Chapter 85 Strange Things - Lost the Chase?

Shen Mi squatted in the grass a few dozen meters away. The grass blades swayed gently in the wind, making a soft rustling sound. Shen Mi felt a little anxious listening to it, but her heart felt like it was hanging in mid-air, unable to land.

Shen Mi clutched her chest, staring intently in the direction of the tree hole. For some reason, she had a very uneasy feeling, as if something was about to happen.

Just then—

"despair."

A cold and heavy touch suddenly landed on her shoulder.

Shen Mi felt as if all the blood had been drained from her body in an instant, freezing her in place. A chill ran down her spine, and she could almost hear her own heart pounding. She slowly turned around, and what came into view was a lifeless face cast in metal—a golden man. A ghostly light flashed in those empty eye sockets, sending a chill down her spine.

"ah--"

Along with her voice came not only screams but also the golden fingers.

Shen Mi knew where that feeling of unease came from, but to realize it at such close range was far too late.

The Jin man's fingers gripped Shen Mi's wrist like an iron clamp, causing her to gasp in pain. Instinctively, she twisted her hand back, trying to break free, but the Jin man's strength was astonishing. Instead, he pulled her violently forward.

Taking advantage of the situation, Shen Mi rolled in the opposite direction, passing over the Jin man's crotch, and then rolled several more times on the grass, temporarily creating distance between himself and the Jin man.

Shen Mi sized up the golden creature. It was tall and obviously not as fast as her, so it had quietly come to her side and waited until it wouldn't alert her before making its move. If she squeezed into a narrow space, she might be able to avoid it.

Thinking of this, Shen Mi looked in the direction of the tree hole again, determined not to let them discover the blade.

Shen Mi quickly looked around, desperately searching for a way to escape. But the Jin man gave her no time to think; the retractable metal arm suddenly whistled through the air, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression, and slammed straight at her face.

Just as she was almost certain that the blow would land on her face, the world seemed to be suddenly sped up by 0.5x.

The surrounding noises slowed down. Shen Mi's pupils contracted sharply as she stared intently at the rapidly approaching metal hand, instinctively turning her head sharply.

The next second, the world resumed its original speed.

"Boom—!" The golden man's palm grazed her cheek, bringing with it a biting wind. Before hitting its target, it precisely changed shape, transforming from a palm into a sharp cone, which kicked up mud and debris as it pierced the grass.

The golden man's hand brushed against Chen Mi's cheek and then precisely pierced the ground with a hair's breadth of precision.

Shen Mi's eardrums were ringing loudly, and his heart almost jumped out of his chest.

Holy crap—

Without time to think about anything else, taking advantage of the Jin man's restricted movement, Chen Mi quickly got up and ran in the opposite direction from the tree hole.

She shouted in her heart as she ran.

Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! I was so close to dying!

Chen Mi kept running, the sound of the wind mingling with the sound of her heartbeat, creating a deafening roar, as if someone was beating a war drum in her ear.

The massive metal figure trailed after her with heavy steps, the ground trembling slightly with its impact, causing the fallen leaves beneath her feet to rustle and dance. Shen Mi dared not turn around, afraid that if she did, she would see those cold, emotionless eyes fixed intently on her.

Chen Mi easily stepped over fallen logs and leaped over moss-covered stones, the soil and withered branches crumbling beneath her feet. Despite running for a long time, the burning sensation in her chest that she remembered didn't return; instead, she felt more and more energetic as she ran.

The light and shadow in the forest were like rotating curtains, rushing past her eyes. Trees, grass, flowers... like a spinning carousel, one scene after another flashing by.

Don't look back! Don't look back! Don't look back!

Shen Mi felt sweat trickling down her forehead and into her eyes. The stinging sensation made it impossible for her to open them. She kept running until the golden man was nowhere to be seen.

She stopped, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead, and looked back in the direction she had come from. Apart from the large, thick trees, there was nothing there.

Shen Mi squinted, carefully surveying his surroundings. Sunlight, fragmented by the branches and leaves, dappled the ground between the towering tree trunks. The fallen leaves lay silently, untouched by footsteps, as if the thrilling chase just moments before had been nothing but an illusion.

What happened?

Did they fail to catch up? Or did they lose them?

Shen Mi found it hard to believe.

She stood there, holding her breath and listening for a long while. Apart from the rustling of the wind through the leaves, the forest was eerily quiet; there were no heavy footsteps or the sound of branches breaking.

She slowly exhaled, her heart still pounding frighteningly fast, but the chill pressing against the back of her neck gradually dissipated.

We really lost them.

Shen Mi wasn't entirely sure, but her intuition told her that the Jin people had indeed failed to keep up.

She paused slightly, the question in her heart like a pebble thrown into water, rippling outwards.

When did I become so amazing?

Yesterday she needed others to cover her escape route, but today she can shake off the Jin people all by herself?

Shen Mi lowered his head, looking at his hands, which were not trembling, and recalled the power that had coursed through his body and the steady rhythm of his breathing while he was running...

It was as if some kind of power that didn't belong to her had suddenly appeared in her body.

She licked her dry lips, a strange and uneasy feeling welling up inside her.

Thinking about the high fever I had last night, could it be that Ren did something?

Shen Mi clenched his fist subconsciously, his fingertips feeling slightly cool.

She was delirious with fever last night, and many memories were blurry. She only remembered that when she woke up, Ren was sitting next to her, dozing off, and his inexplicable question this morning, which now seemed increasingly suspicious to her.

It seems I need to go back and ask them clearly.

Shen Mi made up her mind and was about to retrace her steps when she looked around and saw a forest of almost identical trees. The shadows of the trees overlapped, like twins holding hands and spinning around, so similar that it made her panic.

Moreover, she discovered another problem—

Which direction did she come from? Shen Mi was a little dumbfounded.

*

Dan Heng looked down and noticed a faint glow coming from his pocket.

In the quiet of the night, the subtle, rhythmic sound was like a night watchman patrolling the streets—abrupt, yet strangely natural.

"What's wrong, Danheng?"

He raised his eyes and looked at the Great Elder of the Vidyadhara Clan in front of him. The wrinkles on the other man's face were like deep furrows etched by time and frost, and his smile was still kind, but there were more noticeable signs of aging than a hundred years ago.

Dan Heng lowered his gaze, suppressing the urge to check. He reached into his pocket, his fingertips lightly pressing the mute button, shutting out that glimmer of light and all other information.

"It's alright, Elder, please continue."

"If it's urgent, it's best to take a look," the elder advised with a smile.

Dan Heng just chuckled and shook his head slightly—no need to guess, the one who sent the message was most likely Shen Mi.

He probably couldn't sleep in the middle of the night and wanted to chat with him.

As for why he didn't check, he glanced around. This was the secret core of the Vidyadhara clan, and according to clan rules, no communication devices were allowed inside. However, the guards, out of respect for the Grand Elder, hadn't conducted a thorough search of him.

He would never betray the trust placed in him by the Grand Elder.

"It's nothing."

A faint smile still lingered on Dan Heng's lips.

The elder keenly noticed the change and seemed to sense something unusual.

She narrowed her eyes and probed slowly, "But... what friends did you meet on this trip?"

Dan Heng's expression remained unchanged as his fingertips slowly tightened inside his pocket.

After a moment of silence, he looked up at the Grand Elder, his gaze cool yet revealing a rare seriousness.

"yes."

His voice was deep and steady, yet it was like a heavy stone falling in the night, stirring up ripples in the silence.

"Important people".

The elder was slightly taken aback, then his smile deepened, his eyes revealing deep care and tenderness for Dan Heng, as if he had let go of some concern and was filled with the same joy.

Dan Heng said no more, lowered his gaze again, and let his footsteps echo in the quiet corridor.

"By the way, Elder, may I ask you a question?"

"Of course." The Grand Elder nodded slightly, his tone gentle and calm, with a hint of curiosity: "What would you like to ask?"

"Has she... hatched yet?"

The Grand Elder raised an eyebrow slightly, a meaningful glint in his eyes, and then slowly nodded: "It has already hatched and inherited the dragon transformation techniques of past Dragon Lords."

Her voice was filled with lighthearted joy, as if she were talking to Dan Heng about someone else's story. She sighed, "More than three hundred years have passed, and we have finally waited for the next generation of Dragon Lord. However, she is not yet fully stable and still needs some time to recuperate."

"That's good."

Looking at Dan Heng, who had his head bowed and whose expression was unreadable, the Grand Elder couldn't help but pat him on the shoulder: "Dan Heng, the past is the past. She is not anyone's reincarnation, and you are not Dan Feng."

Her tone was calm, yet tinged with patience and warmth. "I once read an ancient book that said that before the Celestial Ship had ever traveled through space, the ancients had mastered a medical technique called organ transplantation—transplanting the organs of a deceased person into another person. Can you say that the person who received the organ transplant is the one who is already dead?"

"Flesh and blood have no consciousness; what truly belongs to you are memories and emotions. As long as you forever remember the existence of your dearest friend, 'death' can never touch her."

"Don't let past regrets bind you, nor let your past experiences limit your progress. Move forward boldly, see the world beyond the celestial vessel, make new friends, and create your own story."

Dan Heng froze, heavy thoughts churning in his chest. His breath hitched, as if a pause button had been gently pressed, and he remained still for a moment.

In the end, it all turned into a soft sound.

"good."

The Grand Elder smiled with relief: "In that case, I can rest assured. The new Dragon Lord is already a concern for me, and I have no time to take care of you."

Dan Heng frowned slightly and asked, "What... happened to her?"

The Grand Elder's expression hardened slightly, his tone calm yet tinged with seriousness: "I won't hide it from you, the Ming Clan is suspicious of the new Dragon Lord, and many elders don't believe in its abilities. Some have even been secretly searching for your whereabouts, even going so far as to collude with others. However, rest assured, everything is under control, and only a few accomplices have not yet been caught."

Dan Heng was slightly taken aback, his voice low and questioning: "Following me?"

The elder nodded, his gaze grave: "Yes, they are unwilling to accept that you have abandoned your original identity and still want to control your movements. Their purpose is obvious. If you are not careful, you may be drawn into a deeper vortex."

Dan Heng suddenly realized that the phone that rang only once was probably not from Shen Mi.

Then there will be only one person left.

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Author's Note: Danheng is making a limited-time return!!! What follows is a chaotic scene ε=ε=(≧≦)