When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Ming Si was stunned for a moment, and Chu Xianlan seized the opportunity. She flipped the golden spirit dagger hidden in her palm and slashed it fiercely along the man's neck!

However, a demon king is still a demon king.

Even if it was just an illusion, Ming Si possessed considerable strength. He dodged the attack and reached out to pinch Chu Xianlan's chin: "Little female, so you like to play these kinds of tricks."

Chu Xianlan, unable to bear it any longer, laughed angrily, "Are you blind? Can't you really tell I'm a man?!"

Have you demons ever read any books?

He was just about to say something to this uncultured demon when, in the next second, a bone-chilling cold rose from beneath his feet, and the spiritual energy that had frozen the entire area surged everywhere. In just two breaths, Ming Si was frozen into an ice sculpture right in front of him.

Chu Xianlan blinked.

...It's Master again?

The moment this thought crossed my mind, everything around me changed again.

Yi Chen came to his senses and was greeted by a scene filled with warmth.

The hall was brightly decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, red silk hung high, and dragon and phoenix candles flickered and shone, casting a warm glow throughout the room. Guests filled the hall, their shadows moving about, and the air was filled with noise and laughter. Outside the window, snow-covered branches were tied with thin red ropes, from which small golden bells dangled, tinkling in the breeze.

This is different from the situation in the first three layers of the illusion.

Now, he has changed into a different set of clothes.

Unlike the usual elegant moon white, the dazzling vermilion is impossible to ignore; it is magnificent and dignified, with a well-fitting cut.

Yi Chen was slightly puzzled. This was clearly Chu Xianlan's mental trial, so why was he also affected?

Suddenly, someone gently pushed him from behind, their voice tinged with laughter, "He's already waiting for you, hurry up and go."

In the blink of an eye, we were inside the room.

Stepping over the fallen peach petals, Yi Chen lifted the beaded curtain with one hand, revealing a figure sitting quietly on the bed.

Hearing the noise, the person turned around and took the initiative to half lift the red veil.

Her features were exquisite.

With bright, moist, and affectionate eyes, and smooth hair cascading down his shoulders like ink-wash silk, whether it was the surrounding red or shyness, the boy's face was so vividly captivating.

Chu Xianlan was dressed in a magnificent red and white robe, his waist cinched by the fabric. His expression was one of joy. He bit his lower lip, as if gathering great courage, before saying, "Master, you've arrived."

Yi Chen looked at his disciple's unprecedented demeanor.

It even created the illusion that my hands and feet were stiff.

His pupils contracted, and he immediately realized that the disciple in front of him was an illusion.

But... Chu Xianlan had already taken the initiative to step forward and grab Yi Chen's sleeve, raising his scarred hand and affectionately rubbing it against her cheek, her eyes full of tenderness.

Even knowing it was fake, Yi Chen's heart still began to waver. He should have shaken it off quickly, but the boy's next words came too fast—

"Master," Chu Xianlan looked up at him, her clear and captivating eyes filled with joy, "I've finally waited for this day. I love you so much."

Yi Chen: "..."

Chu Xianlan pulled hard, and the two of them flipped over. He took the initiative to sit on Yi Chen's lap, leaned down and gently rubbed his head against the other's cheek, and even blew a breath into his ear.

As the warm air blew by, Yi Chen felt as if an electric current had struck his ear.

The next second, as if trying to please him, his apprentice whispered in his ear a name he had never used before.

"...Yi Chen".

The mere two words possess an irresistible and fatal attraction.

It's as if these two words can easily shatter the boundaries between master and disciple, and destroy the morality that is bound by common sense.

So Easy.

"Yichen, I think as long as it's you, as long as I can be by your side, that's enough. It doesn't matter what others are like. Let's live in Yujing Pavilion forever, okay? That's our home. I'm willing to stay by your side for the rest of my life," he said sweetly and innocently.

Chu Xianlan brushed her stray hairs behind her ear, her eyes crinkling with a smile. She leaned down, wanting to peck at his lips, but her touch was stopped by his slender fingers.

"Chu Li, stop making a scene." The low, hoarse voice sounded like someone was in great agony.

Even knowing that this face was fake, Yi Chen couldn't bring himself to draw his sword and slay it without hesitation, just like he had done with the previous illusions.

He might feel soft-hearted, he might be reluctant to hurt someone, but an illusion is ultimately just an illusion, and he must…

Chu Xianlan stared intently at him, her eyes flickering with a hint of doubt and sadness. She asked softly, "Master, do you really... dislike me? Don't you want to become my Daoist partner? Why? Could it be...?"

"You... really hate me?"

Yi Chen was taken aback, a subtle bitterness welling up in his heart. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he was about to say something when the disciple in front of him quickly withdrew and left.

The warmth in my arms vanished completely.

The surrounding scenery grew darker and darker, and the festive noise outside gradually faded away.

Chu Xianlan stood up by the bed, her expression completely different. She looked down at him, her expression indifferent, her voice icy:

You lied to me.

He gave a mocking smile, crossed his arms, and scrutinized his master as if he were looking at an ugly monster.

"...Why did you hide your half-demon identity? You're not the Immortal Lord Jixue at all, nor are you a model of righteousness. I've actually lived with a half-demon for over ten years. Just thinking about it makes me want to throw up."

Yi Chen's breath hitched, as if a beast had its throat choked, an overwhelming chill filling his lungs, and he began to lose the ability to distinguish between illusion and reality.

The boy's eyes, once filled with dependence, are now filled only with anger and hatred.

"I hate you," he said.

"Is it fun to lie to me?"

Yi Chen sat there, never having felt such heartache before. Every word the other person had said was like a branding iron, imprinted on his heart, leaving deep scars.

He blurted out reflexively, "No..."

My inner voice says, no.

But his low, hoarse voice was immediately interrupted by even more intense words.

"Why did you make me fall in love with a half-demon? Why did you take me in back then and deliberately keep me by your side?! You know perfectly well what a half-demon is—filth! A bastard!"

Chu Xianlan clutched her head in anguish, her eyes red and swollen. "You've put me in this situation... made me fall in love with my master, and my master happens to be a half-demon whom Heaven cannot tolerate... You've ruined everything! My life, my future, all my prospects and reputation in the cultivation world!"

"Because of you," he pointed at Yi Chen, his whole body trembling, "I'm destined to be a joke for the rest of my life! Destined to never lift my head—"

Halfway through her sentence, Chu Xianlan stopped talking, tilting her head as if she was thinking about something.

"...Never mind."

"As long as I kill the half-demon, I will have a place to live in this world."

He lowered his eyes, and a spiritual sword materialized in his palm. "Master, don't blame me. You're the one who made me like this... You've turned me into a monster too..."

The boy approached step by step.

Yi Chen did not move.

He just sat there, watching Chu Xianlan approach with her sword. If he wanted, he could have found a thousand ways to avoid her or fight back, but he didn't.

It was as if an earthquake had struck his heart, and the illusion of peace he had painstakingly maintained for years had completely collapsed. The half-demon, who was not to be trifled with by the laws of nature, sat quietly amidst the ruins, awaiting the judgment that was to come.

The tip of the sword touched the fabric.

Chu Xianlan's hand holding the sword was very steady.

That was a sword technique personally taught by Yi Chen, and his sword-holding posture was corrected move by move by move.

"Snap."

A crisp cracking sound came from above, and then the entire roof shattered, with rubble, beams, dust, and wood chips pouring down like a torrential rain!

A platinum-gold figure descended from the sky.

"What—" Chu Xianlan, who was holding the sword, didn't even have time to scream before the figure that suddenly appeared stepped hard on her shoulder.

His bones broke, he screamed in agony, and was thrown to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Chu Xianlan coughed, realizing she had made a bit too much noise. Since she couldn't break through the wall, she had no choice but to tear down the roof.

"Master, are you alright?!"

After shouting that, Chu Xianlan felt that the question was unnecessary.

Oh dear, what could possibly happen to Master?

His gaze swept quickly around the room, only to meet a startled look.

Chu Xianlan frowned.

It's all my fault for causing so much damage. Why is Master sitting on the floor? This won't do.

Stepping over the broken pieces of wood on the ground, the boy reached out his hand to Yi Chen without hesitation, his tone natural and the corners of his mouth turned up.

"Master, let's go."

Yi Chen looked at Chu Xianlan without missing a beat.

My brain felt like it had been struck by lightning, leaving behind a searing white mark.

Beneath this blank space, emotions that had never been allowed to be faced clearly surfaced. The heartbeats that should have been silent seemed to echo throughout the body, their uncontrolled speed striking the soul with deafening force.

This gave rise to a feeling that had existed countless times before.

Cultivate truth, seek truth, eliminate falsehood, and attain truth.

No matter how rational or restrained Yi Chen was, or how firm his Dao heart was, he could not deny it, even if he abandoned his pretense.

That feeling is called being moved.