Chapter 1522: The Past That Once Was

A vast expanse of black mist suddenly enveloped the entire formation, causing the four brothers to feel a chill in their hearts.

Following that, a chaotic aura began to spread from within the black mist.

The shadowy figure continued to laugh coldly, and then his form gradually faded and disappeared.

"Be careful, this is a formation!" Yi Feng warned.

"Petty tricks. If they can't win, they resort to formations. The Desolate Hall is nothing special," the black-clad man scoffed.

As soon as the two finished speaking, the four brothers felt the space around them begin to collapse, and their bodies started to plummet rapidly.

The entire world suddenly changed.

The black mist gradually transformed into a chaotic aura, enveloping the entire space.

Everything before their eyes became a hazy, distorted mess.

The four of them simultaneously felt their powers being drained by the chaotic energy.

Strange and sudden attacks of fire and lightning came at them from all directions.

The laws of the world within this space were in complete disarray.

Gravity seemed to have disappeared, space appeared to overlap and twist, and the flow of time sped up and slowed down unpredictably, creating an eerie atmosphere.

"Brothers, form a formation to resist!" Yi Feng shouted.

To fight a formation with a formation, to defeat magic with magic.

Only by holding off the erosion could they find a way to break the formation.

"Alright!" the three brothers responded in unison.

Yi Feng and his three brothers positioned themselves in four directions, raising their hands to form a protective barrier against the strange phenomena around them.

The barrier enveloped the four of them, shielding them from the twisted rules and the bizarre lightning and flames.

"Zzzz!"

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Various attacks relentlessly slammed into the brothers' protective barrier, creating deafening noises and causing violent tremors.

The four brothers were each searching for a way to break the formation.

But then, they began to hear voices and see people who shouldn't exist.

Illusions!

Not just illusions, but illusions that could stir their inner demons!

The four brothers saw the long-deceased songstresses and dancers of Warm Wine City dancing gracefully before them.

But as they danced, these familiar women suddenly began to bleed from their eyes, ears, and mouths.

Gradually, their fair skin turned sallow and withered.

Finally, they transformed into skeletons dressed in colorful robes!

Seeing this, the brothers' inner demons were instantly awakened.

Feelings of vengeance filled them with rage, but the angrier they became, the faster their powers drained.

As soon as the illusions appeared, the four brothers realized the trick.

They warned each other to stay rational and not fall into the trap.

This illusionary formation stirred their inner demons, which in turn caused their powers to drain rapidly.

And the power they lost was being used to fuel the formation that sought their lives.

It was a vicious cycle.

They had to find a way to break the formation quickly, or else they would be worn down and die within it!

Suddenly, the voice of the Desolate Hall's master echoed through the space, distorted and eerie.

The voice was like a demonic chant, sometimes booming like thunder, sometimes as faint as a mosquito's hum, reverberating in the brothers' minds.

"You seem so close, so united. Let's see if you can remain that way when faced with life and death."

"Tsk tsk," the shadowy figure sneered coldly, then continued, "I'll take pity on you and tell you how to break the formation."

"It's quite simple. When only one person remains in the formation, it will naturally deactivate."

"That means only one of you can walk out of this formation. I wonder, in a life-or-death situation like this, will you brothers turn on each other?"

With a cold, mocking laugh, the demonic voice slowly faded away.

Hearing this, the four brothers remained unfazed.

"Don't listen to his scare tactics. Let's keep forming the barrier and look for a way to break the formation," Yi Feng shouted.

The black-clad man, the toad, and the snail all nodded solemnly.

"Let's search around and see if we can find the formation's core or its life gate," the black-clad man suggested.

"Toad, use your air cannon to attack in all directions. See if you can find any clues," Yi Feng instructed.

"Got it!"

The four of them, still protected by the barrier, began to move through the formation.

The toad continuously fired air attacks in all directions.

The space seemed endless. No matter how fast they flew, they could never find its boundaries.

Moreover, the space seemed to have no sense of up, down, left, or right.

The four brothers were tossed about in this chaotic world, constantly draining their energy.

"Toad, take a break. I'll take over," Yi Feng said.

"Alright," the toad replied, already showing signs of fatigue.

The four brothers continued to face illusions and inner demons, holding up the barrier while enduring both mental and physical torment.

"Big brother, take a rest. Let me handle it," the snail said.

The four brothers supported each other, using every means at their disposal to search for the formation's core.

They attacked, used treasures to probe, but still found no trace of the core or the life gate.

Everything they did seemed futile, completely ineffective.

Meanwhile, the formation continued to absorb their power, growing stronger by the minute.

Time within the space passed irregularly. It was impossible to tell how long they had been trapped.

It might have been a year.

Or perhaps ten years.

The brothers' conditions gradually worsened, and they all looked exhausted.

But the relentless torment only intensified.

In a daze, Yi Feng saw a small mountain village.

A peaceful, serene village filled with the sounds of birds and the fragrance of flowers.

It was a bright, sunny afternoon.

Yi Feng, as usual, was called "A-Dai" by the children.

He carried a bundle of freshly cut firewood, heading home.

In the distance, he saw a woman in flowing robes standing at the gate of a small courtyard, eagerly awaiting his return.

When the woman saw Yi Feng, her eyes sparkled.

She smiled, and her smile was like a hundred flowers blooming.

While Yi Feng felt joy, an overwhelming sadness also welled up within him.

Why? Why did seeing his beloved make him so heartbroken?

Yi Feng didn't understand, nor did he want to. He just wanted to rush forward and embrace her.

But then, he heard his brothers' voices shouting in his ears.

"Big brother, this is an illusion! Wake up!"

"Grab him! Don't let him run out!"

"Slap him! Wake him up!"

...

The brothers held onto Yi Feng, shouting desperately in his ear.

Yi Feng was lost in confusion. The scenery around him suddenly turned desolate, then blurred.

His beloved slowly turned into a stone statue, lifeless and silent.

"No!"

Yi Feng reached out to grab something, but in the end, he grasped nothing.

At the most critical moment, his three brothers held him tightly.

If Yi Feng had rushed out of the barrier, something terrible would have happened.

Fortunately, Yi Feng regained his senses.

His eyes red, Yi Feng swallowed the bitterness in his throat.

"Big brother, are you okay?!" the toad asked urgently.

Yi Feng looked at his three brothers and sighed, "I'm fine."

How he wished that everything he had just seen was real, but it wasn't.

Remembering his promise to the stone statue of Bai Piaopiao, that he would return to her soon, Yi Feng steeled himself once more.

"Thank you for worrying about me. Let's keep thinking of a way. When brothers unite, their strength can cut through metal!" Yi Feng encouraged.

"Right!" the three brothers responded in unison.

Seeing Yi Feng regain his composure, the three brothers felt relieved.

But the situation was still dire.

As their strength waned, the formation grew stronger.

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed, but the four brothers were now pale and weak.

Under the dual torment of mind and body, they were slowly fading away...

---

**Note:** This is a continuation of the story, translated into English. The narrative follows the four brothers as they struggle against a powerful formation that preys on their inner demons and drains their strength. The chapter explores themes of brotherhood, resilience, and the psychological toll of facing one's deepest fears and regrets.