"Rescue me, and I will grant all your wishes."

As Tu Xiao'an was lost in thought, the hollow voice spoke again. It was devoid of emotion, yet it carried a soul-snatching power.

Without even realizing it, Tu Xiao'an found himself about to run into the barrier.

In an instant, Tu Xiao'an snapped back to his senses. The barrier was naturally invisible, but there was a faint fluctuation. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it.

Tu Xiao'an focused his mind. His Consciousness Power was incredibly strong, yet he had nearly fallen for its trick. 'What in the world is this monster?'

"Rescue me, and I will grant all your wishes."

The sentence echoed out again. Tu Xiao'an sneered. 'Does it think I'm some kind of Aladdin's Lamp?'

Looking at the red skull, Tu Xiao'an felt a faint, very bad premonition in his heart. The feeling could even be called a sense of crisis.

He shrank his body down to one centimeter and drew back, putting distance between himself and the formless barrier, and by extension, this strange skull. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Explain clearly what you are," Tu Xiao'an said in a low voice. "Otherwise, I will not save you."

"I am a human, an innocent human. I've been trapped here for too long! I want to get out, I want to get out!"

A female voice replied.

Tu Xiao'an felt as if it wasn't entirely sane. Its pleas for rescue seemed to stem almost from a primal instinct for survival.

'It's not that simple.'

'How could something that lured me here with a flute not be in its right mind?'

'Or is it doing this on purpose to make me lower my guard?'

'An innocent human? A person who can still live after turning into a skeleton is no longer human.'

"Sorry to bother you. Goodbye."

Tu Xiao'an's eyes glinted. This was definitely not some opportunity; it was probably a disaster waiting to happen.

If he rashly broke the barrier, he himself would likely be in danger.

Who knew how terrifying a being that could remain alive as a skeleton could be.

Since it had been suppressed and trapped within a barrier, there was surely a good reason for it.

What was that saying? Every pitiable person has a detestable side.

Why should Tu Xiao'an save it? There was no reason to.

"Don't go! Save me!"

The red skull seemed to panic. It rushed forward, directly triggering the barrier's mysterious power. With a BANG, it was flung back and slammed hard onto the ground, looking as if its bones would shatter one by one.

"Please, I'm begging you, save me."

The voice was no longer hollow. It was now delicate and soft, tinged with pitifulness and laced with sorrow. At first listen, it sounded like the wretched plea of a beautiful, heart-rending woman.

Tu Xiao'an was taken aback. The voice was heartbreaking to hear. But while the sound inspired pity, it lost all effect when paired with a skeleton.

The skull seemed to realize this problem as well. As it stood up from the ground, it magically transformed. In its place stood a great beauty, clad in a pale green silk dress, a string of pearls around her neck. Her face was incomparably fair and tender, like cream from which water might drip. Her eyes flowed with emotion, her elegant eyebrows were long and slender, and with her bright eyes, pearly teeth, and creamy-white skin, her stunning features made her an exceptional beauty.

"Snake Immortal, please rescue this humble girl."

Her voice was soft and graceful, her demeanor enchanting. She was the very picture of a nation-toppling beauty.

Even Tu Xiao'an, a snake, was stunned. 'What in the world is this temptress?'

'Has she switched from verbal temptation to seduction by beauty?'

'Hello? I'm a snake.'

"Stop with these gaudy tricks and tell me who you really are," Tu Xiao'an said, his mind firm as a rock. If she had appeared as this beauty from the start, he might not have been so vigilant.

Unfortunately, the first thing he had seen was a red skull.

Her eyebrows were like ink paintings, her spirit like autumn waters. With a pitiful posture, she began her tale, "I was originally a Cultivator. I offended an enemy and was suppressed in this barrier, trapped for five hundred years."

'Five hundred years?'

'Are you Sun Wukong or the White Bone Demon?' To Tu Xiao'an, she looked just like a modern version of the White Bone Demon.

"Then why aren't you dead yet?" Tu Xiao'an asked coldly.

She replied, "My physical body was destroyed. Now, my lamp is almost out of oil. If I cannot get out, I will surely die, reduced to ash and smoke."

"Why should I believe you? And why should I save you?"

"As long as you rescue me, I will be your slave and acknowledge you as my master."

"Acknowledge me as master?" Tu Xiao'an paused. 'I have the System. If she acknowledges me as her master, then no matter how monstrous she is, she won't be able to cause any trouble.'

But the crucial point was that Tu Xiao'an's Consciousness Power couldn't penetrate the barrier. He would have to break the barrier first before he could make her acknowledge him as master.

But once the barrier was gone, the situation might no longer be under his control.

Besides, her story was too simple. Suppressed by an enemy, with no actual details. How could he believe it?

'Transforming from a skeleton into a great beauty, then playing pitiful.'

Tu Xiao'an felt it was necessary to first ascertain her identity. He couldn't act rashly.

A being like her had completely overturned Tu Xiao'an's understanding of the world.

'Not quite human, not quite a demon.'

"You are very pitiful, being trapped until you became a skeleton. But this barrier is too strong. I don't have the ability to save you."

This was actually the truth. The formless barrier was very strong; anything less than a Rank Three Creature could not break it.

However, if Tu Xiao'an used every trick up his sleeve, he might be able to break it.

But right now, he mainly didn't want to try.

'This skeleton is definitely bad news. And her cultivation is probably very high. How high? Rank Four isn't out of the question.'

'Trapped in a barrier for five hundred years without food or drink, turned into a skeleton, and still full of life. And that mere flute music... how many meters did it travel?'

After entering the water, Tu Xiao'an had swum for who knows how many meters.

'Why did the flute music only appear at the Ancient Academy? Because the Ancient Academy is full of Martial Cultivators, people who might be able to break the barrier.'

'Ordinary people couldn't even get in here.'

'With that Fish Demon Giant Snake outside, it would be impossible for anyone who wasn't a Rank 3 Martial Cultivator.'

"You can save me. You're the most powerful being I've met in recent centuries."

At these words, Tu Xiao'an froze for a moment. This meant he was definitely not the first person to come here.

'I get it.'

"I don't care what you are, and I don't care why you're trapped. It has nothing to do with me. Goodbye."

Tu Xiao'an turned to leave. More words were useless. There was no benefit in getting involved with this kind of ghostly thing.

Suddenly, the flute music started again, carrying an intense soul-snatching power. The entire body of water began to surge violently.

'Hm?'

'Trying to control me with the flute music?'

The flute music that appeared this time had shed its desolate style; it was now aggressive and aimed to control his mind.

'Break!'

Tu Xiao'an's eyes narrowed, and his powerful Consciousness Power erupted from him.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The water churned with violent waves, like a stormy sea.

Inside the barrier, the gentle beauty's flute fell to the ground. Amidst her astonishment, she watched the snake swim rapidly away.

Her incomparably beautiful face suddenly twisted into a hideous expression. "You little Snake Spirit, you don't know what's good for you! Just you wait until I get out! You'll be the first one I settle the score with!"

'Just as I thought, she's bad news. The moment I refuse to save her, she holds a grudge.'

Tu Xiao'an swam faster than an agile fish, quickly moving away from the barrier and heading back the way he came.

He still hadn't figured out the red skull's true identity, but in any case, it certainly wasn't the beautiful woman it had transformed into.

And he didn't want to find out, either.

This was an extremely dangerous being. Just how dangerous?

Even more terrifying than that noodle shop owner's wife.

Was Tu Xiao'an being too timid? No, no, no. The higher his Level, the more accurate his intuition became.

He absolutely couldn't get involved with this thing. If he were to release a world-tormenting demon, he would be committing a great sin.