Chapter Fourteen: The Fake Blazing Sun (Part One)

Lie Jin plunged into the water, sweeping his gaze far and wide across the vast lake to search for Shi Jun, but for a moment, he could see nothing. Suddenly, a massive school of small silver fish darted toward him like arrows, and their sharp, pearly-white teeth were visible from afar.

Just then, with loud splashes, several injured butterfly-bone dragons fell successively onto the lake surface—these were the unfortunate wretches who had been wounded by Xiao Tian's Universe Reversal and had fled frantically into the water without choosing their path.

The lake water, stained with blood, rippled as the butterfly-bone dragons struggled. The school of silver fish instantly changed direction, swarming toward the lake surface like attached maggots to cling onto the creatures. These silver fish moved with swiftness and orderly coordination. The first wave surged forward, leaping onto the heads of the butterfly-bone dragons and using the immense momentum and razor-sharp teeth to burrow directly into their eyes. Twisting their bodies, they drilled fiercely inside, sinking their teeth into the tender flesh behind the eyes. Piercing shrieks of agony echoed continuously from the butterfly-bone dragons.

In an instant, those butterfly-bone dragons were reduced to piles of white bones, drifting sluggishly on the water for a brief moment before slowly sinking into the deep abyss of the lake.

Consumed by burning anxiety for Shi Jun's safety, Lie Jin wished he could bail out the entire lake instantly. Having gorged themselves until their bellies were round, the voracious silver fish still had an insatiable appetite and, drooling, swam toward Lie Jin. Full of anger with nowhere to vent, his eyes flashed like lightning, shooting out countless tiny green wandering flames, each no bigger than a fingernail, which refused to be extinguished even underwater. Colliding head-on with the school of carnivorous silver fish, they burst with a muffled roar. Lie Jin scoffed with utter disdain, "You're simply courting death," and dove deeper toward the bottom of the lake.

Steaming heat rose from the lake surface, sending up an alluring aroma of roasted fish...

At that moment, the lake water suddenly began to churn, turning murky and pitch black. Even with his utmost vision, Lie Jin could barely see through the water. Having no other choice, he cast a spell to ignite fox-fire points around his body, and guided by the faint glow, he continued his swim into the depths of the lake.

Inadvertently, the luminous barrier at the entrance of the Silt River Corridor flickered in and out of view. Vaguely spotting several figures behind the barrier, Lie Jin's heart stirred. Waving his hands, he shattered the barrier and slipped right inside.

Zi Sheng and the others were waiting anxiously when Lie Jin's tall and mighty figure suddenly emerged from behind the barrier. Recognizing him as Shi Jun's uncle, they were overjoyed, but seeing that no one followed him, they were all startled and asked in unison, "Where is Shi Jun?"

Simultaneously, Lie Jin swept his gaze and immediately spotted Chiyang, who was staring at him with wide eyes, and asked in a deep voice, "Where is Shi Jun?"

Both sides asked at the same time, yet neither could provide an answer. For a moment, everyone was left stunned.

The pitch-black lake water rushed rapidly through the breach in the barrier, forcing Zi Sheng to quickly reseal the entrance with magic.

Even the usually calm and composed Lie Jin felt a pang of panic in his heart—he had witnessed Shi Jun being wounded by the butterfly-bone dragons and falling into the lake. He had harbored a sliver of hope that Shi Jun might have been found and rescued by his companions, but now even that sole hope had been dashed.

The riverbed trembled once more. Amidst a muffled roar, everyone was horrified to discover that in just this brief moment, the entrance connecting Lake Tianmiao to the Silt River Corridor had been completely choked by the churning lakebed silt. Rustling sounds echoed endlessly within the corridor as countless tiny carnivorous aquatic beasts swam out of the holes and passages on both sides, frantically crashing about in sheer panic.

"Oh no," Zi Sheng and Lie Jin cried out simultaneously, extending their hands together to shoot forth a cyan and a white beam of light in an attempt to blast through the silt behind the barrier. To their horror, it was like throwing stones into the sea with no reaction at all, leaving them staring at each other in dismay.

Chiyang felt her entire body drained of strength, unable to stand on her own any longer. She slumped down softly, lowering her long eyelashes, and began to sob quietly as tears gushed forth like a spring. Each teardrop caught a faint glimmer of light before instantly sinking into the river water, rendering it impossible to tell where the river ended and the tears began...

* * * * * * * *

On the lake surface at this moment, the black water churned into a massive whirlpool, and ten thousand rays of golden light pierced through the water, soaring straight into the sky.

The Universe Reversal, nearing its end, was still wreaking havoc. The intertwining black and white energies swirled, carrying an intensely thick scent of blood as they roared and rampaged around the base of the jagged stone mountains by the lake.

The rocky mountains bordering the lake trembled slightly, and countless tiny stones and gravel rolled down the slopes. Across a vast expanse of pristine, crystal-clear sandy ground, scattered fragments of butterfly-bone dragons and dripping blood lay everywhere. The vast majority of the creatures had already fled desperately into the deepest recesses of the mountain caves, never daring to emerge again.

The sky had long since cleared up, and the warm breeze of the shining sun carrying a faint floral fragrance blew in from afar, lending a bizarre beauty to this bloody Shambles.

Outside the transparent barrier enclosing the jagged stone mountains, the sky was densely packed with fairies, spirits, and celestial beasts of various clans. Coveting the treasures of Nisu yet fearing the tyrannical might of the butterfly-bone dragons, these entities could only watch reluctantly from afar, though none dared to rashly trespass into this terrifying zone.

Witnessing the bizarre changes in the rocky mountains and the soul-奪命 black-and-white Universe Reversal spell left behind by Xiao Tian, the vast majority of the spectators were frightened out of their wits and fled in all directions. Eventually, only a fraction of the spirits and powerful monsters with deeper magical cultivation remained, reluctant to leave as they hesitated and wavered mid-air.

A streak of silver-chain-like radiance silently pierced through the barrier, plunging into the lake like a falling star and vanishing swiftly.

* * * * * * * *

No one saw that the shattered barrier, carrying the unconscious Shi Jun, was falling right into the deep center of the whirlpool, at the very heart of the golden light.

With a deafening explosion followed by a continuous flurry of blasts resembling popping beans, the streams of golden light suddenly materialized, erupting outward like a volcano with boundless light and energy while billowing faint black smoke. Under the scorching high temperature, Shi Jun's body plummeted downward continuously.

With a heavy thud, Shi Jun crashed hard into the deepest darkness.

The silver-chain-like radiance followed closely like a shadow.

A flash of white light revealed a tall and graceful figure appearing beside Shi Jun. Her long, deep-blue hair was adorned with countless sparkling diamonds, and her slender form shimmered with tiny silver lights. While breathing silently, she gently caressed the countless butterfly-bone dragon scales densely covering the barrier with her soft, delicate fingers.

The barrier shattered instantly, revealing the delicate face of Shi Jun, whose eyes remained tightly closed.

A gentle force swept the blood-soaked Shi Jun from the debris, bringing him to the woman's side. Turning her head slightly, she gazed at the unconscious Shi Jun with boundless tenderness—clutched tightly in his hand was still that golden bow.

Stretching out a hand, the woman affectionately stroked Shi Jun's face for a moment, tears welling up in her eyes uncontrollably.

The crystal-clear tears glistened as they fell onto Shi Jun's face and body.

Miraculously, the countless wounds on Shi Jun's face and body gradually stopped bleeding and healed themselves. A rosy flush returned to his pale cheeks, and his body twitched slightly, as if he were about to awaken.

The woman sighed contentedly, emitted a low chuckle, straightened her posture, and turned around with elegance.

Amidst the sparkling illusion of falling stars, the blue-clad woman's appearance suddenly shifted.

* * * * * * * *

Shi Jun seemed to wake up abruptly from a dark dream. Blinking with great effort, he felt his whole body aching with a lingering, boneless soreness. Pushing himself up with a hard effort, he wiped his face and sat up, immediately catching sight of Chiyang, with her cyan robes and long braid, gazing at him affectionately.

"Chiyang!"

"You're awake?" Chiyang reached out to help Shi Jun up, her voice tender as she said, "I was so worried about you."

A sharp screech suddenly erupted all around them, accompanied by violent tremors. Thick black smoke seeped up from beneath their feet, plunging the already dimly lit deep cavern into pitch darkness.

"Hold onto me, I'll lead you out." In the darkness, Shi Jun heard Chiyang's voice, indescribably tender and lingering. His heart fluttered, and regaining his composure, he handed over the golden bow he had been gripping tightly all along. "Here, I picked up your golden bow. Hold onto it well and don't lose it again."

Chiyang let out a low chuckle. Instead of taking the bow, she leaned closer to him, pressing her boneless, supple body tightly against his side. Her voice was charming, sluggish, and lazy, "Just keep it for me."

Catching the faint fragrance lingering on Chiyang's hair, Shi Jun felt even his earlobes burning. Having never been so intimate with a woman in his entire life, he didn't know where to place his hands and feet for a moment. He wanted to push Chiyang away yet felt reluctant, wanting to say something but finding no words, leaving him mouth-parched and heart-pounding wildly.

"It's too dangerous here; it's going to explode again soon. We shouldn't linger," Chiyang lingered in Shi Jun's embrace for a moment before stepping back, taking his hand as she spoke in a soft tone.

Shi Jun let out an "oh," feeling a slight sense of loss, and only then remembered to ask, "By the way, where are my uncle and the others?"

In the darkness, Chiyang fell silent for a moment. Just as she was about to speak, another violent tremor shook the ground beneath their feet. Shi Jun felt his body lighten, suddenly plunging downward without any footing. The pitch-black darkness blinded him, and in the rush, his hand separated from Chiyang's. Hearing her anxious cry of "Where are you?", he quickly shouted back, "I don't know! I'm falling!"

As he spoke, colorful rays of light burst forth in all directions, and his feet landed softly on something.

Lowering his gaze, Shi Jun saw that beneath his feet lay a dead-wood-colored giant web with remarkable elasticity, gently rising and falling. Glancing around, he realized he was inside a massive natural cavern. The four walls of the cavern were completely covered with green, unidentified creeping plants, and countless flower buds grew densely along their slender, pliable vines.

These flower buds varied in size, color, and even "texture." In terms of size and shape, some were almost as tall as an adult man, while others were no bigger than a sesame seed; some were shaped like giant bowls, while others resembled round spheres. As for colors, they exhibited every conceivable hue: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple were all present, alongside gleaming golden, silver, and pitch-black... As for their textures, some looked as though they were cast from metal, others were as soft and tender as silk, some were hard as stone with fine fuzz coating their outer walls, and others seemed self-luminous, casting red beams of light or swaying side to side while happily humming an unknown tune.

Yet for some reason, all these flowers remained tightly closed in bud, without a single one having opened its petals...