55. Qiu Shui Attacked?
Initially, no one listened to Gong Yiling.
After all, Shangguan Long had clearly stated that losing their number cards meant immediate expulsion.
For them, entering the Heart of Blazing Flame was a rare opportunity.
They hadn’t even seen the treasures yet. Leaving now would be a waste.
So… even facing a deadly demonic beast, they clung to a sliver of hope.
Maybe… maybe they wouldn’t be the unlucky ones?
But as their numbers dwindled, the initial six-person group was down to two.
And they didn’t even know what they were facing.
Such a disparity in strength was undeniably terrifying.
Reluctantly, they threw away their six number cards.
However, nothing happened.
“This… how is this possible? Why weren’t we expelled?”
Now, they were truly terrified, seemingly left with no option but to wait for death.
Of course, as Gong Yiling predicted, they panicked for a while, almost on the verge of tears, but the demonic beast didn’t attack them.
Instead…
It attacked the discarded cards, destroying them.
“You should be safe now,”
Gong Yiling called out from afar. “It seems the beast has left.”
“Huh?” They finally reacted, looking around cautiously. “It’s really gone?”
Gong Yiling shrugged. “I don’t know if it’s completely gone, but I’m sure it won’t attack you anymore.”
One of the survivors, relieved, couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”
“Let me ask you a question,” Gong Yiling said. “Besides feeling a bit cooler, did you feel anything unusual after throwing away the cards?”
They checked their bodies and inner energy, then shook their heads.
“Then that’s it.”
Gong Yiling pointed at the vanished cards. “You must have realized those aren’t ordinary objects, but some kind of demonic spirit, or rather, fragments of a demonic spirit.”
They nodded readily.
Indeed, most people who entered here had noticed this. After all, no one wanted to carry around these cards, risking losing them.
“The Emperor told you to keep them with you, not to prevent expulsion, but to ensure… something could find you.”
They gasped, realizing the truth. “That demonic beast?”
“If I’m not mistaken, that beast probably has poor eyesight and needs a special demonic spirit to guide it, to find and kill us.”
“So, by discarding the cards, we disrupt the spirit’s tracking, and the beast becomes harmless.”
Her explanation made sense.
No wonder she told them to throw away the cards immediately. She had clearly seen through the beast’s trick.
But…
“His Majesty… had no reason to deceive us.”
Indeed, knowing Qiu Shui and Xinyao were inside, why would Shangguan Long give them false information? If something happened to them, could he withstand the “Immortal Master’s” wrath?
“There’s always a reason.” Gong Yiling said, “I only believe what I see. That Emperor tried to trap us all here. Even the escape method was fake.”
“Now, what do you two intend to do?”
Her warning wasn’t an exaggeration.
The only escape route was blocked, and they didn’t dare risk flying out.
Even if they didn’t believe the Emperor would intentionally harm them, they had to prepare for the worst.
“We need to gather everyone.”
After a moment of thought, they reached a conclusion. “We have to ensure everyone’s safety and inform them about this as soon as possible.”
Without delay, they bid farewell to Gong Yiling and headed off in different directions.
Gong Yiling didn’t remain idle. She carried Lu Xinyao on her back and started searching for Qiu Shui.
They hadn’t been separated for long, so she shouldn’t be too far away.
Following Qiu Shui’s direction, she headed towards the nearest rock formation.
However, after searching for a while, she couldn’t find her.
As she crossed an open area, a gust of wind blew past, revealing four claw marks on the ground, previously hidden by the dust.
—
—
“Cough…” Qiu Shui coughed as she woke up.
Strange… she looked around, frowning at the unfamiliar surroundings.
—A crimson cave.
Red crystals were embedded in the walls, and a scorching heat filled the air. The swirling dust revealed an even more surprising sight.
She wasn’t alone. Four or five unconscious figures lay scattered around, all vaguely familiar faces from the fourteen contestants.
But… why… why was she here?
Her last memory was of following Gong Yiling’s instructions, heading towards the rock formation to search for hidden treasures.
But before she could explore much, a strange gust of wind swept past, and then she found herself in this place.
“Did I trigger some kind of trap, or…” As she muttered to herself, a loud noise echoed through the cave.
Qiu Shui quickly crouched down, turning her head and squinting in the direction of the sound.
The noise grew louder, and she soon saw its source.
A giant creature!
