Fifty-Six Frames

"Wind Spirit Essence."

This time, it was Qiao Ranran's turn to suck in a breath. If the thing wrapped around her ankle was Wind Spirit Essence, then given how lively it was, it couldn't be ordinary Wind Spirit Essence. After Pei Ling had forcibly taken the Earth Spirit Essence Heart away, the Wind Spirit Essence that had grown alongside it must have refused to accept that. But as a newly born spirit essence, it could do nothing to Pei Ling, so it had latched onto Qiao Ranran, who looked easier to talk to.

Qiao Ranran crouched and poked the little fellow at her ankle. The yellow sand scattered, and a wisp of breeze curled around her finger, seeming to rub against it pitifully.

"Junior Brother Pei, why don't you let it follow you?"

Pei Ling's lips curved into a dangerous smile. Qiao Ranran immediately felt a wisp of breeze dart up her arm to the back of her neck, where it hid behind her hair and refused to come out.

"Looks like it doesn't want to follow me."

"But..."

"You're really noisy!" Pei Ling covered Qiao Ranran's mouth, glanced at Wen Ziheng and the others hurrying over from nearby, and shoved her straight into the checkpoint's teleportation point.

Wen Ziheng's group had arrived too quickly. Pei Ling couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't intervened, the Earth Spirit Essence Heart might really have fallen into their hands.

As it happened, Pei Ling had come close to the truth.

On the Eighth Layer, Qiao Ranran stood alone in a vast, empty expanse and began to question herself. In front of her stood an enormous scorpion—so enormous that even one of its pincers was several times bigger than she was.

Pei Ling wasn't beside her. Neither was Yan Qingsui.

A desolate feeling