C493 Strange Change

Liu Xiangdong suddenly had a peculiar longbow and could fly on a sword. There was only one explanation: he was either dead or under some kind of spell, standing against everyone else. This explained why he attacked Woo Zhengyang without a word upon seeing him.

At this point, Liu Xiangdong was no longer the person he once was; he didn't even recognize Woo Zhengyang. Realizing this, Woo Zhengyang was even more alarmed. He couldn't believe how quickly things had gone wrong for Liu Xiangdong, highlighting the dangers of this world.

Woo Zhengyang felt relieved that he had placed Rice in the Ice Crystal Fire Hall from the start, but he also began to worry about Liu Dahu, who had the lowest skills among those who entered this place.

A silver flash zipped past Woo Zhengyang's ear, snapping him back to the present and making him run for his life. He never imagined being pushed to such a state by Liu Xiangdong.

Suddenly, Woo Zhengyang remembered the woman who had just appeared. She called him "young master." Could it be that he had some connection to this place? Whether it was a misunderstanding or something else, if there was a connection, could he also fly on a sword? If he could, dodging would be much easier.

This bold idea brought a spark of hope to Woo Zhengyang, followed by a sudden realization.

Woo Zhengyang hadn't forgotten the mysterious nature of this world’s creators. What if Yun'er's appearance and words were all pre-designed? Could others have experienced the same thing? If so, trying anything rashly might lead to disaster.

Thinking it over, this seemed unlikely. Such rules would result in severe casualties, and a trial with such a setup could only be used once, which seemed overly elaborate. Still, Woo Zhengyang remained cautious, deciding not to attempt anything unless absolutely necessary.

Despite his hesitation, he kept moving swiftly, using the "Dragon Countering Nine Steps" technique to weave through the forest, but he couldn't shake off Liu Xiangdong behind him. The only comfort was that his soul energy was now free, giving him another option if needed.

After a while, Woo Zhengyang was drenched in sweat, with Liu Xiangdong still in hot pursuit. Silver arrows littered the ground and tree trunks in their wake. Woo Zhengyang noticed that although Liu Xiangdong could fly with his sword, his altitude was limited to just a few yards. This meant that if an opportunity arose, Woo Zhengyang could use the forest's cover to engage Liu Xiangdong in close combat. He was confident that if he could get close, he could easily resolve the situation.

Woo Zhengyang tried several times to catch Liu Xiangdong off guard with a surprise attack, but found it incredibly difficult. While moving swiftly through the forest was convenient, flying with his sword was somewhat hindered. The real challenge was Liu Xiangdong's strange silver bow, which was exceptionally hard to deal with. The endless barrage of silver arrows flew at remarkable speed, making it impossible for Woo Zhengyang to get close unless he risked being hit.

In the outside world, Woo Zhengyang wouldn't worry about the arrows, given his rapid healing abilities. However, in this peculiar realm, he couldn't afford to be careless. No one knew the true power of those arrows.

The chase continued. During the pursuit, Woo Zhengyang heard strange cries from above, indicating that others had entered this world and were also struggling with the tormenting clouds overhead.

An hour later, Woo Zhengyang's energy was nearly depleted, yet Liu Xiangdong showed no signs of fatigue, which was unusual. Woo Zhengyang was ready to retreat into the Ice Crystal Fire Hall when he spotted a solitary mountain in the dense forest. Atop the mountain was a cave, about ten feet wide and long, shrouded in darkness, its interior obscured from view.

Despite the uncertainty, Woo Zhengyang believed that since he had already ventured this far into the forbidden area, it couldn't get much worse. At the very least, he could always retreat into the Ice Crystal Fire Hall if necessary.

Determined, Woo Zhengyang changed direction and headed toward the lone mountain. The slope was gentle, with trees and grass everywhere, slightly slowing him down. He practically dashed through a barrage of arrows to get inside.

Once in the cave, Zhengyang leaped to the side, pressing himself against the stone wall, ready to strike quickly once Liu Xiangdong entered. In the narrow cave, if he couldn't deal with Liu here, there would be no other chance.

To Zhengyang's surprise, Liu Xiangdong, who had been chasing him like a madman, didn't rush in blindly. Instead, he stayed outside, relentlessly shooting arrows.

This left Zhengyang unable to leave and Liu unwilling to enter, creating a standoff. Liu's silver arrows flew tirelessly into the cave entrance, piling up densely on the ground.

Zhengyang realized these arrows were illusions, just like the woman who called herself Yun'er. Over time, they would dissolve into light and vanish. Even so, under Liu's relentless assault, the cave entrance was filled with silver light.

With the stalemate in place, Zhengyang turned his attention to the cave's interior. It was dark and deep, with no glowing stones or anything to light the way, making it impossible to see the end.

The cave was so conspicuous that Woo Zhengyang doubted there would be any real treasure inside—probably just a mine at best. But since he couldn't leave and had nothing better to do, he decided to take a look.

Holding a luminous pearl in his hand, Woo Zhengyang walked a short distance and glanced back. The arrows at the entrance had stopped. He quietly stepped back a couple of paces, and the arrows resumed.

There was no way Liu Xiangdong could see Woo Zhengyang's movements, and given his own abilities, he certainly couldn't sense anything from such a distance. Yet, somehow, Liu Xiangdong seemed to know exactly what Woo Zhengyang was doing, suggesting that this wasn't the same Liu Xiangdong anymore.

Whether he was dead, alive, or under some kind of control, Liu Xiangdong probably couldn't leave, which made Woo Zhengyang shake his head and sigh softly. It was Liu's own choice. The path of martial arts is full of such stories—some seize the opportunity and make a name for themselves, while others perish in the trials, forgotten by all.

Lost in thought, Woo Zhengyang suddenly noticed a bright area ahead. Focusing his gaze, he realized he had reached the end of the cave, or rather, another entrance on the other side of the hill. The cave actually went all the way through the small mountain.

This discovery thrilled Woo Zhengyang. He had been worried about being trapped inside by Liu Xiangdong, but the solution turned out to be surprisingly simple.

Woo Zhengyang put away the luminous pearl and walked toward the entrance of the cave. Just as he reached it, a pink blur suddenly dashed in from the side and collided straight into his arms...