Feng Zhihao managed to retrieve it after a few failed attempts, but something about the situation seemed off. With a perplexed expression, she stared at the bead for a moment, her fingers clenching around it.
Then, apparently, in a fit of annoyance, she hurled it into the lake again, muttering in irritation,
"Forget it. It's worthless."
Saying that, she jumped to the shore, drying her clothes instantly with a spell.
For a fleeting moment, Feng Zhihao's sharp, perceptive gaze seemed to hover in the direction of Su Jing's hiding spot. Su Jing's heart raced, her breath held in anticipation, but the intense gaze passed as quickly as it had come.
In the end, Feng Zhihao remained silent, and her footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Su Jing exhaled a quiet sigh of relief, realizing that her presence had gone unnoticed.
"That was close..."
After several long minutes, when she believed the surroundings were completely safe, Su Jing summoned the courage to investigate the terrain. She cautiously tiptoed toward the ruins of the cave, realizing that by its appearance, it was evident that the explosion from before had originated here, most likely due to Miss Feng's involvement.
The heap of rocks seemed to conceal a significant secret - one that only Feng Zhihao had been fortunate enough to witness and interact with since she empowered herself so much with that treasure.
Speaking about the bead, Su Jing couldn't help but wonder about its origin and purpose. What kind of cultivation artefact was it?
And most importantly, how was Feng Zhihao able to use it in such a powerful manner? She couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to the story than met the eye.
Once again ensuring no one was nearby, she attempted to lift her body, but the lingering exhaustion made it impossible to do anything. It was as if a sudden pressure made it harder to move.
She couldn't control her body, a strange force commanding her to stay put. Su Jing tried to fight it as she walked more, however her body was clenched on the ground,
She struggled, looking like a fish out of the water. Ultimately, she capitulated, giving in to her fate.
What kind of trap was this? It made her mind and body weaker.
Sighing, she closed her eyes as she tried to think of a plan. She couldn't stay here all day.
Unconsciously, the ghost image hovered in her head.
Was he perished? She hoped initially to find him around here, but as destiny favoured another, she got herself involved in young Miss Feng's matters!
Su Jing turned her head to the side of the lake, wanting to look around.
However, what she found next was entirely unexpected.
Someone else was here!
Her heart beating quickened immediately, urging her to run away. She tried again to get up, but the force was still forcibly keeping her down, now leaving her with a painful pressure in the chest.
Su Jing bit her tongue to bear the pain and looked at the man, hoping he wouldn't be aggressive like the previous assassins.
As the man raised his head at her, Su Jing frowned at the strange white colour of his hair, finding it unusual. But when she saw his face, she could only gasp.
He looked exactly like the immortal!
He had the same otherworldly presence, but his hair changed from black to white.
Su Jing couldn't understand why such a change happened in his appearance. He looked more feeble than before, almost like another entity.
Floating above the surface, the ghost positioned on his knees amid the light-coloured lotuses, his hair cascading gracefully on the flowers. This sight was so mesmerizing that it made Su Jing wonder whether she was dreaming.
Seeing his expressionless face, she didn't know how to approach this situation. It looked ridiculous with her lying down and him levitating.
"Why are you here?" the man's voice was heard. His tone was cold, making Su Jing unconsciously flinch.
It sounded as if he was scolding her.
Su Jing tried to rise again to answer him - unfortunately, not succeeding. A strain was bonding her to the ground.
Really, what luck is this! When Feng Zhihao passed by here, she seemed unfazed by this trap!
Perhaps seeing her struggle, the man approached her, rising up and kneeling beside her. Su Jing's heart unconsciously started beating, feeling that she was in a threatening position - since she wasn't able to move her body at all.
"Stay put. It would only bind you more if you move."
Su Jing immediately did as he said and did not even dare to move a muscle since it was already hard to breathe.
He sighed and moved his fingers through the soil as if drawing something. Su Jing did not understand what was he doing, so she shut up and concentrated on her low breathing.
At some moment, he stopped, making Su Jing hope that he had finished releasing her from this trap. Unfortunately, the binds were still there, even stronger she could say!
"Have patience. You put your limbs deep in it."
With a gentle push, the pink lotus from his other hand started floating, blooming brightly in the sky. Since she was lying down, the view was particularly enchanting, as the petals seemed close enough to touch.
Su Jing's eyes followed the lotus, and the flower flew down, resting on her chest.
The man observed the flower, and as Su Jing looked towards him too, she strangely felt that this would feel wrong from a third-person view!
A man kneeling and a woman lying unmoving with a flower on her chest - did it not look like he was ready to bury her?
She resisted the urge to throw the flower from her chest, but the senior put his hand above it, making it shinier. Su Jing's eyes hurt, but soon, when his fingers touched it, the lotus vanished like it had never existed, chasing the play of lights.
Su Jing wanted to ask him what he was doing. But as soon as the lotus dissolved into nothingness, she felt a sudden relief in her stomach, the pressure and discomfort melting away.
Not waiting for him to say she could move, Su Jing sprang to her butt.
"Next time, try to not step so headlessly in arrays." he commented when he saw her getting up, his tone monotone. He put his palms in his sleeves.
Su Jing turned around when she heard him, feeling great gratitude towards him, "Thank you for saving me, senior."
She had no idea what an array was, but surely it sounded like a trap only powerful beings could see. Su Jing would have seen her end here without him!
The man remained silent, his form wavering as if he were struggling to maintain his presence. The light played tricks on her eyes, making him seem almost translucent.
Su Jing couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
"You haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"
Su Jing paused, not knowing how to wrap herself around this question. Why? It was obvious that she failed to reach the immortal realm!
"I wanted to find another way to the summit. The one you showed me is now blocked"
The man gave her a side glance, making Su Jing wonder whether she said something wrong. The man sighed, turning his head towards the lake.
"Whatever now. Do not believe someone's words in their own sea of knowledge."
Su Jing frowned, not getting if he was sarcastic or truly saying that he lied to her previously.
This change of aspect couldn't be random.
He got up and this time walked, not floated, towards the lake, entering the water. Su Jing followed him, cleaning her clothes as much as she could from the dirt. However, she stayed on the shore, not daring to enter the water.
"Did something happen to you?"
Her words hung in the air, but the man's response was still elusive.
"You can go now. The immortal realm awaits you."
Su Jing felt as if he did not have the patience to talk to her. She looked at his back, clearly seeing more and more through his body.
Su Jing extended her hand toward him, trying to reach out and grasp his fading form. But her fingers met only cool air, and she realized that he was slipping away, beyond her reach.
"No, wait!" she exclaimed, a note of panic in her voice.
But her pleas fell on deaf ears, and the man's presence continued to wane until he was no more than a faint memory.