Chapter 75: Orange-Clad Youth

But soon, Gu Zhaozhao seemed to recall something, and she began breathing heavily in fear, as if she couldn't catch her breath.

"Don't be afraid." Yuan Yao held her shoulders with both hands and softly comforted her.

Gu Zhaozhao said with tears welling up, "Grandma was eaten… waa waa waa…"

"What did you see?"

Gu Zhaozhao's tears fell like broken pearls, pattering down, and she bit her lower lip.

Yuan Yao looked at her with heartache, gently patted her back, and said, "Don't think about anything."

"It's a huge monster…" Gu Zhaozhao sniffed, holding back her tears, "Fairy sister, please help me save my mother! I will definitely let my grandfather repay you well!"

Yuan Yao comforted, "If I can save you, I will definitely help."

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhaozhao wiped her tears with her sleeve, quickly took out a paintbrush from her bosom, and began to sketch on the ground.

This scene also made Qiu Xingwen curiously draw near.

Yuan Yao knew she was drawing the monster.

As the monster's shape was gradually sketched by Gu Zhaozhao, one could see its head was skull-shaped, while its lower body was formed from a huge mass of black mist, with a bloody great mouth in the midst of the mist.

After Yuan Yao got a clear look at the monster's appearance, she slightly furrowed her brows.

Qiu Xingwen crouched down and said, "Could this be the culprit behind the citizens of Cloud Net City falling into a deep sleep?"

Gu Zhaozhao put away the paintbrush, lifted her head, but tears poured forth like a breached dam, streaming down her cheeks.

"Grandma was eaten by it…" Her voice choked and trembled.

Recalling that terrifying night, Gu Zhaozhao still felt lingering fear.

Her mother brought her back to Cloud Net City to visit her grandmother, but little did they expect that night, Cloud Net City was shrouded in thick black mist.

What's more terrifying, those once-living people suddenly collapsed onto the ground without any warning, unconscious.

Her mother wanted to take her and grandmother away from this strange place, but it was already too late. When they tried to step out of the city gate, a powerful force suddenly struck, tightly binding them.

Afterward, their consciousness sank; upon opening their eyes again, they found the surrounding environment completely transformed.

All around was a dim gray haze, with no light at all; the once bustling streets now lay in ruin.

Gu Zhaozhao saw crowds gathering in the streets.

At first, everyone was searching for an exit.

But on the morning of the third day, countless blood-colored tentacles spread out from the ground, then forcibly dragged everyone away.

Her mother shielded herself and grandmother behind her, battling the blood-colored tentacles.

But in the end, her mother still couldn't withstand the blood-colored tentacles, she was slammed hard to the ground, hit her head, and lost consciousness.

The blood-colored tentacles dragged her mother away.

Meanwhile, to save her mother, the grandmother forcibly sacrificed her own essence blood, forcing the monster to reveal its true form.

... Finally... the grandmother was eaten by that monster.

And she too was dragged into this house; at first, the people inside also tried to escape, but as time passed, the longer one stayed inside, the more muddled their minds became.

Gu Zhaozhao suppressed her sorrow and recounted the whole story to Yuan Yao.

Qiu Xingwen eyed her skeptically and said, "Was your grandmother that strong? She actually managed to force the monster to show its true form."

"My grandmother is very strong!" Gu Zhaozhao's eyes reddened, sensing Qiu Xingwen's doubt, and she shouted angrily.

Qiu Xingwen was startled.

Yuan Yao glanced sideways at Qiu Xingwen, who showed an embarrassed expression.

"Fairy sister…"

Yuan Yao earnestly explained, "Actually, I'm not a fairy, but you can call me Yuan sister."

Gu Zhaozhao wiped her tears, nodded, and said, "Yuan sister, do you have a way to get out?"

Hearing this, Qiu Xingwen also couldn't help but look toward Yuan Yao.

"I don't have a way right now, but we will surely find one." Yuan Yao rubbed Gu Zhaozhao's head.

Upon hearing this, Gu Zhaozhao's mood sank a little; she knew Yuan sister was comforting her.

Even her grandmother couldn't defeat that monster—how could Yuan sister possibly win?

Yuan Yao stood up, then took out a third-grade medicinal pill and fed it to the old man.

Seeing this, Qiu Xingwen couldn't help but look pained, thinking to himself, "Where did this prodigal girl come from?"

That was a third-grade Awakening Spirit Pill!

She just gave it to two ordinary people like that?

Yuan Yao glanced at the orange-clad youth sitting still in the corner, then couldn't help asking Qiu Xingwen, "Did you arrive before him, or did he arrive before you?"

"He arrived before me." Qiu Xingwen whispered, "As soon as I got here, he was already like this, and for these days he's maintained a seated posture."

"Has anyone tried calling him?" Yuan Yao guessed the orange-clad youth's ability wasn't lacking; perhaps she could try to team up with Qiu Xingwen and this mysterious orange-clad youth to jointly seek a breakthrough.

"Yes." Upon hearing this, Qiu Xingwen guessed what Yuan Yao was thinking, his expression turned grave, and he kindly warned, "You mustn't have any ideas about him. Earlier, someone who disliked him tried to give him a warning, but before that person even got close to his side, his power blasted them into serious injury."

"That powerful?"

Yuan Yao was somewhat surprised.

Qiu Xingwen lowered his voice: "Yeah, the person who was blasted into serious injury had cultivation at the late-stage peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm! This one definitely possesses cultivation at or above the Golden Core Realm."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao glanced at the orange-clad youth, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes.

Since he's so powerful, why doesn't he try to leave?

After thinking it over, Yuan Yao still decided to step forward and ask the orange-clad youth, "Fellow Daoist, do you have a way to leave this place?"

The orange-clad youth remained seated with eyes closed.

As if he hadn't heard her words.

"Big brother, could you help us?" Gu Zhaozhao sniffed.

But there was still no response.

Gu Zhaozhao lowered her little head with a disappointed gaze; at that moment, a soft warm hand stroked the top of her head.

"There will definitely be a way." Yuan Yao said softly.

Yuan Yao recalled the mental power technique she had cultivated in the mental space, and she lifted her gaze toward the location of the door.

She decided to give it a try.

Immediately, she walked to the front of the door.

Qiu Xingwen, seeing this, his expression slightly changed: "You wouldn't be trying to forcefully break open the door, would you? I tell you, doing so will only harm yourself."

"Yuan elder sister..." Gu Zhaozhao's small face showed a worried expression.

Yuan Yao turned back and smiled at them: "Don't worry, I'm just observing."

Having said that, Yuan Yao redirected her gaze to the door, she began to focus her intent, staring fixedly at the door.

As soon as her mental power touched the door, a stronger mental power surged back, causing a sudden stabbing pain in her sea of consciousness.

Meanwhile, Qiu Xingwen and Gu Zhaozhao noticed nothing unusual at all.

However, the orange-clad youth sitting silently in the corner seemed to sense something, slowly opened his eyes, and stared at Yuan Yao's back.