49 Mark


    Meanwhile, the girl seemed to move with the wind as she ran. Her movements appeared almost like teleportation as she travelled, leaving afterimages of herself. With each step, she raised one leg, and the next moment, she would reappear in the distance.


    The expression on her face remained cold and emotionless, like a porcin doll. But despite her stoic exterior, her body told a different story. Beads of sweat clung to her skin, trickling down her brow and glistening like tiny diamonds under the sunlight.


    Finally, she arrived back at the old, crumbling bamboo and y temple. The moment she returned, she copsed onto the cold, hard temple floor.


    Her face turned visibly pale, and her body showed signs of being drained. Yet, after some time, she somehow managed to gather her strength and stand up.


    However, As if like a miracle her body started being healed little by Little and her pale face regained her cold white colour and her body started to be nourished again.


    "Finally, the mark has taken effect," the girl thought to herself as she located the corner where the statue''s broken partsy.


    She closed her eyes as she sensed her surroundings.


    "Looks like there is nobody," she thought to herself as she felt a bit of relief.


    With a little effort, she walked towards it and pressed a stone that was slightly sticking out of the floor.


    The moment she pressed the stone, a cracking sound echoed as a small entrance opened in the dpidated temple.


    Without hesitation, she jumped into the hole.


    Her eyes were filled with darkness as she dived down into the hole. However, she didn''t seem to care much as she remained upright, defying gravity with her head held high.


    She fell for a good 3 to 5 minutes before finally, dim light appeared in the corner of her eyes.


    Finally, shended with a resounding "dong" sound on a metallic floor.


    The moment shended, she immediately bowed and said, "I greet master."


    In the dimly lit room, everything appeared to be metallic, and it had a somewhat futuristic vibe. There were devices that resembled mobile phones on the walls, and somefortable-looking sofas. There were some neatly arranged shelves.


    If Lu Zhen had seen this, he would undoubtedly be shocked because the room gave off a modern vibe rather than the ancient world Lu Zhen thought it was.


    Contrasting with the modern room was a single, huge icebox stored in a ss case, resembling a coffin.


    "Why have youe, Ju Ji?" a cold voice rang out. The gender of the voice was unclear, but it held an eerie quality, as if the person had just awoken.


    "Master, I have found a person with a physique simr to the ancient warriors," Ju Ji replied.


    The room suddenly fell silent for a moment, filled with a chilling aura. However, breaking the stillness, a faintughter was heard, and the room seemed to brim with life again.


    "Finally, where is it?" the voice inquired once more, this time seeminglying from all directions.


    However, upon hearing this, Ju Ji trembled, her nervousness evident through her sweating and silence.


    In response to her silence, the voice continued, "So you haven''t brought him," with a hint of disappointment in its tone.


    "Yes, master. I have lost too much energy, but I have marked him," Ju Ji said with anxiety.


    Hearing this, the voice sounded a bit relieved, albeit still somewhat disappointed. "Give it to me."


    "Yes, master," Ju Ji replied as she produced a golden ring with a metallic shine from seemingly nowhere and threw it toward the ss covering the grave.


    The ring, made of pure gold with a mark resembling the one on Lu Zhen''s, smoothly passed through the ss and into the ice.


    "Finally, I have found a suitable body," the voice resonated with joy, but before it could revel any longer, a cracking sound echoed throughout the room, and the ring shattered, sending fragments scattering. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "This…" the voice uttered with disbelief, as if it couldn''t believe its own senses.


    The coffin-like structure expelled the broken ring as if it were vomiting as itnded in ji ju''s hand.


    "Who can do this?" the voice erupted with anger, apanied by an incredulous tone.


    After a moment of contemtion, it resumed, but this time with its emotionless coldness, "Take my bird and give it to that person."


    A mechanical bird, resembling the one from earlier, flew to the girl''s shoulder.


    "Yes, master," Ju Ji replied with a happy bow however seeing the broken ring she was shocked to the core.


    "A person who can escape the mark... interesting," a feminine voice echoed within the ice-like coffin, its human skin wrapped around a skeletal body smirking with amusement.


    16:34


    "We mages will rise again," the voice proimed with arrogance and a stubborn resolve.


    "Now, leave," the voicemanded once more, and the room descended into silence again.


    Ju Ji transformed into a white ball and ascended, exiting through the hole she had previously entered.


    "A person who can escape the mark... interesting," a feminine voice echoed within the ice-like coffin, its human skin wrapped around a skeletal body smirking with amusement.


    "We mages will rise again," the voice proimed with arrogance and a stubborn resolve.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen continued to torment Xia Long.


    "How interesting to find you here, Xia Long," Lu Zhen remarked, a smirk ying on his lips as he observed Xia Long lying on the ground.


    "You… you…" Xia Long stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief, unable toprehend what he was witnessing.


    "How can you be fine?" Xia Long eximed loudly, his shock palpable.


    Lu Zhen remained silent, gazing at Xia Long with an amused expression.


    Gradually, Xia Long''s frantic gaze shifted to his surroundings, and a realization seemed to dawn upon him. His eyes regained rity.


    "So, that''s it, huh…" Xia Long muttered as understanding washed over him, followed by a bout ofughter.


    He opened his mouth, as if about to speak, but no words escaped.


    Suddenly, Xia Long sprang to his feet andunched an attack at Lu Zhen, swinging his sword in a swift, rightward motion. The motion created a gust of wind as Xia Long channeled his full power.


    "Wind sh."


    However, Lu Zhen, upon seeing the attack, felt a tinge of disappointment.


    "Wind attribute, huh," Lu Zhen thought, sensing the faint qi surrounding Xia Long as he executed his sh.


    "Let''s get this over with."