Chapter 18: Illusion Art?
Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Illusion Art?
Fang Chen felt a solemn realization. He felt that today’s class had truly touched upon some profound concepts he had previously overlooked.
He found this content highly valuable and decided to wake Liu Rui, who sat in front of him, so she could listen in.
However, when he turned his head, his heart sank.
Liu Rui was still slumped over her desk, but something was clearly wrong!
Her face was pale, her brows tightly furrowed in pain. A fine layer of cold sweat covered her forehead, and even the hair at her temples was soaked, clinging to her skin.
This was definitely not just her falling asleep or being overly exhausted!
Fang Chen called out twice, "Liu Rui? Liu Rui?"
The student sitting in front saw Fang Chen calling out again and helped by shaking Liu Rui’s shoulder vigorously. Her deskmate reached out to touch her back and exclaimed, "Ah! She’s breaking out in cold sweat! Her clothes are completely soaked!"
Fang Chen furrowed his brows. "What’s going on? Is she having a nightmare in broad daylight?"
On the podium, Wang Mang noticed the commotion. He paused his lecture and asked, "Fang Chen, what’s going on?"
Fang Chen stood up to report, "Mr. Wang, Liu Rui doesn’t seem well. She won’t wake up, and she’s sweating profusely."
"Oh?"
Wang Mang put down his textbook and quickly stepped off the podium.
He walked over to Liu Rui, leaned in, and called her name several times while gently tapping her cheeks. She remained completely unresponsive.
"Is she unconscious?"
Sensing something was amiss, Wang Mang extended his right index and middle fingers, pressing them gently against her wrist pulse point to use his Perception.
A moment later, his expression shifted slightly, and he said in a deep voice, "This isn’t right! Her pulse is erratic and chaotic, like wildly strummed strings, and her Qi and Blood is flowing in reverse. This is clearly a sign that her Heart Spirit has been damaged, plunging her into deep Psychic Interference! It looks more like... she’s been hit by an Illusion Art!"
Fang Chen lowered his voice. "An Illusion Art? But... she was perfectly fine when she arrived, and she’s been in the classroom this whole time. How could she have been hit by an Illusion Art?"
Wang Mang looked grave. "I’m only guessing, but this situation is absolutely abnormal. Here, Su Lin, Li Fang, you two help move her to the empty space at the back of the classroom and sit her upright.
"I’ll try using my True Qi to channel her chaotic Qi and Blood and stabilize her condition first."
"Right away, Mr. Wang."
The two girls quickly agreed. Carefully, they supported the unconscious Liu Rui to the back of the classroom and helped her maintain a seated position.
Wang Mang sat cross-legged behind Liu Rui and addressed the class.
"Since we have this opportunity, I’ll explain what you should do to perform basic self-rescue and treatment if you unfortunately suffer an Illusion Art attack, or fall into a similarly chaotic state of Heart Spirit for other reasons."
His gaze swept over their tense, curious faces.
"The core lies in two points: calming your mind, and channeling your True Qi.
"First, no matter what terrifying or bizarre things you see, hear, or feel, you must constantly tell yourself, ’This is fake; it’s an illusion!’ A strong will is the cornerstone for breaking free from all Psychic Interference.
"Second, immediately circulate the Cultivation Technique you are most familiar with, such as the Righteous Qi Technique. However, the circulation method is different from your usual practice.
"Do not impact your acupoints in pursuit of cultivation growth. Instead, imagine your True Qi as a gentle stream. Prioritize guiding it upward, gently combing through and nourishing the crucial acupoints associated with consciousness and stabilizing the Heart Spirit in this order: the Forehead, the Divine Court, and the Baihui.
"We Martial Artists do not have a natural resistance to this kind of attack, unlike Mages who specialize in Spiritual Power. However, our vigorous True Qi and robust physiques are the best barriers in themselves.
"As long as you promptly channel your True Qi in the correct manner, calm your Qi and Blood, and stabilize your Heart Spirit, most Psychic Interference that isn’t particularly profound can be neutralized or weakened."
After his explanation, he hovered a palm over the center of her back and slowly transferred his True Qi into her, attempting to smooth out her chaotic Qi and Blood and guide it back onto the right track.
Watching Liu Rui suffer, Yu Yao couldn’t help but ask worriedly, "Mr. Wang, then... what if it’s someone like us, who will never step into the True Martial Realm in our entire lives? Without True Qi, what should we do in this situation?"
Yuan Xiao, who was standing next to her, quickly tugged on her sleeve and whispered, "Shh, don’t interrupt Mr. Wang’s Cultivation to save her."
"Oh..."
Yu Yao quickly covered her mouth, but the worry in her eyes didn’t dissipate.
Hearing this, Fang Chen turned his head and glanced at Yu Yao. "That is exactly why we must practice the Martial Dao diligently and strive to enter the True Martial Realm as soon as possible. Even if you don’t end up going to the Martial Arts Academy, you’ll at least have an extra layer of self-preservation."
He thought for a moment before emphasizing his tone, "In this society, there are all sorts of bizarre Superpower Users. There are many incidents that even the police can’t figure out or untangle, so they don’t intervene as much anymore. If it truly comes down to a critical moment, the only person you can usually rely on is yourself."
These words, while seemingly an answer to Yu Yao, actually served as a warning to everyone present.
The students immediately began whispering among themselves, the atmosphere growing increasingly heavy.
"My God, I always thought that if I just found a stable job after graduation and kept my head down as an honest person, I could live a peaceful life..."
"Yeah, it’s terrifying! Look at Liu Rui. She fell victim while just sitting safely in the classroom. I feel like even staying at home might not be safe anymore!"
"Sigh, I don’t even know if I’ll live to be fifty... I still want to hold my grandkids for a few more years..."
"Fifty? In your dreams! Did you know the average life expectancy in the Zhao Kingdom is only forty-seven? And that’s heavily skewed upwards by the high-ranking officials, wealthy nobles, and Martial Dao experts! By that calculation, we ordinary people should thank our lucky stars if we even make it to our forties!"
"Alright, alright, everyone quiet down!"
Fang Chen raised his voice, suppressing the commotion and the gradually spreading pessimism in the room. "Keep quiet and let Mr. Wang focus on his Cultivation."
As Fang Chen watched the instructor focus on his Cultivation, he silently memorized this Technique of using True Qi to channel and guard the Heart Spirit against psychic intrusions.
Just then, his gaze inadvertently swept over the intersection of Liu Rui’s neck and her collar.
"Huh?"
He let out a soft sound of surprise.
Hearing this, Yu Yao asked in a whisper, "Class Rep, what is it? What did you see?"
Fang Chen pointed at Liu Rui’s neck near her collar. "There seems to be something there."
Yu Yao carefully leaned in, using her fingers to gently brush aside the loose hair at the back of Liu Rui’s neck and the edge of her collar.
A brownish-green grasshopper was shockingly perched right there!
Startled, the grasshopper kicked off its hind legs and quickly bounded away, disappearing into the shadows of the desks in just a few leaps.
Yu Yao breathed a sigh of relief. "It probably just jumped on her by accident. Scared me for a second."
Fang Chen, however, didn’t respond, a wave of suspicion rising in his mind once more.
"Bugs again. Is this a coincidence?" he thought.
BOOM!!!
At that very moment, a muffled explosion erupted from outside, causing the floorboards to tremble! This was immediately followed by the shattering of glass and screams rising one after another.
A pungent, burning smell quickly permeated the air!
"What’s going on?!"
The entire class was so startled by the sudden blast and tremor that they all sprang to their feet, rushing toward the classroom door and windows.
"Ahhh! Fire!!"
The terrified screams of students from other classes echoed from the corridor outside.