Illusion, from a psychological perspective, is a mistaken sensory response, such as seeing an apple as an orange, or hearing someone talking when there is no sound.

When experiencing illusions, people often find it difficult to discern whether it is indeed an illusion, because it stems from one's own senses.

An illusion realm is different from a simple illusion; it is not a sensory misjudgment but rather something nonexistent that directly appears in one's consciousness, somewhat like dreaming.

The difference between an illusion realm and a dream is that the person is awake and knows they are awake. It is usually very clear, complete, and coherent, even unfolding with changes that follow its internal logic.

Cultivators can typically discern the illusion realm, knowing clearly that everything they see does not exist in reality.

He Kao now attains the fixed realm known as the Demon Realm. Some refer to all the illusions appearing in the fixed realm collectively as "Heart Demons." A person's Heart Demon always exists, but in this case, it appears in the form of illusions.

The Demon Realm is a special kind of illusion realm, distinct in that the cultivator must not be influenced by the illusion realm.

Most descriptions of the Demon Realm in publicly circulated ancient texts are vague, leaving only abstract phrases such as "beloved imagery, teasing words, singing and dancing corrupt views; terrifying objects, binding and beating, hacking and stabbing..."

There are also very specific depictions, often found in anecdotal notes and strange legends, generally describing scenarios where someone's Heart Demon emerges during meditation, offering either very tempting or terrifying scenes.

This person didn't maintain their fixed heart and broke their cultivation on the spot.

If you ask a true cultivator what kind of Demon Realm they faced, successful practitioners are often vague. It's not that they don't want to tell you, but they genuinely can't articulate it!

Because in their fixed realm, the consciousness is absolutely clear, but they do not respond to everything they see in the illusions. They are aware of all they see, but do not truly remember it.

Memory, after all, is the trace left by sensory responses to various stimuli. Those who can tell very detailed Demon Realm contents are either filling the gaps post-event or had their fixed heart broken on the spot.

A broken fixed heart may mean that it will be difficult to re-enter the Demon Realm for a long time, and their cultivation may stagnate, leading to doubts about themselves, their techniques, and even their masters.

But this is not the most serious situation; the real problem is transitioning from demon to illusion.

When a cultivator engages with things they see in the Demon Realm, knowing they are illusory, it is called transitioning from demon into illusion, also known as "falling into the demon."

Many popular stories involve a man seeing a seductive goddess in the Demon Realm, then losing control and engaging in a romantic interaction, thereby becoming immersed in the illusion realm...

Such cases are actually rare and mostly a product of imaginative storytelling. Cultivators at this level should at least have the willpower or vigilance to resist.

But if you slightly alter the scenario, what if in the Demon Realm they see a lover they once loved deeply but who has tragically passed away?

What if that person says they have something very important to tell you, and you've been longing to know about the unspoken things between you?

In such a situation, can you avoid responding? In that unconscious fixed realm, there is no concept of resisting or not resisting; with a single thought, you could fall into the demon.

Transitioning from demon to illusion is very dangerous; some people lose their minds, others severely deplete their Primordial Qi, and many have their fixed realm distorted, finding it difficult to reach true awareness again...all in all, the outcomes are unpredictable.

Therefore, when guiding disciples, the master emphasizes that it's better for the fixed realm to shatter than to respond to anything seen in the Demon Realm, even if it means temporarily halting cultivation.

He Kao saw his father, Zhou Du, in the fixed realm, a face now somewhat blurred in memory but exceptionally clear here. His father might have said many things, perhaps feeling very gratified seeing him grow up.

His father might have also confessed Hidden Moth's identity to him and shared many experiences from his time as Hidden Moth, possibly also telling him that he'd left something in a certain secret place.

He Kao also saw a woman, in her younger years; though her appearance was not very clear, she seemed very beautiful and gentle. She told He Kao she was his mother and possibly asked He Kao—would he like to know her current situation?

He Kao did not have his fixed heart shattered nor transitioned from demon to illusion. He meditated for about an hour but felt somewhat dazed upon coming out, as if he had just entered meditation moments ago.

The tear stains on his face had dried, yet he didn't know when he had shed tears.

He could vaguely guess what he experienced in the fixed realm, but could not recall any specific details, nor was there a need to. Yet another feeling surged in his heart, like remembering many things once forgotten.

What he truly recalled was not what he saw in the Demon Realm, but something related to the Divine Thought Heart Seal. Many contents of the Divine Thought Heart Seal left by the elders were finally being deciphered by him.

He Kao casually took out something, it was Xue Guanghan.

With the three chess pieces of vehicle, horse, and cannon, there was no need to use Xue Guanghan as a hidden weapon, yet he still carried this bead with him. On usual days, he nurtured Xue Guanghan with his Divine Sense, and the bead's spiritual subtlety also nourished his form and spirit, assisting him in cultivating Ice Skin Jade Bone.

Xue Guanghan itself is almost a naturally formed magical treasure, only missing the final step to becoming a complete artifact, requiring no profound and arduous artifact refining techniques, only needing to unite with form and spirit, sensing and triggering its subtlety.

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