At the edge of the sinkhole, all sides stood ready, the atmosphere tense like a fully drawn bowstring.
Different factions, with their flags flying high, carved out their own territories according to unspoken rules, their camps and tents scattered, forming temporary fortifications.
The boundary markers stand solemnly, dividing each territory and demonstrating sovereignty. No one dares to cross the boundary easily; only wary gazes frequently meet and collide in the air.
The Ma family mother and daughter quietly passed through the crowd and stepped into this mysterious sinkhole.
Ma Hehua looked around with a face full of curiosity, blinking her eyes. All she could see were ancient trees that blocked out the sun, their lush branches and leaves layered upon layer, completely blocking out the sunlight. The ground was covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves, which were soft and slippery underfoot, exuding a rotten smell, as if she had stumbled into an ancient secret realm.
"Mother, there's nothing good about this place! Why is everyone coming to this sinkhole?"
She tugged at Ma Linghua's sleeve and couldn't help but mutter.
Ma Linghua's expression was solemn as she walked and whispered, "After 2026, cultivation resources will only become more and more scarce. Can't you feel the concentration of spiritual energy here?"
As she spoke, she secretly gathered profound energy in her palm, always on guard against a surprise attack from the shadows.
The surroundings were eerily quiet, yet turbulent beneath the surface, as if countless hidden eyes were watching.
Night fell, the blood moon hung high, and the thick, inky night was permeated with a scarlet light.
The mournful wails and howls of ghosts rose and fell, tearing through the silence. Shadows lurked in the shadows, as if evil spirits were wandering about, waiting for their chance to strike.
Ma Linghua found a tree hollow, set up a simple barrier, and the mother and daughter curled up inside, fully clothed.
Outside the cave, the wind howled and cranes cried; inside, the chill seeped into their bones. The two closed their eyes and pretended to sleep, not daring to relax in the slightest.
Meanwhile, the place where Shangguan Wenyan was located was warm and cozy.
Four-month-old Ma Huanhua is so beautifully raised, with bright, sparkling eyes. She waves her little hands, grabs a rattle, and babbles.
"Huanhua, call me Father and Mother."
Shangguan Wenyan teased the child, his eyes smiling, but in an instant, the smile disappeared. He put down the rattle drum, stood up, put his hand on his chest, and looked dejected and resolute.
"Pear Blossom, we'll be back in the God Realm soon, just wait a little longer."
Ma Lihua's figure was ethereal, almost transparent, and her breath was so weak that it seemed she would dissipate at any moment. She smiled bitterly, "Wait, wait, wait, how long do we have to wait?"
His words were light and weak, full of powerlessness.
Shangguan Wenyan looked out the window at the blood moon, a wicked smile playing on his lips, his eyes revealing a ruthless glint: "It'll be soon. Tomorrow, the three of us will celebrate the New Year, send the Illusion Flower away, and this sinkhole will have no reason to exist. Once this trap is closed, those fools who covet the opportunity will become nourishment for opening up the space-time, fulfilling our wishes."
After that, the room fell into a deathly silence, broken only by Huanhua's giggling laughter, which carried a strange hint of sadness.
Chaos reigned around the sinkhole, with shouts of battle echoing through the air.
A motley crew spread out in a fan shape, tightly surrounding Ma Linghua and Ma Hehua. Everyone's eyes were filled with malice, and the magical weapons in their hands gleamed coldly. They shouted, "Quickly, kill them both. I heard that the Ma family is special. Who knows, if we feed them to the Tiankeng Crack, the barrier will open."
"Yes, fellow Daoists, let's go!"
Before the words were finished, a sharp blade of light, accompanied by a strong wind, rushed straight towards Ma Linghua's face. "Witch, take a hit."
Ma Linghua cursed inwardly. In the past, dealing with these small fry was just a matter of lifting a finger, but now her cultivation had been reduced by half, and her spiritual power was like a dried-up stream. She could not exert any strength, and her movements had become sluggish.
Ma Hehua gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening, and shouted to Ma Linghua, "Mother, you go first, I'll cover you."
Ma Linghua didn't mince words and immediately said, "Okay! We'll contact each other later."
Having said that, he turned and ran.
Ma Hehua braced herself, gathering the remaining Yin energy in her hands to desperately resist the surging attack. Although her moves were fierce, she couldn't withstand the overwhelming numbers of her opponents.
Seizing an opening, Ma Linghua turned and ran, but suddenly felt a sharp pain in her foot. Looking down, she saw a red-banded snake coiled around her ankle, its triangular head raised high, its tongue flicking, emitting a vicious human voice: "I will avenge my brother! Die, you bitch!"
Ma Linghua was terrified. In her panic, she tried to kick her foot, but the snake's body wrapped around her even tighter.
The commotion drew the pursuers closer, and she was frantic. She caught a glimpse of Ma Hehua out of the corner of her eye and was about to call out when she stumbled and, as if pushed by the cruel hand of fate, tumbled straight down the steep slope.
In an instant, dust flew up, and Ma Linghua's exclamation was torn apart by the wind and disappeared without a trace.
On the slope, Ma Hehua's eyes welled up with tears, her heart filled with despair, and regret overwhelmed her like a tidal wave.
She glared hatefully at the red-chained snake. If she had acted more decisively back then and eliminated it completely, she wouldn't be in such a desperate situation now!
On the steep slope of the sinkhole, Ma Hehua looked in the direction where her mother had rolled down, her eyes instantly turning red, and tears welled up in her eyes, but they couldn't keep up with the speed at which the panic in her heart spread.
"Mother, wait for me, I'm coming right now."
She screamed, her voice shattered by the howling wind, and then without another word, she leaped down the steep slope.
The wind howled in her ears, and her clothes were torn and fluttered by the strong wind. Ma Linghua looked up and saw her daughter's figure. This time, she was not as fierce and scolding as before. The corners of her lips slowly turned up and a relieved smile appeared.
That smile contained bitterness, helplessness, and deep emotion for her daughter's filial piety.
The Ma family of this generation has truly suffered numerous calamities. Before they could enjoy any blessings, they were struck by the misfortune of losing their family and their loved ones. It seems as if they were burdened with karmic debts from a previous life, and were relentlessly crushed by the giant wheel of fate.
Below, the dark crack resembled the gaping maw of a gluttonous beast, deep and bottomless, swallowing the heavens and the earth. The thick darkness was as black as ink, devouring all light, and a chill and deathly silence swept over us.
The two plummeted rapidly. Suddenly, flames erupted around Ma Linghua, and the orange-red light dispelled some of the darkness. Her body began to slowly become ethereal, as if her life force had been drained away by this strange place.
"Aren't you stupid? Why did you jump down?" Ma Linghua choked up, her words floating in the air.
Ma Hehua reached out, futilely trying to grasp the hem of her mother's clothes that was gradually disappearing, and cried out, "Mother, how could I abandon you? You are the most important person to me in this world."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ma Linghua completely transformed into a ball of light and disappeared into the depths of the sinkhole's fissure in an instant.
Ma Hehua's eyes widened, filled with sorrow. The next moment, everything went black before her eyes, and her figure vanished without a trace.
When the light returned, Shangguan Wenyan stood quietly where the two had disappeared, his brows furrowed. He looked at Ma Lihua, who was almost transparent beside him, and his suppressed anger burst out: "Lihua, was it worth it for you to do this?"
He never imagined that Ma Lihua would use the laws of space to send everyone to another world without his permission.
Ma Lihua raised her eyes, her gaze as cold as frost, as if piercing through the void, and replied lightly, "Worth it? Not worth it? If you want to do it, then do it. There's no such thing as worth it or not."
She was as thin as smoke, extremely weak, as if a gentle breeze could blow her away and make her disappear into the vast world.
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