The mysterious passage at the base of the statue was winding and long, its exit appearing on the stone wall beside the bronze tree.
Zhang Qiling used a grappling hook to cross the water, and the water monkey on his leg, upon seeing its companions in the water, eagerly jumped down to seek comfort. However, it was clear that its lack of fur did not lead a fashion trend; its companions not only failed to comfort it but even cheered and celebrated around it.
The spot where the three had stopped earlier was now empty. Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi had likely continued climbing.
As he pondered, a tremor ran through the branches beside him. He turned to see the giant cat had also jumped over, now staring intently at the gathering monkeys below.
Zhang Qiling didn't know what had attracted the cat's interest. Although he knew multiple languages, he couldn't speak cat, so he ignored it and accelerated his climb.
For some reason, a faint unease surfaced in his heart. He had a feeling that Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi might come up with some new trick due to their overactive imaginations.
Even though he thought this...
Zhang Qiling: But this trick is a bit too absurd.
He stood still, looking at the (Zhang Qiling) opposite him, and in that instant, he understood what "pupil dilation" meant.
Although his expression was cold and his upright posture exuded a subtle pressure, in reality, his body was so stiff that he had forgotten to pull the Black Gold Ancient Saber from the pedestal.
Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi's eyes lit up when they saw him. They stepped forward, about to call out to Xiao Ge, but the sound died in their throats as they swallowed it back.
The two glanced at the real Xiao Ge opposite them, then at the fake Xiao Ge to their side and rear. They were caught in a dilemma, feeling like a scumbag caught in the act by his original partner.
A chilling aura quietly permeated the air. The two Xiao Ges looked at each other without speaking. Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi, caught in the middle, didn't even dare to lift their heads.
Just then, a hoarse cry suddenly rang out!
A massive dark shadow flashed past, its soft paws landing on the bronze tree branches without making a sound. Wu and Pangzi looked closely and saw it was the giant cat that the real Xiao Ge had beaten so badly that its mother wouldn't recognize it!
The cat walked directly behind Zhang Qiling, but he showed no reaction?
At this, Wu Tianzhen could no longer hold back. He was so anxious he almost rushed forward.
"Xiao Ge, behind you—"
Before he could finish speaking, Wu Tianzhen was horrified to see the cat glance at him, then softly lean against Zhang Qiling's leg and even rub against him?
Clearly, Zhang Qiling felt the cat's fur was prickly and moved aside.
This movement finally broke the awkward atmosphere between them.
Pangzi observed the situation and walked forward, intending to pull Zhang Qiling to the center.
Zhang Qiling's clothes were still wet. When Pangzi touched him, he shivered from the cold. His initial thought of explaining slowly was halved. Without a word, he took off his outer shirt to drape over Zhang Qiling.
Wu Tianzhen took the flashlight from Pangzi to provide illumination, but as he did, he noticed something was wrong.
"Wait, Pangzi?" He grabbed Pangzi's raised hand. Under the white light of the flashlight, his palm was stained with a faint red!
...Is this blood?
He looked at Zhang Qiling more closely and realized that beneath his messy hem, a hint of red was visible – it was the blood-soaked bandage!
"What happened to you?" Wu Tianzhen grabbed Zhang Qiling, unable to even form a complete sentence: "You, why is it so serious?"
But Zhang Qiling did not reply.
On one hand, he didn't know how to explain, feeling a rare sense of guilt. On the other hand, he felt there were more important matters to address.
He gently pushed Pangzi and Wu Tianzhen aside and walked forward, pulling the Black Gold Ancient Saber from the jade platform.
After glancing at the corpse's head with its eerie smile, he shifted his gaze to (Zhang Qiling).
Ever since the real Zhang Qiling appeared, it had shown no reaction, remaining silently hidden in the darkness, appearing like an outsider.
However, the hand gripping the saber sheath tightly indicated that its emotions were not as calm and composed as its outward appearance suggested.
Zhang Qiling hesitated, unsure how to begin.
"You..."
He hadn't decided what to say next, but upon hearing his voice, the (Zhang Qiling) before him suddenly looked up, its lips trembling, and spoke first.
"I am fake." xxs1
It uttered the words stiffly, each syllable seeming to be squeezed from the depths of its chest, difficult yet firm.
"I am your... materialized clone."
Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi, who had been about to step forward to ease the tension, stopped in their tracks upon hearing this.
Although they had suspected that this (Zhang Qiling) had likely realized its nature from their reactions, they hadn't expected it to reveal itself so cruelly.
Zhang Qiling said nothing more. If his existence in this world could still be provided by Wu Tianzhen and Pangzi, and his goal in this world could still be guided by the system, then this (Zhang Qiling) represented complete bewilderment and helplessness, unaware of its own purpose.
Seeing the atmosphere turn cold again, Pangzi quickly tried to mediate. He always believed that all problems could be solved over a meal, so he fumbled through his backpack, pulling out compressed biscuits in an attempt to offer them.
"Come, Xiao Ge, eat something to replenish your energy!"
Seeing Wu Tianzhen already re-bandaging Zhang Qiling, he turned to (Zhang Qiling) and, after a moment's hesitation, extended a biscuit.
"I don't know what you like to eat, so have a biscuit."
(Zhang Qiling) looked up at him, quietly took the biscuit, and as Pangzi was about to turn away, he heard it say something softly and quickly.
"...Cilantro canned food."
"Wh—" Pangzi was about to ask for clarification when a blinding white light suddenly erupted before his eyes!
Everyone immediately recognized the source of the problem and looked towards the jade platform in unison!
In the white light, the corpse actually sat up. Beneath its body, from the bronze branches, single-eyed worms were emerging from the carved lines and burrowing into its shriveled torso!
The white light emanated from the single-eyed worms, and the corpse, surrounded by the light, even exuded a strange, sacred aura!
Sensing that something was wrong, the two Zhang Qilings, without needing to consult each other, raised their sabers and charged!
And just as the tips of the two Black Gold Ancient Sabers were about to approach the skull—
The tightly closed eyes on the face opened!