The Thousand Illusions Secret Art in Han Yu’s hands originated from a fallen power known as the Thousand Illusions Sect.

The opening lines of the scroll were blunt: the sect had been annihilated, leaving its secret arts fragmented and incomplete, waiting for future generations to restore them.

Currently, the portion in Han Yu’s possession focused on the abilities displayed by the couple, Tian Qing and Hui Ling: suppressing cultivation, altering physical appearance, and conjuring illusions to deceive enemies.

What delighted Han Yu most was the method for concealing one’s cultivation base.

While the standard Breath Concealment Technique was powerful enough to evade detection by peers in the Qi Refining stage, it had limits. Tian Qing and Hui Ling, however, had been inspected multiple times by Foundation Establishment cultivators—both at the market and when entering Wanchun Valley—without ever exposing a flaw.

This was especially impressive in Hui Ling’s case. As a former Laborer Disciple of Wanchun Valley cultivating the Green Grain Qi Cultivation Method, she was only at the second layer of Qi Refining. Yet, she had successfully deceived a Foundation Establishment cultivator during a hands-on inspection. The potency of the Thousand Illusions Secret Art was evident.

Time was of the essence. Although the text mentioned other aspects of the art—such as Tian Qing’s quest to find related techniques from the five sects of the Southern Region to complete the manual or modify it—Han Yu had to set those ambitions aside for now.

He replicated a Mystic Heart Fruit and swallowed it. Relying on the fruit’s ability to clear the mind and heighten focus, he aimed to master the concealment aspect of the Thousand Illusions Secret Art in the shortest time possible.

Combined with the Breath Concealment Technique, he would be able to mask his true nature even from the prying eyes of Foundation Establishment seniors.

“Reality and illusion beget one another; a thousand forms return to the void. With Spirit as the medium and Blood as the guide, channel the Spirit Blood to alter fate.”

Han Yu sat cross-legged inside the stone hut and began his cultivation.

Guided by his Spirit Breath, his Blood Essence stirred. It shifted slowly according to his will, gradually weaving a veil over his cultivation base and the blood talisman hidden within his Tanzhong acupoint.

Ironically, cultivating the Blood Refining Technique proved advantageous here. It allowed him to manipulate his Blood Essence with extreme speed, aiding the transformation.

The core concept of the Thousand Illusions Secret Art differed from the Breath Concealment Technique, which merely suppressed the circulation of Spirit Breath. Instead, this secret art employed a comprehensive coordination of Spirit Breath and Blood Essence. It created a total disguise involving the Circulation Cycle, Dantian, flesh, and blood—a falsehood indistinguishable from the truth.

It was no wonder even a close-range inspection by a Foundation Establishment cultivator failed to find anomalies. This art was truly formidable.

Outside, the atmosphere at the Spirit Field Department was heavy and silent. Inside, Han Yu focused entirely on the technique.

The first successful circulation masked his overflowing blood energy.

He ran the cycle again. The art responded more fluidly to his will. His Qi Refining third layer appearance was suppressed to the second layer, and the blood talisman at his Tanzhong acupoint vanished from spiritual perception without a trace.

Unless a Foundation Establishment cultivator physically harmed him to force a reaction, they would never detect his true cultivation or the traces of the Blood Refining Technique.

Han Yu circulated the Thousand Illusions Secret Art once more, confirming the disguise was stable.

He then applied the art’s concealment method to his Storage Bag, hiding it within the folds of his robes. It was now secure enough to withstand a body search. The lingering anxiety in his heart finally dissipated.

He had been seconds away from fleeing Wanchun Valley with his “entire fortune.” Now, there was no need to run. But he had to ensure both his cultivation and his assets were well hidden.

Not long after, Ji Yida’s voice drifted in from outside.

“Has he come out?”

“Senior Brother Ji, he has not. He has been cultivating inside the whole time,” a Laborer Disciple replied.

Ji Yida entered the stone hut with a grim expression. He immediately extended his Spirit Breath to scan Han Yu’s body, checking if his aura was normal and pure. He then scrutinized Han Yu’s hair and eyes.

“Han Yu,” Ji Yida began, “tell me exactly what you discussed with Tian Qing and Hui Ling.”

“Did Senior Brother Ji capture Tian Qing?” Han Yu asked.

Ji Yida ignored the question, his tone aggressive. “Answer what I ask. If you hide anything, I will verify it with Tian Qing myself, and you’ll be arrested as a spy!”

Han Yu recounted the day’s events in detail. He explained how Tian Qing and Hui Ling insisted on treating him to a meal and asked suspicious questions about exchanging spells at the Technique Pavilion. He then described the encounter with Wang Hui and Hong Liang, and how his attempt to apprehend them led to a battle where one died and the other fled.

“What exactly did Tian Qing ask regarding the techniques?” Ji Yida pressed.

“He asked if the Technique Pavilion had any illusion-type spells and suggested I exchange for one,” Han Yu said. “I suspect the couple planned for me to redeem the technique so they could rob me of it later.”

Ji Yida listened carefully and nodded. “Good. I will go ask Tian Qing to confirm.”

Had Tian Qing actually been captured?

Han Yu wasn’t afraid of verifying his story. He had told the truth, merely omitting the specific “phantom body” or “phantom shadow” terms Tian Qing had used.

Suddenly, Ji Yida spun around, raising his hand as if to strike, and roared, “Spy! Still pretending!”

Han Yu looked at him, his face a mask of shock and confusion.

Their eyes met.

Ji Yida paused, then awkwardly scratched his nose.

“I was testing you… no other meaning… It seems you really aren’t a spy.”

Ji Yida walked out of the stone hut but didn’t leave the area. He mounted his Magical Artifact and hovered above the hut, monitoring the entire Spirit Field Department for any unusual movement.

At first, Han Yu didn’t understand why Ji Yida hadn’t gone to verify the story with Tian Qing. Then he realized—Ji Yida hadn’t caught Tian Qing at all. The threat to “ask Tian Qing” was a bluff.

If Han Yu had panicked and spun a contradictory lie, he would have walked right into the trap.

Moments later, several flying Magical Artifacts approached. Deacon Lu and another Deacon arrived, leading a group that included Inner Disciple Jin Qi and Outer Disciple Hua Qi.

Ji Yida hurried forward on his artifact to report mid-air.

The two Deacons descended. They examined Hui Ling’s corpse, confirmed Tian Qing’s escape, and inspected the couple’s residence before finally summoning Han Yu.

“It seems this disciple, Han Yu, is likely not a spy,” Deacon Lu said.

He placed a hand on Han Yu, sensing his cultivation and Spirit Breath. Confirming there were no traces of heterodox arts, he nodded. “If he were a spy, he wouldn’t have reported the matter regarding Wang Hui, nor would he have actively tried to apprehend Tian Qing and Hui Ling.”

Ji Yida bowed his head. “Indeed.”

“Precisely because of this, we did not search him too aggressively or resort to forceful interrogation,” Hua Qi added from the side. “However, the situation was urgent. We couldn’t verify the status of Senior Brother Hong and Senior Brother Wang immediately. We worried Han Yu might be lying, so we had to detain him first.”

Deacon Lu nodded. “That is appropriate. Wanchun Valley is not a sect that is overly harsh or unreasonable. You all acted with due diligence.”

He patted Han Yu on the shoulder, his tone warm. “You personally killed a sect spy and delivered vital intelligence. This is a meritorious deed. The sect will not let a meritorious person feel disheartened.”

“Do not worry yourself further. The sect will issue a reward to you in due time.”

Seeing that he had successfully passed the inspection thanks to the Thousand Illusions Secret Art, Han Yu felt a wave of relief and bowed softly. “Yes, Deacon.”

Ji Yida then asked, “What about Senior Brother Hong Liang—”

“It is all but certain he cultivated the Blood Refining Technique. Elder Yan has personally led a team to hunt him down,” Deacon Lu stated.

So he really was a Blood Refiner!

Ji Yida felt a shiver of fear. Fortunately, they discovered it early. Otherwise, they might have all been harvested for their Blood Essence.

He glanced at Han Yu again, thinking, This Junior Brother Han is truly a loyal and devoted disciple.

Since Tian Qing had already fled Wanchun Valley, pursuing him was no longer feasible for the group present. Deacon Lu and the others did not waste further energy on a manhunt. Instead, they waited outside Han Yu’s stone hut, keeping watch for news from the market.