An Understated Dominance

 After a brief rest, Margaret exhaled softly and turned to the few who had stayed behind. A-Long’s eyes were firm; the two remaining guards, though pale, gripped their weapons tightly. Old Zhang, his arm severed, sat leaning against the cave wall — his eyes hollow yet calm, as though resigned to fate. Qingzhu, meanwhile, watched Margaret with deep worry. Finally, her gaze fell upon Dustin. He still sat cross-legged, eyes closed in meditation, utterly untouched by the turmoil around him. That profound serenity, somehow, soothed her restless heart. “Let’s go,” Margaret said. Her voice had regained its usual cool composure, but now carried a tone of unwavering resolve — the sound of someone who had already burned all bridges behind her. Dustin opened his eyes at that moment, gave a small nod, and without another word, strode toward the other end of the cavern — down the narrow passage leading into the unknown. The passage was damp and dark, barely wide enough for one person to pass wh...

 Now, all they hoped for was to take a share of the supplies and search for another way out through the cavern. Even if the chances were slim, it was better than walking knowingly toward certain death. Captain A-Long’s face was ashen. His fists clenched tightly as he wanted to shout them down. But when he saw the fear and despair in the eyes of the brothers who had once fought by his side, the words of reprimand caught in his throat and died there. He was afraid too — only duty and loyalty kept him from speaking out. Qingzhu stomped her foot in anger and anxiety. “How can you be like this? Her Highness has treated you well — and now that danger comes, you all want to run away?” Li Qingcheng gazed at the guards before her — men weeping and begging — and her heart felt like a jar of mixed spices, full of sorrow and helplessness. She felt disappointment, coldness, and above all, a deep compassion. She understood their fear. Even Li Yuntian had considered the path ahead a dead end — wh...

 The warning left by Liyun Tian hung heavy over the cavern, casting a suffocating weight on everyone. Even the distribution of the supplies no longer brought any relief—only a numbed, cautious meticulousness. The clean water and dried rations were divided as evenly as possible among everyone, while Margaret personally kept the small box of healing pills for emergencies. Everyone ate in silence, the bland food tasting like sawdust. In a corner, the two most severely injured guards leaned against the rock wall, their faces ashen. One had been wounded by the fog-shrouded attack; though his chest was bandaged, a creeping deathly pallor still emanated from the wound. His breathing was shallow and rapid, clearly at the very edge of endurance. The other had lost an arm. Though the bleeding was stopped, the overwhelming pain and blood loss left him barely conscious, occasionally letting out involuntary moans. Their suffering was like needles piercing the eyes and nerves of the remaining su...

 “Rumble!” A deep, muffled boom echoed from the direction of the fissure they had entered through. The ground trembled faintly, and bits of gravel rained down from above. “What’s going on?!” the guard captain exclaimed, looking toward the fissure in alarm. To their shock, the narrow gap that had only allowed one person to pass earlier was now completely sealed by an enormous boulder—wedged tightly into place. It was as if an invisible giant hand had reached out and sealed their only way out from the outside. “Not good! Our retreat’s been cut off!” One of the guards rushed forward and pushed hard against the boulder, but it didn’t budge an inch—it was far heavier than anyone had imagined. Panic rippled through the group as several men took turns striking it with swords and axes, but their blows only left a few shallow white marks. This was no ordinary stone. A faint spiritual pattern flickered across its surface—it was clearly protected by a formation. “It’s an array! We’re trapped ...

 With the mirage demon’s disappearance, the last trace of that eerie energy finally faded from the valley. Only then did the survivors dare to slowly open their eyes, lowering their hands from their ears. As they took in the desolate and real scenery around them, the memory of what they had just endured felt almost like a dream from another lifetime. Several injured guards collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, their faces pale with lingering terror. Margaret approached Dustin, worry shining in her eyes. “Dustin, are you all right?” He shook his head, gazing in the direction where the mirage had fled. “I’m fine. Just a bit drained in spirit. She’s wounded—she won’t dare show herself again anytime soon.” Qingzhu clutched her chest, still shaken. “That was terrifying. That illusion was impossible to defend against! If Master Dustin hadn’t found her weakness at the end, we’d all be dead here.” Dustin nodded slightly. “Penglai Island is filled with hidden dangers. The more beauti...

 “Qingzhu! It’s me! Calm down!” Margaret fought the urge to strike down her supposed enemy, gripping Qingzhu’s wrist tightly as she shouted. Her cultivation was stronger, her will firmer—she barely held onto a thread of clarity, yet the illusion before her still shook her heart to its core. Dustin frowned as he watched the team descend into chaos. This mirage demon’s illusion was truly troublesome—not only could it weave vast environmental illusions, but it could also plant personalized heart demons in each person’s mind, leaving them defenseless. If this went on, they wouldn’t even need the mirage demon to strike—they’d die by their own delusions. He unleashed another surge of divine sense, but this time it barely had any effect. The illusion clung to their spirits like bone-deep rot—simply relying on a spiritual shock wasn’t enough to cleanse it completely. “Close your eyes! Shut off your hearing! Guard your hearts—trust the people beside you!” Dustin’s voice was cold as ice, car...

 The illusion formation had been forcefully broken apart for the most part, and the guards who had fallen into it slowly regained their senses. When they saw the grim reality around them — the bodies of their fallen companions lying in pools of blood — their faces turned ashen, trembling with lingering terror. “What a terrifying illusion… to so perfectly mirror the desires within the human heart,” Margaret whispered, her voice quivering. Gratitude toward Dustin filled her eyes. Dustin’s gaze flashed like lightning as he suddenly turned his eyes toward the deepest part of the valley — the only truly real place — the spring. The air above the spring began to twist and ripple, as a vague silhouette slowly took shape. It was a woman dressed in flowing robes of seven-colored light, her beauty dazzling and almost inhumanly bewitching. Her body seemed to be woven from mist and radiance, flickering between existence and illusion. Barefoot, she hovered above the spring, surrounded by an aur...