latelenovela Chapter 146 An Unexpected Trial
Chapter 146 An Unexpected Trial
Despite their excitement, an overwhelming sense of drowsiness overwhelmed them, and Yuan Yao and Yun Panpan listlessly searched for a place to sleep.
Zhong Zheyi and Fu Shutian gradually faded from public view; Ouyang Yuze gave a polite greeting and quickly slipped away.
For a moment, only Ye Jingke and Cheng Ai remained by the stove. In the quiet space, only the crackling of the flames and the rustling of the rain hitting the leaves could be heard.
With their branches running low, they cut down more wood under the protection of the blue shield, just in case.
How can you cook something so wet? The thick smoke will cause poisoning!
【Then go and deliver firewood to the guests. It's an open-air environment with good air circulation, so there's no danger!】
Seeing that the fire was subsiding, Cheng Ai hurriedly picked up a piece of wood and tried to carry it inside, but Ye Jingke was faster; before she could even let go, he had already thrown it out.
Both of them were taken aback, then exchanged a knowing smile.
The fire was warm and cozy. Cheng Ai hugged her knees and stared intently for a moment, but her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and her body couldn't help but lean to one side.
Seeing this, Ye Jingke quickly approached, put his arm around her shoulder, and steadied her.
With the familiar scent lingering around her nose, Cheng Ai found a comfortable position in his arms, closed her eyes, and drifted off to sleep peacefully.
Ye Jingke lowered his eyes and gazed at him, a hint of doting in his eyes, and a smile lingered on his lips.
Ahhh, so heartwarming, brother, I'm dying for you!
[Brother Ye rarely interacts with women except when acting, so is he taking the initiative to hug Cheng Ai because he's fallen in love?]
[Help! Help! Please, let's get together!]
[Damn it! Director, get out here! Why are you turning off the broadcast? I want to ship this couple!]
Waaaaah, see you tomorrow! I'm going to transform into Spider-Man and frantically do my homework.
Goodnight, my darlings~ Mwah~
[Hopefully the heavy rain will stop; it's too difficult for just the two guests to go out and find food.]
It was late at night. Ye Jingke kissed Cheng Ai's cheek and held her as they fell into a deep sleep.
Before I knew it, the rain stopped, and the night sky was filled with dazzling stars.
The moonlight, silvery and soft, shone on the couple sleeping in each other's arms by the fire, creating a beautiful and romantic scene.
Suddenly, the mushrooms above their heads grew larger and emitted a faint blue-purple fluorescence.
The next instant, two orbs of light, one blue and one purple, flew out from between their eyebrows and disappeared without a trace.
Cheng Ai felt a sudden surge of weightlessness, and her entire body was uncontrollably lifted up.
When she opened her eyes in confusion, before she could even react, her body plummeted downwards.
"Ah!" she screamed in panic, flailing her arms wildly, hoping to grab onto something to slow her fall, but all around her were floating mushrooms, offering no foothold whatsoever.
The whistling wind stung her ears. Cheng Ai steadied herself, twisted her body, and tried to gather spiritual power to cast a mystical spell.
Unfortunately, both the talismans and the magic arrays were inexplicably absorbed and had no effect whatsoever.
At the same time, Ye Jingke stood up from a continuous purple cloud. A familiar scream came from high above. He looked up in shock, his handsome face darkening. He rushed over without thinking, trying to stop the girl who was falling rapidly.
But it was too late. By the time their eyes met, her figure had already completely disappeared into the purple clouds.
"Ai Ai!" Ye Jingke's pupils suddenly dilated, and he roared out in a heart-wrenching voice, his voice hoarse and filled with despair, regret, and incomprehension.
What the hell does this happen?
He was clearly sleeping with Cheng Ai in his arms, so how did he suddenly appear here?
Is it a dream? But why does it feel so real, even like my heart is breaking?
Forget it, let's get back to reality first!
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and ran forward with all his might, the determined light in his eyes as scorching as the sun.
Cheng Ai fell onto a long, seemingly endless blue staircase, sustaining abrasions on her ankles, knees, and arms.
She winced in pain as she got up, her brows furrowed with surprise. She thought she had just seen Ye Jingke. Was it a hallucination?
"Hello, destined one." An aged voice rang out. Cheng Ai looked up warily and saw a blue mushroom, half a meter tall, floating in mid-air, looking at her with a smile in its eyes. "Greed, love, resentment, and hatred. Humans are good at hiding their emotions, but when all desires are gathered together, they will inevitably erupt. Climb the steps, pass the test, and you will be able to obtain my inheritance, fully absorb the merits of Daoist Qingyun, and fulfill your destiny."
"Master?" Cheng Ai's eyes widened, her tone quite urgent. "Where did he reincarnate? Does he still have a chance to ascend?"
The blue mushroom remained silent, gently swayed once, and slowly drifted backward.
Cheng Ai chased after him frantically, then shouted out a different question, "Where's Ye Jingke? Is he alright?"
"Instead of worrying about others, you should think more about yourself," the mushroom replied calmly before disappearing completely.
Cheng Ai collapsed onto the steps, panting heavily, her mind a blur, looking around blankly.
Cheng Ai was stunned for a few seconds, then immediately jumped up and started walking up the stairs step by step.
For her master's sake, for Ye Jingke's sake, she must go to the end and seek the answer!
The clock struck three in the morning. The couple by the stove looked like they were asleep, but their consciousness had long since left their bodies and was drifting outside.
Cheng Ai's movements became increasingly sluggish. Each time she lifted her foot, it felt as if a hundred pounds were pressing down on her, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She persisted for about half an hour, then switched from walking to slowly crawling. Her clothes were soaked with sweat, sticking to her skin in a wet and sticky way, which was extremely uncomfortable.
She wanted to see how far she was from the end, but as soon as she looked up, a small blue mushroom carrying a large plate moved in front of her. "Are you tired? Lie down and take a nap. I'll help you recover your strength."
Its voice was gentle, seemingly possessing a kind of magic, making Cheng Ai unable to resist doing as it was told.
But just as she was about to close her eyes, a glance at the contents of the plate jolted her awake. "This...this isn't..."
“That’s right!” The little blue mushroom nodded its cap affirmatively, threw away the plate, and countless blue butterflies took flight, creating a spectacular scene. “Stop moving forward. These five thousand butterflies, imbued with rich spiritual energy, are my gift to you.”
Cheng Ai opened her mouth in shock. Good heavens, this guy is so rich! It's blinding!
Wait a minute, the price for getting the butterfly is getting lost in the blue illusion mist, which doesn't seem like a good deal.
She slowly crawled past the little blue mushroom, offering a curt refusal, "Thank you for your kindness, but right now I only want to find Ye Jingke."
Sending away one wandering soul yields one spirit butterfly; sending away five thousand wandering souls would yield five thousand spirit butterflies.
Moreover, she is currently unable to summon the jade hairpin, so she cannot absorb that much spiritual power.
Therefore, even if one possesses this enormous wealth, there is no use for it.