Chapter 136: Entering Zi’s Illusory Realm Again

On this side, Qin Yu and Ling gazed at the lush greenery before them, a flicker of confusion crossing their eyes. Qin Yu frowned slightly as she watched the rabbits hopping nearby; this situation reminded her eerily of the first time she met Zi.

“What’s going on?” Ling asked, looking at Qin Yu as a surge of pressure radiated from his body, causing the rabbits to scatter instantly.

“Calm down first, or none of us will be able to leave!” Qin Yu said. Only after Ling retracted his aura did she continue, “If I’m not mistaken, we’ve entered an illusion.”

“An illusion?” Ling raised an eyebrow at her.

Qin Yu nodded. “And this illusion must belong to someone we know. Follow me, and don’t speak.”

Though she said this, Qin Yu herself wasn’t sure. She remembered the last time she arrived here was while unconscious, but this time she was fully awake. What could this mean?

Cautiously, Qin Yu retraced the path from her memory. Soon, they arrived at the very place where she first met Zi.

“I’ve been waiting for you a long time,” Zi said, sitting sideways by the stream with his back to Qin Yu.

“Eh? There’s someone else here?” His voice full of surprise, Zi turned around and saw Ling following Qin Yu.

Zi furrowed his brow, scrutinizing Ling. “You’re not him.”

Ling glanced at the man before shifting his gaze to Qin Yu, silently staring with deep, inscrutable eyes.

Zi noticed Ling’s silence and gaze fixed on Qin Yu, so he turned his eyes to her, silently asking what was going on.

Enduring their intense looks, Qin Yu gathered her words and said, “This is Ling, the lover of my friend. That is Zi, a close confidant of my friend.”

She introduced them to each other. Both gave a faint nod in greeting before she continued, “I originally planned to find his lover with Ling, but somehow we ended up here. Zi, I want to ask—what is going on?”

Zi glanced at Qin Yu, then lowered his head slightly. His flowing long hair drifted before his chest, partially veiling his eyes, making it hard to discern the depths hidden within them.

“I miss him,” Zi said with a voice heavy with longing.

“If you miss him, then go find him. Why are we here?” Qin Yu asked.

Zi gave her a helpless look. “Do you think I don’t want to find him? If his mental strength weren’t so powerful, I would have broken through his defenses long ago and come to you! Otherwise—hmph! Do you think you have a chance to visit our secret base?”

Qin Yu wasn’t eager to come here either! This was blatant disdain!

“Then coming to me is useless,” Qin Yu rubbed her temples.

“Useless? You carry his scent! That’s enough for me,” Zi looked at Qin Yu with his violet eyes, sadness welling in them.

Qin Yu pressed her forehead, headache rising. “You’ve already seen him. Now send us back. We have urgent matters to attend to!” Didn’t she see Ling was already releasing a black aura? Let us go!

Zi sneered and muttered to himself, “I regained my memories but still can’t leave that damned place! You must come find us soon! I miss him so much—wah, I can’t even eat properly. You don’t need to eat at all! Qin Yu, he’s all I have left. You must protect him! I’m telling you, Qin Yu!”

Qin Yu was dumbfounded. How long had it been? This guy had turned into a chatterbox!

Ling watched Zi’s mouth open and close, pursing his lips. Unable to bear it, he unleashed a black aura and charged at Zi.

Zi sensed the danger, raising his hand to trap the black aura in his palm. Then, looking up in surprise, he said, “How can you—”

Ling gave him no time, directly attacking. The two clashed fiercely amidst the beautiful mountains and waters.

Within about ten minutes, Zi subdued Ling with a complex look in his eyes.

Ling spat out blood, his voice fierce. “Either kill me or let us go!”

Zi looked at the severely injured Ling, then glanced at Qin Yu. “Who is he?”

Qin Yu was startled, hesitating before answering, “Probably a scientist.”

Zi was taken aback by her reply. He realized what he and Qin Yu spoke of were entirely different matters. Sighing, as he prepared to let them leave, something struck him.

He produced a small leaf from somewhere—a tiny, yellow-green leaf withered at the edges.

Zi gently pressed the leaf against his right eye; it merged into his eye, emitting a purple glow.

He turned his gaze to Ling. At once, Ling’s face changed drastically, his expression tense. Zi’s hand trembled as he spoke in a quivering voice, murmuring, “How could this be?”

Qin Yu startled by his reaction, asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

Snapping back, Zi grabbed Qin Yu’s hand with a trembling grip. “Did something happen to him? Tell me honestly!”

Qin Yu was shaken by his intensity but knew who he meant. Puzzled, she shook her head. “Nangong Yao is fine.”

Hearing this, Zi forced himself to calm down. He stepped beside Ling and pressed his foot hard on Ling’s chest. “Tell me! Who are you? Why do you have a part of his soul and spirit inside you?”

Qin Yu was utterly baffled. What did he mean by a part of his soul and spirit? Was she understanding this correctly?

Ling sneered disdainfully at Zi and spat blood. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Zi grew anxious, pressing harder with his foot. “Speak now! Or I’ll make you suffer worse than death!”

Ling repeated, “I don’t know what you mean.”

Qin Yu regained her composure and hurried to Zi’s side. “I think he really doesn’t know. I’ll ask Nangong Yao about this. Please release him.”

Reluctantly, Zi removed his foot from Ling’s chest. Qin Yu seized the chance. “Send us back first. I’ll tell you what I find out when we meet next.”

Zi sat down gloomily. “You can go back. He cannot.”

“Why not?” Ling shouted.

“Because you carry a part of his soul and spirit inside you! If you go back to see him, the six souls and five spirits within him will clash with the fragment inside you. One of you will die!” Zi replied angrily.

Ling’s face showed shock at this revelation.