Zi Linling suddenly stood up and said, "No, I distinctly heard a voice calling me!"
"It's telling me to go in, but where should I go? Where to go? Where to go..."
She fell into deep thought, always feeling as if she had overlooked something.
Xue Ying, startled by her, couldn't help but shiver. "Miss, don't scare me, I..."
Suddenly, before she could finish, her mouth fell open, her eyes wide as she pointed behind Zi Linling, unable to speak for a long time.
Zi Linling, completely unaware of Xue Ying's change, was still frowning and muttering to herself, "Go in? Go where?"
Seeing her like this, Xue Ying wanted to remind Zi Linling that something was behind her, but due to extreme fear, her voice was stuck in her throat. She could only anxiously pat Zi Linling's shoulder.
Zi Linling, startled by Xue Ying's pat, finally woke up.
She saw Xue Ying's frightened look, and her already furrowed brow tightened even further. "Xue Ying, what's wrong?"
Xue Ying swallowed and continued to point behind Zi Linling, saying, "Miss, you... behind you..."
Behind her?
Zi Linling blinked and looked behind her.
Good heavens, how could there be a dilapidated temple, more dilapidated than could be imagined?
Due to years of disrepair, the broken temple exuded an aura of desolation everywhere.
Zi Linling was momentarily surprised, but quickly became fully alert.
She was certain that this temple had not been here before, meaning it had appeared suddenly.
Was this why Xue Ying was so terrified!
Xue Ying couldn't help but grip Zi Linling's sleeve, trembling, "Miss, this place is so strange!"
"Mm!"
Zi Linling nodded, leading Xue Ying slowly towards the dilapidated temple.
Due to extreme fear, Xue Ying clutched Zi Linling's sleeve, refusing to let go.
One step, two steps, three steps...
After eighty-one steps, Zi Linling and Xue Ying finally stood before the temple gate.
On the somewhat broken plaque, the three large characters for "Shen Nü Miao" (Goddess Temple) were covered in dust and cobwebs, exuding a mournful aura.
On the temple pillars on either side, seven characters were carved, and though they looked precarious, they emitted a strange red glow.
The left side read: Zhen Tian Zhen Di Zhen Shan He. (Suppress Heaven, Suppress Earth, Suppress Rivers and Mountains.)
The right side read: Fu Shen Fu Yao Fu Gui Mo. (Subdue Gods, Subdue Demons, Subdue Ghosts and Monsters.)
Although these fourteen characters were also covered in dust, they evoked a feeling of surging blood.
A sense of connection, as if of blood kinship, rose in Zi Linling's heart. At the same time, the voice rang out again, "Come in... hurry, come in..."
As Zi Linling reached out her hands to push the temple door, Xue Ying pulled her back.
Xue Ying's voice trembled, "Miss, perhaps we shouldn't go in?"
Zi Linling glanced at her, pried her hand away, and said, "You wait for me here!"
Xue Ying wanted to say more, but Zi Linling's glare startled her into silence.
Zi Linling's hands reached out again, pressing against the temple door. The feeling of kinship grew stronger, and the calling voice abruptly ceased.
Her heart pounded, and her hands trembled slightly, as if something behind the temple door filled her with inexplicable excitement.
She closed her eyes, calmed her abnormally agitated emotions, then opened them and pushed hard.
The temple door creaked with a "zhi ya" sound and retreated to the sides.
What met Zi Linling's gaze was a shrine with a majestic statue standing proudly upon it.
She slowly lifted her foot and stepped into the temple. Her mood instantly turned heavy.
Looking at the statue covered in dust and cobwebs, a sense of desolation surged within Zi Linling.
Subconsciously, she climbed up, blew away the dust, peeled off the cobwebs, and caressed the statue's face. A feeling of blood kinship washed over her.
Zi Linling found that after cleaning, the statue bore a nine-tenths resemblance to her.
The statue's eyes were closed. In its left hand, it held a book, and in its right, a fruit.
The fruit was of a very peculiar shape, resembling a heart, or perhaps two people embracing tightly.
Even the experienced Zi Linling had never seen such a strange fruit before. She involuntarily reached out to touch it.
"Hiss..."
Zi Linling quickly withdrew her hand. She looked down and saw a hole on her right index finger, with a trace of blood clinging to it.
A drop of crimson blood slowly seeped into the fruit. At the same time, the statue's closed eyes slowly opened.
When Zi Linling looked up again, she saw a divine light shooting from the statue's eyes.
The divine light fell upon the fruit in her hand. The fruit split open from the middle, emitting a strong white light.
Zi Linling smelled a strange fragrance, but before she could react, the white light enveloped her entire body.
She was terrified and wanted to struggle, but it was too late.
At this moment, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She thought, "Not good," and fainted.
Although frightened, Xue Ying, worried about Zi Linling, mustered her courage and walked in.
The moment she crossed the temple threshold, the white light within the temple intensified.
When the white light dissipated, Zi Linling had vanished from the temple.
Xue Ying cried out anxiously, "Miss! Miss, where are you?"
But in the empty temple, only her own voice echoed.
Xue Ying's heart ached as if being torn apart. She searched the temple frantically, wishing she could dig through the ground.
"Miss, where are you?"
"Miss, please come back!"
"Miss, don't leave Xue Ying behind!"
...
But the temple was only so big. Xue Ying searched again and again, but could not find Zi Linling.
In despair, she knelt on the ground, her voice hoarse, "Miss, how could you leave Xue Ying? If Master and Madam return, how can I explain to them?"
"Heaven above, give me back my Miss, give me back my Miss!"
Wuwuwu...
Xue Ying was heartbroken. She knelt on the ground, crying and wailing, but Zi Linling seemed to have evaporated, with no response.
Lost in grief, Xue Ying did not notice that the statue's eyes opened again, and the book in its left hand emitted a faint light.
The light transformed into specks that silently seeped into Xue Ying's body.
At the same time, a sweet voice rang out in the temple.
"Given your sincere loyalty, I bestow upon you a great fortune. I hope you will cultivate diligently and help the Master to return to glory!"
Xue Ying was startled and looked up, just in time to see the statue's eyes close.
Simultaneously, a voice entered her mind, "Your young lady is fine. Wait patiently, and you will be reunited in three days!"
Xue Ying was overjoyed. She scrambled to her feet and asked, "Really?"
"Mm! I have already cleansed your marrow and activated your spiritual roots. During these three days, cultivate the technique I have given you here well, and in the future, assist the Master to return to his peak!"