Chapter 68068 I'm back to the modern era?
The two scales on my wrist are proof that I've reclaimed my remaining soul. Based on their placement, I believe there's still one last shred of it left. But where is it? Theoretically, wherever the vortex takes me, there's my remaining soul. But now, the vortex has brought me back to the lotus pond of Qianyuan Mountain.
Yes, it was the Lotus Pond of Qianyuan Mountain. I was back. Almost without warning, I was brought back. While we meticulously prepared and waited for it, it never arrived. Yet, in a moment's distraction, it miraculously appeared.
This time, too, Xiao Lianhua and I were stargazing by the Yunshui River. As we watched, I felt the stars suddenly begin to spin, like Van Gogh's Starry Night. Although I instantly sensed its arrival, I still felt like I was being swept away by it without warning. When I came to my senses, I was already at Qianyuan Mountain.
At first, I thought it was Qianyuan Mountain from another world, but upon closer inspection, I could sense a different aura. This was the Qianyuan Mountain I'd been to before. It seemed I'd been separated from Little Lotus and Crane again. I'd gotten used to it.
But I still couldn't recover from the immense doubts. If my soul existed in this world, why hadn't I discovered it from the beginning? Why did I have to go through so much trouble to find it?
Besides, whether or not I could return to the lotus pond at Qianyuan Mountain wasn't important to me. After living through the Tang and Song dynasties, returning to the late Shang dynasty... oh no, it should be the Zhou dynasty now. Anyway, returning to the Zhou dynasty wasn't that interesting.
Looking at the tranquil lotus pond, I had no urge to swim in it. What a strange thought...
I took a deep breath, then turned and left, determined to find Taiyi Zhenren first.
I don't actually know where Jinguang Cave is located; I only know it's on Qianyuan Mountain. But Qianyuan Mountain is so vast, finding a cave where immortals reside is a bit of a challenge. Perhaps I could ask the cranes... but I looked up at the sky, and there wasn't a single crane.
It's so strange! Why are there no cranes on Qianyuan Mountain? I remember there were always rows of cranes flying across the sky. But now, there's not even a bird, let alone a crane.
I couldn't remember the location of the Golden Light Cave, so I had to rely on my intuition. After all, I was a carp spirit, so my intuition should be good. So I instinctively found a small path and climbed up. Qianyuan Mountain was shrouded in mist and clouds, with towering ancient trees, yet it was eerily quiet. There was no clear cry of cranes, no rustling of spirit beasts, and even the rustling of wind through leaves was remarkably stingy.
Suddenly a gust of wind came, making me shiver with cold. Then I was surprised that I could actually feel cold?
Is this really the Qianyuan Mountain where I was originally?
As I thought this, my feet had naturally chosen a fork in the road, as if the instinct deep in my heart was awakening, leading me deeper into the mountains.
The surrounding scenery made me feel quite timid, a kind of fear that came naturally. But it was just the strange rocks and ancient pines that can be seen everywhere in the mountains.
Finally, I stopped in front of a deep cave.
This is it.
The cave should be covered by vines, and there are traces of the vines being cleared away by humans.
Is it a small lotus?
No, if it were him, he would have burned the vines directly.
I gazed at the cave. The stone carving of "Golden Light Cave" at the entrance, which should have shone with a vibrant aura, was now dull and lifeless, eroded by time to a faint, indented mark. There were no restrictions, no immortal aura, only a stale air that smelled of damp earth slowly emanating from it.
My heart sank. How could Taiyi Zhenren's cave be so dilapidated?
After hesitating for a moment, I pushed aside the remaining vines and stepped into the cave.
The cave was even darker inside, with only a few faint rays of light filtering through cracks in the ceiling, illuminating the dancing dust. It was even darker and more dilapidated than it appeared from the outside. Vast spiderwebs draped from the ceiling, layer upon layer, connecting the crumbling pillars and cracked stones. Some of the webs were newly woven, their fine threads gleaming in the faint light filtering through the cracks in the rock.
This place doesn't look like an immortal's cave at all, but rather like a tomb forgotten by time.
My heart sank slowly into the cold abyss. Where on earth is this place?
Little Lotus, Crane, where are you?
My breathing became rapid and the dizziness in my brain told me to leave in time.
However, just when I was almost unable to breathe due to the huge loss and desolation, an extremely discordant sound suddenly came from the depths of the cave, abruptly tearing the silence apart.
"...This way! The traces are coming this way!"
"Watch your step! This cave is very old, beware of landslides!"
"Turn on the flashlight! Chen Lei, is there any response from the life detector?"
It's a human voice!
But what he said made me feel dazed.
Several bright beams of light suddenly shot out from a side road, violently cutting through the darkness and sweeping across the cobweb-covered cave wall like a searchlight, causing the shadows that had been silent for who knows how many years to flee in panic.
I froze in place, my mind going blank at this extremely incongruous scene.
The beam of light quickly locked onto me. A middle-aged man in a striking orange rescue suit and a helmet rushed out first. When he saw me, he stopped abruptly, and a look of relief and surprise instantly broke out on his face.
"Found it! She's here!" He turned around and shouted, his voice echoing in the empty cave, shaking off the dust. He took a few steps in front of me, subconsciously scanning my body with his powerful flashlight, checking my condition. "Little girl! How are you? Can you move? Are you injured? We are from the Qianyuan Mountain Scenic Area Emergency Rescue Team!"
Immediately afterwards, several other team members who were dressed similarly and covered in dust and sweat quickly gathered around me. When they saw me, they all breathed a sigh of relief, and the noisy chatter immediately filled the dead silent space.
"Thank God! I finally found it!"
"This place is too remote, the GP number is sometimes available and sometimes not!"
"How did you find yourself in this abandoned cave by yourself? Do you know how worried your family is? They're going crazy!"
Their words, their modern jackets, helmets, walkie-talkies, high-intensity flashlights, their faces showing a mixture of fatigue, worry and relief after completing the task... all of this created a violent and dizzying conflict with the cobweb-covered immortal cultivation cave from the mythological era where I was.
I looked down at my clothes, which looked so out of place against my modern gear. The scales on my wrists glowed beneath my sleeves, like a frantically beating heart.
A huge sense of absurdity came like a tsunami, instantly drowning the previous loss.
The vortex did indeed take me back to Qianyuan Mountain, but it wasn't the same era I left.
The immortals have vanished, the caves are empty. The world has changed dramatically, and the world has changed a lot.
Is it really me they are looking for?
I looked at their anxious and concerned faces, opened my mouth, but my throat was dry and I couldn't utter a single syllable.
…
I was almost completely dazed as I was helped down the mountain. The search and rescue team members considerately didn't ask any further questions, simply assuming I'd gotten a fright in the cave or was simply exhausted from being lost for so long. They wrapped me in a thermal blanket and offered me a warm energy drink. Their conversation was a mixture of complaints about the scenic area's poor management and relief at having "found someone." These modern, everyday words drifted vaguely through my ears, as if through a layer of glass.
I followed in silence, my gaze sweeping over the scenery along the way. Qianyuan Mountain was familiar, yet every bit of it felt unfamiliar. The stone steps were neatly repaired, even equipped with simple handrails. In the distance, on the mountainside, the outline of a cable car was faintly visible. At the end of the downhill road, the desolate mountains were no longer barren, but a flat parking lot, with several vehicles marked "RESCUIT" and even a police car with its lights flashing.
The rescue team said I was lost in the scenic area, but why would I be lost in the scenic area? I clearly came to Qianyuan Mountain because of the whirlpool... Why did this happen?
I am overwhelmed by the immense chaos and confusion. Who am I?
At this moment, I vaguely saw a familiar face. I was about to take a closer look, but at this moment, my brain suddenly felt dizzy and I fell down.
"Ayu..."
It’s mom…
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The author has something to say: The final chapter.
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