After a day of classes.
As night fell, groups of students strolled out of the school gates, chatting and laughing, heading home under the guidance of the streetlights.
In front of the dilapidated building, Chi Chen suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky where a few stars were scattered. The half-moon, emitting a cold white light, hung quietly in the sky like a small boat.
Everything seemed so normal, yet in Chi Chen's puzzled eyes, it appeared somewhat abnormal.
"Chi Chen, are you really alright? You've been out of sorts all day, even in class. Why are you always spacing out?"
Lin Bai stepped into the building, turned to look at Chi Chen who had suddenly stopped and looked up, and asked with some doubt, "Chi Chen seems a little abnormal today."
"I don't know why I feel a bit strange today, but it's okay, it's probably just because I didn't sleep well last night!"
Upon hearing Lin Bai's voice, Chi Chen lowered his gaze from above, shook his head, and decided not to delve any further.
"Hey, Xiao Chen, you're back! Come in, come in and sit down. Have some of the fruit Auntie bought today!"
On the first floor, Lin Bai's mother happened to be taking out the trash when she saw Chi Chen with Lin Bai. She immediately and warmly invited Chi Chen to come in and sit down.
"Um, thank you, Aunt Zhang, but my mom is waiting for me to come home for dinner! I'll definitely come next time."
Chi Chen looked at the woman wearing an apron and smiling at him, and for some reason, he suddenly felt a pang of pain in his heart, but he did not show it on his face.
"Alright, then Auntie won't keep you any longer. Come over and tutor my Lin Bai more often when you have time. Sigh, if Lin Bai were half as good at studying as you, Auntie wouldn't have to worry so much!"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Zhang shifted the topic back to her son.
"Mom? I'm not as bad as you say. Besides, with your son's handsome face, even if I don't get into university, I'll be more than capable of becoming a star. Don't worry, I'll definitely make sure you live a good life in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Bai couldn't help but feel annoyed. He was, after all, your own son, so why did you make him sound so worthless?
"You're all talk. What's so great about being a celebrity? Look at all those celebrities these days, one cheats on their partner today, another goes to jail tomorrow. With your IQ, you'll end up being bought off and still be counting the money for the seller! If you used all that crooked thinking on your studies, how much less trouble would I have to worry about?"
Upon hearing Lin Bai's words about being "uneducated and incompetent," Aunt Zhang immediately reached out and grabbed Lin Bai's ear.
"Ouch, Mom, please be gentle, it hurts! I was wrong, I promise I'll study hard starting tomorrow!"
"Tomorrow?"
"Ah, no, no, starting today, but you have to let me eat first!"
...
As Chi Chen walked down the corridor, listening to the sounds coming from below, a smile couldn't help but appear on his face. He stopped thinking about the strange feelings he had experienced today.
Back home, Zhang Qin had already prepared a hot meal. On the sofa, Chi Yuan was watching a football match. Just then, his favorite team scored a goal, which made Chi Yuan jump up from the sofa with an excited look on his face.
"Son's back! Come on, give your schoolbag to Mom. You must be tired after a long day of studying. Mom made all your favorite dishes today. Go wash your hands and let's eat!"
When Zhang Qin saw Chi Chen return, she quickly went forward to take Chi Chen's schoolbag and handed her son slippers in a familiar manner.
“He’s already eighteen and about to go to college. You’re still spoiling him like this. What will happen if he can’t be independent after he goes to college?”
On the sofa, Chi Yuan watched this scene and said a few words, but he also had a smile on his face.
"Hmph, he's my son, so what if I want to spoil him? No matter how old he gets, in my eyes he'll always be that little kid in open-crotch pants, right, son!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Qin seemed to hum twice in dissatisfaction.
"Yes, Mom, no matter how old I get, I'll always be your son who never grows up!"
Chi Chen's face was also full of smiles as he responded.
"well!"
Chi Yuan looked at this scene with a sense of helplessness.
Inside the living room, the family of three exudes a warm and cozy atmosphere, filled with the warmth of daily life.
Looking at Zhang Qin and Chi Yuan's happy smiles at the dining table, Chi Chen completely shook off the strange feeling from earlier that day.
Yes, as long as he can see this scene every day when he comes home, what does the rest have to do with him?
...
"What's going on? Why is the light from the cocoon in the magic circle gradually weakening?"
Inside the basement of the Shenyuan City Lord's Mansion, Hu Miaomiao watched as the elliptical cocoon of light in the magic array suddenly began to flicker and then the four-colored light gradually weakened. Suddenly, she felt a pang of heart palpitation for no reason.
"This is bad! That kid is gradually falling into a false world. If this continues, his soul will really dissipate!"
Perhaps sensing something amiss with the four-colored cocoon of light formed from Chi Chen's soul within the magic array, Venerable Lingfeng appeared out of thin air beside Hu Miaomiao.
When he saw the four-colored cocoon of light, Venerable Lingfeng's expression changed. According to the ancient book, the several supreme experts who failed to reconstruct their shattered souls all experienced this situation before their souls dissipated.
"What should we do? You need to think of something!"
Upon hearing this, Hu Miaomiao's face turned even paler, and then she looked at Venerable Lingfeng with a cold gaze.
Seeing this, Venerable Lingfeng didn't have time to pay attention to the cold aura emanating from Hu Miaomiao, as he also didn't want Chi Chen's shattered soul reconstruction to fail.
Compared to Hu Miaomiao's current panic, Venerable Lingfeng was much calmer. He was constantly searching his memories in his mind, trying to find a way to save the situation.
No matter how hard Venerable Lingfeng searched, he couldn't find any relevant information, because even the ancient book never recorded a method for saving someone who had failed.
Those powerful figures back then could only watch helplessly as the people whose souls were being reshaped slowly dissipated within the magic array.
Gradually, Venerable Lingfeng also began to lose his composure.
"Alas, the more determined a person is, the easier it is for them to get caught up in things. Those things that have always been hidden in their hearts, things they can't get but desperately want, once they grasp them, whether they are real or not, they are unwilling to give them up! It's so difficult!"
Venerable Lingfeng sighed inwardly. Chi Chen's past experiences had forged his extraordinary willpower, but they had also led him to become trapped in that false world, ultimately resulting in the annihilation of his soul.
Everything in the world has two sides.
This is one of the reasons why Venerable Lingfeng insisted that Chi Chen undergo soul-shattering and reconstruction now. If the world were to remain in this state for a longer period, the obsession hidden in Chi Chen's heart would likely become the biggest obstacle when he takes that crucial step in the future.
"Miaomiao, what are you doing?"
Suddenly, Venerable Lingfeng's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed in surprise. He reached out to grab Hu Miaomiao, but he was too late because of his earlier momentary lapse in concentration.
Hu Miaomiao's face was resolute as she rushed into the magic array alone.
"Buzz!"
Sensing the intrusion of external objects, the magic array buzzed and began to tremble invisibly.
"Ughhhh!"
Hu Miaomiao roared to the sky, her face turning ashen instantly. Her body began to distort and become illusory within the magic array, and an indescribable pain surged through her mind.
"So, for the past ten days or so, you... have been enduring... this kind of pain?"
"No...you...the pain you're enduring...is far more intense than what I'm experiencing right now...but you...liar...how could you abandon me...us!"
Hu Miaomiao's body was constantly being twisted, as if an invisible pair of large hands were forcibly twisting her body.
Hu Miaomiao's face was contorted with pain, and a pale white mark appeared on her forehead. Her aura surged with the appearance of the white mark: early Star Radiance Realm, peak Star Radiance Realm, Ruoyue Realm, peak Ruoyue Realm, Shengyang Realm...
With each determined step forward, Hu Miaomiao's aura grew increasingly terrifying. Finally, when Hu Miaomiao's aura reached the peak of the Shengyang realm, something seemed to suppress her rising momentum. The white mark on Hu Miaomiao's forehead began to glow brightly, as if resisting something.
"How could it have turned out like this!"
Venerable Lingfeng's face was grim; he never expected this to happen.
Lingfeng Venerable stood outside the magic array, suddenly looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through layers of barriers and looking directly at the sky. Above Shenyuan City, streaks of thunderclouds instantly gathered, within which seemed to be dark shadows moving about.
The people in Shenyuan City looked at the strange phenomenon that suddenly appeared in the sky and their faces tensed up, and they began to feel uneasy.
Even those in the God Realm at the same level as Dao Yuanzi, witnessing that scene, wore solemn expressions, their brows furrowed deeply.
"snort!"
Venerable Lingfeng snorted coldly, waved his robe, and at the same time a barrier appeared, another wave containing a terrifying aura also appeared in the sky and directly struck into the thunderclouds.
"But this is really reckless!"
Lingfeng Venerable looked at Hu Miaomiao, who had finally reached the center of the magic array, and sighed in his heart. But there was nothing he could do. If he were to force his way in now, Hu Miaomiao and Chi Chen would disappear along with the magic array.
Then, to Venerable Lingfeng's astonishment, Hu Miaomiao's figure transformed into specks of starlight and merged into the light cocoon formed by Chi Chen's soul.
"Perhaps this variable is a good start!"
Venerable Lingfeng looked at the center of the magic array with a complicated expression.
You all absolutely must come back!
Otherwise, both the divine realm and that blue planet would be plunged into endless darkness!
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