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Chapter 205: Chapter 173: Waymark
On the boundless ice plains, a frail, petite figure trudged alone.
The girl’s bare feet were exposed to the biting cold wind, making her steps extraordinarily slow and difficult.
The surface of the ice plains was covered with a thin layer of snowflakes, reflecting a bloody glow from the sky.
With each step on the icy surface, her feet turned red and blue with cold, causing her entire body to shiver.
Snowflakes occasionally fell on her eyelashes, forming tiny ice beads, but she endured and kept moving forward.
"Huff..."
Puffs of white mist gently dispersed in the cold air.
Wen Xin looked ahead with a dazed expression.
In the distance, the ice plains seemed to merge with the sky, forming a vast, endless dark bloody hue.
A sense of loneliness, as if she was the only person left in the world, emerged spontaneously.
She didn’t even know where she ultimately wanted to go.
She only followed a voice gentler than her mother’s, constantly calling and guiding her in a certain direction.
No.
It must be her mother calling her, right?
Wen Xin tucked her hands tightly into her sleeves, trying to retain the little warmth she had.
Then, she continued to tread over the hard icy ground with her bare feet.
At that moment, another voice drifted along with the cold wind, vague and distant.
As if coming from the far reaches of the sky, piercing through the endless dark blood hue to reach here.
And... it had an eerily familiar feel.
Wen Xin paused, shook her head slowly, and continued walking forward.
Right now, she only wanted to find her tirelessly calling mother.
But soon, that familiar voice sounded again.
This time it was slightly clearer; it seemed to be a man’s voice calling her name.
"Wen Xin—"
Although faint, the voice carried an inexplicable warmth, as if emanating a deep longing from within.
Brother!
Wen Xin’s heart jolted, and she immediately looked towards the source of the voice.
"Wen Xin, Wen Xin, come back, come back to mom’s embrace..."
Almost simultaneously, the gentle calling voice also followed.
The voice was ethereal, melodious and lingering.
Like bubbles rising from the deepest part of the ocean, irresistibly worrying they might disappear in an instant.
The whispering murmur was dreamlike, filled with an extreme enchantment.
It seemed to imprint a certain idea in her mind, lingering deeply and sinking into the depths of her soul...
"Mom..."
Wen Xin hesitated, her steps preparing to turn back halted.
Just then, a long and steady beam of light suddenly pierced through the darkness and entered her pupils.
Like an arrow speeding through, it shattered layers of bloody barriers, stirring up cries of eerie wails.
It made Wen Xin’s mind reel, nearly fainting.
She struggled to keep her eyes open, looking up following the direction of the light.
A figure vaguely appeared in the air, radiant all around as if standing under the harsh sun.
"Don’t be afraid, follow the light, walk towards me."
The warm, calm voice invigorated Wen Xin, and she decisively stepped towards the figure.
The dark ice plains turned into incredibly muddy terrain in an instant.
Walking on it felt like stepping in a mud pit, sinking deep with every step.
It seemed as if slick, unknown substances were wrapping around her ankles, countless hands trying to hold her back, not allowing her to leave.
The howling wind sounded like a series of sharp alarms drifting across the ice plains.
Trying to drown out the intruder’s voice, it seemed to call out to the terrifying monsters hidden in the depths of the darkness.
But faced with the piercing heat of the beam, the darkness ultimately could not withstand its penetration.
As Wen Xin drew closer to the figure, the area of light grew larger, eventually encompassing her entire field of vision.
A vast expanse of blinding light forced her to instinctively shut her eyes.
"Mom... Brother..."
In the meditation room, the fire flickered.
Wen Xin lay in the center of a circle of candles, speaking in a delirious whisper, apparently still in a dream.
After about half a minute, her eyelashes trembled, and she slowly opened her eyes, beholding a familiar face in her view.
Startled for a moment, her sleepy eyes regained some clarity as she murmured, "Brother?"
Fang Cheng smiled and nodded at her.
"Whimper, brother!"
Wen Xin immediately lunged forward, sobbing:
"I missed you so much, am I dreaming..."
She could hardly believe it, fearing that the figure in front of her was merely her frail imagination.
"Silly girl."
Fang Cheng embraced her, soothingly saying:
"Brother specifically brought you back from your dream, how could you still be dreaming?"
Feeling the warm embrace and smelling the familiar scent, Wen Xin gradually relaxed, and her tensed face also eased.
Lin Chuqiao, standing beside and observing, looked surprised.
The living room was exquisitely decorated, with the heating turned up high.
Fang Cheng sat on the soft leather sofa, slightly uneasy with Wen Xin.
"So, you completely entered her subconscious world without encountering any danger?"
After hearing the whole story, Lin Chuqiao’s mouth slightly agape, still appeared astonished.
"Is there something wrong?"
Fang Cheng asked.
"No, I’m just curious."
Lin Chuqiao smiled, shaking her head, and looking at Fang Cheng with a peculiar gaze.
Just two weeks ago, this guy had specifically asked her about meditation.
Now he managed to successfully meditate and even achieved a level far exceeding her own, truly a monster.
This made the typically proud Lin Chuqiao feel defeated.
Thinking of this, Lin Chuqiao sighed inwardly, her eyes shifting, looking towards the other party involved.
"Little sister, do you often use your abilities to do things?"
Wen Xin, upon hearing this, turned to look at Fang Cheng sitting next to her.
Seeing him nod slightly, she softly replied:
"I see mom clenching her teeth and enduring pain every night, so I silently pray, hoping she will get better soon..."
Lin Chuqiao’s expression stiffened.
She instantly realized that this seemingly unremarkable girl was also a monster!
"Brother, can you please not tell mom about this? I’m afraid she will worry."
After speaking, Wen Xin looked anxiously, pleading with Fang Cheng.
"Alright."
Fang Cheng agreed with her, while also cautioning: "Remember, unless it involves a life-threatening situation, never use your powers casually."
Wen Xin quickly nodded obediently.
With the issue perfectly resolved, next, they need to rush back to the hospital to inform Wen Huixi and others who were waiting.
Lin Chuqiao intended to drive them back personally.
Fang Cheng politely declined:
"It’s quite late now, I won’t bother you. Next time I’ll treat you to a meal."
"No need to be so polite, actually, I should be the one thanking you."
Lin Chuqiao smiled charmingly, implying something through her words.
After escorting them to the elevator, she gracefully tucked her hair behind her ear and waved her hand elegantly.
Wen Xin also politely waved goodbye:
"Goodbye, Aunt Lin."
Lin Chuqiao’s face darkened slightly, but her smile remained.
The elevator descended smoothly.
Fang Cheng held Wen Xin’s hand, his gaze landing on the panel information that emerged before him.
[Meditation Experience +20]
This journey into Wen Xin’s subconscious world awakened her self-awareness.
Aside from accidentally gaining a lot of Skill Experience.
Fang Cheng also vaguely explored a usage method of the Spiritual Fire.
That is, using oneself as a beacon, with the light of the flame in the mind to awaken others lost in darkness, guiding them to escape from some negative mental influences.
Of course, it still cannot be completely confirmed as feasible.
After all, it is only initially realized in Wen Xin for now.
However.
After successfully completing the guidance, Fang Cheng felt that his and Wen Xin’s consciousness seemed to have formed a strange connection.
Thinking of this, Fang Cheng’s heart stirred, silently calling out:
"Wen Xin."
"Ah? Brother, are you calling me?"
Wen Xin suddenly looked up in surprise, at Fang Cheng who seemed not to have moved his lips.
