CHAPTER 37
Meng Yunxi met Sheng Qing's questioning gaze with composure, but after a few seconds she looked away rather awkwardly.
Sheng Qing was in a dilemma, and it seemed that there was no better way out. He had to fill the hole he had dug himself.
After a lot of work, they managed to repair the potholes and cracks on the ground, clean up the site, and add some wooden sofas, tables, and chairs.
Destruction is definitely more satisfying; cleaning up a mess is something not everyone can do.
Sheng Qing was so exhausted that he slumped into the newly made chair without any regard for his image.
I glanced at that number by chance, and it didn't budge at all!
Wasn't it almost fully recovered? Why is there no movement?
"Captain?" Sheng Qing's face fell.
“There’s another way.” Meng Yunxi said hesitantly as she took Sheng Qing’s hand.
Ignoring the punishment mechanism, Meng Yunxi summoned the power of earth element to recreate a space that separated the two of them from the studio.
Meng Yunxi wrote two words in Sheng Qing's palm: "Exotic Fragrance".
Oh right, how could I forget about that!
Sheng Qing was overjoyed, but then became somewhat uncertain.
Meng Yunxi wrote two more characters: conch shell.
Does this refer to using exotic scents to attract viewers, or is it an attempt to draw out the person behind the secret realm?
Sheng Qing didn't understand, but if she asked now, it would be tantamount to making the matter of the strange fragrance public.
Since Meng Yunxi has proposed this method, there must be some basis for it, so we might as well trust him this once.
I should have believed him a long time ago. I should have just stayed and been a mere accessory. Otherwise, I would have ended up in this weird studio where I have to complete a task to leave.
Unfortunately, there's no going back. Sheng Qing sighed for a moment, then nodded solemnly.
Holding his breath and concentrating, he quickly probed into his sea of consciousness. What had once been a barren and cracked place was now slowly gathering again. Without the slightest delay, he guided the spiritual energy outwards.
The space formed by the earth element reacted quickly, initially with only subtle sounds, like the wind blowing through willows.
Suddenly, the alarm blared, the space shook, and something was violently impacting it.
Seeing this, Meng Yunxi silently added another layer of protection. But this only fueled the unknown creature's competitive spirit, and the impact became even more deafening.
Sheng Qing felt a rumbling sound in his ear canal, and then the barrage of comments seemed to come alive, breaking through the protection and flashing in front of his eyes in an overwhelming manner.
At first, it was just normal comments and complaints, but at one point it was covered by strange and distorted fonts, with colors that jumped around and kept assaulting the retina.
fragrant!
It smells so good!
Where are you!
come out!
You can't escape it!
Sheng Qing tried to close her eyes to avoid it, but the barrage of comments flooded into her mind, shouting wildly. Her mind was so noisy!
What kind of monster did they attract? Sheng Qing suppressed his fear and cut off the source of his spiritual power.
Having lost its target, the unknown creature outside seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated, and the force of the impact increased, accompanied by a sour, scratching sound, as it attacked from all directions.
"Soon." Meng Yunxi uttered the two words urgently, tightly gripping Sheng Qing.
The space could no longer hold, and finally broke and collapsed.
A huge, frantically spinning scarlet eyeball suddenly appeared, rushing towards Sheng Qing at incredible speed, dripping foul-smelling slime along its path.
I'm going to have nightmares!
Sheng Qing froze in fright. If Meng Yunxi hadn't pulled her away with all her might, she would have already made intimate contact with his eyes.
"alright!"
Just a second before being held tightly by Meng Yunxi and leaving the secret realm, Sheng Qing glanced at the number of online users in the upper right corner and the number below it that had exploded into gibberish.
Does this mean the requirements for leaving have been met?
"You're back." Nothing could have made Sheng Qing feel more at ease than hearing those three words. Like a newborn bird peeking out from its mother's arms, Sheng Qing slowly opened her eyes.
In the blink of an eye, the two found themselves back at the concave spot they had left behind. What had previously seemed strangely secluded now felt much more welcoming.
"Shall I take you upstairs?" Meng Yunxi was very calm. She even carefully picked up and threw away the filth that had accidentally gotten on Sheng Qing's head. She said lightly, "A hot bath will do the trick."
Sheng Qing then remembered, and awkwardly sniffed, noticing it smelled a little bad. "Can I take a hot shower?"
Meng Yunxi nodded. Seeing that Sheng Qing did not refuse, she exerted a little force and jumped up several steps in a row, finally stopping at an unremarkable concave point.
"Don't move around." Meng Yunxi instructed again, then felt around on the stone wall to the right of the concave point for a moment, and then a water ripple appeared on the ground.
"Come in." Meng Yunxi gestured for Sheng Qing to step forward.
Having learned from past mistakes, Sheng Qing did not act rashly. Instead, she cautiously pointed to the open space between the water ripples and asked, "Can I step on this? Or should I just jump over?"
“You can choose to jump over.” Meng Yunxi’s expression shifted slightly as she stretched out her arms. “Don’t worry, I’ll catch you.”
Are you sure?
"certainly."
Sheng Qing looked at Meng Yunxi suspiciously. Meng Yunxi smiled slightly, confirming that he was just joking, and Sheng Qing became a little annoyed.
You can't blame her for being paranoid; she only missed the mark by a meter and fell into the water, and she only summoned fire elementals on the reef before landing in the territory of the Crimson Eyes.
"Alright, come here quickly." Meng Yunxi's tone was somewhat like coaxing a child.
It felt strange, but it also inexplicably felt more lively and alive. Sheng Qing complained as she carefully stepped onto the water ripples. The scene before her eyes instantly changed, and she found herself in a warm room.
After taking a bath, Sheng did not go out immediately. Instead, she dried her clothes while checking the state of her mind.
The spiritual energy seemed to become more refined and gradually materialized into real objects, such as a dagger for self-defense.
It would be ideal if the timing of the fragrance's release could be precisely controlled, or at least, if the fragrance could be prevented from dissipating for a short period of time.
The progress bar above my consciousness is stuck at 10%, but the color of the progress bar has changed slightly. Is this related to the materialization of spiritual power?
"Knock knock knock." A knock on the door pulled Sheng Qing back to reality.
"Are you alright?" Meng Yunxi asked from outside the door.
"It's alright, I'll be right there," Sheng Qing replied hastily, changing into clothes that had already been dried.
Had I been inside for a long time?
When the door opened, Meng Yunxi was standing on the right side of the doorway waiting. Seeing that Sheng Qing appeared unharmed, she turned and walked towards the living room.
Upon exiting, Sheng Qing was flattered to find the dining table laden with steaming hot food.
Although he had already freeloaded twice, Sheng Qing still hadn't gotten used to it. Despite his seemingly aloof exterior, he was actually the kind of domestic man who could handle both social occasions and household chores.
Moreover, this was done while she was exhausted after escaping from the secret realm; in any case, Sheng Qing herself couldn't have done it.
"What, are you afraid I'll poison him?" Meng Yunxi asked, seeing that Sheng Qing was still not seated.
"Captain, do you think I'm that kind of ungrateful person?" Sheng Qing laughed. "But how did you do it? Do you have any secrets?"
"A secret?" Meng Yunxi shook her head. "There isn't one."
"Just a hobby?" Sheng Qing pressed.
"You could say that."
"I really envy people like you who are good cooks." Sheng Qing swallowed the food in her mouth and showed a satisfied expression.
"You guys? Is there anyone else who's a great cook?" Meng Yunxi's focus shifted.
"I was lucky enough to have eaten there once before." Before she transmigrated, Sheng Qing had the good fortune to have a meal with the leader of her internship unit, and the five-star chef's culinary skills were truly amazing. Unfortunately, she would definitely not be willing to spend her own money.
"Is that so?" Meng Yunxi's tone became somewhat low.
Aren't you going to eat?
"I'm not hungry."
So was this meal made especially for me?
Is there something I need to do to compensate them?
Sheng Qing suddenly felt as if the rice bowl in his hand had become a thousand pounds.
"Why aren't you eating?" Meng Yunxi didn't touch her chopsticks, but she didn't leave either.
"Captain, I'm really not at ease eating this meal." Sheng Qing hesitated. Rather than waiting passively, he decided to take the initiative and see what Meng Yunxi's plan was. "Just tell me what you need me to do. As long as it's not murder or arson, I will never say no."
"Do you really see me as someone who's only interested in profit?"
"No, no, no, how could that be?" Sheng Qing hurriedly denied, "But I already owe you a lot of favors."
"Are you so eager to sever ties with me?" Meng Yunxi's tone turned cold, but she quickly realized that her words were inappropriate, so she added, "Don't worry, I have no other intentions towards you."
Of course, Sheng Qing had that much self-awareness.
Seeing that Sheng Qing still looked skeptical, Meng Yunxi paused and said, "I think you've recovered quite a bit. You can make the Thousand Faces and Conch Shell that Xu Pei wants yourself."
“No problem.” Sheng Qing’s eyes lit up. She had been curious about these two things for a long time but had never had the chance to ask. This was a lucky coincidence.
"No problem?" Meng Yunxi asked in return, "What do they look like? Where do they live? How do we lure and capture them? How do we preserve them?"
Sheng Qing, forgetting all about eating, flashed what she thought was a very sweet smile: "Captain, why don't you go all the way and set an example for me?"
"What, you're not afraid of owing me a favor now?" Meng Yunxi seemed to be in a better mood.
“You’re the captain, and they all say you’re the most loyal.” Sheng Qing moved her chair closer to Meng Yunxi, resisting the urge to grab her. “Please, have mercy and help me.”
Meng Yunxi's gaze fell on the slightly upturned corners of the person in front of her, and after a few seconds it returned to those smiling eyes, and she was momentarily stunned.
"team leader?"
A call brought Meng Yunxi back to her senses. She coughed lightly and said, "I can teach you, but you have to do it yourself."
"No problem." Sheng Qing's tone was cheerful.
Sheng Qing got up very early, but Meng Yunxi was obviously up even earlier; the aroma wafted from the kitchen into the living room.
Is Meng Yunxi planning to become a stay-at-home husband? I wonder which lucky girl will win him over in the future.
This seemingly aloof personality is a perfect match for a girl with a warm and sunny disposition.
Sheng Qing had already begun to feel jealous of that girl whose whereabouts were still unknown.
After a hearty meal, the two headed to the teleportation point between the hidden paradise and Mengcheng, which was the best hunting ground for capturing Thousand Faces and Conch Shells.
The former, as its name suggests, is highly versatile and can allow non-humans to infiltrate various locations without triggering elemental arrays.
The latter is a teleportation item that can help humans or non-humans escape from the secret realm. Of course, it is not always effective, as it is positively correlated with the user and the complexity of the secret realm.
At first glance, the secret realm of that studio seemed ordinary, but unexpectedly, there was such a terrifying and disgusting monster behind it, and this monster just happened to have the ability to restrain the conch.
This is nothing compared to Sheng Qing's utter misfortune.
Sheng Qing gradually came to appreciate the benefits of the sea of consciousness and spiritual power. Although it brought her considerable trouble, it also allowed her to truly experience the advantages of the cheat system.
For example, at this moment, all that was needed was to draw out a wisp of spiritual energy and attach it to the pre-set trap. Even the Thousand Faces, who was usually good at hiding his tracks, obediently revealed himself and was caught red-handed by Sheng Qing, who was hiding not far away waiting for him.
However, ten thousand faces are easily obtained.
Sheng Qingchong raised the small, black, coal-like object in his hand to Meng Yunxi. No matter how he looked at it, it didn't match Xu Pei's stunningly beautiful face at all.
Meng Yunxi didn't speak, staring at Sheng Qing with a strange expression.
Sheng Qing sensed something was wrong and turned to look at what he was holding. There was no coal ball anymore; it was clearly a wet, slippery, blood-spitting, long-tongued black snake.
Sheng Qing was most afraid of these legless mollusks, and with a start, he threw them far away.
The moment the black snake touched the ground, it merged with the earth and vanished without a trace.
In his excitement, he forgot Meng Yunxi's instructions: this thing must not come into direct contact with the skin before further treatment, otherwise the person will smell something they are afraid of.
Sheng Qing squatted down and searched carefully again, but finally gave up.
Just as he was about to repeat his old trick, Sheng Qing suddenly sensed a strange atmosphere in the air and looked up in Meng Yunxi's direction.
How can there be two identical Meng Yunxis? Their figures and expressions are exactly the same.
Sheng Qing felt as if he were facing a formidable enemy and stood up to distance himself from the two.
Clearly, one of them is the manifestation of a thousand faces.
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