The world around Yun flickered again—like someone wiped a dirty mirror with a wet hand—and the broken temple returned for a breath before folding into another illusion. Yun didn't even get time to breathe properly. Shen Yu stood outside the illusion formation in the "real world," watching closely, arms crossed, his face calm but tense around the corners. He knew this stage wouldn't be easy for Yun… but that was the point.

Inside, Yun clenched his jaw. His heartbeat wasn't scared anymore, more like annoyed and stubborn. Every illusion so far was trying to peel him open like a fruit, showing all the weak parts he hated to look at.

He wasn't going to let the illusion win.

Illusion 4 – The Betrayal Road

The world shifted into a narrow mountain path, fog licking the edges of the cliff. Yun saw people walking ahead—villagers. People he knew. Auntie Lin. Old Guo. Liang. Even the annoying chicken (or a chicken that looked like her). But they weren't greeting him. They weren't smiling.

They whispered about him.

"He's dangerous," one hissed.

"I saw him glowing again."

"What if he attracts more monsters?"

"He's not normal. Even Shen Yu watches him like a bomb."

Yun tried to shout, "That's not true!" but his voice came out cracked, weak. They didn't hear him. They kept walking, heads turning away like he was a ghost.

Then his mother turned around last, her expression cold in a way Yun hated. "You should've stayed small, Yun… you're not the boy I raised."

That part hit him like a knife. For a moment, he felt something tightening around his chest. The old Yun would've broken down or cried here. But he exhaled slowly and pushed his emotions down.

"This isn't real," he muttered. "You can't get me with this."

He didn't scream. Didn't argue.

He just walked past all of them—head held straight—ignoring their shadows like they were fog. The illusion cracked around him, the scene shattering like glass dropped on stone.

A voice whispered faintly in the collapsing illusion:

"A heart that bends too easily… will break in war. Learn to harden."

Yun swallowed hard. That one hurt more than he wanted to admit, but he didn't show it.

Illusion 5 – The Choice of Power

This time he stood in a battlefield. Not a grand cosmic battlefield, but a rough wasteland filled with stones, dust, and the smell of copper. Two figures kneeled at his feet—faded shapes but clearly meant to represent actual choices.

One figure was a child crying, clutching his leg.

The other was a shadowy warrior pointing a blade at Yun's chest, daring him.

In the sky, ancient runes glowed:

CHOOSE: MERCY OR STRENGTH

Yun bit his lip. This illusion was trying to see what type of ruler he might become one day… or what type of monster.

"Both options feel stupid," Yun muttered, rubbing his forehead.

He crouched and touched the child gently, then picked up a stone and threw it at the warrior's head. The shadow warrior staggered, the illusion glitching in confusion.

Yun grabbed the child, rolled with him through the dust, and used the warrior's attack momentum to slam the guy's blade into the ground.

"No one said I must choose like you want," Yun snapped. "Mercy and strength aren't enemies."

The illusion froze. Then the battlefield folded away completely.

A half-amused voice whispered:

"Unorthodox. Unpredictable. Dangerous. He will not follow the heavens' design."

Yun smirked a little. He didn't even know why.

Illusion 6 – The Cosmos Trembles

This illusion didn't look like an illusion at all. It was too real.

Stars stretched endlessly, forming an ocean of swirling nebula. Space cracked like frozen glass in some places. A gigantic shadow moved far off in the cosmic dark—something with wings of galaxy clusters and eyes like black holes.

Yun froze. This wasn't just some memory projection. This was a real threat. Something that existed somewhere out there.

The creature turned its enormous head toward him.

"Nope, nope, nope—this one better be fake," Yun whispered, taking a step back.

But the creature saw him. Even if just for a second.

Its whisper shook the illusion:

"Found… you…"

Yun's blood went ice cold.

The illusion shattered violently, and Yun stumbled back into another layer of the temple's inner world, gasping for breath.

Outside the illusion, Shen Yu's eyes snapped open.

He muttered, "Damn it… they're sensing him faster than expected."

Yun Awakens More… and Changes

Back inside, Yun pushed up to his feet. His hands shook—not from fear but from adrenaline. The illusions were no joke anymore. They were prying into cosmic threats.

But Yun's face slowly hardened. He wiped his sweat with the back of his arm and whispered:

"I won't be that scared kid anymore."

His voice surprised even himself—lower, calmer, colder.

A faint silver aura drifted across his shoulders. His bloodline rippled. His heartbeat felt like a drum echoing in a cave.

Then… another illusion opened.

This time—he felt ready.

The Path Ahead

This new illusion was a large courtyard, half broken, half beautiful. Symbols floated around. Yun felt someone approaching. Not an enemy… not a memory… but someone real. Or real enough.

A boy with ash-white hair and bronze eyes leaned against a pillar, arms crossed.

"So you're the one the heavens are screaming about," the boy said with a smirk. "Cute. I'm Arin. You and I are gonna meet for real one day… so don't die in here."

Yun's eyebrows shot up. "Are you… an illusion too?"

Arin shrugged. "Half. A leftover imprint of my real self. But hey—I'm rooting for you."

Before Yun could speak, the courtyard folded in on itself, pushing him toward the next trial.

Outside the Illusion – Yun's Parents Stir

In the Celestial Sky, Yun's real father paused during a cosmic meeting, turning his head sharply as if hearing something.

"Lianxing?" Yun's mother asked softly.

He frowned. "The boy's bloodline spiked again. If he survives the brush master's illusions… he may awaken earlier than all predictions."

Yueran smiled slightly, though fear hid beneath. "He's growing too fast."

"Fast is good," Lianxing said, voice stern. "He must be ready."

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