The next day was a sunny one.
The four seasons in Gufeng Mountain were distinct. As soon as early spring arrives, it’s as if the snow covering the mountains melted overnight, revealing various shades of green.
The colors of the rainbow at Chu Hong Terrace were livelier than usual. The five colors intertwined with the swirling clouds, amidst the vibrant peach and plum blossoms, near the waterfall, someone was practicing with a spear.
On brocade clothes, the red peony patterns were vivid and eye-catching, making the young man look even more handsome and spirited. As the silver spear danced, peach blossoms fluttered down, mingling with the rouge-colored hair ribbon. Yellow orioles sang on the trees, and the distant misty light made even the passage of time seem delightful.
Hearing footsteps, Gu Baiying paused and turned his head.
Zanxing waved at him, “Senior Uncle!”
His gaze fell on the Panhua staff at Zanxing’s waist, and he frowned slightly, “Why are you still using this staff?”
The Panhua staff had broken in half during the fight with the Mirage Woman. Later, after returning to the Taiyan Sect, Yue Qin, who was skilled in crafting spiritual weapons, helped repair it. Although it was usable, it looked quite shabby and unattractive. However, none of the spiritual weapons in the arsenal suited Zanxing, and as she preferred using a staff, she had no choice but to make do with it for now.
“Senior Aunt said she would find a more suitable staff for me, but there aren’t many staffs to begin with,” Zanxing said, “Let’s not talk about that for now. Have you figured out how to teach me illusions?”
Gu Baiying glanced at her, “Why do you want to learn illusions?”
Zanxing thought to herself, mastering illusions was something to be proud of, but she couldn’t say this to Gu Baiying. After pondering for a moment, she replied, “In life, having many skills can keep one from starving. The Mirage Woman’s illusions could even handle the cultivators in the sect. If I could refine my illusion skills to perfection, they might come in handy in future fights, and who knows, they might even become my secret weapon.”
In this world, there were countless experts, and with the “Heavenly Dao” eyeing them covetously, in life-and-death situations, if direct confrontation didn’t work, using illusions might help to escape.
“Using illusions as a trump card,” Gu Baiying sneered, “Don’t tell people you’re a disciple of the Taiyan Sect.”
“What’s wrong with illusions?” Zanxing argued, “In life-and-death situations, outsmarting is more useful than brute force.”
Gu Baiying couldn’t be bothered to argue with her and gestured for her to follow. They walked to the waterfall at the edge of Chu Hong Terrace. “Illusions require mental power cultivation. Most cultivators who cultivate mental power are talisman masters, like Third Uncle. Few use mental power to practice illusions. Unlike great demons, cultivators have limited mental power and can’t transform large objects, let alone cities.”
“Then what’s the highest level a cultivator can reach in illusion training? How strong does the mental power need to be for the flower tree in your hall?” Zanxing asked earnestly.
“Most cultivators who practice illusions can create birds, flowers, insects, and fish. At most, they can create lifelike humans, depending on their mental strength. Creating the Biyi Blossom tree in Elysium Hall is not difficult; the challenge is maintaining its form for a long time,” Gu Baiying answered seriously. “Mental power is harder to cultivate than spiritual power, and the returns don’t equal the effort. Using your cultivated mental power to practice illusions is a waste.”
“Everyone has their own ideas,” Zanxing persisted. “I don’t think it’s a waste.”
Gu Baiying was speechless. After a moment, he said, “Close your eyes, focus your breath, and concentrate on the object you want to create in your mind. Don’t think about anything else, and don’t get distracted. You should feel a flow of energy like spiritual power in your mind.”
Though Zanxing found his teaching method rather rough, she still obediently closed her eyes and tried hard to visualize as he instructed.
“Don’t get distracted,” he scolded. “When your spirit is calm, you will enter the divine spiritual realm in your mind.”
Zanxing tried hard to ignore the person beside her.
“Do you feel anything?”
Zanxing: “Yes.”
“What does it feel like?”
“Like constipation.”
Gu Baiying: “…”
He pressed his forehead, feeling a headache, and said, “Your mental power is really weak; you can’t even enter the divine spiritual realm. I really don’t know how you managed to break the illusion in Wufan City.”
Zanxing opened her eyes, feeling indignant, “Senior Uncle, who teaches like you? Why don’t you demonstrate it for me first?”
Gu Baiying glanced at her, his expression rather proud, “Then watch carefully.”
He walked to the edge of Chu Hong Terrace and closed his eyes. The waterfall, like pearls, splashed into the stream, breaking into fine threads. Suddenly, Zanxing felt an illusion as if time had paused for a moment.
In an instant, the flowing waterfall started to crystallize from bottom to top, turning into sparkling ice. The chattering orioles flapped their wings and flew away. The peach tree, which was blooming exuberantly by the stream, quickly lost its rouge color, becoming withered and yellow. The vibrant colors were covered in white snow, transitioning from spring to winter, from lively to still, in what seemed like a heartbeat.
Zanxing was stunned.
Is this an illusion?
His voice came from the side, “Illusions need to be maintained with mental power. This transformation can last one to two hours. Since you can’t even touch the divine spiritual realm yet, don’t even think about maintaining it for long.”
Not hearing Zanxing’s response, Gu Baiying frowned slightly, “Yang Zanxing?”
A clear voice suddenly rang in his ears, accompanied by the cool touch of fingertips on his forehead.
“Senior Uncle, it seems this illusion is truly magical.”
Gu Baiying’s eyes snapped open.
Zanxing’s face was right in front of him. She leaned in, looking up at him, her hand touching his forehead. She stared into Gu Baiying’s eyes, as if trying to see through him, with a hint of confusion and admiration: “Why is your mental power so strong? What exactly makes you different from me?”
The young man was taken aback.
Her gaze was clear, more crystalline than the water at Chu Hong Terrace. As she leaned closer, a faint scent of magnolia emanated from her. The female disciples in the sect loved using the long incense balls from Hua Jin Pavilion, a fragrance he usually disliked, but for the first time, he found it pleasant.
The black scar on her face, once inflicted by the Yu, seemed to have faded a bit, revealing her originally fair skin. She was like the only vitality in this icy season, capable of melting even the ice pond maintained by the illusion.
Ding—
A faint sound emerged from somewhere.
His heart jolted, and he instinctively reached for the bell at his waist. Zanxing, unaware of his actions, swayed slightly and stepped forward, making their proximity close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Zanxing was momentarily stunned.
The ice and snow began to melt.
The crystallized frost, unable to hold back, cascaded down the stream with force. In an instant, everything that was still became lively. The east wind blew away the snow clouds on the branches, transforming them into vibrant peach blossoms. Thousands of colors, delicate grasses, and a gentle breeze. The young man’s clean features showed a fleeting moment of embarrassment in his clear eyes, as the peach blossoms fell like rain, landing on his red hair ribbon, dancing with his red cheeks.
The splendid spring scenery, shimmering in the sunlight, was indescribable.