"Do you like me?"

The clear girl's voice with a smile sounded leisurely, and Pei Ji stared at her eyes in a daze.

In stark contrast to his stunned and speechless appearance, outside the mysterious mirror, the place had become a big stage filled with screams and smiles.

"Huff, huff, goose, goose, goose, huff."

Tian Xianzi was so happy that his mouth and eyes were crooked, and he made the sounds of various animals one after another, almost laughing like a dog barking: "Why, why are you suddenly talking about this topic? It makes me embarrassed."

Qu Feiqing glared at him, annoyed: "Bah! If you hadn't been so determined to protect the mysterious mirror, would we have stared at the stone on the top of the cliff for so long?"

Lin Qian's eyes were dull: "Some things, if you miss them for a moment, you will miss them for a lifetime."

When they saw Ningning going down the mountain to look for Pei Ji, a bunch of onlookers clamored to change their view, but Tianxianzi's sense of justice overflowed again, and he held the Xuan Jing tightly in his arms, not allowing others to touch it.

This was a new mirror that had just been replaced. Lin Qian was afraid that it would be shattered to pieces like the old elder who died heroically, so she held her breath and did not reach out to grab it. Together with a few people around her, she earnestly tried to reason with Elder Tianxian.

As a result, when he finally gave in and turned the camera to the river, Ningning's words "Do you like me?" rang in the ears of everyone present.

The plot is like a roller coaster, reaching the top in an instant. It is like having a big meal at Tianxianglou. Before your tongue has even tasted the food, your stomach is already full.

Several pairs of eyes suddenly became extremely sharp, and they began to discuss how to deal with Tian Xianzi, the shameful and hateful traitor.

"Wait, wait!"

He Xiaochen spoke up to stop the chaos at the scene, squinting his eyes and looking deep into the mysterious mirror: "It seems a little strange... What do you think that is?"

Lin Qian lowered her head upon hearing this, her eyes fell on the mysterious mirror, and she was also stunned.

The floor of the pagoda where Ningning and the others were located was filled with demonic energy, and black fog floating in the air could be seen everywhere.

Somehow, the mist that should have been as thin as gauze suddenly gathered, and the dark color gradually condensed, and turned into ink-like black in silence.

"This is……"

Qu Feiqing frowned: "Such a turbulent demonic energy... What kind of demons are imprisoned on this floor?"

"Since it is on the river at the top of the mountain," He Xiaochen explained patiently, "it should be a black dragon."

Pei Ji's perception would not be wrong. The closer to the top of the mountain, the stronger the demonic energy would be. There was only one feasible explanation for this situation.

On the top of the mountain, there resides a giant monster whose strength far exceeds that of all other monsters.

As soon as He Xiaochen finished speaking, he heard a loud noise coming from the mysterious mirror -

A huge black shadow suddenly emerged from the river water at the top, causing dark clouds to gather together and covering the little light left in the sky.

A dragon emerged from the water, the sky and the earth became dark. Ningning looked up in the direction of the sound and saw three familiar shadows by the river.

They were Meng Jue, Yonggui and Bai Ye.

How come the eldest brother and the others...are there?

She hadn't had time to let go of the confusion in her heart, but in the moment she was stunned, a ding-dong sound rang in her ears again.

Ningning was confused.

No way.

The eldest brother’s plot just ended, but the system prompt sound came again? !

She couldn't remember any plot related to dragons in the original novel, so she had to calm herself down and look carefully at the words that appeared in her mind.

[——The magical plant on the top of the cliff, at the end of the river... is actually the Lingshu Immortal Grass!

Ningning's heart trembled violently, and a dark light unconsciously rose in her eyes.

Saint-level spiritual plants are hard to come by, but if you can get one and make pills from it, it will be equivalent to hundreds of years of cultivation!

If she got this thing, why would she worry about not being as good as Pei Ji in every way?

Ningning was determined to win, and her eyes unconsciously looked at Pei Ji who was not far away.

That was her only obstacle.

No matter what...she must get the Lingshu Immortal Grass! ］

[Ding Dong! ］

[Mission released: Please grab the Lingshu Immortal Herb at all costs. ］

Lingshu Immortal Herb.

Ningning's heart moved. She had heard of this name before. It was one of the magical herbs that cured Wen Hemian. She didn't expect to encounter it here.

This mission does not seem to be too difficult, and after it is accomplished, a reasonable explanation can be found.

After all, picking precious spiritual plants in the secret realm is not a bad thing. The reason why Meng Jue and the other three appeared on that steep cliff was probably to take the treasure, but they didn't expect to scare the dragon and get into trouble.

only……

Ningning's expression darkened slightly, and her consciousness once again swept through the neatly arranged bold words in her mind.

The original novel did not mention the dragon, and all the focus of the plot was on the snatching of the magic herb.

What on earth had gone wrong for them to cause the black dragon to surface?

Ningning didn't have time to think about it.

——The dragon that was supposed to be facing Meng Jue and the others suddenly shook its body, and its dark golden snake pupils suddenly moved downwards, falling exactly on her and Pei Ji.

"What's going on?"

Lin Qian was stunned: "It was obviously those three people who frightened the black dragon. Why did it leave them alone and specifically look at Ning Ning and Pei Ji?"

"Maybe it's the devilish energy that attracts each other."

Tian Xianzi concentrated and responded: "Pei Ji has a demonic aura, which can be sensed instantly by the black dragon."

As soon as he finished speaking, the black dragon in the mysterious mirror let out a hoarse roar, leaned over and rushed towards the two of them!

Pei Ji knew that Ning Ning had little spiritual power left, so he immediately put on his coat and drew his sword to stand in front of her.

Seeing this situation, the other three people no longer had time to pick the Lingshu immortal grass. They all took out their magic weapons and rushed over from the top of the steep cliff.

This black dragon should be the strongest among the sixty-second floor. When it appeared, it was filled with demonic aura so strong that Ningning almost couldn't breathe.

She was about to raise her hands to cover her mouth and nose, but when she glanced upwards, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

Pei Ji held the sword in front of her. Although he tried to hide it, one could still see that his back was trembling slightly.

Ningning subconsciously thought that the wound had split, but after looking carefully, she finally discovered the most critical change.

Wisps of black smoke began to emanate from all around the boy's body.

That is demonic energy.

That's right.

The demons can sense each other, and the sword energy and demonic energy in Pei Ji's body are counteracting each other. Now that he is affected by the black dragon, it is inevitable that the demonic energy will increase greatly.

It's like a huge rock suddenly falling into a calm lake, causing ripples that are difficult to calm down.

He tried to cover it up, but in fact the evil spirit might have gotten out of control.

The black dragon roared over, spewing out a deadly smell like a rotting corpse from its mouth;

Pei Ji gripped the hilt of the sword tightly and stepped forward without saying a word, blocking the billowing black smoke for the girl behind him. At the same time, the black fog around him became thicker and thicker. When the sword light fell down, he could no longer hold on and frowned and spat out a mouthful of blood.

There was no way he could retreat.

Once Pei Ji falls, Ning Ning is doomed to die.

Ningning should help him now.

But in my mind, a ding-dong sound from the system came: [Please obtain Lingshu Immortal Grass as soon as possible. ］

"No, I have to first--"

She wanted to refute, but was interrupted by the other party with a cold voice: "We must obtain the Lingshu Immortal Herb as soon as possible. Start the countdown, please take action immediately: 10, 9, 8...]

Ningning cursed in her heart.

Pei Ji, who was not far away, was almost wrapped in layers of thick black air, as if he was in a closed cocoon.

The sword intent and demonic energy backfired together, and his whole body must have been in pain. Therefore, he was obviously at a disadvantage in the fight with the black dragon.

Ningning made up her mind, flew forward without looking back, and headed straight towards the direction where the magic grass was.

I don’t know if it was an illusion, but the moment she left, a disdainful, almost complacent sneer came from my mind.

She couldn't help but swear again.

"Pei Ji is dying! Doesn't that brat know there's something wrong with the demonic energy in his body? He's standing in front of me like a fool... If he does this, he will definitely fall into the demonic mind and his consciousness will be trapped by the demonic energy!"

Lin Qian was so anxious that she jumped up and down, with a look of disbelief in her eyes: "Ningning - why did she run towards the direction of the fairy grass?"

She didn't think Ningning would ignore Pei Ji and focus entirely on the fairy grass.

But that seems to be the case.

The little girl in the mysterious mirror moved very quickly and soon reached the Lingshu Immortal Grass. Ningning lowered her eyelashes and looked at the unremarkable young bud that had only two leaves like the previous one.

While the war was raging in the distance, when Meng Jue and the other two arrived, Pei Ji was already surrounded by a thick layer of demonic aura.

A stronger aura than the black dragon.

I don’t know what he felt when he saw her running towards the Lingshu Immortal Grass.

The senior brothers and others were too busy to spare any time, trapped by the black dragon and unable to distract themselves, so it was impossible for them to save Pei Ji; she had no spiritual power, so naturally she couldn't help him either.

Thinking of this, Ningning's eyes dimmed.

wrong.

How could she not have a solution? What was in front of her...wasn't it the best solution?

"Hello."

She raised her lips slightly and whispered in her heart, "Don't you find it strange that I came here without hesitation?"

The voice inside my head didn't respond.

Ningning let out an inaudible chuckle, took a deep breath, and felt her trembling fingertips.

She was shaking unconsciously, but her hands did not stop moving. In the empty silence, she plucked a leaf from the Lingshu Immortal Grass.

Put it in your mouth immediately.

The icy cold temperature quickly spread across the tip of her tongue. Ningning frowned because of the cold. When she swallowed the whole leaf, she could feel the tingling pain throughout her body.

Until this moment, the unchanged Iceberg system voice finally showed a ripple: [You are crazy! ］

"She's crazy?!"

Outside the mysterious mirror, someone suddenly realized something and exclaimed, "She wants to use the Lingshu Immortal Grass to quickly improve her cultivation and break the evil spirit around Pei Ji!"

Lin Qian was horrified: "What is she doing? Swallowing the holy grass directly, doesn't she know that it is a taboo that can kill people? This is ridiculous!"

Qu Feiqing standing by also had her brows furrowed, her gaze fixed on the mysterious mirror.

Lingshu Immortal Grass is a rare holy-level spiritual plant that possesses rich spiritual energy that ordinary people cannot imagine.

Although the effect is huge, the stronger the spiritual power, the heavier the burden on the body, and it often needs to be harmonized through alchemy.

Swallow it directly into your stomach like this, and wait for the majestic spiritual power to surge up and suddenly flow into the meridians of your whole body...

Such a strong impact would be difficult for even Ningning, who had reached the Golden Core stage, to bear, let alone her.

If you fail to make it through this hurdle, at best your cultivation will be greatly damaged and your bones will be severely injured. At worst you will die and never be able to open your eyes again.

"She risked her life to save Pei Ji!"

Seeing Ningning in the mysterious mirror suddenly spit out a mouthful of blood, He Xiaochen broke out in a cold sweat.

He had never thought that such a seemingly weak little girl would have such courage to fight to the death. Seeing this, he looked at Tian Xianzi hurriedly and said anxiously:

"No, no! Isn't this just courting death? Elder Tianxian, we should get them out of the Monster Refining Tower as soon as possible!"

Tian Xianzi usually loves this group of disciples the most, but when he heard this, he just frowned slightly and did not respond to the other party's words.

"She is at her weakest right now. If she is disturbed by external forces, her consciousness will be in chaos."

He stared at Ningning without blinking, dark clouds surging in his eyes, revealing a gloomy look that few people have ever seen: "All we can do... is wait here for the result."

"Then I'll go directly to the Demon Refining Tower!"

Lin Qian was anxious: "We promised before the Ten Dharma Assembly that we would do our best to ensure the safety of every disciple. Now the situation is special, I——"

Before she could finish her words, she was caught off guard by Ji Yunkai's half-smile in the gaze, and the unfinished words were choked in her throat.

"Don't panic."

Bean Sprout, with red lips and white teeth, leaned back in the chair, with a few fleeting expectations in her eyes: "Eating Lingshu Immortal Grass like she did, although her life is in danger, but between the nine deaths, there is always a little chance of survival - isn't it?"

Lin Qian gritted her teeth and said nothing.

"The road to immortality is long, how can it always be smooth sailing?"

Ji Yunkai propped up his cheek, squeezing out a ball of soft white flesh, and said with a narrowed eyed smile: "Besides, that's Ningning, don't you have confidence in her?"

Lin Qian was slightly stunned.

"It's because of her that I'm more worried."

Qu Feiqing sighed: "When you get old, you can't stand seeing separation and death and risking your life... Now that I see her fighting so hard, it's like my own daughter is suffering, and my heart is filled with anxiety."

"Look!"

He Xiaochen's voice suddenly rose, and there was a hint of surprise in his words: "Ningning's sword is unsheathed!"

Inside the Demon Refining Tower, demonic energy surged at an unprecedented rate, solidifying into dark shadows that seemed to have solid entities, like ghosts climbing up from the abyss, covering the sky and the sun.

The long roar of the ferocious beast was mixed with the howling of the wind, the dry branches were rustling, and in the chaotic darkness, a dazzling white light suddenly flashed.

The Star Mark Sword in her hand exuded a chilling coldness. Ning Ning barely managed to steady her body, and tried her best to open her eyes, forcing herself not to faint.

The heart was beating at an incredibly fast frequency, and when it hit the chest heavily, every collision was like a heavy boulder hitting it hard, bringing unbearable pain that spread along the nerves to every corner of the body.

My head is throbbing with pain.

Her head hurt like a splitting knife, cutting into her brain. She wished she could cut her brain open, maybe that would make her feel better.

The most uncomfortable thing is the meridians in the body.

The spiritual power of Lingshu Immortal Grass was beyond her ability to withstand. The surging power was like a raging flame that could break through her fragile container at any time and burn everything to ashes.

Every meridian felt like it was about to explode with pain.

But she must not fall down at this time.

Ningning took a deep breath with a trembling voice, feeling the surging power in her body gradually filling every vein, and her cultivation level at the peak of the Golden Core realm rose rapidly, like a flood, unstoppable.

She still has her sanity.

She could still hold on, hold on... and pull Pei Ji back.

The system was determined to make her ignore Pei Ji, but this was her life and she had to decide for herself.

It can do everything it can to alienate her and make her do things against her will, and she can then follow its will and use it in turn.

In order to leave Pei Ji behind, he must seize the Lingshu Immortal Herb at all costs.

But to save Pei Ji, Lingshu Immortal Herb must be used.

Everything has its own destiny. Even if the system's instructions go against her will, she still has a way...

Recreate another logical chain.

This is her law.

She is not a machine that only knows how to follow orders, but a living person.

"She can't hold on any longer!"

Lin Qian couldn't bear to look any further, her heart beating like a drum: "The demonic energy beside Pei Ji is so dense, even a Yuanying stage disciple would have a hard time breaking it completely. With her current condition... can she really succeed?"

"Ningning is also concerned about this issue."

Tian Xianzi's eyes never left the Xuan Jing, and his brows were furrowed the whole time. "So she has to hold on and wait for the Lingshu Immortal Grass to penetrate every part of her body."

He paused, a look of pity on his face: "When she is in the most pain and about to lose her mind, that is also the time when her spiritual power is the most abundant."

Everyone was silent.

“If Ningning can come out of the Monster Refining Tower this time,” Lin Qian said, “she can choose any of the spirit pets in my Beast Taming Sect.”

Qu Feiqing was stunned and continued, "She can choose any of the male and female cultivators in my Niguan Island."

After a pause, he added seriously, "Including me."

Tian Xianzi glanced at her quietly, then turned to look in the mirror.

The girl holding the sword had a pale face, and her eyes were gradually becoming cloudy and out of focus. Suddenly, the sword flashed, and Ningning spat out a pool of blood from her mouth.

She was like a floating cotton ball in the air, about to fall, yet also like a sharp sword out of its sheath, standing tall and unyielding.

The bright sword light became more and more intense amid the buzzing sound, and the spiritual power shrouding the sword body turned into starlight, bringing out incomparable beautiful colors.

The young man outside the mirror had long eyelashes trembling, his clenched fists were full of cold sweat, and he said in a deep voice: "It is at this moment."

Right at this moment.

The Star Mark Sword let out a long whistle, and the sword energy gathered and swirled, pulling in a huge wave of air. In the boundless darkness of the black fog, a ray of white light shot up into the sky.

My whole body was in great pain, and my thoughts were like a boat in a storm, drifting back and forth without a moment's rest.

Ningning tightly gripped the long sword in her hand, concentrated her mind and held her breath, concentrating her remaining consciousness and strength on the sword.

The evil energy surrounding Pei Ji surged again, but she did not dodge. Instead, she silently recited the sword techniques and let her eyes be ignited by the fighting spirit.

She is the weakest now.

But also the strongest.

The white light flashed like a gust of wind, and in a flash, it hit the rolling thick clouds on the horizon, piercing a crack in the center of the cloud layer, with unstoppable force -

In an instant, the sky and the earth changed color, the dark clouds broke apart, and the long-lost warm orange sunlight slowly overflowed from under the darkness.

The sword energy became stronger and stronger, and from the initial pure white it gradually gained a star-like bright color. From a distance, it looked like the Milky Way falling from the horizon.

Ningning held her breath and drew her sword.

The falling starlight all fell on the thin girl.

——Then the starlight condensed and transformed into thousands of dazzling long and narrow rays of light, like a rain of flying swords, piercing into the overwhelming and dense demonic energy!

“Devil’s Breath…”

He Xiaochen's heart nearly jumped into his throat, and he spoke in a hoarse voice: "It's broken!"

Sword lights flashed and fell, accompanied by a wailing roar. The black fog had nowhere to hide under the galaxy and turned into wisps of thin smoke that scattered in all directions.

And in the swirling smoke, the young man's thin figure was gradually outlined by spots of light. With her last bit of consciousness, Ningning saw his tightly pursed thin lips, a dark red teardrop at the corner of his eye, and his turbid blood-red pupils.

Pei Ji, who was haunted by evil spirit, also looked up and stared at her through his hazy and lifeless eyes.

He thought he was going to die.

There was only endless darkness before his eyes, the devil's aura raging, and his whole body was filled with excruciating pain as if his bones and flesh were being shattered. It was just like the sunlightless cellar of his childhood, where he was all alone and could not see the slightest hope.

But suddenly, a ray of light broke through the layers of darkness, and the girl came to him little by little, step by step.

She was so bright and beautiful, but she came alone into this dark, gloomy and suffocating swamp.

Pei Ji smelled the familiar scent of gardenia.

The slender figure swayed slowly, and seemed to fall forward due to exhaustion, and Pei Ji held her in his arms, as if touching a soft flame.

"Pei Ji, don't be afraid."

Ningning whispered in his ear, her breath weak and her voice getting lower and lower, like a flying dandelion: "I'm here... I won't leave you alone."

Irresistible words, with just a few words, broke down his indestructible defenses one by one, turning them into a pool of soft water, leaving him with no strength to resist.

Pei Ji remembered the question he heard not long ago, about whether he liked Ning Ning.

He couldn't think of an answer.

His love is too cheap. Using only this word to describe the feelings in his heart seems to be particularly understated.

If Ningning wanted, Pei Ji could give her everything he had, including his skills, property, feelings, and even this scarred body.

But once this thought is clear, more complicated desires will come flooding in.

For example, I want her to stay by my side forever, or to feel her body temperature very close to me, or...

For example, touch her everywhere, over and over again, with your fingertips or lips.

Even if trapped by inner demons and chaotic consciousness.

But the boy's heart, which had been silent for a long time, still beat heavily at this moment.

Pei Ji thought, he didn't want Ningning to leave.

She was the one who barged in first.

It's no wonder... He wanted to hold her tightly.