Chapter 1125

What if, just in case, Ning Chen disappears again?

Gu Yanqi could not bear this psychological blow; she wanted to follow Ning Chen, yet she also knew that in her current state she had no ability at all, and following him would only be a burden.

Never had she hated herself more for not being special.

Seeing that Gu Yanqi's thoughts had flown off who knows where, Ning Chen knew this girl was overthinking again.

"Don't think too much, okay? I will come back." Ning Chen bent slightly, leaned close to Gu Yanqi's face, gazed straight into her eyes, his gaze filled with sincerity.

"Can I... come with you?" Gu Yanqi, having come to her senses, blurted out the words without thinking.

Only after speaking did she realize just how close the two of them were; her breath could even reach Ning Chen's face.

Blushing happened in an instant; at that moment, Gu Yanqi could not remember what she had intended to insist on, feeling somewhat at a loss.

Looking at Gu Yanqi before him, Ning Chen sighed lightly; truly, he had been defeated by her.

"You, you must protect her well in a moment, did you hear?" Ning Chen stood up, lifted Little Qiongqi, and placed him into Gu Yanqi's arms.

Looking at Little Qiongqi in her arms, Gu Yanqi did not quite react for a moment.

"Let's go; do not zone out once we go inside."

Ning Chen pinched Gu Yanqi's cheek; hmm, not bad, quite soft.

Gu Yanqi got out of the vehicle and followed behind Ning Chen; feeling the ground beneath her feet, she could hardly believe it—she was actually moving together with Ning Chen.

"Hey, Miss, do not worry; there is no danger inside. Just remember, no matter how much you want to stay, you must come out."

Thinking Gu Yanqi was still worried, Little Qiongqi patted the hand Gu Yanqi was holding him with and comforted her.

Hearing these words, Gu Yanqi nodded firmly; she would absolutely not be a burden!

Gu Yanqi took a deep breath and quickly caught up with Ning Chen's pace.

Ning Chen, who was on guard around them, noticed Gu Yanqi's figure running toward him; he stopped, and gently steadied her with his hand as she was slightly flustered from running.

Then, Ning Chen guided her right hand downward and interlaced his fingers with her left, gripping them tightly together.

At this moment, Ning Chen did not say a word, yet Gu Yanqi felt as though he had said a great deal.

He was telling her not to worry, not to be afraid.

The road ahead was extremely dark; everything around them was lit only by the light in Ning Chen's hand.

Only after getting out of the vehicle could one truly feel just how dark and helpless it was within the pitch-black forest.

The towering trees looked down on them like lofty deities, showing no mercy whatsoever.

On the surrounding trees, even a single branch falling would be fatal for an ordinary person without ability.

Birdsong that was inaudible inside the car could be heard clearly outside, and there seemed to be echoes all around; with every cry, it felt as though the sound was calling directly into Gu Yanqi's heart.

She roughly understood why Ning Chen had not let her get out of the car; the world ahead was not like having an RV to protect her, and in such a dark, lightless environment, the first emotion to arise was fear.

Gu Yanqi hugged Little Qiongqi in her arms a little tighter, and the strength in her left hand unconsciously increased.

The pressure transmitted through his hand made Ning Chen glance slightly to the side; this little girl was afraid.

Ning Chen remained silent, but the power he released intensified; a beam of light enveloped the two of them like a halo, scattering all ghosts and gods.

Within the surrounding golden light were tiny points of brightness, like precious gems inside; Gu Yanqi was mesmerized, and even her sense of fear vanished without a trace.

The warmth from Ning Chen's hand transmitted through, and the crisp, clear aura from his body gradually washed over Gu Yanqi's mind.

Indeed, with Ning Chen here, what was there to be afraid of?

The two walked forward slowly; gradually, a point of light appeared ahead, then grew larger and larger; Ning Chen knew they must be approaching the destination.

At this moment, Little Qiongqi flipped over and jumped onto Gu Yanqi's shoulder: "Get ready; we are about to arrive."

As the two drew closer to the center, they could see the situation over there more clearly; a lake appeared before their eyes.

After passing the last trees on both sides, they arrived at a patch of lawn.

Looking up, one could see the azure sky; centered on the lake, there were no trees within a hundred meters, only grass.

The trees seemed to have their own will, enclosing the entire area into a circle.

The moment they entered this place, Ning Chen sensed something was wrong.

A sense of comfort and excitement, radiating from within, enveloped their entire bodies.

Ning Chen narrowed his eyes slightly; this must be the disorienting sensation Little Qiongqi had spoken of.

This was indeed a power capable of bewitching the human heart; no wonder Little Qiongqi said they should not have come in.

Anyone with willpower not so firm would likely have become lost the moment they entered.

Ning Chen's mind was exceptionally clear; he was not at all lost due to inner swelling.

He surveyed the surroundings, then pulled Gu Yanqi toward the lakeshore.

The lake water was crystal clear; there was nothing inside except for countless pebbles scattered throughout.

And Ning Chen, with his sharp eyes, saw beneath the water in the center of the lake what appeared to be a lotus; the lotus petals were not open, tightly closed.

"That thing cannot be taken; you cannot cross over." Little Qiongqi, seeing Ning Chen staring fixedly at the center, spoke up to warn him.

"Can you not cross over either?" Ning Chen looked at Little Qiongqi.

Little Qiongqi sighed, somewhat resentful of Ning Chen's sharpness: "Ah, yes, I cannot either. Although I can fly over, that place seems to have a protective shield; unfortunately, I cannot break it."

Something that even Little Qiongqi, one of the Four Fiends, could not break would absolutely not be that simple; Ning Chen had a premonition that what Xiao Han wanted was likely inside the lotus bud.

It seemed Xiao Han would have to come for a confirmation.

"Yanqi, are you feeling alright?" Ning Chen, remembering that Gu Yanqi, who was holding his hand, had not spoken for a long time, turned to her and asked.

"Ah? I'm fine." Gu Yanqi, who had been holding back so as not to cause trouble and thus had not spoken, looked at Ning Chen in confusion.