The twelve members of the Reverse Scale Squad stood in neat formation with Wang Hao, the power of the stars subtly flowing within their bodies. Aya Ikegami emanated a chilling energy fluctuation.
Han Feng said, "Ikegami Aya specializes in mental attacks. Over the next few days, she will use her eye techniques to create realistic illusions for you to fight in."
A slight commotion arose within the group. Chen Feng frowned and said, "Han Feng, we cultivate the power of stars; the illusionary eye technique has limited effect on us, right? Would it be helpful if it could assist our training?"
Han Feng's lips curled slightly: "Who said she was assisting? She's been your target these past few days. But you're right, ordinary eye techniques aren't very effective against you. But Chi Shangling received the complete inheritance of the Moon Demon Clan, and awakened her Moon Eyes." He turned to Chi Shangling, "Want to demonstrate?"
Aya Ikegami nodded slightly, her eyes suddenly turning a pure silver-white. Without warning, the entire training ground distorted instantly!
One moment the arena was a metal-walled space, the next it was a scorching volcano. Lava churned beneath your feet, waves of scorching heat rushed towards you, and you could even smell the pungent odor of sulfur.
"Maintain formation!" Wang Hao was the first to react, and his star power transformed into a shield. But the next second, the shield shattered like a bubble.
"How could illusions interfere with the operation of stellar power?" the serpent exclaimed, as the sphere of light he had condensed in his hand inexplicably dissipated.
Aya Ikegami's voice came from all directions, carrying an ethereal echo: "The Moonlit Illusion directly affects perception. The shield exists only if you believe it should; it dissipates only if you believe it should..." She chuckled softly, "Then it will dissipate."
Han Feng's voice rang out like a warning bell, jolting everyone awake: "This is your most fatal weakness! Your over-reliance on the 'materialization' characteristic of star power makes you far more vulnerable than ordinary martial artists when faced with an opponent capable of distorting perception!"
Everyone was startled. Indeed, they were used to using the power of stars to condense shields, weapons, and even wings, but they had never thought that these "creations" might be negated by higher laws.
"Now." Han Feng stepped back to the sidelines. "Everyone, fight against the illusionary attacks. Death won't truly kill you, but the pain will be real."
Before the words were even finished, the volcano suddenly erupted! Lava rained down like raindrops, and the team members instinctively tried to gather the power of the stars to resist, only to find that the energy flow was extremely sluggish.
"Don't rely on sight!" Wang Hao suddenly roared, "Use energy perception!"
He closed his eyes, and the power of the stars spread out like a spider web. In his perception, the lava rain transformed into a pure energy surge, powerful yet not insurmountable.
"Form a circular formation!" Wang Hao commanded. "Night Owl, provide support in the center; the rest of you, divide into sections for defense!"
The team members quickly changed formation. This time, the Star Shield successfully deployed, and although it was constantly shaken by the shockwaves, it ultimately did not shatter.
A look of surprise flashed in Aya Ikegami's eyes: "Found a solution so quickly... No wonder it's the power of the stars, its energy is truly extraordinary."
Han Feng watched from the sidelines with his arms crossed, a satisfied smile playing on his lips. He was particularly pleased with Wang Hao's progress, especially considering it had only been a few days—his childhood friend had already touched the threshold of the Great Dao Realm, and his understanding of the power of stars far surpassed that of others.
The illusion shifted once more. The volcano vanished, replaced by an endless ice plain. The extreme cold eroded everyone's will, and the circulation of stellar power noticeably slowed.
"My temperature perception is distorted too!" Chen Feng's teeth chattered. "My energy readings show room temperature, but my body feels like it's about to freeze!"
"It's cognitive freezing," Aya Ikegami explained. "Your brains are told 'it's freezing,' and your body reacts accordingly. The solution is either to forcibly rewrite your cognition, or..."
"Either don't take it seriously!" Wang Hao suddenly withdrew all defenses, letting the ice and snow cover his entire body. "It's all fake! Get warm!"
The power of the stars around him burned intensely, actually forming a scorching current on his body. The other team members followed suit, and the icy illusion began to fluctuate.
"Not bad." Aya Ikegami's eyes gleamed brightly. "How about this?"
The scene suddenly changed! The group found themselves in a bustling city, surrounded by panicked crowds. And their star power—had vanished entirely.
"What's going on?" Night Owl subconsciously tried to merge into the illusion, but the master of concealment from Dragon Abyss couldn't sense even a trace of energy at this moment.
"Cognitive shackles." Aya Ikegami's voice was chilling. "Right now, you all think of yourselves as ordinary people."
The whistling sound of a missile piercing the sky grew louder as it approached. The threat of death made the team members instinctively want to dodge, but they found their bodies as heavy as lead.
"Get moving!" Wang Hao roared as he ran forward. "Even an ordinary person should know to find cover when dodging artillery fire!"
These words awakened everyone. They temporarily abandoned their obsession with the power of the stars and used the most basic tactical maneuvers to seek cover.
Han Feng nodded repeatedly. Wang Hao had grasped the key point—regardless of whether abilities exist or not, the fighting instinct should not disappear.
The three-day intensive training was like a hellish cycle. The illusions ranged from natural disasters to interstellar battlefields, from mental pollution to time loops. Whenever someone was on the verge of collapse, Aya Ikegami would slightly relax her control; and as the team members began to adapt, the difficulty of the illusions would suddenly increase.
By the evening of the following day, all team members had broken through at least one minor level.
And Wang Hao—
\"boom!"
In the illusionary realm simulating an alien lair, he was torn apart and wounded by countless monsters. Just as his health reached zero, a certain shackle within his body suddenly snapped!
Brilliant starlight shot into the sky, tearing the entire illusion into pieces. Wang Hao hovered in mid-air, the aura of the Great Dao flowing around him causing Ayato Ikegami to narrow her eyes slightly.
"Haozi's Great Dao Realm... is complete!" Han Feng clenched his fist in delight.
The illusion dissipated, and everyone returned to the real training ground. Wang Hao landed slowly, the starlight in his eyes not yet fully concealed.
"Brother Feng." He looked at Han Feng with a bright smile, "I can go to a higher dimension with you now."
The other team members stepped forward to congratulate him, but only Aya Ikegami let out a soft "Eh."
"What's wrong?" Han Feng noticed her unusual behavior.
Aya Ikegami's silver eyes flickered slightly: "His Great Dao Realm... is a bit special. His Star Power isn't that pure."
Han Feng carefully sensed it and indeed found that Wang Hao's energy contained a very faint trace of... spatial aura? He had sensed this aura on Kong before.
"It must be because the illusion was too realistic, allowing him to sense some different powers in advance," Aya Ikegami speculated. "This is a good thing, it means his adaptability is stronger than you thought."
Han Feng watched Wang Hao high-five his teammates in celebration, feeling both gratified and heavy-hearted. The dangers of crossing dimensions were far beyond his imagination, but now, at least he had a brother he could rely on.
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