NABC Chapter 2156 Foreign Enemy? Let Me See
Chapter 2156 Foreign Enemy? Let Me See
Cao Feiyu's long eyelashes, like a curtain unable to bear the weight, slowly drooped down, covering her eyes. Her delicate body swayed slightly, as if she had lost all her strength, and she softly fell downwards.
Before her consciousness completely sank into darkness, her last gaze seemed to be trying hard to focus on Chen Fei's back.
Once again, Cao Feiyu's spiritual senses were permeated and covered by this powerful illusion reset force, falling into a deeper slumber, waiting to be given the identity and memories of the next illusion world.
Unlike Cao Feiyu, who lost consciousness instantly, Chen Fei remained as steady as a mountain in the face of this surging, drowsy force, and his eyes did not even show the slightest dazedness.
In the center of his sea of consciousness, the dark golden starlight transformed from the Immortal True Light Mirror was now operating at an unprecedented speed.
Although the starlight was small, it was like a stabilizing force, radiating an eternal and unchanging Daoist charm that kept the dark and gloomy power that tried to invade and obscure it firmly at bay, preventing it from crossing the line.
Chen Fei's mind was clear and lucid.
He calmly watched the collapse and transformation of the world around him. The light on the short stick in his hand gradually dimmed and blurred with the changes in the world, eventually turning into specks of light and dissipating into the air.
Chen Fei's gaze did not linger on the short stick, nor did he pay much attention to the bizarre fragments of scenery around him. His eyes were deep, and a thoughtful light quietly flowed in the depths of his pupils.
Each of these illusions seems to be set up as a near-unsolvable life-or-death situation.
The first battlefield world, surrounded and intercepted by thousands of elite armored soldiers, with cliffs and dead ends, a rain of arrows, and raging flames... From any perspective, it was a hopeless situation with no chance of survival for the combination of a mortal general and a weak princess.
If Chen Fei hadn't spotted a flaw in the illusion, he probably would have been worn down and killed in the chaos of battle.
However, the situation has changed in this second cultivator world that has just ended.
At first, it seemed like a deadly trap set for him, with dozens of experts laying a net to kill him. But the crucial turning point came when Cao Feiyu suddenly appeared and tried to shield him from the fatal blow.
"If I hadn't acted then, or if I had acted even a fraction of a second too late, my senior sister would surely have perished under that fiery meteor. And even if I had managed to break through the encirclement later, my senior sister's death would have seemed to become a crucial turning point in this illusion..."
Both illusions were desperate situations, but the focus seemed to have subtly shifted. The primary test of his survival skills had turned into a test of other areas.
"Is this change because both of my spiritual materials are present in me?"
Chen Fei's mind raced. "Or perhaps... this is how this illusionary world is designed from the start? Its operating logic isn't a simple killing trap, but rather a series of progressive trials or selections?"
Chen Fei couldn't be sure, after all, his understanding of the ancient Heavenly Court was limited to a few words in the ancient books. The operating logic and purpose of the ancient Heavenly Court's trial grounds had long been lost in the long river of history and were difficult to fathom.
"However, one thing is now basically certain."
Chen Fei collected his thoughts, "As long as my senior sister and I can successfully break through the life-or-death situation in the current illusionary world, then this illusionary world will be considered cleared."
"Moreover, when the last battlefield world ended, after those chaotic ripples subsided, some of my profound insights into the cultivation of the Tai Cang Realm automatically surfaced in my sea of consciousness, and this time..."
Chen Fei's mind stirred slightly as he carefully sensed the sea of knowledge.
Just as the surrounding scenery was rapidly changing and the new world was not yet fully formed, a new fragment of insight about cultivating in the Tai Cang Realm appeared in the depths of his consciousness like a babbling brook, corroborating and supplementing the previous insight.
"That's really true."
Chen Fei's eyes flickered slightly. "Clearing a dream world not only brings you closer to breaking through the real dream world, but also directly rewards you with insights into the cultivation of the Tai Cang Realm."
This is like a well-designed trial, where each level you pass rewards you accordingly. The reward for this trial is your insights into cultivation within the Tai Cang Realm.
This is undoubtedly a treasure that any cultivator in the Tai Cang Realm would dream of, except for Chen Fei.
This insight was indeed profound, pointing directly to some key points of cultivation in the Tai Cang Realm and the application of the laws of heaven and earth. It was also beneficial to broaden his horizons, but that was all.
Because he had already cultivated the Devouring Heaven Divine Forging technique to its peak, Chen Fei's lack was never in understanding, but in the actual quality and spiritual materials required.
Therefore, the insights into the Tai Cang Realm cultivation rewarded by this illusion can be savored and learned from by Chen Fei, but they are not the staple food he urgently needs.
Having it would be good, as it would allow him to have a more comprehensive understanding of power. Not having it wouldn't be a big deal, as it wouldn't prevent him from steadily improving himself by relying on his spiritual materials.
"This system rewards cultivation insights upon completion of all trials, and ultimately, a sixteenth-grade high-level spiritual material will be awarded as a reward..."
By piecing together the causes and consequences, Chen Fei gradually came to a conclusion.
"I feel that the great hall I accidentally entered earlier was very likely a trial ground specially set up by the ancient Heavenly Court."
The ancient Heavenly Court, ruling over all the heavens, possessed boundless majesty. Its methods of selecting and cultivating talent must have been beyond imagination.
Setting up various trial realms to test the character, aptitude, comprehension, combat strength, and even adaptability and decision-making of the younger generation, and giving corresponding rewards upon completion, is a common tactic used by many powerful forces.
However, the ancient Heavenly Court had a larger scale and more direct rewards.
However, the ancient Heavenly Court has long been destroyed over countless eons, and its ruins have been tainted by strange and unpredictable demonic energy, resulting in unforeseen changes.
The trials inside this hall should indeed reward you with high-level spiritual materials as originally planned if you pass them. However, if you fail the trials, it's unlikely that you'll simply be teleported out or get nothing at all.
In these ruins tainted by demonic energy, the likely consequence of failure is true death and annihilation of the soul, becoming part of this illusion, or being completely devoured by the demonic energy.
This trial is now a true test of life and death; success will bring opportunity, failure will lead to utter destruction. Moreover, as the illusion progresses, the difficulty and complexity of the trial are clearly increasing.
"What will the next illusion be?" Chen Fei looked up ahead.
The chaotic, ever-changing, and bizarre scene around me was like a painting that had been quickly smoothed out by an invisible hand, suddenly frozen in time and became clear.
It felt like only a moment had passed, yet it also felt like a long passage of time.
Chen Fei felt a slight weight around his body, and a completely different sensation came over him.
He looked down and saw that he was no longer wearing a moon-white robe, but a casual outfit embroidered with a five-clawed golden dragon, the fabric of which was soft yet exuded an air of authority.
A jade belt cinched his waist, and he wore gold-embroidered cloud-patterned court boots. An imperial aura, born of long-standing authority and the power of life and death, naturally enveloped him, while fragments of basic information about his identity flooded his mind.
The emperor of the Dayin Dynasty, whose reign title was Jinghe, reigned for several decades.
Chen Fei looked around and realized that he was not in the imperial palace, but in a messy palace room.
The carved beams and painted rafters still faintly reveal their former beauty, but the vermilion lacquer has peeled off, the curtains are faded, and the air is filled with a sense of panic, decay, and a touch of oppressive sorrow.
The palace doors and windows were tightly closed, but one could vaguely hear the clamor of voices, the neighing of horses' hooves, and a sense of unease coming from outside.
In front of the palace, several generals in armor and a few civil officials in robes were kneeling on the ground.
Their gazes were fixed ahead, their eyes filled with complex emotions, but the strongest emotion they displayed was a kind of obsession.
Following their gaze, Chen Fei looked ahead.
Cao Feiyu was walking slowly toward the center of the palace with her back to him.
There, a round pear wood stool had been placed sometime earlier. Above the stool, a three-foot-long white silk ribbon hung from the roof beam, tied in a knot, its stark whiteness appearing particularly glaring in the dim light filtering through the window paper.
Cao Feiyu wore a plain white palace dress with a trailing hem. Her long, black hair was not styled into a complicated updo, but loosely tied up with a simple white jade hairpin, with a few strands falling to her side.
Her back was thin and frail, trembling slightly, each step extremely difficult, as if she were walking on knives and fire, not on smooth paving stones.
An intense, overwhelming aura of sorrow and despair emanated from her, enveloping the entire palace.
In the final years of the dynasty, natural disasters occurred frequently, man-made calamities continued, and even more evil spirits were causing trouble, making life unbearable for the people.
Surrounded by powerful enemies who repeatedly invaded the borders, and plagued by bandits who ravaged several provinces, the empire was struck by a sudden attack three months ago by a powerful rebel army that allied with northern barbarians. The army was advancing directly towards the capital.
In a panic, the original Emperor Jinghe had no choice but to abandon the capital and flee south with a few trusted ministers, nobles, and palace women, under the protection of a few remnants of his army. He ostensibly took this opportunity to tour the south of the Yangtze River in order to plan for the future.
They endured a life of hardship and constant danger. The guards suffered heavy casualties, and their morale plummeted.
Complaints and despair filled the fleeing ranks. A rumor began to circulate among the surviving soldiers and officials, quickly becoming an outlet for their fear and discontent.
The decline of the nation, the defeat in war, and even this humiliating escape to the south are all due to the presence of a wicked concubine by the emperor's side. This concubine, like a hen crowing at dawn, wreaks havoc on the court, leading to the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, and the destruction of the country.
And this "femme fatale" refers to the Imperial Concubine who is currently walking towards the white silk ribbon.
She was a concubine with stunning beauty and was favored by the emperor, but she was also rumored to be jealous and interfere in court affairs.
After a small skirmish during their escape, the generals who had lost some troops and the civil officials who were already dissatisfied with the imperial concubine could no longer contain themselves. They joined forces and, in this temporary imperial palace, forced the emperor to purge the corrupt officials and execute the wicked concubine in order to appease the emperor's anger and reassure the army.
In their view, only by executing this femme fatale could they regain their remaining morale, gain divine forgiveness, and perhaps have a glimmer of hope.
Thus, the scene before us unfolded: the king was forced to abdicate, and his generals and ministers knelt down, pressuring him to execute his beloved concubine.
In extreme despair and fear that the emperor might abandon her under pressure, the imperial concubine chose to commit suicide with dignity, so as not to put the emperor in a difficult position, or perhaps because she was completely heartbroken.
Chen Fei watched Cao Feiyu's retreating figure, then looked up through the roof to gaze at the outside world.
Chen Fei could sense that a more subtle connection had been established between himself and this illusory world.
If the previous illusion was like looking at flowers through a fog, where one could only vaguely perceive some obvious ripples and discontinuities, then now it is like wiping away the dust from a mirror, revealing more flaws, and even allowing one to faintly perceive the rule nodes that support the operation of the entire illusion behind these flaws.
"When it really comes to an extremely dangerous moment where life and death are at stake, perhaps we can try to forcefully break through and tear apart those most critical rule nodes."
Although doing so might cause a backlash from the illusion, and the cost is unknown, at least it gives Chen Fei a trump card that could potentially overturn the table.
This means that, to a certain extent, he has the ability to forcibly disrupt the current operation of the illusionary world, provided he is willing to pay the price.
This undoubtedly gives Chen Fei greater confidence and room for maneuver when facing unknown risks in the future.
Just as Chen Fei's mind was racing, trying to quickly sort out the current situation, the pale, forlorn figure in front of him suddenly paused slightly.
Cao Feiyu stopped just a few steps away from the pear wood stool and the white silk. Instead of stepping onto the stool immediately, she turned around with great difficulty.
A stunningly beautiful face, yet so pale it was devoid of any color, came into Chen Fei's view.
At this moment, Cao Feiyu's brows were shrouded in an overwhelming sorrow and despair. Her eyes were red-rimmed, and crystal tears, like broken pearls, rolled down her smooth cheeks, wetting her plain white clothes.
Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Her eyes, which should have been clear and bright, were now filled with a desolate sorrow, as if her heart had died.
She just stared at Chen Fei, her eyes filled with no resentment, no blame, only a deep-seated sorrow of parting, and a faint, almost nonexistent hope.
That look stirred a slight ripple in Chen Fei's heart.
It wasn't the concubine's tragic beauty that captivated Chen Fei, but rather the look in her eyes that instantly reminded him of Cao Feiyu's desperate yet affectionate final glance back at him in the previous illusionary world.
Two worlds, two identities, but their resolute willingness to die for him, and the deep sorrow and affection hidden in their eyes, are exactly the same.
"This illusion...is it deliberately amplifying and exploiting my senior sister's subconscious to create some kind of emotional entanglement with me?" This thought flashed through Chen Fei's mind for a moment, but he had no time to delve into it at the moment.
Seeing Cao Feiyu's heartbroken eyes, Chen Fei ignored the kneeling civil and military officials behind him who were forcing him to resign, and walked step by step toward the trembling figure in white in front of him.
The hem of the bright yellow dragon robe brushed against the cold, smooth floor tiles, making a soft rustling sound that was particularly clear in the silent palace where only Cao Feiyu's suppressed sobs could be heard.
Cao Feiyu was stunned when she saw Chen Fei walking towards her. A wave of disbelief suddenly rippled in her lifeless eyes, and a faint but real light suddenly shone in her dim gaze.
The light was so pure, so intense.
There was no desire for survival, no attachment to power, not even the relief that the fear of death had been dispelled. There was only the simple, almost instinctive reaction that came from the man walking toward her.
It has nothing to do with life or death, but only with his choice and his approach.
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
A hoarse, aged voice, filled with grief and loyalty, shattered the faint spark that had just ignited in Cao Feiyu's eyes like a blunt knife.
An old minister kneeling behind Chen Fei suddenly slammed his head on the ground with a thud.
His hair and beard were completely white, and his face was etched with wrinkles like those of a knife. He raised his head, tears streaming down his face, but his eyes were unusually firm, even carrying a resolute determination as if he were remonstrating to the death. He shouted hoarsely:
"Your Majesty, please stop! Don't... don't delay the Imperial Concubine's... auspicious time!"
In the eyes of him and the many kneeling civil and military officials behind him, the only way to save this crumbling dynasty at this moment was for the imperial concubine to hang herself to appease the world, quell the wrath of heaven and the morale of the army. It was a very auspicious thing.
The emperor's approach at this moment is irrational, an indulgence in personal feelings, and a disregard for the fate of the nation.
"Your Majesty, please consider the well-being of the nation!"
"Your Majesty, the soldiers of the three armies are all resentful, saying that the wicked concubine has brought ruin to the country. If Your Majesty does not make a decision, I fear a great calamity may ensue!"
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
With the veteran minister taking the lead, the other civil officials and generals also kowtowed, their foreheads hitting the floor tiles with dull thuds.
These voices, like cold iron hoops, tightly constricted Cao Feiyu's heart, which had just begun to flutter.
His Majesty is, after all, the ruler of this land, the hope for this shattered empire. And what am I...? The title of a wicked concubine who brought ruin to the country is enough to erase everything.
Cao Feiyu's lips curled into a poignant smile as she solemnly performed a standard courtly curtsy to Chen Fei, who had already taken a few steps closer.
Then, Cao Feiyu resolutely turned around again, no longer looking at Chen Fei. She lifted her feet, which felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and prepared to step onto the pear wood stool prepared for her.
However, the expected sensation of stepping on a round stool did not occur.
Because the footsteps behind them hadn't stopped.
The footsteps did not stop despite the old minister's tearful pleas. Cao Feiyu's foot, which was about to step onto the stool, froze in mid-air.
The footsteps grew closer and closer, finally stopping just inches behind her.
Then, a warm hand gently grasped her cold, trembling hand.
A jolt of electricity shot through Cao Feiyu's body. Her delicate frame trembled violently, and the longing she had been forcibly suppressing burst forth like a flood, overwhelming all her psychological defenses.
"His Majesty……"
She uttered two words as if in a dream, her voice hoarse and barely audible. She didn't turn around, dared not turn around, afraid that if she did, she would see helplessness, compromise, and the resolute determination to push her away on His Majesty's face.
But she could feel that the hand was gripping her tightly and steadily.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider! Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
Seeing that Chen Fei not only did not stop, but instead stepped forward and grasped the Imperial Concubine's hand, the civil and military officials kneeling on the ground became completely anxious. They no longer cared about the etiquette between emperor and subject, and raised their heads and shouted in unison, their voices so loud that dust fell from the beams of the palace.
For the sake of a wicked concubine, they were willing to disregard the safety of the nation. Where was this the same person they had placed their hopes on, enduring humiliation to protect their fleeing monarch?
Chen Fei could feel the trembling of the soft hand in his grasp, and he could hear the heart-wrenching cries of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism behind him. But his expression remained unchanged, and not even his eyes flickered.
"Your Majesty, the rebel army and the allied forces of the barbarians are less than a hundred li away. Scouts report that the enemy's vanguard consists entirely of elite cavalry, moving with the speed of the wind. The soldiers escorting Your Majesty on your southern tour have suffered heavy casualties from days of travel, and now they are filled with fear and their morale is low, with everyone saying that this is a calamity sent by heaven..."
A general with a full beard, kneeling at the front, suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and stared straight at Chen Fei. His voice, like a broken gong, filled with a desperate and indignant grief, he roared:
"The soldiers all say that this is divine punishment. It is because a demon has appeared in the palace, causing chaos in the court, which has led to the wrath of heaven and the resentment of the people, resulting in the army's crushing defeat. Your Majesty, we are now at a critical juncture of life and death, and Your Majesty urgently needs to make a divine decision to appease the army and stabilize the foundation of the nation!"
"Your Majesty, I urge you to prioritize the legacy of our ancestors and the well-being of all people. Please reconsider! Please reconsider!"
He roared until he was hoarse, and the veins on his neck bulged, as if he had used up all his strength.
These words presented the emperor with the most vehement demands for the removal of corrupt officials and the execution of treacherous concubines. At the same time, they starkly revealed the greatest real threat: approaching foreign enemies and a demoralized army.
Just as the general finished speaking, a unified shout, like rumbling thunder, echoed from outside the palace, growing louder as it approached:
"Purge the court of corrupt officials, eliminate the wicked concubine! Reassure the army, and stabilize the world!"
"Purge the court of corrupt officials, eliminate the wicked concubine! Reassure the army, and stabilize the world!"
At first, there were only sporadic shouts, but soon they gathered together, becoming louder and more orderly. It was the voice of the people and the morale of the army outside the palace, which was expressed by the exhausted, fearful and desperate soldiers under the encouragement of a few generals.
The sound pierced through the palace walls and echoed within the oppressive palace chambers, like a final ultimatum, the heavy drumbeats striking the hearts of everyone present.
Cao Feiyu's delicate body trembled violently, her already pale face turning deathly white, devoid of any color. The shouts from the outside world were like countless cold daggers, piercing through her last shred of hope.
She instinctively wanted to pull her hand away from Chen Fei's grasp, not wanting to become a burden to him, a stumbling block, causing him to be condemned by everyone and alienated from his soldiers.
However, Chen Fei held her hand tightly, not allowing her to break free.
Under the grief-stricken and desperate gazes of the civil and military officials, Chen Fei slowly and calmly turned around.
His face did not show the fury, fear, struggle, or helpless pain that the ministers had expected.
Instead, the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, forming a calm smile.
"foreign enemy?"
Chen Fei's gaze calmly swept over the kneeling civil and military officials on the ground, his smile unchanged. His gaze swept over the tightly closed doors and windows of the palace, as if he could penetrate the walls and see the restless soldiers outside and the rolling iron cavalry a hundred miles away.
"Where are the foreign enemies? Let me see!" (End of Chapter)