Source of the disaster

"She is Yuan Shuang, the younger sister of the Second Elder of Hidden Tide, Yuan Jing."

"Oh." Xing Zhi'er took a step forward and asked, "Why is she following you?"

"The Second Elder asked me to help take care of it."

Xing Zhier didn't ask any further questions, but she felt a little unhappy. Li Ling was obviously her friend, but only a few days had passed and he actually brought such a little follower with him.

Yuan Shuang timidly stuck her head out, her eyes shining, and said foolishly, "Sister, you are so beautiful!" After that, she shyly shrank back.

Xing Zhi'er didn't expect this little girl to be so sweet. She suppressed the corners of her mouth that were about to turn up, snorted softly, and said as a matter of course: "Of course."

"Why are you here?" Xing Zhier had either been put in solitary confinement by the leader of the Jinming tribe or on the way to solitary confinement, so she had never had the opportunity to leisurely wander around the outskirts of Jinming.

"What? I can't come here? This is Jinming's territory." Then, she rolled her eyes and muttered, "If the old man hadn't told me to enter some shabby secret realm to try my luck, I wouldn't have bothered to come to this godforsaken place."

After Li Ling removed the seal on his body, his hearing became amazing, and Xing Zhier's muttering fell into his ears exactly.

Secret place?

Could it be the secret place that Lize mentioned?

"You came here alone?"

Xing Zhi'er had a strange look on her face, evasive, and vaguely said "hmm". But she felt there was no need to feel guilty about anything, so she backed up and said arrogantly, "What's it to you? Why bother with so much!"

Xing Zhier glared at Yuan Shuang, frightening her so much that she shuddered. The soul that had been bewitched by Xing Zhier's beauty finally came back to its senses.

This little girl is really timid. Xing Zhier found it a bit funny.

Li Ling felt helpless, but knowing that Xing Zhier had no ill intentions, he ignored it.

"Zhi'er? So you're here! You were so easy to find." Li Mingzhe waved a paper fan in his hand, looking relaxed, as if he was taking a stroll in his own home. He folded the fan and used it to brush away the leaves and branches that blocked his head.

Xing Zhier glanced at him with a cold expression, "Why do you always follow me? Don't you know you're annoying?"

Li Mingzhe's expression remained unchanged. His eyes were narrow and long, a bit like a fox's, but not demonic. Instead, they were filled with shrewd calculations. "Uncle Xing asked me to protect you. As your older brother, I naturally have to take good care of you."

He stopped there and didn't say anything more.

Xing Zhier understood what he meant. If she continued to avoid Li Mingzhe and got rid of him when he was not paying attention, she would definitely be scolded by the old man again when she returned home.

She understood the reason, but she just didn't like being controlled like this, so she said irritably, "I know."

"My name is Li Mingzhe. We have met before." Li Mingzhe narrowed his eyes slightly, and his brocade clothes showed his luxury, with the leisurely demeanor of a rich young man.

"Li Ling." Li Ling nodded in response.

This person followed Xing Zhier to the Hidden Tide Law Enforcement Hall a few months ago, and now he's still acting like he's protecting his child...

Li Ling turned his head away and ignored it. He was not interested in getting involved in their love affair.

Li Mingzhe's eyes were filled with uncertainty, and he feigned curiosity as he asked, "Mr. Li, what brings you to Jinming this time? You can't be here just to... hang out, right?"

He was also present at the Law Enforcement Hall, so he naturally knew that Li Ling was burdened with gambling debts.

What Yuan Shuang was looking for was in Jinming, and Xing Zhier was the young patriarch of Jinming. Li Ling didn't think of hiding it: "I'm here to look for a medicinal herb."

Xing Zhier: "What medicinal herbs?"

Yuan Shuang poked his head out, "Fire Qilin Grass."

Xing Zhier looked confused: "...I haven't heard of it."

Li Ling didn't expect Xing Zhier to know any elixirs. After all, Jinming specialized in offensive techniques, and a Jinming genius with such outstanding talent as Xing Zhier wouldn't be exposed to much about pharmacology.

Just as Li Ling was about to ask Xing Zhi'er to help him find some medicinal herbs, he saw Li Mingzhe standing by, looking thoughtful. He stroked his chin and frowned, saying, "This... is a bit difficult."

"Do you know where it is?" Yuan Shuang's eyes were shining with excitement.

"I know. It's in the secret realm we are going to."

Li Ling frowned slightly, vaguely guessing something, and asked, "Mirror of Dreams?"

Li Mingzhe smiled and nodded, "Yes."

Yuan Shuang, who was standing behind Li Ling, turned pale upon hearing this. She grabbed the corner of Li Ling's clothes and said in panic, "Brother Ling, it's too dangerous out there. Let's go back. I, I don't want the Fire Qilin Grass anymore."

Xing Zhier laughed ostentatiously, revealing her two small fangs: "Coward."

Yuan Shuang said unconvincedly, "You are the coward." Then he shrank back.

"Li Ling, you come in with us. Although the Dream Mirror is dangerous, it also holds great opportunities. Moreover, the five clan leaders have found a loophole in the Dream Mirror in ancient books. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

Yuan Shuang poked her head out and said to Li Ling angrily, "No matter how good the opportunity is, it's not worth life. Brother Ling, we're not going!"

"I won't go." Li Ling said without hesitation: "I promised Elder Yuan that I would take good care of Yuan Shuang, and I can't give up halfway."

Yuan Shuang lowered her head and tightened her grip on the corner of Li Ling's clothes.

After spending some time with her, she had a rough idea of what kind of person Li Ling was. He was a man of few words, but he had a very good temper, and sometimes he was even more patient than her own brother.

He was so smart, he must have guessed what she had done long ago, but he just cautiously avoided her and never bothered her...

For those who practice cultivation, opportunities are hard to come by. If you miss this opportunity, you may never come across it again in your entire life.

Yuan Shuang gritted her teeth, looked up and said to Li Ling, "Go!" She looked at Xing Zhi'er firmly, "But you have to take me with you."

Li Ling disagreed: "It's very dangerous."

Xing Zhi'er slapped him on the shoulder and snorted, "What are you afraid of? I'm here with you. Are you still afraid that you can't protect her?"

"...Or, I'll send you to Qingya first..."

"I won't go back!" Yuan Shuang's eyes were red as she questioned Li Ling, "Didn't you promise my brother to take care of me? It's only been a few days and you're sending me back. Don't you like me?"

Li Ling didn't expect Yuan Shuang to have such a big reaction, so he explained, "The Dream Mirror is extremely dangerous. I'm not sure I can protect you. I promised your brother that I would protect you. It's safest for you to go back now."

"Li Ling, if she wants to go, just let her go. With me here, are you still worried about her getting hurt?" Xing Zhi'er patted her chest and promised, "From now on, I'll protect you."

Yuan Shuang grabbed Li Ling and searched his pockets. "I'm not powerless. I know how to poison you!"

Li Mingzhe's eyes flashed with understanding, and he asked casually, "Are you Qingya's 'Poison Madman'?"

Li Ling was stunned for a moment, and when he saw Yuan Shuang shrink back but did not deny it, he had the answer in his heart, and quietly let go of the hand that was supposed to hold her hand.

Even though Li Qi had died, he still could not forget the heart-wrenching pain of the solar eclipse... If it weren't for that seal, he would probably have died in that lonely night, with no one knowing.

The three of them didn't notice Li Ling's change. Xing Zhier asked, "When do we leave?"

Li Mingzhe: "When dawn turns to dusk."

The surrounding sounds gradually drifted away. Li Ling was lost in thought. He understood that everything has its pros and cons. Whether it was good or bad depended on who used it. Yuan Shuang had no intention of harming anyone. It was just that some people had dirty minds and used the drug to kill people...

Let this matter end here with the bizarre death... The little girl is timid and sensitive, and she is a sentimental person. If she really knew about this, her eyes would probably be swollen into walnuts from crying.

After figuring it out, Li Ling rubbed Yuan Shuang's head and followed the pace of Xing Zhier and the others.

The sun sets over the mountains, and night slowly appears, drawing all things into its embrace. All things shed the day's fatigue, lowering their guard and anxiety, waiting only to drift off to sleep and enjoy a sweet dream.

"The time has come, let's open the realm." At this time, Li Mingzhe put away his laziness during the day, and with a serious expression, he released spiritual power with Li Ling to open the secret realm at the junction of the five tribes.

As spiritual power continued to be injected, the door to the secret realm slowly rose, and the surrounding area was full of colorful light, emitting brilliant light that dazzled people.

As expected of the Mirror of Dreams, a single door was enough to unsettle and unsettle one's mind. Sweat beads formed on Li Ling's forehead. He wondered how long the might emanating from the Mirror of Dreams would last...

Li Mingzhe looked at Li Ling calmly. He didn't expect that Li Ling had made such rapid progress in recent days and had reached a level that was comparable to him.

The power of the secret realm showed no signs of easing, which made the four of them doubt whether what the patriarchs of the five tribes said was true.

Just when the four people were in doubt, the power of the secret realm slowly dissipated and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"careful!"

Damn it!

Li Ling shouted, and just as he was about to use Yuan Shuang's wrist, the door to the secret realm suddenly opened without warning, emitting a dazzling light and sucking the four people in.

The eerie light disappeared in the redwood forest, as if it had never appeared.