Relying on the agile and petite form of the treasure-hunting mouse, Gu Junshi dashed straight ahead. As the distance closed, the cracks beneath the reddish-brown stone surface suddenly mutated, rushing like a rapid current. A red light poured out, and the air swirling within the mountains and valleys carried a tense, turbulent disturbance.
The red light was like layers of red silk, ethereal and smoky. It was vast and boundless, but it was not a strange or spectacular sight. Instead, it was filled with latent danger, and once it entered its attack range, it would show no mercy.
Gu Junshi did not stop and crashed directly into the "red silk" shot out from the red rock fissures. With a decisive push, invisible crescent-shaped red blades shot out from within the "red silk," their light and shadows intermingling, their numbers dazzling the eye.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh," a sharp wind whistled past Gu Junshi's ears. The "treasure-hunting mouse" leaped into the air, somersaulting 180 degrees with agile grace before landing, evading the incoming red blades that all struck the ground, kicking up dust.
The surging "red light" around seemed to be about to swallow the "treasure-hunting mouse." It slid forward, turned left and right, stopped abruptly, and slid backward, constantly predicting and dodging every attack.
It was getting closer, closer to the red stone.
At this moment, the red stone seemed to sense its imminent approach. The light on its surface erupted with a fiery red, like molten lava churning with intense heat. Before Gu Junshi's eyes, within her entire field of vision, the red light transformed into "melting points," which then elongated bit by bit, becoming sharp tips like needles, thorns, blades, and swords, spreading densely across her path like a net.
There was almost no space or time to dodge this offensive.
"Xiao A'yi..."
Yan Tianjiao cried out in a hoarse, urgent voice. The rising inflection of his cry was filled with peril, but the end of his voice suddenly vanished as if he had put too much force into it...
Because he was dumbfounded to see the small, white, glutinous mass... burrow into the ground?!
Yes, it had no wings to fly, so it dug a hole like a mole and buried itself, causing a mound of earth to bulge up and advance rapidly.
The "treasure-hunting mouse" was a master at digging tunnels, after all, it hid many "treasures" underground in unknown places. Its soft, pink paws could easily break through solid rock. When it burrowed underground, its body would undergo corresponding changes: its back would slightly arch, its fur would become hard and smooth, clinging tightly to its skin like scales, making it fast and slippery when digging.
Clearly, this level's clue had defended against all directions but had completely overlooked the ground. When the "treasure-hunting mouse" emerged from the ground again, the red stone could no longer stop it.
It opened its sharp mouth and bit into the edge of the red stone surface with its fierce, yet cute little teeth. With a strong crack, the surging cracks within the red stone seemed to have their vital point bitten. The fissures "hissed" and widened, the flat stone surface finally giving way. Like fragile glass, it shattered with "crack! crack!" from the middle, and finally exploded into pieces with a "bang."
The "red silk" that had been stirred up by the red stone and drifted in the air gradually disappeared. A clue, delivered via a piece of beast skin, fluttered down amidst the shattered fragments of the red stone.
This beast skin clue would not vanish on its own if it were not unfolded and read.
Gu Junshi, using its most delicate and soft small body, but with the most imposing and decisive posture, obtained this "clearance clue" that should have been perilous.
On the ground, which had been thoroughly ravaged by the battle, it strode over the riddled rock walls and debris, stepping on every trace of a blade mark left on the ground. In the dust it kicked up, it carried the clearance clue and walked towards Yan Tianjiao.
The little white mouse calmly raised its gaze and saw the young man not far away smiling happily. The gloomy, dark, and unwholesome aura that always clung to him was now dazzlingly bright.
He was very happy.
For the first time, he understood what the emotion of heartfelt "happiness" felt like.
It was not because he had obtained the clearance clue.
But because it had obtained the clearance clue for him.
"Xiao A'yi—"
He called to it, "Come here." He had become addicted to pretending to be weak and was "seriously injured," waiting for it to approach him proactively.
"Gu Xiao'yi."
Almost two equally pleasant voices sounded, one after the other. One was a husky voice suppressing stolen joy and excitement, the other was familiar and trembling with the relief of finding something lost.
Yan Tianjiao's pupils trembled, and with a clang, it was as if dark clouds pressed down on the sky, suddenly darkening. The light in his eyes dimmed as well.
His stiff gaze slowly shifted, looking behind the "treasure-hunting mouse."
Gu Junshi clearly recognized who the other voice belonged to. Her eyes widened slightly, and she quickly turned her head.
It was him.
It was Liu Jiang Fusheng, who had come to pick her up.
The sun and stars hid their brilliance, the mountains concealed their forms.
As soon as he appeared, his eyes sparkled like crystal, emitting a strange light that illuminated the mortal world. Even the bright sunlight in the sky lost its original saturation, only daring to cast a very soft and gentle light upon him.
"A'yi, come here."
Seeing it turn its head the moment it saw him, he smiled at it, his handsome and refined face as transparent as glazed glass.
He stood tall, like a tree of jade branches, wearing a wide, indigo blue cross-collared robe with exquisite embroidered borders on the collar and cuffs. As a gust of wind arose, a few strands of hair from his forehead were scattered by the wind, intertwining with the silver ribbon at the back of his head and dancing, appearing quite light.
Gu Junshi watched him quietly.
He had never smiled at her like this before.
Oh, she should say, he had never smiled like this before.
A person without any shadow or awkwardness, displaying a dazzling charm of unfathomable mature personality.
From a naive, stumbling green youth to growing up to be able to accept and deal with all the unpredictable changes of the world, how much time would it take?
Some spent a lifetime... but some, perhaps, only took a moment to engrave the past.
Gu Junshi knew that spiritual pets and their masters had a telepathic connection, so it was not difficult for him to find her. Getting separated from him in that chaotic and urgent scene back then had certainly left a sharp, searing mark on Liu Jiang Fusheng's heart. But to be reunited in such a bizarrely calm scene now... she moved.
"Xiao A'yi—"
When she faced Liu Jiang Fusheng, she inevitably had to turn her back to Yan Tianjiao.
She heard his clenched, angry cry, but could not see the anxiousness in his eyes, like the southern wind fiercely burning the marsh.
"A'yi." Liu Jiang Fusheng called softly again.
There was no aggressive tone, but a tenacious waiting as solid as ice.
However, his arm hung down, and she saw beads of blood from a broken string sliding down the wound. The scarlet blood snaked from his wrist to the tip of his slender fingers, dripping, dripping, turning into a vibrant red flower on the ground.
He was injured... Gu Junshi's eyes suddenly changed, her gaze fixed on his continuously bleeding wound.
Why was he injured?
With the strength of the Void Gate and their petty tricks, he shouldn't have been injured at this level.
Could it be that she was too slow earlier, and he was injured during the "landmine charm" bombardment, or...
A hint of restless impatience surfaced in Gu Junshi's deep, abyss-like eyes.
Seeing that she kept staring at his wound, Liu Jiang Fusheng said softly, "Don't worry, it's just a minor injury..."
But he wanted her to feel concerned.
Even if it wasn't concern, just a touch of emotion, he wanted to lock her gaze onto himself.
While Gu Junshi wasn't paying attention, he raised his slightly thick, dense eyelashes and looked at Yan Tianjiao. A flash of scarlet jealousy and hatred flickered in the depths of his eyes, a heavy darkness as if it were about to descend, so oppressive that the entire world seemed to fall silent.
In fact, he had found her much earlier than she thought.
He had seen her going to snatch the clearance clue for Yan Tianjiao, and he had seen their interactions. He saw Yan Tianjiao's gaze towards her growing closer and happier.
How could she... how could she forget him, forget to look for him, forget that he was looking for her...
She had abandoned him, yet she was so gentle with another man.
How could she be so cruel to him...
Gu Junshi did not notice the change in Liu Jiang Fusheng's address, nor did she realize that Liu Jiang Fusheng was staring at Yan Tianjiao with the eyes of a dead person, because she was currently experiencing the "favoritism" from the master-servant contract of a spiritual pet, and also the favoritism of the treasure-hunting mouse towards its master.
So, when she heard her master's summons, it decisively abandoned its original direction and person, walking towards Liu Jiang Fusheng without hesitation.
And Gu Junshi, her choice undoubtedly carried personal favoritism.
The cold wind cut sharply through Yan Tianjiao's body. He stared fiercely at the treasure-hunting mouse, his eyes turning red with anger.
He propped himself up and shakily stood up from the ground. Once he stabilized, he was like the sharp edge of a honed treasure sword, exuding a chilling aura.
If he had felt a joy born from his heart at the moment before Liu Jiang Fusheng appeared, and had imagined many scenes for this joy, then the moment Liu Jiang Fusheng appeared, reality simultaneously taught him one thing: there is no expectation, then there is no disappointment. When the joy held in the palm of his hand was shattered, it was the most tormenting.
Liu Jiang Fusheng, watching his "A'yi" rush towards him, bloomed with a pure, flower-like smile, bright and dazzling, radiant and beautiful.
When it leaped lightly into his empty embrace, Liu Jiang Fusheng's tightly strung nerves, on the verge of snapping, finally relaxed.
"Finally found you..."
He sighed softly.
Held in his embrace, Gu Junshi smelled a complex scent, a fusion of a somewhat familiar cold fragrance and the smell of blood, emanating from him.
But this tender atmosphere lasted only for a moment. The next second, Liu Jiang Fusheng's expression changed. Before anyone could react, he drew his celestial sword with a "qiang" sound and swung it sharply towards Yan Tianjiao.
The moment he drew his celestial sword, it signified his resolute attitude.
He was determined to kill Yan Tianjiao.
The intense killing intent that erupted from him dragged everything around into a terrifying hunting ground of despair, as if plunging into an abyss.
Gu Junshi sensed something was wrong, but her mouse head was pressed into his embrace with one hand.
He would not allow it to look back.
Nor did he want it to see him in this state.
He slowly curved his lips. He didn't know if his current expression, so jealous and twisted like a ghost, was incredibly ugly.
Yan Tianjiao had already had a premonition when he met Liu Jiang Fusheng's murderous gaze, so he activated his spiritual art before he could make a move.
Although there was only unchanging midday sun in the Illusion Peak, the sky now appeared gloomy. Layers of dark clouds enveloped the sky, and the falling snowflakes transformed into the most dangerous weapons. It rapidly formed into a hurricane and collided with the sword energy swung by Liu Jiang Fusheng.
Bang—
Yan Tianjiao's chest churned like a stormy sea, and he spewed out a mouthful of blood.
How could this be?!
Compared to Liu Jiang Fusheng at the minor competition not long ago, how had he become so powerful in such a short time!
Even though he was injured now, he shouldn't be unable to withstand even one move...
Yan Tianjiao's phoenix eyes narrowed, his dangerous eyes fixed directly on Liu Jiang Fusheng. A few drops of blood stained his face.
The other party's eyes were as calm as a mirror lake, reflecting everything with such purity and clarity. But no one could see through that mirror surface; he felt that a bloodthirsty demon lurked within the lake.
"Squeak~"
Through telepathic communication, Gu Junshi asked her little husband.
Why did he risk exposing his celestial sword to kill him?
"He wants to take you away..."
Liu Jiang Fusheng murmured.
He had nothing left.
No home, no family, not even any past memories...
All he had left was her.
But they still wanted to snatch her away from him.
Whoever tried to snatch her from him, he would kill them.
He slowly turned his eyes. The dim setting sun reflected in his pupils, casting a bloodthirsty, enchanting gleam.
Had he regained his memories?
Gu Junshi couldn't help but suspect that her little husband's current state was clearly not right.
In fact, Liu Jiang Fusheng had not regained his memories, but his true nature seemed to be gradually awakening. He was never the pure white lamb she saw.
His nature was that of plunder and possessiveness.
Yan Tianjiao's current state was no match for Liu Jiang Fusheng, but his pride would not let him retreat. So he unleashed his spiritual power, his black hair turning frost-blue, and his pupils also becoming ice-blue.
His disheveled hair flew wildly, and he faced the attack with his injured body, a combination of body and cultivation.
A golden light flashed in Liu Jiang Fusheng's pupils. The Eight Directions and Six Harmonies Art—Imperial Descent.
Before the sword even arrived, the biting cold sword energy had already shattered his defenses—
Gu Junshi already felt that Liu Jiang Fusheng's strength had changed significantly from before. She secretly noted this change. During their fight, a whistling sound of a flute was heard. As if to assist Yan Tianjiao, Liu Jiang Fusheng's aura within his body momentarily stagnated.
Yan Tianjiao, who was holding an ice cone, prepared to dodge towards him, but saw that the treasure-hunting mouse in his embrace hesitated.
But in such a brief moment, Liu Jiang Fusheng had broken free from the influence of the sound attack. He was determined to kill Yan Tianjiao now. Gu Junshi, who had been watching from the sidelines, could most directly feel Liu Jiang Fusheng's emotions.
The sword light swept across the ground like splitting waves, striking directly at Yan Tianjiao's surroundings.
Gu Junshi thought for a moment. Yan Tianjiao could not die for now; the karmic threads between them had not yet been severed. However, the treasure-hunting mouse clearly did not wish to betray its master.
Therefore, she could not use the treasure-hunting mouse's body for anything. So, she simply drew out a wisp of her own consciousness to block the attack for Yan Tianjiao.
As Yan Tianjiao gritted his teeth and held on, he saw a blurry figure block in front of him. She took the unstoppable sword energy for him. Before disappearing, she tilted her head, her dark, deep-foggy eyes glancing at his face, and then vanished before him as a wisp of black smoke.