Bai Li Hong Zhuang smiled with a shallow and pleasant smile. She felt that this trip had yielded considerable gains.
With her strength improved, it would be more convenient for her to handle things in the future. After all, with lower strength, many things were not easy to accomplish.
Cui Haoyan and the others walked to the side, harboring envy in their hearts. Besides Bai Li Hong Zhuang, no one else had such luck.
Indeed, comparison was the thief of joy!
Bai Li Hong Zhuang was already outstanding, but everyone's living environment was different, and this time they had come to the ancient ruins together, revealing the undeniable gap in luck.
Dongfang Yu's gaze toward Bai Li Hong Zhuang appeared somewhat complex. While feeling fortunate, he also felt a sense of emotion.
When he first met Bai Li Hong Zhuang, he did not notice the disparity between them. But after Bai Li Hong Zhuang stayed at Canglan Academy for some time, the gap between them seemed to grow wider.
Perhaps he had been deluding himself from the beginning, and Emperor Beichen was the one truly suited for Bai Li Hong Zhuang.
In just half a month, Bai Li Hong Zhuang's strength had already surpassed his own, while Emperor Beichen still stood calmly by her side...
"Zhiqing, did you gain anything in the ruins during these past two weeks?" Bai Li Hong Zhuang asked with a hint of curiosity. Since she had been trapped in the stone chamber after the illusion, she had no knowledge of what had happened afterward.
The thing that made her happiest was that Zhiqing and the others had good luck. Although they had suffered some minor injuries, it wasn't too serious, which relieved her.
Xia Zhiqing shook her head and sighed. "Ah, I was trapped for a long time in that inexplicable path before. If it wasn't for a fortuitous opportunity, I wouldn't have been able to get out at all."
"Now I understand how powerful the methods of the strong are. We've been walking in place the whole time, and it felt so real."
"When I finally got out, many cultivators had already left. I just wandered around here, but I came out so late that all the treasures had already been taken by others. There was no chance for me."
Xia Zhiqing shrugged. "The only thing I can be grateful for is that I didn't lose my life in there. Hong Zhuang, when did you manage to break free from that illusion?"
"It was an illusion," Bai Li Hong Zhuang explained with a smile. "I came out early, and as soon as I entered this stone chamber, I got trapped inside."
"Illusion?" Xia Zhiqing raised her voice, then quickly realized that the name matched what she had seen before. "Yes, it was an illusion!"
"I heard from the cultivators of the Yan family that you and Emperor Beichen were the first to come out, and they couldn't catch up to you."
Xia Zhiqing covered her mouth and chuckled. "In my opinion, the cultivators of these noble families aren't as formidable as the rumors say!"
Upon hearing this, Bai Li Hong Zhuang immediately understood that Xia Zhiqing was referring to the people who had been chasing her and Emperor Beichen.
"The heritage of these noble families is very formidable. What we are currently encountering is just the tip of the iceberg," Bai Li Hong Zhuang reminded.
She knew that Xia Zhiqing was always loyal to her, but she didn't want Xia Zhiqing to get into trouble with powerful opponents because of her.
Having grasped the meaning behind Bai Li Hong Zhuang's words, Xia Zhiqing's expression also turned serious. She understood that Hong Zhuang truly regarded her as a friend, and her reminder was for her own good.