Chapter 510 - Attack at Night
Just like that, Long Chen accompanied Liu Yiyi as he cultivated the Demonic Illusion in the cave. The reason they were here was not only because it was safe, but the place also fulfilled the conditions of needing a clear and stable shadow to cultivate the Demonic Illusion. If one couldn’t fly, the only entrance to the cave was through the Clear Shallows Pavilion.
Several days passed. Long Chen and Liu Yiyi became closer as time went on. Long Chen teased her a lot in the beginning, but he quickly became more serious. He kept asking her about the parts that he wasn’t sure about during his cultivation. Cultivating martial techniques usually took years, ranging from one year to fifty, but Long Chen was different. After absorbing the Inherited Blood Essence, his comprehension was elevated to the point that even a King-tier technique was comparatively simple for him to learn.
Xiaolang hadn't even grasped the fundamentals when Long Chen’s Demonic Illusion showed the initial signs of mastery. It had just been a few days since he started.
Liu Yiyi was more and more impressed by Long Chen’s performance. She knew how difficult it was to cultivate the King-tier technique, but Long Chen was making it look easy. He cultivated it without any bottlenecks.
“If you continue at this pace, you will be able to utilize the Demonic Illusion even better than me by the time the assessment rolls around.”
Long Chen was focused and smiled plainly before continuing his cultivation.
Liu Yiyi stared at him while he focused. She was somewhat attracted to the outline of his nose and his focused gaze. The Clear Shallow King was right. Long Chen was horrifying when he revealed his thorns, but he looked very friendly when he wanted to. He was like a very friendly and approachable neighbor.
My mom told me to stay close to him, but I must not fall for him. Liu Yiyi stopped looking at him and entered her room. The assessment was just around the corner, and she couldn’t put all of her hopes on Long Chen. She needed to work hard too.
Time passed as they cultivated their own techniques. They were seeing good improvements over time.
The first step of the Demonic Illusion is to feel the soul so that I can control the shadow. The second step is to absorb nature’s spiritual energy using the technique and replicate my shadow. The shadow must have at least three-fourths of my strength. The third step is to control it. I must learn how to move it around while using different martial techniques. Only then can I say that I have mastered the Demonic Illusion.
Long Chen had completed the first step, so he could control his shadow to a certain extent. Now it was time to learn the second step. It took him five days to form the shadow replica of himself.
Now all he needed to do was learn how to control it. He needed to familiarize himself with using the Demonic Illusion for combat. It would take a long time to be able to do so, just like a baby learning how to walk.
Ten days had passed since he first started cultivating the technique. Long Chen was busy controlling his Demonic Illusion to run swiftly in the cave when Liu Yiyi came out of her room. She didn’t need to be here anymore, but something had attracted her to Long Chen. She smiled in approval when she saw his improvement.
Long Chen continued to improve his control over the Demonic Illusion.
He knew that hard work and effort would get him far, so he focused on his control until he felt like time was almost up.
“How many days do we have left? Is it daytime or night right now?”
“We still have sixteen days, and it’s late at night.” Liu Yiyi stood up. She realized that her heart would start beating faster every time Long Chen talked to her. The first time she lost to him, she felt like he was a mischievous person. But after interacting with him for so long, she realized that Long Chen was focused on his goal, and he would never stop going after it.
“Why are you here this late? Aren’t you afraid that I’ll eat you since nobody’s here to see?” Long Chen chuckled.
He liked how embarrassed she got from his teasing. It was his sole entertainment in the cave.
“I know you wouldn’t.” Liu Yiyi smiled. She was not afraid of him anymore, but a numbing feeling traveled up her body when she saw how Long Chen was looking at her.
“How’s everything outside?” Long Chen hadn’t gone outside in days, since he was focused on cultivating.
“The entire Ancient Demon Domain is getting more and more excited because of the Emperor Flame Pearl. Everyone is talking about it ... as well as about the bet between my mother and the Red Ghost King. They are probably waiting to see the disgraceful defeat of the Clear Shallows King ...” Liu Yiyi revealed an exasperated look.
She really couldn’t stomach the thought of marrying Ying Shaotian. She had been living in this place for a long time, so she knew about the scandals involving him. She hated those kinds of people.
“Is that so? I think they will be surprised by the results because of me.” Long Chen smiled with confidence.
Long Chen was confident he could beat Ying Shaotian, but he was wary of Chen Feng. He wasn’t certain if he could win against someone at the Ninth Passage Stage. It was impossible to reach the next cultivation level in the time he had left, so he would have to rely on his combat experience to eke out a victory.
He needed to cultivate the Demonic Illusion to perfection so that he could use it as a hidden trump card.
Liu Yiyi nodded. Her fate was in Long Chen’s hands. No matter how strong their opponents were, she was confident in his strength.
She knew that Long Chen was at the Seventh Passage Stage just like her. Long Chen had defeated her when he was at the Fifth Passage Stage, so it would be easy for him to defeat Ying Shaotian.
Both of them quietly continued their cultivation.
Liu Yiyi suddenly remembered something that was trivial to her. “Also, when I came back here, I saw Demon General Strongman following me from afar. I don’t know what he was doing. When I turned around, he disappeared.”
Long Chen shuddered. He stood up and shouted at her, “You idiot! Why didn’t you tell me that first!?”
Liu Yiyi was shocked.
Long Chen immediately used Sight and looked outside. He knew that Demon General Strongman hated him, and the reason he had hidden himself in this cave was to avoid him. Someone who had gone crazy was the worst kind of opponent. After being shunned by the Clear Shallows King, the resentment he had for Long Chen was boiling over. Strongman would never let Long Chen live!
Demon General Strongman had been suspicious of Long Chen’s extended disappearance. That was why he had followed Liu Yiyi and learned that Long Chen was cultivating the Demonic Illusion in the cave. Liu Yiyi had told Long Chen that while the mountain had a seal around it, those who could fly could enter. If Demon General Strongman really wanted to kill Long Chen, he would already be here!
Long Chen recalled the bloodlust emanating from Demon General Strongman after the Red Ghost King was chased away.
Just as he had expected, he saw a towering man running towards the cave when he used Sight. The man’s heavy footsteps shook the cave.
Liu Yiyi’s face paled when she saw Demon General Strongman at the mouth of the cave. He was wearing black armor that covered his entire body. A wild and terrifying aura exuded from his body, and his bloodshot eyes resembled those of a beast.
Demon General Strongman let out a laugh when he saw Long Chen and Liu Yiyi. “How lucky. To think that I would find both of you bitches here. No wonder I didn’t see you for so many days!”
Long Chen thought he would be able to cultivate in peace until the assessment; he never thought Demon General Strongman would find him! Long Chen was well aware of Demon General Strongman’s strength and resentment. Dealing with him would be difficult, and he would have to put his life on the line to win.
Long Chen grew serious at the imminent danger.
“Bitches?” Liu Yiyi was visibly upset by the insult and glared at him. “I’m obeying my mother’s order to teach him the Demonic Illusion. We are not doing anything immoral here!”