"Using illusion magic on the void?" Mochizuki Nami repeated involuntarily, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "That's it! He does this silently and imperceptibly, like scattering invisible nails on the ground. You can't see these nails when you're not moving, but if you fight and move around with him, you'll step on these nails and fall headfirst into the illusion magic!"
Ling Yun nodded approvingly: "That's right. I was unknowingly caught in his deception without even realizing it. I simply thought I couldn't see through his Wind Concealment Technique. In reality, Matsumoto Tomoki never concealed his attack trajectory. The reason I couldn't see through it was because of the deception. I blinded myself until a sudden flash of inspiration revealed his secret."
In reality, Ling Yun didn't discover Matsumoto Tomoki's illusionary arts through a sudden flash of inspiration. He hadn't studied illusionary arts in depth and was actually unable to see through Matsumoto Tomoki's illusionary traps. The reason he was able to see through them was because, under the threat of life and death, his mental field erupted and his Eye of Illusion suddenly evolved, allowing him to see through the illusionary arts scattered in the air. Illusions are inherently formless and intangible, merely a feeling derived from illusions. In reality, they are still subject to the abilities and thoughts of the person being targeted. Then, the caster embeds the trap they want into the person's perception to achieve the desired effect.
Originally, the Eye of Illusion could see the true nature of all things, thus discerning all concealment. However, it was powerless against mental, spell-like attacks. After evolving, Ling Yun was pleasantly surprised to discover that the Eye of Illusion had gained the ability to see through mental illusions. This ability could penetrate illusions, deceptions, and even shapeshifting. This meant that no one could remain in an unreal state in front of Ling Yun anymore, unless the level of illusion or deception surpassed the Eye of Illusion's capabilities; otherwise, all attacks would be ineffective.
The evolution of the Eye of Illusion is not limited to this. Ling Yun vaguely senses that new abilities are emerging, and the data storage area in his brain seems to be undergoing subtle changes. Both the structure and characteristics of the data are changing in a way that Ling Yun cannot understand. The whole process is extremely slow, but in the long run, it will inevitably produce huge changes. And the changes will point Ling Yun to a bright path he has never seen before.
“It seems I still have a long way to go.” Mochizuki Nami shook her head in frustration. “Matsumoto-senpai is the real genius. He actually thought of using the Deception Technique in this way. He has grasped the essence of the Deception Technique. But you killed him.” As she spoke, she sighed regretfully.
Ling Yun coldly said, "If I hadn't seen through his trickery, I would have been reduced to dust by now. Why would I listen to your sarcastic remarks? A battle is a matter of life and death. If I don't kill him, he will kill me. If you want to avenge Matsumoto Tomoki, then kill me."
Mochizuki Nami smiled slightly: "I'm sorry, Lingyun, I didn't consider your feelings. However, Matsumoto Tomoki and the others are, after all, ninjas like me. It's not unreasonable for me to speak up for them. You know, I have a good impression of you. I won't kill anyone I have a good impression of. But I really want to spar with you. I can see that you've become stronger, very strong, even terrifying to me. With your original power to break through illusions, you probably couldn't even withstand one move from Senior Brother Matsumoto. But now, you're able to kill him with your own strength. Lingyun, you are truly astonishing."
Ling Yun glanced at her: "You've gotten stronger too. If I'm not mistaken, your mysterious disappearance during this period must have been due to your diligent training, otherwise your strength wouldn't have increased so quickly!"
"Not bad!" Mochizuki Nami slowly extended her two flawless white hands. The samurai sword flashed and then disappeared. A pink mist appeared above her hands. The mist spread as if it had a mind of its own, emitting a refreshing orchid fragrance. In the blink of an eye, it had enveloped the girl's body.
"Ling Yun, you broke my illusion barrier last time, so this time, try my Blood Sacrifice Illusion Technique again." A faint voice came from the pink mist, each word becoming a beautiful tone, striking Ling Yun's heart like a bewitching melody.
Chapter 248 Sunny Land
Two tall, imposing figures slowly walked in from the exit of the barrier. They didn't deliberately make a heavy step, but the floor of the underground bar trembled involuntarily. This was not a vibration caused by heavy force treading on the ground, but rather a resonance formed as if some enormous consciousness deep within the earth was being devoutly summoned.
As a tall figure entered, the dark, damp, and cramped underground bar was instantly filled with warm, golden sunlight, as if that figure were a dazzling sun, bringing boundless light and heat wherever it went. Following behind him was another tall figure that seemed to resonate with the earth; the two of them, simply standing, seemed to fill the entire space.
A gust of cold wind from the Arctic lands of Northern Europe blew in through the barrier's exit, instantly covering the wooden table with a thin layer of frost. The exit slowly closed, but the extreme cold, enough to freeze one's blood, revealed the identities of the newcomers: berserkers, and not just any berserkers, but two more high-ranking ones.
The two high-level berserkers were similar in height and build to Maxima, but they seemed to have a more majestic and regal air about them. They both seemed to have a natural habit of going shirtless, always showing off their well-developed muscles. However, this time, the patterns on the chests of the two high-level berserkers were different from those on Maxima.
Xiao Rou and Xia Lan, shielded from information and invisible, huddled in a corner of the bar, silently watching the two high-level berserkers. The first berserker, radiating golden light, had a golden sun pattern on his chest. All the light and heat emanated from the pattern on his chest. Judging from his expression, this did not seem to be a deliberate display of power, but rather an innate and extraordinary ability.
The other high-ranking berserker had a pattern of earthy yellow on his chest. He was slightly shorter but extremely sturdy. His face, like that of an earthen rock, was covered with the marks of time left by frost and wind, as if he had lived for thousands of years and was indifferent to everything.
The two berserkers immediately spotted Maxima lying lifeless on the ground, their faces instantly filled with grief. The Sunshine Berserker strode over and embraced Maxima's battered body, tears the size of soybeans rolling down his large, bell-like eyes. The Earth Berserker, also with large tears streaming down his face, knelt beside Maxima, his rough hands stroking Maxima's chest.
"Maxima, my Thunder Brother, who killed you?!" the Sunshine Berserker roared furiously, his deafening voice echoing like thunder in the cramped space of the underground bar, instantly sending up clouds of dust that fell in a flurry. A bar table, already overburdened, shattered into countless pieces of rotten, worn-out planks with a crack.
"I will tear him to pieces!" The Sunshine Berserker put down Maxima, took a furious step forward, and punched the thick wall of the underground bar. With a dull thud, the entire underground bar shook. His entire arm was deeply embedded in the earthen wall. He pulled his arm out and was about to strike again to vent his anger and sorrow.
A thick, strong hand grabbed his arm: "Ivanov, don't be impulsive. This space is enclosed. Perhaps the murderer who killed Maxima is still here. We're a step too late, but the most important thing now is to get the Heavenly Eye!" The Earth Berserker's deep voice rang out behind him.
The Sunbeam Warrior stared wide-eyed, turning to look at his companion. After a long pause, as if remembering something, he said, "You're right, Leonid. I just couldn't contain my grief when I saw Maxima killed, so I..."
A cold glint flashed in Leonid's two brownish-yellow eyes on his rock-like face: "Ivanov, I think I've found out who the murderer is. The earth is with me. Wherever there is land, no enemy's whereabouts can be hidden from the keen hearing of us high-level berserkers. Two human women are using their despicable magic to try to evade us!"
"Who is it! Come out now!" Ivanov spun around, his muscles trembling, and roared furiously. With his roar, the golden sunlight on his chest suddenly transformed into a dazzling sun, and in the blink of an eye, a misty wave appeared in the underground bar, and the temperature rose rapidly. In just a few seconds, the air temperature had approached the boiling point of water.
Xiao Rou and Xia Lan were shocked. They hadn't expected Leonid to discover their whereabouts so quickly. It seemed that these two berserkers, like Maxima, possessed some kind of special ability.
Xia Lan gritted her teeth, glanced at Xiao Rou beside her who was almost unconscious from the intense heat, and a silver light emanated from her fair palm. Then, she pressed her mental energy field onto Xiao Rou's head, forming a small isolation barrier that cocooned away the heat from the outside. With a flick of her slender waist, her graceful figure appeared in front of the two berserkers.
Ivanov glared at Xia Lan with a ferocious expression, his two large, fan-like hands forming a menacing boxing stance: "Woman, you killed Maxima, I will tear you apart to avenge your brother!"
“Ivanov, don’t rush. Maybe the Heavenly Eye is on her. Let’s make her hand it over first.” Leonid seemed to be much more meticulous than Ivanov. Apart from his size and berserk appearance, his personality and emotions were not at all like those of a berserker.
"Woman, hand over the Heavenly Eye," Leonid said calmly, extending a large hand and slowly gesturing to Xia Lan as if to give it to me.
Xia Lan revealed a faint smile that was difficult to detect: "My two esteemed berserker lords, I think you have misunderstood. I am not the murderer of the noble berserker Maxima, and the Heavenly Eye is not in my possession. We have come for the same purpose. I did not intend to hide it from you, but I think anyone would choose to hide in the same way as me if they did not know who came. If this has made you feel uncomfortable, I apologize."
These words took the two high-level berserkers completely by surprise. Leonid and Ivanov exchanged bewildered glances, stunned. Maxima had died here, and this woman was hiding in the shadows. So who else could be the murderer but her? But she clearly said no, and judging from her words, this woman was also there to track down the Eye of Heaven? It seemed that things were getting complicated.
Ivanov roared, "Woman, how can you believe I'm not the one who hurt Maxima? This space is isolated, so how did you get in?"
Xia Lan smiled faintly: "Respected Ivanov, since this spatial barrier is supposed to be isolated, how did you get in? And who told you that there is a Heavenly Eye here?"
“It was a woman, a very powerful woman.” Ivanov was taken aback, and blurted out, “She said there was a Heavenly Eye here, and told us to come and get it, saying that the Heavenly Eye could help us berserkers become the kings of the world, so we came in. She also set up the exit of this isolation barrier, so we can come here through the exit without even leaving Northern Europe.”
Xia Lan sighed softly, somewhat surprised yet somewhat expected. Her intention was to use words to buy time and try to create a turning point. Although high-level berserkers possess near-human intelligence, their volatile nature and tendency to not think for extended periods still made them far removed from the cunning of normal humans. Xia Lan, as the deputy leader of the Supernatural Abilities Headquarters, had honed her skills not only in strength but also in cunning and wisdom through years of missions. She immediately recognized the two berserkers' somewhat naive nature and tried to confuse them with her words. However, she hadn't expected Ivanov's unfiltered remarks, which unexpectedly revealed a shocking secret.
It seems someone meticulously planned this operation. Only a mindless idiot like a berserker would believe such a stupid claim as the Heavenly Eye helping them become kings. But what is the purpose of doing this? If it's just for the Heavenly Eye, why not send someone to capture Xiao Rou personally? Instead, why go to the trouble of setting up this massive spatial barrier that leads directly to Northern Europe to bring these barbarian-like berserkers here? No, there must be some conspiracy behind this! Xia Lan analyzed nervously, while maintaining a calm smile on her face.
Could it be a conspiracy targeting the headquarters of superpowers? Did someone find out I was in Hong Kong and deliberately set up this whole scheme to harm me? Xia Lan suddenly thought of a possibility and was immediately shocked, but then she shook her head. She knew her own limitations perfectly well. Not to mention herself, even a deputy chief instructor wouldn't be worth such a large-scale operation to deal with.
Clearly, the woman Ivanov spoke of was the mastermind or executor behind everything. However, one person alone could not have accomplished this. It must have been an organization plotting something behind the scenes. But from just a few fragments of conversation, Xia Lan could not deduce anything.
Xiao Rou listened silently inside the isolation barrier. Thanks to the barrier, she didn't have to worry about the high temperature harming her, so she heard Ivanov's words clearly. Immediately, countless doubts arose in her mind. Unlike Xia Lan, she wasn't good at reasoning and guessing. Most of the time, she acted on instinct and intuition. It seemed that from the moment she accepted her mother's last words, she had already stepped into a huge trap. Judging from the current situation, the trap didn't seem to be targeting her alone, but rather it was surrounding the Heavenly Eye she wore.
Is this bead, which caused Lingyun to have strange phenomena, really that important? Why do so many powerful organizations want to obtain the Heavenly Eye? And why would her mother risk betraying the Heavenly Eye and losing her life just to let her wander the world with it? And why would she want to find her biological father? But without any clues, where can she even begin to look? Xiaorou felt a headache coming on. She was never good at thinking about these things, or rather, she didn't want to think about them.
If only Ling Yun were here. Ling Yun's familiar face flashed through her mind again, and Xiao Rouqing couldn't help but feel a deep longing. She also felt a pang of self-reproach for leaving without a word. If Ling Yun knew her situation, he would probably be worried sick. A mixture of sweetness and worry filled her heart.
Xia Lan's mind raced, but her mouth didn't stop talking: "Respected Ivanov and Leonid, if the Heavenly Eye can help you become kings, why doesn't that woman take it herself, instead of making you obtain it? What benefit does that bring her?"
Ivanov shouted irritably, "How should I know? We berserkers are meant to be the kings of this world. Since the Heavenly Eye can help us, we must get our hands on it no matter what. Woman, is the Heavenly Eye in your hands? If it is, hand it over right now."
Leonid was far smarter than Ivanov. He observed coldly and had already seen that Xia Lan was merely stalling for time. He said coldly, "Woman, don't try to lie to us. I am the Earth Berserker. Wherever I am connected to the earth, no one can hide my intuition. Stop trying to deny it. You are the murderer of Maxima. Although I don't know if you have the Heavenly Eye, I think you will tell me if you don't want to be stripped naked and beaten to death."
Ivanov roared, "That's right, Leonid! If this woman doesn't hand over the Heavenly Eye, we'll tear her to shreds!" Because of his fiery power, Ivanov's brain was always in a state of extreme heat, and he didn't even want to understand Leonid's words. In his view, nothing was more satisfying than tearing his opponent to pieces.
An angry glint flashed in Xia Lan's eyes. "My lords, I respect you as high-level berserkers, but that doesn't mean I'm afraid of you. If you continue to be so arrogant and unreasonable, I won't be polite. I have companions outside the barrier who can come in at any time."
These words were Xia Lan's way of bluffing and intimidating. She did have companions, but they weren't outside the barrier. They were somewhere protecting Ling Yun. However, judging from their current strength, even if Xiao Rou was at her peak and unharmed, the two of them couldn't possibly be a match for Leonid and Ivanov.
As the deputy leader of the Superpower Headquarters, Xia Lan naturally knew what the Sunlight and Earth Advanced Berserkers meant. The Superpower Headquarters' training was based on the assumption that all other superpowered individuals were enemies. Therefore, all superpowered individuals in the world had detailed introductions and strength data comparisons within the Superpower Headquarters. So even though she had never seen an Advanced Berserker, Xia Lan was still clear about the huge difference in strength between the two sides.
Sunlight, Earth, and Thunder—these are the three highest-ranking berserkers in the world, their strength ordered accordingly. This means that Maxima, whom she just killed, was merely the weakest of the three. Even Maxima's strength was enough to completely defeat a major-level expert from the Sky Eye Society. As for Ivanov and Leonid, their strength was comparable to that of a lieutenant colonel and a colonel. Unless an instructor of the same rank from headquarters was present, she, as a deputy group leader, and the heavily injured Gu Xiaorou had no chance of victory. Moreover, in the confined space, they couldn't even dodge or move freely. Once the two sides clashed, she would likely be seriously injured within a few rounds.