"Hiss..."
Piercing pain surged through every part of Gu Yi's body, making him suck in a sharp breath. Fine beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
It hurts so much... Everything hurts...
Gu Yi slowly opened his eyes, only to find himself in a strange space. It seemed to be some sort of spatial barrier.
He struggled to open his mouth, his voice hoarse:
"Heh... I'm... actually still alive..." I really am hard to kill.
"You'll be dead soon." A cool voice sounded beside him.
Gu Yi froze for a moment, then gave a bitter smile. "You're right. I really am about to die."
He recalled everything he had gone through, feeling utterly speechless...
He had been struck by the deadly poison He Yan administered, then run through with He Yan's sword. His meridians had reversed their flow, he had detonated his spiritual core, and finally, he had fallen off a cliff.
Now his meridians were completely severed, and his life hung by a thread. It was already a miracle that he had survived this long.
He carefully examined his current condition and found that he could live for only another half a month or so at most.
Tsk! This death is even more miserable than in the original novel!
"Hey! How did you get here?" the cool voice from earlier suddenly asked.
Gu Yi stirred at the sound, his body trembling slightly as though he wanted to struggle to his feet, but in the end, he could only lean weakly against the cold barrier.
Only after quite some time did he gradually regain a little strength.
Across from him, a young man sat quietly.
The youth looked not quite twenty, with delicate features and clearly defined contours. His straight brows tilted slightly upward, lending him a hint of unruliness and easy confidence.
His skin was as fair as snow, translucent and glowing with a captivating luster. He had a cool, otherworldly air.
Yet Gu Yi noticed something strange about the youth's gaze, as though his eyes were out of focus.
He reached out and waved a hand in front of the youth's face, but the youth did not react. He continued staring quietly ahead, his eyes empty.
Gu Yi asked softly, "You can't see?"
The youth lifted his chin slightly, still proud despite his blindness. "What of it?"
Gu Yi fell silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and then slowly said, "I was surrounded and wounded, then fell off Heaven-Reaching Peak. When I woke up, I was here."
The youth chuckled, his laugh clear and pleasant, like a passing breeze. "Hehehe. What a similar experience."
Gu Yi could not help raising his brows at that, inwardly surprised.
He went through the same thing as me?
Was he chased down and forced off Heaven-Reaching Peak too?
What a coincidence...
At that thought, Gu Yi began laughing along with him, but the movement in his chest sent pain through his entire body.
Gu Yi fumbled for his Qiankun Ring, took out a medicinal pill, and swallowed it.
There was no hope of relying on this pill to prolong his life. It could only heal his external wounds so he would be in less pain before he died.
The youth tilted his head, listening carefully to the faint sounds coming from Gu Yi. Suddenly, he asked softly, "What's your name?"
Gu Yi thought that since he would die either way, he might as well chat with the youth to pass the time.
So he answered, "My name is Gu Yi."
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them, afraid that giving the name of "Demon Lord Gu Yi" would frighten the other man.
However, after hearing his name, the youth showed no unusual expression.
Seeing this, Gu Yi inwardly sighed in relief. It seemed the youth did not know who he was, which put him much more at ease.
When the youth fell silent again, Gu Yi thought that although he did not have long to live, they would still have to spend several days together in this space, whether it was a barrier or something else. So he spoke again. "What about you?"
The youth tilted his head slightly. After a moment, he slowly answered, "Lin Yuan."
The instant Gu Yi heard the name Lin Yuan, he froze.
Because he knew that name.
Lin Yuan was the youngest grandson of the Qingling Sword Sect's sect leader, and he was also a villain in this novel.
According to the plot, Gu Yi would die by the male lead's sword five years after transmigrating into the novel, while Lin Yuan would only appear after his death.
If his own character was an obstacle in the male lead's path to success, then Lin Yuan was a stumbling block in the male lead's love life.
Lin Yuan and the male lead both fell in love with the female lead. Of course, the female lead ultimately ended up with the male lead, while Lin Yuan was killed by him~
Thinking about it that way, both of them died at the male lead's hands in the story.
Hmm... how does that not make us fellow sufferers?
In the original novel, Lin Yuan was exceptionally gifted. He had already reached the Qi Refining Stage at thirteen, a truly extraordinary talent.
But since he was a villain, no matter how outstanding his talent, he would ultimately become a stepping stone on the protagonist's path to success.
At this thought, Gu Yi could not help feeling a little sympathy. After all, they were both supporting characters in the book, their fates already sealed.
He recalled the cultivation stages established in the novel:
Qi Refining Stage, Foundation Establishment Stage, Golden Core Stage, Nascent Soul Stage, Deification Stage, Void Refinement Stage, Body Integration Stage, Mahayana Stage, Tribulation Transcendence Stage.
Counting the years, if Gu Yi had been in the novel for three years, Lin Yuan had just turned nineteen this year. Yet judging by his cultivation, he had already reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. If he had not been trapped in this cave, he would probably have successfully broken through to the Golden Core Stage by now.
Gu Yi looked up at Lin Yuan's face. He was exceptionally handsome, just as the novel had described.
When Lin Yuan appeared in the novel, he was still blind. A white silk ribbon always covered his eyes, adding a touch of mystery to him. Even without sight, he still possessed formidable strength.
Judging by the timeline, he would be able to leave this barrier in a few more years.
Gu Yi gave him a doubtful look. Could he have turned dark and become the boss because he went blind, spent years trapped in this barrier, then fell in love with the female lead after getting out, only for her to reject him for being blind?
Fate really did play tricks on people. The two of them, an early villain and a late-story boss, had actually ended up trapped in the same barrier.
At this thought, Gu Yi could not help laughing aloud. "Hehe, hahaha, hahahaha..."
"What... are you laughing at?" Hearing Gu Yi's laughter, Lin Yuan said irritably, "You're about to die, and you can still laugh?"
Laughing made Gu Yi rather uncomfortable, and he coughed softly twice. "Sorry, I suddenly thought of something funny. If I'm bothering you, I can move farther away."
Lin Yuan gave an expressionless grunt of assent.
Gu Yi paused to catch his breath and felt around him. There seemed to be an invisible wall around the barrier. Bracing himself against the "wall," he slowly moved farther away from Lin Yuan.
Only then did Gu Yi discover that the barrier was circular. He walked all the way around it; the area was no more than a hundred square meters.
Since it was a barrier, there had to be a way to break it open and get out.
Presumably, Lin Yuan would reach a certain level of cultivation in a few years and get out on his own.
Unable to leave, Gu Yi could only find a comfortable spot and slowly sit down against the "wall."
After he took the pill, the sword wound in his chest had healed, and his body no longer hurt as much. His awareness began to blur again, and he grew drowsy.
After an unknown amount of time, Gu Yi felt someone gently pushing him. "Wake up..."
"Hey, Gu Yi, wake up!"
Dizzy from being shaken, Gu Yi slowly opened his eyes. "Lin Yuan, how did you..."
Lin Yuan must have felt his way over to find him by following the "wall." He crouched beside Gu Yi and said, "Go sleep farther inside. I... don't find you annoying anymore..."
People could not get out of this barrier, but the cold night wind could blow in, chilling Gu Yi's hands and feet.
Gu Yi froze for a moment, then smiled at Lin Yuan. Little brat who says one thing and means another.
"Are you going or not? If not, you can freeze to death here. You're going to die anyway, so you might as well do it farther away!"
Before you continue