Chapter 1781

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　　”What was so terrifying about it？”
　　Zhou Yuan leaned in with a grin： “You’re not bad, kid. It hasn’t even been a quarter of an hour, and you’re already awake.”
　　”Huh？ Less than a quarter of an hour？” Huang Yu looked disappointed.
　　Zhou Yuan stared at Huang Yu’s expression, speechless.
　　”Young Master Ye, you’re awake too？” Huang Yu noticed Ye Wushuang had clearly been awake for a while, feeling extremely curious.
　　Had Ye Wushuang lasted for a shorter time than him？
　　”Are you secretly pleased that Brother Ye didn’t last as long as you？” Zhou Yuan leaned close to Huang Yu’s ear and said with a grin.
　　Hearing this, Huang Yu blushed and said, “No, I’m not, don’t talk nonsense！”
　　”You brat, your glee is written all over your face, and you still say no.”
　　Zhou Yuan then looked at the Thousand-Face Wall and said, “This Thousand-Face Wall tempers one’s willpower. Do you know how it works？”
　　Huang Yu shook his head.
　　”The Thousand-Face Wall gathers the hearts of a thousand people. Each heart is different, and when merged together, it’s like a huge dye vat,” Zhou Yuan explained with a smile. “You, with your pure white heart, must ensure you’re not tainted once inside. This way, your willpower will grow rapidly.”
　　”The faster you break free from the Thousand-Face Wall, the more it proves your willpower is strong, and the greater the improvement you’ll gain.”
　　”The slower you escape the illusion, the weaker your willpower, and the smaller the improvement.”
　　Hearing this, Huang Yu was completely stunned.
　　”How long did Young Master Ye last？” Huang Yu asked dazedly.
　　”About fifty breaths, then he broke free from the illusion.”
　　”Holy shit！”
　　Huang Yu looked at Ye Wushuang beside him, his face utterly deflated.
　　He had taken nearly a quarter of an hour, yet Ye Wushuang didn’t even last a minute？
　　This is a full fifteen times difference！
　　”You don’t need to be discouraged,” Zhou Yuan patted Huang Yu’s shoulder and comforted him, “This kid is the only one I’ve ever seen like this in my life. It’s normal for you to be far behind him.”
　　”Senior Zhou, you… really know how to comfort people！”
　　Huang Yu smiled bitterly, feeling dejected for a moment.
　　In fact, given Huang Yu’s own talent, waking up within a quarter of an hour was already quite good.
　　Soon, Ye Wushuang stood up, exhaled, and said, “The path of a martial artist involves the enhancement of one’s mental fortitude alongside the improvement of their realm. If one’s mental fortitude cannot keep up with their strength, it will lead to major problems.”
　　”Conversely, if one’s mental fortitude improves faster and higher than their strength, it will bring great benefits to their cultivation journey.”
　　”Seems like you’ve gained quite a lot！” Zhou Yuan said with a chuckle.
　　The three of them set off together once more.
　　After the three left, several figures emerged from the dense forest.
　　The leader was none other than Xuan Yutang, the last to enter this place from the Xuan family.
　　Standing before the Thousand-Faced Wall, Xuan Yutang said curiously, “The Thousand-Faced Wall tempers one’s mental fortitude. The sooner one breaks free from the illusions within this wall, the greater the gains？”
　　”Young Master, it might not be true.”
　　”Only by trying will we know.”
　　Xuan Yutang smiled faintly, took a step forward, and positioned himself one zhang away from the jade wall, then focused his mind.
　　Time passed bit by bit.
　　After half a quarter of an hour.
　　”Hoo…”
　　Taking a long exhale, Xuan Yutang opened his eyes, standing still with a horrified expression.
　　”Young Master Yutang, are you alright？” A subordinate asked, relieved.
　　”Truly profound.”
　　Xuan Yutang spoke： “The interior forms its own illusions. The process of breaking free from them fills the heart with growing unease, but upon truly emerging, one can feel a clear change in one’s own resolve.”
　　This kind of change isn’t an improvement in cultivation or strength, but in resolve, so there’s no concrete measure for it.
　　”How long did it take？” Xuan Yutang asked.
　　”Half a quarter of an hour.”
　　”Half　a　quarter？”
　　Xuan Yutang raised an eyebrow.
　　Ye Wushuang had only taken fifty breaths to awaken, Huang Yu nearly a full quarter, yet he himself had taken half a quarter.
　　”Young Master, perhaps Ye Wushuang has some trick. What does extraordinary resolve matter? In the end, martial artists are judged by their strength,” a subordinate consoled.
　　”What do you know？”
　　Xuan Yutang said coldly： “Throughout history, which great sage or mighty figure of extraordinary achievement didn’t possess resolve surpassing ordinary people？”
　　”In a way, a martial artist’s resolve sometimes represents the ceiling of their growth.”
　　Hearing this, the attendants fell silent, not daring to provoke further.
　　Xuan Yutang clenched his fists, gazed in the direction where the trio had departed, and exhaled, saying, “This Ye Wushuang has indeed risen to prominence in the Tianyuan Continent recently—it’s no empty reputation. He truly has some real skills.”
　　After these words, Xuan Yutang continued, “You all should give it a try too. This Thousand-Faced Wall is excellent for tempering one’s willpower and will be of great benefit to you.”
　　”Yes！”
　　”Yes.”
　　Immediately, the group stepped forward to the stone wall one by one and sat quietly in meditation.
　　……
　　Ye Wushuang, Zhou Yuan, and Huang Yu pressed onward into the eerie, dense forests and towering mountains.
　　The area was vast. Cao Anmin, Shi Yutan, Shi Simiao, Huang Song, and others, as well as Pei Wenjie’s group, might have taken different paths from the trio, so they encountered no traces left by these two groups along the way.
　　Apart from the Thousand-Faced Wall they encountered earlier, the subsequent stretch of about twenty or thirty miles offered nothing particularly unusual.
　　However, the crimson mountains, blood-red soil, and dark brown jungle grew increasingly oppressive to the mind the longer one looked.
　　Suddenly—
　　Ye Wushuang halted his steps.
　　Huang Yu tensed up immediately.
　　”What’s wrong？”
　　”Something’s off.”
　　Ye Wushuang spoke up： ‘From just now until now, both overtly and covertly, it seems there has always been a pair of eyes watching us.’
　　Beside them, Zhou Yuan chuckled and said： ‘You’re quite alert, kid. It’s a Night Wandering Soul.’
　　’Night Wandering Soul？ What’s that？’ Huang Yu looked bewildered.
　　’When a Saint dies, their soul dissipates. The main body of the soul is gone, but under unique circumstances, if the soul shatters, those fragmented pieces may develop some unknown consciousness and coalesce into Night Wandering Souls.’
　　’These Night Wandering Souls have no physical form—they are just broken fragments of souls. However, they can manipulate objects around them, posing a threat to martial artists. But the greatest danger lies in their ability to bewitch the minds of martial artists who haven”t yet formed a complete soul body.’
　　Huang Yu instinctively moved closer to Zhou Yuan.
　　’It seems this place truly is connected to a Saint,’ Ye Wushuang said, turning to Zhou Yuan. ‘Old Zhou, have you noticed anything unusual？’
　　After all, Zhou Yuan had explored this Void Land in the past. Some of the deceased Saints might have been acquaintances of his.
　　’So far, I haven”t noticed anything specific. However… these mountains, forests, and the Thousand-Faced Wall do remind me of one Saint.’
　　’Oh？’
　　Ye Wushuang’s gaze fixed on Zhou Yuan.