Lost to the Spirit World

Xia Lun came to the Spirit World once again.

Now, for Xia Lun to enter the Spirit World, he no longer needed to be so physically intimate with Aina; a simple handshake was enough.

With a mere thought, an ice-crystal longsword exuding astonishing coldness materialized in Xia Lun's hand.

The blade was slender and long, its transparent edge so fine it would be hard to catch sight of even if placed right before one's eyes... until the moment it was stained with blood.

Ice Sword—that was the name of this longsword.

In Aina's treasury, there were two other divine swords of the same tier as the Ice Sword; one was called the Fire Sword, and the other the Blood Sword.

The swords originally had no names; Xia Lun named them.

After all, Xia Lun's previous sword was simply called the Holy Sword. Even if these swords possessed sword spirits, they had nothing to feel wronged about.

Aina had expressed that as long as Xia Lun liked it, it was fine.

Xia Lun casually flourished the sword, leaving a white trail of frost scattering in the air.

For a grown man like Xia Lun, the sword's appearance was a bit too delicate and somewhat flashy... It would suit Aina's temperament better and probably look much nicer in her hands.

However, it was quite handy to use, and its power was nothing to scoff at.

Even a guy like Xia Lun, who knew no magic, could rely on this Ice Sword to unleash terrifying elemental sword winds.

The scenery of the Spirit World was no different from his last visit. The surroundings were still filled with endless, densely packed bookshelves. If one looked down from above, it would probably trigger trypophobia.

Silence was the eternal theme here, broken only by the occasional faint whispers drifting from the shadows beneath the bookshelves.

Rumble—

A violent noise and tremor came from the distance.

It sounded like the footsteps of a running giant, rumbling loudly, growing clearer and clearer, and even steadily approaching Xia Lun.

What was that commotion? Was it a monster residing in the Spirit World?

Xia Lun gripped the Ice Sword tightly in his hand, not daring to be the slightest bit careless.

To dare make such a blatant ruckus in a perilous place like the Spirit World... the entity's strength must be terrifyingly formidable.

The ground shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

It seemed... it wasn't the sound of footsteps?

Xia Lun finally saw the source of the loud noise.

Ahead, rows of bookshelves were collapsing continuously like dominoes. The momentum was like an earth dragon charging at full speed, carrying a destructive inertia that was completely unstoppable.

The bookshelves toppled past Xia Lun without pausing, continuing to collapse into the distance.

What... what in the world is going on?

Holding his longsword, Xia Lun stood to the side like a bystander watching a show.

Rumble—

Another row of bookshelves collapsed toward him, surging like angry waves, stirring up a strong gust of wind that made Xia Lun's robes flutter noisily.

Was there someone else here besides him? Perhaps another witch?

With Olifendo being so large, it was perfectly normal for a few witches to be hidden away.

Somewhat curious about the source of the disturbance, Xia Lun gripped his longsword and slowly walked toward the direction from which the bookshelves were falling.

Along the way, several more rows of bookshelves crashed down, sweeping past him.

He had no idea where they were falling toward, nor when they would stop.

Aina seemed to have mentioned that the environment within the Spirit World could restore itself... If these falling domino-like bookshelves formed a circle like an Ouroboros, wouldn't they fall endlessly forever?

Some strange and bizarre thoughts suddenly popped into Xia Lun's mind.

He didn't have to walk far before quickly finding the source of the commotion. A petite figure caught his eye—it was a rather young little girl.

She was currently struggling with all her might to push over another bookshelf.

Rumble—

The hidden shadows beneath the surrounding bookshelves began to twist and grow restless.

"What are you doing?"

Xia Lun stepped forward and asked.

"I... I'm lost!" The sudden approach startled Anana, though a wave of joy soon appeared on her face. "Thank goodness! There's someone else here!"

Lost?

Xia Lun raised his eyebrows. This was the Spirit World. Who could possibly get lost and end up in a place like this?

But this girl really didn't look like a witch exploring the Spirit World, and there was no doubt she was human.

Hmm... moreover, this girl looked inexplicably familiar, as if he had seen her somewhere before.

Just then, Anana's figure flickered like an illusion with a bad connection, almost turning translucent before solidifying again. This bizarre scene made Xia Lun's heart skip a beat.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Anana looked at Xia Lun curiously, blinking her big eyes. She seemed completely unaware of her own condition. "You're so handsome, sir. I feel like I've seen you somewhere before..."

"Is that so?"

Encountering such a bizarre situation, Xia Lun began to call out to Aina in his mind.

"She should be a student from Olifendo."

Aina's voice rang out in Xia Lun's mind, causing him to sigh in relief.

"A student? A child this young can enter the Spirit World?" Xia Lun looked at Anana's childish face; she looked no older than thirteen or fourteen.

He had only been able to enter the Spirit World after training for quite some time with Aina's help.

"She probably came here unconsciously while dreaming," Aina explained. "That's why her existence in the Spirit World is unstable, which is the phenomenon you just saw... People like her are naturally attuned to the Spirit World and possess strong mental strength. They are excellent candidates to become witches."

So that was it. Xia Lun nodded slightly.

"But the Spirit World is fraught with danger. Entering it too early isn't a good thing for her... If a little girl like her encounters danger in the Spirit World, she could easily suffer mental trauma. It's not impossible for her to go mad."

Xia Lun's expression turned slightly solemn.

"So, be a good knight in shining armor, Xia Lun," Aina left him with a light chuckle before falling silent.

Xia Lun knew that Aina wouldn't get jealous over a child this young... probably.

"What are you doing here?" Xia Lun softened his tone and looked back at Anana.

"Ah, Mr. Administrator, my name is Anana... I'm so sorry, I got lost, so I wanted to make some noise to find someone to ask for directions." Anana lowered her head feeling wronged, staring at her toes, seemingly aware that she had caused trouble.

Xia Lun looked at the rows of bookshelves falling into the unknown and twitched the corner of his mouth.

This noise was certainly big enough.

"Come with me, I'll take you out of here."

"Oh! That's wonderful, thank you so much, Mr. Administrator." Seeing that Xia Lun didn't blame her, Anana broke into a smile. "If you're busy, you don't have to trouble yourself with guiding me. Just giving me a map of this place will do."

A map?

Xia Lun glanced at the completely endless bookshelves.

In the blink of an eye, the bookshelves would even rearrange and change.

If only a map could exist for a place like this.