“This kid was really snatched by the ghost marriage procession. The previous ghost marriage procession was a reflection of Xiahou Aotian's inner shadows, specifically to pick him up."

Zhang Yuanqing stood in front of the mural, clicking his tongue in wonder.

The most terrifying and solid illusion is always woven based on the target's deepest fears.

The thick-browed, big-eyed Xiahou Aotian actually has psychological shadows about ghost marriages?

No, it's not necessarily ghost marriages, but unhappy marriages, or wives as terrifying as ghosts.

Or his parents' unhappy marriage caused him to have psychological shadows from childhood.

While his mind was wandering, the mural changed. Two paper figures stepped forward and held down the groom's head, forcing him to kowtow.

Another paper figure stepped forward and pressed on the bride's shoulders to make her bow down.

The head under the bride's veil rolled off, rolling to the groom's feet. The head was severely decayed, and even with white powder, it couldn't hide the festering flesh.

The bride's eyes were horrifying white pupils, staring straight at the groom, with two lines of black bloody tears flowing from her eye sockets.

In the mural, the groom was so frightened that his eyes rolled back, and his body trembled like a sieve.

Not good, he's going to be scared out of his mind! Seeing this, Zhang Yuanqing quickly picked up his brush and drew streaks of lightning in the mural.

Silvery-white lightning filled with destructive aura descended, evaporating all the resentful spirits and evil beings in the hall, leaving only the groom in shock. He looked around in panic, not knowing what had happened.

Suddenly, the doors of the hall opened, and a group of paper figures wearing blood-red wedding clothes supported the bride as she walked in.

The bride was wearing embroidered shoes, but her feet didn't touch the ground; she was floating as the wedding ceremony began again.

"Forcibly destroying it won't save Xiahou Aotian. At most, it can dissolve his fear at critical moments." Zhang Yuanqing stroked his chin, frowning in thought.

If the illusion continues to develop, Xiahou Aotian will either be scared to death by his inner fears or die at the hands of the ghost bride.

That's how it is. Although it's fake, it's still deadly. Using the target's inner fears to weave an illusion, silently killing the person in the illusion, is what illusionists love to do most.

At this time, it's impossible to expect Xiahou Aotian to overcome his shadows and conquer his fears.

If inner fears were so easy to overcome, they wouldn't become shadows.

Zhang Yuanqing's heart stirred. Using the experience from the previous mural, he used a brush to outline a stick figure with a simple style.

The stick figure merged into the mural, turning into a groom wearing wedding clothes.

Since he can't interrupt, he'll let the virtual groom complete the wedding instead of Xiahou Aotian.

However, as soon as the groom appeared, the paper figures in the hall froze, their necks stiffly turning ninety degrees, their dull and sinister faces all looking at the fake groom.

The fake groom's body twisted, his appearance suddenly changed, turning into a paper figure and silently joining the team.

"Refusing the fake groom to replace him… even if it's a ghost bride, he won't allow a supporting role to take his place."

As a top illusionist, Zhang Yuanqing interpreted Xiahou Aotian's psychological changes and couldn't help but complain.

The core of weaving illusions is actually to cater to the target, understand the target, and then kill the target.

Some things that are completely incompatible with the target's personality, even if forcibly woven, will ultimately fail.

The mural is woven according to Xiahou Aotian's inner fears. He is the breaker of the game, and he has to deal not only with the illusion but also with Xiahou Aotian.

In the mural, the bride's head fell off again, rolling to the groom Xiahou Aotian's feet.

Zhang Yuanqing quickly drew a stroke on the bride's head, conjuring a veil to cover the terrifying head, preventing the groom from seeing it and eliminating the most terrifying scene for him.

No, he can't let him continue to immerse himself in the ghost marriage illusion. Let's try using fear to defeat fear.

"I remember Xiahou Aotian said that he borrowed materials from the family that he couldn't pay off in a hundred years." Zhang Yuanqing changed his approach, picking up his brush and outlining a new stick figure in the mural. After completing the outline, the stick figure turned into the appearance of the Xiahou family head in the mural.

He put down his brush with satisfaction, silently watching the development of the mural.

The Xiahou family head in the hall took out an account book from his bosom and said loudly, "Xiahou Aotian, you haven't paid off the money you borrowed from the family. Who allowed you to get married? If you don't pay off your debts, you can forget about marrying and having children in this lifetime.乖乖Become a slave to the Xiahou family."

Originally terrified, the groom suddenly turned ashen-faced upon hearing this. He no longer resisted getting married and completed the kowtow to the ancestors with the ghost bride.

Uh, it seems like he broke the protagonist's desire to survive! Zhang Yuanqing was a little embarrassed.

"This is troublesome!"

Breaking through illusions is a technical skill, like a swordsman's swordsmanship. A swordsman who practices swordsmanship diligently will be stronger than an ordinary swordsman.

What The Way of the Extraordinary bestows is the most basic talent, guaranteeing the lower limit. As for how high the ceiling is, it depends on individual cultivation.

Zhang Yuanqing is, after all, a novice. He has only obtained the Heart of the Illusion God for three or four months. In terms of pure skill, he is not as good as those experienced Voids.

Of course, given repeated attempts, breaking through the illusion would certainly not be difficult. However, if too much time is wasted on Xiahou Aotian, the safety of others cannot be guaranteed.

And choosing to save others means that Xiahou Aotian, whose spiritual body strength is the worst, will probably meet a tragic end.

Zhang Yuanqing frowned and pondered for a few seconds, then thought of a way and spat out a wisp of Yin energy.

The body, like condensed black smoke, with only the head being real, the Sixth Elder appeared and bowed, "Master!"

Zhang Yuanqing nodded with considerable majesty, pointing to the mural in front of him, "My teammate is trapped in an illusion. The existence weaving the illusion has a very high level. I cannot forcibly bring people out. I need your help to break through the illusion."

The beautiful Sixth Elder frowned, "Master, you possess supreme authority. If even you cannot break through it, how can I?"

Zhang Yuanqing maintained a majestic posture, "I just want to hear your opinion."

The Sixth Elder immediately understood.

The master has encountered a technical difficulty and needs her help.

She immediately turned her gaze to the mural.

At this time, Xiahou Aotian had already completed the wedding ceremony and was being led to the backyard by the paper figures.

The backyard was barren, with an old grave and a new grave. The new grave had just been dug, and a black coffin was placed next to it. The coffin lid was open, and the inside was empty. This coffin was obviously prepared for Xiahou Aotian.

The Sixth Elder said in surprise, "Why doesn't he resist?"

An illusion woven with the object of inner fear, how can it be so calm, allowing the paper figures to do as they please?

Zhang Yuanqing said with a straight face, "Don't worry about these details."

The Sixth Elder did not dare to ask more, and said very quickly, "His spiritual body is deeply trapped in the illusion, firmly believing that he is haunted by ghosts. In such cases, hints need to be given in the illusion to awaken his self."

Zhang Yuanqing hurriedly asked, "How do we awaken the self?"

The Elder said, "Like a real dream, the thoughts of the person in the dream are singular. They won't think about how strong they really are, and that mere evil spirits can't do anything to them."

"Therefore, we must make him remember who he is and make him remember how powerful he is. Once self-awareness is revived, the illusion will collapse on its own."

"As for how to give hints, it must be researched based on his personality, habits, things, and preferences."

Just now, the Xiahou family head I conjured called out "Xiahou Aotian's" name, but it didn't work! I don't even know Xiahou Aotian's real name…

Common The Way of the Extraordinary IDs don't work, and it's even less likely that information about real-life interpersonal relationships can awaken him.

"Based on preferences, habits, and personality…" Zhang Yuanqing's thoughts raced, intending to take a gamble.

He actually picked up his brush and drew paper money on the wall, causing it to fill the barren backyard, falling one after another on the ground, into the coffin, and on Xiahou Aotian and the paper figures.

Certain information was written on each piece of paper money.

At this time, Xiahou Aotian was already lying in the coffin. A paper figure raised a mallet and wooden nails, piercing through his abdomen and nailing him firmly in the coffin.

The pain caused Xiahou Aotian's face to twist, struggling desperately to escape, but he was held down by the paper figures.

The fluttering paper money fell on his face, with the words "I am Xiahou Aotian, I will sweep away all enemies in the world" written on them.

His expression in the mural was obviously stunned, appearing dazed.

More and more paper money fell, each with a line of words written on it: "Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river, don't bully a young man for being poor," "If the heavens didn't give birth to Xiahou Aotian, scholars would be like a long night for eternity," "Xiahou Aotian, the Dragon King returns," "How the protagonist is made," "Even the demigod ancestor must submit to me," "I'm coming clean, I am Xiahou Aotian."

Xiahou Aotian stared blankly at these paper money, falling into confusion, falling into doubt, falling into thought.

When the paper figures nailed down his limbs, preparing to hammer the last wooden nail into his chest, the confusion and doubt in Xiahou Aotian's eyes completely receded.

A furnace mark appeared between his eyebrows, and brilliant flames surged in his eyes. The surrounding paper figures were instantly ignited. Three-colored flames spread out like a tide, igniting the coffin, the wasteland, the graves, and the old house.

A raging fire ignited in the mural. Then, like ripples in water, Xiahou Aotian stepped out of the wall, his head held high, looking imposing, with the aura of the Great Emperor.

Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief. In terms of personality, this was the only trick he could think of…

To make the conceited Xiahou Aotian realize that he is the protagonist, and since he is the protagonist, how could he fear a mere ghost marriage?

If this trick still didn't work, Zhang Yuanqing would try to lift part of the seal on the Heart of the Illusion God and forcibly break through the illusion. It's just that in that case, perhaps the most terrifying thing in the dungeon wouldn't be the boss, but him.

"Oh, you actually came out of the illusion earlier than me. Well, you are a Night Wanderer and a Void dual-class after all." Xiahou Aotian raised his chin, "Although I'm not proficient in illusion, as the protagonist, how can a mere illusion do anything to me?"

Zhang Yuanqing said lightly, "I am Xiahou Aotian, I will sweep away all enemies in the world, right?"

Xiahou Aotian was stunned.

Zhang Yuanqing glanced at him and said again, "If the heavens didn't give birth to Xiahou Aotian, scholars would be like a long night for eternity."

Xiahou Aotian no longer had the arrogance he had before, looking at him with suspicion, "You...how do you know?"

Zhang Yuanqing hooked his lips, "I conjured it up to save you!"

"What about the family head in the illusion?"

"I conjured him up too. Originally, I wanted to use the huge debt to wake you up and make you recognize what reality is. I didn't expect someone to give up on survival directly."

Zhang Yuanqing's smile widened, "Forgot to tell you, you were the first to fall into the illusion because your cultivation is the weakest."

Xiahou Aotian's expression froze as he looked at him, stunned in place. After a few seconds, he put down his protagonist's proud stance and showed a strained smile, "I'm so tired."

"Thank you for your help. Even the protagonist needs the strong support of supporting characters at times. Um, can we not talk about this?"

Zhang Yuanqing scrutinized him, teasing, "Tell me first, why are you so afraid of marriage? Shouldn't the protagonist have many wives and concubines?"

Xiahou Aotian's expression became extremely wonderful, with a sense of shame at having his inner secrets seen through and being threatened…

Zhang Yuanqing didn't press him, deliberately leaving it blank, and instead said, "Let's go see the others. They should be more resilient than you, but we can't delay any longer."

He raised the golden flame in his palm and walked along the wall. Xiahou Aotian, looking constipated and uncomfortable, said in a low voice, "Damn it, I was made a laughingstock by The Way of the Extraordinary! And he even threatened me…"

From the iron ring on his left hand, came the mental fluctuations of the Qin Dynasty alchemist, "What made you think you weren't a joke?"

Xiahou Aotian was too lazy to talk nonsense with him and quickly followed.

The two came to the third mural, which depicted a pitch-black night. In a prosperous suburban community, flames and thick smoke billowed. A luxurious villa had collapsed into ruins.

A group of villains with bloodshot eyes and bulging muscles ran rampant, and under their butcher knives, one fresh life after another fell into pools of blood.

In a collapsed ruin, a little girl was curled up, shivering, her small face covered with tears.

She was soon found by a bald strong man, his bloodshot eyes filled with malice, and he gave the little girl a ferocious smile.

The little girl ran away in fright, with the strong man chasing closely behind.

She successfully escaped the pursuit and hid in another ruin.

"This is the scene when the Chu family was exterminated." Xiahou Aotian knew the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter's background. Xiahou Chi had once traveled to Songhai to try to kill the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter to avenge his son.

Zhang Yuanqing sighed. The Chu family's extermination was his little aunt's greatest nightmare, leaving indelible scars on her young mind. She was both terrified and felt that she should have coexisted with the family back then.

She was trapped by her own obsession and fear.

If this continues, when the fatigue and despair in her heart accumulate to a certain degree and she loses her desire to survive, the little girl in the center of the illusion will be caught and killed.

"She will be caught sooner or later," Xiahou Aotian said.

With the experience from the previous time, Zhang Yuanqing quickly thought of a way to break the illusion, picking up his brush and outlining a stick figure with random features. The stick figure merged into the mural, turning into the appearance of The Way of the Extraordinary.

He walked into the ruins, squatted down in front of the little girl, and said softly, "I'll take you away from here."

The little girl raised her tear-streaked face and stared blankly at him. She nodded, choking with sobs.

Zhang Yuanqing took her hand and walked out of the ruins together, strolling through the battlefield of fire and smoke.

The strong men with bloodshot eyes surged forward one after another, but before they could get close, they were struck into charcoal by lightning.

Zhang Yuanqing led the little girl out of the mural, walking closer and closer, and the little girl's eyes became more and more calm and deep.

The wall rippled, the The Way of the Extraordinary in the painting disappeared, and the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter, wearing a red dress and a silver mask, walked out.

Because Xiahou Aotian was present, she only looked at Zhang Yuanqing with gentle eyes, without saying anything.

If it were normal, she would definitely take the opportunity to act coquettishly, asking for kisses and hugs.

At this time, the three of them had already reached the corner of the wall. There were no murals here, so they turned back, passed the base, and came to the other side.

They stopped in front of the fourth mural. The main color of this mural was gray and dark, without color. A small Western-style house stood alone, surrounded by dug-up ground, collapsed walls, and piles of bricks.

A large excavator was parked in front of the house.

In the house, there was a family of three: a young couple and a little boy. The little boy's facial features were somewhat similar to The Evil Eye Tyrant.

The excavator's tracks rolled, and the bucket smashed through the wall, destroying the load-bearing pillars. The small house collapsed in the shaking.

The family of three inside hugged each other.

Zhang Yuanqing quickly waved his brush, erasing the house and forcibly interrupting.

A few seconds later, the house reappeared, repeating the previous scene.

"So, The Evil Eye Tyrant's parents died from forced demolition. No wonder he hates the strong bullying the weak so much," Xiahou Aotian said.

He looked at Zhang Yuanqing and asked, "How should we save this one?"

"The Evil Eye's situation is a bit like the Palace Master's. They both yearn to coexist with their parents." Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a few seconds, then repeated his old trick, outlining a stick figure.

The stick figure turned into his appearance and entered the house. "The Evil Eye Tyrant, follow me and cleanse the world, don't waste time here," Zhang Yuanqing said loudly.

The little boy just glanced at him indifferently, shrinking into his mother's arms, without any change.

"This doesn't work either?" Zhang Yuanqing frowned.

"This can't awaken him?" Xiahou Aotian exclaimed, cleansing the world is The Evil Eye's lifelong obsession. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a while and said, "What The Evil Eye Tyrant wants most in his life is not actually cleansing the world, but fairness, fairness, and more fairness. Because he can't get it, he chose to cleanse the world."

He got inspiration from the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter's illusion and decided to try the redemption route.

Zhang Yuanqing outlined law enforcement teams in the mural, preventing the excavator from forcibly demolishing the house in front of the family of three.

A disappointing scene happened. The Evil Eye Tyrant, just like before, hid in his mother's arms, grabbing his mother's clothes, without any reaction.

"He doesn't want fairness either?" Zhang Yuanqing was puzzled at first, then understood.

The Evil Eye Tyrant subconsciously doesn't believe in law enforcement teams, doesn't believe in the authorities.

Just like Xiahou Aotian subconsciously doesn't allow supporting characters to touch his ghost bride.

Zhang Yuanqing could only resolve the crisis in the mural while thinking about countermeasures. Xiahou Aotian and the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter were helping to come up with ideas, and they tried several times in a row, but they couldn't save The Evil Eye.

"This guy is indeed a fanatic, with a very serious tendency to self-destruct, unwilling to accept redemption," Xiahou Aotian commented.

"A stinky stone in a latrine," the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter frowned, at a loss. Just as they were at their wits' end, the Sixth Elder, who was following Zhang Yuanqing, said softly, "Master, no matter how strong the The Evil Eye Tyrant's obsession with cleansing the world is, the more painful this memory brings him. Free professionals and the orderly are different. The Evil Eye Tyrant doesn't need redemption, nor does he accept redemption."

"If he could accept redemption so easily, he would have reconciled with the world long ago."

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly had an epiphany, "That's right, what I need to do is to awaken his self-awareness, not redemption."

He had a line of thought, picked up his brush, pointed at the little boy, and pulled him out.

The little boy left the house and came outside. The excavator, rumbling, raised its bucket and destroyed the house, and the young couple were buried in the ruins.

The little boy stared blankly at this scene, losing all expression.

After an unknown amount of time, the little boy turned around and walked towards the depths of the mural, his back lonely, like an abandoned puppy.

As the little boy walked farther and farther away, the mural disappeared.

Zhang Yuanqing sighed, "Awakening The Evil Eye's self-awareness is actually very simple, just let him watch his parents die in front of The Evil Eye Tyrant from back then."

The moment the house collapsed, that little boy died, and what survived was The Evil Eye Tyrant with the flames of revenge burning in his heart.

Just like that, the wall rippled, and The Evil Eye Tyrant wearing a sports headband walked out of the mural. He looked around at the crowd, finally looked at Zhang Yuanqing, and hooked his lips, "Well done."

Zhang Yuanqing saw the buried pain and sadness in those eyes for the first time.

He didn't respond to The Evil Eye, saying, "Let's go, we should go to Qian Gongzi."

As soon as the appropriate sound fell, Fu Qingyang's indifferent voice came from not far away, "I'm already out."

The golden flame in Zhang Yuanqing's hand "boom" rose high, illuminating the white figure a dozen steps away, handsome and compelling, standing tall and straight, it was Fu Qingyang.

"Boss, you're out!" Zhang Yuanqing said with joy.

Xiahou Aotian carefully scrutinized Qian Gongzi up and down, reluctantly asking, "How did you get out?"

Qian Gongzi was expressionless, saying lightly, "It's just an illusion, not difficult."

"Not difficult?" Xiahou Aotian thought, if you, you, you, if you act like this, I'll get angry.

Fu Qingyang glanced at him, saying in a calm tone, "I have nothing to fear. Even if I do, I've already cut it down in reality."

Xiahou Aotian was immediately choked speechless.

Like that group of Fu family members of the same age who were killed by you one by one! Zhang Yuanqing thought.

Among his teammates, he was least worried about Qian Gongzi.

Fu Qingyang is a person who doesn't compromise, doesn't compromise with enemies, and even less with himself. If he had to choose between death and escape, he would not hesitate to slash at the enemy with his sword.

Just like he chased after the members of his family of the same age back then, throwing a wooden sword at the family elders who came forward to intervene and demand severe punishment, asking them if they wanted to die.

Qian Gongzi's life doesn't have psychological shadows because all the shadows have been cut down by him.

Afterwards, everyone came to the last mural. The scene in the mural was of a frail old woman, her face withered and lying in bed, as if she could pass away at any time. The old woman tried her best to stay awake, not daring to let herself "sleep."

"Who is this person, Princess Yinyao?" Xiahou Aotian almost didn't recognize her.

While everyone else's illusions were full of ups and downs, dangerous and unpredictable, her illusion was just a room and a bed, nothing more.

"This useless disciple sister of mine…" Zhang Yuanqing helplessly explained, "Princess Yinyao is most afraid of dying of old age. For the sake of longevity, she stole the coffin of the Third Dao Mountain Goddess and used secret methods to refine herself into a Yin corpse, sleeping in the coffin."

If he were to draw a Third Dao Mountain Goddess out now, Princess Yinyao would probably be scared to death on the spot! He thought.

"In a way, it's quite similar to Xiahou Aotian," the Palace Master of Ending Slaughter said jokingly.

Fu Qingyang watched for a moment, saying, "Her fear is simple, just fearing death. You just need to give her some hints to make her remember that she is a Yin corpse."

Just like hinting at Xiahou Aotian, Zhang Yuanqing picked up his brush and outlined three items in the mural: a ghost mirror, a Yin jade doll, and blood rouge.

The three items "thud" fell on the old woman's bed, attracting her attention.

The old woman craned her head, struggling to look at the three items, and then she was stunned.

Maintaining the posture of craning her head in confusion for a long time, she seemed to remember that she had long become a Yin corpse, and with an agility that an old woman shouldn't have, she lifted the quilt and sprang up.

The mural automatically extinguished, and Princess Yinyao walked out of the mural, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, ink-style figures emerged on the wall, holding swords and posing in different postures, like swordplay manuals in martial arts novels.

Zhang Yuanqing and others only glanced at them and felt their eyeballs sting, shedding hot tears, and lowered their heads.

Only Fu Qingyang raised his head, staring at the wall full of sword manuals, saying, "Very exquisite swordsmanship. The person who engraved the sword manuals integrated their will into them, and it hasn't dissipated after so many years."

Zhang Yuanqing, who was bowing his head, suddenly realized, "No wonder the murals were polluted. I thought, even if ordinary murals were nourished by Yin energy, they wouldn't have such divinity."

Fu Qingyang said, "The Way of the Extraordinary, take me for a spin."

Zhang Yuanqing nodded slightly in agreement.

The two walked side by side around the wall, with Fu Qingyang saying as he looked, "Digest these sword skills well. At least you can use them up to level eight."

"Boss, aren't you obsessed with strikes and disdainful of learning swordsmanship?" Zhang Yuanqing said.

Fu Qingyang said in a deep voice, "My strikes have reached a bottleneck. The newly realized sword intent comes at the cost of burning life, and cannot be used unless absolutely necessary. To go further, I need to expand my horizons and melt hundreds of schools into one furnace."

As an eighth-level Sovereign, Fu Qingyang had memorized the sword skills on the wall after reading them once.

Everyone left the Righteous Qi Hall and headed to the last floor of the South Garden.

The last level can find the White Emperor Crown, Zhang Yuanqing silently prayed in his heart, then said, "According to the dungeon's strength, we may encounter a ninth-level Sovereign in the last level."

Fu Qingyang shook his head, "The strength of the Fallen Kingdom King dungeon is abnormal and cannot be used as a reference."

He didn't believe they would be so unlucky and encounter a The Way of the Extraordinary bug again. As the two spoke, Xiahou Aotian took out a drone to investigate as usual.

The drone, with the buzzing of the propellers, passed through the invisible membrane and entered the last.

Three seconds later, Xiahou Aotian opened his eyes, his face full of solemnity, "The drone was destroyed. I saw ghost lights, green ghost lights, everywhere. Apart from these, he didn't gain anything."

"The drone was destroyed in an instant. I couldn't see the attacker," Xiahou Aotian said helplessly.

They encountered an attack as soon as they entered, not even giving them a chance to explore.

The others exchanged glances, their already solemn expressions becoming more serious.

Zhang Yuanqing took out Little Red Riding Hood, shaking a Yin corpse.

"I'll do it. The survival rate of Yin corpses is higher than that of drones. Maybe I can see the enemy." He manipulated the Yin corpse to pass through the invisible membrane.

For about half a minute, Zhang Yuanqing's head suddenly jolted back, and the impression was that he had been hit in the face with a club, and the eyeballs in his eye sockets burst, shedding two lines of scarlet blood.