"But I never gave you the warning you mentioned..."
Xu Xiao blinked, her serene face full of confusion.
"You never gave me a warning?" Seeing that the woman's expression was genuine and did not seem like a lie, Matilda's relaxed demeanor gradually turned grave.
"That can't be... I heard your warning during the trial, which was how I learned to use this epic-grade item correctly."
"And after the trial ended, it was also you who left behind a trace of your aura and a message. That was how I learned your identity and immediately pinpointed your location after leaving the God Realm and returning to the real world."
"Did you do those things and then forget about them?"
"No..." Xu Xiao looked even more bewildered.
"I clearly remember that after entering the God Realm, I intended to give you the full warning."
"But after I threw out the [Undying Cicada Shell], someone used some means to forcibly scatter the spiritual tendrils I had extended."
"When I saw that I couldn't send you any information and had been completely exposed, I could only retreat first."
"I'm certain that I never gave you any warning, much less left behind any message or aura that would let you find me immediately after leaving the God Realm..."
"So... from beginning to end, you only threw the [Undying Cicada Shell] to me?" Matilda's gaze turned strange as well, and she sank back into her memories.
"Yes, I only threw the [Undying Cicada Shell] to you." Xu Xiao nodded again in confirmation.
"Then who gave me the warning?" Certain that there was nothing wrong with her memory, Matilda murmured, "And who left me your information and aura, making me come look for you the moment I passed the trial?"
The two stared at each other wordlessly