Trapped

As Chen Lin pondered, Hundred Flowers Fairy flew over to inspect the Node. She, too, looked startled and uncertain.

"What do we do?"

Hundred Flowers Fairy looked at Chen Lin, a question in her eyes.

"There's no other way. We can only keep testing."

After a moment's hesitation, Chen Lin released Scholar. His Artifact Spirit was a True Spirit's Remnant Soul and could resist the Nightmare Qi here to some extent. An ordinary Puppet would undergo Nightmare Transformation the moment it lost the protection of Chen Lin's Innate Power.

Chen Lin gave Scholar a Realm-Breaking Talisman, then controlled him as he flew to the Node.

The Node opened as usual. Scholar slowly reached a hand forward, but the instant it touched the ripples, it could advance no farther.

With a thought, Chen Lin had Scholar unleash a streak of Sword Qi.

But just as before, it failed to shake the Node in the slightest.

Chen Lin's expression turned grim.

They could open the Node but could not leave. There was no doubt a rule was restricting them!

The short man had reached the same conclusion. His face had gone beyond grim; it was ashen as death.

If Chen Lin and the others could not leave, they would, at worst, be trapped here and could take their time looking for a solution. But the short man was about to undergo Nightmare Transformation. If he could not leave within fifteen minutes, he would become a monster with no mind of its own!

"Save me, my lord!"

After his expression shifted several times, the short man dropped to one knee.

Perhaps feeling that such a plea was too feeble, he steeled himself and added, "If my lord helps me, I'm willing to acknowledge you as my master and follow you to my death!"