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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 56: Crossing Time
As Lin Chuyu collapsed, the tremors in the hall grew stronger. A large piece of the floral panel suddenly crashed down, destroying the platform that held the Primordial Dan. Dust filled the air, obscuring vision. Ji Zichen hoisted the unconscious Lin Chuyu onto his back and saw Shen Bifan struggling to carry the lifeless body of Shen Shuwen, who had transformed back into human form, toward the exit. Shen Bifan was clearly straining under the weight, and with Lin Chuyu on Ji Zichen's back, if they stopped to assist Shen Bifan, all three would surely perish here.
" Ji Zichen shouted, "Bifan, hurry! This place is about to collapse!"
Shen Bifan's sunken eyes glistened with moisture as he replied, "I can't let my father die here!"
Debris rained down from above, and the entire hall was on the verge of collapse. Ji Zichen understood Shen Bifan's feelings but knew this was beyond their control. His water beads were exhausted; if only he still had Water Rope, it would be a different story, but he did not.
Ji Zichen urged urgently, "Uncle Shen is already dead! But your mother is still alive! If you die too, who will take care of her?"
Shen Bifan froze for a moment, tears streaking down his face as he looked at Ji Zichen. Without hesitation, Ji Zichen stepped forward and pulled Shen Bifan toward the exit. As they fled, debris continued to crash down, completely covering Shen Shuwen's body.
Once outside the grand hall, they found that the surrounding forest had withered under the relentless sun. More than ten yards away from the Vermilion Bird Temple, Shen Bifan gasped in shock. "Why has the forest died?"
Ji Zichen felt sympathy for what had happened here but recognized it as just retribution. "The time that was blocked has surged in all at once. Places like the Divine Realm Rift should not exist. If you seek Eternal Life, this is the punishment that comes with it."
Suddenly, Shen Bifan thought of the villagers—those who had been captured just like her. She asked anxiously, "If this place has become like this, what about the people in the village...?"
Ji Zichen frowned and replied, "They are probably all dead."
Some villagers had lived out their natural lives here; under the sunlight, they had turned to bones. Others who had arrived more recently were not yet reduced to skeletons but had their eyes burned out by the harsh light. The villagers who had been blinded twisted and contorted in agony.
The entire village rumbled ominously as it was pulled back into its original position by a Gap that tore apart four sections of it toward the northwest corner of the Eastern Region.
Ji Zichen noticed that light was gradually spreading toward them. The three retreated away from it into a patch of forest that remained untouched by sunlight just beyond ten yards from the temple. Yuxuan dashed through the trees desperately; behind her was an encroaching wave of light. Though she ran for her life, she was unaware of what was happening around her—she only knew that any tree illuminated by that light would instantly wither and die. Deep down, she understood she must avoid being caught in its rays.
Yuxuan ran aimlessly until she stumbled over something and fell to the ground. As she got up and looked around, she saw Demon Sword lying beside a tree—the first to escape from the temple—barely clinging to life. Shocked by her discovery, Yuxuan exclaimed, "This is... from Hall of Malevolence..."
Demon Sword's eyes widened in terror as it muttered frantically, "Such terrifying eyes... such terrifying eyes..."
After whispering a few more words, Demon Sword suddenly stared blankly and fell silent forever.
As the light gradually spread, Yuxuan no longer hesitated and hurriedly ran forward. Once she escaped the confines of the forest, she saw the retreating figures of Ji Zichen and the others. In disbelief, Yuxuan murmured, "Could it be that guy defeated both of them? If that's true, I fear I will never win against him in my lifetime..."
Ji Zichen and his companions headed toward the forest behind the Vermilion Bird Temple. Just before entering the woods, a circular halo suddenly appeared, radiating a blinding white light that made it difficult to open one's eyes. Shen Bifan squinted and asked in surprise, "What is this...?"
Although the light was intense, it lacked warmth, indicating it was not sunlight. Ji Zichen said, "This is the exit; let's hurry inside!"
The three entered the halo, their figures swallowed by the light, and soon after, Yuxuan followed them in.
When Ji Zichen was finally able to open his eyes, he found himself in darkness again, surrounded by trees. Shen Bifan glanced around and asked, "Have we come out?"
Ji Zichen surveyed his surroundings; the environment felt very familiar. He heard the sound of flowing water behind him and thought for a moment before saying, "We've made it out; this is the back mountain of Fangwen Mansion."
Lin Chuyu was on Ji Zichen's back, groggily opening her eyes. "Brother Ji... my head hurts so much."
Ji Zichen recalled the Vermilion Bird scales that had appeared on Lin Chuyu's body and felt a sudden wave of anxiety. However, now was not the time to burden her further. He said, "If your head hurts, just sleep on my back for a bit; we'll head down the mountain."
Lin Chuyu rubbed her temples and asked, "I remember fainting; how long was I out?"
Ji Zichen smiled wryly. "I don't know. We entered a place that hasn't changed for hundreds of years. Now we've returned to the present from that frozen time. We merely crossed through a beam of white light—who knows how many years have passed during that crossing?"
It was now late at night when they arrived at the Chen Family residence. Outside the house was a courtyard that looked considerably older than before. Ji Zichen pushed open the fence gate and lightly knocked on the door of the main house.
A voice came from inside, "Who is it?"
Lights turned on within as sounds of someone putting on clothes and shoes could be heard. Although Ji Zichen had yet to see anyone, he recognized from the sounds that it was Chen San.
Chen San approached to answer the door. When it opened, he saw Ji Zichen's smiling face. A few strands of white hair had appeared at his temples, making him look much older than before. Upon seeing Ji Zichen, Chen San suddenly became excited. "Ji... Young Hero!"
Seeing Chen San's appearance made Ji Zichen's smile fade instantly. "Uncle Chen, how long has it been since we last met?"
Chen San's gaze flickered with emotion as he replied, "Five years. I never expected that our separation would last five years. What exactly happened five years ago? I've been going to the back mountain every year since then, but that Buddhist Temple has never appeared again."
Ji Zichen furrowed his brows, "Five years... it has already been five years..."
Chen San saw Ji Zichen carrying Lin Chuyu and quickly asked, "What happened to her?"
Ji Zichen forced a smile and said, "It's nothing. She's just asleep. We just came out of the Buddhist Temple."
Chen San was taken aback. "You just came out of the Buddhist Temple! You were inside for five years!"
Ji Zichen didn't know how to explain. He simply said, "We were only in there for a short time. I didn't expect five years to have passed."
Noticing Ji Zichen's exhausted appearance and the bloodstains on his clothes, Chen San stepped aside and said, "Come in first."
Ji Zichen entered with Lin Chuyu on his back. As Shen Bifan stepped into the room, Chen San exclaimed in shock, "It's you... you are that one...!"
Chen San certainly hadn't forgotten what Shen Bifan had done to him. His face turned pale, and he instinctively took two steps back. At that moment, Ji Zichen spoke up, "Uncle Chen, don't be afraid. She is my junior sister."
Chen San was stunned. "She is your junior sister? What on earth is going on?"
Ji Zichen replied, "Uncle Chen, can we talk about this later? I just feel so tired right now, as if I haven't slept in five years."
Chen San said, "Look at my memory! Come on, let me take you somewhere to rest. We can talk later."
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