Please Surrender!

"Did you feel that?" she asked softly, her voice trembling despite herself.

Jiu Jia Yi stared straight ahead, his sword already drawn, its cold blade gleaming as though he were ready to face whatever lay ahead. He nodded, his gaze grave. "I felt it. That power is no ordinary thing. If we keep going, it may only get more dangerous."

"Then what should we do?" Helplessness flickered in Yan Zhi's eyes. She knew there was no turning back. They had to find a way out, or they would remain trapped in this space forever.

"Keep going," Jiu Jia Yi said calmly. "No matter how dangerous it is ahead, we have no choice but to move forward. Only by finding the source can we find a solution."

Yan Zhi took a deep breath and gritted her teeth. She knew she had no choice. Right now, she could only rely on the man who had stayed by her side to hold on to some shred of reason and hope.

Neither spoke as they moved forward with greater caution. The closer they came, the brighter the light grew, as though they were entering a vast field of energy. Yan Zhi's heart raced. She could feel something changing in the air—a pressure that kept building, as though a crushing weight were pressing down on her chest.

"I think..." Yan Zhi stopped suddenly and stared ahead. "We're being watched."

Her voice was low and firm, but the pressure lent it a note of unease. Never had she felt so strongly that an unseen pair of eyes was watching them from behind, ready to swallow them at any moment.

Jiu Jia Yi turned to look at her, his gaze sharp as a hawk's, as though it could pierce every deception and shadow. "You mean someone is controlling all this?" His brows drew together. Clearly, he had not expected them to be in such danger.

"Yes." Yan Zhi's expression grew solemn. "This isn't just a distortion of space. Some kind of consciousness seems to be directing it. This power isn't entirely a natural phenomenon. It's deliberate."

"Then we need to be careful." Jiu Jia Yi sounded calmer still. He took a step forward, as though trying to shake off the growing pressure in the air. "Stay alert. We may not be alone here."

Yan Zhi nodded, her nerves taut and her heart beating faster. Perhaps they were trapped in some kind of illusion. Even the ground beneath their feet might be unreal, and everything before her nothing more than an elaborate maze.

Suddenly, she felt the air beside her shift, and a bitter chill crept over her. She turned instinctively, but saw only the empty corridor. Light still rippled around her like water, with nothing out of place. Yet the chill was real enough to bring cold sweat to her skin.

"What is—" Shock flashed in Yan Zhi's eyes. Before she could finish, the light before her abruptly dimmed, and a powerful suction yanked her forward.

She lost her balance and pitched forward. The scene before her twisted violently, as though the whole world had been thrown into chaos.

"Grab on to me!" Jiu Jia Yi's commanding voice rang in her ears. He reached out, caught her by the shoulder, and pulled her back to his side.