuheng's face, finally landing on the gray-robed man, where it paused for a moment.

"I am well aware of what will happen tonight."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear and resonant:

"Yang Shi'en plotted a rebellion, and a fox spirit swapped my life. If it weren't for the bravery of you all in protecting me, I would not be alive today."

"Grand Tutor Xie, Minister Yu, Chancellor Zhang—you have protected the imperial city and the heavens of the Great Yuan Dynasty for me."

Zhang Linzheng shook his head: "Your Majesty, your rescue today is entirely due to Cheng Laiyun's efforts."

"After he discovered Yang Shi'en's plot to rebel, he promptly returned to the capital to inform us, and personally invited Grand Tutor Xie to join him in fighting the enemy."

"Oh?" Emperor Jianye paused, then turned around.

Looking up at the now clearly visible illusory world of mist in the sky, and watching Cheng Laiyun's figure walking towards the Imperial Study alongside the Crown Prince within the mist, his expression was complex, and his tone revealed a hint of worry:

"This illusory mist...can we interfere?"

The city gate tower remained quiet for a long time.

Xie Yuheng looked at Emperor Jianye, sighed, and shook his head:

"Your Majesty, the Time-Space Illusionary Mist obscures memories, and intruders are unaware that they are in an illusion."

"External forces cannot interfere; he can only rely on himself."

Emperor Jianye remained silent.

Yu Qingzheng, who was standing to the side, suddenly turned to look at Xie Yuheng, his eyes surging with an urgency that had never appeared on the face of this usually composed Grand Elder of the Mo Clan:

"Grand Tutor Xie, you just said that the Confucian sage survived safely back then."

"How did he get through it? Was there any secret?"

……

Within the illusory mist, Cheng Laiyun, who was traveling alongside the Crown Prince, also secretly pricked up his ears.

Since he can hear the conversations of people outside, he will definitely listen very carefully.

After all, it concerns my own life.

……

Beyond the illusory mist.

After pondering for a while, Xie Yuheng spoke:

"After the Confucian sage crossed the illusory mist, he left behind only one sentence."

They said, "Put them in a desperate situation, and they will survive."

He said, "The perilous realm of the Illusory Mist cannot be avoided, escaped, or exploited. Only by facing death head-on and striving for survival can it be broken."

"Put yourself in a desperate situation, and you will survive..."

Yu Qingzheng chewed over those words several times, and the more he chewed, the colder he felt inside.

What is a death trap? How can one live in the face of death? The Confucian sage dismissed everyone thousands of years later with just one sentence, but Cheng Laiyun is now in that fog, his memories blocked, and he has no idea what he is going through.

To whom does he go to live? He doesn't even know the word "death."

……

Cheng Laiyun, hidden in the illusionary mist, also frowned inwardly.

What does it mean to be put in a desperate situation and then survive?

What kind of young man?

Why didn't the Confucian sage leave more tangible things for the world?

The old man Confucius from his previous life left behind quite a few Analects...

……

At that moment, everyone outside the illusionary mist simultaneously sensed that the flow of time had changed.

Within the swirling gray fog, Cheng Laiyun's figure suddenly went from blurry to clear.

It's like looking at someone through a layer of mist, which is suddenly blown away by the wind. The scene in the mist is no longer a rapidly flashing fragment, but progresses slowly at a pace completely synchronized with the outside world.

When Xie Yuheng spoke, his voice carried a rare hint of nervousness:

"The test has begun. From this moment on, we will see every moment he goes through."

"We heard every word he said clearly."

"But he doesn't know we're watching, nor does he know he's in the illusionary mist."

Everyone simultaneously looked up at the cloud of gray mist.

The scene within the illusionary mist was slowly unfolding, a scene clearer than any magical projection, each ray of light and shadow appearing as if it had been directly carved out of the real world and embedded there.

A faint, pungent smell of blood filled the air; something was approaching.

……

Within the illusory mist.

Cheng Laiyun followed behind the Crown Prince, stepping over the threshold of the Imperial Study.

At that very moment, a thick, pungent stench of blood assaulted the senses, so thick it felt like a wall, suffocating anyone who dared to breathe. Several people lay sprawled across the gold-brick floor of the Imperial Study—no, several corpses, blood seeping from their wounds and trickling through the cracks in the gold bricks to Cheng Laiyun's feet.

The person closest to the door was Yu Qingzheng. He leaned against the bookshelf, the lingering light of the inscription still hovering on his fingertips, but his eyes were closed forever.

Further inside was Zhang Linzheng, who lay beside the imperial desk, his moon-white scholar's robe mostly soaked in blood, his usually calm and collected hand hanging limply on the gold bricks.

Behind the imperial desk, Emperor Jianye sat on the dragon throne, his head bowed low, his bright yellow dragon robe stained with blood.

The crown prince was shocked by what he saw.

His expression shifted from blankness to shock, and then to terror and helplessness!

He took a step forward, his legs buckled and he almost knelt on the ground, his voice trembling as he managed to squeeze it out:

"Father—"

He rushed to the imperial desk, reaching out to help Emperor Jianye, but froze the moment his hand touched the dragon robe.

That was the first time Cheng Laiyun had ever seen despair on the Crown Prince's face.

It wasn't fear, it wasn't anger, it was despair.

It was the despair of a crown prince who, seeing all his support crumble at once, couldn't even cry. Cheng Laiyun, naturally, also "changed his expression drastically."

He looked at the scene before him, and raised his voice:

"What's going on?!"

"Your Highness, what...what's going on?!"

"Master Uncle!!!"

"Zhang Xiang!!!"

Cheng Laiyun burst into tears on the spot.

His face was filled with grief, his hands trembled, and he held the bodies of Yu Qingzheng and Zhang Linzheng. His voice was so sorrowful that it brought tears to the eyes of all who heard it and broke their hearts.

"Master Uncle! Wake up, Master Uncle!"

He was trembling all over from crying, his face covered in snot and tears:

"When I first met you in the imperial prison, you asked me with a stern face how the giant statue came to be. I knelt on the ground and told you all the secrets."

"You said the Mo Sect was under your protection, and no one could touch your disciple—now that you're lying here, what will happen if your disciple gets bullied in the future?!" "Senior Uncle, you broke your promise! You said you'd protect your disciple, so why did you leave first! Your disciple isn't even married yet—"

Then, Cheng Laiyun carried Zhang Linzheng's body.

He tightly grasped Zhang Linzheng's already cold hand in his own, pressed it against his heart, and tears fell drop by drop onto Zhang Linzheng's moon-white scholar's robe:

"Prime Minister Zhang! Prime Minister Zhang, open your eyes and look at me!!! I haven't repaid your kindness in recognizing my talent yet!!"

"When everyone else was pessimistic about me, it was you alone in the Imperial Study who spoke up for me!"

"You gave me your personal jade pendant, and you told me to live well—I did survive, I investigated the bombing case, investigated Wei Shiguang, investigated the Marquis of Suining… I didn't even have a chance to thank you for my deeds, how could you leave like this?!"

"You haven't even said 'well done' to me yet!!!"

"Zhang Xiang, I've always considered you my father! My own father passed away early, and I never knew what it felt like to have a father—you're the one who showed me!"

"My biggest wish in this life is to hear you say 'Cheng Laiyun, you did a good job' from your own lips. Just one sentence, please!"

He placed Zhang Linzheng's hand on his forehead, his shoulders convulsing violently.

"Zhang Xiang, look at me, say one sentence, just one sentence..."

...Beyond the illusory mist.

Yu Qingzheng stared intently at the scene of Cheng Laiyun crying while holding his own corpse.

His fists were clenched tightly.

He never imagined that he held such an important place in Cheng Laiyun's heart!

Zhang Linzheng, whose face was always expressionless.

At this moment, she kept her lips tightly pursed.

Looking at the scene within the illusory mist, Cheng Laiyun tightly embraced his own corpse.

Especially after Cheng Laiyun said, "I have always regarded Zhang as my father."

Zhang Linzheng lowered his head and turned away, not wanting anyone to see his expression.

Under the sleeves, the fingernails were even embedded in the flesh.

"That brat..."

……