Chapter 141: Chapter 131 Grandpa is here! (Thanks to “Big Eater 12138” for another 5000 points reward!)

“Old Pu?”

…

“Old Pu??”

…

Li Zheng tried multiple times to contact Old Pu, but not a single word appeared before him.

“Hmph, no wonder the danger factor is low for me. So all your abilities are invested in illusions?”

Li Zheng chuckled coldly, realizing he had seen through the illusion.

However, the next second, he became troubled: “Knowing it’s an illusion, what’s the use? It’s not like dreaming where you can wake up the moment you realize something’s wrong.”

Looking around, the towering bizarre rocks still surrounded him, the light still dim, and the shadowy black altar still stood in place.

The only difference was that Old Pu’s prompt disappeared before him.

“Knowing I’m trapped in an illusion, how do I break it?”

Li Zheng smiled wryly, knowing that in reality, he was flying towards the top of the altar. If he couldn’t escape soon, he might be counter-killed by the Abyss Walker.

“Would pain work?”

Li Zheng raised his hand decisively and slapped himself hard, but he felt nothing, not a bit of pain.

“What about free fall?”

Activating the flying device, Li Zheng ascended to high altitude, then suddenly shut off the device, experiencing a free fall.

He landed on the ground, crushing some rocks, yet he felt not the slightest hint of feeling.

“Ying ying…”

Little Sakura, frightened by his actions, flapped its wings nervously in front of him, full of concern, “Ying ying…”

“I’m fine… uh.”

Li Zheng wanted to comfort it, but suddenly remembered that he was facing an illusion, meaning the Little Sakura before him was also an illusion.

The real Little Sakura was still suffering outside, maybe close to being taken over.

“Then there’s no way out, huh?”

Sighing, Li Zheng crawled out from the rubble, holding two dried fish of varying lengths in his hands.

“Better try every method.”

Silent gunfire appeared, swiftly firing energy bombs that sent the surrounding rocks flying.

“Ineffective.”

Ham appeared, smash!

“Ineffective.”

Lance.

“Ineffective!”

Searching for a long time, Li Zheng realized he seemed to have no more tools to break the current situation.

“Could the clue to breaking the illusion be around, but I just haven’t noticed it because it’s too dark?”

A flash of inspiration struck Li Zheng, and he thought of a seemingly foolish solution.

Mysterious Declaration appeared in his hand, crimson light ignited, and a tearing sound echoed in the air.

“Rip!”

Under the crimson light, the illusion was cleaved like a branding iron, breaking open a crack that continued to expand.

“Effective!”

Li Zheng was instantly invigorated, activating the flying device and flying towards the altar with the Mysterious Declaration in hand.

…

“I’m back!”

Li Zheng’s eyes regained their luster, holding two weapons still in his hands, with the Abyss Walker close at hand!

“Sand’s Edge, watch the blade!”

Raising the twin blades, he struck down forcefully.

“Rip!”

Another tearing sound echoed as the black Abyss Walker was shattered into pieces, slowly floating down from the altar’s top.

…

Li Zheng opened his eyes again, feeling a tearing pain around him and hearing Little Sakura’s anxious cries.

“Ying! Ying ying!”

Before him, the cutting blade stained with purple blood was still prominent, and the system prompt from the Matrix Terminal hadn’t disappeared.

“This… again?!”

Li Zheng felt an overwhelming headache as he glanced at the altar not far away, once again finding no prompt from Old Pu.

“Tsk, does this ever end?” Li Zheng felt his headache escalating, now even his teeth ached.

How could defeating the Abyss Walker throw him back into another illusion?

Could the one he killed be fake too?

An illusion within an illusion?

This Abyss Walker sure plays tricks, huh?

Just like Russian dolls?

“Try the Mysterious Declaration again…”

Li Zheng took out the crimson lantern intending to repeat the technique, but found two phosphorescent spots like blue and white flames appearing alongside the originally crimson light at the lamp’s wick.

“Hmm?”

Li Zheng was puzzled, weren’t these the Abyss Walker’s eyes?

Is it mimicking my earlier use of the lantern to break the illusion by swapping it this time?

Doesn’t that mean the Mysterious Declaration is ineffective against this illusion now?

“Damn! That’s cheating!”

Li Zheng was furious, realizing his only method to break the illusion was nullified by the other side. What now?

[Oh ho ho ho!

I, Old Pu, am indeed unparalleled in wisdom and the greatest in knowledge across the world!

Finally cracked the weak spot of the Abyss Walker–Ugh~ where is the Abyss Walker?]

It was evident that Old Pu was baffled at that moment.

Not just Old Pu, even Li Zheng was baffled when it suddenly appeared.

“Old Pu?”

Li Zheng probed.

[Grandpa is here!]

Confirmed, it’s undeniably Old Pu.

“What happened earlier? Can you explain?” Li Zheng was still confused, despite confirming it was indeed Old Pu, his mind was swirling without a clue.

[…Why don’t you explain first why time reversed?]

Li Zheng: …

Old Pu: […]

Li Zheng: “Unparalleled wisdom?”

Old Pu: […]

Li Zheng: “Greatest in knowledge across the world?”

Old Pu: […]

Li Zheng: “Cracked the weak spot of the Abyss Walker?”

[Stop scolding, stop scolding… even Old Pu fell for it!]

“Hehe…”

Li Zheng sneered coldly, sparing Old Pu.

This time he confirmed, he inadvertently found the Abyss Walkers’ weakness, breaking through two layers of illusions.

But he acted too swiftly, striking with two blades after breaking through the second illusion, making him think he had entered another.

In fact…

If he hadn’t struck those two blows, he would’ve figured out what was happening.

“Tsk, it’s quite simple, this weakness…”

Li Zheng observed the Mysterious Declaration, heading towards the altar.

With the swaying lantern, two phosphorescent dots inside wobbled like two rotating eyes.

He also checked the attributes, which still showed a seal of 1/3. Absorbing one Abyss Walker didn’t unlock another seal level.

Even the other two traits showed no changes; instead, the lantern’s original attributes altered.

“Change!”

Li Zheng demanded softly, and as he ordered, the Mysterious Declaration’s light shifted.

Instantly transitioning from crimson to bluish-white.

Like holding a fluorescent lamp.

In the lamp’s flame center, the originally bluish-white area turned into two small blood-red spots.

They resembled two bloodshot eyes, gently swaying with the lantern’s motion.

No change beyond this.

As for Little Sakura, since Li Zheng escaped the illusion, the little fellow truly had a layer of ashen color, gradually fading to reveal its deep black short fur beneath over time.

Li Zheng wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but when glancing at Little Sakura, he repeatedly felt the little creature grew spines over its body, shimmering with a metallic sheen.

However, touching it, the sensation was nothing but soft fur under his hand.

“Quite bizarre indeed.”

After closely examining Little Sakura for a long time, Li Zheng found nothing unusual in its panel, ultimately concluding that some aspect of the Abyss Walker’s influence affected Little Sakura, disrupted midway and only half-achieved.

A deficient ability naturally wouldn’t display in the system panel, needing Li Zheng to uncover it slowly over time.

…

Ascending the altar with Little Sakura, Li Zheng found the “Treasure Chest” here, hurriedly approaching.

The box, black as ink, bore crimson markings, sprawling like some peculiar twisted creature.

Li Zheng hadn’t seen it before, neither did the illustration scan provide results.

Old Pu’s hint: Obsidian Box.

“Let’s open it!”

Li Zheng kicked open the black lid, revealing the inside’s utter blackness.

It was wrapped in a layer of black fibrous material.

Upon lifting it, he discovered what the Treasure Chest truly contained.

Twelve bottles of ink-like liquid!