Chapter 270: The Willful Horse Also Hurts People

“Thump! Thump!”

Li Fan’s heart instantly began to pound uncontrollably.

It was as if he had personally witnessed the scene of his own tragic death in the near future.

Li Fan subconsciously wanted to silently chant Huan Zhen to return to the anchor moment.

However, in a flash, he vaguely felt something was amiss and forcibly stopped himself.

The Mystic Yellow Heart Refining Mantra slowly shattered the fear that kept surging in his heart, turning it into nourishment for his Divine Soul, while also buying Li Fan a precious moment of calm thought.

“Could it be that Zhang Zhiliang discovered something and intentionally used this method to harm me?”

“No… He should have already advanced to Soul Transformation by now; dealing with a small Foundation Establishment cultivator like me wouldn't require such a roundabout approach.”

“He could just act directly.”

“Then, the reason for this strange situation now is the effect of the intent horse itself?”

As he was thinking this, Li Fan suddenly felt a trance.

The hairs on his back stood on end, as if someone was staring at him.

Li Fan was startled and immediately turned around.

He saw Zhang Zhiliang staring at him eerily, a smile on his face that was difficult to describe.

Li Fan instinctively retreated rapidly, spiritual power surging within him, the Cong Yun Sword about to strike.

But in an instant, Zhang Zhiliang’s figure vanished.

Li Fan was stunned for a moment before realizing he was in the tianxuan mirror.

Even an existence like Heavenly Doctor would cause a significant stir if he tried to force his way in.

How could Zhang Zhiliang possibly have entered so silently?

“An illusion?”

Li Fan turned his head back to look at the intent horse’s corpse and immediately noticed something unusual, frowning.

The intent horse’s corpse had, unbeknownst to him, changed its posture.

“Is it dead or alive?”

Li Fan couldn't help but wonder.

Fear struck again, lingering in his heart.

His body felt a slight chill.

“This intent horse is a bit strange.”

“However, I have Huan Zhen; no matter how dangerous it is, it can’t harm my life…”

Upon thinking this, Li Fan’s heart felt a little more at ease.

Strangely enough, as he thought this, the inexplicable sense of fear in his heart suddenly receded like a tide.

“Quite interesting…”

Li Fan’s gaze shifted slightly.

However, he was still in the state of a human body with a horse face, so it was clear that the matter was not yet over.

Seizing this gap, Li Fan’s thoughts raced, considering countermeasures.

However, before Li Fan could think of anything, the scene changed again.

The sound of an arrow piercing the air suddenly came.

Followed by the dull thud of it sinking into flesh.

Li Fan followed the sound and saw a flying arrow, coming from who knew where.

It struck the intent horse’s left arm directly.

Just as Li Fan was about to pull out the arrow to see if it was real or fake, a sharp pain suddenly struck him.

Coincidentally, the pain also came from his own left arm.

Li Fan swept his Divine Sense, and his expression immediately turned grim.

The same location, the same wound!

Even when Li Fan channeled spiritual power, he couldn't heal the wound.

He bought a trauma Medicinal Pill in the tianxuan mirror and took it, but it still had no effect.

The wound remained.

“This…”

“Is it real or fake?”

Li Fan’s intent felt the burning prickling pain on his arm; everything was so real.

“So, everything that happens to the intent horse will be reflected on me?”

“If…”

The wild thoughts did not continue to unfold; Li Fan forcibly activated the Mystic Yellow Heart Refining Mantra to clear his杂念.

Ignoring the pain in his body, he continued to ponder countermeasures.

“Logically speaking, Zhang Zhiliang has no reason to play tricks on me. This intent horse is indeed a treasure that can enhance the Divine Soul.”

“Then can it be inferred that the bizarre scenes that just occurred, the reason they were so real, is because they bypassed my senses and directly acted upon my Divine Soul?”

“Exceeding the concept of ordinary illusions, striking directly at the Divine Soul…”

While Li Fan was thinking, a sharp sword suddenly appeared.

Its cold light gleamed, severing the intent horse’s right index finger at the root.

The intense pain made Li Fan involuntarily gasp.

He looked at his right hand, and sure enough, his index finger had disappeared.

It was just bleeding continuously.

Li Fan held his mutilated right hand before his eyes, observing carefully.

“Is it real…”

“Is it fake?”

Reason told Li Fan that everything happening to his body was merely the intent horse’s effect on his Divine Soul. It was all illusory.

But the continuous burning pain from his body forced Li Fan to doubt his own judgment.

“If all of this is an illusory hallucination, then it doesn't matter.”

“But what if I judged wrongly, and these wounds are real?”

“If I sit back and let the changes continue, wouldn't that mean I’m waiting to die?”

A thought involuntarily popped into his mind.

“To determine if it’s real or fake, why not ask someone else to verify it?”

Thinking this, Li Fan left the tianxuan mirror.

And when he, with a horse face, wandered around in front of other Cultivators for a few circles without attracting any strange gazes.

Li Fan finally confirmed that this was truly an illusory experience brought by the intent horse.

But…

“Hiss!”

Li Fan touched his chest; another deep wound had appeared there.

While he was out verifying, a total of eight wounds had already appeared on Li Fan’s body.

“The speed of their appearance is getting faster, and the wounds are getting larger.”

“Even if I know these are all illusions, to this extent…”

“It no longer matters whether it’s real or fake.”

“Then, if this continues, could I really die?”

Before his Transmigration, Li Fan had heard of a type of torture.

The prisoner’s eyes would be blindfolded, and their arm would be cut with a knife.

Then, water drops would be used to mimic the sound of blood dripping, and the prisoner would be continuously whispered about the loss of blood.

Although the wound on the arm had long since clotted and would not cause death from excessive blood loss.

Some prisoners would actually believe they were losing too much blood and slowly die, under the constant psychological suggestion of others and themselves.

When you believe you are dead, then you will truly die.

Li Fan guessed that the effect of the intent horse was based on the same principle.

Because the illusion had reached a point where it was almost indistinguishable from reality, if he did nothing and just waited for the situation to develop further.

When the intent horse’s corpse suffered fatal injuries, such as its head exploding.

Li Fan could also be affected by the synchronized injuries, truly believing he had also suffered such severe wounds.

Then he would inexplicably die.

This was the definite influence of one's own cognition on the body.

And to avoid this.

Unless…

Li Fan opened the Huan Zhen panel.

He stared intently at the charging progress.

“As long as Huan Zhen’s automatic protection isn’t triggered, then no matter how real the sensation, there’s no danger to my life.”

Thinking this, Li Fan’s heart couldn’t help but feel much more at ease.

The panic in his heart also gradually disappeared.