Bai Chenxiang and Xiao Bai listened with wide, disbelieving eyes, their faces a picture of "Is this even possible?"
"Then... if Brother San and Sui Sui fall into the dual resonance situation again, will there be any surprises later?" Bai Chenxiang asked tentatively.
Ma Hongjun and the others, having experienced this before, wore bitter expressions. "Surprises? Perhaps. But according to the usual pattern, it will definitely be a series of great shocks first, tormenting us, and then the surprise."
Bai Chenxiang: "Ah, this..." That sounds rather frightening.
Brother San and Sui Sui were already the apex of their combat power in Shrek. If they joined forces... Thinking of that scene, Bai Chenxiang gasped and said dryly, "Then, then what do we do?"
Xiao Wu retrieved a clean handkerchief from her soul tool, crouched down, and gently wiped the sweat from Tang Sui's forehead. She said bitterly, "Now, all we can do is wait." Whether it's a shock or a surprise depends on who wakes up first, Sui Sui or Xiao San. If Sui Sui wakes up first, then it might be a shock.
...
Tang Sui knew very well that she had likely fallen into some kind of illusion or had entered someone's spiritual domain. This world was not real. She clearly remembered being in the sea just a moment ago, and now she inexplicably found herself standing on a crowded street. Around her were buildings of varying heights, and vendors pushing carts laden with goods quietly waited by their stalls for customers. Strangely, none of them were shouting out advertisements. Besides the pedestrians, she occasionally saw knights in black armor, fully equipped and marching in formation, patrolling the city. There appeared to be at least three such squads. It was a bit eerie.
Tang Sui frowned slightly. As she continued to survey her surroundings, planning to stand her ground if no one moved, a voice suddenly called out from behind her.
"Miss, could you please move aside? This cart is difficult to turn."
Tang Sui turned her head and saw a middle-aged man pushing a cart of fruit looking at her. His weathered, dark face was filled with caution, as if he was afraid of offending her.
"A Great Soul Master." With just a glance, the man's soul power cultivation was clearly visible in her mind.
She said, "Sorry," and was about to step aside, but her body froze. A hint of shock and uncertainty flickered in her eyes, and she remained motionless. Su Dan Novel Network
This made the middle-aged man pause. He cautiously called out to Tang Sui again, "Miss? Are you alright?"
Tang Sui felt she was not alright. Because she could no longer feel the presence of Fox Face and the others. Even the System was unreachable. Her power circulation was unaffected, but the only anomaly was that her spiritual space, which should have been filled with five masks, was now empty and dark, filled with a dead silence.
"Look, why did that person suddenly stop in the middle of the road?"
"I don't know. Sigh, the Pope is at war with the two great empires lately. Who knows if there might be dangers lurking in the city? Let's not get involved. We should leave quickly."
"Yes, that man clearly looks like someone who fled here from elsewhere to enter the Spirit City. The other one is obviously a powerful Soul Master we can't afford to offend. Let's go, let's go."
The hushed discussions of the passing pedestrians seemed to be amplified infinitely, flooding into Tang Sui's ears. Tang Sui pursed her lips. Amidst the middle-aged man's increasingly anxious and fearful expression, she apologized again, then moved aside, found a corner alley, and walked away. The middle-aged man, feeling he had narrowly escaped trouble, looked back at Tang Sui's unhesitating departure with a relieved sigh, then continued pushing his cart to his rented stall to sell fruit.
Turning into the alley, Tang Sui walked with her head lowered, her eyes tracing the edge of the alley. She quickly processed the information gleaned from the snippets of conversation and arrived at an unpleasant conclusion. The Pope... the two great empires... Spirit City...
Tang Sui instinctively reached for her soul tool, only to find that the purple crystal jade bracelet on her wrist was unresponsive, like a mere decorative bracelet. With no other option, Tang Sui reached into the depths of her spatial domain and pulled out a hat. She then released her demonic energy to control her long hair, which was cascading down her back, tying it up. Only a strand or two were left to frame her face, while the rest were tucked into the hat, hiding her hair. Many people on the street dressed fashionably, so her wearing a hat wasn't out of place.
The reason she suddenly thought of wearing a hat was because Tang Sui realized she seemed to have landed directly in the enemy's stronghold—the capital of the Spirit Empire, Spirit City. Her spiritual power couldn't discern whether her surroundings were real or an illusion. With the masks and the System both offline, Tang Sui also discovered that it seemed only her spiritual power and demonic energy were unaffected. If soul power were a lake, this lake was now frozen, unable to stir even a ripple. The last time her soul power had been locked was when she entered the mist world. So now...
"Am I in an assessment?" Tang Sui whispered, looking around with a hint of bewilderment. Was she in an illusion, or had she been transported to the Spirit Empire's stronghold without anyone noticing?
"Tap, tap," A rhythmic sound entered Tang Sui's ears. Without looking back, Tang Sui could tell it was the sound of heels hitting the ground. This time, Tang Sui consciously lowered her head and quickened her pace towards a tea shop that was open on the opposite side, to avoid any further obstruction and requests to move aside. While unsure if her surroundings were real or fake, the only known factor was her and the Spirit Empire's irreconcilable adversarial relationship. She hadn't forgotten that she was still a wanted fugitive by the Spirit Empire, and being recognized would be disastrous.
With this thought, Tang Sui stopped and looked at the tea shop in front of her, pretending to hesitate whether to go in and sit down. To her heart's alarm, the footsteps behind her also stopped. Instead, a scorching gaze fell upon her, as if trying to bore a hole through her. Feeling the scrutinizing gaze from behind, Tang Sui... She stood there calmly, unhurriedly lowering her head. The shadow cast by her hat brim obscured her delicate features. Even as someone walked past her side, only her fair chin was visible, not her full face.
"Tap, tap," The footsteps sounded again, and they were getting closer. Tang Sui's right eyelid twitched heavily, but her expression remained unchanged. Her feet also began to move, heading into the tea shop.
"Snap," A slender hand suddenly grasped Tang Sui's shoulder. The powerful grip was well-controlled, holding Tang Sui tightly without causing her pain. The next second, a voice so familiar that Tang Sui's hairs stood on end echoed in her ear.
"Excuse me, have we met somewhere before?"
—Author's Notes—
Sui Sui: Don't know them, never seen them, please don't ask.
An unexpected person has appeared! Who do you think it is?