The room was unusually quiet early in the morning.
Mi Xingzhe searched the room but couldn't find any trace of Li Luonan or Yun Qingyi. He tentatively reached for the door and found it surprisingly easy to push open.
"It seems like they forgot to set the boundary today."
Mi Xingzhe stretched lazily as he stepped out into the sunlight, enjoying its gentle warmth on his face. He glanced around, but to his surprise, there was no one in sight.
"Could it be that Mirror Cloud Residence only has Qingyi and Li Luonan living here?" Mi Xingzhe wondered aloud.
"However, it looks like they're both not here today." Mi Xingzhe walked around, still unable to find a single soul.
"Although it feels a bit improper to leave like this, Mirror Cloud Residence is not a place for someone like me with a hollow spirit to stay. Despite Qingyi and Li Luonan being kind to me, staying would only burden them. It's better to leave now," Mi Xingzhe reasoned with himself.
Mi Xingzhe stood at the doorway, surveying his surroundings.
Under the windows of Mirror Cloud Residence grew many blue flowers. Beneath a large peach tree stood an exquisitely carved stone table. The white stone path and the white walls with green tiles complemented each other, reminiscent of the misty scenes in the mountains.
After taking in the view, Mi Xingzhe turned back to look at the place he had stayed for some time, feeling a hint of reluctance.
"Having stayed here for a while, it's hard to let go. After all, Mirror Cloud Residence is a rare opportunity that ordinary people can only dream of. Qingyi and... oh, Heaven, are you playing tricks on me? You gave me this flawed body, and then handed me such a big opportunity."
With a sigh filled with regret, Mi Xingzhe glanced back at Mirror Cloud Residence one last time before turning away.
Mirror Cloud Residence was located in the northwest corner of the misty Immortal Realm, close to both the Peach Blossom Forest and the Misty Peak. Surrounded by deep mountains and valleys, enveloped in swirling mist, it was crisscrossed by winding paths.
Mi Xingzhe was unfamiliar with the path, so he relied on his instincts to find his way. Before long, he got lost. Unknowingly, he walked into a dense fog.
"Why did the fog suddenly appear in the woods? I can't see the road, and it's getting so cold," Mi Xingzhe muttered, hugging his arms tightly and looking around at the sudden mist.
Mi Xingzhe waved his hand, trying to disperse the fog in front of him, as he walked forward, taking one step at a time.
Suddenly, he felt like he stepped on something. He bent down and felt something like hair.
Curiously, Mi Xingzhe tugged at the hair in his hand, only to hear a deep roar, causing leaves around him to flutter down.
Feeling a surge of killing intent behind him, Mi Xingzhe slowly turned around.
Before him was a large face, and as he took a few steps back, he realized it was a camel-colored beast with a sheep's body and four horns. It stared at him with saliva dripping from its sharp teeth, while Mi Xingzhe held its tail in his hand.
The creature's dark camel-colored fur occasionally emitted a faint green-black light. With four red-light black horns on its head and wide white pupils, it slowly opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth, with murky saliva dripping from time to time.
"What... what is this thing?" Mi Xingzhe trembled in fear, backing away slowly.
"Who dares disturb my peace?" the beast growled in a deep voice.
"Talking... hehe... ah, I didn't mean to, here, take it back, take it back," Mi Xingzhe hurriedly explained, stroking the tail and respectfully putting it down.
The beast approached Mi Xingzhe, sniffing with its nostrils slightly contracted. Mi Xingzhe was so frightened that he could barely stand, leaning against a tree behind him with his eyes tightly closed, feeling the foul saliva sprayed on his face by the creature's breath.
"A hollow spirit? Exterminate!" Sensing no spiritual power in Mi Xingzhe's body, the beast's eyes suddenly emitted a green-black evil smoke, and with that, it raised its claws to strike down.
"What? Exterminate? What does that mean? Help...!" Mi Xingzhe was stunned for a moment, then saw the beast's claws coming towards him. He dodged a blow by lowering his head and then turned to run.
"Hollow spirit, perish..." Due to exerting too much force, the beast's claws became embedded in the trunk. It then smashed the tree in front of it with force, muttering as it chased after Mi Xingzhe.
"Hey, you... please don't chase me. Help...!" Mi Xingzhe ran for his life through the woods, frantically darting around like a headless fly.
Meanwhile, Li Luoning was on his way back to Mirror Cloud Residence from the alchemy room. Suddenly, he noticed that the boundary of Mirror Cloud Residence was broken. It then occurred to him that he had forgotten to set up a boundary for Mi Xingzhe's room before leaving today.
Feeling uneasy, Li Luoning hurriedly hastened his pace towards Mirror Cloud Residence.
Arriving back at Mirror Cloud Residence, Li Luoning nearly bumped into Yun Qingyi, who was also searching around.
"Master, Xingzhe brother is missing," Yun Qingyi said. He had gone down the mountain this morning to gather herbs and upon returning, found the room empty. After searching around, he couldn't find any trace of Mi Xingzhe. Just as he was about to go outside to look, he coincidentally met Li Luoning returning.
"Have you asked the boundary guards?" Li Luoning inquired.
"I was just about to. I haven't been away for long, so according to the time, Xingzhe brother shouldn't have gone too far," Yun Qingyi calculated in his mind.
Li Luoning was about to cast a spell to search when he heard a thunderous sound of breaking branches in the distance.
Meanwhile, Mi Xingzhe was still desperately running.
"Help! Please stop chasing me! I already apologized to you earlier," Mi Xingzhe gasped for breath, feeling like he was about to collapse from exhaustion.
"Perish! Be extinct!" The four horns on the beast's head easily broke through the thick tree trunk blocking its path. It repeated the same words, relentlessly pursuing Mi Xingzhe.
"Help! Is there anyone? Help! What on earth is chasing me? Oh no..." Mi Xingzhe's voice trailed off as he saw a rock wall blocking his escape route.
Just as he was about to turn back to look for another way out, he saw the beast emerging from the bushes, steadily approaching him step by step.
Trembling uncontrollably, Mi Xingzhe kept backing away until his back was against the wall.
"Mr. Sheep, let's... let's talk about this," Mi Xingzhe stammered.
"Perish... be extinct..." The beast growled lowly, the dark smoke in its eyes intensifying. It slowly lowered its head, pointing the four crimson-black horns on its head towards Mi Xingzhe under the stone wall, its front claws sharpening as it prepared to strike.
"It's over. I'm doomed. I never thought I, Mi Xingzhe, would meet my end not as a wisp of nothingness, but at the hands of a sheep. Help! Ah!" Seeing the beast charging towards him, Mi Xingzhe closed his eyes tightly, shouting in despair. He thought this was the end, that his life would end here today.
"How dare you be so bold, you insolent worm!"
At the critical moment, a voice of salvation echoed from the cliff above Mi Xingzhe's head.
Mi Xingzhe, who had already crouched down with his hands covering his head and eyes shut tight, expecting to be crushed by the beast at any moment, heard the voice and opened his eyes slightly, only to see a golden figure descending and standing between the worm and himself.
Another faint cyan figure landed directly in front of him.
Li Luoning and Yun Qingyi's figures emerged from the light and shadow. Only then did Mi Xingzhe slowly stand up.
"How dare you, you audacious worm, come to Liao Yin Immortal Realm and act recklessly," Li Luoning scolded sternly.
Yun Qingyi stood in front of Mi Xingzhe, one hand holding a long sword and the other stretched back, protecting Mi Xingzhe behind him.
"Are you alright?" Yun Qingyi asked with concern in his voice.
Seeing Yun Qingyi, Mi Xingzhe rushed forward and grabbed his arm like catching a lifesaving straw, hiding behind Yun Qingyi.
The worm, having been hit on the head by Li Luoning's spell, became increasingly irritable. Its front claws continued to scratch the ground, leaving deep grooves on the hard mountain rocks.
"Are you injured?" Ignoring the worm beside him, Li Luoning turned his head and asked.
Seeing Yun Qingyi shake his head, Mi Xingzhe finally felt relieved.
"I'm fine. Phew... Qingyi, I'm glad you arrived in time. Otherwise, I would have been turned into a sieve by that creature," Mi Xingzhe said, brushing off the dirt from his body.
"How dare you, you audacious worm, not retreat," Li Luoning said sternly to the worm in front of him.
"The demon... to perish, the immortal... to be extinct..." The worm completely ignored Li Luoning's words and charged once again.
Seeing this, Li Luoning immediately extended his right hand, summoning a magical tool to meet the worm head-on and engage in battle.
Among many fierce beasts, the worm, while not the most evil, was still massive in size and incredibly strong. Its four horns on top of its head were particularly powerful, and although its body resembled that of a sheep, its front hooves were sharp, claw-like digits.
During the fight, Li Luoning suddenly noticed that this worm seemed to be somewhat different. Its strength and size were greater than those of an ordinary worm, and its eyes emitted blackish-green smoke.
"What's this?" In just one moment of inattention, Li Luoning was injured on his arm by the worm's claw.
"Master!" Yun Qingyi called out nervously.
Li Luoning covered his bleeding arm, then fell to the ground beside Yun Qingyi, the wound emitting a faint black smoke.
Taking a sharp breath, Li Luoning grimaced in pain, then forcefully cast a golden net talisman that enveloped the worm. Afterward, he quickly flew to Mi Xingzhe's side, grabbing his arm.
"Let's go!" With that command, Li Luoning flew away with Mi Xingzhe, with Yun Qingyi on one side and himself on the other, leaving this place of turmoil.
Back at Mirror Cloud Residence, as the group descended in front of the courtyard gate, Mi Xingzhe's legs gave out, and he collapsed on the ground.
"That was terrifying. What was that thing just now?" Mi Xingzhe looked up and asked.
"The worm," Li Luoning replied coldly, retracting the magical tool in his hand and his face growing increasingly somber as he walked towards the house.
Mi Xingzhe glanced at Yun Qingyi, who gave him a signal, then looked in the direction Li Luoning had gone. Slow to react, Mi Xingzhe quickly got up and followed.
"This place is supposed to be an immortal realm, right? How come there are still such ferocious monsters?" Mi Xingzhe seemed oblivious to Li Luoning's darkening expression, speaking to himself as he stood aside.
"The worm god-beast should have been overseen by Yingzhao at the Kunlun Hill. How could it suddenly appear in Liao Yin Immortal Realm?" Yun Qingyi also seemed puzzled.
"Is this worm still a divine beast?" Mi Xingzhe asked incredulously.
Li Luoning completely ignored the two behind her, walking straight into the room and slamming the folding fan in her hand onto the table with some force.
Startled, Mi Xingzhe shivered, standing there without understanding what was going on.
"Master, please calm down." Seeing Li Luoning's reaction, Yun Qingyi immediately knelt down and kept gesturing towards Mi Xingzhe, who couldn't see the situation clearly.
Li Luoning glanced at Yun Qingyi kneeling on the ground, then looked up with a serious expression, staring at Mi Xingzhe standing beside him.
Feeling confused, Mi Xingzhe looked at Yun Qingyi kneeling on the ground. Just as he was wondering, he lifted his head and met Li Luoning's cold gaze. Feeling guilty, Mi Xingzhe averted his gaze, lowering his eyes and remaining silent.
Although Mi Xingzhe was slow to react, he wasn't foolish. From the way Li Luoning looked at him and the visible veins on her hand, he was certain she had already guessed that he had intended to sneak away and had accidentally encountered the worm in the forest. Feeling guilty, Mi Xingzhe stood there with his head down, not saying a word.
"I neglected my duty for a moment, almost causing Xingzhe to lose his life and injuring you, Master." Yun Qingyi, still kneeling on the ground, spoke up.
Hearing Yun Qingyi's words, Mi Xingzhe felt somewhat guilty. He stepped forward and said hastily, "It's not Qingyi's fault, it's... I just thought the weather was nice today and wanted to... take a walk. I didn't know the way, so I accidentally wandered into that forest, where I encountered that worm."
Mi Xingzhe's nervousness made him stutter, and his habitual stuttering tendency made his lies even less convincing. However, he stubbornly refused to tell the truth.
"Oh? Just... take a walk?" Li Luoning raised an eyebrow and asked slowly, one word at a time.
"Master... Xingzhe, he..." Yun Qingyi began to speak.
"Qingyi, you leave first." Li Luoning glanced coldly at Yun Qingyi kneeling on the ground, speaking lightly.
"Master..." Yun Qingyi wanted to say something more, but before he could, he met Li Luoning's stern gaze.
Unable to say anything else, Yun Qingyi could only stand up and bow, giving Mi Xingzhe a meaningful look before leaving the room.