In the illusory realm, prompted by Xiao Nanfeng's reminder, the group gradually realized something was amiss.
"How can we not get out?"
"I can't get out either."
"Dammit, isn't this supposed to be an illusion?"
...
As they anxiously tried, the previously zombie-like apparitions began to dissipate into mist, leaving only the skeletal figure standing nearby. Xiao Nanfeng sensed the danger, stepping back as others felt uneasy and tried to flee. However, the skeleton, though it didn't seem to walk, appeared to teleport, suddenly appearing before another person.
In an instant, a scream erupted.
"Ah!"
The person's face changed, palms striking at the skeleton. With a crash, the skeleton swayed slightly, but its claws pierced through the person's chest.
"No, I don't want to die, cough!" They spat blood, collapsing to the ground.
Another death? The body transformed into faint smoke, absorbed by the skeleton.
"Clatter!"
The group recoiled in terror. The skeletal figure, surrounded by faint black mist, seemed far more terrifying than the earlier apparitions—it could actually kill them!
"Are they really dead?" one tester asked fearfully.
"They might be dead, but it's more likely they've just left the illusion. After all, this is the Taiqing Immortal Sect's selection test; how could anyone die?" another attempted to convince themselves.
The group's anxiety eased a bit—perhaps this was just part of the test?
"Do you dare bet on it?" Xiao Nanfeng suddenly said coldly.
Everyone turned to him.
"I don't know if this is part of the test, but I saw them die—painfully. And we can't get out. Sure, your hypothesis has some merit, but what if they really are dead? Do you dare gamble?" Xiao Nanfeng spoke seriously.
Having been imprisoned for ten years, he didn't want to leave his fate to chance. No matter the reality, he refused to be killed by the skeleton. The group swallowed hard. Did they dare to gamble against being killed?
With all illusions dashed, they cautiously eyed the skeleton.
"Let's attack together and smash it!" someone shouted.
"Right, let's go!" they echoed.
Instantly, ten people charged at the skeleton, attacking with fists and kicks, lacking weapons.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
The punches struck its body, but the skeleton barely budged. In a flash, its claws pierced through two people's chests.
"Ah!" "Ah!"
Two more screamed, collapsing into pools of blood.
"We can't let it keep slaughtering us; let's unite!" another cried.
Before he could act, he was struck down, screaming, his body turning to smoke, consumed by the skeleton.
"Run, run!" several shouted, terrified.
"Don't run; you can't escape it!" Xiao Nanfeng warned urgently.
The skeleton devoured the smoke from the three bodies, its form flickering as it instantly appeared before Xiao Nanfeng.
"Damn!" he gasped.
The skeleton's claws lunged at his chest. Xiao Nanfeng gathered his strength, drawing forth a faint blue light from his mind to shield himself, just in time to block the skeleton's attack.
"Boom!"
Instead of being pierced, Xiao Nanfeng was knocked back, crashing to the ground. Breathless, he felt a cold sweat; he truly felt death was near.
*Can I use spiritual energy in this illusion?*
Yes, our bodies are not flesh but rather consciousness? Can spiritual energy protect us from the skeleton's claws? The realization struck him.
"Ah!"
Another scream echoed nearby; the skeleton had struck again. Chaos ensued as everyone attempted to flee, but the skeleton's speed left them powerless, witnessing their companions fall one by one.
Outside the illusion, Elder Ku was surrounded by more and more Taiqing Immortal Sect disciples.
"Three more dead!"
"Ah, another one! Elder Ku, what do we do? We can't lose these promising disciples!"
"Everyone, quiet!" Zhao Yuanjiao barked, silencing the crowd.
He had come to watch Xiao Nanfeng, the "Dark Sect infiltrator," but never expected this chaos.
"All Taiqing Immortal Sect disciples, maintain order; no one is allowed near!" he commanded.
"Yes!"
With the noise quelled, Zhao Yuanjiao turned back to Elder Ku, seeking guidance.
"I don't have a solution either. Their spiritual realms seem connected; they must be experiencing… sigh! They don't even have spiritual energy; now they can only rely on luck," Elder Ku lamented.
"Another one just died!" a panicked voice exclaimed.
In the illusion, no matter how they tried to escape, they continued to fall. Panic spread as everyone neared their breaking point; eight had already perished.
"Everyone, gather around me!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted.
His command resonated through the crowd, akin to a lifeline amidst drowning despair. Some rushed towards him, but others hesitated, seeing him as just another boy like them—why should they listen?
"If you don't want to die, come over now! Immediately! I can save you!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted again.
He didn't offer explanations, knowing that everyone was on the brink of collapse, unable to hear any rational arguments. What they needed was a resolute command. Xiao Nanfeng wasn't sure he could truly save them, but he had to project confidence; only by instilling faith in others could he inspire them to believe.
So he spoke with authority, his firm demeanor telling everyone that if they listened to him, they could survive!
As a result, the remaining people rushed toward Xiao Nanfeng.
"Ah!"
On the way to him, another was killed by the skeleton.
Yet they still ran toward Xiao Nanfeng, hoping he really had a solution. Desperation drove Xiao Nanfeng; if he continued to watch others die, he knew he'd be next. His spiritual energy was limited, and he couldn't hold out much longer. Before they faced total annihilation, he needed to unite whatever strength he could.
"Do you really have a plan?"
"You're not lying to us, are you?"
"What should we do?"
...
Everyone looked at Xiao Nanfeng with urgency.
"Shut up! Listen to me!" he reprimanded sharply.
At that moment, his tone had to be firm. If too many people spoke, even his best ideas would get drowned out. As he intended, the group felt a flicker of hope; they silenced themselves, eyes fixed anxiously on him.
"I don't know how to escape, but I do know that to survive, we must unite and defeat that skeleton!" Xiao Nanfeng declared.
The crowd's expressions changed; they had already tried to unite once, and it had failed. Just as they were about to argue, he cut them off.
"Shut up! That skeleton isn't invincible. It swayed when you attacked it earlier. If you hold its arms and legs, I can strike its body and take it down!" Xiao Nanfeng said confidently.
"But…" someone still trembled with fear.
"If you don't want to die, just do it!" Xiao Nanfeng didn't give him a chance to argue.
In an instant, his commanding presence silenced everyone—not out of fear, but because they saw hope in his resolute attitude. Perhaps this could really work?
Suddenly, the skeleton teleported directly in front of them.
"Attack!" Xiao Nanfeng shouted decisively.
"Even if I die today, I'll take this monster down with me."
"I don't want to die; I'll fight with you."
"Damn it, I haven't even begun my path to immortality. I can't die here."
...
Determination filled the group as they charged at the skeleton. Its claws pierced one person's chest, but no one faltered; they gripped the skeleton's limbs and head with all their might, even the one who was stabbed, blood spilling from his mouth, clung desperately to the skeleton's claw.
"Crack, crack, crack."
The skeleton suddenly found it hard to move.
With the combined effort of twenty testers, they finally matched the skeleton's strength. At that moment, Xiao Nanfeng rushed forward, delivering a punch to the skeleton's neck.
"Boom!"
But his strike didn't break the skeleton's neck. Gripping its throat, he felt its struggles grow more powerful.
"I can't hold on much longer; this monster is too strong!"
Xiao Nanfeng funneled his spiritual energy into his palms. No one noticed the faint blue light emanating from his hands as he grasped the skeleton's neck.
"Break for me!"
Without hesitation, he poured all his energy into the strike.
"Boom!"
With a thunderous crash, the skeleton's neck suddenly snapped. The one clinging to its head collapsed to the ground.
"What? It broke?" the person shouted in exhilaration.
"We did it!" the group erupted in joy.
They fell to the ground but still held onto the skeleton, watching as its neck completely separated. With a loud bang, the dismembered skeleton dissolved into a swirl of black smoke, scattering away.
Everyone felt the surrounding illusion collapse, a jolt running through them.
"Buzz!"
They all awakened, emerging from the illusion and back into reality. Stumbling, they collapsed to the ground.
"We… we made it out?" they cried in joy.
"Elder Ku, they're awake! They're all awake!" a Taiqing Immortal Sect disciple shouted excitedly.
"Really awake?" Xiao Nanfeng, pale-faced, also fell to the ground.
What had just happened? Was any of it real?