Chapter 248

She must have gone through a fierce battle. Although there were no visible external injuries, her entire body was burning hot as if she had caught a cold.

Her face was as pale as paper, and her usually rosy lips were devoid of color, trembling slightly even in her unconscious state.

Yet her body was damp, soaked with icy cold water.

He had never seen Ning Ning so severely injured before.

His heart was heavy and chaotic, filled with frustration and anger with no outlet, leaving him feeling deeply vexed.

There were many trees here, and the cave was also filled with lizard-like vines. The entrance was mostly covered by branches, with only a few rays of sunlight scattering inside.

Cheng Ying gasped in shock, “My god, her internal injuries must be serious… What exactly did Ning Ning encounter on the other floors?”

Pei Ji didn’t respond, his pitch-black pupils reflecting the sunlight, turning into a dark, gloomy blood-red.

Cheng Ying noticed that he was so angry he wanted to draw his sword and kill someone, so he wisely kept quiet and said no more.

Pei Ji was a serious and upright person at his core. Because he strictly observed the boundaries between men and women and feared that being too close would cause discomfort, he never dared to get too close to Ning Ning.

After entering the cave, he carefully placed her against the stone wall of the cave.

It should have been a single, smooth movement.

However, before he could fully withdraw his hands, the unconscious girl moved slightly.

Ning Ning shivered from the cold.

In the silent, dim light, Pei Ji heard her shallow breaths, like a cat’s paw, gently and teasingly brushing against his eardrum.

The young man’s straight back stiffened instantly.

—Ning Ning’s consciousness was hazy, her body tormented by both heat and cold, with no way to find relief. She could only rely on her most primal senses, trembling as she leaned closer to him.

Pei Ji held his breath.

Even the tip of his heart was trembling uncontrollably.

One hand circled his waist, the other pressed against his spine. Ning Ning’s strength was weak; even when she tried to press down hard with her fingertips, he didn’t feel any pain.

It was like two burning flames, making his blood boil with agitation.

“…Ning Ning.”

Pei Ji dryly whispered her name, grasping the girl’s slender wrist.

In the dim cave, he could only hear the frantic pounding of his own heart, “I’ll go make a fire.”

But she didn’t respond to his words.

Instead, her hands continued to move upward bit by bit, her face slowly rising from Pei Ji’s chest, eventually reaching near his collarbone.

And her body, damp from the water, clung tightly to his clothes.

Cheng Ying wisely remained as quiet as a mouse, retreating deep into the sea of consciousness, curling up into a ball with his eyes covered.

He couldn’t push her away, yet he couldn’t let her continue to get closer either.

The cold dampness and her scorching body intertwined haphazardly; the scent of gardenias filled his nostrils. Through the thin fabric of his clothing, Pei Ji could vaguely feel her—

He couldn’t think any further; it was driving him mad.

So when the Xuanxu Sword Sect’s Mystic Mirror, after circling through various floors of the Demon Refining Tower, finally found Ning Ning, all the elders present were stunned.

They could see that the girl had exhausted all her strength and would soon lose consciousness.

But Ning Ning was quickly moved to the next trial checkpoint and disappeared from the sight of those on the 50th floor. Tian Xianzi, extremely worried about his good disciple, fearing something would happen to her, painstakingly climbed the tower floor by floor with the Mystic Mirror.

God will not let down those who work hard.

Now he finally saw——

“This…”

Qu Feiqing thoughtfully stroked her chin, “It seems Ning Ning made the first move, right? Pei Ji’s face is so red—so his face can get that red. Finally, he doesn’t look like a dead man.”

“I was expecting something more thrilling.”

Lin Qian, too, blushed slightly, “But… this is pretty thrilling.”

Ji Yunkai burst into laughter, and the pastries in his mouth sprayed all over the table like flowers scattering from the sky.

“No way! You guys get out of here! A bunch of disrespectful old men and women! You’re not allowed to watch, not allowed!”

Only Tian Xianzi fiercely grabbed the Mystic Mirror, shielding it with his thin body, his face twisted with determination.

“I will protect Pei Ji and Ning Ning’s innocence to the death! Huff puff huff puff!”

Lin Qian completely ignored Elder Tian Xianzi’s piglet-like squeals and stomped on his arm, “If we don’t get a clear look now, even if they’re innocent, won’t our wild imaginations make things even more unclear? Let go!”

Tian Xianzi: “I won’t!”

Qu Feiqing, quick-witted in a moment of crisis, pointed to his feet and shouted, “Elder Tian Xianzi, you dropped a spirit stone!”

Tian Xianzi’s pupils shrank as if he had lost a treasure, and he looked down.

In that instant, Lin Qian quickly reached for the Mystic Mirror.

Just as she was about to touch it, Tian Xianzi seemed to sense something, and his wrist jerked suddenly.

Crash, bang, boom.

The Xuanxu Sword Sect’s Mystic Mirror spun in the air, completing a 720-degree rotation before crashing to the ground, shattered.

At the same time, the hearts of three centenarians were also broken.