"Huh? This weak?"
Su Huamei was surprised that Liu Nanfeng had easily dismembered Feng Wuji, as Su Jinxiu had taken considerable effort to deal with him previously, and not with such casual ease.
"Killing sometimes isn't just about brute force."
Liu Nanfeng sheathed his sword, putting on a show of nonchalance.
Only Su Jinxiu, who had entered Liu Nanfeng's sea of memories, understood the reason.
Feng Zhirun's swordplay was unrivaled not because of its strength or his power.
It was because he had integrated his painting skills into his sword techniques, approaching the Dao. Every swing of his sword had transcended the realm of technique. His sword was his paintbrush, and he used it to alter the world's masterpiece, making it effortless.
"But why did he appear again? Wasn't he burned completely last time?" Su Huamei looked at the wriggling flesh and blood on the ground, her brow furrowed in confusion.
"He wasn't burned completely," Su Jinxiu replied.
"So, do we need to burn him this time?"
"No, this time he'll likely never live again," Liu Nanfeng said calmly.
Because his strike had not only severed the opponent's physical body but also extinguished his life force from a spiritual level.
There was a reason why Feng Zhirun, facing numerous enemies and countless bizarre methods in his time, could not be escaped from his sword.
Furthermore, Feng Zhirun had been a monk for eight years. To put it bluntly, Buddhism was the ultimate master of the spiritual realm. No other sect was more proficient in spiritual research than Buddhism, which was why many Buddhist ultimate skills were linked to the spiritual level.
As expected, while they were talking, the wriggling flesh and blood completely lost its vitality and turned into a pile of rotten meat.
Feng Wuji's previously frenzied yet bright eyes turned ashen, his spirit utterly annihilated from this world.
"Let's go."
Liu Nanfeng stepped over the blood and flesh and walked further in, with the others quickly following.
Suddenly, the scene before them turned a blinding white.
But in an instant, their vision recovered, and they found themselves in a bustling marketplace.
"Pears for sale, pears for sale, freshly picked pears."
"Bing, bing, two for one yuan, savory and sweet."
"Fifty won't do, minimum sixty-five, take it if you want it."
"Boss, how much for this..."
"I'm a cloud in the wind..."
The clamor of voices, low houses, and bustling pedestrians drew curious glances towards their group.
"Is this an illusion?"
Zhan Dundun exclaimed, looking around, then reached out to touch a nearby utility pole, finding the texture incredibly real.
Su Jinxiu surveyed their surroundings, her eyes glowing with a faint red light.
"This might not be a simple illusion."
"Where are you all from?" A kindly old woman asked curiously.
She asked because Liu Nanfeng and his companions' attire stood out dramatically among the crowd.
The streetscape, clothing, and signage all exuded the style of the 1990s.
Thus, Liu Nanfeng's group's clothing seemed rather avant-garde, drawing much attention.
"Auntie, where is this place?" Liu Nanfeng countered, not answering the question.
"This is Luojiaji, are you from a big city?" the old woman continued.
"Luojiaji?" Liu Nanfeng was puzzled as to what Luojiaji was.
He replied, "Yes, we're from Jiangcheng."
"Jiangcheng?"
It was clear that neither the old woman nor Liu Nanfeng knew what Jiangcheng was. However, they assumed it must be a large city, otherwise, the clothes worn by this group would be so beautiful.
"What are you doing in Luojiaji? Visiting relatives?" the old woman inquired again.
"No, we got lost on our way to somewhere else and ended up here," Su Jinxiu answered from the side.
"Lost? Yes, the mountain roads outside wind and have many forks, people often take the wrong path." The old woman did not seem surprised.
"Auntie, I'd like to ask, what's the nearest city and how do I get there?"
"The nearest is Yuedong City, but it's not close. You can take a bus there. There are two buses to Yuedong every day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon," the old woman said, pointing in another direction along the long street.
"Thank you, Auntie," Su Jinxiu said.
"You're welcome, then you all be busy." The old woman turned and left.
"This illusion is so real," Su Huamei commented with a sigh.
From the conversation between Su Jinxiu and the old woman, it was evident that the old woman possessed independent consciousness, and her attire, appearance, demeanor, and actions showed no flaws, unlike something artificially created.
"Let's go, we'll check ahead," Su Jinxiu led the way.
Liu Nanfeng and the others quickly followed, simultaneously observing their surroundings with curiosity.
They hadn't seen such an authentic 1990s street scene for many years. Their only memories were from their childhood, and they were already very vague.
"Huh, there are even oil cakes, I haven't eaten them in years," Su Huamei said with delight upon seeing a breakfast stall by the roadside.
Oil cakes, also known as youbing, are made from flour, coated with sugar, and then deep-fried. They are crispy on the outside, sweet and tender on the inside, and taste very good.
Su Jinxiu turned to look and saw that the stall not only had oil cakes but also fried dough sticks and sticky rice cakes.
"If you want to eat, then buy them," Su Jinxiu said.
"I don't have any money, and besides..." Su Huamei started to say that even if she did, it probably wouldn't be usable here.
Su Huamei looked around, walked to the side of the street, picked up a leaf from the ground, twirled it in her hand, and transformed it into an old five-yuan banknote. She then handed it to the breakfast stall owner.
"Boss, two oil cakes, please."
"Alright."
The owner happily packed two oil cakes in a plastic bag and handed them to Su Jinxiu, returning four yuan in change. He didn't notice that Su Jinxiu had used counterfeit money.
"Can illusions also be used with sorcery?" Su Huamei was somewhat surprised.
"So, it's possible this isn't an illusion," Su Jinxiu frowned, speaking very seriously.
"Yes, it feels too real," Zhan Dundun agreed.
Illusions, by definition, affect a person's five senses and draw them into a fabricated world.
Because the five senses are deceived, people become immersed in it, making everything feel real.
However, these individuals possessed immense strength, making it extremely difficult to drag them all into an illusion without leaving any trace of artifice.
Moreover, Su Jinxiu's cultivation technique was special. The opening of the "White Bone Sitting and Forgetting Scripture" began with the visualization of a sacred skeleton in a seated and forgotten state. Long-term contemplation of this image would condense an image of a sacred skeleton in a seated and forgotten state within the spiritual sea.
This was the fundamental law of the "White Bone Sitting and Forgetting Scripture." With this image residing in the spiritual sea, one could refine their spirit, see through falsehoods, and achieve an unshakeable state of mind. If any illusion could deceive her, it would have to shake her very foundation.
And this was completely impossible. If her foundation were to be shaken, she would collapse entirely and dissipate into the heavens and earth, rather than standing here.
Therefore, Su Jinxiu was certain that this was absolutely not an illusion, but possibly a real world.
"Wow, this taste, this texture, it's exactly like the real thing, I can't feel any difference."
Hearing Su Huamei's words, Su Jinxiu's frown deepened.
They observed their surroundings as they walked in the direction the old woman had pointed.
Just then, a clattering sound of coins hitting bowls and basins suddenly reached their ears.
They followed the sound and saw a little girl, about three or four years old, standing before them.
Her hair was messy, her face dirty, but her eyes were large and bright.
She wore a petal-collar dress, originally red, but now so soiled that its original color was barely visible.
A wire was looped around her neck, from which hung a milk powder can. Inside the can were a few coins; the sound they heard was the coins clinking against the metal can.
"Goo goo, goo goo..."
The little girl's bright eyes fixed on them, and she made gurgling sounds.
The group then noticed that her sleeves were empty.
ps: Two more chapters will be updated normally