I dominated the game from the start with cards.

The air in the room was stagnant, stiflingly heavy. Bai Yao stood at the doorway, her gaze following Li Xuan's retreating figure as he disappeared into the darkness, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She wanted to chase after him, to explain everything, but she felt rooted to the spot, unable to move. She knew that what Li Xuan needed right now wasn't an explanation, but space—a space where he could lick his wounds and sort out his thoughts. Li Xuan walked aimlessly, the rough gravel beneath his feet, unique to the post-apocalyptic wasteland, painfully chafing him, but not even a fraction of the agony in his heart. He deliberately distanced himself from the room behind him, as if some monstrous beast lurked there. He felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him from the shadows, a feeling that haunted him, impossible to shake off. He repeatedly activated his mental perception, trying to pinpoint the source of that gaze, but to no avail. Was it just his imagination? Li Xuan began to doubt himself. "Li Xuan..." Bai Yao called tentatively from behind, her voice as soft as a feather, yet it sounded jarring to Li Xuan. He stopped, but didn't turn around. "What is it?" His tone was icy, devoid of any warmth. Bai Yao's heart sank, as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. She took a deep breath, trying to control her trembling voice, "I just... wanted to ask you, are you alright?" "I'm fine." Li Xuan's answer was still concise and indifferent. After speaking, he continued walking forward without stopping. Bai Yao stood there, watching Li Xuan's resolute back, tears welling up in her eyes. She knew that Li Xuan's indifference was a disguise, a hard shell erected to protect himself. But this shell kept her at arm's length, making her feel incredibly cold and helpless. She silently walked to the side, leaned against a broken wall, and stared blankly into space. The gray sky seemed to reflect her current mood, shrouded in gloom. Li Xuan hadn't gone far; he hid behind a huge rock, secretly observing his surroundings. He still felt uneasy; the feeling of being watched grew stronger, as if those eyes were right next to him. He activated his mental perception again, but still found nothing. This invisible pressure made him feel suffocated. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the room was unusually oppressive. Ling Feng looked at the silent Bai Yao and Sister Wu, his heart filled with anxiety. He knew that the cold war between Li Xuan and Bai Yao was a huge hidden danger for the entire team. He wanted to mediate, but didn't know where to begin. "Sister Wu..." Ling Feng looked at Sister Wu, hoping for some advice. Sister Wu sighed softly, "Let's wait a bit, let them both calm down." She paused, her gaze turning to the window, her voice low, "I always feel..." "Feel what?" Ling Feng pressed. Sister Wu didn't answer, only shook her head, a barely perceptible worry flashing in her eyes. She looked up at the sky and murmured, "The weather's about to change..." The air in the room seemed to freeze, and Sister Wu's sigh was particularly clear in the silence. Lingfeng paced anxiously back and forth, glancing at the door every now and then, hoping for Li Xuan's return. He knew that the rift between Li Xuan and Bai Yao was silently widening, like a venomous snake slowly devouring the team's cohesion. "Sister Wu, we can't go on like this," Lingfeng finally stopped, his tone pleading, "Li Xuan's condition is very strange, I'm worried something might happen to him." Sister Wu put down the medical supplies in her hands, her gaze calm and deep, "I know, but there's no use saying anything now. You know Li Xuan's personality, he needs time to process this." "But..." Lingfeng wanted to say something more, but Sister Wu raised her hand to interrupt him. "Let's wait," Sister Wu walked to the window, looking at the gray sky outside, "until this storm passes." But at this moment, the eye of the storm was unusually calm. Li Xuan hid alone behind a rock, clutching an ancient notebook—a gift from Mu Yang before he entered the Infinite Flow Space. The notebook's pages were yellowed and the edges were worn, densely covered with various strange symbols and characters. Previously, Li Xuan hadn't understood the meaning of these symbols, but now, after his argument with Bai Yao and the lingering feeling of being watched, his mental strength seemed to have improved, and he could vaguely understand some of the contents. The notebook recorded a technique called "Mental Resonance," which could amplify one's perception several times over, even allowing one to foresee events in the next few minutes. Li Xuan was overjoyed; he felt as if he had grasped a lifeline. If he could master this technique, he could not only escape the fear of being watched but also gain a greater advantage in the Infinite Flow Space. He held his breath and, following the instructions in the notebook, began to try to mobilize his energy. At first, he felt dizzy, as if the whole world was spinning. But he didn't give up; he gritted his teeth, persevered, and tried again and again. Finally, after repeated failures, he felt a strange power surge from the depths of his body, flowing throughout his entire being. His senses became exceptionally sharp; everything around him was clearly presented in his mind, even the vibration of distant insect wings could be heard clearly. He activated his mental perception ability again, and this time, he finally detected the source of the spying—a figure hidden in the shadows, watching him with greedy eyes. A cold smile appeared on Li Xuan's lips as he thought to himself, "Finally found you." He slowly stood up, his hand gripping the notebook tightly, as if holding a sharp weapon. At the same time, Bai Yao quietly followed. She watched Li Xuan intently taking notes from afar, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She bit her lip, her eyes filled with resentment and disappointment. "What are you doing..." Bai Yao watched Li Xuan intently taking notes, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She bit her lip, her eyes filled with resentment and disappointment. She remembered the fear and helplessness she felt when she first entered the Infinite Flow Space, and how Li Xuan had pulled her back from the brink of death time and time again. He taught her combat skills, shared food and water, and gave her strength and support when she was most vulnerable. She once thought that an unbreakable bond had been formed between them, and even... she secretly glanced at Li Xuan, and her heart clenched.

"What are you doing..." Her voice was so soft it was almost inaudible, even to herself.

Li Xuan suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp, like a hunting eagle.

The moment he caught sight of Bai Yao, his gaze softened rapidly, but quickly returned to its coldness, as if covered by a thin layer of ice.

He closed his notebook, offering no reply, simply watching her silently. Silence stretched between them. Li Xuan recalled the helplessness he felt when his sect was destroyed; the raging flames engulfing everything familiar, the screams of his fellow disciples still echoing in his ears. He knew that in this dangerous infinite flow space, he couldn't let emotions control him; he had to remain rational to exact revenge and find the truth. Seeing Li Xuan ignore her, Bai Yao could no longer suppress her grievances and anger. "Are you... are you still angry with me?" Her voice trembled, tinged with a sob. Li Xuan took a deep breath and tucked the notebook into his robes. He knew Bai Yao's temper flared and subsided quickly; this cold war was more due to her inner fear and unease. The cruelty of the infinite flow space was enough to shatter anyone's psychological defenses. He finally spoke, his tone calm to the point of indifference, "I'm not angry." "Then why..." Bai Yao choked, unable to speak. “We need to improve our strength,” Li Xuan interrupted her, his gaze fixed firmly on the distance. “Only then can we survive in this damned space and find the answers we seek.” Bai Yao was stunned. She didn’t understand why Li Xuan had suddenly become so cold. The Li Xuan who used to be so playful and jovial in front of her, yet would always step up in crucial moments, seemed to have vanished. In his place was a stranger she had never seen before, a stranger filled with distance. “You’ve changed…” she whispered, her voice filled with disappointment. Li Xuan didn’t respond. He turned and walked to the other side of the rock, leaving Bai Yao standing alone, tears silently streaming down her face. Meanwhile, in a cave not far away, Sister Wu was treating Ling Feng’s wounds. Ling Feng had sustained minor injuries during the previous exploration. Although not fatal, they still needed immediate treatment. Sister Wu skillfully bandaged the wounds, her brows furrowed. She sensed subtle fluctuations in the surrounding space. It was a strange feeling, as if something was approaching, yet she couldn’t pinpoint its location. "Lingfeng, do you feel...?" Sister Wu stopped what she was doing and cautiously looked around. Lingfeng also sensed the anomaly. He gripped his weapon tightly, his sharp eyes scanning every corner of the cave. "Something's coming..." he said in a low voice. Sister Wu's expression changed. "Quick, we have to get out of here!" Sister Wu's fingers trembled slightly. She confirmed once again that the uneasy feeling was not an illusion. The spatial fluctuations became more and more obvious, like ripples spreading across a calm surface of water after a pebble has been thrown in. However, these ripples were not visible to the naked eye, but rather a tremor from the depths of the soul. The air in the cave seemed to solidify, oppressively suffocating. Lingfeng also felt this strange aura. He struggled to his feet, gripped his dagger tightly, and scanned his surroundings warily. "This feeling... it's like a spatial rift is about to open..." Lingfeng's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fear. Spatial rifts are extremely dangerous in the Infinite Flow Space. They can lead to anywhere and can unleash any monster. Sister Wu's face grew even paler. She grabbed Lingfeng's arm. "We have to get out of here immediately! Tell Li Xuan and Bai Yao to leave too!" Lingfeng nodded, preparing to rush out of the cave, only to find the entrance shrouded in a thin layer of black mist. "Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, brandishing his dagger, trying to dispel the mist, but the dagger was like cutting cotton, completely ineffective. At the same time, Li Xuan outside the cave also sensed the anomaly. He felt a chill run down his spine, a strong sense of crisis surging through him. This feeling was stronger than ever before. He turned sharply to look at Bai Yao, only to find her still standing there, her eyes vacant, seemingly still reeling from her grief. "Bai Yao!" Li Xuan roared, grabbing her wrist. "Danger! Run!" Bai Yao was startled by Li Xuan's sudden action. She looked at him blankly, and before she could speak, she felt a powerful force pulling her forward. Li Xuan, pulling Bai Yao along, ran with all his might towards the cave. His mental perception was running wildly, trying to detect the source of the danger, but he found that the surrounding space was fluctuating abnormally, and his perception was being interfered with.

Just then, Lingfeng and Sister Wu rushed out of the cave.

Upon seeing Li Xuan and Bai Yao, Ling Feng anxiously shouted, "Quick! The spatial rift is about to open!" Before he finished speaking, the spatial fluctuations suddenly intensified, the rocks around the cave began to shake violently, and cracks appeared on the ground.

To everyone's horror, a withered hand emerged from the cracks...