Chapter 268 - 227: Each Displaying Their Divine Techniques (Part 2)

Qi Hongxuan spoke calmly.

"Yes, sir. We have compiled a list of the dignitaries who were summoned for your review. As for the whereabouts of the National Salvation Association’s general, we are still investigating. We ask for your understanding."

The tall man spoke respectfully, approaching slowly and presenting the document to Qi Hongxuan with both hands.

At that very moment, however, a cold glint flashed in the man’s eyes.

BAM!!

His Qi and Blood suddenly surged. The hair all over his body stood on end as his internal organs kicked into overdrive.

He thrust his arm forward, launching a sudden attack on Qi Hongxuan.

Hm?!

But a man of Qi Hongxuan’s caliber had already reacted the instant the man made his move.

BOOM!!

A red light erupted around Qi Hongxuan as his body temperature billowed like steam and his Gang Qi flared. The tall man was violently thrown backward, his body grievously wounded. A thousand gashes appeared on his skin, and his clothes were incinerated by the intense heat. Blood streamed from his seven orifices as he collapsed, his fate uncertain.

"Guards..."

Qi Hongxuan frowned slightly, about to give his orders.

WHOOSH!!!

A fierce wind howled through the room. Qi and Blood roiled and red light flared as every single one of the high-ranking Phoenix Army officers from Jinmen, who had been standing respectfully at attention, erupted with power. They all locked onto him, their killing intent overflowing.

’This is...’

A look of shock appeared on Qi Hongxuan’s face.

’One traitor among them would be understandable. But for all of them to be traitors? That’s absolutely impossible.’

"Qi Hongxuan, three years ago, we exchanged three blows. Three years have passed. I wonder how much your Martial Dao has progressed?"

At the same time, a chilling scene unfolded in the room.

The high-ranking officers from Jinmen all opened their mouths at the same time, speaking the exact same words in perfect unison.

"Shifting Form and Shadow... Reincarnation?!!"

A sharp glint flashed in Qi Hongxuan’s eyes as he blurted out the names.

This was a nearly mythical ability spoken of only in legends. When one’s Intent and control reached an unbelievable level, one could use their will to hypnotize individuals from a distance, making them react like puppets on a string, as if possessed by Evil Spirits.

And these men in the room were all accomplished Martial Dao masters; to hypnotize them with spiritual manipulation was exponentially more difficult.

Besides the masters of the Brahma Gate, there was likely only one person in the entire Divine Land capable of such a feat.

The National Salvation Association’s Thousand Illusions Li Ping!!

The Thousand Illusions Heart Cleansing Skill!

This was a powerful spiritual Martial Dao, renowned for its hypnotic and illusory abilities.

Changing one’s body, or even the Form of one’s fists, to vividly replicate various Martial Daos—this was not something that could be accomplished by the simple ability of Harmony. It required using one’s Intent to change oneself, body and soul, a form of self-hypnosis that made one truly believe they had become the person they were imitating.

In the long run, by experiencing a thousand worldly illusions, it was easy to get lost in the constant self-hypnosis. But if one could hold onto that one spark of true Spiritual Sense, the endless transformations would become a boon, tempering one’s true self and forging the Spirit. Upon reaching a certain level, one could manifest incredible abilities like Heart-Sealing Heart, remote hypnosis, and even feats similar to Reincarnation.

Back when he fought Zhao Xuanqi, Li Ping had only used the full extent of his physical abilities to simulate the Ultimate Skills of various schools; he hadn’t used the true Spiritual Secret Technique of the Thousand Illusions Heart Cleansing Skill at all.

One reason was that Zhao Xuanqi’s Spirit was so powerful, it made him a difficult target. Another was that the Thousand Illusion Secret Technique was extremely risky for both the caster and the recipient. A single misstep could affect the Spirit and damage the brain, and such injuries could not be healed quickly.

But now, facing a powerful enemy, Li Ping was clearly holding nothing back.

SWISH SWISH SWISH!!

In an instant, everyone in the room moved as one, unleashing their Qi Blood Martial Dao as they attacked Qi Hongxuan.

Thousand Illusions Li Ping’s body was endlessly mutable. He had likely already transformed into one of the men in the room, hiding among the crowd, waiting for the chance to get close and land a fatal, unexpected blow.

Qi Hongxuan scanned everyone but couldn’t spot anything amiss. He even tried to unleash his own spiritual influence to forcefully control them, but he failed. This meant Li Ping’s Spiritual Power was even greater than his own!

Qi Hongxuan was known as the Feathered Spirit. The "feathering" in his name signified endless transformation. He, too, was a master of spiritual illusions. With a single Technique, he could create illusions that split from one to three, from three to nine, spawning an endless, inexhaustible mirage.

In their battle three years ago, Li Ping had been at a disadvantage within just three exchanges.

In the past, Li Ping had been feared by all sides merely for his transformative abilities; his actual combat prowess wasn’t considered a major threat.

But now, three years had passed, and everything was different.

One man held a high position, living a life of comfort and privilege. The other lurked in the shadows, constantly walking the line between life and death. How could the two even be compared?

He couldn’t tell them apart. But everyone present was a high-ranking Jinmen officer, and Qi Hongxuan couldn’t bring himself to kill them. Since he couldn’t identify his enemy, his first priority was to escape.

Qi Hongxuan tapped his foot, and his body instantly turned ethereal. Like a falcon, like a phantom, he moved with an uncanny grace, soaring over the crowd from an impossible angle, preparing to burst through the door.

But in that instant, the situation changed.

A palm, covered in a ghostly light, seemed to pass through space itself, silently pressing toward Qi Hongxuan’s body from an utterly bizarre angle.

At the same time, the spiritual assault fully erupted. In an instant, Qi Hongxuan’s mind was flooded with images. The scenery around him warped, and illusions blossomed everywhere.