Help, I’m Being Forced to Marry a Frail and Sickly Immortal Doctor! 56

Chapter 56: The Vast Sea That Once Was

“Your mouth has gotten dumber. It’s probably regressed by ten…”

Yan Lingge had just entered the sect not long ago. Ning Ruoque thought that it would take a few more years, or even more than ten years, before she would hear her name again.

After all, even the Mirage Sea Secret Realm of the past was not an entirely safe place. A cultivation at the Spirit Induction realm was still too low.

Yin Buran was silent for a while, then nonchalantly raised her eyes and glanced at her. “Oh? You know who it is just by hearing the voice? Is your impression that deep?”

Ning Ruoque: “…”

She had a premonition that if she didn’t answer this well, Yin Buran would bristle immediately!

She hugged her sword, and after overturning several answers, she said honestly, “I went to Brightlight Pavilion because of her, and then I met you.”

Her voice was dry, and it was not difficult to hear the apprehension in it.

Yin Buran snorted lightly, her beautiful eyes staring in the direction of the voice, not looking at Ning Ruoque.

So the latter asked cautiously again, “Do you want to eat some pumpkin pie?”

The pumpkin pie was fried by Ning Ruoque in advance before they set off. The crust was crispy, and the filling was sweet but not greasy. She herself liked to eat it very much.

Yin Buran raised her chin, as if she were disdainful of it.

She said coldly, “It will get my hands dirty.”

Ning Ruoque took out a piece of pumpkin pie from her storage bag, carefully wrapped it in oil paper, and then handed it to Yin Buran.

Yin Buran glanced at it quickly, her peripheral vision sweeping over Ning Ruoque’s face.

Only after confirming that the sword cultivator’s eyes were filled with her own reflection did she slowly take it.

Yin Buran did not eat like a certain sword cultivator, who would eat a poisonous mushroom in one bite and a large chicken leg in three, as if afraid of being snatched.

She would only take small bites and chew carefully.

The etiquette cultivated in a large family from her past life, every move exuded a kind of elegance and composure, making one feel pleased to the eye.

As Ning Ruoque watched, a strange sense of satisfaction rose in her heart.

It was just that before she could curl up the corners of her mouth, a curly-haired head suddenly came over.

“Why don’t you ask me if I want to eat? I want to eat too.”

A voice like a bronze gong exploded by her ear. Ning Ruoque’s face immediately fell, and she impatiently slapped a piece of pumpkin pie on Chu Xuan’s mouth.

Then she stood up and gave a piece to Si Mingyue, who was not far away.

Si Mingyue smiled. “Thank you.”

Then Ning Ruoque’s gaze slanted and landed on Qingtong out of the blue.

This gaze was really a bit scary, like a fierce wolf whose meal had been disturbed.

Qingtong unconsciously shrank into a corner and shook her head vigorously. “I… I have no appetite. You don’t have to give it to me.”

Ning Ruoque did not listen and still forcefully stuffed half a piece of pumpkin pie to her.

Finally, she returned to Yin Buran’s side. The other had already finished eating and was slowly wiping her mouth.

The flying boat sailed towards the source of the voice, and then crashed into a bizarre space without any warning.

After the familiar feeling of weightlessness, Ning Ruoque was the first to jump off the flying boat, while Yin Buran lazily nestled in her original spot.

This illusionary realm was very empty, with only a small farmhouse courtyard, and a goose-yellow figure pacing back and forth in it.

When Ning Ruoque appeared, that figure paused and looked over vigilantly.

But Yan Lingge soon saw the person clearly.

First, it was disbelief, and then her eyes lit up, as if they were hiding countless little stars.

She ran over with her skirt in her hands. “Senior Ning!”

Ning Ruoque sized her up without a sound.

The person was conscious, and she estimated that she had already passed the test of the illusionary realm. It was just that because of the sea hanging upside down in the sky, she could not get out of the secret realm.

The little girl hurriedly ran to Ning Ruoque, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and her whole body was filled with joy and anticipation.

At the same time, a line of sight fell on Ning Ruoque without any obstruction, so strong that it could almost materialize.

Ning Ruoque’s back tightened, and she couldn’t help but quicken her speech. “Why are you here?”

Yan Lingge understood her meaning, her fingers twisting her sleeve, and she explained timidly, “I begged my master and insisted on coming. I want to improve faster.”

“Alright, come with us first. Qingtong will explain the specific situation to you.”

After Ning Ruoque finished speaking, she directly turned around and took a step first, getting on the flying boat.

Yin Buran leaned against the side of the boat and looked straight ahead. “I’m not a petty person. You can talk to whomever you like. You don’t have to mind me.”

Ning Ruoque: “…”

She sulked to the side, not knowing what to do.

Yin Buran propped up her head and glanced at her. “Your mouth has gotten dumber. It’s probably regressed by ten years.”

She’s lost a large part of her memory, and she’s not very good at coaxing people. It’s really annoying.

The group continued on their journey, searching for other people and clues in the vast white space.

After that, they broke into several more illusionary realms in succession.

Some people were already awake and were still trying to save themselves. Some were a step too late, and the person was no longer breathing, and the illusionary realm was on the verge of collapse.

But what they encountered the most were people who were undergoing the dao heart trial. At this time, they needed to wake them up, just like how they had woken up Qingtong.

Qingtong had witnessed several different ways of waking people up.

When they encountered people from the Forging Fire Sect, Chu Xuan would directly go up and pat their heads, use a strange crab to bite their butts, and take out a water gun to spray their faces.

But these people were particularly fond of her and loved to surround Chu Xuan, making a lot of noise.

All they said was, “Sect Master, Sect Master!”

Even the cicadas of Azurefall Creek were not as noisy as them!

The one who left the deepest impression was a sword cultivator. He thought he had already reached the pinnacle of the sword dao and was looking down at the changing winds and clouds from a mountain peak.

Ning Ruoque was in a hurry and went straight up and gave him two sword strikes.

That person was so scared that he fell to the ground, his expression dazed, and he didn’t recover for a long time. He looked ten times more foolish than when he had imagined himself to be the Sword Venerable.

Qingtong felt deep sympathy. It was probably that his dream had woken up, and the nightmare had also become a reality.

In comparison, Si Mingyue just stuck talismans and waved her staff, looking much more friendly.

But after comparing and contrasting, Qingtong still felt that Yin Buran, who had been lying on the flying boat from beginning to end and didn’t even want to move a finger, was the best.

She let out a heartfelt sigh, “Little Senior Sister is so gentle… What are you looking at again?”

From the beginning, Yan Lingge’s gaze had been falling on Ning Ruoque from time to time.

Suddenly hearing this, Yan Lingge was startled. “Ah!”

When she turned around and found that it was Qingtong, she answered timidly and with embarrassment.

“Senior Ning’s sword moves are always at ease. No matter how many times I watch, I will never get tired of it. I want to become a sword cultivator like her in the future.”

Qingtong held her face and nodded, her eyes full of longing. “I also want to become a medical cultivator like Little Senior Sister.”

As time went by, their team grew larger and larger.

Those who were saved would also act on their own, looking for illusionary realms to save more people.

In the end, one flying boat was no longer enough, and Chu Xuan released several more.

A large group of people followed the guidance of the compass and headed towards the legendary core of the Mirage Sea Realm.

Yin Buran rested her fingers on the side of the boat, tapping lightly, her eyes slightly out of focus.

Ning Ruoque asked directly, “Yin Buran, what are you thinking about?”

So Yin Buran changed her posture and leaned naturally on Ning Ruoque’s shoulder.

Ignoring a certain sword cultivator’s instantly tensed body, she patted the hilt of the Sudden Rain sword.

“The people who weren’t saved all died of a collapsed spiritual soul, without exception. Why…”

Chu Xuan interjected, “I also have a familiar feeling. I seem to have seen this method somewhere before, but I just can’t remember.”

But that feeling had been lingering around her, unable to be shaken off. Perhaps her body remembered, but her brain had not yet reacted.

Si Mingyue looked back at the huge team, and her snow-white, thick eyelashes could not hide the worry in her eyes.

“The Mirage Sea Realm is good at creating illusions. Perhaps we shouldn’t gather so many people. Our states of mind will affect each other. If the Mirage Sea Realm loses control, it will become very troublesome.”

“And, I also have the same premonition as you,” she shook her head and sighed in frustration, “I clearly divined that it was a great fortune. Could it be that the time has already passed?”

Being in an illusionary realm, one could not feel the passage of time at all.

Si Mingyue took out a few copper coins and wanted to perform a divination, but a cry of alarm came from behind her.

“There seems to be an island in front!” Yan Lingge pointed to the distance.

As expected, in the originally dull and tasteless space, a rich and colorful stroke suddenly appeared.

Everyone saw it clearly. This was not an illusion, but a real island!

It was not strange for there to be land in the Mirage Sea Realm. After all, it was just a special grotto-heaven opened up by a god.

The small island had gathered a thick spiritual energy, of the same origin as the Mirage Sea Realm, and Ning Ruoque did not sense any special aura.

She looked back at her companions and confirmed, “Are we closer to the core of the Mirage Sea Realm?”

Si Mingyue was not sure, so she foolishly held the copper coins and looked at Yin Buran.

When she looked, Chu Xuan’s feet were already on the side of the boat, and she also tilted her head.

Being stared at by three people at the same time, Yin Buran’s expression was blank. “We can go up and rest for a while, and also think about what to do next.”

“But only half of us can go. The rest will stay here and guard.”

After giving her orders calmly, everyone quickly did as she said.

Ning Ruoque wanted to go down and investigate. Yin Buran did not say anything and just tugged on her sleeve. It was a sign that she definitely wanted to follow.

She helplessly carried Yin Buran and landed steadily on the small island.

It was called a small island, but its area was actually not small.

There was a hill on the island, and also a shallow stream.

Thanks to the thick spiritual energy of the Mirage Sea Realm, a thin mist passed over the land, and all sorts of strange and precious plants grew on the mountain. The grass leaves were also stained with clear dewdrops.

The people who had been tense for a long time relaxed, and they gathered in groups of two and three to discuss, or planned to go deeper to explore.

Most of them were not entering the secret realm for the first time and could quickly adjust their mentality.

Ning Ruoque rode her sword and flew to a high place, but did not find anything unusual.

She was about to brew a pot of tea for Yin Buran, but as she passed by Yan Lingge, her sleeve was pulled.

“Senior, can you… help me pick a firefly herb? I want to take it back and give it to my master.”

Ning Ruoque pulled her sleeve back without a sound. She was still not used to being in contact with others.

Although the little girl in front of her had put on some weight since their first meeting, she still had the same timidity as before.

When she looked at people, she did not dare to look directly at them. The moment their gazes met, they would immediately separate.

“I… my own cultivation is not enough, and I can’t fly up. I also haven’t found any familiar fellow sect members.” She explained to Ning Ruoque in a small voice, like a crumpled piece of paper.

Ning Ruoque followed Yan Lingge’s line of sight and indeed found a firefly herb on a cliff.

The grass leaves were green, and it had small, light purple flowers. It was hidden in a pile of orchids, and if one did not look carefully, one would not find it.

Although the firefly herb had the word “herb” in it, it was actually a kind of medicinal herb that could clear the mind and calm the qi, and was of great benefit to cultivation.

Ning Ruoque saw that although this grass was growing on a cliff, there was no danger around it, so she nodded and agreed.

“Alright, you wait for me here.”

She turned her head, and Yin Buran was staring at her from not far away, her posture as elegant as a crane, looking clear and otherworldly, as awe-inspiring as snow.

But Ning Ruoque subconsciously saw her as a clingy little cat. Wherever she went, the cat would follow.

It would guard her while she practiced her sword, guard her while she ate, sulk in front of her, and sleep beside her.

In fact, Yin Buran was very easy to coax. As for her occasional sarcasm and putting coptis root and bitter medicine in her cup, that was not Yin Buran’s problem.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly. She directly stepped on the protruding broken stones and flew up to pick that firefly herb.

The cliff was like flat ground to her. In just a few breaths, she had arrived by the orchid cluster.

Ning Ruoque hung on to a rock with one hand and reached for the firefly herb with the other.

She easily pulled the medicinal herb up by its roots, and just as she was about to go down, the rock in her hand sank, and instantly shattered into pieces.

A cry of alarm came from under her.

Ning Ruoque was not flustered. She timely adjusted her posture and stepped on another huge rock.

She thought it was just an accident, but her heart suddenly jumped, and the hair on her whole body stood on end!

In an instant, the Sudden Rain sword was unsheathed and stabbed at her originally empty side.

However, the blade of the sword did not hit anything. A ball of black appeared out of thin air and swallowed Ning Ruoque, like a monster opening its bloody mouth.

“Senior!”

Ning Ruoque looked at Yan Lingge’s face, which was filled with terror and panic.

She should have been terrified, but she didn’t know where she got the strength to leap up the mountain and chase after her.

The “monster” of course did not refuse and swallowed her as well.

Ning Ruoque was wrapped in it, and she only felt a strong sense of sleepiness sweep over her, like a tide drowning her consciousness.

Before she completely fell into a deep sleep, Ning Ruoque caught a glimpse of Yin Buran rushing over in a hurry.

While she still had a little strength left, she suddenly threw her storage bag over.

Immediately after, a bottomless darkness surged up, and she finally closed her eyes with extreme unwillingness.