How could this be?

They had only been gone a short time. How could Si Xie be in trouble already?

’Did he run into Jiang Wanwan?’

’Or that ancient tree?’

In that moment, a million thoughts flooded Jiang Yunnuan’s mind, a chaotic mess.

She demanded urgently, "Give me his location."

[Information locked. I am unable to mark his location.]

"Are you stupid? He left with Jun Yao and Fu Yuan. If you can’t pinpoint him, then pinpoint Jun Yao or Fu Yuan!"

[...]

[Host, I have sent Fu Yuan’s location to you.]

Jiang Yunnuan immediately accepted the location data.

"Sister, what’s wrong?"

Seeing the grim look that suddenly washed over her sister’s face, Jiang Tang grew tense. She fidgeted with her fingers and asked in a small voice.

Pulling her consciousness back from the System, Jiang Yunnuan gave a distracted shake of her head, then turned to give Ming Ye urgent instructions.

"Ming Ye, I have to leave for a moment. Please take care of Jiang Tang and Jiang Wang for me." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The moment the words were out, she took off running in the direction indicated by the System’s locator.

"Something’s definitely wrong. Brother-in-law, should we follow her and check it out?"

Watching her retreating figure, Jiang Wang frowned and looked to Ming Ye, who nodded in agreement without the slightest hesitation.

"Alright. Stay close to me."

*

The dense, overlapping canopy of trees quickly swallowed Jiang Yunnuan’s figure.

Seeing the distance displayed on the System’s locator, she pursed her lips and spent 500 Points to redeem a Level 1 Teleportation Talisman.

A Level 1 Teleportation Talisman had a maximum range of only fifty miles, but that was more than enough.

Upon using it, she was instantly teleported to Fu Yuan’s side.

He froze at her sudden appearance, staring at her in a daze.

Jiang Yunnuan paid no mind to his shocked expression. She seized the front of his robes and demanded anxiously, "Where’s Si Xie? What exactly happened to him?"

"He accidentally fell while picking flowers for you. Jun Yao has gone to find him."

He snapped out of his daze and gestured to the side with his chin.

Following his gaze, Jiang Yunnuan saw that they were at the edge of an incredibly steep cliff.

Dozens of meters down the cliff face, a cluster of impossibly beautiful flowers bloomed. They shimmered with a flowing light, radiated an overwhelming Spiritual Energy, and were veiled in frost. A single glance was enough to know they were anything but ordinary.

Further down, a black mist roiled, obscuring everything from view and exuding an ineffable sense of danger.

That was the most dangerous and deadly forbidden zone in the Mist Forest: the Nine Nether Abyss.

No one had ever emerged from it alive.

The world spun before Jiang Yunnuan’s eyes, and a sour sting filled her eyes. ’That idiot... he went to such a dangerous place just to pick flowers for me.’

"Take me down."

She looked at Fu Yuan, her voice a command.

Hearing this, Fu Yuan frowned in disapproval.

"It’s too dangerous. Besides, Jun Yao has already gone down."

"Cut the crap. Aren’t you a Feather Clan Beastman? What’s the point of having wings if you hide them all day and never use them? You might as well just clip them!"

Fu Yuan: "..."

"I’m worried you’ll be in danger. Besides, someone needs to stay here to provide backup for Jun Yao."

Seeing him dawdling, Jiang Yunnuan’s patience snapped. She kicked him. ’Jun Yao has wings, too. What kind of backup could he possibly need?’

"Just hurry up and take me down!"

Resigned, Fu Yuan let a thought flicker. A pair of huge, powerful wings unfurled from his back. In the sunlight, they shimmered with a dark blue luster, possessing an ineffable, mysterious beauty.

"Hold on tight."

He wrapped one arm around her waist, and with a powerful beat of his wings, they leaped into the seemingly bottomless abyss. Jiang Yunnuan immediately wrapped her arms and legs around him.

The moment they went over the cliff’s edge, the temperature plummeted.

The howling wind was like a knife, scraping painfully against her face.

Seeing the pained expression on her face, Fu Yuan instinctively slowed their descent. However, the moment she noticed their speed decreasing, she immediately urged him on, dissatisfied.

"Can you go any faster? You’re too slow!"

Fu Yuan almost laughed in exasperation.

’This woman is truly heartless.’

He pursed his lips and, without a word, increased their speed. In the blink of an eye, they spotted Jun Yao on a protruding stone ledge. At the same moment, Jun Yao saw them. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and his expression fell.

With a beat of the light-gold wings on his back, he reached out to take Jiang Yunnuan.

"Why are you here?"

Jiang Yunnuan grabbed both his arms and demanded, "Where’s Si Xie? Weren’t you looking for him? Where is he?"

"I’m sorry. I couldn’t find him. He might have fallen into the sea."

He lowered his head, his gaze falling upon the bottomless black sea below. The water’s surface was placid, but beneath that calm, dark currents churned, concealing untold dangers.

Jiang Yunnuan stared blankly at the black water, feeling a wave of dizziness wash over her. Her mind, however, was unnaturally calm.

"System," she asked mentally, "the mission hasn’t failed yet. That means Si Xie is still alive, right?"