Reborn as Huo Yuhao, but also in Battle Through the Heavens

Chapter 40 A Startling Dream

"Haha! Huo Yuhao, you've finally met your match!"

Xiao Yan laughed loudly, finally releasing all the pent-up frustration he had been suppressing over the years!

Huo Yuhao, who was kneeling on the ground, seemed to say something, but Xiao Yan couldn't hear it clearly. So, he strode up to Huo Yuhao, and the strange fire at his fingertips flickered, evaporating the scattered ice shards around them.

"I never expected that this desert would hide ten different kinds of strange flames, allowing me to break through to the Dou Sheng level directly! Haha, now who's the little brother!"

Xiao Yan, smug and triumphant, looked down at Huo Yuhao kneeling on the ground: "What did you just say?"

"I must say, you had a really beautiful dream!"

"Still so stubborn. I've told you before, don't underestimate a young man's potential! Now the tables have turned, and it's my turn..." Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Yan grinned and slapped Huo Yuhao's butt.

"Huh? This feels off?"

"Of course not, I've already deactivated the simulation."

The surrounding world distorted, the scene changed abruptly, the ice shards and strange fire all disappeared, and Huo Yuhao in front of him turned into a stone.

"Ouch—" A wave of pain hit him, and Xiao Yan clutched his right hand, starting to bounce around on the spot.

Looking at the grimacing Xiao Yan, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Huo Yuhao's eyes. His improvements to the "Simulation" soul skill over the past few days had achieved initial control over his five senses. Recalling Xiao Yan's smug expression in the illusion, a cold smile slowly curved Huo Yuhao's lips.

A chill ran down Xiao Yan's spine. Seeing Huo Yuhao cracking his knuckles and grinning maliciously, Xiao Yan's voice trembled: "This illusion was your doing, it has nothing to do with me... Don't come any closer!"

After their playful tussle, Xiao Yan clutched his backside, tears of regret streaming down his face: "You bastard Huo Yuhao! You actually set a trap for me! I'll remember this!"

"Brother Yuhao, how did you do that?" Little Fairy Doctor asked, her face full of curiosity. "Xiao Yan and I both opened our spiritual seas, so how come we were still powerless against you?"

"Young Huo, such an illogical illusion, yet I was completely unaware of it. It's truly strange." Hai Bodong was also baffled. These past few days, they had all been driven to distraction and felt like they were in heaven and hell by Huo Yuhao's illusions.

"One at a time," Huo Yuhao explained. "We can't achieve this using simulation and Qi control alone, and it's very energy-consuming. So I'm trying to use mental sharing to control the five senses. Simulation can't control the five senses, but the other person's own consciousness can. We use simulation to construct the surrounding environment, and then use mental sharing to send it into the other person's consciousness, replacing the real world they perceive."

Huo Yuhao paused, giving them some time to understand, before continuing, "Xian'er, your and Xiao Yan's mental strength is inferior to mine, so naturally you can't withstand it. As for not being aware of the illogicality of the environment, while simulations can't control the five senses, they can influence the sixth sense and the subconscious. If even the conscious mind is affected, how could you realize that the illusion is illogical?"

"With this kind of fighting style, you'll be practically invincible from now on!" Hai Bodong exclaimed in amazement.

"That won't happen." Huo Yuhao thought for a moment and said, "I'm naturally not afraid of people whose spiritual or soul realm is higher than mine. Besides, spiritual power is essentially a kind of energy. They can drive away my spiritual power by unleashing their full soul power or spiritual power, or by unleashing their full battle qi."

Just as Huo Yuhao was explaining how to break the new skill, Yao Chen, who had been listening from the shadows, quietly set up a soul barrier to prevent anyone else from overhearing.

"By the way, Huo, calling this a simulation is no longer appropriate. How about we give it a new name?" Hai Bodong suddenly suggested.

"Hmm, I've decided to call it 'A Startling Dream in Emptiness—A Flower in a Mirror and a Moon in the Water'! What do you guys think?"

After a moment of silence, Hai Bodong suddenly praised, "It's called Jingmeng, right? A good name."

"Alright, it's time to get going. We'll be arriving at Stone Desert City soon." Huo Yuhao, who was already used to it, didn't care that the naming power had fallen into other hands again. He silently pulled Xiao Yan, who was lying on the ground eavesdropping, up, thoughtfully helped him put the Xuan Heavy Ruler on his back, and then pinched his mouth to force down a bottle of the improved Burning Blood.

"Cough cough! Huo Yuhao, are you trying to kill me?!" Xiao Yan almost choked. After a bout of coughing, Xiao Yan pushed Huo Yuhao aside and took the lead in walking towards Shimo City.

Xiao Yan walked briskly, a stark contrast to his miserable state a few days ago when he was tormented by the Burning Blood. Huo Yuhao observed his condition for a while, then nodded thoughtfully—it seemed he had adapted; he could give him a few more bottles on the way back.

As they chatted and laughed along the way, the outline of a city built of rocks slowly emerged; they had arrived at Stone Desert City.

"Phew—we've finally arrived. Let's go into the city." Xiao Yan tore off his sand-covered outer robe, deliberately revealing his alchemist badge, and walked into the city.

"What is he doing?" Little Fairy Doctor asked.

"To save on the city entrance fee," Huo Yuhao explained.

"Doesn't he know that Stone Desert City doesn't charge city fees at all?" Hai Bodong was speechless.

After entering the city, fully armed soldiers patrolled everywhere. Huo Yuhao and his group inquired a few things and then headed south. After turning several streets, a courtyard almost as large as the Xiao family compound in Wutan City came into view.

Above the courtyard, a flag fluttered in the wind, bearing the large characters of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, subtly exuding an aura of iron-blooded strength. Looking at the imposing courtyard, Huo Yuhao frowned slightly.

"Without protective formations, the guards seem formidable but are actually poorly defended, and the surrounding area has extremely thin spiritual energy. It seems that my eldest and second brothers' situation is not as good as they say," Huo Yuhao muttered to himself.

"These two guards are quite spirited, aren't they? The mercenary groups in Qingshan Town don't even have any guards." Little Fairy Doctor wondered.

"You have no idea, back in the Xiao family, he made those guards... tsk tsk, there was a sentry every three steps and a sentry every five steps!" Xiao Yan teased, "He would check even a mosquito twice before letting it in."

"Does your family have that many guards?"

"I don't know how he convinced those stingy old elders to improve the guards' treatment quite a bit. Yuhao also often gives them pointers on martial arts and combat techniques."

"So why let mosquitoes in?"

Just as Huo Yuhao and his group approached, the two mercenaries guarding the gate suddenly turned stern, staring intently at them, which made Xiao Yan somewhat excited.

"Is it finally time for the moment of showing off and getting slapped in the face? I really am the protagonist." Xiao Yan thought to himself with a sense of satisfaction, and adjusted his state, hoping to make a move before Huo Yuhao.

Suddenly, the two mercenaries stepped aside, closed their eyes, and bowed deeply.

"For business inquiries, please turn right to the service hall; for sparring and challenges, please turn left to the martial arts arena; for visiting relatives and friends, please go straight to the backyard."

"Pfft—mercenaries don't act like that!"

Equally stunned, Huo Yuhao facepalmed: "Xiao Yan, this was your doing, wasn't it?"

"I've never even seen them before!"

"It must be because you were talking nonsense at home and your older brother and the others heard it."

Seeing the group's astonished expressions, the two mercenaries stood up and laughed heartily, "You must be the captain's two younger brothers! Please come in!"