CHAPTER 996: CHAPTER 992: CREATOR

Ye Fan observed the surroundings; it was an elegantly ancient room, as if inside the hall of a wealthy household from ancient times.

"Where is this?" Ye Fan asked Wuyingzi.

Wuyingzi smiled and said, "This may well be the world the creator has woven for you, and the people you saw before might live within such a world. You are no different from them."

Wuyingzi finished speaking, and a person came in from the door, someone Ye Fan was very familiar with—Li Zhaojun. Surprisingly, Li Zhaojun was holding a baby, with a motherly smile on her face. Ye Fan wanted to go and talk to Li Zhaojun, only to remember that this was merely an illusion, just a puppet looking like Li Zhaojun, arranged by Wuyingzi to show him Li Zhaojun’s cycles of life.

"She can’t see me?" Ye Fan said.

"Of course she can’t see you, the creator doesn’t allow the beings he created to see him; it’s the most basic rule of the world," Wuyingzi said, "But some things even the creator cannot predict, and that is the human heart."

Just as he was speaking, another man came in from outside, a man Ye Fan was also very familiar with—his third senior brother, Shen Biancheng.

"Wife..." Shen Biancheng called out to "Li Zhaojun" as he entered, and the two walked together, even with "Li Zhaojun" smiling happily.

"Husband, Uncle Hu visited yesterday, saying he would slaughter a cow today and send over some beef. Can you have someone go pick it up?" Li Zhaojun said with a happy smile.

This smile made Ye Fan somewhat uncomfortable, but once he understood it was just Wuyingzi’s way of provoking him, he felt relieved.

Shen Biancheng laughed, "Alright, wife, you wait at home, and I shall return shortly..."

Li Zhaojun sent off her "husband," sitting back down to continue soothing the child, even nursing the baby in her arms. Ye Fan watched the keenly interested Wuyingzi, thinking he was an ill-intentioned "director," weaving such illusions to take advantage of Li Zhaojun.

"Madam, you should go inside to rest and hand the young master over to the wet nurse." A woman stepped out from inside wearing an apron, none other than Tantai Wanrong, who had come with Ye Fan.

In this illusion, Tantai Wanrong turned out to be a maid in Li Zhaojun and Shen Biancheng’s home. Although she appeared older in the illusion, her charm was undiminished.

Li Zhaojun adjusted her bodice, handed the child over to Tantai Wanrong, and smiled, "I’ll go rest now, have the wet nurse take good care of him."

"Yes, madam." Tantai Wanrong watched Li Zhaojun enter the inner hall with envy, softly sighed, and said, "I truly envy madam, having such good days; if only I had such a husband, I’d die content..."

Having said that, Tantai Wanrong left with the child, and Ye Fan didn’t follow; he remained calm as still water.

"Aren’t you jealous?" Wuyingzi suddenly asked.

Ye Fan shook his head, "This is an illusion, of course I’m not jealous. Even if it were real, so what? If they hadn’t met me, they would have their own lives, many destinies are predestined... decided by the creator. How would I measure against them?"

Wuyingzi laughed heartily, "Good, good. If you can remain composed amidst this illusion, let’s see how long you can endure..."

Suddenly, the scene changed again; the light dimmed, and the surrounding air emitted a foul stench. There was the sound of dripping water, and an oil lamp flickered nearby. Judging by the surroundings, it seemed to be a dungeon somewhere.

From the distance within the dungeon, the malicious laughs of several men were heard, and a woman was crying out. Upon hearing the voice, Ye Fan felt a sharp pang; it was Li Zhaojun’s voice.

"These women are truly beauties, fellas. Let’s have our fun today, then sell them to the brothel to show them the consequences of crossing me!"

The speaker’s voice was sharp and repulsive. Upon careful observation, Ye Fan saw it was his fellow disciple, second senior brother Luo Jianxiong, whom he met for the first time earlier.

At this moment, Luo Jianxiong was still fixing his clothes, evidence of his depravity still visible. A few women were locked inside the dungeon’s torture chamber, their bodies all exposed. Several men were abusing these women, all fellow cultivators who accompanied Luo Jianxiong.

Among the women, besides Li Zhaojun, were Min Shang, Wu Ding, and Tantai Wanrong, enduring the torment. The men’s laughter was piercing.

"Wife... wife..." A pitiful voice came from afar, it was Shen Biancheng, who once lived in "blissful" union with Li Zhaojun.

At this moment, Li Zhaojun was being violated, able only to cry out, her fragility emboldening those beasts nearby.

"Feels good..." Whenever one left, another would take his place.

Ye Fan initially took a quick look but couldn’t bear to watch anymore.

Wuyingzi laughed, "What’s wrong? Can’t take it?"

Ye Fan said, "None of this exists, I won’t feel anger because of it."

"But you already feel anger in your heart; even if it is an illusion, you know... if the creator arranged it this way, with your strength, you couldn’t stop it. You can’t even protect those you love," Wuyingzi’s words suddenly carried deep resentment, as if he too felt personal anguish.

Ye Fan said, "But you also mentioned that even the creator can’t control the human heart. The creator can arrange many scenarios and tragedies, but he can’t block the communication of hearts..."

These words made Wuyingzi pause in silence for a moment, nodding, "It seems you’re indeed more complex than I thought."

The scene abruptly shifted, as if Ye Fan awoke from a deep dream, opening his eyes to return to the scorched earth from earlier, where Li Zhaojun and the others were watching him with concern.

"Ye Fan, what’s wrong?" Li Zhaojun asked with a face full of concern.

Ye Fan’s first sight was of familiar figures, which gave him a sense of serenity. To say the illusion had no impact on him at all would be self-deception. Even in the illusion, Ye Fan wanted to rescue the women he wished to protect.

"I’m fine," Ye Fan said, "Earlier... how long was I absent-minded?"

Wu Ding dismissively remarked, "Senior brother suddenly spaced out, we thought something was up, but it was just a blink of an eye."

Ye Fan glanced at Wuyingzi, who now wore a faint, mocking smile, making Ye Fan feel malevolence.

In the illusion he experienced earlier, he stayed for at least an hour, but to Wu Ding, Li Zhaojun, and the others, he was absent-minded for "just a blink of an eye."

From Earth to Pan Gu’s secret realm, the speed of time can increase tenfold, and from Pan Gu’s secret realm to earlier’s illusion, the time flow multiplier was even greater. Doesn’t that imply Wuyingzi already possesses the true power of the creator?