Zhang Zhi and Lin Wan'er left the village side by side, their path winding and turning as it led toward an unknown horizon. Zhang Zhi's thoughts ran wild, constantly retracing every step of his journey since transmigrating into this bizarre world.
He vividly remembered that he had been a law student. Law was rooted in good faith—just as he believed in love, though his love life was precisely as Oded Bue had described: impoverished love was like a banana, either yellow or green, and before you could take a single bite, it had already turned black. Why was it him, rather than someone else, eating the black banana? The conclusion was that he simply wasn't strong enough. And so, after transmigrating and possessing the Giant Vine, relying on the vine's memories, he had cultivated day and night. By day, he rose above the water to absorb the sun's primordial essence while serving as a bridge for travelers, thereby unexpectedly accumulating karmic merit—after all, as the ancients said, repairing bridges and mending roads builds hidden merits. By night, he sank back into the water to absorb its lunar essence. A millennium later, he took human form and entered the mortal world, continuing to perform many good deeds. After all, someone trained in the law could never be truly evil!
He clearly remembered that time in that secluded mountain forest, where the surroundings were so quiet he could almost hear his own heartbeat. Sunlight filtered through the dense branches and leaves, casting only dappled, fragmented shadows. Zhang Zhi had been completely focused on exploring, totally unaware of the impending danger.
Suddenly, a massive beast with bristling fur lunged out from the shadows. Its fangs were as sharp as knives, and its eyes burned with a fierce light. Caught off guard, Zhang Zhi was knocked to the ground in an instant, its sharp claws leaving a trail of deep, bloody gashes across his body.
Excruciating pain washed over him. Zhang Zhi struggled fiercely, but ultimately proved no match for the beast's strength. Summoning his last ounce of strength, he crawled with agonizing difficulty toward a massive vine. With every step forward, it felt as though ten thousand arrows were piercing his heart, and his blood stained the earth behind him red.
Finally, he crawled onto the Giant Vine. His body could no longer support him, and his consciousness began to blur. Through his hazy vision, a beautiful figure slowly approached.
The young woman wore a light green dress that fluttered gently in the wind, resembling a newly blossomed flower in spring. Her skin was as white as mutton-fat jade, and her eyes were as deep and clear as an enchanting lake. She stepped lightly onto the Giant Vine, every movement as graceful as walking on clouds, her posture lithe and exceptionally elegant.
Reaching Zhang Zhi's side, the woman saw his lacerated, blood-soaked wounds, and her brows knitted together instantly, her eyes filled with heartache and pity.
"Hold on, I'll save you." The woman's voice was gentle and resolute, like a spring breeze softly brushing against Zhang Zhi's heart.
She retrieved a pristine white handkerchief from her bosom, dampened it with the clear spring water nearby, and meticulously cleaned Zhang Zhi's wounds. Every movement was exceptionally gentle, as though he were a fragile, precious treasure. Zhang Zhi trembled all over from the pain, his teeth clenching so hard they clicked, while sweat rolled continuously from his forehead like beads with a broken string.
"Bear with it, it will be over soon," the young woman comforted him softly, her voice brimming with concern.
When the wounds were finally cleaned, the woman sighed softly, tears shimmering in her eyes. A crystal-clear tear slipped from the corner of her eye, looking like a brilliant pearl as it landed precisely on Zhang Zhi's wound.
That tear seemed to carry a miraculous healing power, instantly making Zhang Zhi feel a wave of coolness, while the burning pain dulled significantly.
"Why save me?" Zhang Zhi asked weakly, his voice hoarse and powerless.
The woman smiled faintly, her smile as warm and brilliant as the sunlight. "In this world, every life is worth saving. Besides, the perseverance and desire to live in your eyes moved me."
From that day on, Zhang Zhi never saw the young woman again, but her figure and that tear remained deeply engraved in the bottom of his heart, becoming his warmest memory in this world.
At this moment, Zhang Zhi and Lin Wan'er walked into a quiet and mysterious valley. Inside, a thin mist rose like a light gauze, dreamy and ethereal. The surrounding peaks towered into the clouds, their steep stone walls looking as though they had been cleaved by an axe, thrusting straight into the sky. Strange flowers and plants grew tenaciously on the cliffs, brilliantly colored and exuding a charming fragrance.
"Zhang Zhi, do you think we can find the way back?" Lin Wan'er's voice broke the silence, carrying a hint of barely concealed anxiety. Her eyes were filled with confusion and unease, her hands unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes.
Zhang Zhi turned his head, looking at her with a steady gaze as he comforted her, "Wan'er, we certainly can. As long as we don't give up, there is always hope." He reached out and gently patted Lin Wan'er's shoulder, trying to impart strength and courage to her.
Suddenly, a violent gust of wind howled past with the momentum of a galloping army, breathtaking in its fury. The fierce wind whipped up the sand and stones on the ground, stinging their cheeks. Zhang Zhi and Lin Wan'er hurriedly used their arms to protect their faces, their bodies swaying precariously in the gale.
When the wind subsided, a mysterious figure appeared before them. The figure was tightly shrouded in a black cloak, obscuring its face. Yet the powerful aura radiating from it seemed to freeze the surrounding air.
"You have trespassed into a place you should not have entered." The mysterious person's voice was low and hoarse, seeming to come from the nethermost abyss, carrying boundless majesty and indifference.
Zhang Zhi took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the fear in his heart. He stepped forward, cupped his hands respectfully, and said, "Senior, we meant no offense; we are merely searching for a way home in this boundless world. We earnestly hope Senior can show mercy and point us in the right direction."
The mysterious person let out a cold laugh that echoed through the valley, making one's hair stand on end. "Home? This is not a place you can come and go from as you please."
Hearing this, Lin Wan'er's eyes reddened, and she pleaded anxiously, "Senior, I beg you, please help us. We have wandered in this world for so long, and we truly want to go home."
The mysterious person fell silent for a moment, as if pondering something. After a long while, he slowly said, "I can help you, but you must pass my test."
Zhang Zhi and Lin Wan'er exchanged glances, seeing firmness and determination in each other's eyes, and said in unison, "We are ready to follow Senior's instructions."
With a wave of the mysterious person's hand, a massive stone gate appeared before them. The gate was covered in strange runes, glowing with a mysterious light. "Behind this stone gate lies an illusion realm. If you can find the exit within it, you will have passed the test."
Zhang Zhi took a deep breath, tightly grasping Lin Wan'er's hand, and said with a resolute gaze, "Wan'er, don't be afraid, we are in this together." Lin Wan'er nodded heavily, "Mm, with you here, I'm not afraid."
They slowly pushed open the stone gate. Inside was a bizarre and surreal world. The scene before them constantly shifted: at one moment a sea of fire raged, at the next towering ice mountains stood tall, and then countless dazzling stars shone brilliantly across the sky.
They walked forward cautiously, every step filled with vigilance. Suddenly, a gigantic beast appeared before them. The beast was the size of a mountain, its fur standing on end like steel needles, and its eyes burning with raging flames. It opened its bloody maw and let out a deafening roar, the sound waves rippling through the surrounding illusion.
Baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, the beast lunged fiercely toward them. Reacting swiftly, Zhang Zhi pulled Lin Wan'er behind him while unleashing the special ability he had acquired in this world. A faint glow enveloped his body as he condensed a powerful force in his hands and charged directly at the beast.
Lin Wan'er called out anxiously from the side, "Zhang Zhi, be careful!"
Zhang Zhi engaged the beast in a fierce battle. He nimbly dodged the beast's attacks while seizing the right moment to deal a fatal blow. Every collision stirred up waves of energy, rattling the illusory scenery and making it even more chaotic.
After an arduous struggle, Zhang Zhi finally spotted a flaw in the beast, struck its vital point with a single blow, and defeated it. The beast dissolved into a puff of smoke and vanished.
They continued onward, and the challenges within the illusion came one after another. At times it was an intricate maze, at times a bottomless trap, and at other times phantasmagoric evil spirits attempting to bewitch their minds.
Yet hand in hand, they encouraged one another and never wavered for a single moment.
Finally, after enduring countless hardships, they caught sight of a faint glimmer of light. It was the direction of the exit.
Zhang Zhi shouted excitedly, "Wan'er, look, we're almost there!"
Joyful tears shimmered in Lin Wan'er's eyes. "Yes, we're finally going to make it."
When they stepped out of the illusion, the mysterious person appeared before them once more. "Not bad, you have passed the test," the mysterious person said, a hint of approval in his tone.
The mysterious person drew a warm jade pendant from his bosom and handed it to Zhang Zhi. "This jade pendant will guide you back home, but the journey ahead will still be full of dangers. You must be careful."
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Zhang Zhi and Lin Wan'er thanked him repeatedly.
"Thank you, Senior, for your help. We will surely keep it engraved in our hearts."
The mysterious person nodded slightly, and his figure gradually dissolved into the air.
Clutching the jade pendant in their hands, Zhang Zhi and Lin Wan'er once again embarked on their journey home, filled with hope.