Chapter 237

Back then, she read through the entire original text, and one of the most memorable scenes was Pei Ji’s experience in the Demon Refining Tower.

It seemed like he never felt fear. Even when he reached the higher levels, he would still draw his sword and face his enemies without hesitation. Despite being protected by the protagonist’s halo, he would still end up covered in blood every time, seizing the last spark of life in a desperate situation.

This caused her to become distracted, earnestly pondering:

Is there anything in this world that could make Pei Ji feel fear or hesitation? Would he, like everyone else, ever falter at certain times?

Ning Ning couldn’t think of anything.

It was as if he was always fighting for his life, never stopping for a moment.

Lost in her muddled thoughts, she arrived at the entrance of the Demon Refining Tower.

The pure white tower doors were wide open. Although the sky outside was clear and sunny, the inside was murky and dim, as if filled with ink, devoid of any light.

Or rather, it seemed as if that space didn’t exist at all.

Ning Ning gripped the hilt of her sword and took a step forward. The moment her right foot stepped through the doorway, in just the blink of an eye, the scene before her changed.

The first thing that invaded all her senses was a bone-chilling cold.

As far as the eye could see, everything was white. Large snowflakes fell like goose feathers, and in this silver-clad world, when she looked down, she saw a stone tablet beside her.

The stone tablet was covered in ice and snow, with rime frost spreading out like a spider’s web. She looked closely and finally made out the numbers engraved on its surface.

Fifty.

An average number, neither good nor bad, right in the middle.

But precisely because of this, it was difficult for her to assess the difficulty of this level.

The howling wind sounded like a beast’s wail, and the biting cold nipped at her earlobes. Ning Ning instinctively rubbed her chilly arms and looked around.

The withered branches of the trees looked like skeletons crawling on the ground. Everywhere she looked was uniform white, and besides the whimpering of the winter wind, there were no other sounds, reminding her inexplicably of the prolonged mourning at a funeral.

The entrance to the illusionary realm where she stood was a desolate open space, presumably a safe zone free from the attack of demons. To reach the more open main area, she had to cross a narrow bridge that spanned a chasm between two cliffs.

And standing in front of the bridge was a very familiar figure.

Ning Ning was stunned and called out the person’s name, “He Zhizhou?”

Upon hearing her voice, He Zhizhou turned around in surprise, showing an expression so excited that he was almost in tears, “Ning Ning!”

It’s fate!

It’s destiny by heaven!

With so many disciples participating in the Ten Methods Assembly, being able to meet the most reliable one from the sect is like a blessing from his past three lifetimes!

“We’re supposed to cross this bridge, right?” Ning Ning said as she stepped forward, lowering her eyes to look at the cliff below.

It was pitch black, with faint, eerie howls coming from below. Under no circumstances did she want to experience it firsthand.

At that moment, she finally understood why He Zhizhou hesitated in front of the bridge.

He was afraid of heights.

Because of his severe acrophobia, this person’s sword flying skills were still at a kindergarten level. He had once dropped Xu Ye straight off his sword in the Xiaochongshan secret realm.

Sword flying was prohibited in the Demon Refining Tower, so now, facing this cliff and precipice, he must have been afraid, not daring to take a step forward.

“This, this, this is too scary.”

He Zhizhou mustered all his courage to take a look down, then quickly shrank back, “This bridge looks so precarious. What if it breaks in the middle while we’re crossing it? Even if it doesn’t, with so much snow, the bridge must be covered in water and ice. If we’re not careful and slip, we’ll go rolling down—this is terrifying!”

This is the mental journey of someone with acrophobia, who, no matter what, can always imagine countless ways to die while standing at a height.

Even though he exaggerated, he had a point. Ning Ning was still young and was also intimidated by the abyss before her.

After pondering for a moment, she had a sudden idea, “I have an idea—follow my lead.”

He Zhizhou stared at her blankly.

The elders outside the mystic mirror also watched her every move intently.

“What do you think she’ll come up with?” Ji Yunkai asked with a smile.

“The bridge looks especially fragile. If she uses any sword techniques, it might shatter immediately,” Zhen Xiao answered honestly.

Zhen Xiao replied earnestly, “There’s no other way but to walk across it. If there is another way… maybe she could suspend her body, grip the bridge deck with both hands, and swing across like a rope.”

“That sounds even harder than just walking across!” Tian Xianzi glanced at him, “In my opinion, given Ning Ning’s tendency to take the unconventional path, she might lift He Zhizhou over her head—haven’t you seen acrobatics? Treating him like a balancing pole would make it easy to cross.”

Ji Yunkai’s eyes rolled up, and the image of the scene Tian Xianzi described immediately flashed in his mind.