Phantom Heart and Oath

The stone wall before them gleamed with shimmering lines. Gu Changsheng had always felt these patterns were far from simple. If used properly, they would surely be an enormous opportunity.

Just as he carefully studied the words emerging upon it, an invisible wave of Mental Power suddenly spread outward.

"Senior Sister, be careful!"

Gu Changsheng turned almost instinctively and shielded Hu Liena behind him. She had indeed reacted half a beat too slowly. A sharp pain pierced her mind, and her body staggered backward uncontrollably.

Gu Changsheng reached out and steadied her. They stood very close together.

Hu Liena could clearly see the pale face before her, as well as the wound on Gu Changsheng's shoulder. The freshly bandaged injury had begun to seep blood again.

Watching the youth struggle to resist the mental wave, she did not know why, but her heart felt deeply unsettled.

Her red lips parted slightly, yet she suddenly did not know what to say.

At that moment, Gu Changsheng raised his head and watched the silver patterns on the stone wall slowly flow. He let out a soft sigh.

"It seems this place isn't very safe either. Still, these patterns are quite interesting."

Hu Liena immediately frowned.

"You're already injured like this. Why are you still forcing yourself?"

Gu Changsheng did not answer at once. He merely smiled faintly.

"Senior Sister, I'm just used to it."

Hearing that, Hu Liena's heart suddenly trembled. Looking at Gu Changsheng, she asked in a low voice:

"Little Junior Brother, where exactly did you come from? I always feel that you're nothing like an ordinary six-year-old child. When you speak, you sound like an elder... or perhaps that melancholy about you resembles Teacher."

"And danger always seems to surround you..."

Gu Changsheng fell silent again. Then he leaned against the stone wall beside him and slowly sat down, his voice lower than usual.

"Senior Sister, you're right. Perhaps you're completely right. It's dangerous around me. This time, it was a Soul Elder and a Soul Sect. Next time, they may be even stronger..."

As he spoke, he raised his head. The worry in his eyes—or rather, that slightly shattered look—fixed itself on Hu Liena before him.

"So, Senior Sister, should you stay farther away from me in the future?"

Hu Liena froze. She had not expected Gu Changsheng to say such a thing.

Though his tone was calm, she could tell he was not joking.

Perhaps it was a well-intentioned warning, but it also felt as though he was trying to push her away.

After several breaths, Hu Liena's gaze gradually turned cold.

"Gu Changsheng, what do you mean by that?"

Gu Changsheng's expression became extremely serious.

"I mean it, Senior Sister."

"You are His Holiness the Pope's personal disciple, the future core of Spirit Hall's Golden Generation. There's no need for you to suffer because of me..."

"No! How could you think that? Do you think I, Hu Liena, am the kind of person who hides the moment I see danger?"

Hu Liena stepped forward. They stood extremely close now, and she lowered her gaze slightly.

Her tone became even colder.

"In the Maze Ancient Forest, when I stood in front of you, I never thought about any of that. And when we faced life and death, you didn't abandon me either. Now you're telling me to stay away from you?"

Hu Liena gritted her teeth, her voice suddenly growing heavy.

Hearing this, Gu Changsheng slowly raised his head. His eyes trembled slightly, as though he were looking at an emotion he could not understand.

"But... if Senior Sister gets hurt, I'll blame myself."

"Gu Changsheng, are you underestimating me too much? I'm not a disciple who only knows how to hide behind Teacher, and I'm not anyone's burden!"

At that moment, Gu Changsheng asked the question that made his heart tremble the most:

"What if the one trying to kill me is the Pontifex... or some unimaginably powerful existence? Or even everyone on the Douluo Continent?"

Hearing that, Hu Liena's gaze stilled as she silently made a certain decision in her heart.

She recalled what had just happened, then looked at Gu Changsheng's serious expression and took a deep breath.

"No matter who it is, anyone who wants to hurt you from now on will have to step over my corpse first! I said I would look after you, and I will keep that promise!"

Her words echoed through the stone hall. Her face was still pale, and her Soul Power had not fully recovered, yet her eyes held not the slightest hesitation when she said it.

Gu Changsheng stared at those eyes and that face filled with Charm. He remained silent for a long time before softly speaking when the atmosphere slowly froze.

"Senior Sister, don't say things like that so lightly, especially..."

His words trailed off. Hu Liena, standing before him with a faint frown and a proud expression, spoke up instead.

"You little brat, do you still not believe me?"

Gu Changsheng hurriedly shook his head.

"No... Senior Sister, I'm truly touched. But I really hope that day never comes. If it does, I should be the one standing in front of you."

Hu Liena's angry expression unexpectedly froze.

Gu Changsheng quickly smiled, trying to ease the situation.

"After all, I can't let Senior Sister protect me forever."

"Stop boasting. You only have fifteen levels of Soul Power. You still have a long way to go before you catch up to me~"

The heavy atmosphere between them finally eased somewhat. At that very moment, the light on the stone wall grew even brighter.

"Hmm?"

It seemed that the Myriad Heaven Book had finished its analysis.

[Phantom Heart Incomplete Map. It contains a Soul Skill called Phantom Heart Guidance, and the small stones below are its rudimentary form.]

Gu Changsheng's puzzled expression immediately put Hu Liena on guard. She was just about to walk over when Gu Changsheng stopped her.

"Senior Sister, we should still be careful with this thing. It has extremely strong mental attack properties, but those small stones below may be of great help to you."

As he spoke, Gu Changsheng walked over and gently picked up a tiny stone. The instant he touched it, he felt an immense amount of Mental Power pour into it.

"So strong..."

As he spoke, he looked at the writing on the wall, for it had now been completely analyzed by the Myriad Heaven Book.

"Senior Sister, the cultivation method written here should be useful to you. Look, the first step is to steady the heart, the second is to conceal thoughts, and the third is guidance."

"In short, the moment the other party has already made a judgment, you give them a gentle push. That is the lesson this wall is trying to teach us."

As Gu Changsheng spoke, he pointed toward the wall.

Hu Liena walked forward step by step. Looking at the words before her, which she could not understand at all, she was honestly rather confused.

"Little Junior Brother, can you understand the words here?"

"Only a little... Take this stone. It should greatly improve your Mental Power."

At the same time, the Myriad Heaven Book quietly turned past the previous page.

[Record: Phantom Heart Guidance

Absorbing the surrounding mental stones...

First Soul Skill stability increased.]

Hu Liena opened her eyes beside him. She had suddenly understood much more, and the Mental Power around her body was steadily rising.

"This... this thing is too miraculous. It doesn't feel like something from this era. What kind of place is this?"

She was truly bewildered, because she had never seen anything like this before, nor had she even heard of it.

Hu Liena had read quite a few books. Unless this was not a product of the current era, she could not understand it.

As she continued voicing the doubts in her heart, the silvery-white mist had long since weakened considerably. A vague flight of stone steps could faintly be seen in the distance.

A prompt also appeared in Gu Changsheng's mind from the Myriad Heaven Book.

[Mist Tide is weakening...

The exit will soon appear...]

"Senior Sister, it looks like we should leave!"

Gu Changsheng touched the faint white mist before him with his hand. It was vanishing at a visible rate as he spoke seriously.

"Leave? Where to?"

Hu Liena looked at the stone steps ahead, still somewhat worried, which was why she asked where they were going.

"Back to Spirit City! Don't you want to return to Spirit City, Senior Sister?"

Hearing that, Hu Liena clenched her right hand tightly, puffed out her little lips, and said proudly:

"Of course! We have to go back. When has this young lady ever suffered such humiliation? Hmph! Let's go back to Spirit City!"