Chapter 253

Thanks to the spiritual energy transferred by Pei Ji, when Ning Ning opened her eyes from sleep, the annoying heat throughout her body had mostly dissipated.

The cave was very quiet, with only the faint sound of burning firewood.

Her vision was still blurry, making everything appear unclear.

In the hazy distance, she vaguely noticed Pei Ji moving.

It seemed as if he lowered his head hurriedly.

After a moment, he raised his eyelashes as if unintentionally and asked in a deep voice, “Are you feeling better?”

When he spoke, he resumed his usual emotionless expression, his tone flat and devoid of any discernible feeling.

Perhaps because he had transferred too much spiritual energy to Ning Ning, Pei Ji’s face appeared somewhat pale, with dark circles under his eyes.

The flickering firelight cast a faint, pale pink hue on his face.

…Had he been here the entire time while she was asleep?

Ning Ning’s thoughts were slow, and she stared at him without moving for a while.

Pei Ji initially met her gaze with an indifferent expression, but after some time, for reasons unknown, he averted his eyes with a trace of embarrassment.

“Don’t overthink it.”

He said, “I wasn’t watching you the whole time.”

Oh.

Ning Ning blinked, still dazed.

She didn’t even ask this kind of question…

“Did you say earlier that you wanted to go outside for some fresh air?”

She touched her head, which was no longer aching as much, trying to recall the blurry memories from when she had a fever.

The more she thought about it, the faster her heart beat, and her voice gradually softened to a murmur: “Did you find any useful clues outside?”

Indeed, she had been held in Pei Ji’s arms.

Although the pretext was for transferring spiritual energy, the posture between them at that time seemed a bit too intimate.

Moreover, after that, she had leaned against Pei Ji’s chest, poking him with spiritual energy here and there. Such aimless movements and that ambiguous question, “Does it feel good?”—

Ning Ning’s temples throbbed.

The fact that Pei Ji hadn’t pushed her away during her reckless behavior showed that he truly was a kind-hearted person at his core.

Now that he was keeping silent about the matter, Ning Ning decided to let it go and patiently listened as Pei Ji said, “This place is different from the other layers of the tower; it’s a Futu realm.”

(T/N: Futu Realm/Purgatory Realm/Buddha Realm refers to a mystical or purgatorial space where souls or spirits are trapped, reliving memories or dealing with unresolved emotions.)

Ning Ning was startled: “Futu Realm? Are you sure?”

She had heard of this term before.

Similar to the lingering spirits formed after a mortal’s death, powerful demons or cultivators could use spiritual energy to create an illusion that reenacts memories. The Floating Tower used for training in the Xuanxu Sword Sect was modeled after this.

“I encountered a demon woodcutter in the forest.”

Pei Ji lowered his gaze, staring intently at the fire in front of him: “Unlike the malevolent demons in the Demon Refining Tower, this one was pure and gentle in nature. When asked about this place, he only mentioned that the war between the immortals and demons had been prolonged, causing great suffering to his people.”

In other words, this memory took place during the war between the immortals and demons.

Another immortal-demon war.

Ning Ning thought that she seemed to have quite a connection with this part of history.

Pei Ji spoke concisely, his throat moving slightly.

He wanted to tell her that although he encountered the woodcutter in the forest, he never actually left the cave entrance.

Ning Ning had looked so miserable; he couldn’t afford to let his own evil desires take over and flee in disgrace. Once he left the cave, it was naturally impossible to keep her out of his sight.

However, saying this out loud felt awkward, as if it implied… how much he cared about her.

Though he did care about her very much.

“If this is indeed a Futu Realm,” Ning Ning hesitated, “and the Demon Refining Tower itself is a secret realm, then aren’t… we now in a realm within a realm?”

Pei Ji nodded, “That’s correct.”

He paused as he spoke, the sharp contours of his face highlighted by the firelight, his voice clear: “To leave this Futu Realm, we need to find the culprit who created the illusion. Forcing our way out could cause the formation to destabilize, making escape difficult.”

A Futu Realm usually forms from strong obsessions and emotions. Many powerful, heart-wrenching, unattainable, or unforgettable memories can be recreated within it.

Just like with the Floating Tower, the best way to escape the Futu Realm is not through violence but by following the memories step by step, helping the illusion’s owner break free from their inner demons.

“How strange,” Ning Ning murmured.