Liang Yi felt as though an immense force was pulling her down into a bottomless abyss. Her body was falling into a vast void of darkness, without anything to hold on to, without an end. Every particle of her being descended into a chilling, soundless emptiness. When she opened her eyes, she saw only a deep blackness that devoured everything even her own shadow dissolved into the formless void with neither beginning nor end.
Her sweet, glistening pink eyes emitted a faint glow.
"Am I... falling into the darkness?"
The young girl asked herself silently. Her face remained expressionless, devoid of emotion. A sharp pain throbbed in her head, like some kind of warning signal pulsing repeatedly.
She didn't know what was happening to her. At that very moment, the poison had already spread throughout every part of her delicate body...
She breathed faintly, as if she were about to take her last breath at any moment...
It was almost impossible for her to return to a normal life again. Because of this, she felt as though she was slowly falling into the darkness falling downward beyond her control.
But suddenly, a brilliant light so dazzling it stung the eyes radiated from a pair of radiant deep purple eyes. That light pulled her frail body back upward until the darkness that had engulfed every direction began to gleam faintly, gradually spreading to form a glowing brilliance across the entire space and its boundaries. She opened her eyes wide in astonishment for a brief moment...
Then hurriedly sat up, slowly opening her eyelids. Her blurry vision gradually cleared until she could see normally again.
She saw a young girl about the same age, with shimmering golden hair, resting one hand beneath her chin while silently gazing at her.
"You've woken up, haven't you, Liang Yi?" Xin Tingting asked. She had been waiting for many hours just to see her friend regain consciousness like this.
"Just now… was it you who saved me?" Liang Yi asked in a calm tone, her glistening pink eyes turning to Xin Tingting, who was sitting beside the bed.
"No, it wasn't me it was my grandfather. Just now, the poison had entered your bloodstream and penetrated deeply into your bone marrow. Luckily, my grandfather came just in time to save you. He said you're safe now all that's left is for you to recover," Xin Tingting said with a smile before continuing without hesitation:
"Oh right! Liang Yi, would you like to increase your power level? My grandfather knows a way to help. I'll tell you if you're interested. He just left on an errand and won't be back for another two or three days."
"Increase my combat power level?" Liang Yi spoke softly, but it seemed like she was quite interested in the topic. After all, if she could raise her level to a high enough rank, it would greatly benefit her.
"Yes, exactly! My grandfather said that if we collect all the magical items listed in this book, I'll be able to gain combat abilities. Because I was born from the merging of a group of stars, I can't increase my power level in the usual way. But if you come with me, you'll benefit too you'll be able to level up," Xin Tingting explained, pulling out a book from a six-pointed green leafy seal on her wrist. When Liang Yi noticed it, Xin Tingting returned it to its place.
"I'm interested," Liang Yi said.
"Great! So if you want to power up, please help me search for the magical items. I don't have any knowledge or combat skills. If you help me, someday... I promise I'll repay you for sure," Xin Tingting said with an excited smile. There was a hint of guilt in her eyes, for she knew she had little to offer in return. But if she didn't speak up now, there might be no one to protect her when danger arose in the future.
"No problem. I benefit from it too, so I'm not at any disadvantage," Liang Yi replied without hesitation, then offered a gentle smile.
"Yay! Great! Then I'll start explaining our plan to go on an adventure to find the mystical items right away! Before Grandpa left for his errand, he gave me this butterfly. It's called the Butterfly Dimensional Gate. Can you see it?"
Xintingting held out her wrist, which bore a finely detailed artwork of a purple-pink butterfly, for her friend sitting on the bed to glance at.
"This butterfly?" Lianyi asked as she looked at the painted image on Xintingting's wrist.
"Yes… this is the Purple-Pink Light Butterfly Dimension! So beautiful! Grandpa said this dimension will take us in sequence to places where the mystical items are hidden."
"We might have to travel through several universes, you know because those mystical items aren't all located in one place. They're scattered and hidden in various locations."
Xintingting gently brushed a strand of hair from her face with her finger, then continued:
"I think it'll take us quite some time to gather all the mystical items."
"But it won't be easy! My grandfather said so. Oh, right Lianyi, did my grandfather save you from your enemies? And… are you planning to return to your parents and siblings? They might be waiting for you. Maybe you should ask their permission first, to see if they'll let you go on this adventure to find mystical items with me."
Xintingting squinted slightly as she looked at Lianyi, a small smile forming on her face.
"I don't really remember much about my family. I only know that I have a younger brother… but I have no idea where he is now. Please don't bring this up again. I get a strange headache every time I try to recall it. Besides, I don't think there's any need to ask my parents for permission since I can't even remember their names..."
Lianyi spoke in a calm voice, her innocent eyes lowering slightly. The reflection in her gaze resembled a thin mist, concealing her blurred memories. Though her tone was composed, a deep and unspeakable sorrow lingered beneath the stillness a quiet emptiness that words could not capture.
"H-Huh…?" Xintingting's face froze in stunned disbelief. She seemed confused, unable to fully grasp what her friend had just revealed. But out of naivety, she chose not to pry further into Lianyi's personal matters.
"So… when should we start our journey? Tomorrow?" the golden-haired girl asked, noticing her friend's discomfort. She quickly shifted the topic.
"Up to you. Today or tomorrow, I don't mind either way," Lianyi replied calmly.
"Then… let's go tomorrow. I'm feeling a little lazy today… just a little lazy," Xintingting said with an awkward smile.