"No." Xue Tuan paused, as if she had something difficult to say, "Sister Fei Fei, this place is disgusting!"
Feng Fei was taken aback. Although she felt that the ground under her feet was difficult to walk on, and the slippery and greasy feeling made her very uncomfortable, she didn't feel disgusted. She didn't know why Xue Tuan said that. Logically speaking, Xue Tuan was not the kind of person who couldn't tolerate a certain level of dirt.
Although they had gotten close to the snowball, they still couldn't find any trace of it. Feng Fei frowned and said, "Where are you? Are you invisible?"
A soft gasp came from the darkness, followed by Xue Tuan's shy voice: "I'm sorry, Sister Fei Fei, I forgot to remove the hide." As her voice fell, a very faint light appeared in the pitch-black environment.
Looking towards the light, Feng Fei was pleasantly surprised to find that the "source of light" was Xue Tuan: "Wow, Xue Tuan, you can glow!"
"No!" Xue Tuan twisted her body and tugged at Feng Fei's sleeve, saying, "It's because I have a contract with Sister Fei Fei. So when the concealment is removed, Sister Fei Fei can see Xue Tuan."
Feng Fei nodded in sudden realization, then a hint of disappointment flashed across his face.
This place was pitch black from beginning to end, from top to bottom, without a single ray of light. There was nothing in her storage ring that could be used as a torch. Worse still, when she tried to ignite a flame with her spiritual power, she discovered she couldn't connect with the spiritual energy of this place. It seemed there was only air and nothing else. In other words, from now on, her spiritual power would decrease as she used it, and there was no way to replenish it.
This is really bad.
Feng Fei was anxious. But she secretly warned herself not to panic. At this moment, Yuan Jue and Ming Feng were not by her side. And there was also the innocent and ignorant Xue Tuan to take care of. In the darkness, Feng Fei clenched her fists. She had to rely on herself to lead Xue Tuan out.
Feng Fei used the faint glow emanating from Xue Tuan's body. Although Xue Tuan said that she could only see it because of their contract, Feng Fei could clearly see the red patch of ground beneath Xue Tuan's feet that was slowly writhing.
The moment this thought entered Feng Fei's mind, her body tensed instinctively, and she swiftly picked up Xue Tuan and leaped in another direction. While airborne, Feng Fei sensed danger and immediately took out her magical handkerchief, releasing her spiritual energy. The handkerchief instantly enveloped Feng Fei and Xue Tuan. At the same time, Feng Fei took out antidote and healing pills from her storage ring, feeding them to both Xue Tuan and herself. Just as she finished doing all this, Feng Fei's lingering spiritual consciousness was suddenly and completely corroded. A sharp pain penetrated her brain, and Feng Fei gritted her teeth to suppress a cry of pain.
"Fei..." Feng Fei covered Xue Tuan's mouth before she could speak, and then quickly changed direction in mid-air, jumping back to the original spot.
"Xue Tuan, don't make a sound, this place is strange." Feng Fei didn't rush to let go of Xue Tuan's mouth, but instead hurriedly communicated with Xue Tuan's consciousness. At the same time, he kept moving his feet and body, and gently stopped in place by the dim light.
Because of the power of the magical artifact, Feng Fei was floating slightly in mid-air, holding the snowball under the silk handkerchief. His bright eyes were alertly observing his surroundings, and every nerve was taut to the extreme.
"Sister Feifei, what happened?"
Xue Tuan's anxious voice echoed in Feng Fei's heart, but Feng Fei had no time to pay attention to it at the moment. The sense of crisis that suddenly enveloped her intensified, and Feng Fei didn't have time to think. Instinctively, she picked up Xue Tuan and ran in another direction.
That place was where Feng Fei had discovered it during her leaps. She could only cautiously extend her spiritual sense to avoid being corroded by the strange substances there. That place was where Feng Fei had left a wisp of her spiritual sense that had not been corroded or destroyed. Although a trace of unease still lingered in her heart, Feng Fei had no time to worry about anything else at the moment. She could only try anything, even if it seemed hopeless.
"puff"
A mysterious liquid dripped onto the spot where Feng Fei had just stood, and when Feng Fei and Xue Tuan arrived at what seemed to be a safe place, the space they were in suddenly became brightly lit.
Neither Feng Fei nor Xue Tuan had expected this to happen. Although they quickly covered their eyes with their hands, the blinding light still penetrated them. After the bright light, their vision went black. Feng Fei endured the discomfort, but it still took him the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to open his eyes.
Xue Tuan rubbed her eyes and shed tears in Feng Fei's arms.
"Sister Feifei..." Xue Tuan's voice, filled with unbearable pain, echoed in Feng Fei's mind, but it was no use in bringing Feng Fei back to his senses.
At this moment, Xue Tuan realized that something was wrong with Feng Fei. Ignoring her eyes that were still leaving messages, she quickly looked around and was stunned by what she saw.
They were standing on a higher ground, with a slightly lower ground in front of them, and beyond that, a seemingly bottomless abyss. If it weren't for the slowly shifting, blood-red walls around them, the blood-streaked flesh beneath their feet, and the corrosive, acidic stench rising from the abyss, Xue Tuan would have thought they were in a cave.
However, these "ifs" are not "ifs" at all; what lies before them are scenes that shatter their hearts and minds.
"Fei, Sister Fei...we're inside that ugly monster's belly?"
Feng Fei nodded stiffly, his mouth filled with bitterness.
Fortunately, they could see their surroundings now. If it had been as pitch black as before, they probably wouldn't have even realized they had fallen into the acrid ravine in front of the gate and died without a trace.
After a long while, Feng Fei finally let out a long breath and gathered back the spiritual energy swirling around him. In this place where communication with heaven and earth was ineffective, he would save as much spiritual energy as possible.
At least for now, it's not the worst-case scenario.
Feng Fei hugged Xue Tuan and looked around. Although it seemed safe now, Feng Fei did not relax. The magical handkerchief was always faintly protecting them, making their figures indistinct and hard to discern.
The blood-red flesh beneath their feet was a darker, more somber color than the rest of the area. Compared to the other flesh-covered platforms where highly corrosive acid dripped intermittently, their location was like a celestial paradise amidst a terrifying hell. It was precisely this sense of unease that made Feng Fei even more cautious in his observation, unwilling to miss the slightest clue.
Feng Fei's eyes suddenly contracted, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinholes.
Pressing her heart, which felt like it was about to leap out of her throat, Feng Fei slowly put Xue Tuan down, carefully gave her a few instructions, and then focused her gaze on the strange place.
The fleshy platform beneath their feet was originally just dark and dull, but Feng Fei carefully noticed that there was a slightly raised area three steps away on the inner side. Moreover, that area was different from the somber appearance of the fleshy platform; it was faintly rotten, like a piece of dead muscle tissue.
Feng Fei cautiously took two steps forward, observing carefully from a distance of just one step. Suddenly, Feng Fei raised an eyebrow, and a small golden sword, which he hadn't used in a long time, appeared in his hand. With a slight release of spiritual energy, the small golden sword grew from the size of his palm to a length of ten feet.
Feng Fei used her golden sword to pry open the mushy flesh, revealing a piece of bright red flesh. As she did so, she could clearly hear the snake-tailed fish-headed monster's pleasurable groans emanating from outside. Although the sound was extremely muffled, Feng Fei could clearly discern the monster's pleasure, which greatly frustrated her.
However, Feng Fei quickly put this emotion out of her mind, after all, their current situation was not good.
She had noticed the anomaly earlier because when her spiritual sense slowly swept over the flesh, she felt a sense of intimacy and familiarity emanating from her bloodline. If she hadn't forcibly suppressed the restlessness in her heart, she might have exploded there just now. Although there seemed to be no danger here at the moment, it didn't mean there was no danger at all. Feng Fei wasn't someone who had just entered this world; on the contrary, her experiences here had already made her aware of enough of the harsh realities and cruelty. She tried her best to maintain the kindness in her heart, but she no longer carelessly let her guard down.
Feng Fei composed himself, peeled the flesh away to a distance, and then took a few steps closer to the strange place.
The bright red flesh and blood slowly writhed, and the flesh and blood in this suspected internal wound slowly coagulated during this writhing.
Feng Fei's eyebrows furrowed, and the golden sword moved swiftly. A moment ago, it was in her hand, and now it was firmly embedded in the flesh. However, the snake-tailed fish-headed monster's interior seemed extremely tough; the usually sharp sword could only penetrate less than an inch. Perhaps the sword had hurt the monster, for it suddenly flipped over. If Feng Fei hadn't reacted quickly, grabbing the sword and pulling Xue Tuan along, the two of them would likely have tumbled into the deep ravine with a "thud."
Although Feng Fei and his companion did not fall into the abyss, some acidic water still splattered out, splashing onto the surrounding fleshy walls with a "sizzling" sound before slowly rolling down. However, the fleshy walls splashed by the acidic water remained completely undamaged.
It took a while for the snake-tailed fish-headed monster to calm down.
At that moment, as the fish-headed monster violently flipped over, a black seal rolled out from where the golden sword had pierced it.
The black seal shimmered with a faint, eerie light, as if calling out, or perhaps telling a story.
For a moment, Feng Fei was completely engrossed in reading it. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Q. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
Chapter 4: Azure Tortoise Shell
The mysterious and profound golden light on the black seal occasionally flickered, revealing a wonderful rhythm.
Feng Fei stared at the seal, his gaze growing increasingly unfocused, and even the grip on the golden sword loosened.
While Feng Fei was engrossed in his activity, he didn't notice that the black seal had only rolled a small step before stopping. The dark red fleshy platform writhed and sucked the black seal in, releasing it with each pull, causing the black seal to sink back into the fleshy mass.
"puff"
The black seal rolled off the frozen flesh and blood, which suddenly made an extremely faint sound, but to Feng Fei's ears it sounded like a raging storm.
Feng Fei suddenly woke up, his whole body instantly covered in a fine layer of cold sweat.
This seemingly ancient event actually happened in an instant. Xue Tuan was completely unaware of anything, only noticing Feng Fei's horrified expression. She tried to speak out of concern, but Feng Fei waved her hand to interrupt her.
Feng Fei quickly steadied himself, suppressing his still unsettled emotions, before carrying the golden sword to the black seal that was about to be swallowed up.
Crouching down, Feng Fei drew his sword without hesitation. The sharp sword light instantly sliced through the writhing flesh. His free left hand moved with incredible speed, retrieving the black seal the instant the flesh was cut open. Then, instinctively, Feng Fei stored the black seal in his storage ring. He turned and grabbed Xue Tuan, and before the snake-tailed fish-headed monster could feel the pain, he took a few quick steps towards the inner fleshy wall and plunged his golden sword into it.
After all this was done, the space suddenly flipped upside down again.
The acid sprayed everywhere, some of it landing on Feng Fei and instantly corroding his outermost clothing. Had the python-skin inner armor he wore underneath not appeared in time to block the layers of acid attack, Feng Fei might already be riddled with holes. Even with the protection of the python-skin inner armor, some corrosive power still managed to penetrate and reach Feng Fei's skin, causing him to wince in pain.
Seeing Feng Fei's hardship, Xue Tuan's mind raced, and she suddenly remembered that she seemed to possess a rather peculiar magical artifact. Acting on her impulse, as soon as the name of the artifact entered Xue Tuan's mind, she took it out.
Suddenly, a palm-sized tortoise shell appeared in Xue Tuan's palm. Its azure surface faintly displayed the mysteries of heaven. This tortoise shell belonged to an old tortoise Xue Tuan had encountered while aimlessly wandering the continent before taking human form. At the time of their encounter, Xue Tuan's consciousness was newly awakened; she was ignorant of everything, unable to distinguish between good and evil, truth and falsehood.
The old tortoise, pitying Snowball's innocence and fearing it might be corrupted by the world's falsehoods and ugliness, carefully taught Snowball for a long time. Afterward, it led Snowball to a secluded mountain range. This mountain range was hidden from the world, yet it was not lacking in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; moreover, this energy was subtle and unseen, possessing a powerful concealment effect. This was why the old tortoise had placed Snowball there.
Afterwards, Xue Tuan and the old tortoise meditated quietly in the mountains for thousands of years.
One day, darkness suddenly descended upon the world. Strange and mysterious runes appeared on the old tortoise's shell. Knowing its lifespan was nearing its end, the old tortoise expended immense energy to raze the mountain to the ground, trapping Xue Tuan underground while she cultivated in depth. However, the old tortoise did not intend to take Xue Tuan's life; rather, all these actions were precisely to ensure her survival.
After the old tortoise finished doing all this, it vanished into the world.
When Xue Tuan regained consciousness, she found herself trapped underground. The old tortoise, who had been like family to her, was nowhere to be seen, and she was overcome with grief. But before she could even cry, Xue Tuan noticed a tortoise shell tightly wrapped around her. The familiar and comforting feeling emanating from the shell made Xue Tuan believe that the old tortoise had not left her. Therefore, Xue Tuan continued to cultivate obediently underground until she met Feng Fei, who gave her the opportunity to see the light of day again.
The tortoise shell that Xue Tuan was holding at that moment was the same tortoise shell that had accompanied her in her cultivation for countless years. A look of nostalgia and confusion appeared on Xue Tuan's petite and adorable face before she resolutely channeled her spiritual power into it.
The tortoise shell instantly expanded, completely enveloping Feng Fei and Xue Tuan's bodies without revealing any gaps.
Perhaps due to the spiritual power of the snowball, a layer of lustrous water appeared on the surface of the swollen tortoise shell, completely dissolving the acidic water that splashed onto its surface, without causing any damage to the tortoise shell.
"Why--"
Feeling that the tortoise shell had not been corroded by the acid water, a rare sense of melancholy drifted through Xue Tuan's clear heart.
Feng Fei keenly noticed this, and although he still couldn't let his guard down, he managed to spare a thought to communicate with Xue Tuan: "Why did you suddenly sigh? Does little Xue Tuan have someone she likes?"
A hint of embarrassment flashed across Xue Tuan's face, but a certain image flashed through her mind, making her face even redder.
Feng Fei noticed the changes in Xue Tuan and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "It seems I guessed right."
"Sister Feifei!" Xue Tuan said coquettishly, then said somewhat awkwardly, "I don't know why I sighed."
After speaking, Xue Tuan seemed a little shy, twisting the hem of her clothes, unsure of what to say.
Feng Fei quickly changed the subject, glanced at the huge tortoise shell blocking his way, and asked curiously, "Xue Tuan, where did this tortoise shell come from?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Tuan suddenly fell into a reverie, and after a while, she came back to her senses and said, "I can't explain it clearly either. From the time I vaguely became conscious, this tortoise shell has been with me. It told me that I might have an opportunity in the future, and it told me that it could protect me..."
Seeing that Xue Tuan was falling into a murmur as she spoke, and even the tortoise shell shield she was controlling was becoming somewhat unstable, Feng Fei quickly shouted, "Wake up!"
The voice, carrying a hint of spiritual power and intimidation, poured directly into Xue Tuan's mind through his ears, causing thunderous applause to reverberate within his consciousness.
Snowball snapped out of its previous confusion and bewilderment.
Xue Tuan looked at Feng Fei apologetically, her childish voice full of remorse: "I'm sorry, Sister Fei Fei... I..."
Feng Fei shook his head, indicating that it was alright. At this moment, Feng Fei had no time to care about the tortoise shell, because the snake-tailed fish-headed monster suddenly began to roll violently again for some reason, making Feng Fei feel dizzy and lightheaded, and even his brow throbbed slightly.
Perhaps because the snake-tailed fish-headed monster was attacked by other ferocious beasts and its wounds were too painful, its thrashing did not stop after a while like before, but lasted for about an hour.
Feng Fei muttered to herself, "They weren't killed by the acid corrosion, but rather by the mental chaos caused by the turbulence." (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
Chapter 5: The Sky Collapses
An hour later, the snake-tailed fish-headed monster stopped its violent movements and returned to calm.
The area where Feng Fei and Xue Tuan were located gradually returned to its previous tranquil state.
Perhaps Grandpa couldn't be called calm, but compared to the constant churning before, the slight swaying now was a great relief and quiet for Fengfei and Xuetuan.