Chapter 285

“Do you like me?”

The clear voice of a young girl sounded with a hint of laughter, and Pei Ji stared at her eyes in a daze.

In stark contrast to his stunned silence, outside the mystic mirror, the atmosphere had turned into a grand stage filled with screams and laughters.

“Huff, huff, honk honk, huff huff.”

Tian Xianzi laughed so hard that his face twisted, imitating the sounds of various animals one after another, almost barking like a dog in his laughter.

“Why..why did we suddenly start talking about this? It’s really embarrassing.”

Qu Feiqing glared at him, frustrated.

“Bah! If it weren’t for you stubbornly protecting the mystic mirror earlier, would we have been staring at that rock on the cliff for so long?”

Lin Qian’s eyes were blank.

“Some things, if you miss them for a moment, you will miss them for a lifetime.”

Earlier, when they saw Ning Ning going down the mountain to find Pei Ji, a crowd of bystanders clamored to change the view, but Tian Xianzi, filled with a sense of justice, clutched the mystic mirror tightly, refusing to let anyone touch it.

This was a new mirror that had just been replaced.

Lin Qian, fearing it would shatter like its heroic predecessor, held back her urge to snatch it and, along with a few others, patiently reasoned with Elder Tian Xianzi.

But by the time he finally relented and switched the view to the riverside, everyone present was stunned to hear Ning Ning’s voice say, “Do you like me?”

The plot twisted like a rollercoaster, suddenly reaching its peak.

It was like going to Tianxiang Tower for a feast—before the tongue could savor a single flavor, the stomach was already full.

Multiple pairs of eyes instantly sharpened, and the group began discussing how to deal with the shameful traitor Tian Xianzi.

“Wait, wait, wait!”

He Xiaochen’s voice stopped the chaotic scene.

Squinting into the depths of the mystic mirror, he said, “Something seems off… What is that?”

Hearing this, Lin Qian lowered her head, his gaze falling onto the mystic mirror, and she too froze.

The floor of the tower where Ning Ning and the others were was now overrun with demonic energy, with black mist floating everywhere.

At this moment, for some unknown reason, the mist that should have been as light as a veil suddenly thickened.

The dark color gradually condensed, silently turning into an inky blackness.

“What is this…?”

Qu Feiqing frowned.

“Such turbulent demonic energy… What kind of demons are imprisoned on this floor?”

“Since it’s on the river at the mountain’s peak,” He Xiaochen explained patiently, “it should be a black flood dragon.”

Pei Ji’s senses weren’t wrong.

The closer to the mountaintop, the more intense the demonic energy became.

The only possible explanation for this situation was that a great demon, far more powerful than all the other demons, was lurking at the peak.

As soon as He Xiaochen finished speaking, a loud crash echoed from within the mystic mirror—

A massive black shadow burst out from the river at the peak, causing heavy clouds to gather and obscure the remaining daylight.

As the flood dragon emerged from the water, turning the sky dark, Ning Ning looked up at the sound and saw three familiar figures by the riverbank.

It was Meng Jue, Yonggui, and Bai Ye.

Why are Senior Brother Meng and the others… there?

Before Ning Ning could fully process her confusion, another ding sounded in her ears.

Her mind went blank.

No way.

Just after Senior Brother’s plot ended, the system prompt came again?!

She couldn’t recall any mention of a flood dragon in the original work, so she steadied her mind and carefully read the words that appeared in her mind.

[—At the top of the mountain, at the end of the river, that spiritual herb… It’s actually the Lingshu spiritual herb!”

Ning Ning’s heart trembled, and an eerie dark light rose unconsciously in her eyes.

A sacred-grade spiritual herb is incredibly rare; if she could obtain one and refine it into a pill, it would be equivalent to hundreds of years of cultivation!

If she acquired it, how could she ever worry about not surpassing Pei Ji?

Ning Ning was determined to get it, and her gaze naturally fell on Pei Ji, not far away.

He was her only obstacle.

No matter what… she had to seize the Lingshu spiritual herb!]

[Ding!]

[Mission issued: Seize the Lingshu spiritual herb at all costs.]

Lingshu spiritual herb.

Ning Ning’s heart stirred.

She had heard of this name before; it was one of the herbs needed to cure Wen Hemian’s illness.

She didn’t expect to encounter it here.

This mission didn’t seem too difficult, and after it was completed, she could find a reasonable explanation.

After all, picking rare spiritual herbs in a secret realm wasn’t a crime.

Meng Jue and the others must have appeared on that cliff to take the treasure, but unexpectedly provoked the flood dragon and caused trouble.

However…

Ning Ning’s expression darkened as her spiritual sense once again swept over the neatly arranged black text in her mind.

The original story didn’t mention a flood dragon; all the focus was on the battle for the spiritual herb.

What went wrong that caused the black flood dragon to surface?

Ning Ning had no time to think further.

—The flood dragon, which should have been facing Meng Jue and the others, suddenly shifted its gaze, its dark golden eyes abruptly lowering, locking onto Ning Ning and Pei Ji.

“What’s going on?” Lin Qian was stunned.

“It was clearly those three who provoked the flood dragon. Why is it ignoring them and focusing on Ning Ning and Pei Ji?”

“Perhaps it’s drawn by demonic energy,” Tian Xianzi replied, concentrating.

“Pei Ji harbors demonic energy, and the flood dragon could sense it instantly.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the black flood dragon in the mystic mirror let out a hoarse roar and lunged at the pair!

Pei Ji, knowing that Ning Ning had little spiritual energy left, quickly donned his outer robe and drew his sword to shield her.

Seeing this, the other three abandoned their quest for the Lingshu spiritual herb, immediately brandishing their weapons and rushing down the cliff.

This black flood dragon was likely one of the most powerful beings on the 62 Floor.

As it appeared, its demonic energy spread, becoming so dense that Ning Ning almost couldn’t breathe.

She was about to cover her nose and mouth when she noticed something was wrong.

Pei Ji stood in front of her with his sword, trying to hide it, but she could still see his back trembling slightly.

At first, Ning Ning thought his wound had reopened, but looking closer, she finally noticed the most crucial change.

Black smoke was beginning to rise from around his body.

That was demonic energy.

Right.

Demons can sense each other, and with the sword energy and demonic energy within Pei Ji constantly clashing, the influence of the flood dragon would undoubtedly cause his demonic energy to surge.

It was like a giant stone suddenly thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples that couldn’t be stilled.

He wanted to conceal it, but in truth, the demonic energy might already be out of control.

The flood dragon roared and spewed a foul, corpse-like stench; Pei Ji tightened his grip on his sword, silently stepping forward to block the black smoke for the girl behind him.

Meanwhile, the black mist around him thickened, and as his sword flashed, he finally couldn’t hold on any longer, frowning as he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He couldn’t retreat.

If Pei Ji fell, Ning Ning would undoubtedly perish as well.

Ning Ning should be helping him now.

But in her mind, the system’s voice chimed:

[Quickly seize the Lingshu spiritual herb].

“No, I need to—”

She was about to protest but was cut off coldly:

[You must seize the Lingshu spiritual herb immediately. Countdown begins now: 10, 9, 8…]