From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 440 The Great Test of Illusion and Inner Demons

I gritted my teeth, my bones groaning under the strain. Cracks spread across the golden barrier like a spider web, and it looked like it was about to collapse completely!

Under the glow of the crimson energy sphere, Blood Fiend's hateful face appeared even more distorted and smug.

His sarcasm was like a poisoned needle, pricking my taut nerves again and again.

"Is that all you've got? Looks like you're nothing special!"

"Damn it..." I managed to squeeze out two words, which tasted of blood.

I can't lose!

How could I lose to a guy like that!

Just when I felt I was about to give up and my consciousness was starting to blur, an indescribable, extremely blinding light suddenly exploded in front of me!

This light was not gold, nor blood-red, but a pure white that seemed capable of devouring everything!

"What's going on?" I was suddenly startled. The light instantly engulfed everything, including Blood Fiend's ferocious smile and the even larger blood-red energy ball that was about to bombard me again.

My body felt as if it had lost its weight, or as if it were being pulled by countless hands from all directions, making me dizzy and disoriented, as if my internal organs had been out of place.

The wind howled in my ears, and it sounded like a cacophony of screams and whispers from countless people, buzzing and giving me a splitting headache.

This feeling lasted only a fleeting moment, or perhaps as long as a century.

When I finally managed to open my eyes again, I found that everything around me had changed.

It was no longer the battlefield filled with carnage and energy clashes, nor did it resemble any ancient magical ruins.

Here... it's all gray and hazy, like a thick fog, or like dusk when the sky is dim.

There was an indescribable smell in the air, a bit like... dust, and a bit like the musty smell of old book pages.

The ground beneath my feet was soft and spongy, like stepping into a swamp, yet it felt unreal.

I tried to lift my hand, and it felt heavy, as if I was being restrained by something.

I quickly circulated the spiritual energy within my body—oh no!

The flow of spiritual energy became extremely sluggish, like a trickle encountering a dry riverbed, unable to reach even one-tenth of its usual speed!

"What...what kind of place is this?" My heart skipped a beat, and I looked around warily.

Not far away, the figures of Abbess Huixin and Ziling also appeared. They both looked unwell. Abbess Huixin had a furrowed brow and a pale face, as if she was struggling against something; while Ziling held her head, her body trembling slightly, muttering to herself, as if she had seen something terrifying.

What terrified me even more was that that bastard Blood Fiend was there too!

He stood not far from me, his aura of violence seemed to have dimmed considerably, but the fierce light in his eyes had not diminished at all; instead, it carried a kind of...playfulness and malice?

"Tsk tsk tsk, looks like we've been dragged into some interesting place." Blood Fiend licked his lips, his voice hoarse. "But it seems like no one's feeling too good... especially you, Xiao Yao!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the scene before my eyes suddenly changed!

The hazy fog instantly dissipated, and in its place was a scene I knew all too well—the dilapidated courtyard of the Xiao family, and those clansmen who had once pointed at me, their faces full of contempt and ridicule!

"Look, it's that good-for-nothing Xiao Yao!" A sharp, sarcastic voice rang out, like a needle piercing my ear.

"Shh, keep your voice down, he's a 'celestial being' now!" another voice said sarcastically, drawing a burst of laughter.

"An immortal? Her? A piece of trash without even spiritual roots, what kind of luck did she have to get into the immortal sect?"

"Exactly! I bet she'll get kicked out sooner or later!"

"Trash will always be trash!"

Those familiar faces, those vicious words, surged towards me like a tide.

A series of distorted faces loomed large before my eyes, their eyes filled with contempt, envy, and schadenfreude.

"No...that's not how it is!" I instinctively took a step back, wanting to argue, but found that my throat was blocked and I couldn't make a sound.

These are memories I had long buried deep in my heart, nightmares I faced every day when I first transmigrated as the "useless" Xiao Yao.

I thought I was strong enough to ignore these things, but why... why does my heart still ache so much when I see them again now?

It felt like being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.

My Dao heart was actually shaken violently at this moment!

Those feelings of resentment, humiliation, anger, and helplessness resurfaced like venomous snakes, gnawing at my will.

"Hahaha! Do you see that? Xiao Yao!" Blood Fiend's maniacal laughter rang in my ears. He seemed to be able to see the illusion I was seeing. "This is your true face! A complete and utter piece of trash! So what if you had some fortuitous encounter? The humility in your bones can't be washed away! You are not worthy of cultivating immortality! You are not worthy of standing here!"

His words were like a heavy hammer, striking my defenses hard.

Yeah... do I really deserve it?

I am just a soul from another world, occupying someone else's body, and I only got to where I am today through some unknown fortuitous encounter... If I hadn't had those extraordinary experiences, would I really have been a useless person for the rest of my life, just like they say?

Pain and confusion overwhelmed me instantly.

I felt my body getting heavier and heavier, as if I was about to be swallowed up by this dark space.

“Master…” I turned my head with difficulty, wanting to ask Master Huixin for help, but I saw that she was also caught in her own predicament.

Before Master Huixin, the gray mist was no longer there, but countless blurry, struggling shadows emerged.

The shadows let out silent wails, stretching out their arms as if pleading with her for something.

Master Huixin's face was filled with compassion and deep remorse. Her lips moved as if she were reciting scriptures or apologizing repeatedly.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... It's my fault..." Her voice was soft, but it was filled with endless self-blame.

I suddenly remembered that Master Huixin once said that when she was young, she traveled all over the world and encountered many hardships. She also watched helplessly as many innocent lives died in front of her because of her insufficient cultivation. This became an indelible regret and knot in her heart.

Clearly, this illusion also stirred up her deepest pain.

At that moment, she was completely absorbed in her past regrets and had no time to pay attention to me.

Looking at Zi Ling, her situation was even worse.

The little girl curled up on the ground, her hands tightly covering her eyes, her body trembling like a leaf in the autumn wind.

"Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer! It's terrifying! Go away!" she screamed incoherently, her face covered in tears and terror.

It seems she has also seen what she fears most deeply.

Zi Ling is lively and optimistic, but she is actually not very brave. This illusion is like hell to her.

The three of us were trapped in our own inner demons, unable to move.

As for Blood Fiend, although his power was also restricted, he seemed to be the least affected. Or rather, this guy's inner demons are killing and chaos, and this environment actually makes him feel like a fish in water.

At least, he still has the energy to mock me!

Just as I was feeling agitated and almost completely overwhelmed by negative emotions, an old and weary voice suddenly rang out behind me.

"Sigh... yet another... yet another poor soul lured in by this magical art..."

I turned around abruptly and saw an old man with white hair and beard, wearing an old Taoist robe, who had appeared behind me at some point.

He looked haggard, with cloudy eyes, carrying a sense of world-weariness and helplessness.

His breath was very weak, but one could sense that he had once been very powerful, but was now exhausted and on his last legs.

"Who are you?" I asked warily, while remaining on guard.

It's definitely not normal for someone to suddenly appear in this illusion.

The old man gave a bitter smile and shook his head: "Who I am is not important... What's important is, child, listen to my advice, give up."

"Give up?" I was taken aback.

“Yes, give up.” The old man looked at me with a hint of pity in his eyes. “The immortal technique you want to cultivate is not something an ordinary person can handle. It is too domineering, too dangerous, and the test of one’s mind is beyond imagination.”

He raised his hand, pointed to the illusion around him, then to himself, and to Master Huixin and Ziling, who were trapped in their predicament: "See? This is just the beginning. This illusion is a test inherent in the magic itself. It will stir up your deepest fears, regrets, and obsessions, forming inner demons that will constantly torment you and destroy your will."

The old man's voice carried a heavy weariness: "I was once... just like you, full of vigor, thinking that I was exceptionally talented and would surely be able to unravel the mysteries of this supreme immortal art. But what was the result?" He laughed self-deprecatingly, his smile full of bitterness, "I failed. Not only did I fail to master the immortal art, but I was also devoured by my inner demons, my cultivation was completely destroyed, my Dao heart was shattered, and I even dragged... lost so many precious things."

He looked at me intently, his voice heavy with sorrow: "Child, this path is too difficult, too bitter. You are still young, there's no need to push yourself to the brink. Give up, while there's still time. Otherwise, you'll end up like me, or even... worse."

Elder Qingfeng... This name suddenly popped into my memory.

I think I saw it in the corner of an ancient book. It said that a brilliant and talented senior once tried to forcibly cultivate a forbidden immortal technique that had been lost for a long time, but ended up going mad and disappearing without a trace.

Could it be... him?

His words were like a bucket of cold water poured over me, instantly cooling down the little bit of resentment and fighting spirit that had just been ignited by the stimulation of the Blood Fiend.

Even a former genius failed... and paid such a heavy price... Can I... really do it?

Looking at the dejected, withered old man before me, and then at my master and Zi Ling, each trapped in their own inner demons, with Xue Sha's malicious chuckle in my ears, I felt utterly lost.

give up?

Do you really want to give up?

But... if we give up, how will we leave this place?

Will Blood Fiend let us go?

No, can't give up!

I gritted my teeth, and a glimmer of light returned to my eyes.

I am Xiao Yao!

I'm not the useless person I used to be who could be bullied by everyone!

I emerged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood, and I have endured so many hardships, not to be defeated here by a mere illusion and a few discouraging words!

So what if I have inner demons? So what if I'm a loser? I'll walk my own path!

Just as I was forcibly suppressing the wavering in my heart and trying to regain my will, Blood Fiend's malicious and murderous voice rang out again, tinged with impatience and cruelty.

"You're all so dawdling and getting in my way! Since you're all in so much pain, why don't I... send you on your way first!" Sweat soaked through my clothes, clinging tightly to my body, making me feel incredibly uncomfortable.

The Blood Fiend's attacks grew increasingly fierce. The crimson energy clung to me like a leech, relentlessly eroding my protective spiritual power.

Each collision felt like a sledgehammer hitting my chest, making my internal organs churn and a metallic taste rise in my throat.

damn it!

The spiritual energy in this illusion is so sluggish that I can't unleash my full power at all!

Moreover, this inner demon... is like a persistent shadow, constantly whispering in my ear, amplifying the fear and unease in my heart.

The mockery of my clansmen, the humiliations of the past, are like sharp knives, stabbing into my heart again and again, making it hard for me to breathe.

"Give up, Xiao Yao! You're simply not cut out for cultivation!" Xue Sha's voice was full of mockery and malice, flicking its tongue like a venomous snake. "What do you think you are? A piece of trash without spiritual roots, how did you get to where you are today? You're nothing but a thief! You stole other people's bodies, you stole other people's opportunities! You don't deserve any of this!"

His words were like poisonous thorns, piercing deep into my heart and almost driving me to the brink of collapse.

Could it be... that everything he said is true?

Am I really a thief?

Do I really not deserve everything I have now?

My vision began to blur, and my body swayed precariously, almost unable to stand.

The Blood Fiend's attacks grew increasingly fierce. I felt my defenses were about to collapse, and the shadow of death loomed over me, making me feel suffocated.

No!

I can't fall!

I can't lose!

I bit my tongue hard, using the pain to stay awake.

Countless images flashed through my mind, from the moment I transmigrated to the world of cultivation, to all the hardships and tribulations along the way, and to those who had helped me. Their smiles and encouragement transformed into a powerful force, supporting me and reigniting my fighting spirit.

I am Xiao Yao! I am not a loser! I will not admit defeat!

I suddenly raised my head, my eyes burning with fierce fire, and I completely suppressed the fear and unease in my heart.

I took a deep breath, mobilized the remaining spiritual power in my body, gathered it in my palm, and blasted it fiercely at the Blood Fiend!

"Break!" I roared, and a dazzling light burst forth from my palm, colliding with the blood-red energy of the Blood Fiend and producing a deafening roar.

I felt my body being thrown away by a tremendous force, crashing heavily to the ground, and blood welled up in my throat.

But I laughed.

I saw that I had blocked Blood Fiend's attack, and his face showed a look of surprise and anger.

I know I did it!

I successfully withstood his attack and also overcame some of my inner demons!

Just then, the illusion changed again.

The hazy space began to distort, and an even more powerful force was approaching me, carrying a suffocating pressure.

I felt an unprecedented sense of crisis, a fear from the depths of my soul.

A voice rang in my ear, deep and magnetic, yet carrying a chilling authority: "You... are quite good..."