Lu Zhaozhao couldn't understand how the four of them had come together.
Half an hour ago, Nan Rongrui was hostile to her, thinking she had ulterior motives. She was also ruthless and refused Cheng Sangjie who came to visit. Tu Danxi was busy trying to persuade both sides.
But right now, the four who clearly don't get along have formed a team and are heading to the next level together.
Even now, Lu Zhaozhao still finds it unbelievable that Nan Rongrui keeps giving her scrutinizing glances.
Cheng Sangjie and Tudanxi remained calm and composed, chatting and laughing along the way, trying to lighten the awkward atmosphere. Unfortunately, the other two did not appreciate their efforts.
After a bumpy journey, we finally reached the boundary of the third level.
"The next level corresponds to the Nascent Soul Realm. None of us can compare to it. Fighting alone will only lead to our own destruction. If we want to obtain the demon core and improve our cultivation at the same time, we must put aside our differences and cooperate fully."
As Cheng Sangji spoke, his gaze swept from Nan Rongrui to Lu Zhaozhao, and he continued, "Miss Nan, my sister was quite rude before, please don't take it to heart. I know you are still wary of us, so it's better to be upfront before we go in."
He turned to Nan Rongrui and whispered, "Rui."
Nan Rongrui looked at him in disbelief, her eyes filled with grievance, her lips pursed as she clutched Cheng Sangji's clothes, unwilling to speak.
But Cheng Sangji remained unmoved, still looking at Nan Rongrui with a serious expression, his meaning self-evident.
Nan Rongrui angrily flung his sleeve, her eyes red with rage as she turned to look at Tu Danxi. However, he pretended to look away unintentionally, staring intently at the direction of the third floor. Even though there were only layers of branches and leaves there, he stared at it as if he were looking at flowers.
Seeing that no one was willing to stand by her side, Nan Rongrui stomped her foot angrily, her eyes filled with resentment and helplessness as she looked at Lu Zhaozhao.
The atmosphere had turned icy colder than before. Lu Zhaozhao had thought that Nan Rongrui, being born into nobility and possessing exceptional talent, was someone who had been pampered and spoiled since childhood, and would certainly not stoop to apologize to her.
With the idea of getting in early and profiting early, she was about to make up an excuse when Nan Rongrui suddenly changed her expression, as if she had made up her mind. Her face turned red and she sobbed softly to Lu Zhaozhao, "I'm sorry, I was wrong about what happened before, and I won't do it again."
Lu Zhaozhao stared at her with her mouth slightly open, somewhat incredulous, thinking to herself: Could it be that I hit her too hard a few days ago and made her stupid? If that's the case, then I've committed a terrible sin!
Nan Rongrui, with her head down and receiving no response for a long time, assumed that Lu Zhaozhao was deliberately humiliating her. She stood up angrily and glared at her, only to meet a shocked look in her eyes.
Suddenly, all the anger in her body couldn't be released, but the feeling of it stuck in her chest was also uncomfortable. Nan Rongrui looked at Cheng Sangji for help.
Cheng Sangji coughed lightly and said to Lu Zhaozhao, "In that case, shall we go in together?"
Lu Zhaozhao nodded stiffly, her gaze still fixed on Nan Rongrui, making her feel somewhat uncomfortable, and a blush spread from her face to behind her ears.
Her eyes were moist with tears and slightly red. She glared at Lu Zhaozhao coquettishly, bit her lower lip, and ran behind Cheng Sangji.
Lu Zhaozhao was startled and quickly looked away, walking inside. However, her steps were slightly unsteady, unlike her calm demeanor.
Cheng Sangji looked at the scene before him, his ever-present smile widening, which drew the attention of Tu Danxi, who was standing nearby. Tu Danxi sighed that since his second brother arrived, the place seemed to have become more lively. He no longer looked as gentle as before, but there was an indescribable distance in his bones. And Arui had also become much more lively.
A bright smile spread across his face as his gaze fell on Lu Zhaozhao with a hint of inquiry.
A woman shrouded in mystery brought about so many changes, especially Cheng Sangjie, whom Tudan Xixiang had never seen in this state before.
Looking at the two people chatting and laughing ahead, Tu Danxi secretly hoped that there would never be a day when they would become enemies.
As he pondered this, he slapped his forehead and muttered to himself, "Pah, pah, pah, how could we be enemies? We are all demons, so naturally we are on the same side."
Having said that, she relaxed her mind and followed them with a smile.
Once you cross the boundary, the third layer of foliage becomes denser, and human presence is even rarer, making the entire environment closer to a primeval rainforest.
Lu Zhaozhao and Nan Rongrui were petite and posed no obstacle, but Cheng Sangji and Tudanxi were different.
Especially Tu Danxi, who was already tall and muscular, taking up a huge area, making it even more difficult for him to move around in the forest.
The overlapping branches are covered with leaves, growing even more vigorously without human intervention. Often, when he raises his hand to lift the leaves that are blocking his view, another leaf will immediately appear to fill the gap.
After doing this many times, his temper flared up, and he chopped them apart with a few strokes of his knife. Still feeling unsatisfied, he turned around and cut down many more branches.
Fallen leaves filled the sky, rustling as they rubbed against each other in the air, eventually carpeting the ground.
Looking at the green carpet in front of him, Tu Danxi felt a sense of relief.
Lu Zhaozhao walked ahead, and when she heard the noise, she turned around and saw Tu Danxi standing in the fallen leaves. For some reason, she felt that something was wrong, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.
When Cheng Sangji saw her stop, he asked, "What's wrong?"
She shook her head to indicate that it was nothing, and continued walking.
After wandering around for most of the day, all I could see was layers upon layers of lush greenery, making my eyes tired. Even with my eyes closed, all I could see was verdant green.
Nan Rongrui rubbed her aching ankles. Her true form was a Guhuoniao (a type of bird), and birds were not good at long-distance travel. However, this damned place was not suitable for flying, forcing her to walk on the rugged roads. But after walking for so long, she hadn't seen a single living creature, let alone a demon beast.
"How big is this place? We've been walking for so long and haven't seen the end of it, not even a bird." She wrinkled her nose and complained, snapping off a branch and stomping on it as if that would vent her anger.
What was said in jest was taken to heart by the listener. Lu Zhaozhao looked up at the sky, which was obscured by the broad leaves, and wondered: Logically speaking, dense forests should be full of birds, but they hadn't seen a single one since they came in.
She glanced at Cheng Sangji beside her; he too wore a solemn expression, and they both saw wariness in each other's eyes. This wariness wasn't directed at the other person, but rather at their surroundings.
"An illusion?" Lu Zhaozhao whispered.
Cheng Sang nodded uncertainly.
"When did you attain enlightenment?" Lu Zhaozhao continued to ask.
After a moment of silence, Lu Zhaozhao watched Nan Rongrui, who was picking leaves and venting her anger. Her shoes were stained green with leaves. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she widened her eyes and looked at Cheng Sangji, who happened to be looking over as well.
"Tree sap!"
The two spoke in unison.
When Tudanxi first cut down trees to clear a path, she felt something was wrong, but she couldn't see anything at the time. She was afraid that the green sap in the leaves had evaporated and carried them into the illusion.
"It's really impossible to guard against," Lu Zhaozhao thought to herself.
Just as they were about to go ahead to warn them, the sound of leaves rustling behind them broke the silence.
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