Zanxing

Chapter 35 - Black Swamp (1)

When a person is down on their luck, even drinking cold water will make their teeth ache.

Yanxing always felt that she wasn't particularly lucky, but she usually took such things in stride and didn't dwell on them too much. After living for over twenty years, her first stroke of luck was to find herself transported into the world of the book "At the Peak of the Nine Heavens," where she unwittingly took away the protagonist's golden finger. However, she never expected that forcibly reversing fate would lead to dire consequences. Without the protagonist's fate to claim the protagonist's fortune, the result was being trapped in the mess of the original plot.

The rival of Mu Chengxiao, Huayue, had become her opponent. The night vine branch, which was said in the original text to be unbreakable even with a knife, could inexplicably snap in half just because the plot wanted her dead.

Fully submerged in the swamp, in an instant, Yanxing's figure was swallowed up.

On the shore, Huayue retreated beneath the tree, watching the center of the swamp, where the whirlpool continued to swirl slowly. The person who had just fallen in appeared as an illusion, leaving nothing behind.

The miasma here was too thick. Staying too long, even he felt a chill. Yanxing had fallen in and would surely perish in moments—there was no way she could survive. Huayue took one last look at the black swamp, scoffed, and muttered, "Deserved it," before turning to leave.

The black swamp returned to its calm state, with only the night vine tree's broken tip on the edge, indicating the perilous scene that had just unfolded.

Underwater, Yanxing felt her entire body begin to ache.

It felt like being skinned and soaked in chili saltwater, with every inch of skin feeling a sharp burning sensation. To make matters worse, the heaviness in her chest grew stronger, creeping from her feet up to her calves, then to her waist, as if she were turning to stone. It felt like something was gripping her, dragging her deeper into the abyss, from which she could never see the light again.

She remembered the breathing techniques from her public class and tightly shut her eyes, trying not to suffocate in the oncoming sludge. Desperately, she urged the Xiao Yuan Pearl within her, silently crying out, "Don't play dead now! Get to work!"

The Xiao Yuan Pearl, once lively and energetic, had fallen silent after the sect assessment. Yanxing suspected it might have malfunctioned, or perhaps the original text had even limited her golden finger to eradicate her.

As her body continued to sink into the swamp, the petrifying sensation spread from her waist to her chest. Yanxing refused to give up, repeatedly channeling her spiritual energy. She didn't know how long she had been sinking when she felt the stiffness creeping up to her heart. Suddenly, the Xiao Yuan Pearl moved.

The movement was faint, like it was awakening from a long slumber, finally regaining a bit of awareness. Yanxing felt a surge of joy and hurriedly urged it even more. Unfortunately, she could only exert force above her heart, and her spiritual energy was fading quickly, far from what it used to be. This little bit of energy seemed to vanish into thin air without reviving the pearl's former brilliance.

Just as she was about to lose hope, a green light suddenly appeared before her.

With her eyes tightly closed, the muddy swamp below felt like thick ink, rendering her unable to see anything. However, guided by her spiritual sense, Yanxing could clearly see a small glowing green dot ahead. She hesitated for a moment, feeling the Xiao Yuan Pearl in her chest slightly tremble, as if urging her to make a decision. Without thinking further, she steeled her resolve—since she was already at death's door, she might as well treat the dead horse as if it were a live one.

With her body immobilized, the only fortunate thing was that her hands hadn't been paralyzed by the mud. Yanxing desperately stretched her arms, and finally, her fingertips grazed the glowing green dot.

As soon as her finger touched the green light, a refreshing sensation rushed over her. All the foulness, heat, and stickiness vanished, and she could move below her chest again.

It worked!

She clasped her hands around the glowing dot and before she could make her next move, the green light seemed to gain self-awareness and suddenly flew towards her, entering her mouth.

An icy-cool sensation slid rapidly down her throat. It felt like consuming a mint candy, which melted upon contact and turned into syrup. The moment the green mint entered her stomach, Yanxing's body suddenly felt light.

The surrounding sludge no longer seemed to have any effect on her; it was as if she were swimming in clear water, effortlessly propelling herself upwards.

On the edge of the black swamp, a Rakshasa bird perched on the night vine branch, tilting its head to observe the whirlpool in the water. The whirlpool gradually slowed, eventually coming to a halt. Sensing danger, the Rakshasa bird let out a sharp cry, spread its wings, and took flight.

"Splash—"

A hand suddenly emerged from the swamp, covered in mud. Following that, a woman's body was pulled from the muck, dragging clumps of thick black mud along with her. Moments later, the woman who emerged from the swamp fell back onto the shore, gasping for breath and reveling in the joy of surviving a disaster.

The sky was as dark as ink, and countless stars fell like rain, illuminating the serene black swamp with a mysterious glow. The miasma had dissipated without her noticing, and the night in Gu Feng Mountain was fragrant and tranquil, stretching far and wide.

Yanxing watched for a while, gradually frowning as she sat up.

It hadn't felt like long since she had fallen into the black swamp, so how was it already dark outside?

The words of Zi Luo echoed in her ears: "Be sure to leave before sunset. Otherwise, when the moon rises and the ferocious beasts awaken, the mountain will be very dangerous."

Yanxing: ...

She looked up at the moon overhead, which resembled a silver disc.

Unbelievable, the original text was truly merciless in its traps.

On the empty ground before the mountain's restrictions, new disciples emerged one after another. Some looked ragged and disheveled, clearly having endured much hardship, while others appeared vibrant and spirited, seeming to have had a smooth treasure-hunting journey.

However, regardless of how each person emerged, their expressions were all filled with uncontrollable excitement as they retrieved their Qiankun bags from their waists.

"I found the Jue Ming flower!"

"I discovered the Ling Xiaozi!"

"Hey, I caught a seven-eyed fish!"

"Ah, Senior Brother, isn't the seven-eyed fish known for its sharp teeth and fierce nature? How did you dare to catch it?"

"...Yeah, my pants got torn like this, and it nearly bit off my..."

Various exclamations filled the air as Zi Luo stood at the entrance, counting the returning cultivators. The sky was getting darker, the last rays of sunlight disappearing over the mountain peak, and night descended upon Gu Feng Mountain, with starlight spilling into the valley embraced by distant peaks.

One of the junior disciples, observing closely, suddenly frowned. "Sister, we're still missing one."

"Missing one?" Zi Luo paused, her expression turning serious. "Who hasn't returned?"

At night, Gu Feng Mountain was a dangerous place, with ferocious beasts lurking. Before departing, she had warned all the disciples to ensure they returned before sunset. How could it be...

"It's Yanxing Junior Sister." The disciple checked the roster and replied, "Yang Yanxing hasn't returned."