Yun Huanling no longer knew how long he had spent in the void. All he remembered was that he seemed to have shouted for a very, very long time.
He wandered aimlessly through that empty space, hoping to find an exit.
Yet things refused to go his way. No matter where he walked, all he faced was the same blank expanse.
At last, he stopped and glanced at the tiny, pitch-black creature perched on his shoulder.
"Do you know how to get out of here?"
The little creature stared with wide, round eyes, its clear pupils filled with bewilderment.
Yun Huanling sighed. Of course, he had never pinned all his hopes on this little creature. He was simply so bored that he wanted someone to talk to.
"I'm only an artifact spirit. Solving your current predicament is beyond my abilities." That childish voice spoke the words that stabbed him deepest.
The spirits around Su Jiu were all so versatile, while his was like a dangling ornament, completely useless in a crisis. Yun Huanling grumbled inwardly about this unfair world...
Yun Huanling paid no more attention to the decidedly unhelpful artifact spirit. He merely walked on, muttering to himself, "If only A Jiu were here. She'd definitely find a way out in no time."
Yun Huanling surveyed his surroundings and sighed in resignation, calling as he walked, "Hey! I'm talking to you! Come out already! Don't leave me here all alone!"
Having an artifact spirit of his own should have been a cause for celebration, but Yun Huanling clearly could not feel happy now. After all, anyone trapped in a strange place they might never escape for the rest of their life would probably struggle to feel happy.
Yun Huanling continued wandering aimlessly, unaware that ripples had inexplicably begun spreading behind