The presence of water suggested that they had either encountered an underground river deeper below or were on the verge of exiting the cave!
At this point, regardless of which possibility it was, the only way to confirm was to go and see for themselves.
Yun Qingxue led the way, with Little Adai coiled around her shoulder, while Daise followed closely behind. The path ahead seemed to grow narrower and narrower, until it became so tight that anyone slightly larger in build would struggle to pass.
Pressing against the walls, they forced their way forward. After advancing another two hundred meters or so, the glow from Yun Qingxue’s night pearl gradually became useless.
Light streaming in from the front of the cave illuminated their surroundings clearly. The further they walked, the more blinding the light became.
After a while, the light grew so intense that it was impossible to keep their eyes open.
Yun Qingxue sensed something unusual—this light was far too harsh to be natural sunlight. But since fate had led them this far, she decided to press on, no matter what traps, demons, or monsters might lie ahead.
“Master, I can’t open my eyes!” Daise shut her eyes against the piercing light, and Yun Qingxue did the same.
“Stay calm,” she said softly, releasing a thread of her spiritual energy to probe ahead. The energy traveled far without detecting any danger. At this point, with their vision useless, they had to rely on other senses—hearing, smell, and the spiritual energy she had extended to guide them.
In the blinding light, Daise felt her hand being tightly grasped by the person in front of her. The hand was smooth and warm—she knew it was Yun Qingxue. A surge of emotion welled up in her heart, replacing her fear with a fierce determination to protect her master no matter what.
They pressed forward, still sensing the harsh light even with their eyes closed. But as they continued, the light gradually softened, and the sound of flowing water grew clearer, accompanied by the melodious chirping of birds.
After walking a bit further, along with the sounds of water and birds, a sweet fragrance filled the air.
Feeling that the light was no longer as blinding, Yun Qingxue slowly opened her eyes—only to be utterly stunned by what she saw.
The narrow cave was gone. Now, she stood in a lush, vibrant meadow. A river meandered through the landscape, its destination unknown—likely the source of the water sounds she had heard earlier.
Above, the sky was a clear blue, bathed in sunlight, with occasional wisps of white clouds drifting by. Looking around, there was no trace of the cave they had just emerged from.
Had they… made it out? Yun Qingxue frowned, finding the scene before her too surreal to believe.
“Master, are we out?” Daise, standing beside her, gazed around in shock, murmuring in disbelief.
Yun Qingxue shook her head gravely. “I don’t know…”
Her answer visibly startled Daise.
Daise looked up at the clear sky, then at the birds and flowers around them. Such scenery couldn’t possibly exist inside a cave. More importantly, nothing seemed amiss.
So why did Yun Qingxue say she didn’t know if they had escaped? Everything around them clearly indicated they had left that oppressive, dark, and terrifying cave behind.
“Master, is something wrong?” Unable to figure it out, Daise humbly sought Yun Qingxue’s insight.
Yun Qingxue shook her head again, her eyes scanning the surroundings warily. Suddenly, her gaze froze, locking onto something in the distance to their left.
Daise noticed it too. Unlike Yun Qingxue, she couldn’t maintain her composure and gasped, “Heavens!”
“Hiss—” What in the world was that?!
Even Adai couldn’t stay calm at the sight.
“Ah!” Another cry escaped—this time, it was Daise’s voice, yet not quite Daise’s.
The first exclamation had alerted the two figures and a snake that had suddenly appeared to their left. When they turned to look, the second cry followed.
“M-Master… Why are there people over there who look exactly like us?” Daise asked, her voice trembling.
Yun Qingxue narrowed her eyes in thought before replying coolly, “Just remember that we’re the real ones.”
“Yes!” Daise nodded firmly, but then Yun Qingxue added, “Whatever you do, don’t get separated from me. If you can’t recognize me, things will get complicated.”
“Understood, Master!” Daise responded, her eyes wary as she watched the two figures and the snake—identical to herself, Yun Qingxue, and Adai—approach.
The other group was staring back at them. Then, the impostor Yun Qingxue, Daise, and Adai stepped forward.
Four people and two snakes stood facing each other, scrutinizing one another in silence.
After a long pause, the fake Yun Qingxue spoke first, her voice cold and accusatory: “Who are you? Why do you look exactly like us?”
Yun Qingxue studied the impostors before her and countered calmly, “And who are you?”
“I am the Flower Queen of the Xuanling Continent, daughter of the Demon King Yun Ye and the former Flower Queen Lan Xuechen!” the fake declared proudly.
Yun Qingxue’s eye twitched involuntarily. She was indeed the Flower Queen, but ever since arriving in this world, she had never uncovered the truth about her birth parents.
This impostor, however, had no qualms about claiming the Demon King and the former Flower Queen as her parents.
“What a coincidence—I’m also the Flower Queen,” Yun Qingxue replied with a faint smile.
The fake was visibly startled. Her beautiful phoenix eyes swept over Yun Qingxue before she sneered, “I wasn’t aware our noble Star-Blue Peony lineage had become so… prolific.”
Yun Qingxue gave the impostor a once-over before retorting coldly, “Indeed? I didn’t know I ever spoke in such a condescending tone.”
If this fake was trying to imitate her, couldn’t she at least do it properly? Since when had Yun Qingxue ever spoken to others in such a grating manner?
“What do you mean by that?” the fake snapped.
“You know exactly what I mean,” Yun Qingxue replied, her expression turning icy.
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