Illusionary Space

"Master..."

A soft, tender voice, as gentle as glutinous rice, echoed through the empty room.

Chen Feng's eyes fluttered open, faint and unfocused. He quietly surveyed his surroundings, his gaze hazy, but clarity quickly returned.

"Xu Hongzhuang?" he murmured.

The figure before him was the same girl he had encountered after slaying the Earth Dragon. She stood beside him now, a smile on her face, eyes warm as they locked onto his.

Her hair was loose, black strands silky and smooth, cascading over her delicate shoulders. She wore only a thin garment, barely concealing her taut skin, leaving her legs—pale as ivory—exposed, exuding a dangerous allure.

If Xu Hongzhuang had once been a black rose bristling with thorns, sharp enough to draw blood at the slightest touch, she had now transformed into something far more seductive—a crimson rose stirring the blood in his veins, tinting his vision with a deep, unsettling hue.

Yet Chen Feng remained as calm as still water, his expression unreadable.

He distinctly remembered being in the open just moments ago, but now he found himself lying in an opulent bed, surrounded by lavish decorations, with a bright light overhead.

How long had it been since he last experienced such light?

Fake.

All of this was an illusion.

And yet, it felt so real. Even the faint fragrance wafting from Xu Hongzhuang was unmistakably clear. Chen Feng pinched his arm, and a sharp pain shot through his mind.

"Interesting."

A chilling smile curled on Chen Feng's lips. The simulation was so real that it even replicated pain.

"Master..." Xu Hongzhuang leaned forward, her chest brushing against him as she whispered softly, "Don't you like it when I call you that? I'll be your slave girl now. Does that make you happy?"

Chen Feng remained silent.

Xu Hongzhuang didn't seem to mind. Her voice turned bitter as she continued, "My parents taught me to protect myself. From childhood until now, I've never even let a boy hold my hand. But you... you humiliated me that day. Do you know how much I hate you?"

The realism was overwhelming. Xu Hongzhuang's demeanor shifted, and at this close distance, Chen Feng could see the deep-seated resentment in her eyes.

"My parents died horribly. Those creatures tore open their stomachs, and I had to watch. Do you know how terrified I was? I stumbled and fled, only to encounter you—a devil!"

Xu Hongzhuang's tone grew colder, and a red glow began to emanate from her hand. A long knife materialized, and Chen Feng's eyes widened slightly as the blood-red light grew larger, filling his vision with an impending sense of doom.

Slash!

His arm flew off, and blood erupted in a wild, crimson torrent!

Chen Feng's face turned ghostly pale as he watched his arm being severed. The excruciating pain rippled through his body like a shockwave. This pain was not just an illusion—it was terrifyingly real!

His body trembled uncontrollably as blood gushed from the wound, the thick scent of iron filling the air and overwhelming his senses.

Agony!

For anyone else, panic would have set in by now. The sheer realism of it all was suffocating. It was like watching a horror movie—you know the ghosts aren't real, yet when the terror unfolds on screen, you scream anyway.

The atmosphere!

It grips your consciousness, dragging you into its depths. Even when you know it's fake, the intensity of the experience makes it impossible to resist being swept away.

"Hmm, not bad. If a normal person experienced this kind of pain, they would undoubtedly be lost in this illusion," Chen Feng muttered as he stood up. Then, his voice hardened, laced with cold determination: "But I've been through this before!"

In a swift motion, the Flameblade materialized in Chen Feng's hand, and with a single, decisive swing, he severed Xu Hongzhuang's neck. Her delicate face, still twisted with resentment, toppled to the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a lifeless stop.

Does it hurt?

The pain in his severed arm continued to ravage him, relentless and unyielding.

For anyone experiencing such agony for the first time, it would be impossible to stay composed. But Chen Feng had endured far worse before his rebirth—struggling for over a decade in a world ravaged and dragged into chaos by the Apocalypse. What suffering hadn't he encountered?

He had once been poisoned by the venom of the Desolate Scorpion King. To prevent the poison from spreading, he had to tear off his own left leg, bit by bit, with his own hands. Only after paying a steep price did he find a healer capable of regenerating the lost limb.

In his quest for survival, he had once hunted the Crimson Flame Fox, squatting in the desert for two whole days. By the time he rose, the skin on his back had been roasted by the unforgiving sun.

Compared to those ordeals, losing an arm was nothing.

Swish!

The sudden sound of an arrow rang out, and in the blink of an eye, its arrowhead embedded itself deep in Chen Feng's abdomen.

He turned, his gaze locking onto the beautiful yet deadly face of a Dark Elf.

"Master..." The Dark Elf's voice was playful, her expression teasing, but before she could utter another word, Chen Feng lunged forward. His sword arced through the air and slashed across her cheek.

Thud!

The stunner from the Abyss crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

Her delicate face split open, and scarlet blood slowly seeped out, staining the pristine floor beneath her.

The arrow had pierced through Chen Feng's spleen. His breath came in ragged gasps, sweat beading on his forehead.

"mAsTer..." Another voice echoed through the room, and Chen Feng's chest tightened as several grotesque arms wrapped around his body.

No need to guess—the Dretch had appeared. "You've evolved from a pile of filth into this Abomination. Your strength has indeed grown," Chen Feng noted, feeling the sharp, stabbing pain in his chest, nodding with grim satisfaction.

The arms constricted further, crushing his ribs one by one. Crimson blood dribbled from his mouth, painting a portrait of agony.

Chen Feng's hair hung loosely around his face as his chest caved in under the pressure. Anyone else would have screamed in torment, but he suppressed the pain, murmuring, "This illusion thrives on fear, stimulating the brain to its breaking point. The more you fear, the faster you fall..."

"It's too real, far too real. Even I am nearing my limit," Chen Feng gasped, spitting out a mouthful of dark blood.

"But... I've already died once. Fear? How could this illusion possibly trap me?" Chen Feng sneered, mustering the last of his strength to lift his hand and drive the Flameblade straight into his own skull!

The blade pierced through his head with brutal force, and Chen Feng's consciousness plunged into chaos.

Who knows how much time had passed.

When Chen Feng slowly opened his eyes, the piercing sunlight outside greeted him, and a piercing pain throbbed in his skull. After a moment, his mind began to clear.

Nothing had changed. Although it felt like an eternity had passed within the illusion, Wang Yong still stood before him, frozen in his previous stance. In reality, only a fleeting moment had elapsed.

The butterfly hovered in front of Wang Yong, its delicate wings trembling. It seemed stunned that Chen Feng had managed to break free from its trap, so much so that its wings momentarily ceased to flutter.

The Culprit.

Chen Feng surged forward, his right hand snapping out to catch the butterfly in a vice-like grip. Staring at the small, fragile creature, his voice trembled as if he were beholding something that shouldn't exist:

"Infernal Butterfly? How could such a thing show up here?"