Unlucky Dude! . . .
They found themselves trapped in the inescapable grip of death. With wide-opened eyes, they gazed upon the unfolding of the rainbow gate. They understood that the completion of the rainbow gate would seal their fate, marking the moment they'd breathe their last.
Even though the Golden-scaled Dragon Fish lay just beneath the ice they stood upon, they were powerless to break through. As soon as the rainbow gate materialized, the fish would dash through and transform into a dragon. Their efforts couldn't thwart this inexorable progression.
The common belief had been that the Golden-scaled Dragon Fish, though horrifying, was merely a fish, and that if one person had succeeded in capturing it, so could others. However, as the fish neared dragonhood, they felt an overwhelming sense of horror and despair. "Am I truly going to die here today?" was the shared sentiment among them.
The celestial oppression from above grew heavier, and for some, breathing became laborious. The rainbow gate slowly descended, and they stood motionless, waiting for the inexorable hand of fate to deliver its judgment. Even gods, they believed, couldn't rescue them from this dire fate.
Well, not truly... especially if someone could capture the fish after it burst from the ice but before it reached the gate! However, the fish's speed rendered such a notion impossible, and they were all convinced that no one in this world could move swiftly enough to apprehend the fleet Golden-scaled Dragon Fish.
"We are done for!" lamented an elderly man in white attire adorned with a moon pattern, representing Green Moon Palace, a position of significance within his sect. As a Dao Origin Stage cultivator, he should have held a place of distinction in Qing-Yun Realm. Yet, even he wore a gloomy countenance, his visage ashen and eyes glazed.
Cha Eun Xiao offered a wry smile and remarked, "You are done... What about me?" He didn't wish to succumb to pessimism, but the reality was harsh. The fish's lightning speed left no room for hope, and death loomed ever nearer. He could do naught but smile bitterly.
The heavens had consigned him to a life of bitterness. Having just returned from the brink of death, he found himself confronted with mortal danger in his homeland. Misfortune appeared to dog his every step. There could hardly be a more tragic turn of events.
Cha Eun Xiao's thoughts turned to Erhuo, the small creature nestled in his arms. It had repositioned itself, its hind legs now resting on his chest. Its wide-open eyes remained fixed on the red shadow beneath the ice.
"Delicious food!" it seemed to say.
"Don't let it escape!"
The elderly man's gaze shifted to Cha Eun Xiao, and he couldn't help but marvel at the youth's apparent frailty. "He is so damn weak... How dare he come to this place? What a miracle! Such a weakling didn't freeze to death here!" he thought.
"Where are you from? What sect do you belong to?" the old man asked, furrowing his brows. "You possess some talent to have survived the cold here with your pathetically low level of cultivation. Your masters must be utter fools to let you be here. It's suicidal! Do they not care about their younger generation anymore?"
Cha Eun Xiao managed a bitter smile. "Elder, I don't belong to any sect in this realm. I'm not a member of any sect at all. In fact, I'm not even from the Qing-Yun Realm. I just arrived from the lower realm today... and, unluckily, I ended up here."
The old man was taken aback. "What? You've just come to this world?..."
He examined Cha Eun Xiao's cultivation status and discerned no trace of Qing-Yun Realm. Suddenly, he felt a bit better. "Someone has it even worse than me," he thought.
Despite knowing they were all facing death, knowing of Cha Eun Xiao's existence provided a small measure of solace. It was an indescribable state of mind – to find relief in the knowledge that another's circumstances were even bleaker.
The old man knew it wasn't right to take pleasure in this, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of comfort amid the despair. This was the darker side of human nature.
Yet, no one should judge such thoughts too harshly. In the face of adversity, no one can always be the paragon of virtue. After a brief pause, the old man chuckled, patting Cha Eun Xiao's shoulder.
"Well, it seems you have it worse than any of us. It's your first day here, and you're already confronted with something that hasn't occurred in ten thousand years. We, at least, have lived in Qing-Yun Realm for many years... Hmmm. You might not know the story of this fish, and I don't have the time to tell you everything. I suppose you'll have to be a man who dies with questions..."
A torrent of vexation surged within Cha Eun Xiao's heart. He hadn't expected that his final moments would afford the old man the opportunity to gloat. He remained speechless, pondering his incredible misfortune. He had landed squarely in the midst of the hunting area just as the rainbow gate was forming. He had no means of escape and had inadvertently thrown himself into the jaws of death.
"What infuriates me the most is that I'm fully aware of the story of this place and that bloody fish. I know it all too well. You people came here seeking death, but I never wanted to be here!" he seethed internally.