Chapter 165: Chapter 159: The Emperor of Eternal Life’s Suspected Tomb

Lingxi Jade?

Chen Ming immediately thought of the list from the World’s First Pavilion, where under the category of Unique Heavenly Treasures, there was a ranking called the "World’s Spirit Jade List," and the Lingxi Jade was prominently featured.

This Lingxi Jade allows for empathetic communication, enabling two people who each possess a piece to communicate on a spiritual level.

It also has another function, allowing two people to share dreams.

When Chen Ming first saw this item, he couldn’t help but scoff at it in his mind.

This thing is practically a break-up divine artifact. Any couple or married pair that obtains this Lingxi Jade is destined to break up or even turn against each other within no time.

Only those naive young people who are blinded by fantasies of love would think this thing is wonderful. In reality, giving a couple the Lingxi Jade is a disaster.

He never expected to actually see such a legendary spirit jade.

Even the "Blood-Imbibed Spirit Jade" that Elder Shang gifted him, containing a trace of Sword Intent, wasn’t able to make it onto the Jade List.

Which shows just how precious this Lingxi Jade is.

Chen Ming was just contemplating this when he suddenly felt a cool sensation between his brows, as if his consciousness was being pulled out by some force.

In the blink of an eye, everything around him turned pitch black. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"Where is this..."

He glanced around and found it somewhat familiar, then looked up to see a starry sky.

This was a square courtyard, with the night sky above.

"You lost."

Suddenly, he heard an incredibly familiar voice, which startled him. He turned around to see Su Zhining, dressed in white like snow, who had somehow appeared in the courtyard.

He saw a sword piercing her chest, as she kneeled on one knee, head lowered, blood pooling around her.

"You lost."

The voice echoed again.

Chen Ming was taken aback, unable to restrain a "damn" in his thoughts.

This voice was too familiar; it was his own.

"It seems that this might be Su Zhining’s dream."

Chen Ming speculated thus.

The Lingxi Jade allows two people to share dreams, so he must be in Su Zhining’s dream. Or rather, her "Heart Demon."

He could clearly feel that Su Zhining’s life was slowly ebbing away as she kneeled on the ground.

However, he refrained from acting rashly and instead pondered how he could dispel her Heart Demon.

The same scenario can feel different to different people.

For him, if he lost to someone, he’d only feel a bit pained over the loss of Experience Points.

But for Su Zhining, it clearly wasn’t the same.

He hadn’t actually harmed her back then, yet here she was, as if run through the heart by a longsword—a strike that was fatal.

The key issue was that he didn’t know what to do to make her rally.

Before coming in, the courtesan Mudan hadn’t given him any hints.

"What now?"

Chen Ming looked at Su Zhining, still kneeling and bleeding, and felt paralyzed.

...

In the boudoir, Mudan stood before the bed, gazing at the two seated cross-legged on it, her face showing neither joy nor sorrow.

Suddenly, her expression shifted, and with a wave of her hand, the drapes around the bed fell, enclosing it completely.

Within a few breaths, the door silently swung open.

A veiled woman stepped inside.

Mudan bowed slightly, respectfully inquiring, "Why have you come personally?"

"Just came to see you."

The woman’s gaze swept over the figures on the bed, and she asked, "Who are the two on the bed?"

"Just two insignificant people."

"Is this... a shared dream?" The woman seemed to have realized something, her tone tinged with surprise, "You actually let them use the Lingxi Jade? You should know that after using it for shared dreaming, the two Lingxi Jades will be destroyed."

Mudan’s eyes flashed with deep regret, mixed with a kind of wild pleasure—a complex emotion.

She murmured, "Destroy it, then let it be."

The veiled woman mused, "It seems you’ve let go of that man. I originally thought you were crazy for choosing to become a courtesan at the Celestial Fragrance Pavilion... Unexpectedly, it truly had an extraordinary effect."

Mudan didn’t continue this topic and asked, "Did you come to me because there’s news about that matter?"

The veiled woman said, "Indeed, the Emperor of Eternal Life’s fabled tomb is about to surface..."

...

...

In the dream.

"You lost."

"You lost."

"You lost..."

"..."

That voice continuously echoed, gradually turning into a maddening sound in his head.

For the first time, Chen Ming hated his own voice, finding it so grating.

He thought and thought and couldn’t figure out a good plan, so he gritted his teeth and approached the increasingly faint Su Zhining.

He couldn’t wait any longer!

He had to do something; it was better than doing nothing.

"Miss Su."

Chen Ming walked up to her and called out.

She didn’t respond.

"Miss Su, it’s me."

He called out a few more times, but she still showed no reaction.

Could she have already died?

Chen Ming was anxious. He approached and held her face, lifting her head up, only to find her eyes closed and her breath weak, as if she had completely lost consciousness.

At this moment, he sensed that the light seemed to be dimming. He turned to see that the courtyard walls had unknowingly been consumed by darkness.

This space was shrinking rapidly, and soon, it would be completely engulfed by darkness.

At that time, she would probably perish.

And he himself might not survive either.

Chen Ming was desperate and shouted, "Miss Su, wake up, hey..."

He slapped her face and pinched her philtrum.

Still no reaction.

In just this brief moment, the space had already shrunk by nearly half.