Seeing Hua Zhaoxue hesitate, Li Rui grew a little anxious. He immediately followed up on Bai Ziting’s words and assured her, “Miss Zhaoxue, if you’re with us this time, our expedition will be much more secure. Man City may be chaotic, but with your status as a Dance Weaver and my sister’s influence, we can absolutely keep Tian You safe.”

At the side, Tian You saw that the whole conversation revolved around him, and all of it was about his safety. Looking at the conflicted struggle on Hua Zhaoxue’s face, he felt a slight stir in his heart and said softly, “Sister Zhaoxue, if what Li Rui and the others said is true, then although this ruin has a touching history, it really is a rare and precious opportunity for Faithweavers like you. If you go in and explore, you might gain something from it.”

“I know... it’s just that I’m afraid...” Hearing Tian You’s persuasion, Hua Zhaoxue finally snapped out of her daze. Deep worry welled up in her eyes as she looked at him.

Meeting that worried gaze, Tian You smiled lightly. He leaned closer to Hua Zhaoxue’s crystal-clear ear and whispered, “Sister Zhaoxue, even though I still haven’t remembered my past... I can vaguely feel a bit of power inside my body, you know~”

“Uh...” Tian You’s sudden closeness sent that refreshing fragrance straight into Hua Zhaoxue’s heart, leaving her slightly intoxicated. Before she could react, Tian You had already pulled away. He nodded to Nie Wangqing at the side, then spoke to Li Rui and the others in Hua Zhaoxue’s place. “Sister Zhaoxue has agreed. Please don’t worry too much about my safety. We may follow Sister Zhaoxue’s lead, but I do have a few ways to protect myself.”

Only after seeing Tian You agree did Li Rui and the others let out a breath of relief. They quickly took the lead and moved forward. When Hua Zhaoxue saw Tian You give his consent, she cast him a faint, lingering look. In the end, though, she said nothing in objection. She followed after Li Rui and the others, heading toward the lone city at the end of the wilderness.

“Something’s not right.”

As they were about to reach the gates of the lone city, Li Yuanqian, who hadn’t spoken once these past few days, suddenly spoke up. Her words first drew Bai Ziting’s curiosity.

“Hehe~ So Sister Yuanqian is finally willing to talk~ I thought you wouldn’t say a single word until we got to the ruins~”

“...”

Li Rui was also startled when Li Yuanqian spoke, but he knew her personality well and ignored Bai Ziting’s teasing. He quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Did you notice something strange?”

Li Yuanqian looked at Li Rui and Bai Ziting in surprise, then said softly, “Don’t you think... the temperature in Man City is a little low?”

That seemingly plain sentence made Li Rui, Bai Ziting, and Zheng Biao all freeze.

Hua Zhaoxue and Nie Wangqing exchanged a glance, then asked in confusion, “Temperature? It feels pretty normal to us...”

“No, Miss Zhaoxue, that’s not it.” Li Rui’s expression gradually turned grave. “Because of the influence of certain rogue cultivators, and the atmosphere inside the city itself, Man City has always been stifling, gloomy, and hot...”

At that point, Li Rui’s face changed. Without taking time to explain further, he rushed straight into Man City.

The others left behind looked at each other, then followed him into the lone city, its gates wide open and completely unguarded.

After entering Man City, they saw Li Rui standing there in a daze. And not just him. After seeing the scene inside the city, Bai Ziting, Li Yuanqian, and Zheng Biao were all stunned as well.

The air on the streets was still as gloomy as ever, but the bustling market of the past, once packed with noise and crude shouting, had vanished completely. Only a few ragged, skin-and-bones beggars remained, crouching in the corners and trembling, their eyes filled with fear.

Slave trading, men being snatched off the street... all those vile scenes had disappeared without a trace.

“...The atmosphere in this city doesn’t seem as awful as you said, little brother Li Rui... Those beggars just look a bit pitiful...”

Standing behind the group, Nie Wangqing saw the state of Man City and began to doubt what Li Rui had said earlier.

“No, that’s not it...” Li Rui came back to himself and cut off his own words. He wasn’t stupid enough to go out of his way to explain what this place usually looked like. More importantly, what mattered now was figuring out what had happened here.

“Everyone, my sister has the exact location of the ruins and the method to enter them. For now, we should head to her residence and meet up with her first. Then we can discuss what to do next.”

Li Rui forced down the unease in his heart as he spoke.

The changed temperature in the air. The eerie sight inside Man City...

It seemed this ruin expedition had run into an unexpected turn of events.