The Demon with Holy Radiance

A question suddenly occurred to Yang An.

The fact that he could see Pan Yu here, in this Illusion Realm... didn’t that mean Pan Yu was currently in the throes of his tribulation, paying the price for his power?

Based on his experience from his first time in the Illusion Realm, Pan Yu would be in danger if he stayed here too long.

With this in mind, Yang An immediately voiced his concern, believing it would be much safer for them to return to Sansong Mountain together before discussing what to do next.

However, upon hearing Yang An’s question, a look of sorrow returned to Pan Yu’s eyes, and his face filled with anguish.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, you may not be aware, but my Cultivation Level has already reached Corpse Transformation. I’ll soon be able to advance to Zombie God, and I can now freely control my entry and exit from the Illusion Realm."

"In that case, let’s head back to Sansong Mountain first and talk there."

Yang An was happy for Pan Yu when he heard about his progress. They hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Back then, Pan Yu hadn’t even entered the Fake Food Realm, and now he was on the verge of becoming a Zombie God. His progress was astonishingly fast, truly befitting a cultivation genius.

But Pan Yu showed no signs of happiness at this. He seemed to be harboring some unspoken grief.

"Fellow Daoist Yang, we... can’t go back. Sansong Mountain is gone. My senior brother and my masters... they’re..."

"What happened?"

Yang An asked urgently.

Back when he was escaping Great Virtue Temple, he had used the Workshop Master’s power to briefly return to Dingzhou. He had even tried to visit Sansong Mountain once, but an invisible barrier had blocked his way.

However, using his Eye of the World at the time, he had been able to confirm that Sansong Mountain was perfectly intact. ’How could it just be gone now?’

Pan Yu then explained to Yang An what had happened in the time since.

Over half a year ago, the calamity had spread to the Outer Continent, engulfing all the surrounding State Territories. Sansong Mountain itself was in grave danger.

As the Mountain Lord of Sansong Mountain, Meat Tree True Master—Pan Shi’s master—used the Miaoshu Technique to briefly shield the mountain from the calamity. But even that had its limits.

Fortunately, with the help of the Can Meng Daoist, Pan Yu finally mastered the ability to freely enter and exit the Illusion Realm. And so, just before Sansong Mountain was completely consumed, he brought his senior brother, Pan Shi, into the Illusion Realm with him.

Unfortunately, everyone else besides Pan Shi had mysteriously vanished. As for Pan Yu’s master, the Can Meng Daoist, and the Meat Tree True Master, they had exhausted their Mana and were unable to enter the Illusion Realm in time. They were completely consumed by the calamity.

In the blink of an eye, all of Sansong Mountain was gone. Now, only Pan Yu and Pan Shi remained within the Illusion Realm.

After listening to Pan Yu’s tale, a deeply emotional expression appeared on Yang An’s face. Life was so unpredictable; it was impossible to know what the next moment would bring. He had no words of comfort to offer Pan Yu.

As someone who hadn’t grown up cultivating in a Sect from childhood, Yang An couldn’t fully comprehend what Pan Yu must be feeling. He could only hope that Pan Yu would find a way to come to terms with it on his own.

Yang An glanced around the room, then asked in confusion:

"Since you and Fellow Daoist Pan Shi came in here together, where is he?"

It wasn’t just Pan Yu he hadn’t seen in a long time; it was Pan Shi, too. The three of them had met and traveled together, and both brothers had helped him immensely. Bringing him out of Jiunan Town was an act that had saved his life, and they had forged a deep friendship.

It was no exaggeration to say that without them, he wouldn’t be who he was today. He would have likely died long ago in some forgotten corner of Jiunan Town.

In both temperament and character, Pan Shi was a friend worth having, one of the few true friends Yang An had in this world.

But when Yang An asked about Pan Shi, tears welled up in Pan Yu’s eyes again. He rose slowly from the sofa, walked over to the window, and gazed outside.

"Senior Brother... he’s over there."

Confused, Yang An got up and went to the window. He followed Pan Yu’s gaze but didn’t see any sign of Pan Shi. Instead, he saw a colossal monster.

The monster was over thirty feet tall, as high as a small building. Its body was a mass of gnarled, twisted muscle, its flesh a crimson red. It was no longer human in shape, and its long hair hung loose and disheveled.

Countless vines grew out from within the monster’s body, rooting themselves in the ground. They seemed to bind the creature tightly, rendering it immobile.

"Are you saying... *that’s* Pan Shi?"