245: Witness of love?

Fang Xiang shrank his neck, pretending not to see him.

Xu Sanyan and Qi Liang walked side by side at the very front, chatting idly, while the two groups behind them were clearly separated and wary of each other.

Although they both belonged to the Demonic Path, there was not the slightest trust between them.

As the crack grew closer, Xu Sanyan stopped, and Qi Liang, who was beside him, also halted, their gazes simultaneously fixed on the front.

Just then, a group of people appeared around the corner, led by Fang Qingge and the Luo family siblings; however, they looked a bit dishevelled, as if being chased by something.

The other party also saw Xu Sanyan at the same time and their hearts tightened, "Xu Sanyan?"

"Haha, Young Master Fang, Brother Luo, Fairy Luo, you've all arrived as well." Xu Sanyan politely cupped his hands in greeting.

"Hmph, how is it that I always run into you wherever I go?"

Luo Qingwei was still resentful about being severely beaten by Xu Sanyan earlier.

Xu Sanyan didn't mind, pointing at the crack and saying, "Are you all here for this as well?"

"That's right."

Fang Qingge didn't deny it, and at the same time, he subtly led his people closer to Xu Sanyan and the others.

Suddenly,

"Clang~"

A gong sounded, and Fang Qingge subconsciously turned his head to count his own people, then his heart filled with joy.

No one was missing!

This meant that the gong was not only targeting them, but treated everyone within its range equally.

At this moment, a loud shout came from behind Qi Liang, "Senior Brother Qi, Elder Li is gone?"

"Hmm?"

Qi Liang turned around, looking puzzled, "Where did he go?"

"I... I don't know, he just suddenly disappeared."

Someone explained, their voice filled with panic.

He was clearly by their side one second, and the next he was gone. That was a venerable Elder of the Mystic Path Realm, yet he vanished without a trace!

Xu Sanyan abruptly turned his head and questioned Fang Qingge, "Are you guys playing tricks?"

Fang Qingge shook his head, "How could we have such ability? It's the sound of the gong. Every time the gong rings, it randomly takes one person away. We've already had five people disappear."

"You deliberately framed us!"

Qi Liang was furious. They already had limited manpower, and now another person had inexplicably died, and it was an Elder of the Mystic Path Realm. How could he not be angry?

"It wasn't us who did it, what does it have to do with us? If you have the guts, go find Wang Xinglu." Luo Qingwei retorted, unwilling to be outdone.

"Who?"

Xu Sanyan was startled, Wang Xinglu?

Such a familiar name. After a moment's thought, wasn't that the person who accompanied him on his watch earlier?

He's not dead?

"Wang Xinglu, ah, why, do you know him?" Luo Changtian looked at him in confusion.

"What happened to him?"

Fang Qingge did not hide anything and explained the whole story, finally adding, "The gong sounds roughly every two quarters of an hour, taking one person each time."

Gong...

Xu Sanyan remembered that he still had a gong in his Storage Pouch. What would happen if he struck it?

He didn't dare to try it rashly; perhaps he could ask someone else to try.

Xu Sanyan no longer paid attention to them and led his people towards the crack. Qi Liang glared fiercely at Fang Qingge and followed suit.

Fang Qingge smiled, "Let's go take a look too."

He planned to stay as close as possible to Xu Sanyan and the others to share the risks brought by the gong.

Better a dead Fellow Daoist than a dead poor Daoist, right? Besides, Demonic Path evildoers, if they die, they die; it's just eliminating harm for the people.

Fang Qingge had no psychological burden whatsoever.

As the crack grew closer, Xu Sanyan's brows slowly furrowed.

This fissure didn't seem large from a distance, but now that they were closer, they could see that it was at least three zhang wide, with the widest part approaching four or five zhang!

Four or five zhang, that's more than twenty paces. Many city walls in the mortal world aren't that high.

"So dark..."

Xiang Tan's small mouth was slightly agape, her eyes filled with awe. The crack was a silent, pitch-black abyss, inspiring dread.

"So long..."

Qin Manyang spoke at the same time. Only by experiencing such a world-splitting wound up close could one truly comprehend its shock.

It was as if someone had cleaved the heavens with a single sword, leaving a deep scar across the world.

Xu Sanyan glanced back at the two women and silently rolled his eyes. He'd let them see something longer and darker when they had time.

At this moment, more people arrived successively. The first to arrive were the monks from Tianyi Fumo Temple, led by Net Intent, who first bowed to the Luo family siblings and others.

"This humble monk offers his greetings."

"Great Master has also arrived..."

Luo Changtian was somewhat helpless. This was him actively coming over. If someone disappeared later, he couldn't be blamed.

Next, the Zuoqiu Clan arrived from a distance. Xu Sanyan glanced back, his gaze passing over Zuoqiu Zhen, but he didn't say much.

Zuoqiu Chen was not as straightforward as before and stepped forward to greet everyone, "Greetings to the Saints, greetings to Great Master, Young Master Fang, Young Master Luo, Fairy Luo."

"Where's your eldest sister?" Xu Sanyan looked around but didn't see Zuoqiu Shu.

Zuoqiu Chen's eyes dimmed upon hearing this, and Zuoqiu Hui and the others behind her also looked mournful.

"Big Sister... unfortunately passed away."

"Hmm?"

Xu Sanyan was startled, then shook his head with a slight sense of regret, "My condolences."

In this Secret Realm, it was normal for anyone to die, but he hadn't expected that among the Huai Lake Seven Heroes, the first to die would be Zuoqiu Shu, who had the highest cultivation.

To be honest, he really liked that woman; it was a pity...

Lin Fan stood among the crowd, his gaze fixed on Zuoqiu Yi without blinking, clutching the handkerchief in his hand.

Zuoqiu Yi looked up and met his gaze, then immediately shifted her eyes as if seeing a stranger, her expression unchanged, though there was a slight hint of sadness deep in her eyes.

Lin Fan was stunned. She... didn't recognize him?

Zuoqiu Yi lowered her head, recalling her Elder sister's dying words,

"Do not bring misfortune upon the Family."

She understood the meaning of these words very well: her Elder sister told her not to get involved with the Demonic Path.

Now that her Elder sister was dead, these words became a will, and the meaning they represented was vastly different; she had no choice but to obey.

Lin Fan clutched the handkerchief tightly, his eyes lowered. He didn't know why Zuoqiu Yi pretended not to see him, but he felt so sad.

He had been thinking of her day and night, hoping to meet her again, but when they finally met, it was under such circumstances.

Qin Manyang looked at Lin Fan, then turned to look at Zuoqiu Yi, lightly curling her lips. She found it very interesting; she could even be called a witness to the emotional journey of the two.

At this moment, Huan Xier also arrived, and with him was Mo Qianqian. Something must have happened between the two, as there seemed to be no longer any previous estrangement.

Huan Xier was no longer dressed in his usual attire; his topknot was undone, his red robe had been changed, and the golden rings on his ears were removed. He looked much more normal.

Mo Qianqian looked at Xu Sanyan with calm eyes, with no hatred in them, just as serene as usual.

"Fairy Mo?"

Fang Qingge stared blankly at Mo Qianqian, his heart filled with admiration. She was truly a beauty capable of making fish sink and geese fall!