187: Chapter 187 Qin Ye Reunites with Childhood!

"Enable anyone to see their own soul."

Su Bai's voice fell into the mystic realm.

The philosophers stone floating ahead gently flickered, red-gold light flowing along the surface of the crystal, resembling a slowly beating heart.

Li Qingyue's mental projection still lingered beside Su Bai.

She confirmed that Su Bai's soul state was stable, and only then did she heave a slight sigh of relief.

"You lost consciousness for thirty-seven breaths just now."

"So short?"

Su Bai was somewhat surprised.

In that pure white space, he had experienced at least several hours.

The philosophers stone had shown him the future that the Stand System might lead to, and waited for him to establish the underlying principles for a brand-new path.

The two sides even engaged in a less-than-friendly Q&A regarding whether the Stand should be born.

Yet in reality, only thirty-seven breaths had passed.

"Short?"

Li Qingyue frowned slightly.

"Your mental fluctuations changed tens of thousands of times within thirty-seven breaths, and six of those times you almost broke away from the reality spacetime."

"If the philosophers stone hadn't shown any hostility, I would have already pulled you out."

"I've made Master worry."

Su Bai apologized with a proper attitude.

Li Qingyue had originally prepared to lecture him a bit, but upon hearing these words, her tone instantly softened.

"It's good that you're fine."

"The situation of the Stand Awakening Arrow can wait until we leave the mystic realm; since the philosophers stone allows you to continue comprehending, it means there is more important content ahead."

"Understood."

Su Bai nodded.

He turned his head to look at Qin Ye, but his brows slowly furrowed.

Qin Ye was still standing at a position less than two meters away from him.

The young girl's eyes were tightly closed, her breathing fluctuating between fast and slow, and the ten fingers hanging by her sides were tightly clenched, her nails almost piercing into her palms.

Her body had no injuries whatsoever, but her mental fluctuations were dozens of times more intense than before.

A cluster of rich dark-golden light enveloped behind her.

[The World] had already manifested on its own.

That Stand with exaggerated muscle lines had its arms lowered, making no combat posture, yet those dark-golden eyes were staring fixedly at its host.

It was as if it was waiting for an answer.

"Qin Ye hasn't woken up yet?"

Su Bai asked.

"Her trial seems to be different from yours."

Li Qingyue injected a portion of her Mental Power into the silver ring.

A transparent ripple spread from between Su Bai's fingers, but the moment it touched beside Qin Ye, it was blocked back by some powerful will.

Li Qingyue's projection swayed along with it.

She did not continue trying.

"The philosophers stone has sealed her consciousness within an independent space."

"I can forcefully enter, at the cost of her trial ending immediately."

Su Bai looked at Qin Ye's tense face.

"What will happen if it ends now?"

"She won't get hurt, nor will she lose [The World]."

"However, the philosophers stone only gives each person one question; after a forced exit, she will never be able to obtain the same opportunity again."

Li Qingyue paused for a moment.

"Should we bring her out?"

Su Bai did not answer immediately.

Qin Ye's mental fluctuations at this moment were indeed very dangerous.

Fear, anger, remorse, and murderous intent intertwined together, like a storm that could tear the soul apart at any moment.

Yet deep within that storm, there was still an extremely weak will that had not been extinguished.

That will belonged to Qin Ye.

She was still persisting.

"No need."

Su Bai shook his head.

"Let her choose for herself."

[The World] behind him seemed to have heard these words.

It slowly raised its head, and across the boundary between reality and the mental world, it glanced at Su Bai.

Afterwards, that Stand lowered its head again, placing all its attention back onto Qin Ye.

Deep within the mystic realm, countless red light spots gathered over.

Qin Ye's body trembled slightly.

Her mental world finally completely sealed.

...

It was raining.

Rainwater pelted against the eaves of the old residence, producing a dense and dull sound.

The sky was as gloomy as a lead plate that could fall at any moment.

Qin Ye stood in the middle of the corridor.

She lowered her head to look at her own hands.

Her palms were small, her fingers were also short, and there were no calluses left from long-term combat on her palms, let alone scars accumulated from the Underground Black Boxing Arena.

The black combat uniform on her body had disappeared.

Replaced by a white dress stained with muddy water.

Qin Ye recognized this piece of clothing.

Thirteen years ago, it was a gift personally selected by her mother when celebrating her birthday.

That morning, she had run around in the courtyard wearing this dress for a long time, and because she accidentally stepped into a puddle, she was gently tapped on the forehead by her mother.

That was the last complete morning in Qin Ye's memory.

"Impossible..."

She raised her head.

The familiar residence.

The familiar sound of rain.

And the smell of blood rapidly spreading in the air.

Everything was the same as thirteen years ago.

At the end of the corridor, a loud bang suddenly came.

Boom!

The room door was smashed to pieces by a violent force.

Wood chips splashed everywhere.

A woman wearing a military uniform stumbled backward, her long saber already broken, and there was a wound deep enough to see bone on her left shoulder.

Fresh blood kept dripping down along her arm.

"Mom..."

Qin Ye's voice trembled uncontrollably.

The woman seemed to have heard it.

She suddenly turned her head back.

Panic first emerged on that pale face, and then quickly turned into sternness.

"Xiaoye, hide!"

"Quick!"

Qin Ye's body moved on its own.

She turned around and ran into the adjacent bedroom, pulled open the wooden cabinet in the corner, and curled herself into the narrow gap.

The cabinet door closed.

Her field of vision was left with only a tiny crack.

The young Qin Ye tightly covered her mouth, not daring to cry or make any sound.

She could only look through that crack, watching her mother grip the broken saber tightly once more.

More than a dozen men in black walked over from outside the shattered door.

The man leading them wore a gentle smile on his face.

"Madam, stop struggling."

"The War Emperor has already been transferred away from the imperial capital, and the guards of this residence have all been dealt with by us."

"Hand over the military tally, and I can let you and the young miss die a bit more easily."

The woman did not answer.

She merely took a step forward, blocking the bedroom with her body.

The battle began quickly.

Blade light tore open the walls.

Magic power shattered the doors and windows.

The wounds on the woman's body grew more and more numerous, yet she never let any enemy get within half a step of the bedroom.

Qin Ye was hiding inside the cabinet.

She saw the entire process.

She saw her mother's right arm being chopped off.

She saw the long saber pierce through her mother's abdomen.

And she saw the adjutant once regarded as a brother by her father place the blade edge against the side of her mother's neck.

Qin Ye wanted to rush out.

She told herself over and over in her heart that as long as she opened the cabinet door, as long as she shouted for help loudly, perhaps the ending could be changed.

Yet her hand rested on the cabinet door, unable to exert any strength no matter what.

How terrifying.

Outside was full of enemies.

As long as she went out, she would die too.

Her mother had told her to hide.

Therefore, staying here was the correct choice.

Everything was the same as thirteen years ago.

She convinced herself with countless reasons.

In the end, she could only cover her mouth, watching with wide open eyes as the blade descended.

Fresh blood splashed onto the cabinet door.

The world fell quiet.

The sound of rain disappeared.

The footsteps of the enemies disappeared.

Qin Ye still curled up inside the cabinet, her body trembling uncontrollably.

"Fake."

She gritted her teeth tightly.

"All of this is fake."

"philosophers stone, get the hell out here!"