Chapter 390: An Illusion Technique to Deceive Gold

Yuchi Hong narrowed his eyes at Su Mu, his gaze flashing like cold lightning.

"This must be Marquis Su. I've long heard that Her Majesty recently granted a Silver Grade Nightmare Apostle the title of marquis, bestowing upon him the same privileges as the Gold Nobles. Seeing you today, you are indeed exceptionally handsome."

Though ostensibly a compliment, Yuchi Hong was actually mocking Su Mu for being an empty name who had relied on his looks to seduce King Chi.

Su Mu wasn't angry. He simply offered a faint smile. At his current level, he viewed Gold experts as mere insects; why would he bother getting angry at a bug?

"I merely suspected you were colluding with the Gold Nightmare before," Su Mu said. "But after seeing you in person, it's no longer a suspicion. It's a certainty."

"Hahaha..." Yuchi Hong threw his head back and laughed, his expression full of ridicule. "Marquis Su, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't speak so carelessly. It could get you killed."

The smile on Su Mu's lips deepened. He found acting through his secondary persona far more entertaining; when using his true identity, no one ever dared to raise their voice at him.

"Your soul has been damaged, and its aura is tainted with the scent of a nightmare. I have every reason to suspect that you are already under the control of a Nightmare Creature."

A trace of panic flickered in Yuchi Hong's eyes. His face darkened inch by inch as his aura swelled, ready to erupt like a suppressed volcano.

He stared fixedly at Su Mu and said slowly, "You suspect me right in the middle of my own army? Suspecting a Gold expert—are you joking?

"This is a battlefield, not the Imperial Capital. A marquis getting killed by a Nightmare Creature here isn't exactly a major incident."

"Oh?" Su Mu feigned a look of surprise. "Thanks for the reminder. In that case, you can die now."

Yuchi Hong's face turned completely grim, murderous intent blazing in his eyes. "Men! Arrest Marquis Su and his subordinates!"

He issued the order, but the army did not move.

Silence stretched over the area for one second, then two...

"Are you all deaf?! I, the marquis, said to arrest them!" Yuchi Hong roared. Yet still, no one moved.

A flash of cruelty crossed his eyes as he looked at the surrounding soldiers, but he immediately froze.

Every single soldier around him was staring back with a mocking expression, as if watching a clown.

"You! You..." Yuchi Hong sputtered in shock and rage, completely failing to understand why his army was suddenly out of his control.

At that moment, Su Mu's chuckle rang out. "Yuchi Hong, you're barking orders in my army and telling them to arrest me? Are you joking?"

"Your army?!" Yuchi Hong stood dumbfounded.

"Whose else would it be? Men, arrest Yuchi Hong!"

At Su Mu's command, the surrounding soldiers instantly sprang into action.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A dense volley of gunfire erupted, sending a net of bullets sweeping over Yuchi Hong.

"This is impossible!" Yuchi Hong's eyes were splitting with rage. He didn't just sit back and wait for death; with a fierce sweep of the spear in his hand, the moisture in the air instantly condensed, forming a deep blue water shield that completely blocked the bullets.

"Why! Why is this happening?! I am the general! You traitors!"

He swung his spear again, and the deep blue shield abruptly expanded and burst!

Countless drops of water scattered like shrapnel, and the powerful shockwave sent the surrounding soldiers flying away.

"I understand now! It's an Illusion Technique! You controlled them with an Illusion Technique! It's you!"

Yuchi Hong's killing intent surged to the heavens. He dashed in front of Su Mu as if teleporting and drove his spear straight through the young man's body.

"Hahaha... As long as you die, their Illusion Technique will be dispelled... Ming Jie?! Why is it you?!"

Yuchi Hong instantly felt like falling into an ice cave. He stared blankly at the person skewered on his spear. Where was Su Mu? It was clearly his most trusted officer.

The officer named Ming Jie wore a look of utter shock and disbelief. Blood poured from the corners of his mouth as his eyes went wide with anger, and he finally died, filled with bitter resentment.

"It truly is an Illusion Technique," Su Mu's gentle voice sounded from behind Yuchi Hong.

Yuchi Hong paled in horror. He quickly spun around and stared fixedly at Su Mu, not daring to make a reckless move.

"However, the ones trapped in the Illusion Technique aren't them. It's... you."

"What?!" Yuchi Hong froze.

From reality's perspective, what everyone had actually seen was Su Mu exposing Yuchi Hong's collusion with a Nightmare Creature, after which Yuchi Hong flew into a humiliated rage and began a slaughter. He murdered several soldiers before fatally skewering his own trusted confidant with his spear, acting like an utter madman!

Su Mu's spiritual power was already no weaker than a Gold expert's. By pure coincidence, Yuchi Hong suffered from soul damage and had the immense courage to lock eyes with him for a long time. It would have been a waste of Yuchi Hong's perfect cooperation if he hadn't cast an Illusion Technique.

Snap!

Su Mu snapped his fingers, dispelling the Illusion Technique.

Yuchi Hong then looked upon the soldiers who had once been so fiercely loyal, now staring at him with unfamiliar, terrified, and suspicious gazes.

Around him lay the corpses of several soldiers, their eyes still wide open in death!

"This isn't real! I, the marquis, was trapped in an Illusion Technique just now! I did not collude with the nightmare!"

Yuchi Hong's eyes were utterly bloodshot as he desperately tried to explain himself. However, no matter how sincere his words were, they paled into insignificance before the bloody reality.

"You must be joking, Lord Yuchi. As you said yourself earlier, I am merely a lowly Silver transcendent. How could I possibly cast an Illusion Technique on a Gold expert like you?"

Surrounded by the soldiers and Nightmare Apostles, Su Mu smiled gently. His expression was modest and polite, making him look exactly like a refined, jade-like gentleman.

"You!!" Yuchi Hong's eyes were splitting with rage, wishing he could flay Su Mu alive and pull out his tendons. He never imagined that, right in his own domain, someone could render him so completely deserted by all.

"Get out of my way, all of you! I'm going to kill him!"

He raised the spear in his hands, pointing its cold, gleaming tip straight at Su Mu.

"Everyone heard him," Su Mu said. "Yuchi Hong has not only colluded with Nightmare Creatures, but he's now threatening to kill me, a marquis from the Imperial Capital. This man has entirely betrayed the Empire and the human race. His crimes warrant execution!

"Anyone who still wishes to follow him will be treated as guilty of treason!"

Facing the killing intent of a Gold expert, Su Mu continued to unhurriedly fan the flames and stir up trouble among the crowd.

"Bastard!!" Yuchi Hong's eyes practically spat fire, but faced with Su Mu surrounded by soldiers, he didn't dare to strike. These soldiers were elite personal guards that the Yuchi Family had spent a fortune training. If he actually slaughtered his own loyal men, he would completely lose their loyalty forever.

In this era of turmoil, if even his personal troops lost faith in him, he would be completely isolated and helpless, even as a Gold expert.

"Su Mu! What else can you do besides use these underhanded tricks? If you have the guts, step out and fight me!"

"Sigh." Su Mu let out a breath. "I haven't even had my fill of fun yet, so why are you so eager

Yuchi Hong narrowed his eyes at Su Mu, his gaze flashing like cold lightning.

"This must be Marquis Su. I've heard Her Majesty recently granted a Silver Grade Nightmare Apostle the title of marquis, bestowing upon him the exact same privileges as the Gold Nobles. Seeing you today, you certainly are exceptionally handsome."

Though ostensibly a compliment, Yuchi Hong was actually mocking Su Mu, implying his title was unearned and that he had relied on his looks to seduce King Chi.

Su Mu took no offense, merely offering a faint smile. At his current level, he viewed Gold experts as insects—and who would bother getting angry at a bug?

"I only suspected you were colluding with the Gold Nightmare," Su Mu said. "But seeing you in person, it's no longer a suspicion. It's a certainty."

"Hahaha..." Yuchi Hong threw his head back and laughed loudly, his expression full of ridicule. "Marquis Su, you can eat the wrong food, but you shouldn't speak the wrong words. It could get you killed."

The smile on Su Mu's lips deepened. He found playing on an alternate identity far more entertaining; when he used his true identity, no one ever dared to raise their voice at him.

"Your soul has been damaged, and its aura is tainted with the trace of a nightmare. I have every reason to suspect that you're already under the control of a Nightmare Creature."

A trace of panic flickered in Yuchi Hong's eyes. His expression darkened inch by inch, his aura swelling like a suppressed volcano on the verge of eruption.

He stared fixedly at Su Mu, speaking slowly. "You question me in the middle of my own army? Question a Gold expert? Are you joking?

"This is a battlefield, not the Imperial Capital. A marquis being killed by a Nightmare Creature here wouldn't be a major incident."

"Oh?" Su Mu feigned surprise. "Thanks for the reminder. In that case, you can die."

Yuchi Hong's face turned completely grim, murderous intent blazing in his eyes. "Men! Arrest Marquis Su and his subordinates!"

He issued the order, but the army remained completely still.

Silence stretched over the battlefield for one second, then two...

"Are you all deaf?! As your marquis, I ordered you to arrest them!" Yuchi Hong roared. Yet still, no one moved.

A flash of cruelty crossed his eyes as he looked at the surrounding soldiers, only to immediately freeze.

Every single soldier was staring back at him with mocking expressions, as if watching a clown.

"You! You all..." Yuchi Hong sputtered, consumed by shock and rage, completely failing to understand why his army was suddenly ignoring his command.

At that moment, Su Mu chuckled. "Yuchi Hong, you're barking orders in my army, telling them to arrest me? Are you joking?"

"Your army?!" Yuchi Hong stood there, dumbfounded.

"Whose else would it be? Men, arrest Yuchi Hong!"

At Su Mu's command, the surrounding soldiers instantly sprang into action.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A dense volley of gunfire erupted, sending a net of bullets sweeping toward Yuchi Hong.

"This is impossible!" Yuchi Hong roared, his eyes splitting with rage. Refusing to just sit and wait for death, he swept his spear in a fierce arc. The moisture in the air instantly condensed, forming a deep blue water shield that completely blocked the incoming bullets.

"Why?! Why is this happening?! I am the general! You traitors!"

He swung his spear again, and the deep blue shield abruptly expanded before bursting apart!

Countless drops of water scattered like shrapnel, a powerful shockwave sending the surrounding soldiers flying outward.

"I understand now! It's an Illusion Technique! You're controlling them with an Illusion Technique! It's you!"

Yuchi Hong's killing intent surged. Dashing in front of Su Mu as if teleporting, he drove his spear straight through the young man's body.

"Hahaha... Once you're dead, their Illusion Technique will break... Ming Jie?! Why is it you?!"

Yuchi Hong instantly felt like falling into an ice cave. He stared blankly at the person skewered on his spear. There was no Su Mu here—it was clearly his most trusted officer.

The officer named Ming Jie wore a look of utter shock and disbelief. Blood poured from the corners of his mouth as his eyes widened in anger, and he finally died, filled with bitter resentment.

"It certainly is an Illusion Technique," Su Mu's gentle voice sounded from behind Yuchi Hong.

Paling in horror, Yuchi Hong quickly spun around. He stared fixedly at Su Mu, not daring to make another reckless move.

"However, the one trapped in the Illusion Technique isn't them. It's... you."

"What?!" Yuchi Hong froze.

From reality's perspective, what everyone had actually seen was Su Mu exposing Yuchi Hong's collusion with a Nightmare Creature. Humiliated and enraged, Yuchi Hong then began a slaughter. He murdered several soldiers before fatally skewering his own trusted confidant with his spear, acting like an utter madman!

Su Mu's spiritual power was already no weaker than a Gold expert's. By pure coincidence, Yuchi Hong suffered from soul damage and had the immense courage to lock eyes with him for a long period. It would have been a waste of Yuchi Hong's perfect cooperation if Su Mu hadn't cast an Illusion Technique.

Snap!

Su Mu snapped his fingers, dispelling the Illusion Technique.

Yuchi Hong then saw the soldiers who had once been so fiercely loyal, now staring back at him with unfamiliar, terrified, and suspicious gazes.

Around him lay the corpses of several soldiers, their eyes still wide open in death!

"This isn't real! I was just trapped in an Illusion Technique! I did not collude with the nightmare!"

His eyes utterly bloodshot, Yuchi Hong desperately tried to explain himself. However, no matter how sincere his words sounded, they were pale and weak against the bloody reality.

"You must be joking, Lord Yuchi. As you said yourself earlier, I am merely a lowly Silver Transcendent. How could I possibly cast an Illusion Technique on a Gold expert like you?"

Surrounded by the soldiers and Nightmare Apostles, Su Mu smiled gently. His expression was modest and polite, giving him the air of a refined gentleman.

"You!!" Yuchi Hong glared, his eyes splitting with rage. He wished he could flay Su Mu alive and pull out his tendons. He never imagined that, right in his own domain, someone could render him utterly deserted by all.

"Get out of my way, all of you! I'm going to kill him!"

He raised his spear, aiming its cold, gleaming tip straight at Su Mu.

"You all heard him," Su Mu said. "Yuchi Hong has not only colluded with Nightmare Creatures, but he is now threatening to kill me, a marquis from the Imperial Capital. This man has completely betrayed the Empire and the human race. His crimes warrant execution!

"Anyone who still wishes to follow him will be charged with treason!"

Facing the killing intent of a Gold expert, Su Mu continued to unhurriedly fan the flames among the crowd.

"Bastard!!" Yuchi Hong's eyes practically spat fire, but faced with the wall of soldiers surrounding Su Mu, he didn't dare strike. These soldiers were elite personal guards the Yuchi Family had spent a fortune training. If he slaughtered his own loyal men, he would completely lose everyone's loyalty.

In this era of turmoil, if even his personal troops lost faith in him, he would be completely isolated and helpless, despite being a Gold expert.

"Su Mu! What else can you do besides use underhanded tricks? If you have the guts, step out and fight me!"

Su Mu let out a sigh. "I haven't even had my fill of fun yet, so why are you so eager to die? Have you still failed to recognize the gap between us?"

He slowly stepped out from the crowd, stopping a short distance from Yuchi Hong, and unhurriedly removed his Tinted Glasses.

A pair of deep eyes, flashing with a crystalline blue light in the dark night, gazed calmly at Yuchi Hong. They were dazzling as stars.

Yuchi Hong lowered his gaze and said coldly, "I only fell for your Illusion Technique due to a momentary lapse in attention. The same trick won't work twice. Die!"

He fiercely hoisted his spear. The air grew as heavy as water, and the sound of churning ocean waves began echoing through the surroundings.

Su Mu smiled faintly. "What a foolish man. Sink into the Illusion Technique of the Thousand Illusions of Fleeting Life!"