Chapter 16 Back to the Raft
Luo Qing called to the four who were still in a daze, "Let's keep going."
The four of them passed through the barrier at the cave entrance and finally reached the outside.
The sunlight shone on them, warm and bright, as if celebrating their coming out.
They stood on a vast grassland, with rolling mountains in the distance and wildflowers swaying in the wind nearby; everything seemed so peaceful and beautiful.
"This time it should be for real, right?" Luo Qing said, pinching her arm. "Ouch, that hurts. It's for real."
Maiser flew to a nearby wildflower and shouted excitedly, "Is this the flower the High Priest was talking about? It's soft and fragrant, just as beautiful as a cloud!"
He lay among the flowers, his eyes filled with ecstasy, his cheeks growing redder and redder, and he even began to ramble incoherently, “So sweet, High Priest, have a taste.”
Luo Qing pulled Maiser out of the flowers. "Is she drunk?"
"Hey, Maiser, look how many this is!" Fang Tai leaned over and waved his finger in front of Maiser's eyes.
"Hehe, lollipop, so sweet." Maiser chuckled and pounced on Fang Tai, grabbing his fingers and trying to lick them.
Fang Tai was startled and quickly tore off the Maiser piece and returned it to Luo Qing, saying, "It seems he's really drunk."
"I never expected the water sprite to be able to get drunk on flowers," Mu Qimeng said with great interest.
“I didn’t expect that either.” Luo Qing helplessly put it into her tracksuit pocket. “I guess Maiser himself didn’t know either.”
"What should we do now? Should we continue exploring forward, or try to find a way back?" Mu Qimeng asked.
Luo Qing stroked her chin and thought for a while. "We left at 8:30 this morning, and it's already past 5 pm. It's getting dark. It's too dangerous to spend the night outside. Let's figure out a way to get back first."
Although they were very reluctant to leave, the three of them agreed for the sake of their own safety.
The group split up to find a way back.
The vast grassland stretches as far as the eye can see, with nothing but grass and flowers.
Looking back, the entrance to the cave we came from had disappeared.
Since we started from our initial point of origin and then moved outwards, we found that we couldn't go any further after walking 50 meters out, as we were blocked by an invisible barrier.
"Sister Luo, it seems we're trapped," Fang Tai called out as he turned around.
Luo Qing had already noticed it. She returned to where she had just come from, crouched down, and carefully examined the ground. The three people nearby also came over and examined it with Luo Qing.
Luo Qing carefully observed the grass beneath her feet and noticed that the flower that Mai Se had just been lying on was a little different.
It is more vibrant than other flowers, with petals that have a pale gold hue, as if kissed by the sun.
Luo Qing reached out and gently touched the petals; they were soft and smooth, as if they were alive.
She suddenly remembered what Maiser had said, "Is this the flower the high priest spoke of? Soft and fragrant, it is indeed as beautiful as a cloud!" Could this be the key to returning home?
Luo Qing's heart stirred. She carefully recalled the high priest's words, trying to find clues.
Just then, the golden flower trembled slightly, emitting a faint fragrance. Luo Qing felt dizzy, her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.
The four men collapsed one after another beside the flower, and the wind on the grassland suddenly stopped, as if even nature itself was holding its breath.
On this vast grassland, the golden flower suddenly began to emit a dazzling light from its roots.
It was like a living being awakened, slowly opening its petals and releasing a mysterious power.
As the petals opened, a complex array pattern spread out from the flower, gradually covering the area where the four people lay.
This formation seemed to be a gateway to other worlds, radiating a dazzling light.
Luo Qing, Fang Tai, Mu Qimeng, and Maise, who had fallen into a coma, were tightly enveloped by the light of the formation, and their figures gradually became blurred in the light.
Just as they were about to completely disappear into the light, the golden flower trembled slightly, and one of its petals transformed into a crystal-clear gem.
The gem shone with a soft light, as if it contained boundless power. It gently flew into Luo Qing's hand, where she held it tightly, as if it were her final connection with this world.
Luo Qing suddenly opened her eyes and found herself back on the raft.
The setting sun cast its last rays upon the sea, creating a shimmering, tranquil scene. Fufu sat beside her, looking at her with concern.
"Sister Luo Qing, you're finally awake!" Fu Fu rushed over, her voice filled with joy.
Luo Qing rubbed her eyes, still somewhat unable to believe she was back.
She looked around and touched her pockets, wondering if everything she had experienced was just a dream.
Fortunately, Maisie remained quietly in her tracksuit pocket, as if she were still asleep.
"How did we get back?" Luo Qing asked.
Fufu pointed to the crystal-clear gem next to Luo Qing's hand, "It seems that this petal gem brought you back."
“I was in the shed when I suddenly saw a white light on the raft, and then my sister suddenly appeared on the raft, holding it in her hand.”
"Where did this gem come from?" Luo Qing asked, picking up the yellow gem with a puzzled look. She didn't remember ever having obtained this gem.
Luo Qing carefully examined the yellow gemstone in her hand. It was about the size of a thumb, crystal clear, and emitted a soft glow.
Deep within the gemstone, the shape of a petal can be faintly seen, as if a spirit sealed within it. The petal has a pale gold hue, which complements the yellow of the gemstone, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
She turned the gemstone over in her hand, feeling its warm touch.
Suddenly, the vast grassland and the mysterious golden flower appeared before her eyes. She felt as if she had returned to that world, feeling the wind on the grassland and the fragrance of the flowers.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in her heart. However, the image of the golden flower lingered in her mind.
She understood that this was not just a mysterious gem, but also a teleportation stone that could take her back to that grassland.
Luo Qing carefully put away the gemstones and was about to ask the other three if they had returned to the raft.
The system indicated that someone had sent her a message. Only then did Luo Qing realize that the message notification had been vibrating continuously.
Luo Qing opened the chat area on the system screen.
【First Squad of Huaguo Mountain】
Mu Qimeng: "I've already returned to the raft, what about you?"
Fang Tai: "Mo Ge and I also went back to the raft."
Fang Tai: "Where's Sister Luo?"
Fang Tai: "Sister Luo, have you gone back yet?"
Mu Qimeng: "@Luo Qing. Have you gone back to the raft yet?"
Fang Tai: "Sister Luo, are you alright?"
...
Seeing that the three were getting more and more anxious, Luo Qing quickly replied, "I'm back on the raft now, nothing's wrong, don't worry."
"I just woke up and didn't see the message before."
Fang Tai: "That's good."
Mu Qimeng: "It's good that you're alright."
Mo Ming: "The system shows that we can start filling out the team registration forms for the Island Championship at 8 pm the day after tomorrow."
Fang Tai: "Just now, someone named Tian Ke came to ask me and Mo Ge if we wanted to team up with her."
Fang Tai: "Mo told her that we had already formed a group, and she kept urging us to go to her group, saying that the registration form had not been filled out yet and there was still time to switch groups. She got very angry after we refused."
Mu Qimeng: "This person also came to me, but I refused her."
Luo Qing looked at the name and felt it looked familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before.
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