Ye Zhexian's hunger was not strong now. It wasn't like it used to be; now, eating one fruit could sustain him for a long time. This was good news, at least he wouldn't starve to death.
He didn't know how long he had been sliding down. Ye Zhexian's body had gone numb. The feeling of hanging in the air was very uncomfortable. Although the surroundings were dark, he could see the abyss. The sides were bare rock, without any vegetation.
Faintly, Ye Zhexian felt a slight throb from the iron chain. He jumped in fright, cold sweat streaming down his forehead. But now, he could only brace himself and continue sliding deeper into the abyss. There was no hope of going back. Although the path ahead was dangerous and full of unknowns, there was at least hope. This sliver of faint hope, even the unknown, became Ye Zhexian's motivation to move forward.
Continuing to slide down the iron chain, the throbbing sound from the iron chain became clearer. This throbbing sound was very regular, an unspeakable rhythm that even affected Ye Zhexian. His heartbeat was even guided by this throbbing sound, pulsing along with it. Originally, the interval between heartbeats was very short, and Ye Zhexian could not achieve the synchronization with this sound at all, but this was beyond his control.
A wave of dizziness washed over him. Ye Zhexian bit his tongue fiercely, and his mouth was instantly filled with the taste of blood. His mind cleared, and he clung tightly to the iron chain to avoid falling, not knowing what lay below.
Ye Zhexian quickened his pace. When the sound approached, he held on tightly to the iron chain. Now he could no longer control his heartbeat; it was completely synchronized with the sound. At first, even though Ye Zhexian's heartbeat would follow the sound, it would slowly return to its original state. As he slid down for a longer time, this recovery became slower and slower, until it was completely synchronized with the rhythm of the sound.
Ye Zhexian's heartbeats were short, and he had adapted to this change. The dizziness was gone. As long as he was alive, there was a chance to find a way out. When the sound came, it even caused the iron chain to vibrate slightly. At this moment, Ye Zhexian was filled with both joy and worry. He was happy because he was getting closer, and worried about what unknown thing awaited him.
He simply sat down, calmed his thoughts, and slowly recovered his strength. The fruit wrapped around him had been consumed by more than half. The sound consumed a lot of energy, and Ye Zhexian could only speed up. Later, he gradually adapted to the rhythm, and eating fruit was no longer so frequent.
The vibration from the iron chain grew stronger and stronger; the chain had begun to shake. Ye Zhexian grabbed the iron chain and slid down rapidly. At this time, the iron chain trembled continuously, without ceasing. Below, there seemed to be the sound of thunder.
Ye Zhexian became more anxious and summoned all his strength, gripping the iron chain and sliding down faster. He saw the ground; it was relatively flat. Using the vibration of the iron chain, he swung and landed on the ground. After landing, Ye Zhexian watched the iron chain continue to roll and looked around. The iron chain extended forward, and the surroundings were flat, without any vegetation. The environment was a bit darker, but he could still make it out.
Ye Zhexian moved forward along the vibrating iron chain. Fortunately, the terrain was flat, and there seemed to be no danger. He walked for a long time, and some faint light appeared ahead. He started running, wanting to see the source of the faint light. Having been in a dark environment for a long time, he was sensitive to light and also looked forward to it.
He opened his mouth, unable to close it for a long time. He saw a beautiful yet violent scene. A giant heart was locked in the abyss, suspended in mid-air. This heart was like an unparalleled divine object, emitting a faint light that was soft and beautiful.
"There is such a beautiful heart in this world. Its owner must be an unparalleled fairy maiden!" Ye Zhexian murmured to himself.
This heart was exquisite and transparent, with seven points of light on it, like seven stars arranged according to some pattern. Numerous iron chains bound this incredibly beautiful heart, exposing its bloody interior. The two iron chains that Ye Zhexian was on were only two of them. Perhaps there were many other beings like that...
This heart still had strong vitality and beat rhythmically. As the heart beat, Ye Zhexian's heart also beat. The heartbeat of the heart sounded like muffled thunder, like a war drum struck from the nine heavens. This sound did not affect Ye Zhexian; instead, he felt very comfortable, perhaps because he had adapted to the heart's rhythm.
He wanted to touch this beautiful heart but couldn't get close, just like that peach tree—it was clearly before his eyes, but it felt as if it were on the other side of time and space.
Ye Zhexian looked at the giant heart locked up, and an inexplicable sadness welled up in his chest. Tears involuntarily streamed down his face. He casually found a place to sit down and listened to the heartbeat of the heart. The faint light emitted by the beautiful heart shone on Ye Zhexian, very gently. The shaking chains clanged loudly.
These chains seemed to be protecting the beautiful heart, not imprisoning it. Some things were beyond his understanding. Ye Zhexian sat blankly, unable to dispel the sadness in his heart. Tears continued to flow. He didn't know what to do, only wanting to stay there and accompany this heart. Ye Zhexian had lost himself, sitting not far from the heart, his eyes vacant.
The stone monkey on the stele suddenly opened its eyes. Its eyes reflected the Milky Way, deep and mysterious. The stone monkey took out a small bell from somewhere and gently shook it. A jingle of bells instantly spread throughout the surroundings. The bell sound was chaotic and harsh.
Ye Zhexian, far away in the abyss, heard an extremely piercing sound. The vacant look in his eyes gradually regained its color, becoming a little more lively. The ringing did not stop until Ye Zhexian was completely awake, and then the harsh bell sound disappeared.
Ye Zhexian felt a surge of lingering fear. Some mysterious powers were not something mortals could resist. If it weren't for the piercing bell sound, he might have been lost forever, decaying in this abyss.
Ye Zhexian quickly moved away from the beautiful heart. Staying by its side for too long, he couldn't bear the overwhelming sadness. He escaped and ran blindly in the dark abyss. The stone monkey on the stele stopped shaking the small bell and closed its eyes. Its figure seemed lonely on the stele, as if it had been there for countless years.
Ye Zhexian ran for an unknown amount of time until he no longer felt that sadness. He stopped, his body drenched in sweat, as if he had just been fished out of the water. The heartbeat of the heart was still leisurely, maintaining the rhythm of the heart in the abyss. He liked this way of beating.
Ye Zhexian casually took a fruit and put it in his mouth, savoring its sweetness. He couldn't help but exclaim in his heart, "It feels so good to be alive!"
He continued to walk in the abyss. Although the environment was a bit dark, he could barely see. He didn't know how long he had been walking, nor could he calculate the time. The fruit he had was gone, and he had been hungry for a long time.
At this moment, Ye Zhexian was exhausted, thirsty, and hungry, numbly moving forward. Ye Zhexian collapsed on the ground. He could no longer move. He was going to die in this place after all, and no one would ever know, nor would anyone care.
"Father is gone, and I can no longer send things to Xue'er in the future." Grief overwhelmed him, and Ye Zhexian began to cry.
He curled up, awaiting death. Ye Zhexian had many regrets but was helpless. He closed his eyes, letting tears wet his face. He seemed to see a joyful figure rushing towards him, and another majestic figure waving goodbye to him. Ye Zhexian wanted to reach out and touch them, but these two figures instantly vanished.
Ye Zhexian's ear, pressed against the ground, suddenly heard a rumbling sound. This was the sound of flowing water. Ye Zhexian believed his ears would not deceive him; this might be flowing water like a waterfall. Ye Zhexian was extremely weak, but the survival instinct burst forth. He crawled a short distance slowly, then pressed his ear to the ground to listen to the source of the sound, changing his crawling direction.
His skin was severely abraded, and a long, bloody trail was dragged on the ground. The space became humid, with a light mist, and the rumbling sound was incessant.
A waterfall appeared before Ye Zhexian, though still some distance away. Ye Zhexian crawled laboriously and finally approached the waterfall. The waterfall cascaded down, forming a rushing river.
Ye Zhexian was extremely thirsty and wanted to scoop some water to drink. Suddenly, a serpentine figure coiled around his arm. Ye Zhexian tried to resist but was pulled into the river. Already at his limit, Ye Zhexian lost consciousness.