By this time, many forces had entered the white river. Scanning the river surface, one could see people from various factions everywhere. Thus, no one noticed the scene where Hu Miao helped Zhou Wanqing free herself from the illusionary domain.
Hu Miao and Zhou Wanqing quickly moved forward and soon caught up to Ye Yunfei.
"Lady Zhou, stand beside me," Ye Yunfei said to Zhou Wanqing. As he spoke, his long sword flashed, cleaving a batch of white beings swarming toward Zhou Wanqing in half. "Young Master Ye, although I cannot handle those terrifying illusions, I should be able to manage these fellows," Zhou Wanqing said, glancing at the white beings relentlessly swarming around them like a white tide. Despite feeling immense pressure, her competitive spirit rose, and she spoke up. Then, thick green vines appeared around her body, coiling and whipping through the air like massive green flood dragons, lashing out in all directions.
Instantly, many of the attacking white beings were entangled and shattered to pieces.
"Not bad, Wanqing. You've been cultivating diligently lately, and your strength has improved. Keep up the good work," Elder Ruan ahead couldn't help but nod in approval and offered encouragement upon seeing Zhou Wanqing's display.
"I understand, Elder Ruan. Rest assured, elder, I will continue to work hard and strive to become even stronger," Zhou Wanqing replied, her spirits lifted by Elder Ruan's praise.
And so, Elder Ruan, Ye Yunfei, Zhou Wanqing, and a few other powerful members of the Wanmu Ancestral Land formed a small team, continuously advancing and slaughtering batch after batch of white beings.
Everyone understood that as long as they traversed this bizarre white river, they would reach the core area of Tianmu Shenjun's Cave. Thus, everyone fought tenaciously.
Even as the numbers and strength of the white beings swarming around them relentlessly increased, not a single person retreated. All gritted their teeth and persisted.
At this moment, Zhou Wanqing also demonstrated formidable strength and resilience. She held a green battle halberd in each hand, and the space around her body was filled with densely packed, thick green vines, each like a massive dragon.
These green vines not only contained powerful energy but were also extremely agile. Every vine seemed to be executing a profound martial technique.
"The reason Lady Zhou couldn't resist the illusions earlier was mainly because Soul Power isn't her forte. Her actual combat strength is quite considerable," Hun Lao sent a Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei.
"Indeed, Lady Zhou's combat prowess shouldn't be underestimated," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Besides Ye Yunfei and Elder Ruan's small team, powerful experts from other major forces were also steadily advancing at this time.
Especially those from the Guardian Faction, the Blade Realm, the Rune Sacred Land, and over a dozen other particularly formidable factions were at the forefront.
The experts from these major forces were all terrifyingly strong. With a single move, they could slay vast swathes of the white beings.
Meanwhile, even more people behind were still trapped in illusions, finding it extremely difficult to advance even a single step.
This included some members of the Wanmu Ancestral Land and the Yang Family.
"It seems they won't be able to cross this river. Have them turn back and wait by the bank," Elder Ruan suddenly halted and looked back at the Wanmu Ancestral Land members still struggling in the illusions, speaking decisively.
"Alright, I'll instruct them to turn back," another Wanmu Ancestral Land Elder nearby nodded and began sending Sound Transmissions to those members.
"Our Yang Family members are even less likely to cross this river. Forget it, I'll have them all turn back and wait by the bank too," Yang Feng looked back at his Yang Family clansmen and said softly. He then also sent Sound Transmissions to his people.
The members of the Wanmu Ancestral Land and Yang Family, though still within the illusions, could receive the transmissions. Upon receiving the messages, many began to retreat.
To their delight, once they started retreating, they found the surrounding illusions instantly vanished.
"So it turns out if we abandon crossing the river and turn back, the illusions here immediately stop attacking us!" a Wanmu Ancestral Land member exclaimed joyfully.
Soon after, most Wanmu Ancestral Land members and all Yang Family members had turned back and returned to the riverbank. Only a minority of Wanmu Ancestral Land members persevered, wanting to rely on their own strength to advance. After all, Wanmu Ancestral Land was a powerful major force; their overall strength was not something the Yang Family could compare to.
Meanwhile, Elder Ruan, Ye Yunfei, and the others continued onward.
No one knew how much time had passed, but the group was still fighting the white beings that swarmed them endlessly from all sides.
Moreover, by this time, the numbers of the white beings had reached a terrifying level. Thousands upon thousands surrounded them at all moments, charging frantically like a vast, churning tide of white.
Even more unnerving was that after these white beings were slain, they would transform into large amounts of white river water, falling back into the river, only to be reborn again as white beings.
This was essentially an endless slaughter. It even felt like the more you killed, the more there were.
Having pressed forward until now, not only Ye Yunfei but even the experts of the major forces were starting to feel physically and mentally exhausted.
Right at this moment, an expert walking at the forefront suddenly stopped.
"These annoying creatures have finally disappeared! It seems I've passed the trial set here by Tianmu Shenjun! I'm about to cross this river! Although Tianmu Shenjun was a Great Ability from ancient times, his strength dominated several eras, I am no weakling either. How could I possibly fail a trial left behind by him?" The expert, finding all white beings around him vanished, couldn't help but show a smug expression and spoke aloud.
This expert came from a major force and held considerable prestige within the Chaotic Void Sea. Thus, he believed that even if he wasn't quite equal to the ancient Tianmu Shenjun, he wouldn't be far off.
"This fellow is indeed strong, but his words place himself on par with Tianmu Shenjun... he overestimates himself greatly. In truth, someone like him is nothing before Tianmu Shenjun," Hun Lao couldn't help but sneer.
"How can this be? Who is he? Why does he look exactly like me? Even his aura is identical?" Just then, this expert's gaze fell ahead, and an expression of utter disbelief appeared.
Everyone now saw that before the expert, a figure had suddenly emerged, walking slowly out from towering white mist.
At first, it wasn't very clear, but gradually, that figure's appearance and Soul Body aura became increasingly distinct.
Finally, when that figure fully emerged from the churning white mist, the crowd was stunned to find that this figure was completely identical to that expert. Not only the appearance but even the Soul Body aura he exuded was exactly the same.
"Who are you? How dare you mimic my appearance and Soul Body aura?" The expert glared at the creature identical to him, his anger reaching a peak.
Anyone who suddenly saw another exact copy of themselves would likely have this reaction.
"I am you. The two of us are actually one entity with two sides. Have you ever looked in a mirror? The one standing before the mirror is you. The one in the mirror is also you." The being in front spoke slowly, his voice identical to that expert's.
"Damn you! Daring to play tricks before me, tired of living? Die!" The expert was furious to the extreme. The energy within him exploded instantaneously, like a ten-thousand-year-old volcano, causing the space around him to tremble violently.
Then, the expert directly attacked, charging to kill the identical being ahead. "You want to fight yourself? Very well." That being took a step forward to meet him.
Then, these two seemingly identical beings began a fierce battle.
The expert's strength was terrifying. A single move shook heaven and earth; the techniques and secret arts he executed were breathtaking. Vast, rolling energy tore through space, hurtling forward in a mighty assault.
"How is this possible? This is clearly the cultivation technique and martial arts I've painstakingly trained for most of my life. How can you know them too? Moreover, you've cultivated them to the same level as I have! What in the world is going on?" The speed of their exchanges was terrifyingly fast. In merely a breath's time, they exchanged hundreds of moves. The expert then cried out, unable to accept this reality.
"The attack speed of these experts is terrifying. To unleash so many techniques and martial arts in an instant... ordinary beings wouldn't stand a chance against them," Ye Yunfei thought to himself, inwardly shocked upon seeing the battle.
"Battles for experts of this level can be fast or slow, as they possess a profoundly deep understanding of Time Law. For them, fast and slow are merely applications of Time Law," Hun Lao spoke up.
"You're right, Hun Lao. With a high level of cultivation in Time Law, one can control the pace of attacks, making them fast or slow. It seems I must focus on improving my cultivation of Time Law in the future. If I can cultivate Time Law to a formidable level, I can later use it to assist every technique and secret art I execute, accelerating my attack speed. If my attacks are fast enough, I can unleash hundreds of techniques and arts in an instant, leaving my opponent utterly defenseless," Ye Yunfei instantly had these realizations upon hearing Hun Lao's words.
The essence of fast and slow was time itself. By cultivating Time Law to a high degree, one could easily control the rhythm of speed.
Ye Yunfei possessed inherently high comprehension and possessed immensely rich combat experience and skill. Upon hearing Hun Lao's words, he immediately grasped this concept.
Meanwhile, ahead, the battle between the two identical beings grew increasingly fierce.
Due to their immense strength and incredible speed, the energy and laws released during their fight completely enveloped the area of their combat.
Therefore, soon, more than half of the onlookers couldn't distinguish which one was the original.
Then, at that moment.
"How can this be?! There's someone exactly like me! What's going on?" Another powerful expert suddenly exclaimed in shock.
The crowd saw that before this expert, another identical being had appeared, walking slowly out from the towering white mist to block his path.
"Who exactly are you? Why are you impersonating me?" That expert looked at the being identical to himself ahead, his face darkening to the extreme as he slowly asked.
"Believe it or not, I am you." That being took step after step forward as he spoke.
"Hmph, posing and pretending. Since you refuse to answer, I'll obliterate you!" That expert, seeing the being walking toward him step by step, was furious beyond measure.
What truly infuriated him was that even he couldn't distinguish any difference between this being ahead and himself.
Being mimicked to this extent would be unacceptable to anyone.
BOOM!
The expert spoke no further and directly attacked.
The moment he struck out, the being identical to him ahead also attacked.
And so, another pair of identical beings began fighting.