Chapter 358: Illusion

"Sorry! Sorry! It was beyond my control, I couldn't hold back."

Li Mochen also raised his hands in surrender: "I'll adjust. Give me five minutes."

He was telling the truth; just now he truly couldn't help himself, unable to control his hands.

In the Primordial Dome Realm, a cultivator's combat awareness could roughly be divided into four realms.

The first realm is 'Intention Precedes Action,' the second 'Intention and Action Advance Together,' the third 'Action Precedes Intention,' and the fourth 'Extreme Action Conceals Intention.' These describe a cultivator's combat awareness and instinct, also known as battle realms.

'Intention Precedes Action' is easy to understand—it's a level slightly above ordinary. Normally, people fight by throwing random punches without any conscious thought or method.

But 'Intention Precedes Action' means one launches an attack only after forming the corresponding intention.

'Intention and Action Advance Together' goes a step further, where one's consciousness and the execution of the move occur simultaneously.

This is extremely difficult to achieve, requiring a deep understanding of immortal arts and combat techniques, even turning various martial arts moves and the execution and response of immortal arts into one's instinct.

As for 'Action Precedes Intention,' as the name suggests, it means launching an attack before one's consciousness generates the intention, reacting instantly to any stimulus, and the body instinctively adopts the optimal and most appropriate response in combat.

In short, before your mind has formed any relevant thought, your body has already reacted, placing a blade at the opponent's throat.

As for 'Extreme Action Conceals Intention,' it builds on 'Action Precedes Intention,' embedding the spiritual charm of immortal arts and the martial intent of techniques within the action.

What the East calls 'charm' and 'intent,' in Li Mochen's view, are the prototypes of what the West calls truth, mystery, and divine authority—future laws and great paths.

Li Mochen had long reached the realm of 'Extreme Action Conceals Intention' in the Primordial Dome Realm, and that was precisely the problem.

After further purifying his bloodline power with the Blood God Stone, Li Mochen's speed and strength had greatly increased.

Of course, no matter how much his power grew now, it couldn't surpass these level-13 outlaws, let alone crush them.

But Li Mochen's speed had been enhanced to a level close to these sparring partners. And due to his recent rapid growth in physique, there was a slight mismatch between his consciousness and body. This led to today's situation where these five were all knocked flying at the first encounter.

There was no helping it; these sparring partners' combat skills might seem flawless to others, but in the eyes of the 'Divine Firmament Supreme Void Purple Immortal King,' they were riddled with weaknesses.

Because Li Mochen was in the state of 'Extreme Action Conceals Intention,' he couldn't control his hands and instinctively used his sword speed and skill to defeat his opponents.

Five minutes later, the practical training resumed.

This time, before the two sides engaged, a huge halo spread out from Angela, enveloping everyone. Then everything before their eyes changed, as if they were in a snowy ice kingdom.

"This is—"

Li Mochen looked aside in surprise, then understood: "A mental image barrier? You're also an illusionist?"

The Heartscape Barrier—this is the ability of a magical illusionist, yet only the most gifted illusionists can possess it. It is a magic that manifests one's own heartscape, replacing the original world with one's 'heartscape.'

Some master illusionists can even exert power nearly equivalent to a 'Divine Domain' through the Heartscape Barrier.

And such illusionists, after mastering a true 'Divine Domain' and becoming a 'Demi-God' or even a 'Deity,' will be exceptionally powerful.

Seeing this, Li Mochen understood why the merit energy contributed by Angela was so immense.

'Illusionist is the young lady's main profession, sealed along with her bloodline.'

The speaker was Lina Adric. Angela immediately shot her a cold glare: 'Blabbermouth!'

But this did not intimidate Lina, who continued explaining with a lackluster tone: 'The young lady's spiritual energy is too powerful; her body simply cannot bear it. According to Mr. Aurora's医嘱, it would be best to unseal it after she turns eighteen.'

'Aurora? The great alchemist and sage Aurora?'

Li Mochen's expression turned serious. This person was renowned across the Old and New Continents.

He had foreseen World War I and World War II, was the forger of nine artifacts, possessed extraordinary medical skills, and had superb alchemical abilities.

Legend also said he was a 'Chosen' of a deity, though unconfirmed.

'He said it's best to unseal after eighteen, but also said I can bear my spiritual power after sixteen.'

At that moment, Angela waved her hand, causing her armor to change.

It was clearly a level 7 female training armor 'Unicorn,' yet it transformed into the level 19 standard armor 'Holy Armor' of the Light Knights under the Holy Church of Light!

The key point was that Angela actually used her spiritual energy to manifest part of the 'Holy Armor's' abilities. A wave of power similar to an intermediate 'Holy Domain' radiated outward, blessing Li Mochen and the others.

The Holy Domain is a 'Divine Domain' power possessed by many deities, capable of comprehensively enhancing a believer's strength, speed, reaction, spiritual power, endurance, and recovery ability.

If this had been performed by an 11th-level priest or a 13th-level temple knight, Li Mochen would not have been surprised at all. The Light Knights' standard armor 'Holy Armor' also had a permanent intermediate 'Holy Domain.'

But at this moment, Angela Medici used her own spiritual power to simulate this 'Divine Domain' power almost perfectly.

The sword in Angela's hand also changed, its shape transforming into a strange greatsword with a pitch-black spiral blade covered in bizarre blue patterns. Angela even wrapped a large amount of externalized 'Source Power' around it, and outside the Source Power was a mass of azure lightning.

'This is... the magic sword Caladbolg? My god, she can even manifest a mythical weapon!'

Below the arena, Carl Holton was momentarily dazed: 'I've seen another genius, one completely unworthy of being inferior to A-Mo.'

The magic sword Caladbolg—this is the spiral-shaped magic sword wielded by the hero Fergus mac Róich in Celtic mythology and the Ulster Cycle. Legend says this sword houses the powerful force of thunder, meaning 'firm thunderbolt' or 'thunderbolt strike.'

'It's only a semblance, lacking even a thousandth of Caladbolg's power, and it can't even simulate the 'Thunder Domain.' But this is already impressive.'

Head coach Ricard's eyes were also filled with shock and admiration: 'She is, after all, the daughter of Michelle Medici. I've heard some things about that person. If the legends are true, it's only natural for Angela to possess such powerful spiritual strength.'