Ordinary people are afraid of ghosts, but they are even more afraid of desolate places where no one lives.

Because no one lives there, the weeds and dust go unswept, and there are no traces of human activity, creating many unknown factors: venomous snakes and scorpions, man-eating beasts, or sudden screams and roars. Even more so, the loneliness of the silence is amplified. Ultimately, these are all deep-seated fears.

But when Xiang Wan stepped into the mansion, she didn't sense any ghostly presence at all. Instead, it was as if she had entered a pre-set illusion. The people who were walking in front of her vanished instantly. The sky was dark, and the surroundings were completely silent, with only the occasional meow of a night owl, perfectly matching the scene of ghosts appearing in zombie movies.

No wonder so many sects can participate. If one gets trapped in a maze as soon as they enter, not many people will be able to leave this mansion successfully. If you can't get out within the set time, you'll be judged as having failed and won't be able to continue.

The so-called illusion is a kind of magic array that can capture people's souls. Maintaining the operation of the magic array requires energy. This energy can be the gathering of natural spiritual energy or the power of yin spirits extracted from ghosts.

Based on Xiang Wan's deduction, it was most likely that she was using the power of Yin spirits, because her spiritual consciousness was unconsciously operating within her body. To avoid being discovered astonished, Xiang Wan suppressed the unusual movements of her spiritual consciousness and slowly groped her way forward through the mist.

This is a desolate wilderness. As far as the eye can see, it is less than a meter away. There are occasional sounds or things flashing by.

Most sects in this world are established with the aim of exorcising and subduing ghosts, because after a person dies, many ghosts remain and do not disperse. Living people are afraid of being disturbed by them, so naturally, people who catch ghosts will appear.

This first competition is probably more of a test of courage.

After walking for a while, the sound disappeared, and a dilapidated, damp thatched hut appeared before them, completely out of place with its surroundings. Because the surrounding area was overgrown with thatch, this was the only place where the hut was surrounded by open ground, free of weeds, snakes, insects, and rodents.

Xiang Wan walked around the area for a while, and finally headed towards this thatched hut.

With a creak, the dilapidated door, long neglected for years, was pushed open, and the door frame collapsed inward along with it.

The room was rather dark, and the furniture, such as tables, chairs, bowls, and chopsticks, suggested that someone had lived there for a long time, but the owner had not returned, and there was a little dust.

In the corner was a simple bamboo bed, next to which was a rocking chair. As evening approached, it creaked and swayed gently, bringing with it a cool breeze.

A coughing sound rang out, and a faint figure gradually appeared on the rocking chair.

What a person he was! His hair was completely white, his appearance withered, his veins bulging, and his long fingernails had turned bluish-gray. The heavy robes could not hide his withered body; his face was devoid of flesh, and his eyes were slightly closed, as if only his eyes were normal, yet they were not open.

Xiang Wan cupped her hands and said, "Amitabha, I apologize for disturbing you."

"master!"

The old man's lips trembled for a long time before he suddenly let out a low growl, leaving Xiang Wan somewhat stunned.

"Master, is that you?"

The old man raised his hand, stretching it out tremblingly towards the evening, his tone filled with unprecedented excitement and suppressed emotion.

Xiang Wan frowned and stood there without saying a word.

What appears in the illusion should not be treated as reality; observe the situation calmly, just in case.

“Benefactor, you have mistaken me for someone else.” Xiang Wan said calmly. Seeing that the old man had no intention of withdrawing his hand, she continued, “Why don’t you open your eyes and see what’s going on?”

The old man's hand froze in mid-air, then suddenly seemed to lose all strength, falling limply to the armrest of the rocking chair with a thud that made Xiang Wan feel a sharp pain.

But he was oblivious, his head slowly turning towards the window. "Without him, there would be no color in this world. What's the use of opening my eyes or not?"

His words conveyed an overwhelming sense of loss and pain.

How eerie!

This old man seems to pose no threat whatsoever. What is his purpose in appearing in this illusion? Is she required to kill him in order to break the magic array?

Even if the old man was a ghost, Xiang Wan couldn't bring herself to do it if he hadn't done anything wrong or harbored evil intentions; she wasn't a murderer.

"May I ask you, benefactor, what is the purpose of having two eyes, two legs for walking, and two hands for working?"

The old man didn't answer, so Xiang Wan answered for him, saying, "Alive!"

"Everything in the world exists for a reason. Going back thousands or tens of thousands of years, perhaps there were no people then, only moving and still things. Through the wear and tear of time and the baptism of years, they gradually evolved, thus giving rise to flowers, birds, beasts, insects, and humans. Those things that were out of step with the times all became the past, while those that could adapt were all passed down to future generations, thus multiplying and thriving endlessly. I don't understand what the meaning of the master you speak of is to you, but the word 'master' is not only about imparting knowledge, teaching skills, and resolving doubts, but also about inheritance and edification. There is nothing wrong with reminiscing about history, but if your master were still alive, would he want his disciple to die like a withered tree, indulging in the past? Furthermore, if you truly respect and love your master, you should take his aspirations as your own responsibility, live up to his expectations, and not waste time. Even if you meet him in the afterlife, you will have something to say."

"Cough cough, will we really meet again?" The old man's chest did not rise and fall, and his voice was barely audible.

Yes, this wasn't human to begin with, yet Xiang Wan mistook it for a living person for a moment. No wonder she asked that question.

"If one can go to the Yellow Springs and be reincarnated, why can't one go there? If fate allows, we will meet again."

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