Chapter 397: The Method to Escape the Illusion!
Looking at the empty wooden box, Wei Zhuang was momentarily stunned.
He lifted his head, staring intently at Li Mo, as if to say, “Are you messing with me?”
Li Mo knew that Wei Zhuang’s mind was swirling with questions.
He closed the wooden box again, placing it on his lap while explaining, “The contents inside cannot be imitated by the illusion.”
Wei Zhuang was gradually losing his patience, asking, “What the heck is it?”
Li Mo let out a chuckle through his nose and clearly articulated, “The object that symbolizes the National Fortune of Great Qin.”
Wei Zhuang’s eyes widened in shock.
“The Imperial Seal of the Qin Empire?”
Li Mo glanced at him as if to say, “Calm down, why are you so excited?”
“The Qin State Imperial Seal… how could this be with you?”
Wei Zhuang fixed his gaze on the empty box in Li Mo’s hands, unable to believe it.
He had just said that what was inside was something the illusion couldn’t replicate.
In other words, if it wasn’t in this illusion, then what was in that box should be the real Imperial Seal.
What is the Imperial Seal?
It’s a national treasure!
A symbol of imperial authority!
Only the Emperor Ying Zheng is allowed to hold it!
Such an important item, how could Li Mo have brought it to Loulan?
Li Mo replied in an organized manner, “Of course, I borrowed it from Ying Zheng.”
Wei Zhuang was so surprised he almost bit his own tongue off.
The Imperial Seal of China, and he just casually borrowed it, and it was freely given?
Li Mo continued, “For other emperors, I wouldn’t bother asking, and they wouldn’t lend it to me, but he is Ying Zheng, the First Emperor of Great Qin.”
Wei Zhuang asked, “And what does that matter?”
Li Mo explained, “Because of his poise, his confidence, because he believes that Great Qin exists because of him. In his hands, this seal that represents imperial authority is merely a tool for managing state affairs.”
“Imperial power and Great Qin exist because of him, not the other way around. So lending me the seal doesn’t worry him.”
There was one important point Li Mo didn’t mention.
That was Ying Zheng’s trust in him and his understanding of Li Mo’s character.
Ying Zheng knew Li Mo; he knew that Li Mo had no interest in power.
And he understood that if Li Mo had ulterior motives, he would have risen up long ago, acting independently.
How could Li Mo sincerely help him unify the six states otherwise?
Wei Zhuang remained silent for a long time before finally uttering, “Ying Zheng… such great ambition.”
Then his gaze returned to the empty box and asked, “But how do you know the Imperial Seal inside cannot be replicated by this illusion?”
Li Mo explained, “The seal can be simulated, but the aura of National Fortune it contains absolutely cannot.”
“Every time I open this box, there’s always a seal inside, but it’s just an ordinary stone. When you reach my level, you can tell the true from the fake with just one glance.”
The concept of National Fortune was indeed mysterious.
A nation falls because of a decline in its National Fortune.
A nation rises because of a prosperous National Fortune.
Wei Zhuang nodded; his level of understanding indeed wasn’t as profound as Li Mo’s.
Just like his master, Master of Ghost Valley.
Master of Ghost Valley could always discover things that both he and Wei Zhuang couldn’t see, like the Heavenly Machine!
“So why did you borrow this from Ying Zheng?”
Li Mo took a breath and said, “Naturally, to ward off evil.”
National Fortune is the purest thing in the world.
It can protect the current emperor from all evil influences.
Similar to the Confucian Pure Yang Aura.
Although it can’t make one invincible in the world, it has a kind of deterrent power that commands respect from all the people.
Before coming to Loulan, Li Mo already realized that the things here wouldn’t be simple.
The previous Bai Xianwu was in a state of undead—a thing of extreme yin.
The soul that had left was the same.
So, Li Mo was prepared when he came.
At that time, the shadow that disturbed Li Wu’s dream was something he didn’t know about specifically.
However, he could guess that it was likely another thing of extreme yin.
And its strength might surpass that of the Spirit Realm.
Ordinary methods would probably not suffice to harm it.
But this Imperial Seal, infused with the National Fortune of Great Qin, was an exception!
And it was precisely because of this reliance that Li Mo dared to delve into the underground space.
“Although with this method, we can distinguish between reality and illusion, if we can’t find a way to leave, we will still be trapped here,”
Li Mo shook his head, a somber look on his face.
He had watched the fake Fei Yan and the Moon Goddess fade from his sight numerous times.
Even knowing they were illusions, he was unsure how much longer he would be able to distinguish the truth.
Or if he would even want to.
Because everything here had virtually no difference from reality.
The appearances of Fei Yan and the others, the Grand Priestess’s attitude towards him.
The wind, the clouds, the sunlight here.
Everything looked identical to how it was in reality.
He felt hunger here, felt thirst, and when he ate, he felt full.
The most crucial part was, he had no idea whether the time inside here was the same as outside.
He and Wei Zhuang had been here for three days.
How many days had Fei Yan and the others waited outside?
His greatest fear was that soon the real Fei Yan would come into this illusion to look for him.
And then, would he still be able to tell the difference?
That was truly terrifying!
Wei Zhuang was also troubled by this.
Though he was a solitary figure without ties or concerns, he didn’t wish to spend his life in this false place.
Being toyed with like a mouse in a cage!
“Since this Imperial Seal cannot be replicated by the illusion, can it be used to open this place?”
After deep contemplation, Wei Zhuang suddenly suggested.
Li Mo raised his brow and glanced at him, shaking his head with a smile, “If it were the real Imperial Seal, perhaps with the National Fortune within, it could open this place.”
“But you must understand, this one in my hand is fake.”
“It doesn’t harbor the power of National Fortune.”
This method was something he had considered previously, but it was a cold shower of reality.
The illusion cannot replicate the real Imperial Seal because it contains the power of National Fortune.
And to break this place, they would need true National Fortune.
But the seal doesn’t contain that power.
Thus, it formed a vicious cycle.
After hearing this, Wei Zhuang immediately gritted his teeth.
He pulled out the Shark Fang Sword, and with a flash of sparks, he sliced the stone table in front of them in half.
“If one destruction doesn’t work, then two; if that doesn’t work, then ten, a hundred, a thousand! I refuse to believe this place has no way out!”
Li Mo sat still, slightly tilting his head to avoid the sparks from the sword Wei Zhuang had just swung.
Calmly, he replied, “If anger were useful, I would have erupted long ago. The more we find ourselves at a dead end, the more we must remain calm.”
As he spoke, he tapped his forehead, “Anger is merely the most useless wail of the weak, something you once said.”
Wei Zhuang’s expression darkened.
It was indeed something he had said.
But he never imagined one day someone would use his own words to educate him.
“You seem not at all anxious?”
Li Mo smiled wryly at that, “That’s just your perception; I may look calm, but I’m not. Yet that’s what the illusion wants—to make us lose our minds, to self-destruct within. The more we act like this, the calmer we need to be, and the less we can give it what it desires.”
In truth, how could he not be anxious?
Fei Yan and the others were still outside, waiting for who knows how long.
Wei Zhuang sheathed his sword and asked, “You’ve been calm for a while; have you thought of a way?”
Li Mo turned to look at the Shark Fang Sword he had just put away and, deep in thought, said, “I didn’t have an idea until now, but just now, amidst your anger, I came up with something.”
Wei Zhuang hurriedly asked, “What idea?”
Li Mo took a breath, standing up.
He casually tossed the wooden box to the ground, showing no care for it.
After all, if this plan failed and they couldn’t break the illusion, everything would restart.
Then the box and its contents would also take on a new form.
“I just thought of it when I saw you split the stone table.”
Li Mo pointed at the stone table that Wei Zhuang had cut in half.
When Wei Zhuang split the table, the sparks from the Shark Fang Sword suddenly gave him an idea.
The reason this illusion couldn’t replicate the power of National Fortune was that National Fortune doesn’t belong to the ordinary things of this world.
Also, it is filled with pure Yang energy, a nemesis to evil.
Thus, it can protect the emperor from malevolent forces.
However, aside from National Fortune, the Confucian Pure Yang Aura has the same effect.
Since National Fortune cannot appear here, Li Mo wasn’t a Confucian sage, so he had no Pure Yang Aura.
However, he could summon another kind of pure aura from heaven and earth.
One that could also exorcise evil!
Li Mo walked out of the pavilion and looked up at the clear sky.
The reason the desert lacked water was that it hadn’t rained for a long time.
Without rain, there would be no thunder.
And thunder is filled with pure Yang energy as well.
Suddenly, Li Mo’s robe began to move without wind.
The hem fluttered in the air, and his hair danced with the breeze.
The ground started to kick up dust, and the world began to change color.
Moments ago, it was a clear blue sky with blazing sunlight, but in an instant, dark clouds began to gather.
Large, shadowy clouds like a black cloak were covering the sky above Loulan.
The surrounding winds howled, sending dirt swirling into the air.
Wei Zhuang seemed to realize what Li Mo was planning.
He took a few steps back to find a safe spot.
Finally, the dark clouds had thickened to a pitch-black color.
Li Mo spread his arms wide and shouted up towards the sky,
“Thunder come!”
Rumble!
After a brief moment of silence, a thunderclap erupted from above without warning.
The sound of thunder was crystal clear to the two, yet the sky showed no sign of lightning.
Hearing that roar, Li Mo knew he was right.
Here, thunder and lightning would not manifest.
But he could sense the thunder and lightning from the real world outside.
This meant that this illusion couldn’t be broken from the inside.
However, he could use the thunder outside to shatter this false world!
Wei Zhuang stared intently at the stormy sky.
He had guessed Li Mo’s intentions as well.
Whether they could escape now hung completely on this moment!
After one crack of thunder, Li Mo didn’t stop.
Instead, he put all his effort into it, as if he could draw down the legendary Nine Heavens Divine Thunder and blast this place to smithereens!
As time went on, the thunder sounds became more frequent.
The previously invisible lightning began to appear in the dark clouds.
“It’s working!”
Seeing this, even Wei Zhuang could hardly contain his excitement.
The gradually appearing lightning proved that Li Mo was indeed drawing the real thunder into this world!
If they kept this up, this illusion filled with evil wouldn’t be able to withstand the pure Yang lightning!
Breaking through here was just a matter of time!
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