"There's an entrance ahead, and a path—we can go take a look."
Yelan returned and relayed her discovery. Along the way, Jiyan and Rover sensed another faint set of footsteps. The two exchanged a glance and silently prepared for battle.
"This place… actually has a domain? But it looks like it's been here for a long time."
Only when they reached the end did the group discover a domain before them, glowing faintly blue in the dim surroundings.
"If there's a way in, there must be a way out. At this point, we have no choice but to take a closer look."
Yelan was still deep in thought when the faint footsteps made her swiftly turn around.
When she saw who it was, Rover sheathed the blade he had just drawn.
"Xiao?"
Paimon asked in surprise. Why were all these unrelated people showing up along the way?
"You know him?"
Jiyan put away his spear and looked at Xiao. He could sense that the person before him was burdened by something.
Rover nodded and walked up to Xiao, intending to ask how much he knew about this place.
Xiao hadn't expected to run into Rover here. After hesitating for a moment, he finally told Rover the reason for his presence.
"Looking for someone."
With that, Xiao turned to leave, but Rover called out to stop him.
"Let me cleanse your karmic debt first. This journey is bound to be fraught with danger."
Xiao thought for a moment, then stood before Rover.
"Thank you."
Havoc particles emitted from Rover's palm seeped into Xiao's body, devouring the karmic bonds within. After a while, Xiao could feel his condition had significantly improved.
Xiao left, his expression calm, but Rover could still sense his urgency.
"Paimon, this is actually a type of temporal rift. Though you call it a domain, it's really just spatial teleportation—who knows where we'll end up next."
Seeing Paimon's curiosity about the domain, Abby quickly pulled her back. Hearing this, Arataki Itto scratched his head and shrugged.
"Then what do we do? We can't just sit here and wait to die, right? Where'd that guy go? Huh—he disappeared?"
Yelan sighed and spoke solemnly to the group:
"If we want to find a way out, we'll have to go through it. Everyone, stay alert and observe your surroundings carefully."
The moment they entered the domain, they realized it was far more expansive than expected.
An ethereal mist permeated the air, and several floating islands were connected by mechanisms. Under the falling leaves of maple trees, golden flowers and grass swayed gently, creating a dreamlike and breathtaking scene.
"Such a beautiful sight. If the situation weren't so dire, I'd love to stay and admire the view."
Even Arataki Itto couldn't help but marvel.
As several mechanisms activated, the domain naturally led them to its end—only for everyone to freeze in shock at the other side.
"Did we… just return to where we started?"
Jiyan shook his head and pointed upward.
"The exit above us is blocked, meaning we've already jumped to another space-time."
Rover nodded as well. This place felt deeply unsettling, as if something ominous lurked within.
"Now we're really stuck."
Paimon slumped in dismay. The sight of dark stone walls all around made a creeping sense of fear rise in her heart.
Arataki Itto thumped his chest and declared loudly:
"This is where I come in! Come forth, Ushi!"
A small bull appeared before the group, spun in a few circles, then let out a couple of "moos" at Itto.
"Ushi says he's out of ideas too."
Itto seemed just as stumped. Yelan decided to scout the area alone again, while Kuki Shinobu took out some Lavender Melons to roast over a fire.
Suddenly, Rover had an idea and shared the roasted Lavender Melons with everyone.
"I'm not hungry right now."
Arataki Itto was about to refuse, but Yelan noticed something odd. She turned to Yanfei and quickly asked:
"How much time has passed?"
Yanfei thought for a moment before answering.
"Almost a few hours… Wait, why don't I feel hungry at all?"
Yanfei also noticed the strange phenomenon. Rover, meanwhile, handed out the skewered Lavender Melons while explaining:
"The flow of time here has slowed. Subjectively, we won't feel hunger, but once time returns to normal, the accumulated hunger from the slowed period will hit us all at once. That's when the real danger begins."
As someone sensitive to time, Rover hadn't yet shared an even worse piece of news with the group—
The slowed time here wasn't a natural phenomenon. It was man-made. But to keep everyone calm, he chose not to mention it.
This place was extremely dangerous. Time and space were becoming increasingly chaotic, and even Rover wasn't entirely confident he could lead everyone out safely.
"This can't be. If there's a way into this space, there must be a way out. A subterranean space that only allows entry but no exit doesn't exist. It defies logic."
Yelan muttered to herself, her expression more solemn than ever.
Jiyan also inspected the surroundings. As a soldier, he had sharp instincts, and this enclosed space gave him an inexplicable sense of dissonance.
His intuition told him there had to be a way out.