Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Reunion with the White-Clothed Devil

Was there an earthquake?

Ye Xiyao jumped in fright and immediately wanted to retreat, but her hand, for some inexplicable reason, couldn't detach itself from the Talent Stone. Right then, a piercing pain akin to a jolt from the depths of her soul struck her in waves.

The rumbling grew louder, and the entire Lingyun Platform shook violently. The carved stone railings around them began to crumble, causing Ye Xiyao to grit her teeth in agony and close her eyes. The searing pain that tore at her soul spread throughout her body... until the peak of her suffering was reached. With a deafening explosion ringing in her ears, Ye Xiyao lost consciousness entirely.

The entire capital city trembled from the blast as well.

Sleepers were abruptly roused from their dreams. Within the palace, which was closest to the Lingyun Platform, the ruler of Li Kingdom almost tumbled off his dragon bed!

"What's going on? What happened?"

The king's anger was palpable after his peaceful slumber was interrupted. The guard on night duty, whose legs had turned to jelly, quickly raised his head and hurriedly replied,

"Your Majesty, forgive me, but I'm not sure. However, by the sound of it, it seems to be coming from the Lingyun Platform..."

"Well, why haven't you sent someone to investigate?"

"Indeed, indeed, this servant will have someone investigate immediately, right away!"

A quarter of an hour later, a guard finally rushed in from outside and reported,

"Your Majesty, that sound just now originated from the Soaring Cloud Platform. This lowly one inspected it and believes that someone must have gone to the Soaring Cloud Platform..."

"What does that have to do with the sound just now?"

One had to understand that the deafening noise earlier was akin to a sudden thunderclap or an earthquake – it was not a mere ordinary disturbance. The Soaring Cloud Platform only had the Talent Stone, nothing else. It was a place for testing one's talents, and countless people came and went every day. How could such a commotion have occurred there?

It was utterly inexplicable!

The king of Li Kingdom's expression grew increasingly grim. The guard seemed hesitant to speak but eventually steeled himself and replied softly,

"This lowly one is incompetent. I'm unsure of what exactly happened just now. However, when this lowly one went to the Soaring Cloud Platform, I discovered that the five Talent Crystal Pillars in front of the Talent Stone... were all shattered!"

*****

Ye Xiyao had a long, vivid dream.

In her dream, she revisited her prosperous past life before the apocalypse and the cold-hearted one after it. Then, she saw herself in this life as an idiotic good-for-nothing with a congenital undead body. However, she refused to believe it was true. That night, she sneaked to the Lingyun Platform, hoping to verify it for herself. And then...

What happened then? !

In a flash, Ye Xiyao abruptly opened her eyes but was immediately stunned.

She clearly remembered going to the Lingyun Platform to test her abilities, only for an explosion to occur. She still vividly recalled being violently thrown by the blast and crashing onto the ground. So how could she now be back in her own room? !

What... on earth is happening? Could someone have found out and sent me back? Or perhaps, someone has been following me all along?

At this thought, Ye Xiyao's entire body tensed up. In the darkness, her sharp eyes scanned the empty room but found nothing unusual.

Just then, a candle suddenly lit up in the room, startling Ye Xiyao. Following that, a male voice slowly echoed in her ear:

"Miss Ye, it's been a few days. Have your injuries healed?"