To be on the safe side, Yang An decided to first memorize the contents of the Skin Talisman.
After all, this Skin Talisman was a product of the Illusion Realm. If he couldn’t bring it out, his excitement would have been for nothing.
Fortunately, there wasn’t much written on the Skin Talisman. After a brief look, Yang An memorized the Cultivation Method for the Illusion Technique. As he committed it to memory, he continued deeper down the hallway.
’Four rooms left. So which one is Pan Yu in?’
Yang An decided to try knocking on the doors in order. If Pan Yu could sense the commotion outside, she should react somehow.
If there was no reaction, he would have no choice but to open every door on this floor and look inside.
TAP TAP TAP!
After waiting for several breaths, there was no response from 509.
TAP TAP TAP!
Yang An turned to look at room 510.
Still no response.
But just as he was about to knock on the last two doors, a familiar voice suddenly came from inside room 510.
"The delivery? Just leave it outside the door! Thanks!"
"..."
’That voice... Pan Yu?’
Yang An immediately stopped and turned to look at room 510.
He had assumed that since Pan Yu was hopelessly trapped in the Illusion Realm, she must be in a terrible state.
But judging by the voice from behind the door, he couldn’t sense anything abnormal. On the contrary, Pan Yu’s voice sounded quite peaceful.
Yang An frowned and knocked again with a White Feather, but after waiting for a few breaths this time, no further response came.
BANG!
The next moment, dozens of White Feathers shot through the door of 510, shredding the wooden door to splinters and revealing the scene inside to Yang An.
In the dim light, Pan Yu was sitting on a plush sofa, her head slumped limply against her chest.
Her hands were gripping a game controller, and her fingers were eerily pressing its buttons.
The controller was connected to the large-screen TV in front of the sofa, but the screen showed only static, and a hissing noise came from its speakers.
Seeing this bizarre scene, Yang An was about to raise the flame in his hand, intending to engulf the entire room in firelight and drive out any malevolent presence.
But seeing Pan Yu, he hesitated and stopped.
Aside from himself, who was immune, the flames of the Lighting Technique dealt indiscriminate area-of-effect damage. If Pan Yu were caught within the firelight, she would not be spared either.
’I’ll have to find another way, then.’
Yang An directed a White Feather to fly in front of Pan Yu. The feather nimbly maneuvered beneath her hands, preparing to destroy the controller she was gripping.
SHIING!
The sharp White Feather sliced the game controller in Pan Yu’s hands in two!
But even so, her hands still gripped the controller tightly, her fingers pressing nonstop.
Yang An frowned.
SHIING!
The White Feather traced another arc, severing the controller’s cord.
The result was the same.
Even though the controller was now disconnected and cut in half, Pan Yu still gripped it tightly, pressing away as if it had taken root in her hands.
Yang An took a deep breath, then looked at the TV across from the sofa.
The next moment.
Dozens of White Feathers converged at once, shredding the TV to pieces and severing its power cord.
Instantly, the only light in the room vanished, plunging it into darkness.
But this move seemed to work; the movements of Pan Yu’s hands actually stopped.
Yang An’s eyes lit up.
But just when he thought Pan Yu would wake up, her hands only paused for a few seconds before she began frantically pressing the controller again.
...
’It seems there’s no other choice!’
Yang An’s gaze hardened as he turned to look at Pan Yu.
’If injuries sustained in the Illusion Realm are reflected in the real world, Sansong Mountain will surely find a way to heal her.’
’Compared to being forever lost in the Illusion Realm—or even dying—a little pain is nothing, right?’
He had destroyed everything he could think of, and he was out of better ideas. The only option left was to force Pan Yu to wake up.
’Pain... perhaps it’s the only antidote that can wake her!’
’Forgive me!’
The next moment, two sharp White Feathers flashed past, slicing through Pan Yu’s hands as effortlessly as a knife through tofu.
Two lines of blood instantly appeared on Pan Yu’s slender hands, followed by a gush of crimson blood.
At the same time, Pan Yu, who had been sitting with her head lowered, devoid of consciousness, felt an intense surge of pain. Her eyes shot open as she jerked her head up, tears instantly welling up.
"Ah! I’m going to die! It hurts so much! My hands!"
Yang An had been uncertain about this, watching Pan Yu nervously. He had been afraid that even cutting her hands wouldn’t be enough to wake her, and then he would be completely out of options.
But Pan Yu’s sudden reaction made Yang An ecstatic.
’It worked!’
’He was right!’
’Pain really is the only cure to bring someone to their senses!’
"Pan Yu! Break free from the Illusion Realm! Now!"
Seeing that Pan Yu was awake, Yang An immediately shouted at her.
Pan Yu stared at her own hands, her face contorted in pain. She was completely lucid now. Hearing the voice, she whipped her head around to look at Yang An.
"It’s you! Yang... Fellow Daoist Yang?!"
She recognized Yang An instantly, though at first, she was in disbelief. But then she saw the destroyed television, the broken controller, and her own hands.