Water kept flowing down, sealing the mouth of the cave like a curtain separating it from the outside world.
Her heart pounded, and she reflexively pushed herself upright again. Her breath was still unsteady, her strength practically gone. All she could do was stand while gripping the damp stone wall of the cave.
She swore she saw a silhouette of a hand. The hand was slender and smooth, yet pale like jade, revealing delicate veins beneath the skin. Anyone who saw it would assume its owner wasn't human.
The light within the sphere grew brighter bit by bit, gradually illuminating the owner of that hand. As the glow swept across his face, a young man was revealed with eyes closed and features unnervingly pale. At certain points, faint traces of color still lingered, proving that he was alive.
Lin Yue instinctively took several steps back, clearly uneasy and on guard. Honestly, she feared this young man might be even more terrifying than the people chasing her.
But after observing his features more carefully, she realized he seemed fragile. Harmless, even.
Lin Yue quietly let out a breath of relief. Just as she relaxed, she was startled again when the young man's eyes suddenly opened. Strangely, his gaze was calm and neutral, showing neither threat nor warmth.
"Don't step back. You'll fall."
His voice was soft and neutral as well, yet those words made Lin Yue tense. She glanced behind her, and sure enough, if she moved even a centimeter backward, she wouldn't see the world again. He wasn't being sarcastic. It was simply the truth.
"Come here. You look like you're about to die."
He tapped the empty spot beside him. Clearly he had noticed her terrible condition. It wouldn't be pleasant if a girl died in front of him the moment they met.
Lin Yue hesitated at first, but his eyes didn't show any danger. Since he didn't seem intent on harming her, she moved to sit beside him.
"Am I disturbing your rest?"
She asked cautiously. She was always meticulous with both her actions and her words, and she disliked bothering someone who treated her kindly.
"No."
That soft, neutral tone sounded again, his eyes slightly lowered. Anyone who heard him would feel that he carried no threat at all. If he meant harm, she would already be dead.
Lin Yue felt the same. Her instincts told her he had no ill intentions, so she relaxed a bit, trying to calm herself and recover some energy.
"Why are you here?"
Lin Yue asked with curiosity, wondering if he had suffered the same fate as her, being chased by those strange robed people and ending up stranded in this cave.
The atmosphere grew quiet, only the sound of the waterfall filling the space. The young man seemed to be thinking before answering.
"I don't remember. It feels like I've been here for a very long time."
Lin Yue's brows furrowed slightly at his reply. Her pupils widened a little, showing her growing curiosity about him.
"Oh? You've been here for that long? Then why do your clothes and appearance still look fresh?"
His face remained neutral, barely showing emotion. It seemed he sensed a bit of suspicion from her question, yet it didn't affect him at all.
"Have you ever heard of high-quality items? That's what I'm wearing."
"…"
Lin Yue fell silent, the corner of her lips twitching. As far as she knew, no matter how high the quality, things would still wear out with time. But apparently his belongings were… different? She had encountered too many strange things today, so she simply shut her mouth and buried her curiosity.
"You're not from this place, are you?"
He asked with clear interest. He had been observing Lin Yue for a while now, from her clothing to her facial features and everything else.
At first, Lin Yue was confused. The phrase "not from here" could mean many things. Rather than guessing, she chose to ask. This place was strange, unlike Earth, and she was getting increasingly curious.
"What do you mean? Where are we?"
The young man looked directly at her. From her confused expression, he understood that she didn't fully grasp the situation.
"This is a small domain within the Huangtian Continent. A place where people revere strength."
Lin Yue fell silent for a moment. She had sensed this place was different from Earth, but the idea of being in another world was too absurd to be true.
"From your appearance, you're a traveler from another realm?"
Lin Yue still didn't answer. His analysis was spot on, and he even explained everything patiently. She rarely met someone like that.
"Yes. From your explanation, I suppose this is the world of cultivators?"
She once thought cultivation was nothing more than myth. How could someone become immortal and ascend to the heavens? It was too unrealistic. Yet here she was.
"Exactly. Here, strength determines a person's worth."
"Then how much is my worth?" Lin Yue asked with slight curiosity.
"Unfortunately, zero."
"…"
Lin Yue went speechless.
"…for now. But your odds of survival are decent."
He was simply stating facts, and Lin Yue didn't get angry. Instead, it made her want to become stronger, even if only to avoid being underestimated.
"By the way, do you know those strange people in black robes?" she asked.
"I know of them. But I'm not interested."
He answered calmly. He understood her situation well, yet didn't bother explaining further.
Just as Lin Yue was about to ask more questions, the young man stood and walked toward the dark end of the cave. She held back the words on her tongue and watched him.
"You managed to activate the mechanism."
He glanced at the orb in Lin Yue's hand.
"…Come here and place it."
He pointed to a carved spot on the cave wall, a circular indentation that fit the crystal sphere perfectly.
"This will open a portal. You can escape."
Those strange people were likely still pursuing her, so staying here long-term wasn't wise. After their conversation, Lin Yue had recovered some energy.
"You're very generous," Lin Yue said.
He quickly looked away, not wanting her to notice anything. No one knew he had long understood how the domain's mechanism worked, but only today could it finally be activated.
The reason? The core mechanism was the orb in Lin Yue's hands. In truth, he had been interested in her ever since she arrived.
"I just don't like bloody scenes." He gave a simple excuse. He wasn't lying, though.
"I agree with you." Lin Yue was a straightforward person who preferred peace, so she easily aligned with him.
But a few seconds later she realized something odd. He helped her… for the sake of 'peace'? Strange.
"So I'm bothering you?" she asked, frowning.
"Yes."
"…?" Lin Yue didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Didn't he say earlier she wasn't bothering him? What a blatant lie.
Truthfully, she had a good impression of him. It was the first time someone had helped her this much. Normally, gathering information and solving mechanisms took time and effort alone. It felt strangely nice to 'rely on' someone, even just this once.
As she was about to stand, Lin Yue heard faint sounds from outside the cave. The whispering noises made her freeze, because that familiar sound belonged to the black-robed people.
They still hadn't given up. Whether dead or alive, they wanted her.