Upon hearing this, Xu Yuehuai realized that a strange warm current was slowly flowing through her body, warm and powerful, making her feel both strange and familiar.
She looked at Bai Yu and noticed that his expression was also slightly different, clearly indicating that he was undergoing the same change.
But the feeling didn't cause any physical harm; it was just a bit strange.
"Could this sea of flowers be related to the Demon-Trapping Mirror we're looking for?" she wondered, a mixture of anticipation and trepidation in her voice.
Bai Yu pondered for a moment, then suddenly said, "Perhaps. Ancient books record that the Demon-Trapping Mirror is hidden in a secluded paradise, and the scenery here does indeed have a sense of transcendence from the mortal world. Since it has guided us here, there must be a deeper meaning to it."
However, after a short while, Xu Yuehuai gradually felt her discomfort intensify. She discovered that the pink flowers were not as harmless as they appeared; they seemed to be subtly affecting her mind and body.
"Something's wrong with this flower!" She abruptly pushed away Bai Yu, who was trying to approach, and said with a mixture of wariness and determination, "Don't come near me! I feel like I'm losing control!"
Bai Yu was pushed away, a hint of confusion and pain flashing in his eyes. "Xiao Yue, why won't you let me get closer? Why can't we face this together?" His voice was filled with bewilderment and helplessness, as if he too was troubled by some force.
Seeing this, Xu Yuehuai became even more anxious. She knew that the changes within her body were rapidly worsening, and Bai Yu was clearly affected as well. She didn't want that to happen, so she made an extreme decision.
"Don't force me!" She suddenly drew the dagger from her waist, the sharp blade pressed against her neck.
Bai Yu's face turned deathly pale instantly. He immediately stopped and pleaded in a trembling voice, "Okay, I won't scare you anymore. Don't do anything foolish."
He tried his best to calm Xu Yuehuai down.
Despite the discomfort in her body, Xu Yuehuai used her profound internal strength to force out the strange power that was eroding her mind.
"Pfft!" She suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, and her steps faltered, and she immediately lost her balance.
Taking advantage of the moment, Bai Yu stepped forward and hugged Xu Yuehuai tightly, her voice filled with heartache and self-reproach: "Why are you still so foolish? Knowing that doing this will hurt yourself, you still do it without hesitation."
Xu Yuehuai leaned against Bai Yu's chest, forcing a bitter smile: "Sometimes, being a little foolish allows you to see your own heart more clearly."
Her words, though spoken softly, contained profound meaning, prompting one to fall into deep thought.
This sudden turn of events was the most important lesson they learned on their journey to find the Demon-Trapping Mirror.
Bai Yu's lips pressed into a straight line. He gently fed Xu Yuehuai the pill, his face turning even paler, as if he might collapse at any moment.
“You—” Xu Yuehuai noticed his change and became a little worried.
"I'm fine," Bai Yu forced a smile. "The most urgent thing is to find the Demon-Trapping Mirror."
"Bai Yu," she hesitated, then finally said, "Let's leave together first."
Supporting each other, the two stepped out of the beautiful yet dangerous pink cage and into a completely different world—a vast and boundless swamp.
“The surrounding mountains and rivers have been completely destroyed by mudslides, but this place remains unchanged. There must be a mystery here.” As soon as Xu Yuehuai finished speaking, ripples suddenly appeared on the surface of the swamp. Then, green poisonous insects surged out like a tide, which was terrifying.
"Watch out!" Bai Yu swiftly drew his sword, its light flashing like a dragon, to fight off the poisonous insects and protect Xu Yuehuai.
"Hiss!"
But these poisonous insects were exceptionally cunning; they could leap into the air and pounce on the two of them.
Xu Yuehuai was unable to dodge in time and was bitten by several poisonous insects, causing her skin to quickly turn an eerie green.
"Oh no, they're highly poisonous!" Bai Yu exclaimed urgently, pulling out a bottle of pills from his robes and stuffing it into Xu Yuehuai's mouth.
The pill melted instantly upon entering her mouth, and Xu Yuehuai's complexion gradually returned to normal, but Bai Yu's fatigue became even more apparent.
"We must completely eliminate these poisonous insects." After taking the medicine, Xu Yuehuai's spirits lifted, and together with Bai Yu, sword light and spiritual power intertwined to kill the poisonous insects one by one.
As the last poisonous insect fell, the swamp returned to calm, as if nothing had ever happened.
Bai Yu took out a tinderbox and lit the withered branches and leaves at the edge of the swamp. Flames shot into the sky, and the swamp gradually melted away in the flames, eventually revealing a dark, charred hole.
"The real entrance might be here. I'll go in and take a look first." Bai Yu was the first to step into the cave.
Xu Yuehuai did not stay outside, but followed closely behind him, sharing his fate.
The cave was pitch black, making it impossible to see anything. They went deeper and deeper, the ground beneath their feet covered with a thick layer of insect shells, the silence carrying an eerie atmosphere.
“This passage has clearly been untouched for a long time,” Xu Yuehuai concluded.
Suddenly, a deep rumble came from deep within, accompanied by a slight tremor in the ground.
"There seems to be some movement." Xu Yuehuai stopped and looked warily into the darkness.
Bai Yu reacted immediately and pulled Xu Yuehuai to his side. "Come stand here quickly, be careful!"
Suddenly, a colossal creature appeared before the two of them—a giant octopus. It should belong to the deep sea, yet it appeared here, which was astonishing!
"How could there be sea creatures here? Is the area connected to the sea?" But she had looked at the map, and there was no sea near Chongshan!
Xu Yuehua muttered to herself, a startling thought flashing through her mind: an underground sea?
The octopus let out a piercing roar, and its enormous tentacles, like agile whips, suddenly attacked the two of them. Bai Yu reacted quickly, grabbing Xu Yuehuai's waist and using the momentum to leap onto a nearby towering stone platform.
"Bang bang bang!"
But the octopus's strength was beyond imagination; several tentacles instantly wrapped around the rocks and flung them toward the platform, attempting to smash them back to the ground.
Bai Yu swung his sword with all his might, severing the tentacles that were being flung at him one by one, but more tentacles quickly grew back, and the situation became critical.
"What? This is too difficult to handle!" Xu Yuehuai knew that she could not escape by force alone.
Just then, she noticed a strange runic stone slab on the edge of the platform, and a thought struck her: "Perhaps this is the key to unlocking all of this! You deal with this first, and wait for me."
She quickly stepped forward and tried to unlock the mechanism on the stone slab.
Just as Xu Yuehuai was struggling with the mechanisms on the stone slab, Bai Yu continued to deal with the octopus, sword light and tentacles intertwining, sparks flying everywhere.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment; every second was a life-or-death test!
"Bang! Bang!"
About an incense stick later, with a low shout from Xu Yuehuai, the stone slab suddenly opened, and a huge chain descended from the sky, instantly binding the octopus and rendering it unable to move!
"It's done!" Xu Yuehuai breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Bai Yu. He wasn't injured, just a little disheveled.
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