All the images froze in an instant, then vanished with a bang.
Chapter 100 The Giant Stone
All thoughts and memories flooded back into his mind in an instant. Ling Yun slowly opened his eyes, and two beautiful eyes were gazing intently at him, one filled with surprise, the other with astonishment. Golden sunlight streamed in through the French windows of the balcony; he didn't know when it had happened, but it was already close to noon.
The pain in his body had lessened considerably. At least it wasn't as unbearable as it had been the night before. Most of the carbonized and necrotic muscle tissue had sloughed off, and the newly grown, fair skin was as delicate as a newborn's. Since his clothes had almost completely burned away by the high temperature, Ling Yun was now practically naked in front of the two beautiful women. Looking down, Ling Yun immediately blushed and hurriedly grabbed a sheet from the bedside to wrap himself around himself, thus saving himself from being exposed.
Gu Xiaorou and Lin Naimei were not ordinary women, so they naturally didn't feel fear or shyness towards a man's naked body. Even when Ling Yun was completely naked, they didn't care at all. Instead, they found his flustered attempts to cover himself quite adorable, and couldn't help but cover their mouths and chuckle.
"Congratulations, Ling Yun. Successfully breaking through the illusion means you've overcome your personality weaknesses. You might not see the effects now, but it will be a great help to you in the future," Lin Naimei said with a calm smile. She was still slightly shocked. The illusion barrier wasn't simply trapping someone inside; it penetrated deep into their heart, amplifying their inherent weaknesses or shortcomings, creating a simulated illusion based on each person's past experiences.
Even within the same illusionary magic barrier, the experience of each person entering it will be different. This is entirely different from combat. A strong person may be invincible, but can easily lose themselves within the illusion, while an ordinary weak person may quickly break free. The illusionary magic is not directly related to the level of ability, but rather to each person's different attitude towards their own personality weaknesses. The stronger a person becomes, the more stubborn they become due to their confidence, the less likely they are to change, and the deeper they sink into the illusion, unable to extricate themselves.
Most people fail on the path of overcoming their own limitations, for a simple reason: "You can't see the true face of Mount Lu because you're in the mountain yourself." In truth, Lin Naimei didn't place much hope in Ling Yun, and setting a time limit further increased the difficulty of breaking through the illusion. However, she didn't expect that the reminders every thirty minutes would inadvertently provide Ling Yun with an extra boost within the illusion's barrier; otherwise, Ling Yun might have truly become hopelessly immersed in Li Lingling's gentle embrace. Breaking through the illusion also had an element of luck.
"Thank you, it really helped me a lot." Ling Yun nodded, and he wasn't just being polite. The benefits he received went far beyond simply reaching a higher realm after breaking through illusions. When he returned to reality from fragments of his past memories, he had silently copied the secrets of the illusion technique. This purely mental attack-type illusion technique, if used properly, could be used to deal with powerful opponents far stronger than oneself when they least expected it.
The terrifying aspect of the copying ability lies in this: Ling Yun can copy any supernatural technique he has ever used or witnessed, and then modify and optimize it, making the optimized version even more powerful than the original. This applies to venom and petrification techniques alike. He probably doesn't yet realize what possessing the copying ability truly means; if word were to get out, it would likely cause a sensation throughout the entire supernatural abilities world.
Lin Naimei looked intently at Ling Yun: "Ling Yun, you have surprised me once again. I am becoming more and more interested in you."
Before Ling Yun could say anything, Gu Xiaorou snorted and said rudely, "Ling Yun has already broken your illusion. You should leave, Lin Naimei."
Lin Naimei smiled gently: "It seems I'm not very popular. Xiao Rou's attitude isn't very good. Oh well. I keep my word. Since Ling Yun has already broken through the illusion, I'll keep my promise and take my leave first. There will be plenty of opportunities to meet in the future."
Gu Xiaorou said coldly, "Goodbye, don't bother seeing me out."
"Sigh, what a disappointment. I came full of hope, but left empty-handed, and I wasn't even welcomed..." Lin Naimei's graceful figure gradually faded and disappeared through the window, leaving behind her soft, seductive laughter, like a murmur, "Little Rou, you'd better keep a close eye on Ling Yun, otherwise, such an outstanding man could easily tempt me..."
Only after a long while did the gentle laughter gradually fade into the silent air.
"Ling Yun, are you alright? Does your body still hurt?" Gu Xiaorou asked Ling Yun cautiously, as if raising her voice would hurt him. Unconsciously, this young man held an even more important place in her heart.
Ling Yun glanced at her: "It's nothing serious, but it will take a little more time to recover. How are you? Today is the seventh day, the Holy Healing Technique should be working."
Gu Xiaorou nodded: "The miniature barriers have all been disintegrated. My injuries have all healed, but because I haven't used telekinesis for a long time, I still need some time to adapt."
"That's good, Xiaorou. I want to rest for a while. I'm a little tired," Lingyun said wearily.
Since his battle with Captain Steel, he hadn't had a chance to rest. And after experiencing the illusionary barrier, his remaining mental energy was almost completely depleted. Now, with the perilous situation temporarily calmed, and his tense mood slightly relaxed, Ling Yun felt he was about to collapse.
But what exhausted him most was not his physical injuries, but the heavy sense of oppression that had arisen since he and Captain Steel perished together. It felt as if a gigantic boulder weighed heavily on his heart, and with the passage of time, its weight only increased, almost suffocating him.
Ling Yun vaguely sensed that he must have paid a huge price to survive the heavenly lightning strike, but what that price was remained a mystery. Clearly, the heavy weight on his heart was the consequence of that price. Only when that weight finally crushed his heart would he realize what he had paid.
Gu Xiaorou nodded: "Then you rest well in the bedroom. I'll go to the living room to cultivate. Just call me if you need anything." With that, she turned and left quietly, then carefully closed the door behind her.
Ling Yun lay sprawled on the bed, half his face charred black, the other half newly white, resembling a black and white demon mask. His eyes, which had lost their sight, were regenerating visual nerves. However, organ regeneration is far more complex than normal wound healing; even with the combined effects of self-healing and holy healing spells, it still takes time. Of course, this varies depending on the organ and the severity of the attack. If the head were severed or the heart pierced, no amount of self-healing or holy healing would be effective; death would be inevitable.
Ling Yun slowly closed his eyes. He didn't need to sleep, but he could enter Elder Yu's barrier to meditate and cultivate. This was far more effective at restoring his abilities than any rest. Ling Yun hadn't seen Yu Xiujie in a long time and missed this stern-faced elder.
However, before entering the barrier, Ling Yun had one more thing to do: carefully organize the process of breaking through the illusion today, and re-optimize the data analysis. Although the illusion had been broken, there were still many details that Ling Yun needed to think through one by one.
Reviewing the old to learn the new and then consolidating the foundation has always been Ling Yun's approach to cultivating his special abilities, and it's also the most basic technique Yu Xiujie taught him. From the time he gained his special abilities until today, it is precisely because of this solid foundation that Ling Yun has been able to grow steadily.
There are no geniuses in the world who can become strong without effort. Talent, opportunity, sweat and hard work are all necessary to stand out.
Chapter 101 In-depth Analysis
Ling Yun's mind was completely clear as he slowly replayed the scenes from his permanent memory, much like replaying a recorded tape with a remote control. Since gaining his superpower, he had a photographic memory, remembering even the exact time, minute, and second of what he said to whom, his tone of voice, and subtle gestures.
This once led Lingyun to believe he had obsessive-compulsive memory disorder. He had read a report in an anonymous magazine about a patient in California who possessed complete memories from birth to middle age. He could not forget any person or event he had experienced. Of course, this wasn't necessarily a good thing; permanent memories often caused mental anguish similar to insomnia for ordinary people, and living under a high burden of memories for a long time would inevitably lead to mental breakdown.
However, Ling Yun clearly doesn't have this problem. Permanent memory is more like a portable hard drive in his brain, working whenever needed and quietly dormant when not in use, without being burdened by the constant presence of memories.
This is one of the biggest differences between people with superpowers and ordinary people. Even if they show the same symptoms, what would be an illness in an ordinary person is perfectly normal in a person with superpowers.
However, what Ling Yun didn't know was that only a very small number of people with permanent memories possessed superpowers. Few people could remember everything they saw, and in every respect, Ling Yun was the most unique anomaly among superpowered individuals.
The process of breaking through the illusion was quite simple. From the start of Li Lingling's dates with him to Ling Yun's eventual awakening, it only took two or three days. Thinking of this, Ling Yun suddenly remembered that Lin Naimei had given him a three-hour limit. Therefore, it seemed that time in the illusion was not the same as time in reality. Of course, Ling Yun was also aware that this didn't necessarily mean that time in the illusion flowed slower than in reality; rather, it depended on the experience of traversing the illusion.
Looking back at the scenes he had experienced, Ling Yun felt like a transcendent passerby. It was as if he wasn't the protagonist in the moment of enlightenment, but someone completely unrelated. When his past words and actions flowed through his mind again, he experienced an indescribable clarity. This feeling was beyond words, more like the bewilderment of seeing his younger self taking his first steps after growing up, yet tinged with a sense of enlightenment. He knew that his past self was himself, and his present self was also himself, but the two selves from different times were not the same. This meant that the scale of time brought about certain changes, and observing his past self was like stepping out of a maze, seeking a better path forward with a more objective perspective.
Only Ling Yun could do this; others, including Gu Xiaorou, probably wouldn't have such a miraculous experience.
Clearly, Li Lingling's initial attitude towards him in the illusion was quite discordant. He now possessed a degree of omniscience or hindsight, but in the illusion, he was unaware of this, instead being seduced by her allure and almost becoming completely absorbed. This illustrates the saying, "Those involved are often confused, while bystanders see clearly."
The real Li Lingling wasn't like that. That girl was probably proud and a little aloof, but inherently kind and full of youthful innocence. Clearly, the Li Lingling in the illusion was merely a virtual character created by amplifying fragments of his past memories, highlighting his deep-seated weaknesses and desires, resulting in someone with the exact same appearance and physique, but completely different personality and inner thoughts.
This character is the image of Li Lingling in Ling Yun's mind after it has been magnified.
Why didn't Wang Jing choose other scenarios, such as his studies, sports, or when he was ridiculed by others? Such scenarios had happened many times before, and even before he gained his superpowers, he had been bullied by thugs like Zhang Yunfeng many times.
However, the illusionary realm didn't choose a similar scenario, suggesting that emotions were Ling Yun's greatest weakness. Thinking this, Ling Yun's heart skipped a beat. The illusionary barrier was truly wondrous, completely revealing the inner world without leaving a trace. Such a mental attack was truly unparalleled.
Clearly, from childhood to adulthood, she had always deliberately avoided emotional troubles. Although Lingyun was introverted and honest, and her looks and academic performance were average, she had one major characteristic: she had never felt inferior. Perhaps many teenagers, when looking in the mirror, felt that their faces were so unsightly, and even a small flaw could be unbearable. This is where adolescent inferiority complexes begin.
But Ling Yun never did. He never felt that his ordinary appearance was particularly discouraging. He was born this way; if inferiority could change one's appearance and personality, the world would be filled with people filled with remorse and inferiority.
This is also the main reason why he secretly loved Li Lingling and, despite knowing that the two were vastly different, never felt that he was mismatched. It is also the reason why he dared to tear up the love letter he secretly wrote to Li Lingling in front of the whole class and retort with sarcasm.
Without inferiority, there is nothing to fear, nothing to desire. Being inherently serene, why kneel before beauty and oppression? Ling Yun always felt he was an unyielding, selfless figure. Even if he had desires or wants, he could let them go. This detached mindset allowed him to see himself clearly, living consistently between light and darkness.
To live authentically, without pretense. This is Lingyun's belief and the way he unconsciously practices it!
He did indeed have a crush on Li Lingling in real life, but as Lingyun said to the virtual Li Lingling when he finally regained consciousness in the illusion: "At first, I had a crush on you, but this crush was closer to the imagination and confusion of adolescence. What I wanted was the ideal you in my mind, not the real you. Or rather, what I liked was just a feeling, not a real emotional journey. It's not wrong to say that I liked this feeling, but it was definitely not true love."
This must be the deepest unspoken thought in Ling Yun's heart. Finally, under immense pressure, he broke free from his cocoon and took flight.