Chapter 91 Illusion 1 "Will I kiss you in the illusion too?"...
After being swirling in the whirlpool for an unknown amount of time, when she was finally thrown out, Xu Xing carefully held Tianxin in his arms. The little girl, perhaps because she hadn't had much contact with others before, didn't know what to do with her hands and feet, her whole body stiff and motionless.
Their timing was unfortunate; they even encountered a strange wind while still in mid-air.
Seeing the dense swarm of insects in the wind, Xu Xing instantly broke out in goosebumps. She felt a chill and immediately shielded herself and Tian Xin with a shield. Then she quickly hid in an empty cave.
Tianxin, who had been silent, looked at Xu Xing's face full of disgust, her eyes flickered, she raised her hand and tightened her grip on Xu Xing's hand, and whispered, "...This place is so scary."
Although they had only known each other for a short month, Xu Xing liked this quiet and well-behaved girl very much, especially since they looked so alike.
Whenever Xu Xing became anxious because he couldn't find a way out, Tian Xin would quietly look at him. Her eyes seemed to have a calming power, which could always calm Xu Xing down quickly.
Xu Xing blocked the cave entrance tightly, then squatted down, patted Tianxin's head, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I will protect you."
No matter how precocious and composed she is, Tianxin is still just a seven or eight-year-old girl. She has already been strong enough to withstand so many hardships after falling into the Abyss of Eclipse.
Before the strange wind outside had subsided, Xu Xing decided to make a puppet. Looking at the bare wooden puppet, she picked out a piece of leftover material from when she made a robe and wrapped it up.
For some reason, looking at all those colorful fabrics, she subconsciously chose white, always feeling that white was the most suitable for Tianxin.
She learned how to make these puppets from Xiang Di back in Shuiyun Xiandu.
Back then, her senior brother often discussed swordsmanship with Mei Zihan, while she spent her days wandering around Lanze Island, quite carefree, except for alchemy.
Thinking of the past, Xu Xing's eyes dimmed. It had only been five years, yet his senior brother...
Xu Xing pursed his lips, pulling his wandering thoughts back. Finally, he embedded a modified spirit shield bead in the chest of the puppet doll. This kind of defensive magic artifact can automatically deploy a shield when encountering danger, which is very useful.
After finishing, Xu Xing realized that the pure white puppet doll looked a bit eerie. Well... but it shouldn't be ugly, right?
Xu Xing handed the puppet doll to Tianxin, who was quietly watching her movements, and said with a smile, "This is for you. If I'm not around, it will always protect you."
Tianxin seemed somewhat surprised, looking at the puppet doll with a moment's hesitation.
Just as Xu Xing thought she didn't like it and awkwardly scratched his head to take it back, Tianxin stretched out her little hand and hugged the puppet doll tightly, saying softly, "Thank you, sister, I like it very much."
Xu Xing breathed a sigh of relief, then ruffled the little girl's hair before standing up and going to the cave entrance to observe the strange wind. The wind was starting to weaken and would likely dissipate soon.
She habitually rubbed the Soul Lamp necklace around her neck. Just now, thinking of Shuiyun Immortal Capital, she took out the Communication Bead and, without much hope, infused it with a trace of spiritual power.
Xu Xing had tried many times before on the 47th floor, but the sound transmission bead never responded. She thought it would be the same this time, but after a while, she could faintly hear a commotion.
Xu Xing's eyes lit up with hope. She could tell that the voice sounded like someone was panting for their life. Afraid of attracting danger, she dared not make a sound. She simply held the sound transmission bead to her ear, held her breath, and listened carefully.
"#@￥%"
"Quick! Run!"
"..."
Xu Xing frowned. The man's voice that could be faintly heard amidst the noise was completely unfamiliar and definitely not his senior brother's.
But since the other party had his senior brother's communication bead, they must have been in contact with his senior brother. Xu Xing didn't delay any longer, put on his hood, and planned to follow the traces of the communication bead to find him.
"You're here..."
Just as Xu Xing was about to ask Tian Xin to wait for her in the cave, the other interrupted her. Those golden eyes, identical to hers, looked over and said stubbornly, "Sister, I want to follow you. I won't be a burden to you."
Xu Xing was also a little worried that leaving a young girl like her here might lead to an accident, so after thinking about it, he picked her up and left with her.
Fortunately, the magical artifacts she modified could also be used on this floor. The strange insects in the wind could not harm her in the slightest. However, the insects that kept hitting her outside the shield were too dense and made people feel uncomfortable just looking at them.
In another canyon, two disheveled men were bitten so badly by the Wind-Hiding Beetles that they could barely open their eyes. The animal hides covering their bodies were also starting to tear. Before they hid in the cave, the insects had almost eaten away a layer of their flesh beneath the holes in their hides.
"Damn it! If I had known I'd end up this miserable for a bite to eat, I would have been better off leaving with the boss!"
"Be content. There are far fewer magical beasts on this level now, and they don't dare approach us. Life is already pretty good. Besides, how do you know that Boss and Xin Zhou really made it out safely? The Mountain-Piercing Wind is so dangerous; maybe they've already..."
As the two men tried to stop the bleeding, they complained. Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the cave. They were startled. Could it be that the magical beast had discovered that the swordsman had left and was coming back?
Just as they were picking up their weapons and standing guard, the animal hide blocking the cave entrance was suddenly ripped open, and two figures, one large and one small, wrapped in black robes, quickly slipped inside.
Xu Xing's gaze swept over the two people's exposed, dark faces. "Who are you? Why do you have communication beads?"
"New here? A woman?"
Upon seeing that the uninvited guests were actually a woman and a little girl, one of the men's eyes immediately filled with contempt. He even forgot the pain in his body, his mind filled with nothing but nonsense, "You dare to be so impolite after entering the Abyss of Eclipse? Let me..."
Xu Xing, impatient with his words, raised her hand and swung her sword. Xue Wujian was instantly at the man's neck. She said coldly, "I'm asking you where the sound transmission bead came from! Don't you understand?"
"W-what sound transmission bead? I have no idea what you're talking about!"
The man swallowed hard. "The Abyss is fraught with danger. We can only survive by cooperating. You'll regret hurting me."
Xu Xing frowned, looked the man up and down, his gaze lingering on the man's waist. With a flick of his sword, a perfectly round spirit pearl was revealed from the inner pocket of the animal skin.
Xu Xing raised his hand and inhaled, and the sound transmission bead instantly floated up, flew towards her, and finally hovered in her palm.
"Then what is this?"
Xu Xing tightened her grip, and the blade pierced his skin. Blood flowed instantly, and the intense pain made the man realize that she really intended to kill him. He panicked and stammered, "This... I picked it up!"
What frightened them even more was that this female cultivator actually possessed spiritual power, and it was quite abundant!
If that's the case, they have no chance against her.
The man dared not lie; he had indeed found the item by chance, and Yu Jiu had not taken him along when he went to besiege the sword cultivator that day.
But when he heard that the swordsman was looking for something, he suspected that the extraordinary bead belonged to the swordsman. Although he didn't understand what it was for, he still boldly hid it away.
When did he leave? Where did he go?
Upon hearing the man mention that a swordsman had fallen into this place, killed their leader, and then left this floor, Xu Xing's hand trembled, and he nearly slit the man's throat.
The man was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground, begging for mercy, "I told you! Please don't kill me!"
"Two months ago, he and Xin Zhou headed west during a mountain wind, saying they were leaving this place. At the time, we were afraid of the wind-borne insects and didn't follow them. We really don't know what happened after that. Fairy, I'm telling you the truth! Please forgive me!"
Xu Xing took a deep breath, steadied herself, and used her other trembling hand to conjure the image of her senior brother. "The sword cultivator you mentioned, is it him?"
The man nodded hurriedly, "It's him! He's also with a powerful Iron-Eating Beast!"
It must be Tuanzi! Thank goodness, Tuanzi is alright!
Xu Xing's complexion improved considerably. It turned out that his senior brother had indeed been here. Although his whereabouts were still unknown, it was better than nothing to receive this news.
"Is the 'mountain-piercing wind' the same strange wind that came outside earlier? How often does it come?"
"Previously, the mountain wind would come once a month, and only very occasionally once every two months. But recently it seems to have become once every two months again."
As the man spoke, he suddenly frowned. He vaguely remembered that a few years ago, before that sword cultivator appeared, the mountain wind blew once every two months.
Xu Xing sheathed her sword and asked many more questions. The two men, fearing her spiritual power, answered everything they knew.
After explaining everything, the other person, being more astute, noticed her concern for the swordsman and added, "His swordsmanship is superb; over the years, he has kept the thirteenth-level demonic beasts from showing their faces! He has been kind to us who live here, so naturally we wouldn't dare to deceive the fairy."
These years?
Xu Xing's heart sank again. She had only been on the 47th floor for less than a month. Although her senior brother had entered earlier than her, how could it have been many years?
She asked in a low voice, "How many years has he been here?"
"It's been about six or seven years, Fairy. The Abyss is shrouded in darkness, and our calculations aren't very precise."
The man who was speaking cautiously observed Xu Xing's expression, only to see her sway and take two steps back with a dazed look on her face.
Ignoring the man behind him, Xu Xing took Tian Xin's hand and slowly left the cave.
It turns out that the flow of time is different in each level of the Abyss; my senior brother has been here for so long...
Stepping outside the cave, Xu Xing looked around blankly, feeling as if her heart had been torn open by the wind. She had only been in the Erosion Abyss for a month and already found it unbearable, yet her senior brother had stayed here for so long.
My gaze inadvertently fell upon the mountain wall outside the cave, which was covered with a thick layer of dust, and there seemed to be a faint, blurry pattern underneath.
Xu Xing paused, released Tianxin, took two steps forward, and carefully brushed away the dust. As the pattern beneath the dust gradually became clear, her eyes were already wet with tears.
It was an "x," a pattern she had drawn countless times on medicine bottles and magical artifacts.
Silently watching Xu Xing stroke the strange patterns on the mountain wall, Tianxin hugged the puppet doll in her hands tightly. For some reason, her heart seemed to be crumpled up as well.
Seeing the tears silently streaming down her face, Tianxin suddenly asked, "Sister, the person you're looking for, do you really like him?"
Xu Xing silently shed tears until the emotions that had been building up in her heart were released with her tears. Only then did she turn to look at Tian Xin and smile through her tears, saying, "Yes."
...
The magical beasts on the thirteenth floor finally realized that the sword cultivator they had been avoiding had left. Just as they were about to come out again to show off their power, they were all wiped out by a strange female cultivator who suddenly appeared.
This female cultivator showed no mercy; her spiritual power was formidable, and she possessed numerous strange magical artifacts, making her even more troublesome than the sword cultivator from years ago. Within two months, the demonic beasts had completely retreated into their caves, no longer daring to venture out to forage.
Although there was no threat of magical beasts, the group left on the thirteenth floor dared not show their faces, just like the magical beasts, for fear that the bloodthirsty female cultivator would find another opportunity to kill them...
Xu Xing, however, had no intention of paying any attention to them. He continued to modify the magical artifacts while counting down the days.
The waiting days were the hardest to endure. As the time drew closer and he heard the howling of the mountain wind once again, Xu Xing was ready.
Swirled in the wind and spinning around, not knowing where she was going, Xu Xing thought to herself that she seemed to have always been a very lucky person. Time travel had given her a second life, and her life skills had allowed her to make a living in this world.
Even most of the people she met along the way were kind people who helped her a lot: Aunt Lian, her senior brother, her master...
If there really is such a thing as luck in this world...
Xu Xing clutched the soul lamp, praying in his heart: Let me use all my good fortune to reunite with my senior brother.
"roar--"
A frenzied roar erupted, but upon recognizing the newcomer, the Iron-Eating Beast, which had been crouching and poised to attack, suddenly relaxed, its threatening growl turning into a pitiful whimper, "Woo~"
"Master, you've finally arrived!"
"Tuanzi!" Xu Xing pounced on him. Tuanzi had grown much taller, but was very thin. It was obvious that he hadn't eaten anything good in recent years.
Of the three contracted beasts, Tuanzi was the most greedy, and Xu Xing dared not imagine how many hard times it had endured.
After a brief moment of tenderness between the man and the beast, Xu Xing hurriedly asked, "Where is my senior brother? Where is he?"
The little dumpling whimpered twice and pointed with its paw at the largest of the various spheres of light in this space. "He went in again."
Xu Xing rubbed the dumpling's no longer fluffy fur, fed it several Beast Spirit Pills, and then put it into the Spirit Beast Space to reunite with the other contracted beasts.
She left several defensive artifacts for Tianxin to protect herself, and then walked towards the unknown orb of light without hesitation.
Tianxin grabbed Xu Xing's sleeve, saying urgently, "This is the illusion I've been to before. Once you enter, it's hard to leave. You..."
Xu Xing squatted down and looked intently into Tianxin's eyes. "I came for him. Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I will go."
She pinched Tianxin's little face and smiled, "You'll understand when you grow up and have someone you like."
Tianxin eventually let go; he couldn't stop her.
Watching Xu Xing rush into the illusion without hesitation, Tianxin remained alone, holding the puppet doll, and whispered, "...I understand now."
Xu Xing stepped into a pure white space. As the mist dissipated, she saw the tall, slender figure in front of her and stopped in her tracks, frozen in place.
She stared blankly at that familiar figure, a sudden surge of inexplicable grievance welling up in her heart.
Rushing forward in two strides, Xu Xing tightly embraced the man's thinner waist, choking back tears as he said, "Senior brother! I've been looking for you for so long..."
Shen Du remained motionless in her arms, his face calm and still. He didn't say a word, and his dark eyes were empty.
"Thank goodness you're alright, otherwise I really wouldn't know..."
Xu Xing sniffed and tugged at Chen Du's sleeve. Although she didn't notice anything unusual through touch, she still asked worriedly, "Senior brother, you've been in the Abyss for so long, are you feeling alright?"
Remembering Tianxin's mention of the illusion, Xu Xing circled his senior brother, confirming that the person before him was indeed his senior brother. But why was his senior brother's reaction so strange? Did he also think he was an imposter?
After waiting for a long time, his senior brother still hadn't said a word. Xu Xing got a little anxious and waved his hand in front of him, "Senior brother! It's me! It's Xu Xing!"
Shen Du's dark, lifeless eyes gradually focused. He looked down at the familiar face in front of him and thought to himself, "Perhaps I've lingered here for too long, and the illusion is becoming more and more real."
For a moment, Chen Du, who had never spoken to his "junior sister" in the illusion, was momentarily distracted and softly hummed in agreement.
Xu Xing breathed a sigh of relief upon finally receiving a response. She thought that her senior brother might have been in the Abyss of Eclipse for too long, which was why he was momentarily stunned.
Her senior brother was always one to keep his emotions hidden, so she didn't think much of it and was filled with the joy of successfully finding him.
"Senior brother, how long have you been here? Which floor is this?"
"Don't worry, senior brother, I've already been to two floors. I'll definitely be able to get you out!"
"This place is so strange. Why is there nothing here?"
Xu Xing had a lot to say, but the most urgent thing was to leave this place. She held back and tried to calm down to find a way out, but her eyes, which had been looking around, couldn't help but fall back on the black-clad swordsman after a short while.
Amidst the joy of reunion, a faint sense of loss welled up in her heart.
Doesn't my senior brother miss her at all...?
However, Shen Du did not respond. He simply picked up the Flowing Cloud Sword and continued practicing. He had practiced every move countless times and knew it by heart. He was single-minded, expressionless, and his sword intent was chilling.
Xu Xing watched silently for a while, thinking that her senior brother must have encountered many demonic beasts in the Abyss of Eclipse and gone through many bitter battles. Otherwise, his swordsmanship would not have improved to such a high level, and his killing intent was so obvious that even she felt a little breathless just standing by and watching.
Thinking that her few months were like years to her senior brother, Xu Xing felt like crying again. She blinked and held back her tears.
She's found her senior brother, which is a good thing. She shouldn't be crying.
Seeing her senior brother focused on practicing his sword, Xu Xing was at a loss. She simply stood there and watched her senior brother practice his sword as before. This scene was different from the reunion she had imagined countless times.
He watched for over an hour, observing his senior brother swinging his sword again and again as if no one else was around, not even giving him a glance. Even the slow-witted Xu Xing realized something was wrong.
This is an illusion, but at this moment, she and her senior brother are real!
That is indeed my senior brother, but he would never ignore her like this!
"Senior brother! Did you think you were still in an illusion? No! I've really found you!"
Xu Xing was eager to prove that she was real, so she took out the Spirit Shield Bead, the Spirit Attachment, the pills, and other things. "Senior brother, look, I made all of these!"
Shen Du ignored him completely, his gaze never wavering. The power of the longsword in his hand remained undiminished, and the sword shadows grew even denser.
Xu Xing then began recounting the details of their acquaintance, "Senior brother, do you still remember Xiahe Village and the Seven-Leaf Lingzhi? You saved me back then, you saved me so many times, the Azure Flame Beast... the Xuan Shuo Trial..."
As Xu Xing recounted his story, scenes from the past resurfaced before her eyes, her voice already hoarse, "And our collaboration... Tianxian Investment..."
"We went to the demon realm, explored the hidden realms, and went to the Water Cloud Immortal Capital together. We made many friends along the way, such as Qianqian and Mei Zihan..."
Large tears fell to the ground, Xu Xing's eyes blurred with tears, "Senior brother, it really is me, wake up!"
Shen Du, who was practicing his sword at the top of Xuanjian Peak, frowned slightly. He thought to himself, "Today's illusion seems a bit strange. Is it because I'm anxious because I can't get myself to fall into the illusion no matter what I do?"
His junior sister was lively and adorable, and he naturally loved listening to her talk. However, she was well-behaved and sensible, and would never disturb him when he was focused on practicing his sword.
If only she really were my junior sister...
Shen Du pondered quietly, but Shi Yuan was so strange. Just thinking about the danger his junior sister might encounter if she were really here, his heart, which had been calm and unmoved for many years, couldn't help but ripple.
Even if we can never see each other again in this life, as long as she is safe and sound, that's enough.
No matter what she said, her senior brother remained unmoved. Xu Xing felt a wave of despair. Looking at her senior brother's increasingly fierce sword moves, she made a firm decision.
Wiping away her tears, Xu Xing took two deep breaths, then suddenly closed her eyes and charged straight at the sword's edge. If she were injured by the Flowing Cloud Sword, would her senior brother still remain unmoved?
The breeze stirred by the sword stopped, and the tip of the Flowing Cloud Sword hovered precariously in front of Xu Xing.
Shen Du's gaze remained fixed, and with a flick of his wrist, the longsword was sheathed.
It seems the illusion today is deliberately preventing him from practicing swordsmanship. Oh well.
Xu Xing opened his eyes and stared blankly at Shen Du's figure as he turned to leave.
Even though the senior brother clearly believed that "she" was nothing more than a false illusion, he still couldn't bear to hurt "her"...
Xu Xing chased after her, spreading her arms to block Shen Du's path.
When their eyes met, his empty gaze swept over her indifferently, but she left no trace in his eyes.
Xu Xing took half a step forward, then suddenly reached out and hooked his arm around Shen Du's shoulder, pressing him down.
She tiptoed and leaned in to give the indifferent-looking man a light kiss on the cheek.
Xu Xing's eyes were filled with tears, but his eyebrows curved slightly, and the gold in his eyes seemed to be flowing out. "Senior brother, will I kiss you in the illusion?"
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Author's Note: This innocent senior brother has been trapped in an illusion for many years, but he has never fantasized that his junior sister would kiss him qaq
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Thank you so much, Fengzhen, for the free ticket! [kiss]
Thank you to Star Dream, Ji Suisui, Triangle City, Yan Yan, Rabbit Demon Osmanthus Cake, Fan Ma Han Ma, Lychee Without Peel, 25656288, Feng Zhen, Sleep a Little Longer, Mountain Sleep, Daily Life of Not Wanting to Go to Work, 55482302, and Qun Qingshan for the nutrient solution~ [heart emoji]
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