In the pitch-black void, a graceful silhouette drifted aimlessly through endless darkness, unaware of where she was headed.
Inside the girl's heart was nothing but despair. In this boundless black world, she could not hear, see, or touch anything. Her body could not move. There was no sound, no scent, no grounding point—there wasn't even a concept of time.
All five of her senses had been stripped away.
The only proof she was still alive… was the faint thumping of her heart.
In this moment, more than anything, the girl wished someone—anyone—would pull her out of this terrifying abyss. She hated this endless, suffocating dark.
Just when she was about to give up hope, a blinding white light suddenly flashed before her eyes.
The shock of it made her squeeze her eyes shut. When she opened them again, the first thing she saw was a handsome black-haired youth.
He looked around fourteen or fifteen, slender but clean-cut. Thin lips, a well-defined nose, sharp brows and bright, star-like eyes—his entire face was strikingly balanced.
He wasn't the most handsome boy she had ever seen… yet he carried an inexplicable charm. His deep black eyes seemed able to tug at the heart with nothing but a glance.
"You're awake, miss!" the boy said warmly.
The girl blinked in surprise. Quickly sitting up, she checked her surroundings—relieved to find she was no longer trapped in that endless void. But even so, she shot him a guarded look and asked coolly, "Who are you? And why am I here?"
(PS: The protagonist's system has enabled language synchronization. Don't worry about cross-world language issues—just assume everyone in all realms magically speaks fluent Chinese.)
Xiao Se smiled lightly, slipping into full bluff mode. "I'm not sure where this place is either. I somehow ended up here myself. You fell from the sky, so I caught you."
"…Do you think I'd believe something like that?"
Zhu Zhuqing frowned. Did he take her for a three-year-old? Who would believe such an outrageous story?
"You really did fall from the sky."
A soft, gentle voice suddenly chimed in—anxious, as if in a hurry to defend Xiao Se.
"You are…" Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened. At some point, a delicate young girl had appeared beside him. What stunned her even more was that the girl had no physical body—Zhu Zhuqing could faintly see the scenery behind her through her transparent form.
Seeing the little kitty frozen in shock, Xiao Se chuckled. He reached out to pat Long Kui's head. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Xiao Se, and this is my sister, Long Kui. Our situation is a bit… special. To put it simply, we're not from this world. We come from the Dou Qi Continent. Because of certain circumstances, my sister is currently in spirit-form. Please don't be alarmed."
Zhu Zhuqing looked at him, then at Long Kui's half-transparent figure. Their clothing and style really were different from anything in the Douluo Continent. She finally believed them a little. Taking a quiet breath, she bowed slightly. "My apologies. I was overly cautious just now."
"It's fine. It's good to stay guarded."
Xiao Se shrugged, walking toward the cliff edge. Casually, he asked, "By the way, I still don't know your name."
"…I'm Zhu Qing."
Zhu Zhuqing deliberately used an alias.
Hearing the fake name, Xiao Se just smiled. "Zhu Qing then. 'Miss' this and 'young lady' that is too stiff anyway. Zhu Qing, I sensed energy from you that matches this world. You're clearly a native. So why did you suddenly appear here—falling from the sky no less?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. Her pretty face turned pale.
She only remembered seeing Dai Mubai's disgusting "tiger-monkey" Martial Soul form and the hopeless life tied to him. Completely disheartened, she had chosen to walk her path alone… only for her vision to blur and her body to be sucked into that pitch-black void.
She had no idea how long she drifted there. Even thinking about that helpless, suffocating despair made her heart tremble.
Watching her expression drain of color, Xiao Se's mouth twitched. He hadn't meant to traumatize her—even though he hadn't thrown her into the system inventory on purpose, he had forgotten she was stuck in there for two whole days during the alchemist tournament. That place was safe but terrifyingly empty. Anyone would be shaken.
After all… fear always stems from the unknown.
"Zhu Qing, look over here. There's a city in that direction—do you recognize it?"
He stood at the cliff edge, pointing toward the sprawling city with its European-style architecture.
Zhu Zhuqing walked over lightly. Just as she opened her mouth, her stomach growled loudly.
"Hungry?" Xiao Se asked with a smile.
Blushing slightly, Zhu Zhuqing nodded. She was a spirit master, yes… but she hadn't eaten in two days.
"Then let's go. We'll grab a meal first. We can talk while we eat—your world's cultivation system is completely different from ours. I'd like to ask you about it."
Xiao Se turned toward Long Kui and spoke gently. "Long Kui, let's go."
"Mm."
Long Kui smiled softly. Before Zhu Zhuqing's astonished eyes, she turned into a streak of blue light and returned to the sword pattern on Xiao Se's hand.
"Where did she go?" Zhu Zhuqing asked in shock.
Xiao Se lifted his right hand, showing the glowing sword rune. With a faint flash of purple, a spirit sword materialized in his grip. "She stays inside the sword when there are many people around."
He stroked the blade, loosened his grip, and said, smiling, "Long Kui, say hello."
"Hello, Sister Zhu Qing!"
The sword glowed a soft purple, hovering before Zhu Zhuqing. Long Kui's gentle voice echoed from within.
"…Hello."
Only now did Zhu Zhuqing truly believe they were not from her world. A spirit body, a weapon like this—such things simply didn't exist in the Douluo Continent.
"Zhu Qing, let's go. I'll take you down."
Xiao Se beckoned, and the sword flowed back into his hand as purple light.
"Down… how?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked around. They were standing on a cliff peak over a hundred meters high. The walls were sheer and smooth—there wasn't even a place to stand, let alone climb.
Xiao Se smiled, stepping close. "We fly down, of course."
"…Fly?" Zhu Zhuqing blinked.
"Fly."
With a grin, Xiao Se suddenly scooped her up in a princess carry. Purple Cloud Wings burst open from his back, and with a single sweep—
Their bodies shot forward like a streak of light, soaring off the mountaintop and disappearing into the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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