The world twisted the moment Yun stepped deeper into the broken temple's formation circle.

He felt his stomach lurch, like falling through the sky upside down, and the ground beneath him melted into ink.

Shen Yu's voice echoed behind him, faint but stern:

"Face them. All of them. Don't run."

Then Yun dropped straight into the first illusion.

First Illusion: The Village of Silence (Fear Illusion)

Yun found himself standing in Starfall Village… except it was wrong.

Everything was pale, like washed-out charcoal drawings.

The wind didn't move.

The houses stood crooked.

Even the chickens were frozen mid-step, like broken toys.

Yun swallowed hard.

"I—I know this place. But why does it feel dead?"

He walked forward, slowly at first, then faster, shouting:

"Mother? Father? Shen Yu?! Anybody? Hey—don't mess around!"

No answer.

Only the echo of his own voice bouncing back at him.

Then he saw it.

A single figure standing at the well — himself.

But this Yun had no eyes, only empty pits. He didn't move, didn't blink. Just stared… or tried to stare.

A shiver crawled up Yun's back.

The eyeless Yun opened its mouth and a thin, broken whisper came out:

"You can't save anyone. You couldn't even save yourself."

Yun's knees almost buckled.

The illusion pressed on his chest like invisible fingers squeezing the life out of him.

But then something inside Yun snapped instead of breaking.

"No. That's not true," he muttered, teeth grinding.

"I survived everything thrown at me. I fought. I'm STILL fighting!"

Light burst from his chest not fully controlled, messy and uneven but strong enough to shatter the illusion's grip.

The eyeless copy cracked like glass and fell apart.

The frozen village melted into mist.

And Yun rose from it, breathing hard but standing stronger.

Fear defeated.

Second Illusion: The Battlefield of Ash (Pain Illusion)

The ground turned black.

Ash rained from a red sky.

Mountains burned in the distance.

Yun coughed as smoke filled his lungs.

Then he saw bodies.

Too many.

Men, women, old people, warriors in armor he didn't recognize — all fallen.

In the center of the carnage stood a tall man with a broken sword.

His back was turned, but Yun somehow recognized him instinctively…

His father.

Yun's real father.

Emperor Lianxing — but wounded, bleeding, barely able to stand.

"F—father?" Yun whispered, stepping forward.

Lianxing turned slowly, his face pale, golden blood dripping from his fingertips.

His voice thundered:

"Do you understand the cost of power? Would you trade your warmth… your kindness… your heart for it?"

The battlefield shook violently.

Pain stabbed Yun's chest, like a spear driven straight through him.

He gasped, falling to his knees.

Every regret he'd ever had — every fear of weakness — every moment he felt useless — crushed him like a mountain.

He saw flashes of Shen Yu bleeding.

His mother crying.

Villagers dying.

All because he wasn't strong enough.

The illusion whispered:

"Give up. Become nothing."

But Yun gritted his teeth so hard they almost cracked.

"No… I'm done being nothing. I'm done being weak. And if pain is the price… then I'll pay it."

Silver light erupted beneath him.

The burning battlefield split apart and dissolved.

Pain accepted.

Third Illusion: The Hall of Faces (Identity Illusion)

Yun found himself standing in a dark hall lined with floating mirrors.

Each mirror showed a different Yun.

A cowardly Yun hiding behind Shen Yu.

A cruel Yun who killed without remorse.

A lazy Yun who never trained.

A tyrant Yun sitting on a throne dripping with blood.

A perfect Yun who smiled like a saint.

Each reflection whispered:

"Choose me."

"Choose me."

"Choose me."

Their voices layered into a storm that drilled into his skull.

Yun clutched his head.

"Stop… stop… I'm none of you!"

The reflections twisted, becoming monstrous versions of himself.

Then one stepped out — the perfect Yun — handsome, calm, flawless.

"You should choose me," it said. "No flaws, no fear, no mistakes. Everyone will love you."

Yun stared at it… then shook his head slowly.

"No. Perfection isn't real. A real me makes mistakes… gets scared… gets angry… but still pushes forward."

The mirror Yun cracked from forehead to chin.

Every reflection shattered at once, pieces swirling like broken stars.

Yun walked forward, expression steadier.

Not cold.

Not perfect.

Just determined.

Identity chosen: himself.

Somewhere in the upper layer

Yun fell through the shattering illusions and landed on a new platform made of floating runes.

He wasn't done.

He wasn't even halfway.

But something was different now.

His steps felt heavier but surer.

His breathing calmer.

His eyes sharper, less naïve.

Something ancient inside him had begun to wake completely.

And far, far away in the real Celestial Sky

three young cultivators felt a sudden pull toward him, unaware they would become his future allies.

And his parents…

watched with pride hidden under forced sorrow.

The illusions were only beginning.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.