A child of about ten years old in the mirror was frantically shaking the woman lying on the ground, who was fast asleep.
The woman had delicate features and eyebrows like mountains. Her eyes were tightly closed, clearly unconscious.
They were in a vast, boundless barrier, white as far as the eye could see.
Xiao Zhao rubbed his swollen eyes and slumped to the side, his eyes brimming with tears. He kept muttering, "Master, what's wrong with you? Wake up quickly. What will I do if something happens to you?"
Feng Ninghe's eyes were tightly shut, but her eyeballs were spinning wildly beneath her eyelids.
No matter how much Xiao Zhao shook her, Feng Ninghe showed no signs of waking. He did not give up, however, and kept trying to wake her, saying, "Master, we still have so many delicious things to taste. You can't leave me alone!"
In front of the mirror.
Everyone was staring at the scene in the mirror.
"The second trial is an illusion. Those who step into the illusion will be trapped in past memories, unable to extricate themselves. Only by realizing it is an illusion and not being controlled by it can one leave."
Si Yi explained softly, "Upon entering the second trial, one will fall into an illusion, without exception."
Pu Yin frowned, her gaze shifting to the woman lying on the ground, trapped in the illusion, and then to Xiao Zhao, who was rubbing his eyes and sobbing.
After a long moment of contemplation, she finally spoke, "Everyone who enters the second trial is separated individually, unless he is not human."
"Not human?"
Si Yi's expression became somewhat complex as he thought of something. "In this world, only divine beasts can transform into human form. However, even the one I've contracted is merely a spirit beast."
Divine beasts were arrogant and possessed intelligence no less than humans. They would never easily submit to anyone and were extremely ferocious.
Cultivators would never willingly provoke divine beasts.
Most cultivators could only contract spirit beasts.
Pu Yin couldn't help but glance again at the woman lying in the barrier in the mirror.
The woman was dressed in white, appearing serene and peaceful. From a distance, she seemed to blend into the surrounding white barrier.
A hint of interest unconsciously appeared in Pu Yin's eyes. "I'm curious to see which level she will stop at."
Not many people paid attention to the cultivators within the second barrier.
For the academy's members, only those who reached the third level were worth observing and considering for recruitment into the academy.
Within the barrier.
Countless scenes flashed before Feng Ninghe's eyes.
She met Old Man Xu and came to the Medicine Valley.
Everything that had happened in the past played out rapidly before her, as if she had returned to the past and relived a lifetime.
Time ticked by, making her forget the Dragon Realm and the Thunder Cloud Tower.
"Old Man Xu, you're chasing me!"
Xiao Zhao ran, panting, his small hands on his hips, grumbling.
Old Man Xu, relying on his superior cultivation, ran fast, darting around the courtyard.
Feng Ninghe sat in a pavilion, holding a book. She looked at the two of them playing in the courtyard with a hint of helplessness.
Old Man Xu, despite his age, was playing with a young divine beast.
She couldn't help but lower her gaze and take a sip of her tea.
The tea was fragrant and rich.
However, something made her expression flicker with surprise.
A corner of her long-buried memories was stirred.
Wait, hadn't Old Man Xu already met with misfortune? How could he be here?
"Old Man Xu, why are you in the Medicine Valley?"
Feng Ninghe stood up and looked at Old Man Xu, her eyes filled with shock. "Didn't you... didn't you already die?"
Old Man Xu stopped in front of her, his facial features creased tightly. "Feng Ninghe, what are you saying? How dare you curse me?"
"Master."
Xiao Zhao also poked his head out at this moment, blinking his eyes and looking at Feng Ninghe. "Hasn't Old Man Xu always been with us in the Medicine Valley? How could he die?"
Their words also eased Feng Ninghe's expression.
Yes, they had always been in the Medicine Valley. How could Old Man Xu have met with misfortune?
But...
The unease in Feng Ninghe's heart grew stronger.
A scene flashed rapidly in her mind.
A head hung high above the gate of the Immortal Sect. The blood on the ground had dried, and the head had clearly been there for some time.
She felt that the head looked very familiar...
But no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn't remember.
"Master!"
Xiao Zhao took her hand and walked towards the house. "Hot meals are ready, and I heard there are delicious dishes coming soon. Let's go eat!"
Feng Ninghe allowed Xiao Zhao to lead her by the hand.
Looking at the peaceful scene around her, she felt a sense of strangeness.
She seemed to have overlooked something...
The few of them entered the house, and Old Man Xu, as if by magic, produced a roasted chicken. "Today I specifically sprinkled crispy salt on the roast chicken. You must try it."
Mentioning the roast chicken, Feng Ninghe's heart felt a pang of emotion.
It seemed like a long time since she had eaten such roast chicken.
Xiao Zhao nimbly tore off a chicken leg and placed it in Feng Ninghe's bowl.
Without hesitation, she quickly picked up the chicken leg and put it in her mouth.
The crispy chicken leg was exceptionally delicious.
Looking at the calm and peaceful scene before her, Feng Ninghe felt deeply moved.
Everything before her was the life she had always wanted.
But she vaguely remembered that Old Man Xu was dead, and she seemed to have come here because of a trial.
All the memories surged into her mind like a tide, and a trace of bitterness followed, lingering in her heart.
Such a beautiful life was already far behind her. Although she loved such a peaceful life, she also knew what the most urgent thing to do was.
Unconsciously, her eyes were already brimming with tears. She shoveled the delicious dishes into her mouth, her voice slightly choked. "Everyone, I must leave after this meal."
"Leave?"
Old Man Xu was slightly taken aback and looked at her with confusion. "Where are you going?"
Feng Ninghe quietly looked at the two people before her, a smile of relief on her lips. Her clear voice slowly fell, "I'm going to a place where I should go."
Within the barrier.
Xiao Zhao cried until he was tired, his small figure slumping to the side, sighing continuously. "Master, half the day has passed, why haven't you woken up yet? It's just you and me here, and there's not a soul in sight..."
"Cough cough..."
Feng Ninghe, who had been lying unconscious on the ground, also opened her eyes at this moment, her eyes already wet.
Her awakening made Xiao Zhao overjoyed. He immediately stopped crying and rushed to her side. "Master, what's wrong? Why did you fall unconscious? Could this be the second trial of the secret realm?"
Looking at Xiao Zhao's tear-streaked face, Feng Ninghe smiled softly and turned her gaze to him. "Yes, I just fell into the second trial of the secret realm, but I've passed it and woken up."
Xiao Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief, his small face filled with relief. "Master, it's good that you're safe. Otherwise, I don't know how I would spend my days."