Chapter 5: The Riddle (5) (Fourth Update)
The starry sky of the Small Thousand World seemed no different from that of the Asking Dao Continent.
Lying on the outer edge of a grass shed with half of his body exposed, our male character had his hands behind his head, silently gazing at the vast stars above.
As a fragment of consciousness split from the System, he never thought he would one day develop an attachment to someone, just like a real human.
Initially, he believed he was merely a substitute for the Cold Moon Witch, someone who could be tossed aside at any moment. However, ever since she promised not to possess him casually anymore, he suddenly felt like he was a real person too.
Yes, he was no longer just the Cold Moon Witch’s stand-in, but a full-fledged human with a complete personality.
Nevertheless, he was well aware that he and Cold Moon were two sides of the same coin, bound by honor and disgrace. In matters of great significance, he needed to keep a clear head.
This time, with the Small Thousand World severing contact with the Sky Sword City, a strange occurrence was unfolding. Once Cold Moon learned of this, she would certainly not let it go. Who knows, she might be in Sky Sword City right now, working to open a passage.
So, they couldn’t just sit and wait.
As he pondered, the male character faded into a semi-dreamlike state.
Just then, he heard a rustling sound beside him.
He forced his heavy eyelids to open slightly and saw a shadow sneakily crossing over him.
It was unmistakably Luo Ying, who hadn’t had a drink in nearly ten days, yet her body still carried a faintly intoxicating fragrance. But where was she sneaking off to at this hour? Maybe just a late-night bathroom run.
As Luo Ying was on the verge of disappearing into the darkness, the male character hesitated but decided to follow her out of concern.
To his surprise, Luo Ying was hustling toward the Monster King’s cave located in the middle of Phoenix Mountain.
Wait, wasn’t it agreed that they would investigate tomorrow afternoon? Why was she heading there in the middle of the night?
This was the time of day when the dead energy was at its most rampant. If she lingered too long inside that cave, it would be like signing her own d*ath warrant.
He thought about stopping her immediately but then realized it might be better to be cautious. Who knew how well those monsters lurking near the magma could hear? If they decided to attack Phoenix Mountain because of them, he would definitely be the prime suspect.
Fine, he would follow her and see what she was up to before making any decisions.
Perhaps because Luo Ying was lost in thought, normally his tracking skills would have had him discovered in no time. But today, he followed her straight into the cave without her even noticing.
In the overwhelming dead energy, the flickering torches only illuminated a tiny patch of ground.
Luo Ying stood in front of a cell, holding her torch, looking dazed as she pondered.
Finally, the male character couldn’t hold back a cough, startling Luo Ying, who jumped and drew her dark light sword like a cat startled by a cucumber.
“Master Sister, it’s me! Don’t move!” he shouted, startled himself.
He knew how powerful that dark light sword was—if there was any light around, it could unleash its fury.
“You… you followed me?” Luo Ying turned her head quickly, looking somewhat shocked as if her little secret had just been discovered.
“Why are you sneaking around alone at night? What if something unpredictable happens? Do you even consider my feelings?” he responded earnestly.
Luo Ying sighed, “I just had a hunch and wanted to come check it out, but I also didn’t want to drag you into trouble if I was wrong, so…”
The male character huffed, “You have to remember, you’re no longer alone. We share life and d*ath, honor and disgrace! This is non-negotiable.”
“Fine…,” Luo Ying said, blushing. She had never heard such dominating sweet talk in her life. Thankfully, the dim lighting in the cave masked her embarrassment a little.
“Since you’re here, we need to get going and not linger too long,” he said.
“I agree,” she replied.
Luo Ying held the torch in her left hand and walked to the star map drawn on the wall, using her right index finger to lightly press against the cold surface.
The male character stepped forward and took the torch from her hand.
Luo Ying sat cross-legged on a dirt bed across from the star map, leaving clear signs that the Monster King often sat there.
She sat quietly for a while, seemingly waiting for something.
The male character said nothing, focusing on resisting the dead energy that was constantly encroaching upon him.
After a while, he even felt his teeth trembling, making a faint “clack, clack, clack” sound.
Then, after some time, Luo Ying’s eyes suddenly opened, and she softly said, “The time has come.”
As soon as she finished speaking, her hands before her suddenly morphed into numerous phantoms.
The male character was startled—what business did she have practicing here? With so much dead energy, this place was completely unsuitable for absorbing the essence of heaven and earth.
But as her hands moved faster and faster, something unusual began to occur with the star map on the wall in front of her.
The holes forming the star map gradually emitted a soft glow, like starlight above, twinkling repeatedly.
At the same time, it seemed as though the surrounding dead energy was being attracted by the star map engraved on the wall, and he could hear a whistling wind at his ears. Before long, the dead energy that filled the cave was completely absorbed by the star map.
“What’s happening?” he asked.
Luo Ying replied, “Tonight, the real starry sky and the positions on the star map overlap exactly, so I thought I’d come and see if I could discover any new clues.”
“Indeed, at least the dead energy is utterly gone. Could the Monster King have survived all those years based on this trick? But if this star map is just for absorbing dead energy, it feels like a bit of overkill,” he mused.
But no matter what, a breakthrough was better than nothing, and their conversation gradually turned lighter.
Just then, an unexpected event occurred.
The cave suddenly shook violently, and then the floor beneath them seemed to retract like a suspended board, causing the male character to plummet downward unexpectedly. In a moment of desperation, Luo Ying summoned her flying sword, trying to grab him.
However, a tremendous suction force erupted from beneath them, swallowing both her and the sword whole.
Their cries grew deeper.
“Bang…”
As the floor sealed itself, their voices seemed to vanish completely.
The cave returned to normal, the only difference being that the dead energy was indeed swept away. It would likely take years, if not a decade or more, for it to regain its previous intensity.
“Ah…”
Since falling into the bottomless abyss, their instinctive screams hadn’t stopped.
Even though Luo Ying was a skilled practitioner, she couldn’t stifle the raw terror swelling within her when confronted with human instincts.
Until the male character tightened his trembling grip on her right hand and whispered, “No regrets in this life!”
Luo Ying, enduring the fierce winds blowing toward her and the vertigo of their high-speed descent, suddenly turned fiercely and hugged the male character tightly, her eyes glistening, “So do I.”
…
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