Chapter 270: The 'Mind Horse' Also Causes Harm

"Thump! Thump!"

Li Fan's heart began to beat uncontrollably.

It was as if he had witnessed his own gruesome death shortly in the future.

Li Fan subconsciously wanted to silently chant 'Return to Truth' in his mind to return to the anchored moment.

However, in an instant, he felt that something was not right and forcibly stopped himself.

The Xuanhuang Refining Heart Mantra slowly shattered the fear emerging in his heart, turning it into nourishment for the mind. It also provided Li Fan with a precious moment of calm contemplation.

"Could it be that Zhang Zhiliang discovered something and intended to harm me in this way?"

"No... he has probably already advanced to the Nascent Soul stage. Dealing with a mere foundational cultivator like me doesn't require such tactics."

"He could have just attacked directly."

"So, the strange situation now must be the effect of the 'Mind Horse' itself?"

As he thought about this, Li Fan suddenly felt a trance.

The hairs on his back stood up, as if someone was staring at him.

Startled, Li Fan immediately turned around.

He saw Zhang Zhiliang gazing at him with an indescribable smile.

Instinctively, Li Fan retreated, and the spiritual energy surged within him, ready to unleash the Cangyun Sword.

But in the blink of an eye, Zhang Zhiliang's figure disappeared.

Li Fan was puzzled for a moment before realizing that he was still within the Tianxuan Mirror.

Even if someone as powerful as Tianyi attempted to break through, it would cause quite a disturbance.

It was impossible for Zhang Zhiliang to intrude so silently.

"An illusion?"

Li Fan turned his head to look at the 'Mind Horse' corpse on the ground and noticed something unusual, furrowing his brows.

This 'Mind Horse' corpse had changed its posture unnoticed.

"Is it dead or alive?"

Li Fan couldn't help but think so.

Fear once again struck, echoing in his heart for a long time.

His body felt a chill.

"This 'Mind Horse' is a bit strange."

"However, with 'Return to Truth,' no matter how dangerous it is, it cannot harm my life..."

Thinking of this, Li Fan felt a bit relieved.

It was strange that when he thought so, the inexplicable fear in his heart temporarily receded like a tide.

"Interesting..."

Li Fan's gaze flickered.

However, he still remained in the form of a human with a horse's head. Obviously, the situation had not ended.

Seizing this opportunity, Li Fan's thoughts turned rapidly, considering countermeasures.

However, before Li Fan could recall anything, the situation changed again.

The sound of arrows breaking through the air suddenly came.

Then came the muffled sound of arrows piercing flesh.

Li Fan followed the sound and saw an arrow coming from somewhere.

It hit the left arm of the 'Mind Horse' corpse accurately.

Just as Li Fan was about to pull out the arrow to see if it was real or not, a sudden pain struck.

Coincidentally, the pain came from his own left arm.

Li Fan scanned with his divine sense, and his expression instantly darkened.

The same location, the same wound!

Even when he tried to use spiritual power, he couldn't heal the wound.

After purchasing a trauma pill from the Tianxuan Mirror, swallowing it had no effect either.

The wound remained.

"What... is this?"

"Is it real or fake?"

Feeling the burning pain on his arm, Li Fan couldn't help but think so.

"Does this mean that everything that happened with the 'Mind Horse' will be reflected on me?"

"If..."

Before his wild thoughts could continue, Li Fan forcefully activated the Refining Heart Mantra, clearing away distracting thoughts.

Ignoring the pain in his body, he continued to think of a strategy.

"Theoretically, Zhang Zhiliang has no reason to play tricks on me. This 'Mind Horse' is indeed a treasure that can enhance the soul."

"So, can it be inferred that the strange scenes just now felt so real because it bypassed my senses and directly acted on my soul?"

"Exceeding the concept of ordinary illusions, directly attacking the soul..."

As Li Fan pondered, a sharp sword suddenly appeared.

A cold light radiated as the 'Mind Horse's' right index finger was severed.

The intense pain caused Li Fan to involuntarily gasp for cold air.

Looking at his own right hand, indeed, the index finger had vanished, leaving a continuous flow of fresh blood.

Li Fan placed the incomplete right hand in front of his eyes, carefully observing.

"Is it real..."

"Or is it fake?"

Reason told Li Fan that everything happening to his body was just the effect of the 'Mind Horse' on his soul, all illusory.

However, the persistent burning pain forced Li Fan to doubt his judgment.

"If all of this is just an illusion, it doesn't matter."

"But what if I judged it wrong, and these wounds are real?"

"If I continue to let the changes happen, does it mean I'm waiting for death?"

A thought arose involuntarily.

"To determine if it's real or fake, why not ask others to verify?"

With this thought, Li Fan left the Tianxuan Mirror.

After wandering in front of other cultivators with a horse face, not attracting any strange gazes, Li Fan finally confirmed that it was indeed an illusion brought by the 'Mind Horse.'

But...

"Hiss!"

Li Fan touched his chest, and there was another deep wound.

While he was validating outside, Li Fan had already accumulated eight wounds on his body.

"The speed of appearance is getting faster, and the wounds are getting larger."

"Even if I know these are illusions, at this point..."

"It doesn't matter if it's true or false anymore."

"So, if this continues to develop, could I really die?"

Before his time-travel, Li Fan had heard of a certain punishment.

Blindfolded prisoners, with a knife cutting their arms.

Then, using water droplets to imitate the sound of blood dripping and continuously whispering about the loss of blood.

Although the wounds on the arms had long since solidified, and there was no excessive bleeding leading to death, some prisoners, under the continuous psychological suggestion from others and themselves, truly believed they were losing too much blood and slowly died.

When they believed they were already dead, they did die.

Li Fan speculated that the effect of the 'Mind Horse' might be similar.

Because the illusions had reached a point where they were almost indistinguishable from reality, if he didn't do something and just waited for the situation to continue developing...

When the 'Mind Horse's' corpse suffered fatal injuries, such as the explosion of its head, Li Fan might also be affected by the corresponding injuries and genuinely believe that he had been severely injured.

Then inexplicably die.

This was the precise impact of self-awareness on the body.

And to avoid this, unless...

Li Fan opened the 'Return to Truth' panel.

Staring at the charging progress.

"As long as the automatic protection of 'Return to Truth' is not triggered, then regardless of how real my sensations are, there is no danger to my life."

Thinking like this, Li Fan felt much more at ease.

The fear in his heart gradually disappeared.

(End of this chapter)