Chapter 115 Illusionary Array:

"What exactly is going on? Why can't we find Fellow Daoist Rong, but Aying can?" Captain Zhao was completely baffled.

"Could it be that we've encountered a ghost wall?" Linglong gasped.

After thinking for a moment, Rong Xie said, "You all stand still and wait a moment."

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Rong Xie appeared at the corner of the wall, holding an eagle-headed falcon in his hand.

Captain Zhao looked at Rong Xie walking over in surprise: "What, what's going on?"

The little eagle-headed falcon cried out and flapped its wings to fly onto Linglong's shoulder.

“We’re not stuck in a maze, but rather encountering a deliberately set illusion,” Rong Xie explained. “One of us is probably seeing a mirror image of the world, not the real one.”

"Huh?" "A mirror world?"

“The mirror world is the opposite of the real world. When I said to go left, people in the mirror world would go right. Since we both go right, of course we’ll never meet,” Rong Xie explained further.

“That makes sense, but we don’t feel like we’ve been tricked by any illusions…” Captain Zhao was skeptical.

"Captain Zhao, Miss Linglong, please stretch your hands out and take a closer look," Rong Xie said.

The two did as he said, stretching their hands out, and exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, this is my right hand! How come my right hand is on the left side?!"

"Don't panic, try touching your right ear with your right hand again," Rong Xie said.

The two did as instructed, and their right hands successfully touched their right ears. However, in their field of vision, it was their left hands that were withdrawn, and they were reaching towards their left cheeks.

"What the hell!" Captain Zhao cursed, and Linglong was also terrified, exclaiming that it was bad luck.

Seeing this, the other team members also started taking the test, and everyone immediately fell into chaos.

"What...what exactly is going on? When did we get infected?"

"Who is so malicious as to secretly cast a spell on us?"

"Please calm down, everyone," Rong Xieqing said in a clear voice. "When you came here, did you smell the fragrance of roses?"

After Rong Xie's reminder, Captain Zhao and the others remembered that they had indeed smelled the fragrance of roses. At the time, they thought that the mentally challenged child had said that there was a large flower in the Lu mansion that resembled a flower demon, so it was not surprising that such a fragrance was coming from there, and they did not pay attention to resisting it.

"I was almost controlled by this fragrance yesterday, so we can't let our guard down," Rong Xie said. In fact, he had already told Captain Zhao this in a telepathic message, but there was too much information to convey at the same time, so Captain Zhao didn't remember it and fell for it as soon as he arrived today.

"So what do we do now?" Captain Zhao felt uncomfortable all over as soon as he saw his right hand, which was on his left side. "Do we have to hold our breath to avoid being affected?"

“I have a way.” Rong Xie pondered for a moment, then recited a series of mental cultivation techniques, instructing Captain Zhao and Linglong to follow them first.

The two circulated their spiritual energy according to the incantation, and felt a sudden clarity in their minds. When they looked at their hands again, they found that both sides had returned to normal.

"Ha, it's normal now!" Linglong exclaimed in delight.

"Thank you very much, Fellow Daoist Rong!" Captain Zhao bowed respectfully to Rong Xie. "We are extremely grateful that Fellow Daoist Rong is willing to impart such a high-level cultivation method to us... I wonder if it would be convenient to pass it on to the other team members? If it is inconvenient..."

"It's convenient, please pass it on to everyone," Rong Xie said with a smile.

Captain Zhao was overjoyed and thanked Rong Xie repeatedly. He then turned around and gathered the treasure-hunting team members, telling them the mental techniques and incantations that Rong Xie had just taught him.

After the team members recirculated their spiritual energy according to Rong Xie's mental cultivation techniques, they all released the control of the mirror and returned to normal.

"As expected of an inner disciple of the Spirit Mirror Sect! This Immortal Rong's cultivation technique is indeed formidable!"

"We are extremely grateful to Immortal Rong for sharing such a high-level cultivation method with us so generously!"

The treasure hunters gathered around and warmly expressed their gratitude to Rong Xie.

"This isn't some powerful inner sect cultivation technique. It's an improvement on the Ice Heart Technique that I developed. It's fast-acting and doesn't consume much spiritual energy," Rong Xie explained. "However, it's not the authentic Ice Heart Technique after all. It can only deal with some low-level bewitching and confusion techniques. If you go any deeper into the well, it's hard to say."

Upon hearing Rong Xie's words, Captain Zhao suddenly realized, "No wonder Fellow Daoist Rong wouldn't let me go up earlier."

“Well, the advantage now is that this interference seems to be targeted at people and has no effect on Aying. After entering the ‘well,’ we can still have Aying lead the way,” Rong Xie said. “But the rose fragrance may become stronger as we get closer to its source, and that won’t be something the Ice Heart Technique can solve.”

Rong Xie voiced his concerns, and Captain Zhao also looked grave. He turned back and discussed the matter with his team members.

The treasure-hunting team members, being freelance cultivators with a wide range of knowledge, came up with all sorts of ideas. One person said he knew wind magic and could walk behind the group and create a strong wind to blow away anything, whether it smelled good or bad. However, this trick wouldn't work in a confined space. Another person suggested putting a barrier over everyone's head to block out the fragrance of the flowers. As for what to do if the outside air was also blocked, he hadn't thought of that yet.

The most reliable suggestion came from Xiangxiu in the team. Xiangxiu said that they could fight poison with poison, first using her fragrance to occupy everyone's minds, so that the rose scent could not get in. However, this method also has risks, namely that someone must always remain clear-headed and guide everyone.

After discussing it, everyone agreed that Captain Zhao was the most skilled and had the best leadership among them, so the responsibility of guiding everyone would fall on Captain Zhao's shoulders. If Captain Zhao became dazed, Rong Xie could wake him up from the side. With this double insurance, there shouldn't be any problems.

Captain Zhao told Rong Xie about the solution they had come up with, and Rong Xie smiled wryly: "You really trust me. You're treating me as your last line of defense."

"Fellow Daoist Rong is learned in both ancient and modern times, and acts with caution and prudence. He is the most trustworthy person among us roughnecks," Captain Zhao praised.

"You all have misunderstood," Rong Xie said. However, he couldn't think of a better solution. With the die already cast, he had no time to hesitate, so he agreed to the plan.

Once the plan was agreed upon, Xiangxiu began burning incense. The emerald green incense mist spread out, enveloping the treasure-hunting team members. Everyone simultaneously smelled a strong fragrance that was very refreshing, though a bit pungent.

"This concentration is strong enough to drive out the other incense," Xiangxiu explained. After doing this, she stood up and handed the incense burner to Captain Zhao, teaching him some simple ways to use it, how to expand the range, and how to increase the concentration. "When we walk later, Brother Zhao, just make sure everyone is surrounded by the incense mist."

"Okay," Captain Zhao replied.

"Master Rong, keep an eye on Captain Zhao. If the incense mist has clearly dissipated and Captain Zhao still hasn't reacted, call his name." Xiang Xiu thought for a moment and then added, "If that doesn't work, then hit him."

“Yes, Fellow Daoist Rong, hit me as hard as you want. I’m thick-skinned and it doesn’t bother me,” Captain Zhao said, then turned to Xiang Xiu and asked, “What if hitting me is useless?”

"Then we have no choice but to run," Xiangxiu said. "Going out to call for help is better than being wiped out completely."

Captain Zhao nodded and turned to look at Rong Xie.

Rong Xie fumbled for the jade pendant at his waist and said, "It won't come to that. As long as we discover the monster's true form, I can contact Shen Bingsi. We can leave the rest to him."

"Oh right, I almost forgot, Sword Saint Shen is here too." "Why didn't Sword Saint Shen come along?" "He must have been held up by something." "Yesterday he was very eager to fly with us..."

When the team members heard that they had Shen Bingsi as a support, the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Everyone started talking at once, but Captain Zhao clapped his hands again to bring everyone's attention back.

"No time to waste, let's go!"

At Captain Zhao's command, the treasure-hunting team members divided their tasks clearly and began to climb the wall.

The methods used by powerful cultivators to display their power on the wall are all the same, while those used by independent cultivators are varied and diverse.

Some people flew up the wall carrying magical artifacts, some grew claws from their feet and climbed up by gripping the cracks in the wall, and some threw out two vines to hook onto the top of the wall and then climb up.

After the first group of people climbed up the wall, they took out a crosshook, hung it on the top of the wall, and then lowered the rope attached to the end of the crosshook.

With a whoosh, a dozen ropes were thrown down, and the team members below climbed up using the ropes.

During this time, the incense burner held by Captain Zhao continuously emitted emerald green incense smoke, as if it were sentient, following each treasure hunter and constantly enveloping them.

Everyone went up, and last were Captain Zhao and Rong Xie. The two used flying talismans to ascend directly to the top of the wall and came to the middle of the group.

Finally, Rong Xie's curiosity reached its peak as he was about to see what was inside the wall.

He looked down and felt a wave of dizziness. A terrifying suction force came from the huge black hole, making him feel an urge to deliberately lose his balance and fall down.

Within the walls lies the area of ​​the "well," a massive black hole opening into the ground, with the surrounding walls resembling its "well platform."

It turns out that the "well" was not a well in the yard, but rather... a large hole enclosed by the yard wall, or rather, a bottomless abyss.

"This is--"

Captain Zhao was also shocked when he saw such a large "well".

"This is the well." Linglong covered her mouth. "It's the middle of the day, and the sunlight doesn't even reach the bottom. How are we going to get down?"

"What else can we do but lower the rope down?" a teammate said. "We've been down to caves much deeper than this, what's there to be afraid of?"

"Do you know how deep this is? People say they've been down to places deeper than this," Linglong teased.

"Hey, I had to go, just to give myself courage."

"..."

"Wait," Rong Xie stopped the team members who were about to lower the rope, "Do you see that iron gate?"

The team members were bewildered. What iron gate?

“I remember when I came here yesterday, there was an iron gate in this courtyard wall, which was said to be openable only by Madam Mei and the old master. Why are there no gates in the wall now?” Rong Xie asked.

Captain Zhao and Linglong looked around and, sure enough, didn't see the iron gate.

“Then there are only two possibilities: either the iron gate doesn’t lead inside and is just a decoration, or what we’re seeing isn’t the real courtyard, but an illusionary maze.” Rong Xie said.

"A hallucination array? But didn't we already use incense mist to block the rose scent?" Linglong asked, puzzled, pointing to the incense burner that Captain Zhao was holding tightly in his arms. "Look, it's burning perfectly well."

“There is another type of illusion array, which conceals the true appearance of an object by covering its surface with an illusion,” Rong Xie said. Having read many books on Qimen Dunjia, he was very familiar with the different types and differences of illusion arrays. “It presents an illusion by changing the object, rather than by changing the observer’s consciousness.”

"You mean, what's down there isn't actually a black hole?" Linglong suddenly realized. "Then what is it? Why would they disguise it as a black hole? It's kind of scary!"

"There must be a purpose to disguise it like this... for example, to prevent uninvited guests from breaking in," Rong Xie said. With a wave of his hand, wood-type spiritual energy transformed into thousands of blade-like leaves, which scattered towards the black hole.

Everyone stared intently at the leaves, only to see them disappear in an instant, as if they had fallen into a black mud pit.

"There really is a layer of illusion array!" Captain Zhao called over a teammate next to him, "Ye Er, use your Gale Technique to blow it away!"

"Yes, Captain!" The wind-elemental rogue immediately released a gust of wind, blowing downwards. Suddenly, ripples appeared at the black opening, as if the black water had been rippled. Instantly, the bottomless black hole became unreal, like a corner of a painting on the ground had been blown up.

The wind-elemental cultivator intensified his efforts, and a corner of the black hole was indeed blown away, revealing the dense array of sharp spikes beneath.

A chill ran down everyone's spine; if they slid down the rope directly, they'd be strung together like candied hawthorns.