บท 50: Everything is Self-Caused
Chen Xuan passed by a meat bun shop with a streetlamp next to it, noting down these buildings.
He continued walking down the deserted main street, with fewer and fewer pedestrians. He quickened his pace, passing through familiar streets.
After walking for half an hour, Chen Xuan stopped and looked at a streetlamp on his right. Next to it was a meat bun shop.
The shop was empty, with no sign of anyone.
Chen Xuan squinted his eyes. This was the third time he had returned to this place.
Earlier, he felt the scene was familiar and thought it might be an illusion, so he noted down the meat bun shop and the streetlamp.
He had walked for half an hour at a brisk pace, covering about two to three kilometers, and yet he ended up at the same place again.
He was very familiar with this area; he passed by here almost every day and had walked through it many times. It was impossible to have repeatedly gone the wrong way.
Chen Xuan set off again, this time heading north at twice his previous speed. He passed through many streets, but after another half hour, he ended up back at the same place.
The familiar street, the familiar meat bun shop, the familiar streetlamp.
Silence, utter silence. Despite being a large city, not a single person was in sight. Even the outskirts were not this desolate.
Tian Dou City, one of the largest cities in the Tian Dou Empire, was eerily quiet, almost like a deserted ghost town.
The sun was high in the sky, and the sunlight was bright, yet Chen Xuan felt no warmth. Instead, a chilling aura filled the surroundings.
"Illusion." The word appeared in his mind.
Chen Xuan's face darkened. Even if he wasn't skilled in illusions, it was impossible not to realize when he was caught in one.
Who could have done this, and what method did they use?
Even the Tsukuyomi in the Mangekyō Sharingan requires eye contact to work.
Illusions typically involve sensory invasions—visual, auditory, olfactory, and so on—disrupting the target's chakra.
Chen Xuan was certain that the person's level was above his, and it wasn't just a slight difference.
Their mastery of illusions was definitely superior to his.
"Come out. Stop hiding," Chen Xuan called out, scanning his surroundings cautiously, not missing any detail.
However, despite calling out several times, the city remained silent, the streets empty.
Chen Xuan's expression grew serious, and six black tomoe appeared in his eyes as he activated his three-tomoe Sharingan.
The tomoe in his eyes began to spin rapidly, connecting and merging into a pattern resembling the Yin-Yang symbol of the Bagua.
At this point, with danger lurking, Chen Xuan had to use his trump card. If he wasn't careful, he might end up perishing here today.
He carefully observed the surroundings and shouted, "Since you want to hunt me, why not show yourself?"
Still, there was no response. The city remained silent, with no one in sight.
Chen Xuan continued walking down the street, guessing that the opponent might be waiting for a perfect opportunity.
Soon, he realized he was mistaken. It was the same meat bun shop, but this time there was an extra table and two chairs under the streetlamp.
On the wooden table were some tea sets and a few steaming buns. A very fat middle-aged man sat in one of the chairs, leisurely drinking tea and eating buns.
In the quiet city, on the empty street, there was only this fat middle-aged man, enjoying tea and buns.
Chen Xuan's eyes narrowed as he walked up quickly, pulling out a chair and sitting down. He showed no fear.
Since the opponent was willing to reveal himself, it meant he was very confident in his strength, thinking Chen Xuan was now a caged bird with no chance to escape.
"Not bad, discovering the anomaly in such a short time. You really are a genius who can absorb a ten-thousand-year soul ring," the fat middle-aged man said slowly, sipping his tea leisurely.
Chen Xuan frowned as various figures flashed through his mind. The powerful illusionist appearing in Tian Dou City, acting during the Continental Soul Master Competition.
Gradually, a face matching the description became clear.
"You are Shi Nian, the team leader from Canghui Academy, aren't you?" Chen Xuan asked, almost certain.
The fat middle-aged man was drinking tea calmly, but the hand holding the cup trembled slightly.
"Looks like I guessed correctly," Chen Xuan's sharp eyes caught this subtle reaction.
This made him even more confused. The timeline didn't match—wasn't this old man supposed to be dead?
In the original timeline, Shi Nian had assassinated every powerful opponent in secret to ensure Canghui Academy could pass the budget match. Tang San was one of them.
However, he was too arrogant, thinking his illusions were unbeatable, and that no one could crack them. His carelessness led to Tang San's deadly pursuit and poison, which killed him.
This poison was extremely lethal; even a Title Douluo couldn't withstand it.
"Why are you targeting me?" Chen Xuan asked, deeply puzzled.
Even if the timeline didn't match, he shouldn't be the one targeted; it should be Tang San.
"Why?" Shi Nian sneered, with a sarcastic smile. "Fine, I'll make you understand before you die."
Shi Nian's voice grew serious. "Back then, on the way to the Star Dou Forest, your Shrek Academy humiliated my Canghui Academy. Do you think this grudge can be settled just like that?"
"But I was still a student of Lanba Academy at that time; it seems unrelated to me," Chen Xuan replied calmly.
Shi Nian showed a cruel smile and said, "How could it be unrelated? You joined Shrek Academy."
"Is that enough reason to kill me? Isn't that too overbearing?" Chen Xuan said.
Shi Nian's smile turned venomous, becoming increasingly twisted. "Naturally, there's a second reason. You're just too outstanding. A ten-thousand-year soul ring—how monstrous an existence that is. Without you, we can remove the obstacle to Canghui Academy."
"In that case, you should be targeting Tang San or Dai Mubai," Chen Xuan said.
At the same time, he was speechless. Couldn't he distinguish who was the important person in Shrek Academy? This old man was truly senile.
"Do you think I haven't tried?" Shi Nian's face darkened. "I've been tracking Tang San for five days without finding a chance to strike."
He openly admitted that he had started hunting Tang San and Dai Mubai a week ago, but these two never returned to the academy alone.
Especially Tang San, who was always with companions, teachers, or nobles like Ning Fengzhi and the royal family.
Only Chen Xuan was often alone and thus the easiest target.
Hearing this, Chen Xuan felt as if he had eaten a fly. He was speechless, realizing that not staying at the academy had led to his current predicament.
In reality, Tang San had been returning late because Xiao Wu was unwilling to see him, so he had been focusing on other matters.
If Chen Xuan had known that this was related to him, it would have been more distressing than being killed.
He now felt a pervasive malevolence from the world, as if it wanted to eradicate him, the time traveler.
"Alright, I've said everything. You can die now," Shi Nian finished his tea and stood up.
"Here, is your…"
Shi Nian suddenly stamped his foot, causing a great earthquake in Tian Dou City.
In an instant, the entire world turned upside down. Time and space were distorted, and the city, houses, and streets shattered like a mirror into fragmented scenes.
A new world revealed itself.
In the real world, the two appeared in a forest. The vegetation was lush, with a tree as thick as a water vat, reaching up to the sky.
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