Lin Yue straightened up, her expression turning serious. She quickly approached the young man and threw the sphere toward him.
"Help me. Quickly."
The young man remained calm, though upon closer inspection, a faint crease formed between his brows. This girl had barged into his space and was shamelessly forcing his hand.
"Why the hurry? Don't get yourself hurt just because you're panicking."
Even so, he was still generous enough to help Lin Yue. With practiced ease, he caught the sphere and studied it for a moment. His gentle eyes flicked between the carved markings and the sphere before casually placing it into the hollow of the mural.
The ground began to tremble. The stone walls of the cave slowly shifted, revealing gathered energy that twisted into a vortex.
A portal.
As the process unfolded, a faint light shimmered from both the sphere and the crystal hairpin adorning Lin Yue's head.
On the other side, the young man's gaze subtly changed as he watched. For the first time, he seemed genuinely interested.
"Oh? You managed to find that hairpin as well. Not bad."
"You know something about this?" Lin Yue's eyes sparkled with hope. "Is it something valuable?"
The young man fell silent, his eyes lingering on the crystal hairpin. It was indeed no ordinary object, but not for the reason Lin Yue was hoping for.
"Useless," he said honestly.
The hope in Lin Yue's heart shattered. She had intended to study the item, perhaps even use it for her cultivation.
"Rather than relying on objects, focus on yourself," the young man continued. "You're extremely weak right now."
Lin Yue scoffed inwardly. If she was weak, wasn't he the same? That was merely her own conclusion, of course. Still, she couldn't completely refute his words. In truth, she knew she wouldn't survive unless she relied on herself.
The portal door was now halfway open, neither fast nor slow, creating an oppressive sense of unease. It felt as though danger was steadily closing in.
And sure enough, not long after the light dimmed, the black-robed figures became aware of them, sensing the spiritual aura emanating from the two objects. To Lin Yue, it was nothing but trouble. If she could, she would have thrown them away.
"If you're smart, you won't discard them."
The young man seemed able to read Lin Yue's thoughts. His expression remained calm and neutral, yet he somehow caught even her subtlest reaction.
"Why?" Lin Yue asked.
"Think for yourself. There's a reason you're here."
His words made Lin Yue freeze. It made sense, honestly. Earlier, she had seen all kinds of strange artifacts in the building where she first arrived. Perhaps this crystal hairpin was the key reason she had been brought here.
The portal was now fully open. Lin Yue could finally leave this place. But what about the young man? Would he really be safe staying behind? Doubtful.
"The energy is here!"
The shout shattered the silence. The voices of the strange figures made Lin Yue grit her teeth. She had hesitated before, but after thinking it through, she couldn't leave the young man behind. A trace of morality still remained within her.
She tightly grasped the young man's hand. Before he could even react, she dragged him toward the portal.
"…"
The young man, usually composed and expressionless, finally showed signs of shock. He had thought the girl was hesitating to leave for some other reason. Instead, the reason was him. Despite the fact that he could protect himself perfectly well.
The two of them vanished into the portal, disappearing without a trace, as though swallowed by the world itself.
At that very moment, the black-robed figures arrived at the cave. Unfortunately, all they found was emptiness, with no sign of any human presence.
"The spiritual energy clearly originated here. The traces are still fresh. Where did that brat go?"
The first black-robed figure spoke in disbelief. He had already made one fatal mistake. If he erred again, his fate would be sealed.
Beside him, a taller black-robed figure wore an expression as dark as burnt soot, clearly feeling deceived.
"Don't play dumb! Someone is toying with me!" the taller figure snarled, his rage barely contained.
In truth, the energy had indeed come from the cave. Its owner, however, had left just a second before they arrived.