Ding Li thought to herself, who told you to bring along a burden?
Now both of us are going to die here today.
The second male lead and second female lead die as soon as they appear, while the male and female leads live happily ever after together. Is that your goal?
How innovative. The story ends as soon as it begins, clearing away every emotional obstacle on the male lead’s romantic path. You might as well write this book yourself.
In the blink of an eye, Xiao Wenjing suddenly stepped back and pulled out a black flute from his waist, bringing it to his lips.
A clear and melodious flute sound suddenly rang out. The vines and vine threads that had been writhing toward them instantly froze in midair.
Oh!
So he does have some real skills.
The sound of the flute gradually became fuller and deeper. Soon the vines and threads in the air seemed to lose their strength and slowly began falling to the ground.
Xiao Wenjing immediately advanced again with his sword. This time, strengthened by surging spiritual power, the sword stabbed directly into the heart of the demon vine tree.
The next moment the scene suddenly changed.
At that instant Ding Li had only one thought in her mind.
Damn it. We’ve fallen into a trap.
Sure enough, how could a trial set by the System Mechanism be so easy to pass? Everything had only been an enticing illusion.
The two of them fell from the sky once again.
“Hiss…”
Ding Li climbed up from the ground again, baring her teeth in pain. Xiao Wenjing, who had been pinned beneath her, also looked extremely unpleasant.
When he saw the scene before them, his expression changed immediately.
Ding Li narrowed her eyes slightly and followed his gaze forward.
The place before them was no longer the foggy forest from earlier. Instead it had become a thicket filled with thorny shrubs.
Two hurried panting sounds came from behind them as someone ran toward them.
There are actually people here?
Ding Li focused and turned to look behind her.
What appeared before her were two young children, both covered in blood, running desperately.
What is going on?
Ding Li frowned slightly and glanced sideways at Xiao Wenjing.
Ever since just now, Xiao Wenjing’s eyes had been fixed on the two running children. His face looked expressionless, yet his gaze was dark and heavy, making one’s skin crawl.
Ding Li’s eyes gained a trace of scrutiny as she watched the children.
As the two children drew closer, Ding Li stepped forward, intending to say something.
Xiao Wenjing’s cold voice suddenly sounded.
“That’s an illusion.”
An illusion…
Ding Li quickly realized this was no ordinary illusion. It was the illusion created by the Soul-Devouring Demon Vine.
Just like the townspeople below the mountain who had been infected by the vine threads, turned into Vine Puppets, and trapped inside terrifying illusions they could not escape.
Although the two of them had not been parasitized by the vine threads, the moment Xiao Wenjing’s sword pierced the heart of the demon vine tree, they had already fallen into its trap.
This was the deepest fear hidden within a person’s heart.
Ding Li looked again at the two children.
As the distance shortened, she finally saw the faces of the running children.
The boy being pulled along was clearly the childhood version of Xiao Wenjing.
No wonder he recognized the illusion immediately.
The young ‘Xiao Wenjing’ had his clothes torn by the thorny bushes as he was dragged forward by the other child. From time to time he looked back, his face filled with deep panic and fear.
What was he afraid of? Who was behind them?
Ding Li had a feeling she was about to witness a story no one else knew.
The child pulling Xiao Wenjing looked slightly older. Although his face could not be seen clearly, his posture was firm. From beginning to end he never once looked back, only running forward.
Who was he?
The two children had already run past them, yet Xiao Wenjing made no move. He did not even say a word.
Ding Li looked at him in confusion.
But the moment she turned her gaze, her heart jolted.
Xiao Wenjing was staring at her without moving.
His eyes were slightly narrowed, as if he were thinking about something.
At that instant Ding Li felt a cold chill spread through her body and her scalp began to tingle.
That gaze was like the moment a tiger in the wild considers its prey before tearing it apart.
He was hesitating.
At that moment Ding Li finally understood why her heart had been pounding so violently.
Xiao Wenjing’s mind was unpredictable and sinister. Because of an accident she had entered the depths of his consciousness and seen his fear. He would never allow her to leave alive.
Ding Li’s mind raced rapidly, as if the sewing machine in her brain was running at full speed.
Come on brain, think! Think of something to say! If Xiao Wenjing decides to act, it won’t be a joke. He will truly kill her with one sword.
Before she could think of anything, Xiao Wenjing’s furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Then his lips curved slightly into a strange smile.
“No!” Ding Li hurriedly raised her hand.
“Immortal Master Xiao!”
Xiao Wenjing merely scoffed.
It’s over… this time it’s really over…
At that critical moment Ding Li suddenly remembered something.
“Immortal Master Xiao, look!”
She pointed behind him, appearing extremely anxious.
Xiao Wenjing paused and followed the direction of her finger.
In the next second white light gathered in Ding Li’s hand and a spark of light suddenly shot into Xiao Wenjing’s chest.
Xiao Wenjing turned back to look at her, confusion flashing briefly in his eyes before his expression turned cold again.
“Are you sick?”
Ding Li finally let out a huge sigh of relief and nodded repeatedly.
“Yes, yes. I’m sick.”
Xiao Wenjing looked at her with obvious disgust, then turned and walked toward the direction where the two children had disappeared.
The tension in Ding Li’s heart slowly eased. She suppressed her trembling and hurried after him.
After leaving the thorny shrubs, a wide open plain appeared before them. At the end of the plain was a cliff.
So this place was actually the summit of a mountain.
The two children had run here. Seeing that there was no way forward, the older child looked around and finally found a narrow path near the mountainside. Without hesitation he pulled ‘Xiao Wenjing’ and ran along it.
Xiao Wenjing seemed hesitant for a moment before finally following them forward.
But the narrow path was not truly a path. It was actually a bend in the mountain trail. Beside the bend was a hidden cave.
The older child hesitated briefly but only for a moment. Then he pushed ‘Xiao Wenjing’ into the cave.
He took out a small bronze compass from his waist and stuffed it into ‘Xiao Wenjing’s’ hands.
The young ‘Xiao Wenjing’ looked panicked, as if realizing something. He grabbed the other child’s sleeve, his lips trembling as he tried to speak.
The child said, “Stay here. I’ll go see whether those people are still chasing us.”
‘Xiao Wenjing’ clearly sensed something was wrong. He tightly gripped the child’s sleeve.
“No. You can’t go.”
The cave was large enough for both of them to hide inside, yet the child did not enter. Instead he pushed ‘Xiao Wenjing’ deeper inside.
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back for you soon.”
“No… don’t go… please don’t go…”
Tears filled ‘Xiao Wenjing’s’ eyes as he refused to release the child’s sleeve.
But the child was resolute. He forcefully pried ‘Xiao Wenjing’s’ hand from his sleeve and ran back the way they had come.
The moment the child ran past Ding Li, she suddenly froze in shock.
That was not a boy.
It was a girl.
And that girl’s face…