Chapter 481: No One Believes the Truth

The Lord of Illusory Ashes furrowed his snow-white brows. "What is it?"

"Master, the Lord of Dawn and the Lord of Primal Desolation are secretly marshaling their forces. They intend to join forces and attack your territory!"

The Lord of Illusory Ashes' frown deepened, profound bewilderment flashing through his crystalline blue eyes. "Have those two lost their minds? Teaming up against me?"

Why was it so sudden? Historically, the three factions had kept each other in check. Despite minor friction, they generally minded their own business. Recently, he had kept an even lower profile, focusing entirely on the Temple of God Slaying. He hadn't stepped foot outside his doors.

Yet while he sat peacefully at home, trouble had somehow come knocking?

"Have you found out why they suddenly joined forces?"

The woman in silver-white armor shook her head. "Forgive my incompetence; I have yet to ascertain the cause. However, according to our scouts, Dawn and Yuanhuang both left their realms recently and returned with severe injuries.

"After recovering for a few days, they marshaled their troops and launched a war without warning."

"Without warning?" Illusion Ash's eyes flickered. Something he didn't know about must have happened—something that drove the two of them to ally.

With a mere thought, his consciousness descended upon a scout stationed in the Primal Desolation Realm.

Through the scout's eyes, he found the entire Primal Desolation Realm on high alert. Countless soldiers clad in metal armor were massing like a tidal wave.

Illusion Ash felt a jolt of shock. To actually mobilize their entire military force... they were looking for a war to the death!

But why?

He didn't understand. War was not a game. It wasn't a schoolyard brawl where someone might throw a punch out of the blue.

For two Saint Lords to inexplicably risk their lives against him, there had to be a reason.

The next moment, boundless crystalline blue light surged from the scout's body, shooting straight into the sky.

A massive white-robed figure manifested in the skies above the Primal Desolation Realm.

From deep within the realm, a furious shout rang out. "You despicable coward! You actually dare to come here!"

A towering figure, wreathed in monstrous might with eight arms growing from his back, soared into the sky.

Yuanhuang locked his tiger-like eyes onto Illusion Ash's phantom, his gaze brimming with absolute hatred.

Despicable coward?

Illusion Ash's expression turned cold as he demanded, "Yuanhuang, we have always minded our own business. You are now mobilizing all your troops and pointing your swords at my Illusion Ash Realm. What is the meaning of this?"

Hearing this, Yuanhuang grew even more enraged. "You still dare ask what I mean? You've got some nerve, Illusion Ash! Did you think the things you did wearing a mask would be wiped clean the moment you took it off?"

Illusion Ash froze. "Mask? What mask?"

Seeing Illusion Ash's seemingly genuine expression, the fury in Yuanhuang's heart only flared higher. Back then, he had been fooled by Zhou Qiong's exquisite acting. Now this guy wanted to pull the same trick. Did he really think this Saint Lord was a fool?

"Die!!"

Yuanhuang threw a punch. The violent winds from his fist shredded the white clouds high in the firmament, shattering Illusion Ash's phantom along with them.

The Illusion Ash Realm.

Sitting by the lake, Illusion Ash fell into deep thought.

A mask? What mask exactly? Could someone have assumed my identity to deliberately provoke a conflict between the three great realms?

That damned brute Yuanhuang—was he really that easy to fool?

Left with no other option, he pinned his hopes on the Lord of Dawn. In his mind, the Lord of Dawn could at least be considered an intelligent person.

He transmitted his consciousness to a scout in the Dawn Domain.

When his phantom manifested in the skies above the Dawn Domain, Illusion Ash was met by the smiling Lord of Dawn.

"Illusion Ash, let this Saint Lord take a guess. You came here this time to stall for time, right? Don't worry. No matter what pretty words you spout, this Saint Lord won't believe a single syllable."

The Lord of Illusory Ashes was speechless. "..."

He took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his rising anger. "Dawn, I thought you were intelligent, but I never expected you to be this foolish. I visited the Primal Desolation Realm earlier and got a rough idea of the situation. While I don't know what happened to you two, I can tell you for a fact that you are being used."

The Lord of Dawn looked as if he had just seen the light. "Oh... so this Saint Lord was being used. Thank you for traveling thousands of miles to inform me, or else I would still be kept in the dark."

The sarcastic tone nearly made Illusion Ash lose his temper. His inner confusion deepened. Just who was pulling the strings from the shadows, managing to fool even the Lord of Dawn?

"It's fine if you don't believe me, but I truly don't know what happened. Could you enlighten me a little?"

"Heh..." The Lord of Dawn laughed mockingly. "Do you really need this Saint Lord to help you remember your own actions? Illusion Ash, if you don't want to suffer total annihilation, hand over those two Divine Corpses immediately. Give them up, and Yuanhuang and I will withdraw our troops at once."

Two Divine Corpses!?

A flash of shock streaked across Illusion Ash's eyes. "What Divine Corpses? What makes you so certain they are in my hands?"

Clap, clap, clap...

The Lord of Dawn clapped in admiration. "The world knows that your Illusion Technique is unmatched beneath the heavens. In my opinion, your acting skills are even better than your illusions. However, this Saint Lord has no interest in playing along with your little show. Scram!"

"It seems someone disguised themselves as me and snatched the Divine Corpses from the two of you." Illusion Ash narrowed his eyes, a chilling light glinting in them.

"Wrong. You put on a mask and snatched the Divine Corpses from our hands."

Illusion Ash stared blankly for a long moment, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. "The Divine Corpses really aren't in my hands. You've been tricked!"

"If this Saint Lord believed your words right now, then I would truly be tricked."

"Have you considered why I would bother wearing a mask if you both already concluded the culprit was me? Why bother with such a pointless disguise?"

"Who knows? Maybe you just like taking off your pants to fart. Assemble! All forces assemble! Move out at once!" The Lord of Dawn called out to his subordinate generals. Even while chatting with Illusion Ash, he didn't waste a single second.

Illusion Ash fell silent. To wear a mask and still be recognized as him meant that the other party must have displayed abilities similar to his own. Flames? No, that couldn't be it. Flames were far too common; there were many Saint Lords capable of manipulating fire. Only his Illusion Technique was completely unique.

In all the world, he was the only Saint Lord to reign supreme with the Illusion Technique. This meant that the mastermind behind the scenes also possessed the power of illusions.

At this thought, he was suddenly struck by a shocking realization. Could it be that the other party also possessed that special dream realm!?

An illusion capable of deceiving a Saint Lord... aside from someone who also possessed the origin of that True God, who else in the world could possibly achieve such a feat?

"Brother Dawn, please hear me out. The one who impersonated me most likely possesses the same Divine Puzzle as I do."

Amidst the tens of thousands of troops, Dawn, sitting atop a war chariot, nodded with exaggerated seriousness. "What you say isn't without reason. All soldiers, heed my command—march!"

Rumble!

The mighty, sprawling army formed a torrential flood of steel, pointing straight toward the Illusion Ash Realm.