This palace cluster seemed to be a place within the Qionghua Sect where teachings were imparted, and the hall for transmitting cultivation techniques was the central hub of this realm. Below the hundred-meter staircase lay a vast, flat square, connecting various lecture halls around it.
From this high vantage point, one could see many disciples clad in light cyan apparel walking under the eaves of these halls.
In groups of two or three, chatting and laughing boisterously, it was exceptionally lively.
Xu Yuan did not hurry down.
With his profound cultivation, even from a distance, he could still hear their conversations when he focused his Spirit Condensation.
The content was trivial and complicated.
Some were discussing the mundane aspects of life, some were talking about cultivation techniques and secret arts, and there were even some male disciples gathered together discussing matters related to the fair female disciples and their spiritual puppets.
All sorts of people, displaying the myriad forms of human life, as if he were truly in the midst of the flourishing Qionghua Sect from tens of thousands of years ago!
Xu Yuan hesitated slightly and transmitted his voice to the girl beside him:
"Tianyan, is this mountain gate really just an illusion?"
Everything felt too real.
Tianyan glanced at him and said softly:
"Of course it’s an illusion. Everything within the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness is very real."
"The Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness?"
Xu Yuan frowned and asked:
"If we are both conscious, isn’t this supposed to be the Illusionary Realm of True Self?"
The difference between the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness and the Illusionary Realm of True Self was like the difference between lucid dreams and hazy dreams when ordinary people sleep.
Tianyan’s gaze was calm as she replied softly:
"This is indeed the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness. I’m uninfluenced by it because of the Soul Chapter of the Yantian Art. As for you..."
At this point, she looked him up and down for a few breaths and shook her head:
"I’m not sure why you’re unaffected by it."
Tianyan’s golden pupils reflected a hint of regret.
If Xu Yuan were mired in self-forgetfulness, she could have done whatever she wished and completely anchored him to her during the time spent in this illusion.
Xu Yuan, upon hearing her, had roughly formed his own conjectures.
It seemed that his immunity to self-forgetfulness was likely due to the influence of the cherry blossom mark on his forehead.
Tianyan did not intend to delve deeper into the matter, as she knew that probing would yield her no answers from this rascal.
she gazed at the Qionghua disciples moving about below, continuing to speak to herself:
"Although the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness is real, these people will only proceed according to the future set by the caster and will not react to us."
As she spoke, Tianyan’s cool voice carried a hint of emotion:
"They are merely replaying certain scenes from ten thousand years ago before our eyes."
After finishing, Tianyan shook her head gently and began walking down the stairs.
Xu Yuan remained silent.
He had thought that these long-gone disciples of the sect would react to their actions just like real people.
But what Tianyan said made sense.
In this mountain gate, there were tens of thousands of disciples; if all had their own consciousness, then who would be controlling these conscious beings?
This wasn’t the past world with its artificial unintelligence AI.
Nevertheless, Xu Yuan still carefully extended his Will-spirit to verify Tianyan’s claim.
The method of verification was simple.
If he were to openly use his Will-spirit to probe a disciple below and they showed no reaction, then what Tianyan said would be true; if there was a reaction, the opposite would be true.
Xu Yuan, with a grim face, called out to Tianyan:
"Hmm?" Tianyan stopped in her tracks.
"Are you certain this is the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness?"
"And you’re also certain that people in the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness won’t react to our actions?"
Tianyan’s eyes flickered with confusion, not quite understanding why Xu Yuan would suddenly ask this.
Xu Yuan ignored her and, looking apologetic, bowed his hands in salute towards the distance, transmitting a message.
Because of the Yantian Art, Tianyan heard what Xu Yuan said:
"Apologies, no offense intended."
With a puzzled heart, she followed his gaze, and her golden pupils slightly narrowed.
She saw that a young man in plain clothing walking alone in the palace square had paused and was looking in their direction with a questioning look.
After hearing Xu Yuan’s sincerely apologetic transmission, the young man hesitated for a moment, nodded, and transmitted back with a bow:
"There is no offense taken, Brother Jing He, it’s a trivial matter."
Xu Yuan’s heart tightened.
Even with a different appearance, this Qionghua Sect disciple recognized him as the "Jing He" from ten thousand years ago.
It should be the Jing He from Yuchu Jing He.
Yet immediately after, Xu Yuan turned to gaze at Tianyan with a meaningful look.
Witnessing this scene, Tianyan fell silent, her thoughts churning.
This illusion was completely different from the Illusionary Realm of Self-Forgetfulness she knew!
Xu Yuan patted her wounded left shoulder forcibly, keeping a calm face as he walked downwards.
Tianyan snapped back to reality with a pang of pain, took a deep breath, and hurriedly followed.
This place was crowded, not suitable for discussing such matters.
As the two walked into the vast square below,
the male and female disciples around them all offered them a nod of recognition. Some even whispered to their companions about "Xu Yuan."
Thanks to these exchanges, Xu Yuan roughly understood Jing He’s status within the Qionghua Sect.
A peerless prodigy among the second generation of disciples, a prominent figure of the sect, and with a childhood sweetheart as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal, presumably the "Yuchu."
As he passed by, Xu Yuan observed everything around him and listened to all sides, silently gathering information about his identity from the chatter of those nearby, after all, he had no memory of himself in this illusion.