Chapter 93. My heart yearns for the bright moon, its light hazy and indistinct.
The sound of wind and footsteps mingled together, and her rapidly accelerating heartbeat and deep, rapid breathing became byproducts of this high-speed run. With the increase in her cultivation level, she hadn't escaped death so exhilaratingly in a long time.
Her gaze automatically locked onto the road ahead, but all that lay ahead was darkness. She could only run forward, relying solely on her strong willpower. Several times she felt the vines behind her touch the hem of her clothes, but in an instant, a surge of determination would rise from nowhere, and she would leave them behind once more.
But would simply running forward be of any use? This cave would eventually come to an end, and the road ahead was unknown; she couldn't place her hopes on something uncertain.
While running, she kept rummaging through her storage bag for anything she could use.
The Pill for Stabilizing Breath, the Demon-Binding Rope, the Heart-Cleansing Pendant, the Thousand-Gold Cauldron, the Lamp for Crossing Tribulations...
Every time she pulled one out, her vision went black. Wasn't there any she could use right now?
With a loud clang, a massive three-legged cauldron landed heavily on the ground.
Hey, I have to say, it did have some effect. A few vines were smashed into the mud and couldn't get up.
The Thousand Gold Cauldron, as its name suggests, is filled with thousands of pieces of gold. However, it cannot be taken out, because it is all conjured using spiritual power. The weight of the Thousand Gold Cauldron and the amount of gold inside depend entirely on the cultivation level of the person using it.
It was obvious that the weight of the Thousand Gold Cauldron she threw out was enough to crush most magical beasts to death.
It's hard to say whether those vines were too resilient or too powerful, but even though they were pressed into the ground and couldn't get up, they quickly burrowed into the ground and then broke out of the soil again where the Thousand Gold Cauldron couldn't reach them.
They quickly caught up with the main force, arriving at a speed determined to pierce through Meng Chiwan and her companion alive!
Seeing this, Meng Chiwan started rummaging through her storage bag again.
While running and rummaging through the wound, she also had to take a moment to check on Yun Xianqing beside her. His complexion was terrible, and the blood flowing from his wound was a dark purple. But in their current situation, they couldn't even bandage his wound, let alone detoxify him.
What happened to the promise that there would be no danger?
Meng Chiwan searched for a long time but couldn't find anything useful. She couldn't help but feel a little desperate and cried out in her heart in helplessness.
They even said they couldn't disturb that beautiful girl.
The matter is no longer about whether to make a scene or not; if she continues to be reserved, she may not be able to leave this island alive.
Thinking this, Meng Chiwan suddenly felt several spherical objects in her storage bag. In an instant, Meng Chiwan knew what they were.
The next instant, the pitch-black cave was first brightly lit to the point of being blinding, then two muffled but deafening thunderous sounds rang out, and finally the entire cave was filled with a strong and pungent smell of gunpowder!
What is that? It's a thunderstorm ball.
The moment Meng Chiwan touched the thunderstorm ball, she only hesitated for a second before throwing it away.
The force of the impact sent Meng Chiwan staggering back several steps, crashing into Yun Xianqing's arms, making his face even paler.
He reached out to help her up, and she stood up and turned to look towards the cave entrance.
The vines were blown apart, but they quickly entangled themselves again, climbing on the protective barrier around Meng Chiwan. One of the thickest vines pointed its tip at the barrier, as if it would pierce through it and then enter her body at any moment.
Meng Chiwan channeled all her spiritual energy, doing her utmost to support the barrier. Yun Xianqing, standing beside her, had lost all color in her face, but still calmly supported her and channeled spiritual energy into her.
I can't run anymore. My lungs will burst if I keep running.
But even the barrier is about to give way.
This was the first time Meng Chiwan had heard the sound of her protective barrier shattering since she entered the Nascent Soul stage.
The sound was neither too loud nor too soft. First, there was a buzzing sound as the energy dissipated, followed by a crisp "crack" sound, like glass shattering on a stone.
The vines penetrated the barrier as easily as if they were passing through a layer of gauze, showing no sign of effort.
Its speed was so fast that it was almost impossible to catch with the naked eye. In the instant that Meng Chiwan dodged, she saw Yun Xianqing firmly blocking her way.
He was clearly soulless, merely a puppet, yet the fact that he would always stand in front of her whenever something happened seemed as if it were etched into his very bones.
A hint of panic flashed in Meng Chiwan's eyes, but in an instant, the surroundings quieted down, and the heavy smell of gunpowder was washed away by a refreshing breeze.
The vines finally stopped in front of his shoulder, and also in front of the Jinglan Sword blocking his way, like a pair of hands that had reached out countless times only to stop in front of him, as if those were feelings that started but stopped at the last minute.
A breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass brushed against her cheek, lifted her skirt, and passed by her side.
In the utter silence, Meng Chiwan turned around and saw the most beautiful sight she had ever seen in the all-encompassing world.
The seemingly endless cave suddenly came to an end, sealing away the unknown and transforming into the bright spring sunshine. And the beauty who should have been combing her long hair on the beach was now leaning against a crystal-clear ice bed, smiling with a touch of spring amidst the chill.
The vines receded. The beauty's long, seaweed-like hair spread out on the ice bed, the extreme black and white intertwined, captivating the eye.
She raised her affectionate eyes, her eyelashes, glistening with a few drops of moisture, trembled slightly, and her thin lips parted slightly. Her voice was softer than the gentlest moonlight, warm in its low tone: "You summoned me here because you found what I was looking for?"
This place is no longer a dark and damp cave; it has been transformed into a brightly lit paradise.
Meng Chiwan stared blankly at the end, her panic turning into tranquility, leaving only a hint of amazement.
"I couldn't find what you needed." Meng Chiwan snapped out of her amazement, her voice soft and gentle, devoid of any harshness.
The beauty showed no reaction to his words. Neither the folds of her light gauze dress nor the smile on her lips changed in the slightest. She continued to gaze at Meng Chiwan, her eyes filled with gentle light.
She was waiting for her next sentence, so focused it was as if she could wait for a thousand or ten thousand years.
Fortunately, Meng Chiwan did have a next sentence, and she didn't have to wait long: "I don't know what you need, but I think you deserve the most precious and beautiful things in this world."
Water dripped onto the ground.
She heard the beautiful woman open her lips and ask her with a smile, "Oh? What is it?"
Meng Chiwan smiled, and then carefully took out a crystal ball from behind her.
Under the woman's slightly questioning gaze, her voice was full of sincerity: "In my eyes, you are the most precious and beautiful thing in this world."
The beauty's gaze fell on the crystal ball.
The crystal ball was projecting the moment Meng Chiwan turned around and saw the beauty. Frosty mist hung in the air, the beauty's eyes were filled with water, her exquisite features seemed unreal, and she was surrounded by a hazy halo, like an immortal descending from the moon.
The beauty chuckled softly: "Since I am how you see me, then why offer up not your eyes, but..."
She paused, her gaze fixed on the crystal ball, filled with genuine doubt.
She was guessing what it was.
Meng Chiwan didn't rush to answer. Instead, she took a few steps closer to her, her pace slow and light, gradually testing the beauty's boundaries.
The beauty did not react to her approach. Her slender white fingers traced across the ice bed and landed on the edge as she casually combed her long, smooth hair.
Meng Chiwan reached out and presented the crystal ball to the beauty, then looked up at her and said in a gentle voice, "This thing is called a developing ball. It can reproduce the scenes seen by its owner. With my eyes still intact, I can see the world again."
The beauty did not reach out to take the developing ball. As she gently raised her head, a breeze brushed against her cheek and then across Meng Chiwan's hair.
A faint melody started playing again out of nowhere, its source unclear.
Meng Chiwan patiently waited for her answer, or rather, observed her intently.
The flowing air seemed to awaken some beautiful memories in the beauty, and she smiled brightly. When she looked at her, it was as if she were not looking at a stranger she was meeting for the first time, but an old friend with whom she had met countless times in goodwill.
She said, "You look a lot like someone."
Meng Chiwan remained silent.
She didn't even wait for her reply, and continued, "But this gift isn't enough to make this island sink to the bottom of the sea."
Meng Chiwan said, "There are mountains and water here, flowers and grass. It shouldn't be submerged at the bottom of the sea."
The beauty said, "But if it doesn't sink, you'll have to stay here forever."
Meng Chiwan said, "Therefore I beg you to come and ferry me across."
The beauty smiled and said, "I need a sincere heart, a sincere heart that I have never received before."
Meng Chiwan said, "You already have it. Why can't my goodwill and sincerity towards you be considered genuine?"
The beauty said, "It's different. The kind of sincerity I need is like this."
She raised her hand, and the veil floated in the air, releasing a golden glow. Then, an image appeared in the air.
Meng Chiwan's gaze followed the golden light and landed on that scene.
In the scene, as the city lights begin to twinkle, a young woman stands on a high platform, her veil hanging down in front of her. She looks up at the sky, where fireworks light up the sky.
Below the high platform, a young man dressed in black robes had his face covered by a thin veil, revealing only the upper half of his face. His beautiful peach blossom eyes looked up at the girl. What he saw as fireworks was not fireworks, but a painting that stirred his heart. What he heard as clamor was not clamor, but the prelude to his heartbeat.
He gazed at her, through layers of noise, yet it seemed he could only see her. She was the sky and the earth in his eyes, the hazy mountains and waters, the melting snow in the clear spring, the sprouting of all trees.
The scene faded away, but the light in the young man's eyes grew brighter and clearer.
My heart yearns for the bright moon, its light hazy and indistinct.
Only after the image completely disappeared did the beauty say, "What I want is this kind of sincerity."
In an instant, Meng Chiwan finally understood what she truly wanted.
"I'll build a stage for you, and you'll perform a play for me. In exchange, I can send you wherever you want to go," the beauty concluded.
In the blink of an eye, the world spun around.
As dusk settles, fireworks light up the sky, and pedestrians stream by, creating a vibrant blend of noise and celebration.
The young lady was shy and timid, while her husband took up his brush and painted her portrait.
The stage was set up in just a few words from her.
Meng Chiwan stood amidst the bustling crowd, like a pebble dropped into a clear river.
Then someone gently tugged at her sleeve. She lowered her head, and the wind passed through her sleeve, like water flowing over a bluestone slab.
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