Ling Xiya’s body trembled violently due to the sudden proximity and that whispered phrase.
The cold ropes bit into her wrists, causing pain.
Every struggle was futile; instead, the restraints only grew tighter.
She was forced to tilt her head up, looking at the woman before her whose face was blurred and whose voice was pained.
Her heart was filled with fear and confusion.
“What is… your purpose exactly? Answer me…”
Ling Xiya’s voice was somewhat raspy.
The woman did not answer her question.
Her deep eyes were simply locked onto Ling Xiya.
“I’m sorry…” the woman whispered again.
This time, her voice carried a heavy nasal tone.
“I know you are very angry right now, and that you hate me… but believe me, everything I am doing is for your own good.”
“For my own good?”
Ling Xiya could hardly believe her ears.
She jerked her body violently.
The ropes rubbed against her skin, bringing a searing pain.
“Binding me up and saying you’re going to blind my eyes—this is for my own good? You… you… you—”
Ling Xiya found herself unable to speak any further.
The woman’s body seemed to flinch from Ling Xiya’s intense reaction.
She slowly withdrew her hand and clenched it into a tight fist, her nails nearly digging into her palm.
She took a deep breath as if making a decision.
When she spoke again, her tone was slightly calmer, but that lingering pain remained.
“I know you cannot understand.”
She slowly stood up, looking down at Ling Xiya who was tied to the chair.
Ling Xiya didn’t speak, only watching her silently.
“However… time is running out, so I will keep it short. You must protect her. Soon, I will help you release the power under the Seal… you must… you must protect her well…”
“………”
When the last rope finally slid off her body, she nearly slumped into the chair.
The prolonged binding had left her limbs numb and powerless.
The woman supported her slightly to make her sit more comfortably.
Then, she picked up a White Porcelain Bottle and poured some transparent liquid into her palm.
She rubbed it gently, letting the liquid distribute evenly across her palms.
“This is the Calming and Meridian-Soothing Potion,” the woman explained.
“Next, I will place my hands on your forehead to guide the power under the Seal. It might feel hot or like a slight stinging; that is the sensation of it being peeled away. Do not be afraid.”
Ling Xiya nodded nervously.
Her hands gripped the armrests of the chair so tightly that her knuckles turned white.
She closed her eyes, not daring to look at the woman, focusing all her attention on her bodily sensations.
The woman took a deep breath, her eyes becoming incredibly focused.
She slowly extended both hands, palms facing each other, and then gently and tentatively placed them on Ling Xiya’s flat abdomen.
The moment her palms touched Ling Xiya’s body, Ling Xiya snapped her eyes open! A strong burning sensation instantly spread from her lower abdomen, as if a fire was burning inside her! Simultaneously, a cold and wicked power seemed to be awakened by this heat, beginning to crash wildly within her!
“Ah—!”
Ling Xiya couldn’t help but cry out in pain, her body trembling violently.
“Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid!” the woman hurriedly comforted her while increasing the power from her palms, trying to use her own strength to suppress that out-of-control power.
“Concentrate! Follow my guidance! Imagine a warm stream of water washing away the impurities in your body!”
The woman’s voice carried a strange, soothing power, causing the nearly hysterical Ling Xiya to calm down slightly.
Gritting her teeth, she followed the woman’s instructions and tried to concentrate.
Fine beads of sweat broke out on the woman’s forehead, and her face turned pale.
The process of undoing the power of the Seal was far more difficult than she had imagined.
The Seal seemed to have merged with Ling Xiya’s body.
Peeling it off felt like slicing her body apart, and it felt like slicing her own heart.
She could clearly feel the Mantra Power inside Ling Xiya, carrying Ling Xiya’s despair and resentment.
Every bit of guidance felt like uncovering a long-buried scar.
“Ugh…”
Ling Xiya groaned, her forehead also covered in cold sweat.
That scorching and freezing power fought fiercely within her, making her feel like her body was about to be torn apart.
She subconsciously wanted to push the woman’s hands away.
“Don’t touch!” the woman shouted to stop her, her voice raspy from the effort.
“Do not resist! If we give up now, all will be lost! Trust me, hold on a bit longer! It will be over soon!”
She applied slight pressure with her hand, fixing it onto Ling Xiya’s lower abdomen.
Meanwhile, her other hand slowly rose and pressed gently against Ling Xiya’s chest.
A more pure and warm power flowed continuously from her palm into Ling Xiya’s body, trying to soothe the restless Seal.
As time passed, the burning sensation inside Ling Xiya gradually faded, replaced by a numbing and aching feeling.
She could feel a cold, viscous power being “sucked” out of her body bit by bit by the woman’s palms.
With every thread peeled away, she felt her body become a bit lighter, but it was also accompanied by a bone-deep weakness.
The woman’s face grew whiter, and her lips lost their color.
Her body trembled slightly; clearly, maintaining such a power output was taking a massive toll on her.
But her eyes remained exceptionally determined, locked onto Ling Xiya as if to carve her image into the depths of her soul.
Only the heavy breathing of the two people and the woman’s occasional guiding whispers remained in the room.
Ling Xiya looked at the woman’s pale and focused profile, seeing her lips pursed tight from pain and effort.
The fear in her heart was gradually replaced by a more complex emotion.
Just as Ling Xiya’s thoughts were in disarray, the woman suddenly groaned.
A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from her mouth without warning, splashing onto the floor and also onto Ling Xiya’s skirt!
“!” Ling Xiya was shocked.
“What happened to you?!”
The woman’s body swayed as if she could no longer support herself.
She stepped back two paces, her face as pale as paper.
But the look she gave Ling Xiya carried a hint of relief and gratification.
“Success… it’s a success… the Seal… has been lifted… I… also need to go… remember… you must protect her well!”
“Hey…!”
***
The scene before her eyes suddenly collapsed.
Afterward, Ling Xiya was shocked by the sight in front of her.
Looking as far as the eye could see, there was nothing but devastation.
Broken walls and ruined pillars stood silently under the gray sky, like tombstones abandoned by time.
Once perhaps magnificent structures now only had twisted and deformed steel skeletons remaining, like the exposed ribs of a giant beast, menacingly piercing the sky.
Broken bricks, stones, and collapsed concrete blocks were scattered everywhere, piled into irregular small hills.
A thick, indescribable smell permeated the air—a mixture of the fishy scent of dust, the musty odor of decay, and a faint, rust-like smell of oxidized metal.
There was not a single sign of life here.
No green plants, no birds chirping; even the wind carried a deathly chill, kicking up the dust from the ground and making a sound like a wail.
“Where’s the banquet hall? Why is it The Ruins? Where did this come from???”
At that moment, Ling Xiya was completely bewildered.