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In a meditative state, Lin Yuan suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, as if his consciousness was being pulled by an invisible force, uncontrollably plunging into an unknown space. He had thought he was merely recovering his mental strength, but just as he finished heeding Han Lingyun's warning, he found himself truly facing the illusionary attack of the Obsidian Empire.
"So this is the Obsidian Empire's Illusion Cultivation Method? That was quick..." Lin Yuan chuckled to himself, then cautiously scanned his surroundings.
When his awareness became fully clear, the scene before him left him stunned. It was a university campus he knew all too well, with the gentle spring sunlight spilling over the tree-lined paths. The distant lecture buildings glowed softly in the light. A few students passed by him, backpacks slung over their shoulders, chatting and laughing. Everything felt so harmonious and beautiful, as if he had returned to his most carefree days.
"It seems they are deliberately lowering my guard," Lin Yuan smirked with a hint of mockery. "The Obsidian Empire really knows how to play."
He strolled through the campus, enjoying the refreshing spring breeze and inhaling the scents of grass and flowers in the air. The details of the illusion were so vivid that even the floating pollen particles were clearly visible. If it weren't for Han Lingyun's earlier warning, he might have been completely deceived by this beautiful facade.
"Senior Lin!" A familiar voice called from behind.
Lin Yuan turned around to see a girl in a school uniform running towards him. In the sunlight, her ponytail bounced with her youthful energy, and a sweet smile adorned her face. It was Sun Jia, the junior who had secretly harbored feelings for him during college.
"Jia Jia?" Lin Yuan frowned slightly as a wave of complex emotions surged within him.
"Senior, you're finally back!" The girl exclaimed excitedly. "I heard you're participating in the National Martial Arts Championship, so I came to cheer you on!"
Her words struck Lin Yuan like a dagger to the heart. The scene before him suddenly twisted and warped; the campus began to fade away, replaced by the familiar setting of a competition venue.
He found himself standing in the center of the Martial Arts Competition arena, surrounded by an audience packed with spectators. The referee raised his hand, ready to announce the start of the match. Opposite him stood a burly man—Zhou Qiang, his opponent from three years ago who had poisoned him.
"Here we go again?" Lin Yuan scoffed. "Looks like the Obsidian Empire did their homework on me."
Zhou Qiang wore a sinister smile, his eyes filled with disdain. The atmosphere in the arena grew tense as cheers from the audience turned into a cacophony. Lin Yuan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him; his stomach began to ache—symptoms reminiscent of when he had been poisoned three years prior.
"A nightmare from three years ago, wanting me to relive it?" Lin Yuan gritted his teeth and straightened his back. He knew this was just an illusion, but his body's reactions felt all too real, as if he had truly returned to that nightmarish day.
As the match began, Zhou Qiang's attacks came like a torrential storm. Lin Yuan instinctively tried to block them, but his body felt heavier and his movements slower. The poison was taking effect again, just like it had three years ago.
"No, this time it's different!" Lin Yuan shouted, forcibly channeling the Lingqi within him in an attempt to counteract the toxic reaction of the illusion.
Just as he was about to be knocked down by Zhou Qiang, the scene shifted once again. Zhou Qiang's figure gradually blurred and transformed into a familiar female silhouette—Han Lingyun.
But this was not the real Han Lingyun; her gaze was too mechanical, her emotional expressions overly rigid, clearly a projection controlled by AI. She wore a tight black combat suit that accentuated her alluring figure. Her slender waist, full bosom, and long beautiful legs exuded a deadly allure.
"Lin Yuan, look at yourself now; it's truly pathetic," the projection of Han Lingyun mocked coldly, her voice dripping with derision. "Do you really think you're something special? You're just a minor experiment in our Obsidian Empire's research."
Lin Yuan gritted his teeth against the discomfort in his body and coldly stared at her. "Since you're an AI-controlled projection, you shouldn't mimic so well; even your tone is nauseating."
The projection of Han Lingyun let out a cold laugh, her delicate fingers waving gently as the entire scene shifted once more. Countless screens and strange instruments appeared around them, exuding a strong sense of high technology—clearly a high-tech laboratory.
"This is the latest technology from the Obsidian Empire: the Lingqi Technology Illusion System," the projection announced arrogantly. "It can directly affect human consciousness, creating illusions that are indistinguishable from reality. Right now, you’re only experiencing the most basic version; the real horror lies ahead."
She glided gracefully between the experimental tables, her long legs moving with elegance, her waist swaying slightly with each step. The blend of cold beauty and seductive charm was so perfectly imitated that even an AI projection could not be faulted.
"I don't care how advanced your technology is," Lin Yuan gritted his teeth. "All I know is that if you want to trap me, you're still too inexperienced!"
With that, he began to activate his Cellular Devouring ability, attempting to consume the surrounding Lingqi of the illusion. It was a risky move; he wasn't sure if this ability would work against an illusion, but he had no other choice.
To his surprise, as he activated Cellular Devouring, the surrounding illusion showed slight fluctuations. The previously solid illusions began to turn transparent, revealing glimpses of their underlying data structures and energy flows.
"Interesting; this illusion is actually composed of special Lingqi, somewhat different from ordinary Lingqi but still fundamentally a form of energy," Lin Yuan smiled slightly. "Since it's energy, it can be devoured!"
The projection of Han Lingyun seemed to sense something was amiss; her arrogant expression shifted to one of caution. "What are you doing? Stop!"
"Do you really think I would listen to you?" Lin Yuan sneered as he intensified his devouring force. The surrounding illusion began to tremble noticeably, distorting the image of the laboratory.
The projection of Han Lingyun revealed a fierce expression; her once alluring eyes turned cold and merciless. "If that's how it is, then let me show you what true depth of illusion feels like!"
With her hands forming seals, the entire space suddenly twisted and warped. Lin Yuan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. When he regained his senses, he found himself enveloped in darkness. In that darkness, countless familiar faces emerged—his parents, friends, and even Su Jiu'er and Zhou Haoran.
Their eyes were filled with disappointment and disdain, their contemptuous words echoing in Lin Yuan's ears: "You will always be a failure," "You don't deserve power," "Give up; you can't change anything."
These voices struck like daggers, piercing the most vulnerable parts of Lin Yuan's heart. He felt a suffocating weight as his inner self-doubt and anxiety were magnified infinitely.
"Is this the deep trap of the illusion?" Lin Yuan gritted his teeth. "You think you can break me by exploiting my emotional weaknesses?"
The more he resisted, the stronger those negative emotions became. The illusion was weaving an invisible net from his fears and regrets, trying to ensnare him completely.
On the brink of despair, Lin Yuan suddenly recalled something. If this illusion was constructed from a special Lingqi, then theoretically, he should be able to identify its energy structure and operational patterns through Scientific Analysis.
"Scientific Analysis, start now!" Lin Yuan closed his eyes, focusing all his mental energy to analyze the energy structure of the surrounding illusion.
Moments later, a complex flowchart of energy appeared before him. The core of the illusion turned out to be a type of Spiritual Energy Node with a unique wave frequency; they interconnected to form a vast network system.
"I found you!" Lin Yuan felt a surge of joy and immediately directed his Cellular Devouring ability at those nodes. As he began to consume them, they became unstable, causing the entire illusion to tremble violently.
Han Lingyun's avatar reappeared, her face displaying fear for the first time. "Impossible! How could you find the core structure of the illusion?!"
"Don't underestimate the analytical skills of a science student," Lin Yuan replied with a triumphant smile. "No matter how advanced your illusion is, it can't escape scientific analysis!"
He intensified his devouring force, shifting from passive defense to active counterattack, consuming the energy of the illusion itself. As more energy was devoured, the illusion began to collapse; cracks tore through the surrounding darkness, allowing light to stream in.
"No—this can't be happening!" Han Lingyun's avatar screamed as her form started to become transparent, like a holographic projection with poor signal.
Lin Yuan pressed on, locking onto the final core part of the illusion—Han Lingyun's avatar itself. "Since you are part of this illusion, I will consume you too!"
As his Cellular Devouring ability reached Han Lingyun's avatar, a massive flow of information surged into his consciousness. It was fragments of memories stored within her avatar, containing extensive information about the Obsidian Empire—especially a coordinate: the location of the Obsidian Empire's Core Laboratory!
"So that's where it is!" Lin Yuan exclaimed in surprise, realizing that this laboratory was hidden within an ordinary office building in the heart of Jiang City, disguised as a research department of a tech company.
In the final moment, a flicker of complex emotion flashed in the eyes of Han Lingyun's avatar, as if deep within her programming, there still existed fragments of the true Han Lingyun's consciousness.
"Lin Yuan..." she murmured softly, "be careful of them..."
Before her words could finish, Han Lingyun's avatar completely dissipated, and the entire illusionary world collapsed. Lin Yuan felt a tremendous pulling force, and then his consciousness rapidly returned to reality.
He suddenly opened his eyes to find himself still lying on the worn-out sofa in his rented room, beads of cold sweat dotting his forehead. Outside the window, dawn was breaking, and the first rays of morning sunlight were trying to pierce through the heavy curtains.
Lin Yuan took a deep breath, feeling sore all over and mentally exhausted, yet excitement sparkled in his eyes. Not only had he successfully cracked the Obsidian Empire's illusionary attack, but he had also unexpectedly gained clues about the location of the Core Laboratory.
"Obsidian Empire," he murmured to himself, a cold smile creeping onto his lips. "It’s time for us to face each other directly."
Lin Yuan stood up and walked to the window, pulling back the curtains to let the morning sunlight flood the room. He knew that the upcoming actions would be fraught with danger, but he had no choice. If he didn’t take the initiative, the Obsidian Empire would only launch stronger illusionary attacks until they completely controlled his consciousness.
Just as he was about to contact Zhou Haoran to plan their next move, his phone on the table suddenly vibrated. An unknown number flashed on the screen, suggesting that someone was more eager than he was to get in touch.
Lin Yuan hesitated for a moment but ultimately answered the call. A cold and unfamiliar voice came through the receiver: "Lin Yuan, do you want to know the true source of your Cellular Devouring ability? Eight o'clock tonight, at 66 Xinming Road. Come alone."
The call abruptly ended, leaving Lin Yuan standing there with trembling hands gripping his phone. Was this a trap or a revelation? Was the Obsidian Empire's conspiracy more complex than he had imagined?
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