Chapter 45 Various illusions.
Chapter 45
"Congratulations on successfully passing the first round. You will now enter the second round of the assessment. We look forward to your outstanding performance."
The giant waved his hand, sending the fifty who had finally broken free from the cage out of the tomb. Those still struggling within the cube, along with the cube that trapped them, vanished as well. Only the first fifty who had successfully broken free remained. From the giant's perspective, each of these fifty people stood on a platform, so close together that they could easily cross in one step to reach the next.
However, unlike the giant who can see everyone clearly, the people standing on this platform can only see themselves and the giant for some reason, while everything else is vague and difficult to see.
After the giant finished speaking, Bu Xingjin discovered that a single-plank bridge appeared at the platform beneath his feet, and he could not see the other side.
The deck of the single-plank bridge is made up of narrow yellow-brown wooden boards, less than two feet wide. There are no fences on both sides. It hangs alone in the air, gently rising and falling like waves.
"The second level is to cross this single-plank bridge."
The giant gazed upon his creation with gratification. The second level tested one's unwavering commitment to the Way. The single-plank bridge was covered in illusions, allowing those who stepped onto it to fulfill their deepest desires or regrets. If neither was possible, the illusion would transform into a memorable or familiar scene.
For example, if someone desperately desires a magical artifact, the illusion will allow them to obtain it under reasonable conditions. However, the artifact will be placed at the other end of a single-plank bridge, far away from the person's reach. When they reach out to it, they will miss their step and fall off the bridge because the distance is insufficient.
There's no doubt that there's not just one illusion on the single-plank bridge; rather, each step is a new scene, and each scene is an illusion. Only by understanding the true meaning of these illusions can we move forward steadily and overcome challenges.
"The first twenty people who successfully cross the single-plank bridge and reach the other side will advance to the next level."
After the giant left these words, his figure gradually disappeared from the spot. What Bu Xingjin faced at this moment was only a single-plank bridge that stretched before him. Since he could not see the scenery on the other side, he had no idea how long the bridge was.
"Just walking across this single-plank bridge is enough to qualify as a successful test?" Bu Xingjin confidently raised his foot and gently stepped onto the lonely single-plank bridge. However, the difficulty of this test seemed too easy, making him suspicious.
With full of questions, Bu Xingjin observed carefully, but when he settled down, he found that everything was still calm.
He hesitated and slowly stepped onto the single-plank bridge with his other foot.
Still nothing happened...
As the thought flashed through Bu Xingjin's mind, his vision suddenly blurred, and a flood of memories flooded his mind. As his vision gradually cleared, he spotted a familiar figure not far away. The wooden bridge beneath his feet had unnoticed transformed into a platform, as if a magician of time and space had cleverly arranged everything.
"Bu Xingjin, come here, let's take the next test together."
Qing Yan...
He had just fought off a wave of monsters with great effort, so Qing Yan shouldn't have put in much effort! He should stop trying to be so stubborn. Since he had someone to cling to, he should cling to her.
Bu Xingjin felt an inexplicable joy in his heart and subconsciously ran towards Qing Yan.
As Bu Xingjin lifted his right leg, he felt a chill, like an ice cube pressed against his forehead, making him feel refreshed. In that instant, his mind became incredibly clear.
wrong.
Bu Xingjin stopped.
Wasn't he crossing the single-plank bridge alone? Why did so many unusual memories suddenly emerge, as if under some inexplicable influence, making him think of Qing Yan and want to go to him.
Bu Xingjin stood on one leg, two memories colliding in his mind. On the one hand, he had successfully passed the first level and now faced the second challenge: crossing the single-plank bridge alone. On the other hand, he remained on the platform, having just painstakingly defeated three demonic beasts and was about to hide behind Qing Yan to observe how he would handle the incoming demonic beast.
Both memories were equally real, yet they couldn't have occurred simultaneously; one of them must be fictional. Bu Xing gazed cautiously at the motionless Qing Yan, and suddenly noticed something unusual.
Although the distance was not far, he could not clearly recognize Qing Yan's face.
Bu Xing stared at Qing Yan, observing him intently. As time went on, he felt more and more that this person's temperament was completely different from Qing Yan's. Although their clothing and builds were identical, coupled with their vaguely similar faces, he initially mistook them for Qing Yan. But the closer he looked, the less resemblance he realized.
Since he wasn't Qing Yan, the second memory was an illusion. At this moment, he should be standing on the single-plank bridge, facing the second level of the test. But everything before him was an illusion. This was the true second level of the test, not just a simple crossing of the single-plank bridge.
Bu Xingjin abandoned the one-legged standing posture and resumed his original upright standing position.
Although Bu Xing has revealed the true face of the fake Qing Yan, he is still standing not far away, and the platform is still as stable as before, and has not changed because Bu Xingjin has exposed the truth.
"What's going on? Why hasn't the illusion disappeared yet?"
Bu Xingjin stood there not daring to move. He still remembered how narrow the single-plank bridge was, and he was afraid that he would fall off the bridge if he moved casually.
Could he possibly find the correct path in this illusion? Wasn't this pure chance? Besides the fake Qingyan's direction being unworkable, there was only one correct direction among the other seven.
There must be other ways.
Bu Xingjin carefully observed everything in this illusion.
He stared at the fake Qingyan who was still standing there, and a belief surged in his heart that the way to escape from this illusion lay in the hands of the fake Qingyan.
After thinking about it, Bu Xingjin summoned wind blades, one towards the platform and the other towards the fake Qingyan.
The wind blade attacking the platform disappeared directly, and when the other wind blade was about to approach the fake Qingyan's body, at this critical moment, the entire illusion turned into a billowing smoke and dissipated into nothingness in an instant.
Bu Xingjin reappeared on the single-plank bridge.
“That was a close call!”
Gazing at the boundless abyss beyond the single-plank bridge, Bu Xingjin couldn't help but feel a little panic. He had just nearly escaped from this place, but if it weren't for the inexplicable chill that sobered him up, he would have already failed in the assessment.
This second level's test is truly elusive. At first glance, it appears to be a simple challenge of crossing a single-plank bridge. However, the moment you step onto it, you're plunged into a fantasy world. This illusion is so magical that it creates a memory deep within your mind, making the scenes seem real and plausible.
Bu Xingjin guessed that the inexplicable chill must be his spirituality giving him a warning. This kind of warning is usually difficult to detect instantly, but he should be able to detect it instantly with the blessing of good luck.
As soon as he stepped onto the single-plank bridge, the illusion appeared. This gave Bu Xingjin a bad feeling. He thought that every step he took on the next journey would bring a new illusion.
Speculating like this, Bu Xingjin took a step forward.
Sure enough, he once again entered a new illusion.
Bu Xingjin slowly opened his eyes, startled to find himself sitting at his workstation. There was no one around him; his colleagues' workstations had vanished, leaving him alone, all alone. Yet, he didn't notice anything unusual, as if this was par for the course.
This was the place where he worked in his previous life. Bu Xingjin looked at everything familiar in front of him and felt a little dazed for a moment.
"Xingjin, why are you still sitting here after get off work? Haven't you worked overtime enough?"
A pair of skilled hands gently rested on Bu Xingjin's shoulders, and a young man's voice came from behind him. Bu Xingjin immediately recognized it as his colleague, Xiao Zhou. Although they didn't work in the same department, they were both new employees who joined the company in the same batch. Since they lived nearby, they would often share a ride home in the evenings when they occasionally worked overtime together.
Seeing Bu Xingjin's silence, the young man turned around and gently clicked the mouse to shut down the computer, which had never been used. He dared to do this because of their close relationship, and this was not the first time he had done so.
"You've already finished your work, why are you still in a daze? Have you become stupid from working overtime? Come on, let's go back together."
As he said that, the young man put his arms around Bu Xingjin's neck and tried to pull him up.
Bu Xingjin sat there motionless as a mountain, not saying a word to the young man.
He wanted to convince himself that this was real, but without his own spiritual reminder, he realized at the first moment that this was an illusion.
Since the person or non-human who created this illusion does not know much about the world he came from, and only restored it through the memories in his mind, there are many loopholes in it.
He didn't have the gift of a visual memory that could remember everything in life, so constructing an illusion based on his memories was bound to have bugs.
For example, how could a company have only one workstation and one employee? And why did a second employee, Xiao Zhou, appear in a company with only one workstation? All of these details reveal a questionable irrationality.
Bu Xingjin turned around and looked at Xiao Zhou who was looking at him with confusion. He said sorry and slapped him.
Just like last time, before the palm force touched Xiao Zhou, the illusion had turned into green smoke and disappeared without a trace.
Bu Xingjin appeared on the single-plank bridge again.
He stared ahead at the seemingly endless single-plank bridge, knowing that this was not a sustainable solution. Every step he took was a step into a new illusion, leaving him with no idea when he would reach his destination. He was deeply anxious and desperate to come up with a solution.
Illusion?
Heart of illusion?
Bu Xingjin's eyes lit up and he took out the Heart of Illusion from his backpack.
Fight magic with magic, and illusion with illusion.
Bu Xingjin wasn't sure if this would work, but he wanted to give it a try.
If that doesn't work, think of other ways.
Bu Xingjin held the Heart of Illusion in his hand, channeled his spiritual energy into it, and kept the Heart of Illusion activated but not fully activated, before taking another step forward.
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The author has something to say: Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2024-01-28 23:08:13 and 2024-01-29 23:53:23~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: Screaming Po Screaming Bombing Slay, all 5 bottles;
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