The Return of Stars to the Jianghu

Chapter 135: Time Pauses After Becoming a Spiritual Illusion

"Why would he say something like that?" Sun Li frowned in confusion, trying to find the answer in Wen Bin's eyes.

Wen Bin took a deep breath, looked at Sun Li with a firm gaze, and slowly said, "Sun Li, come back. You went to the wrong place this time. You didn't just arrive at the Ten Directions Mountains region of the Xuan Tian Continent that we agreed on, but accidentally entered the vicinity of Mount Emei in the Fu Shan Continent."

After listening, Sun Li nodded, and she began to try to pull her consciousness back from that unfamiliar world. She felt her consciousness was like a wisp of smoke being blown away, slowly gathering and returning to this space located outside of time, at the end of the world.

"I was there just now, and I saw them, but they couldn't see me." Sun Li's voice carried a hint of disappointment. She had been looking forward to seeing them, but she hadn't expected this outcome.

Wen Bin gently patted Sun Li's shoulder and comforted her, "Sun Li, this is a very normal phenomenon. They are in a three-dimensional world, while you are in a four-dimensional world, so naturally they cannot see you. However, you don't need to be too disappointed. At least you have gotten closer to them. Moreover, you went to 2025 this time, not 2029 as we had planned. That can be considered another kind of gain."

……

On the vast and boundless Xuan Tian Continent, there lies a mysterious region known as the Hundred Thousand Mountains of the Demon Clan. At the center of this region, surrounded by ten majestic mountains, lies a deep and secluded valley. Within this valley, it seems to hold endless secrets and power.

At a certain moment, the thick black fog that had been shrouding the central area of ​​the valley suddenly vanished without a trace. It was as if an invisible hand had gently lifted this veil of mystery.

"Wait, what's going on?" A figure of light and shadow beside the Heavenly Gate suddenly asked, raising his hand high to signal everyone to stop. His voice was filled with surprise and confusion.

Then, something unbelievable happened. The people who were walking in the valley seemed to be controlled by a mysterious force, and they all stopped what they were doing, as if time had stood still at that moment.

"Zhao Zhi, how could you use the power of time so casually?" another figure warned, her voice filled with reproach and worry.

"No, Zhang Mei, I really didn't mean to." A male voice rang out; it was Zhao Zhi's voice. "Look, that person, isn't he moving?"

Following the direction Zhao Zhi pointed, Zhang Mei looked and indeed saw a figure moving slowly. After a closer look, she exclaimed in surprise, "It looks like Luo Yifei! Let's go down and take a look!"

Then, Zhao Zhi and Zhang Mei gracefully descended. With time frozen, they discovered that Luo Yifei was moving at a slower pace compared to the others.

"It seems Luo Yifei's speed is real," Zhao Zhi exclaimed. "This speed is simply beyond our imagination."

The two exchanged a glance, understanding everything in their hearts. The moment they passed through the time tunnel, their physical bodies had been shattered to pieces, leaving only their spiritual consciousness in this world.

They noticed that standing next to Luo Yifei was a person, none other than Shen Lixi, their former teammate from the youth team. However, Shen Lixi, like all the other humans, remained motionless.

Zhang Mei gently raised her hand, and time began to flow again. However, she discovered that neither Luo Yifei nor Shen Lixi seemed to be aware of their presence. A thought struck her, and she realized that they might have become a special kind of being—spiritual phantoms.

“They can’t see us,” Zhao Zhi said in a low voice. “It seems we can only observe them from the shadows.”

So the two of them remained in the valley in the form of spiritual illusions, quietly observing Luo Yifei and Shen Lixi's every move.

……

"Look, the suffocating black fog that shrouded our hearts has finally been dispelled, revealing the long-awaited clear sky." Bili took a deep breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from his heart. His tone returned to calm, carrying a sense of relief.

"Not only that, did you notice that the two mysterious figures that were standing quietly beside the Heavenly Gate also vanished as the black mist dissipated, as if they had never existed?" Ji Mi pointed in the direction of the Heavenly Gate, his expression filled with surprise and confusion, as if he were pondering the origin and purpose of these two mysterious figures.

“I think this might be an opportunity, an opportunity for us to explore the truth.” Dugu Xin’s gaze was deep and firm as he offered his suggestion, “We should follow the direction in which the black mist dissipated and search for the secret behind it.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Yifei, Shen Lixi, Qi Yuan, Chu Ji, He Shihui, Ji Mi, and Song Han all nodded in agreement. They led the group, including the Tang Clan swordsmen under Song Han's command and the heroes from all corners of the martial world, on their journey to the central area of ​​the valley.

As they walked, a sudden gust of wind swept through the valley, like nature's soft murmur. The wind carried a slight chill, gently brushing past and ruffling the hems of their clothes, adding an air of mystery and tension to the unfolding story. Chu Ji, the ruler of the Chu Kingdom on the Floating Life Continent, stopped and looked back at the martial artists behind him. His gaze swept over each person, confirming that everyone had caught up and no one had fallen behind. However, in the instant he looked away, he noticed a Tang Clan swordsman's sleeve fluttering in the wind, revealing a scar on his wrist.

A flicker of surprise crossed Chu Ji's eyes. He clearly remembered this scar. He had personally witnessed his bodyguard, Shadow, meticulously sketching it for him on paper one night four years ago and three months ago. The shape, size, and location of that scar were exactly the same as the one he saw before him, as if copied and pasted.

Chu Ji's heart skipped a beat. He stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed intently on the Tang Clan swordsman. The Tang Clan swordsman seemed to sense Chu Ji's gaze as well. He stopped and avoided Chu Ji's eyes, as if trying to escape something.

"Roll up your sleeves and let me see," Chu Ji said in a deep voice as he walked up to the Tang Clan swordsman. His tone carried an unquestionable authority, as if he were commanding the other party.

However, the Tang Clan swordsman remained unmoved.

"What's wrong?" Song Han heard Chu Ji's words and turned around to ask. Seeing that Chu Ji was staring intently at the Tang Clan swordsman, he realized the seriousness of the situation. He stepped forward, his brows furrowed.

“I just saw that the scar on his hand is exactly the same as the scar on the hand of the man in black who attacked Shadow,” Chu Ji said, pointing to the Tang Clan swordsman’s wrist. His voice was full of determination and resolve. “I suspect he may be related to that man in black.”

“This…” Song Han frowned. After thinking for a moment, he said, “We Tang Clan swordsmen travel the world, upholding justice and chivalry. Getting injured is a common occurrence. Perhaps this is just a coincidence.”

“It might just be a coincidence, but it could also be something else.” Chu Ji shook his head, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Have him roll up his sleeve so I can take another look. The truth will then come to light.”