...

...

Many more years passed...

Tian Yao bore Song Yan a son and a daughter.

As time went by, the children grew up and also entered the sect of sword cultivators.

Later, the children each got married, and the Song family grew more prosperous.

Song Yan's transparent figure sometimes floated outside, sometimes overlapping with the tangible Song Yan.

But he did not get lost, constantly reminding himself, "This is an illusion, this is an illusion."

Until one day...

....

"Dad! Dad?"

"Brother Song? Husband?"

Anxious shouts echoed in the Song family.

Whether it was Tian Yao or Song Yan's children, all the descendants were searching for him everywhere.

But Song Yan was nowhere to be found.

At this moment, the tangible Song Yan completely vanished, leaving only his transparent figure floating outside.

He could see those people, but they couldn't see him.

...

"It should end now."

Song Yan sighed lightly because he had already sensed the weakness of this illusion, which is time limit.

Even though it's flawless and hard to break free from, once the time is up, if he hasn't completely succumbed, waking up will be quite easy.

He stood in the small courtyard.

The courtyard was filled with familiar sights, and there were even snowmen piled up in the corner.

Just then, a trembling voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Dad, you... you're back? Where have you been for so long?"

The voice quickly turned joyful, shouting, "Mom! Mom! Dad's back!"

Soon, Tian Yao's figure appeared in front of Song Yan, her eyes brimming with tears. She looked at the snow on the ground, suddenly bending down, quickly molding it into a ball, and threw it at Song Yan.

Thud!

The snowball landed on his left cheek.

Song Yan did not evade, and at this moment, he was no longer transparent.

Tian Yao ran over crying, throwing herself into his arms, saying, "Where did you go? How could you leave without saying a word? Do you know how much we missed you?"

Song Yan gazed at the "Junior Sister Xiao Jiu" in his arms, took a deep breath, and tightly closed his eyes, while in the distance, their children and juniors quietly withdrew.

When he opened his eyes again, the sky had already turned dusky.

The crimson glow stood at the end of heaven and earth, and by his side, a dear companion kept close, an intense sense of happiness filled Song Yan's heart.

Recalling all the events after succeeding as Sect Leader of the Sword Cultivation Sect, he felt he had nothing to be ashamed of.

"Brother Song, what are you thinking?"

"Junior Sister Xiao Jiu" leaned against him, watching the sunset together.

Song Yan said, "I'm thinking, if all this were true, how wonderful it would be."

"Junior Sister Xiao Jiu" said: "How do you know for sure this is false, Brother Song?"

Song Yan closed his eyes, greedily feeling the warmth, comfort, beauty, and peace of this moment; here was the life he wanted, everything he wanted...

"The children have grown, it's time to pass on the position of Sect Leader, and we should find a blessed place to peacefully cultivate and breakthrough," the gentle voice of Junior Sister Xiao Jiu sounded in his ear.

Song Yan remained silent.

Junior Sister Xiao Jiu continued, "Are you still thinking about the past?"

Song Yan remained silent.

Junior Sister Xiao Jiu said, "It's all over now."

Song Yan let out a long sigh, slowly opened his eyes, and met Junior Sister Xiao Jiu's mischievous eyes.

Junior Sister Xiao Jiu smiled and asked, "What does Brother want to do now?"

Song Yan said, "Watch the sunset, then leave this world."

Junior Sister Xiao Jiu tilted her head slightly.

Song Yan felt tears wetting his lapel, and the arms holding him tightened more.

Junior Sister Xiao Jiu cried out, "Why do you have to leave?

Why?

Does it really matter what's real and what's not?

Can't we just stay together as a family?"

Her voice was hoarse, choked with sobs, the more she spoke, the more she could not stop crying.

Song Yan released her from his embrace, looked at her gently, wiped away her tears, then gave a self-mocking smile, paused, and finally stared determinedly at the "Junior Sister Xiao Jiu" before him, softly saying, "Goodbye, the sunset is truly beautiful."

"Thank you, Xiao Jiu..."

He didn't call out the name "Tian Yao," because... he always remained lucid, always knew all this was false.

In the next moment, Song Yan suddenly closed his eyes.

He felt the time in the illusion had reached its end.

If he succumbed, he would continue to fall into it; without external force, he feared he might never wake up.

But he did not succumb.

He had always been terrifyingly lucid.

He took a deep breath, raised his hand, his hand turned into a blood claw, coldly commanding, "Break for me."

The previously flawless world was now torn apart violently.

The sunset faded, yellow sand filled the sky, and steep cliffs rose on both sides of the unfinished road.

He was still in Chopper Ridge.

However, in front of him was a strange hunched figure, seemingly a novice monk, but the familiar aura made him recognize it as a ghost.

The ghostly novice monk's surroundings were swirling with strange power of thought, probably a monster mixed from the "ghosts of the entire Changwang Tiger Race, the Sea of Suffering, and some other unknown things."

"Is it you, this ghostly thing?"

Looking at the ghostly entity inexplicably appearing here, Song Yan suddenly raised his hand and struck indifferently.

Boom!

The ghostly novice monk, extremely formidable within the illusion, was shatteringly destroyed with no real resistance, disappearing from its place.

Song Yan looked to his side again, only to see Tang Fan standing immobile with a smile on his lips and tears streaming down his cheeks, unknowing of what he saw in the illusion.

However, with the shattering of the ghostly novice monk, he suddenly opened his eyes, as if waking from a dream, and upon waking, he looked around in shock and pain, anxiously shouting, "Meng'Er! Xing'Er!"

Song Yan raised his hand, giving him a slap on the back of his head, saying, "Stop daydreaming, let's go."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.