"What nonsense are you spouting?" Xing Yuan couldn't help but retort. "I've heard from others that you, the dignified God of Light, are holding a marriage selection because you can't find a husband. You truly are an unprecedented, one-of-a-kind deity!"
Ya Yuan, however, was unbothered. "So what if I'm holding a marriage selection? Whether it's a black cat or a white cat, as long as it can catch mice, it's a good cat. If I can find someone I fancy among them, then I won't have lost out."
"Fine!" Xing Yuan pouted, no longer dampening Ya Yuan's enthusiasm. "But are you really going to choose from among these motley individuals!"
"Of course not! They have to pass three trials before they can see me."
"The first trial is the 'Question of the Heart.' Those with malice in their hearts, no matter how beautiful they are, are not suitable partners, and I will not favor them."
"The second trial is the 'Allurement of the Inner Demon,' to see if they have a firm resolve to meet me."
"The third trial is 'Temptation,' to let me know if they would betray me at a certain moment."
"Even if all of them are eliminated in the end, I will not settle," Ya Yuan declared firmly.
"Alright! Then it's up to you. I'm just here to watch the show today," Xing Yuan declared, settling into her position, leaning lazily on her seat, eating snacks, and watching the spectacle.
Beside her, Qing Su Yue chuckled softly, then picked up a grape and fed it into Xing Yuan's mouth.
"What? You don't approve?"
"Of course I do!" Xing Yuan closed her eyes in enjoyment. "You don't know, for all her upright appearance, her temperament isn't necessarily much better than mine."
"If someone truly stays by her side even after she reveals her true nature, then that would absolutely be true love."
"You seem to understand her quite well," Qing Su Yue said softly.
"Of course. After all, we grew up together. I understand her a little," Xing Yuan replied lazily, without even opening her eyes.
"Then, compared to me, how is it?" Qing Su Yue's hand hovered over Xing Yuan's face, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Xing Yuan opened her eyes and directly rested her head on Qing Su Yue's shoulder, hugging her. She looked up and asked, "Sister, are you jealous?"
"No! How could I be jealous? I was just asking casually," Qing Su Yue turned her head away, unwilling to admit it.
"Oh, alright!" Xing Yuan licked her ear and then said,
"Don't worry, Sister! I won't fall for someone else. Besides, you are the person I understand best in the world. For example, I know right now that you are jealous!"
"I am not!" Qing Su Yue would never admit it.
"Mhmm, no. It's starting! Quickly, let's watch others attempt the trials!" Xing Yuan nodded with a serious expression and then changed the subject.
Among these individuals, some were forced, and some were willing. However, there was nothing much to see in the trials themselves. Basically, as soon as they stepped onto the stairs, they would be dragged into an illusion. Those outside could only see them standing still.
But an illusion created by a deity was no different from the real world.
They would experience fabricated lives within it, some of which were even based on real human experiences. As for which one they would experience, that depended entirely on luck.
Xing Yuan was an impatient person. After thinking for a moment, she temporarily sent Qing Su Yue to Ya Yuan's side.
She only left one sentence: "Please take care of my wife for me. I'm going to check on that guy upstairs."
"What guy?" Qing Su Yue asked Ya Yuan with great curiosity.
"Just a prisoner! The God of Darkness is skilled in criminal law, so let her handle it," Ya Yuan replied calmly.
After all, this outsider had been completely drained and was of no further use. The origin of that external world had been presented by her as a token of allegiance to the Heavenly Dao, in exchange for a longer lifespan in this world.
For some reason, she found the current world quite interesting and thought it wouldn't hurt to observe it more. Perhaps the God of Darkness had sent this person to her with the same intention. After all, they had accompanied each other for so long, enduring countless lonely years.
They had finally triumphed over the others to become true deities. Therefore, although she had never said it, she probably couldn't bear to part with her.
"In any case, you don't need to worry too much. She'll be back soon," Ya Yuan reassured her again.
"By the way, how is that secret technique I gave you earlier coming along?"
"There are still some parts I don't quite understand, and I've been a bit busy lately, so I haven't had much time to practice. It's a good opportunity to ask you for guidance..."
Xing Yuan saw Fang Mu, who was bound tightly, her expression becoming somewhat complex. He must have offended the God of Light, otherwise, why would the God of Light treat her prisoner so cruelly?
Xing Yuan opened the barrier and walked in, casually untying the ropes binding Fang Mu, and then introduced herself, "I am the God of Darkness."
Fang Mu sat on the ground with a blank expression, clearly having lost all spirit. However, judging by his appearance, he hadn't suffered any hardship. Why then was he so dejected?
"Hey, what did she do to you?" Xing Yuan asked curiously.
But Fang Mu remained silent. Xing Yuan, getting annoyed, used her divine power to directly stimulate his brain cells and asked again, "What did she do to you?"
Fang Mu slowly spoke, his voice hoarse, "She just used a few illusions on me. Nothing else."
"Tsk! It seems you really angered her. After all, throughout the world, even my illusion-crafting abilities are inferior to hers. Although I've never fallen for her tricks.
But you're not doing too well either! Weren't you said to be some powerful figure before? How can you not even endure a few illusions?"
Fang Mu fell silent again. Although he wasn't a good person, he had been a genius since childhood and came from a wealthy family. He had never suffered any hardship, so he truly couldn't tolerate these so-called illusions.
"Never mind! Prying into the details is useless to me. However, since you are no longer useful, I shall punish you!"
"Since you fear illusions, I shall grant you this death you fear the most!"
"Look at your expression, are you overjoyed by my generosity? It's alright, doing good deeds has always been a noble quality. Although I am the God of Darkness, I also possess this excellent quality."
Xing Yuan placed her hand on Fang Mu's forehead and directly performed a soul-searching. "Let me see how many people you've killed and how many bad deeds you've done!"
"Wow! So many! That's truly impressive. Then why don't you truly experience their deaths yourself? Once you've completely experienced them, your soul will naturally dissipate into nothingness. Isn't that wonderful?"
"Let me see. Hmm, so you started killing people when you were five or six? And you killed your own stepmother, resulting in two deaths?
Then, you shall experience it yourself! I imagine you will feel some solace in your heart because of this!" Xing Yuan said, smiling brilliantly, as she constructed the environment based on the memories in Fang Mu's mind.
The illusion game has begun!