Miserable Man! . . .
In the capricious rolling waves of purple qi, the crimson stains on Cha Eun Xiao's visage had completely vanished. His countenance, initially marred by the bleeding from his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears, now appeared rather ferocious. Remarkably, not only had the injuries on his face healed, but the afflictions that plagued his entire body had instantaneously vanished.
All the mortal wounds that should have afflicted him from head to toe had miraculously disappeared. It was as if nothing had transpired. However, he remained ensnared in a state of delusion, although the circumstances had drastically changed. The ongoing events could be described as him successfully surmounting the challenges posed by his delusion.
Fate, it seemed, had a tendency to foretell misfortune that could cleverly masquerade as good fortune. The ceaseless surge of purple qi into his frail frame proved to be an overwhelming force that his weakened body could scarcely bear. He should have met his end in a cataclysmic explosion. His physical condition had deteriorated to a dire point, signifying imminent death. Nevertheless, his East-rising Purple Qi, the most fundamental manifestation of the world's purple qi, automatically surged into him, mending his shattered form. All of this occurred while Cha Eun Xiao remained ensnared in his delusional state. Even as his body had almost rotted away, the purple qi tenaciously preserved it. The enormous influx of energy should have been a fatal blow, yet it paradoxically became the miracle that saved his life. Such moments in life were, at times, peculiar and unpredictable.
Cha Eun Xiao himself was oblivious to this transformation, but the astute individuals observing from afar immediately grasped the significance. They marveled at the unforeseen turn of events. "He is, after all, the chosen one. In an ostensibly hopeless situation, he managed to return from the brink of death and escape the crisis! How fortunate!"
Cha Eun Xiao had successfully surmounted the most perilous hurdle. What lay ahead were paths to greatness. The jade stele melted ever more rapidly until it eventually transformed into a beam of light that shot into his forehead, right between his eyebrows.
"It's done!"
"Ji Mo is in shambles!"
"He's utterly lost it!"
"Hahahaha... I can't believe this..."
The onlookers could no longer contain their amusement. Only Ji Mo continued to stare blankly into the void where no image remained, his mouth agape, his expression one of laughter and incredulity, resembling an ordinary man who had just encountered ghosts. It was truly unbelievable.
"What in the world just happened?" Ji Mo exclaimed in a fit of madness, grabbing his hair and leaping into the air. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, I'm damned..."
This outburst only fueled the laughter of the others, who were now clutching their bellies in pain.
"This is truly unexpected. The young man managed to break through to a new level within his delusion. This breakthrough even drew the world's purple qi toward him, turning peril into safety... Well, it appears Ji Mo played a significant role in all of this. He actually assisted that young man. Otherwise, Chief would have been truly lost..."
"The Chief continues to write his saga of invincibility!"
"It was a close call, though."
"We must acknowledge that Ji Mo is an exceptional individual... He willingly allowed himself to lose in order to aid the Chief in his pursuit of invincibility. Such selflessness! How can one not be moved... I don't know about you, but I'm certainly touched... Hahahaha..."
"I'm moved as well. I'm wheezing... Ji Mo handed himself a stone to stumble over, and while he was winning, he had to witness the young man's resurrection from the brink of death. What a delight."
"I can't stop laughing... My belly feels like it's going to burst from all the laughter... I haven't been this happy in centuries... I've decided to cherish this hilarious memory from now on..."
"Count me in..."
Amidst their uncontrollable laughter, Ji Mo felt as though he had lost his parents.
"The wager has concluded," announced Tianji, "and the results are in. Ji Mo is the ultimate loser. Let me tally it up. In total, he has lost... a daughter, seven rounds of strenuous day-long battles against Chief Xie... and three rounds of combat against our Chief... and more... Let's congratulate Ji Mo for reaping so much from his losses!"
A round of applause erupted from the crowd, and everyone shared in the joy.
While the crowd was enthusiastically clapping, their joy was so overwhelming that it caused them to stagger with uncontrollable laughter. Their mirth was so intense that it seemed as if their laughter might actually cause their bellies to burst.
One of the onlookers exclaimed, "It doesn't matter that he lost the challenge. What truly matters is that he inadvertently aided his rivals in securing victory. What an unusual turn of events! What an extraordinary turn of fate!"
Addressing Ji Mo, another person in the crowd couldn't contain their admiration and said, "Ji Mo, I can't help but admire you..."
Ji Mo felt utterly disconcerted by the praise and quickly responded, "No, no, no, this isn't right. How could it be?"
The enigmatic figure in black, known as the Chief, intervened, suggesting, "Eun Tianji, perhaps you could elucidate this matter for him. It's in everyone's interest that he understands."
Tianji smiled gently and calmly explained, "Actually, the key here isn't the act of breaking the delusion itself."
This explanation ignited Ji Mo's anger, and he vehemently exclaimed, "What? What did you say? If not breaking the delusion, then what is the key? This can't be right. It completely contradicts what I thought. No, it's impossible!"
Tianji remained composed and continued, "Ji Mo, even as a distinguished cultivator in the universe, how can you speak like someone who lacks knowledge? We are the ones who created this delusion with our own energy. It's inconceivable that anyone below our level could break it."
The other onlookers nodded in agreement.
[Who could possibly navigate the Disorientation Array that the nine of us constructed?]
Tianji clarified further, "The essence of this challenge is not to overcome it conventionally. Breaking the delusion in the usual sense is unattainable. What he needed to do was merely withstand the delusion's impact. In fact, enduring the delusion's onslaught was already a formidable task for him. His limited strength made it seemingly impossible. What he required was a stroke of luck, destiny, and fate.
"That's the truth of the matter. His unique martial art automatically triggered, safeguarding him from the initial delusion's impact. Subsequently, he successfully navigated the sword and saber scenarios, guided by his good fortune. Moreover, he exhibited impressive resistance to the delusion, which ultimately enabled him to prevail.
"Ji Mo, when you witnessed the delusion, you assumed that the only way for him to succeed was to break the delusion. Doesn't that imply that you placed him on an equal footing with us? Preposterous! When the Chief wagered with you, the young man had already survived all the challenges. You willingly accepted the bet, sealing your own fate. In essence, the young man needed to transcend his own limitations and reach new heights to emerge victorious. As the chosen one, the individual blessed by the heavens, the last thing he lacked was good fortune. In summary, you suffered a significant loss, but it was a consequence of your own choices."