Lin Yue froze in place, staring at Xia Zichen, who looked familiar yet unfamiliar. Ah Fu struggled to get up from the ground, ignoring the blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, and shouted, "Mr. Xia! Wake up!" However, in response, Xia Zichen swung a sword with star-like energy. Ah Fu narrowly dodged it, and his back hit the stone pillar of the underground palace.
Lin Yue clenched her fists so tightly that her nails nearly pierced her palms. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and shouted, "Xia Zichen! Do you remember the days when we ate Hu pancakes together on the streets of Chang'an? Do you remember how serious you looked when you taught me how to read the star map? This isn't the real you!" Before she could finish her words, Xia Zichen launched another sword attack, only to dissipate abruptly three inches from her chest.
A trace of struggle flashed in the boy's dark pupils, and his voice was hoarse and painful: "Go... Leave me alone..." At this moment, the walls of the underground palace began to crack, and countless black mists poured out from the cracks, condensing into phantoms clad in black robes. The leading phantom let out a shrill laugh: "Finally, the seal will be completely lifted! It has been a thousand years, and it is time for our king to return!
Ah Fu struggled to his feet, stumbling to his feet before Lin Yue. Lin Yue suddenly recalled the scene on the mural. Within the fragments of her memory, it seemed she had overlooked a crucial clue: when the immortal sealed the power, he had left behind a motto: "Only a pure heart can subdue this power." She gritted her teeth and made a secret decision.
Lin Yue suddenly pushed Ah Fu away and rushed towards Xia Zichen. As everyone stared in astonishment, she opened her arms and hugged Xia Zichen. Instantly, a powerful force erupted from Xia Zichen's body, and Lin Yue felt as if her body was being torn apart, but she held on tightly, refusing to let go. "Xia Zichen, I believe in you!" Her voice was firm and gentle, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Xia Zichen's body trembled violently, a glimmer of clarity gradually emerging in his dark pupils. Seeing this, the black-robed figures roared in anger and lunged at Lin Yue and Xia Zichen. Ah Fu brandished his sword, desperately trying to block the attack, his body constantly incurring new wounds, but he never retreated a single step.
As Lin Yue persisted, the star pattern on Xia Zichen's neck began to emit a soft glow, fiercely countering the dark mist of the black-robed phantoms. Suddenly, Xia Zichen shouted, and a dazzling white light burst out from his body, dispelling all the black-robed phantoms. After the white light dissipated, Xia Zichen leaned weakly on Lin Yue's shoulder. His pupils regained their former clarity, and his face was filled with guilt and gratitude: "I'm sorry... Thank you..."
However, just as they breathed a sigh of relief, the underground palace suddenly began to tremble violently, as if the entire underground world was about to be torn apart. The armillary sphere, which had previously calmed down, now seemed to be driven by a mysterious force and began to spin wildly.
As the sphere spun, the dispersed black mists began to gather again, as if summoned by some kind of force. Like a black vortex, they rapidly devoured everything around them, leaving people with an irresistible fear.
This sudden change caught everyone off guard. They looked at everything in front of them in horror, not knowing how to deal with this bigger crisis.
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