Escape

Wan Lingyue stood at the edge of the cliff, staring into the darkness where Wu Xing had fallen. Anxiety welled up in her heart, and she took a deep breath to steady herself, glancing around. Yet, the eerie aura in the dark seemed not to have fully dispersed, and she felt an unsettling sense that something was watching her.

Suddenly, a dark shadow appeared soundlessly behind her, sending an icy chill through her bones. Instinctively, Wan Lingyue turned, but the sinister force had already closed in on her. She raised her hand defensively, only to realize she was powerless against it. In that desperate moment, the jade pendant at her chest began to emit a warm light.

A protective force enveloped her, breaking the evil grip that held her. The light grew blindingly bright, and in the next instant, she found herself no longer at the cliff's edge but in a safe, open area on a mountain path. As she inhaled the fresh air, she noticed the jade pendant had dimmed, as if it had used up all its energy.

"Wu Xing…" she whispered, her eyes clouded with worry. She knew he was still in danger, but the unfamiliar surroundings made it impossible to find her way back. She stood there, her mind racing with images of him falling, replaying that scene over and over.

Taking a deep breath, she started to retrace her steps when she heard voices in the distance. Listening closely, she recognized the voices of her colleagues and quickly ran toward the sound. Soon, she encountered a group of coworkers searching for those who had gone missing.

"Wan Lingyue! Are you alright?" A colleague rushed over, relief flooding his face. "We've been looking everywhere for you. Everyone was so worried!"

Relieved, but still anxious, Wan Lingyue quickly explained, "I… I got separated from Wu Xing. He fell off the cliff while saving me." Her voice trembled with worry and guilt.

"What? Wu Xing is missing too?" An older colleague frowned, his face dark with concern. "Several others are unaccounted for as well. They might all be in danger."

"How could this happen? This area was supposed to be safe. How could so many people go missing at once…" a younger woman said fearfully, her voice shaking.

Forcing herself to remain calm, Wan Lingyue recounted, "We were attacked by a strange, evil force. There was no way for ordinary people to withstand it. Wu Xing… he protected me with everything he had…" She couldn't continue, her eyes filling with tears.

A male colleague beside her spoke up, his expression serious, "Wan Lingyue, don't give up hope. Wu Xing is strong; he may still be alive. We'll keep searching and bring everyone back safely."

The others exchanged worried glances, tension and fear evident on their faces. Someone muttered, "Have you all noticed something strange? It feels like there's something lurking around this mountain."

"Yeah, it doesn't feel safe here…" another added, and the group nervously glanced around, an uneasy silence settling over them.

Wan Lingyue forced herself to stay focused, her mind returning to the pendant that had saved her. She still didn't fully understand its power, but she began to realize it might have some sort of protective ability. Touching it, she silently prayed for Wu Xing's safety.

Gritting her teeth, she resolved to go back for him at the first chance. Despite the uncertainty and danger, she wouldn't let him face it alone.

She closed her eyes briefly, as if she could still sense the sinister darkness from earlier and the moment he'd fallen. Grasping the pendant on her chest, her fingers traced its intricate patterns, her heart stirring with a mix of emotions. What she had thought was just an ordinary heirloom had saved her in a critical moment. Its power was as mysterious as it was reassuring.

Standing on the mountain path, her heart still racing from the ordeal, Wan Lingyue's mind was filled with the nightmare she'd just lived through. She thought of the evil aura and the way Wu Xing had shielded her, his unwavering determination etched into her memory.

Though guilt weighed on her, she knew that only by staying calm could she find a way to help him.

At the same time, in a certain place at the bottom of the cliff, the mysterious old man pointed out a path for him. Wu Xingexpressed his gratitude to the old man and walked to the end of the path, only to find it was a dead end. His heart was filled with despair—his cultivation was insufficient to cope with the predicament before him, and his body's spiritual energy seemed to be sealed, rendering him unable to mobilize it. Although he had been saved by the mysterious old man, he had still suffered heavy injuries from crashing against the rock wall when he fell, and now he found himself unable to escape.

"Wan Lingyue…" he called softly, even though his heart was filled with anxiety and there was no response. The tide of worry surged within him as he imagined her at the edge of the cliff, a dull pain piercing his heart. For her sake, he had plunged into this unknown abyss, but would he ever see her again? He felt an unbearable loneliness, as if the entire world had abandoned him.

As time passed, without the protection of the mysterious old man, shadows in the darkness gradually approached him, and the atmosphere around him grew increasingly oppressive. He faintly sensed that the evil presence still lingered nearby, low murmurs echoing around him, sending chills down his spine. That eerie force filled him with fear, as if mocking his weakness and helplessness.

"I cannot just give up like this…" Wu Xingsilently encouraged himself. Despite his weak body, he still managed to stand up.