It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

"There's no need to look down on me like that."

Then, Bai Lin turned around and returned to the ground. All this happened in just a short moment.

For her, such speed and movement were no burden at all. However, when picking up people, she had to consider other factors. After all, even many deep-sea dwellers couldn't withstand the sudden change in water pressure.

"Are you ready?"

"Ah."

Bai Lin, soaking wet, calmly opened his arms. Ling Qing, on the other hand, didn't seem to mind the contact and simply embraced him.

The poet and Bai Lin would probably use the quickest method to get her to the bottom of the ocean, but this would be physically taxing on Lingqing, so she needed to be mentally prepared. Furthermore, exploring such unknown dangers did require a thorough review of one's mindset.

Although Ling Qing answered readily, as she moved deeper into the ocean in Bai Lin's arms, a feeling of panic and uneasiness still surged in her heart.

Why had they come? Were they simply here to offer assistance? Perhaps so, after all, the murlocs had nothing to offer them. However, the future was uncertain. The tribe didn't know what lay there, and it was possible that it was the source of the illness. It was a place unknown, but clearly not a good place.

If they get there and want to "release" something from it, what should they do?

Ling Qing thought about this for no reason, and her mind seemed to be in a state of confusion. Bai Lin's embrace, which had been solid and reliable, now seemed a little too strong for her, with a sense of tightness and restraint.

However, at this moment, what else could she do except believe it? She wanted to struggle, but there was no way.

The second round of progress was based on "ability." Xiao Nuo followed behind Bai Lin, who was moving at a slightly slower pace, and continued to use the ability she had learned in that city to surround everyone.

The inevitable yet unpredictable dawn light perfectly suited their current state. The fishmen were drawn to the light, but they didn't know what to do with it, or even what lay within. Even a rash attack would inevitably result in failure.

However, Xiao Nuo wasn't used to using it this way. After all, this was an ability born from within her. She usually fought alone and wasn't particularly comfortable using stealth. Therefore, mentally, it added quite a bit of a burden to her.

The reason why the poet was sent down first was to allow Xiao Nuo to reduce the number of people covered by the light as much as possible. After all, if there was no other way, I wouldn't bother using this trick.

The increased water pressure was unpleasant, and Lingqing felt a little dizzy. Normally, merfolk could transform their lower limbs into fishtails underwater, feeling more comfortable than on land. But now, she felt increasingly dizzy.

Chapter 963 Under Water Pressure

But now, countless inexplicable thoughts, as her unease deepened, gradually deepened in her mind. She began to feel that everything was not going well for her. Suddenly, she thought of a staff member who had argued with her three days ago, and remembered that at lunch today, she had eaten a dish that she had said she didn't like, but was still served.

The more she thought about it, the heavier her head felt. The water pressure gradually increased, and the emotions that pressed deep into her heart also made her sink deeper and deeper into the water. When she came to her senses, she and Bai Lin and the others had already reached the back of the door, and a huge room was right in front of them.

From the outside, the Forbidden Room appeared to be a completely triangular space beneath the sea, a solemn and somewhat oppressive place. If passing through the door felt like leaving for another world, then this Forbidden Room evoked a sense of countless mysteries, seemingly tranquil, and yet filled with an unknown fear.

It doesn't have a door in the actual sense. Perhaps the lighting is too low, so the internal structure cannot be seen from above.

"There are quite a few records of the past within our clan, but most are fragmentary. It seems they existed before we arrived here, so we don't really know the specific details."

Ling Qing cheered up and explained to everyone. She could speak in the water.

"Although we cannot know what lies within, various records indicate that a powerful evil is definitely sealed within. The gate, the clear pond, our city, and the forest outside are all barriers to stop it."

"Now, our city has been affected, and our people have thrown themselves into the water. This means... perhaps the barrier ahead has been breached. In the face of this, I already feel a vague sense of unease."

Ling Qing's face was filled with pain and worry, and she looked unusually depressed. Bai Lin, who had already released her embrace, swam to her side and placed her hand securely on Ling Qing's shoulder.

The latter unconsciously looked at Bai Lin, and Bai Lin opened his mouth slightly, and from it came a light, wolf-like howl that was not human. This sound made Ling Qing's soul tremble, as if it was saying:

Don't worry, we'll get this sorted.

Perhaps because of the wolf howl, Ling Qing seemed to have calmed down somewhat. She nodded and then continued to explain,

"I don't know much else, but what I do know for sure is that it's like a place beyond the boundaries. Time and space might lose their meaning there, and common sense won't allow you to judge the situation."

"If everything is clear, let's go in."

Then, everyone began to move, swimming down into the abyss. The dark water seemed to distance them from each other, gradually making them obscured from view. Ling Qing dazedly opened her eyes as she regained consciousness. A wave gently brushed against her hand, the cool sensation gradually bringing her back to consciousness. She seemed to be lying on the beach.

The sky was filled with a chaotic blend of multicolored lights, making one feel incredibly uneasy. It felt like something that shouldn't exist. But Lingqing felt deep down that it was indeed the sky that was meant to be, a sky that was reassuring and familiar. She stood up and looked around.

Yes, that's right, it's the Cheongdam beach. It's the familiar Cheongdam sea—

Suddenly, the edge of the wave receded, revealing an unidentified part that was clearly part of a living creature. It was a hand, pale as a bone, crawling out of the water, twisting like a maggot, onto the beach. This momentarily stopped Lingqing's thoughts, and she stared at the hand intently.

She felt fear and uneasiness, and was unwilling to confirm the truth, but she instinctively couldn't look away. And she gradually began to think about what it was.

That was the hand of a perfect person. She had personally slain countless enemies with her own hands. And that lifeless color was clearly the remains of an enemy.

But the corpse was moving in ways she couldn't understand, and this couldn't help but stir her thoughts. And then, without giving her time to react, an even more powerful scene appeared before her.

That is an eyeball.

Unbeknownst to her, a hideous eyeball, bloodshot and agonizing as if it had died in agony, had appeared before her, staring back at her. For a moment, Ling Qing was unable to react, her thoughts frozen in place by the sudden shock. The feeling of fear made her scalp tingle.

【*—am

A sound completely unnatural to a human filled her mind. The eyeball, following its long, platinum-colored roots, gradually returned to the arm. Then, its full form emerged from beneath the water.

It was a shattered husk that could hardly be called human, yet clearly still bore traces of a human form. Aside from a single hand and normal lower limbs, the humanoid form was completely overrun by twisted, evil, and foul root-like matter. Ragged, disgusting black wounds covered the entirety of the thing. Within its small mouth, tiny teeth appeared, gradually emitting a shrill, piercing scream.

Where the head should have been was completely filled with a mass of black yarn. Meanwhile, platinum-colored roots filled the entire armless upper body. Connecting to various organs or fragments, they danced wildly in the air, using this as a support.

Finally witnessing all of this, Ling Qing's pent-up emotions seemed to find an outlet in an instant. The previously suppressed fear now erupted from her mind without reservation, manifesting itself in a scream.

Her wide eyes betrayed a mixture of emotion. Disbelief? Fear? Neither seemed to be the right word.

In her understanding, the Perfect Ones did have similar, almost inhuman combat forms. After all, they replaced parts of their bodies with platinum, imitating other creatures, so naturally, their forms were bizarre. But the black marks were different. They reminded her of the filthy stains on the bodies of merfolk who had contracted sea nightmares.

How could it be possible that they had contracted the disease, and right here? They couldn't be in our Cheongdam!

Questioning thoughts gradually emerged in her mind, but the next moment, they turned into a little anger.

Chapter 964 Filth

They, how could they pollute our sea water!

Almost instantly, anger clouded Lingqing's mind. She expertly deployed her stance. While the abilities of the Perfect People were certainly complex and difficult to understand, they were also powerful. But Lingqing was still considered an elite character, and she had her own methods for dealing with this kind of chaos.

Like a soft chant of divine blessing, as she shook her hands rhythmically, a breath like morning mist blew in from the sea, gently enveloping her figure - it was hard to imagine that someone who used a skill that looked like something a shrine maiden would actually go up and tear her opponent apart with her bare hands.

Yes, this is how most mermaids fight. They aren't a fighting race, nor do they often hunt, but as healers, they're incredibly familiar with vital points. Combined with their sensitivity to a creature's "sense," they easily find ways to kill.

Their fighting style primarily aimed to kill with a single strike, but if that wasn't enough, they would "dispose" of their enemies cleanly and efficiently, like dissecting them. Even if they appeared to be engaged in a grappling match, each of their strikes was a true devastation to their enemies, and no one could withstand more than a few blows.

Her figure, unobstructed, made it impossible to discern her exact form. Only the sharp aura of a blade pointed forward, as if one could foresee the perfect human transformed into a monster, instantly drenched in blood and viscera flying everywhere. The next second, a torrent of foul blood gushed out. Her hands, wrapped in thin, high-pressure water blades, transformed into the most ferocious claws, piercing the enemy's backbone.

One blade went straight to the crotch, blocking the opponent's lower limbs from moving. The other blade stabbed at the sternum. Because there were too many tentacles, she couldn't restrain them all at once, so she tried to use this method to suppress the opponent's offensive rhythm.

At most, only one or two tentacles could maintain the force of the attack. In that case, the damage caused was nothing more than a piece of cake, like a free fighter lying on the ground with his upper body pinned down. It still hurt, but it was no longer threatening.

What did that minor injury mean to Ling Qing? The next moment, she would disintegrate her enemy without hesitation, slicing through the muscle fibers from the inside, letting the flesh and blood slide out with a howl of pain.

However, she made a fatal mistake.

That is, this battle was unequal from the very beginning.

It can't even be called a battle.

As expected, a few remaining tentacles left tiny scratches on Lingqing's shoulders. She, as usual, completely gutted him, listening to the sickening screams gradually fade. Most of the blood had fallen onto the outside of her clothes. She didn't mind the filth, but this blood was unpalatable, unlike that of a normal, perfect person. So, she summoned some water to wipe herself clean.

That's why she noticed something was wrong.

With her wound as the root, the black stain was rapidly spreading. The burning and stinging sensation made her brain dizzy. After stumbling two steps, she knelt on the ground, but did not fall directly.

That platinum thing... can it also conduct filth?

She was well aware that direct contact with the filth would inevitably lead to infection. Therefore, when dealing with seemingly contaminated opponents, she refrained from directly attacking them with her claws. Furthermore, most of the time, a mere touch would be sufficient. Even if an injury led to infection, she was prepared to remove a portion of her body.

But this filth far exceeded her expectations. In a brief moment, it had already invaded her mind. Although it only appeared to be a small area, as a doctor, she understood that this outcome was irreversible. The impulsiveness brought about by anger led to a tragic end that could not be regretted.

She endured the pain, stood up, and glanced at her shoulder, which was eroding at a visible rate. Suddenly, she seemed to see her entire arm sprouting filthy creatures that defied common sense, creatures befitting a foreign envoy, yet in the blink of an eye, they vanished.

She knew it was an illusion. But soon, it might no longer be. No wonder a perfect person would become like that; this was no ordinary situation.

Ling Qing had no time to consider why the other person had crawled out of the sea, nor did she have time to contemplate the horrific consequences of turning into a monster herself. A chaotic chorus of emotions turned into tinnitus, scrambling her brain. And a single, very clear and terrifying thought overwhelmed them all.

Thinking of this, she immediately took a step forward. She ran forward like crazy, running towards the settlement of Cheongdam City, which seemed to be beginning to deviate from her memory, but was indeed very familiar. And soon, her worst nightmare was confirmed in her mind.

Ling Qing collapsed to the ground once again. This time, it wasn't pain, but rather the overwhelming despair that overwhelmed her will to live. She wished so much that what she saw was just an illusion, just like what she had seen on her arm.

Ah, to be honest, it would be better if all this was just an illusion, but unfortunately——

She could not deny anything and could only howl helplessly in the crazy reality.

The city welcomed new residents, just like the new, triangular, black moon that appeared in the sky.

-

Bai Lin had never been superstitious. Rather, these ghosts and monsters were probably child's play for her. After all, her girlfriend was a deity. She had just played mahjong with a deity, and recently she was linked to some Twilight God. This made it difficult for her to understand what was happening.

Judging by the setting, this place resembled her student dorm. Within this building, once familiar and filled with memories, unexpected events unfolded constantly. The place that had once made her feel safe was now filled with the unpredictable. One moment, she was bragging to her roommate, and the next, something leaped from her phone screen and attached itself to their face, transforming into something resembling a corrupted, perfect being, and attacked her.

At first, she was a little curious, but when monsters started to appear, she could sense every attack by instinct.

Chapter 965: Filthy Butterfly

"The illusion follows the mind's mood, but the illusion itself doesn't contain much harmful content. It might be because the user is not very skilled, or lacks the ability. Most attacks come from those infected perfect human entities."

Bai Lin analyzed it this way. After all, no matter what kind of illusion it was, Bai Lin wouldn't believe it was a real scene. Perhaps this was part of the calmness of a time traveler. She saw through the true nature of those monsters at a glance.

"As long as the illusion doesn't affect your mind too much and you can beat the enemy, there won't be any big problems. That's what I think."

"As expected of you..."

The poet sighed like this.

She was referring to the fact that she had torn through space with her bare hands through faith alone. It was like playing a game like Escape Room, where she kicked her way into the next room. It was indeed a very Bai Lin-style and effective method.

"So, wouldn't it be better if we go find Lingqing first? As for Xiaonuo, I think he can handle it on his own."

The reason why Bai Lin came to the poet first was to ask about a crucial decision and to get a helper who was sure that nothing would happen. The poet folded his hands and shook his head.

"It's hard to explain, Holy Son. This is that kind of place, I can't see clearly."

As soon as this riddle-like word was spoken, Bai Lin understood the situation. She quickly nodded and replied,

"Then I'll go find Lingqing first, and you go check on Xiaonuo. Should you be able to follow the same approach I used earlier?"

"Although the form of expression is different, it can still be done. It's just a matter of making the confrontation between the minds more concrete."

The poet replied affirmatively. There was no need for them to talk too much, and the plan was simple. They walked towards the two sides of the illusion tacitly. Just as Bai Lin was about to break through the wall again, she paused, turned around and asked,

"By the way, what did that corpse do? Did she commit suicide in front of you using my appearance? And then send monsters to attack you from behind or something? That's pretty stupid."

Such words were a little abrupt, but also contained a bit of a joke. The poet was slightly cold for a moment, and quickly said,

"It's indeed... stupid."

"How could I possibly commit suicide? Seriously, don't be fooled by this kind of thing next time."

With that, Bai Lin hammered down the wall and left with a bang. The poet stood there in silence for a while, as if he had been touched by something.

If the poet didn't believe in illusions at all, he should have figured out the essence of the situation much faster than she did and left immediately, rather than waiting for her to arrive. So no matter how she thought about it, she was a little trapped.

While there are certainly risks involved, if everything is explained, the poet will be alright. This is certain. My concern is merely to encourage the poet as a companion.

But why did the poet see that? She had no recollection of that room, and she knew she wasn't suicidal. And wasn't she capable of resurrection? Could it be that she had predicted something...

Oh, if I think about it any further, I'll be affected too. Let's go out and deal with the things in front of me first.

Bai Lin leaped up and landed in a chaotic landscape beneath a multicolored black sky. He saw most of the monsters clinging to the remains of what looked like fishmen, looking incredibly distorted. However, knowing which part was an illusion, it didn't bother Bai Lin too much.

She landed on the ground, raised her hand, and casually sent a monster flying. Looking around, she could confirm the layout was similar to the Cheongdam City she'd been in previously. Based on what she'd seen, this was clearly the place Lingqing didn't want to see destroyed.

"But speaking of which, what about her? She's not terrified and trembling in some corner, is she? I need to find her quickly and figure out how to comfort her."

After all, not everyone has the same psychological endurance as herself, and Bai Lin is aware of this. However, soon, she saw a somewhat strange existence——

She met the gaze of a large monster. Rather than a large monster, it was more like a "collection" of a large amount of resentment.

Compared to other monsters, it contained a lot more platinum and filth, which converged to form a terrifying monster that looked like a butterfly. But what Bai Lin cared about was not how distorted the other party's appearance was, but.

Sister, the sister you are looking for is inside it.

"Yes, I understand."

Bai Lin's brow furrowed slightly; it looked like things were more troublesome than she'd imagined. Ling Qing was probably completely absorbed in this illusion. Even if she was defeated by those seemingly perfect monsters due to her lack of strength, there wouldn't be such a large number of them attached to her.

She was actively calling out to the monsters around her, those filthy, ugly creatures that were based on the phantoms of her former companions. Clearly, she had resonated with the surroundings, and Bai Lin could clearly sense that she was the only abnormal being in this world.

"Oh, this is such a headache. Anyway, let's try and see if I can call her back. I'm really not good at this."

Bai Lin cheered up, pounded his chest, and shouted loudly,

"Lingqing, I am the Holy Son. No matter what you saw, this is just an illusion. Don't think too much. Close your eyes. Don't worry about what happens. Just wait there for me to save you."

The huge monster that stared at Bai Lin was silent. Or rather, it had always been silent. When Bai Lin was wondering if he had truly transmitted his voice to the other side, the other side responded.

A butterfly flapped its wings. With the sky as its backdrop, beneath the exposed, incomplete scars between its wings, crimson flesh and internal organs gradually seeped out under the pressure of filth. Under the colorful light, they stood out, making one feel even more uncomfortable.

Then, as if flapping its wings, the light in the sky suddenly materialized and covered the entire sky, storming towards Bai Lin. She felt her mind instantly filled with incomprehensible and incomprehensible thoughts, as if her entire vision was completely filled with light.