Looking down from the unfathomable void on either side of the staircase, despite having climbed tens of thousands of steps, the sea of lava appeared unchanged, still stretching as far as the eye could see. The first hall where the little river was located was gone; whether it had disappeared or been submerged in the sea of lava, neither of them knew.
“I feel like I’ve been here for a very long time. There are still at least two more trials to go through, and then there’s the final temple,” Xiaorou suddenly said. “I wonder what the outside world has become, and whether we still have time to find Xia Lan.”
“There’s a time difference. The flow of time here is completely different from the outside world. It should be that the higher we climb, the slower time passes,” Ling Yun said. The sensations transmitted through the Eye of Illusion told him that not a single cell in his body had shed for a long time, indicating that his metabolism had almost completely stopped, as if frozen in ice. However, Ling Yun and Xiao Rou were still engaging in the most strenuous exercise, which could only prove that the flow of time inside the barrier was becoming increasingly slower compared to the outside world.
The two slowly walked into the second hall. Like the first hall, the second hall also had no doors. The exits at the front and back were open, but when looking inside, all one could see was darkness, as if the interior was sealed off by a mysterious force.
To prevent himself from entering a similar illusionary realm once inside the hall, Ling Yun kept his Eye of Illusion open, carefully observing his surroundings. However, from the entrance until he entered the hall, Ling Yun did not experience that strange sense of disorientation.
Suddenly, Xiao Rou stopped and stared blankly ahead. Ling Yun followed her gaze and was immediately stunned.
A few dozen meters in front of the two, a young girl stood quietly.
Chapter 323 Triangular Relationship
She was a tall, slender young girl wearing a plain white, form-fitting dress embroidered with lilies. The dress, tailored to her figure, accentuated her tall and graceful body perfectly. Beneath the dress, a pair of slender, straight legs, as white as lotus roots, were visible. On her feet were a pair of Xilailu leather sandals, and her pink and white toes were painted with light nail polish, making them look crystal clear.
The girl's jet-black hair was tied into a long ponytail at the back of her head with a hair tie, revealing her fair and delicate forehead and a beautiful face. Her flawless face held a slight, affectionate smile as she gazed tenderly at Ling Yun. She was like a lotus flower blooming in the summer breeze, elegant and serene, full of otherworldly beauty and delicate fragility, possessing a breathtaking beauty.
Xiao Rou watched the girl intently. Although the girl's gaze didn't even glance at her, but was focused solely on Ling Yun, Xiao Rou still felt extremely uncomfortable. It wasn't because the girl ignored her presence, but because Xiao Rou had sensitively read another layer of meaning from the girl's gaze towards Ling Yun. Despite never having met her before, Xiao Rou sighed inwardly. She suddenly understood what her unease before entering the hall was all about.
Perhaps hardship and danger were not enough to hinder their progress, so the second test was conducted in a different way. In reality, for powerful individuals like Ling Yun and Xiao Rou, no real suffering or danger could threaten their existence. Even death was something they had already taken lightly. Truly capable individuals with special abilities are not afraid of death, or rather, what they pursue is a power that is infinitely close to death. What truly frightens them are things that ordinary people cannot even imagine.
Clearly, all fear stems from change. When Xiao Rou saw Ling Yun staring blankly at the girl, she felt a sudden emptiness in her heart. This feeling was very ominous, but she was powerless to do anything about it and could only wait and see how things would unfold.
Ling Yun took a long breath. To make sure he wasn't seeing things, he had used his Eye of Illusion to examine the girl in front of him no less than a hundred times. He even looked her body inside and out without any hesitation, trying to find even the slightest difference. But to his disappointment, the girl was indeed a living person, unique in heaven and earth, without any trace of pretense. Although Ling Yun couldn't figure out why she was here, she was there nonetheless.
"Lingling, what are you doing here?" Unable to find any flaws, Lingyun had no choice but to ask. He couldn't hide his shock. Although he couldn't believe it, what he saw before him forced him to believe it.
This girl was none other than Li Lingling, whom Ling Yun hadn't seen for over half a year. Before gaining his superpowers, Ling Yun had a crush on Li Lingling, the most beautiful girl in his class. After gaining his powers, he easily won her heart. However, after they went to school together in Beijing, Ling Yun never saw his former friend again. Although he learned some of Lingling's recent situation from Zhang Yunfeng, who had become a powerful figure in the Chinese underworld, before coming to the sea, according to Zhang Yunfeng, Lingling should be in the United States helping Xia Tian manage financial assets. How could she be in this strange barrier?
Reason told Lingyun that the Lingling in front of him was 100% fake, but Lingyun couldn't find any flaws. This wasn't because his Eye of Illusion was being hindered by some force or reflected without leaving a trace; it was simply that he couldn't see through it. This could only mean two things: one, that the other party's disguise had reached a point where even the Eye of Illusion couldn't see through it; and two, that no matter how bizarre and unbelievable it was, Li Lingling herself was indeed real.
The first fact is essentially impossible. Even if the Eye of Illusion cannot see through it, it will inevitably sense the resistance of power. No power can negate the detection of the Eye of Illusion without leaving a trace or showing any abnormality, except for a god. Ling Yun's previous experiences of the Eye of Illusion being ineffective have already confirmed this point.
Then it can only be the second fact. No matter how incredible or shocking Ling Yun felt, he could only temporarily regard the girl in front of him as Li Lingling, unless there was someone else in the world who looked exactly like her. No, not exactly the same. Ling Yun suddenly felt that Lingling had changed a lot and was completely different from the middle school girl in his memory.
Ling Yun recalled Zhang Yunfeng's words: Lingling's changes were enormous, especially her appearance; she seemed to have become even more beautiful. At the time, Zhang Yunfeng's tone was quite exaggerated, and Ling Yun hadn't taken it seriously. Now, it seemed Yunfeng's words weren't exaggerated at all. Lingling had indeed changed, and it was a truly dramatic change.
Although it was still recognizable as her, her features seemed to have changed slightly. The original Lingling was just a pretty female student. Although she was good-looking, she was far from being a stunning beauty, and she was far inferior to Xiaorou and Yuqi. But now, her appearance after the change was almost indistinguishable from Xiaorou's. Although she might be slightly lacking in looks, her elegant and refined temperament made up for that slight deficiency.
Even Ling Yun had to admit that Lingling possessed an astonishing beauty that was almost too dazzling to look directly at!
However, even if the person has changed appearance, the clothes they are wearing are exactly the same. Ling Yun’s photographic memory tells him that the dress Li Lingling is wearing is the same dress he, Zhang Yunfeng and Li Lingling wore when they strolled together three years ago.
A dress worn for three years, still looking brand new? Ling Yun could only smile wryly. Ever since entering this barrier, strange things had been happening one after another. Starting with Xiao He's dreamlike magic, it seemed like the bizarre events were endless. Trials? There were four more trials? What were these trials, and what were they for? What would he encounter when he reached the highest temple after passing the trials? Ling Yun's mind was instantly filled with a series of questions.
Li Lingling smiled slightly, revealing her pearly white teeth. Her clear and melodious voice was like jade beads falling onto a plate: "Yun, long time no see. And who is this?" As she spoke, she stretched out her pale white left arm, pointed at Xiao Rou, and asked, "I don't think I've ever seen her before. Is she your classmate?"
Before Ling Yun could answer, Xiao Rou suddenly smiled and said, "I'm Ling Yun's girlfriend. My name is Gu Xiao Rou. Hello, may I ask who you are?"
Ling Yun was taken aback, then found it both funny and exasperating. Xiao Rou had clearly misunderstood her relationship with Lingling, which was why she, who was usually silent, suddenly interrupted. It was obvious that she wanted to give Lingling a warning and tell her not to be delusional and try to steal her boyfriend. However, Ling Yun had always considered Lingling a good friend, so she naturally hoped that Lingling and Xiao Rou could get along harmoniously and not cause any further trouble.
So he quickly said, "Xiaorou, let me introduce you. This is Li Lingling, my classmate from high school, she is my..." Before he could finish, Li Lingling suddenly interrupted him with a smile and said to Xiaorou in a gentle but firm tone, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Li Lingling, and I am also Lingyun's girlfriend. We have been together since he was in high school."
Ling Yun stood frozen in place, mouth agape, his expression completely frozen. His hand, pointing at Lingling, froze in mid-air. Lingling's words had instantly short-circuited his brain, leaving his mind blank. It was as if he had witnessed an ant suddenly carrying a hundred-pound load of rice in front of him—an expression of utter disbelief and astonishment. Then, the expression on Ling Yun's face became as dramatic as if he were watching a play. His previously fluent voice suddenly became stammering for some inexplicable reason: "Ling...Ling, what, what did you say?"
"I said you're my boyfriend, isn't that right?" Lingling suddenly smiled, her smile as radiant as a blooming flower, looking at Lingyun. "Yun, didn't you always like me back in high school? Well, I like you too. We're boyfriend and girlfriend, what's wrong with that?"
"But...but..." Ling Yun's mind was like a lump of paste. Not only was it difficult to think, like a vehicle turning in mud, but he also couldn't find the words to speak. The sudden change completely stunned him. The surprise of seeing Lingling just now caught Ling Yun off guard, and he didn't even know how to answer the question.
“Li Lingling, what you’re talking about is from high school. Lingyun is already in college now,” Xiaorou said coldly. “Of course I’ve cut ties with you. Besides, you two never even spent any time together, so what kind of friendship could you have?” In fact, Lingyun had never told Xiaorou about his past romantic history. Since he had never had any before, Li Lingling was a blank in Xiaorou’s memory. Judging from Xiaorou’s understanding of Lingyun and their interactions, this was indeed Lingyun’s first experience with love. Moreover, Lingyun’s reaction showed that he was unaware of this matter and that it was probably just Lingling making things up. Xiaorou felt a little more confident.
What annoyed Xiaorou was that Lingling directly admitted that she was Lingyun's girlfriend, which was obviously aimed at her. The proud Xiaorou naturally disdained to compete with her for anything, but she would not stand by and watch this strange girl who suddenly appeared act arrogantly or even bully her.
"Oh?" Li Lingling raised an eyebrow, showing no anger. "How do you know we haven't spent any time together? Did Lingyun tell you? Did he say he cut ties with me? Heh, that doesn't seem to be the case."
Xiaorou bit her lip. Every question Lingling asked hit the nail on the head, like a heavy hammer blow to her sensitive heart. Xiaorou was speechless for a moment, and couldn't help but cast a resentful glance at her boyfriend. Was this guy just going to stand by and watch two girls fight over him? Didn't he know to say something and make a choice? The two had just experienced the peak of their relationship, but the sudden appearance of Li Lingling immediately shattered the harmonious rhythm.
Ling Yun finally managed to calm himself down a bit from his dazed state, but his mind was still a mess. Although he knew that Lingling was actually deeply in love with him, he didn't expect her to openly challenge him in front of his girlfriend. He had never been good at handling emotional issues, a weakness that had started to show in high school. Therefore, even though he knew that Li Lingling had feelings for him, he didn't know how to refuse her, so he could only keep putting it off in silence. He thought that he could solve the problem by delaying, but little did he know that this only gave Lingling a stronger hint: not hearing his rejection in person meant that there was still hope.
Ling Yun's thinking was rather simple. He assumed that after starting university, with less contact and communication, coupled with the many new things happening in university life, he would naturally forget everything. However, after seeing Zhang Yunfeng and learning that Li Lingling not only hadn't forgotten him but had actually missed him even more, Ling Yun's heart sank. He couldn't imagine how he would face Lingling when he saw her again—as a friend, in a slightly ambiguous yet silent relationship, or simply to make it clear that he didn't love her and let her find her own happiness?
In fact, Li Lingling was not unaware of his true thoughts, but sometimes people's feelings are strange. The more unattainable something is, the more it seems to be the best. If you try to forget it intentionally, you can't.
Seeing Xiaorou's resentful gaze, Lingyun couldn't help but smile bitterly. Even though he was terrible at handling emotions, he knew what to do at this moment. Otherwise, he would not only hurt Xiaorou's feelings but also be unfair to Lingling. Although Lingling was also a beautiful young woman, since Lingyun already had someone he loved, he was naturally no longer capable of being distracted. A man's indecisiveness and fickleness are always the greatest hurt to a devoted woman, and vice versa.
"Lingling, we haven't seen each other in a long time, let's not talk about these things, okay? I hope you won't have a conflict with Xiaorou. She's my girlfriend, and you're my good friend. I hope you two can be good friends, not like this, okay?" After thinking for a moment, Lingyun decided to start with gentle words, trying not to escalate the conflict. However, he still needed to make his stance clear. After several experiences with Xiaorou, Lingyun knew what to say and what not to say. At least now, Lingyun wouldn't hurt Xiaorou's feelings again.
Although he had officially acknowledged his relationship with Xiaorou, Lingyun suddenly realized that, when it came to relationships, he still found it difficult to have the courage to refuse or even utter a single word of rejection to Lingling. This wasn't just true for Lingling, but also for Yuqi, Xiazhen, and Bingyan. In matters of the heart, Lingyun was still that honest, timid boy, not a strong person who dared to take the initiative and actively reject others.
Chapter 324 Another Kind of Courage
Perhaps this kind of personality will permeate Lingyun's entire life and is difficult to change. Under the primary influence of innate genes and the secondary influence of acquired environment, a person's personality is actually fixed. Fate, under the arrangement of different circumstances, probes the personality's response to nature, and then chooses a suitable direction for a rather slow evolution and natural selection. This is the power of creation. Everything is slowly formed on this basis, from simple to complex, from low to high.
Of course, the Hand of God possesses the ability to alter genes, but Ling Yun is unsure whether he can maintain his original mindset and personality after using the Hand of God on himself. It's like a highly skilled doctor who can cure a patient but cannot cure their own incurable disease.
If the road ahead is filled with charging into battle, even against super-strong individuals like Oswit, Ling Yun would not feel the slightest fear. After experiencing so many hardships and dangers, the young man has long since grown into a super-strong individual capable of standing alone, possessing extremely high mental and physical intelligence, no longer a novice just entering the martial world. Moreover, having experienced so many perils, he naturally feels that nothing matters anymore. This is not a question of whether or not he has courage, but rather a question of the limits and heights of the trials he faces.
However, when it comes to matters of the heart, Ling Yun always felt he couldn't be as resolute and decisive as someone with superpowers. He wasn't afraid of being treated badly, but rather of being treated well. When that kindness became a burden or even affected others, Ling Yun still found it difficult to break free due to emotional issues. Fortunately, he learned from his mistakes. After angering Xiao Rou during his trip to Hong Kong, which led to their separation, Ling Yun matured a lot in matters of the heart. Otherwise, he still wouldn't have been able to say those words to Li Lingling's face today.
Hearing Ling Yun's words acknowledge her feelings while subtly rejecting Li Lingling's affections, Xiao Rou was overjoyed. She raised an eyebrow at Lingling, as if to say, "Ling Yun has already said so, what else do you have to say?" Her girlish mind was actually quite simple; as long as things went her way, she would immediately show her excitement and joy.
Upon hearing Ling Yun's words, Lingling's expression changed instantly. She sighed almost imperceptibly and said softly, "Yun, don't you like me? Or has it that after you went to university and got a new girlfriend, you've forgotten the feelings you once had for me? Have you forgotten? You even wrote me love letters expressing your longing. I still remember those sweet words clearly. Do you want me to read them to you word by word in front of your new girlfriend? Heh, it's always the new love who laughs, who hears the old love cry? I, this poor soul, can only hide in a corner and weep pitifully under your betraying gaze, Young Master Ling Yun."
As she spoke, Lingling's eyes suddenly reddened, her voice choked with emotion, and two clear tears gently fell from her eyes. Her expression instantly turned resentful, filled with a plaintive resentment, and her gaze towards Lingyun was filled with complex emotions, much like a girlfriend abandoned by a faithless boyfriend. Her slender body trembled involuntarily, as if she was trying her best to control the complex emotions within her heart.
Ling Yun stared at her, somewhat bewildered, feeling as if his brain had short-circuited again. Lingling's reaction was completely unexpected. He had indeed written love letters to Lingling and expressed his longing for her, but this was precisely the initial reason for their conflict and for Ling Yun to gain his superpowers. At that time, Li Lingling did not accept his feelings and even severely insulted him, which led to a series of subsequent changes. If Lingling had accepted him after seeing the love letters, then perhaps the two of them would already be deeply in love by now.