Chapter 1155: Collapse

"You..." Bai Jiu's lips trembled after hearing this. "You've realized it too... You might already be..."

"Jiejie." Qiu Shiliu sighed. "Every step I've taken to get here, from the major battles to just now when I didn't fall into the abyss, has been thanks to every single person in Mao. So don't stand here being polite with me—let me figure out a way to save everyone."

"You..."

"Now that we've reached this point, the worst-case scenario is that all of us enter Xuanwu's body and end up in this small mountain village," Qiu Shiliu said. "We've found a way out, so now's the time to go all in."

Bai Jiu nodded after listening. That's just how things were in this world.

If she told Qiu Shiliu that the other world was fake, he might start doubting it. Even if he agreed, there would definitely be a rift in trust later. But when she gave up that idea and tried to let Qiu Shiliu escape alone, he chose to help the entire Mao team instead.

If she had to put it into words, this was a mutual "trust" passed between them.

"So, Jiejie, just tell me what to do."

"Shiliu, first I need to make something clear..." Bai Jiu said. "No matter what you see right now, without evidence, we can't confirm what's strange about the world you entered, or even if it's real. After all, in Zhong Yan Zhi Di, there are many ways to make you feel something like that."

"I understand. Whether it's entering a dream, manifesting spirits, illusions, or even clever tricks, they could all make me think I've returned to reality," Qiu Shiliu said firmly. "So I've thought it through—following Mao's plan is the safest choice."

"Good." Bai Jiu nodded. "Since you get that, I think you should go back to that room and check it out. After all, the 'most important door' points to that building."

"Alright, I'll head there... Wait." Qiu Shiliu said. "Jiejie, it looks like someone's coming up the mountain."

"Hmm...?"

Qiu Shiliu flipped the "door" in his hand to face the only path up the mountain and saw a skinny figure walking up from below.

Just as Bai Jiu was about to speak, she suddenly heard a strange noise.

In the distance, Xuanwu, who had been standing dazed, suddenly seemed stimulated and swung a palm, sending Luo Shiyi flying hard.

Fortunately, Luo Shiyi always carried "Wang You," so after being knocked away, he just let out a muffled grunt. He felt several ribs break, but for now, he didn't feel any pain.

"Damn..." Luo Shiyi got up from the ground as if nothing had happened. "That crazy woman was way too sudden..."

"Why..." Xuanwu suddenly spoke. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Before anyone could answer, Xuanwu swung at Luo Shiwu again. Luo Shiwu had no time to block, and his neck was instantly broken. He stood frozen for a second before dropping straight to his knees on the ground.

"This is bad..." Bai Jiu murmured. "Something's wrong with Xuanwu... I need to go check it out..."

"Jiejie! What about me over here?!"

"Shiliu, I suspect that person coming up the mountain is heading straight for the house behind you!" Bai Jiu said into Jiang Shi's eyes. "Try to hide in the house and see what that person is up to!"

"Okay... Got it!" Qiu Shiliu said.

Bai Jiu stood up to leave, but Jiang Shi reached out and grabbed her.

"Little Jiang Shi..."

"Jiejie, take me with you." Jiang Shi said. "I have both 'Wang You' and 'Bu Mie' right now, so I can withstand some attacks."

Bai Jiu didn't want to keep taking Jiang Shi into dangerous places—it would only speed up his death.

"Besides... You still need to stay in contact with Shiliu," Jiang Shi said. "Things are getting really weird now. Only my eyes can connect with Shiliu, but I can't see anything myself."

"This..." Bai Jiu looked at Jiang Shi with sadness, then nodded. "Alright... I'll put you through it..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Bai Jiu blew a whistle, and a figure floated down from the sky.

"Jiejie, what's the order?" It was Wu Shisan, with his "Zhi Kong" ability.

"Shisan, help me take Jiang Shi to the battlefield. We're going to hold off Xuanwu."

"This..." Wu Shisan glanced at Jiang Shi, who was barely hanging on, and said, "Ge, can Tenbro really handle this state?"

"Don't ask—just hurry up."

Wang Ba saw Luo Shiyi get knocked away and quickly stepped in front of Xuanwu, shielding the others behind him. His short and stout build looked comically out of place.

But in the next second, his body expanded in the wind, growing twice its size in an instant.

"Xuanwu... Aren't we standing here just to kill you?"

"Kill me...?" Xuanwu's voice echoed ethereally.

"Yeah." Wang Ba, now like a giant, took a step forward, his massive footsteps making the ground shake. "What's the matter? Having second thoughts? Not going to give us that chance anymore?"

Xuanwu didn't respond. She vanished from the spot in an instant and reappeared next to Wang Ba, landing a fierce punch on his abdomen.

"Thud!"

Wang Ba immediately blocked downward with his hand, but he still staggered back four or five steps, his face twisting in pain.

Everyone watching frowned at the sight.

In the other space, Qiu Shiliu had no idea what was happening there. He quickly turned and ran toward the rundown shack.

After searching the dilapidated house for a while, he figured the only spot to hide was behind the bundles of dry grass in the corner. Without a word, he ducked in and held his breath as much as possible.

He didn't know if this space counted as the real world or if the person approaching was even human.

It could easily be something like the faceless figure from before—human-like but not quite.

Soon, light footsteps approached from afar, and Qiu Shiliu's heart raced.

Then, the door creaked open, and a very skinny figure stepped inside.

It was a disheveled little girl. She wore tattered clothes, and her hair looked like it hadn't been washed or combed in years, making her resemble a wild person.

She had a ragged little bag on her back. After entering, she slowly set it down and went to the stove to start a fire.

Qiu Shiliu stared at her back, still reeling from disbelief, when he heard the little girl speak softly—

"You can kill me, but you cannot disintegrate me."

...

"You can kill me, but you cannot disintegrate me."

Xuanwu looked up at Wang Ba and said.

Her voice was impossibly distant, as if coming from another space.