Chapter 372: Reliving the Nightmare and Encountering Guihua

Suddenly, an indescribable silence left Lingxiang feeling at a loss. Her mind was still immersed in those eyes from just a moment ago. She knelt on the ground for a long time, and after coming to her senses, she did not know what to do next.

It was not as if she had never encountered strange things, but something this strange was truly a first.

Lingxiang closed her eyes, lifted her head, and let out a long sigh, as if she wanted to exhale the oppression filling her heart.

Just then, a faint chanting drifted from the darkness, moving from far to near, from soft to loud, muffled and unclear. Lingxiang looked around vigilantly, but all that met her eyes was pitch black; there was no way to distinguish where the sound was coming from.

It was as if it came from all directions, yet it was only the voice of one person, surrounding Lingxiang tightly.

The ripples lingered, echoing the chanting, and gradually became clear. Lingxiang could vaguely distinguish the lyrics.

"Peanut, peanut,

Living at both ends of a golden house,

Wearing a layer of red clothes,

Wrapped inside is a chubby baby."

The childish voice was pleasant at first, but listening carefully, one could hear other sounds, like murmurs, or perhaps weeping pleas.

Weeping pleas?

Lingxiang thought she had misheard, but as the sound drew closer, the weeping pleas became increasingly distinct.

It was Maidong!

Lingxiang suddenly remembered that this was the nursery rhyme Maidong often hummed after calming down.

"Maidong! Maidong! Is that you?"

Lingxiang hurriedly stood up to call out, but the only response was the sound of the nursery rhyme. She could not help but look around, but the moment she turned, she stepped into thin air and fell into deep water once again.

She thought she would sink again, but this time the water merely flipped over, and with another dizzying spin, before Lingxiang could react, she was standing in a forest.

Lingxiang endured the discomfort in her stomach and struggled to look around, feeling that the scene before her was very familiar, yet she could not recall where she had seen it for a moment.

Just as Lingxiang felt strange, she heard a burst of weird laughter from afar, frantic and arrogant.

This voice, it was Guihua!

When did Guihua also enter the dream?

Lingxiang was greatly shocked and hurriedly followed the sound. Soon, she saw a palace building that could not be more familiar.

"It's Wuji Hall! Could it be..."

A foreboding premonition arose in Lingxiang's heart. She ran up in a hurry, and as expected, it was the day the Demon Race invaded Yuanqing three years ago!

Yuanqing Disciples lay dead everywhere, severed limbs were everywhere, and blood flowed like a river on the bluestone slabs. Although Lingxiang had been mentally prepared, looking at this tragic scene, she still could not help but feel terrified.

However, all of this did not confuse Lingxiang. She had experienced that day, and in fact, it had not been that tragic.

On the day Yuanqing suffered, most of the disciples guarding the front of Wuji Hall had only been injured, whether heavily or lightly, but their lives were not in danger.

Over the past three years, Lingxiang had also thought that if Maidong had truly been controlled by Guihua that day, she would not have held back. She feared that what she saw now would surely become the reality of that day.

Perhaps deep in Maidong's heart, she was also struggling against Guihua's sorcery.

But this place was the depths of Maidong's consciousness; it stood to reason that it was her inner guilt that made her feel that she must have committed such an inhumane act that day.

Lingxiang was terrified of losing herself in it, so regardless of whether it was useful, she silently recited the Heart-Clearing Mantra.

Perhaps the Heart-Clearing Mantra worked, as she could vaguely hear murmurs, gibberish, not knowing what was being said.

But Lingxiang understood that this was Maidong's final line of defense; it was the struggle of the terrified Maidong she had seen that day, hiding by the white jade railing.

Lingxiang hurriedly ran forward based on her memory, glancing at the sturdy, cyan-clad figure lying on the ground in front of the palace gate—

That was her Fifth Senior Brother!

Lingxiang endured the grief in her heart and looked away, not wanting to think about the situation at that time, fearing she would lose herself in the emotions of that day.

Crossing over the corpse of Zhaoming, she indeed saw Maidong, covered in blood, cowering in despair under the long corridor, muttering incessantly.

"It wasn't me... It wasn't me..."

"I didn't... I didn't..."

Seeing Maidong like this again, Lingxiang felt incomparable heartache. She hurriedly stepped forward, wanting to shake Maidong awake, but just as she touched Maidong, a vicious, sinister laugh reached her ears.

"You are the murderer! You are a traitor! Slaughtering fellow disciples! Harming your masters!"

"The culprit! Rebellious and wicked! Insane! Unforgivable!"

It was Guihua!

It was Guihua's voice again!

Not only did she control Maidong, but she also humiliated her like this; she truly deserved to die!

It was her!

It was she who killed Senior Brother Zhaoming! It was she who made Yuanqing suffer this ordeal!

Lingxiang felt her chest swelling with pain, but her reason forced her to suppress the hatred in her heart. She shook Maidong desperately and called her name hoarsely.

"This is not your fault! Wake up!"

"Only by defeating this poisonous woman can you walk out of this nightmare!"

Amidst the calls, Maidong finally raised her head to look at Lingxiang, the emptiness in her eyes fading, replaced by clarity.

Lingxiang was overjoyed to see this, but before she could say anything else, she saw Maidong give a sinister laugh, her expression evil.

"Oh? Is that so?"

She!

She was!

The Maidong before her had a sharp gaze, completely devoid of her usual innocence.

It was Guihua!

Lingxiang was greatly shocked and hurriedly stood up to retreat.

How could this be?

How could I encounter her here!

I saw Maidong stand up with a sinister grin, looking herself up and down, as if extremely satisfied with this physical body.

"I said you little girl were up to no good, and sure enough, you actually wanted to take advantage of my absence to snatch the plaything I went to such trouble to get."

Lingxiang frowned deeply, staring fixedly at the Maidong before her.

No...

It is Guihua!

"Why are you still in Maidong's sea of consciousness? Get out at once!"

Guihua swayed her waist, leaned against the white jade railing to the side, twisted a stray lock of hair at her forehead, and said with a sigh:

"You wretched girl, that arrogant air you have outside, tsk! Do you really think you're something special? Now that you've fallen into my hands, watch how I deal with you."

That's right, Guihua had already been waiting here for a long time.

For these past three years, Guihua had swallowed her pride and bided her time, just waiting for the day she could find an opportunity to kill Lingxiang.

Now that they were in Maidong's sea of consciousness, although she could not harm Lingxiang's physical body, if she destroyed her divine sense, that body would be nothing more than an empty shell.

With just that little bit of ability this little girl had, could she really escape from her palm? She must torment her well to relieve the hatred in her heart!

Thinking of this, Guihua felt nothing but delight, as if Lingxiang's life were already held in her grasp.

Lingxiang's expression was grave, and she constantly pondered a countermeasure in her heart.

This wretch Guihua would certainly not show mercy, and she herself was definitely no match for her; furthermore, they were currently in Maidong's sea of consciousness, and if she acted recklessly and damaged Maidong's divine sense, she feared that even if the immortals came, they would not be able to save her!

This was not only Maidong's battle, but also Lingxiang's battle!