Chapter 125: Siblings Reunited

Fearing that Xi Yan might think he was deceiving him, Lin Ye took the lead and stepped into the dried-up "Log Flume" attraction.

Judging by the layout, this area had clearly been designed for water-based entertainment, but it now lay desolate and abandoned. Because the sky here remained perpetually dim, the place carried an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. To enter the flume, one had to cross a dried-up riverbed. However, just as Xi Yan approached the edge, the channel suddenly surged with a crimson liquid, filling it to the brim in an instant.

Xi Yan turned to look at Lin Ye, who had stopped beside him. "The riverbed changing like this means we have triggered the instance and entered its domain," Lin Ye explained. "However, as long as we haven't crossed this river of blood, we can still turn back."

"What is the content of this instance?" Xi Yan asked, hesitating at the edge of the blood-red river.

"If you ask me that, I can't say. I've never actually been to this instance before."

Xi Yan stared at him, speechless. If he had never been here, why put on such an air of knowing exactly what he was doing?

"It's alright, don't worry. Watch me, I'll go first." With that, Lin Ye stepped across the river of blood. The moment his foot touched the other side, his figure vanished from Xi Yan's sight.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Xi Yan followed.

Stepping over the blood-red river felt like passing through a transparent barrier. The scene on the other side was completely different from what he had seen from the bank. From the outside, it had appeared to be nothing more than a dry, downward-sloping concrete channel. But once across, he found himself in a vibrant water park.

There were all kinds of aquatic attractions: kayaks, log flumes, bungee jumping platforms, and other high-thrill rides. Yet, like the outside world, the sky remained gloomily overcast.

Xi Yan turned around to see if he could retreat, only to find that the way back was gone; the entrance he had just come through could no longer be traversed. Lin Ye was waiting by the threshold, and upon seeing Xi Yan arrive, he waved.

"Over here! Come on, I'll take you to see your sister."

The words sounded like a classic trap to lure someone into danger, but for the sake of finding his sister, Xi Yan was willing to take the risk.

He reached Lin Ye’s side, and Lin Ye immediately pointed toward a man-made rock formation—the highest peak of the log flume ride. "Your sister should be right behind this attraction."

"How can you be so sure?" Xi Yan asked. Despite his urgency, he remained rational. If he were to fall into a trap, there would be no hope of ever seeing his sister again.

Lin Ye didn't take offense at the caution; he simply smiled. "How do I know? I can't tell you, but I am certainly not lying to you. Come on, let's go in together."

Tilting his head to signal Xi Yan to follow, Lin Ye started walking. They were at the entrance, and to reach the rock formation, they had to traverse a narrow path carved beneath it. As they walked, Xi Yan felt as though invisible eyes were fixed upon him from all directions. The sensation made his skin crawl and a chill run down his spine.

"Do you feel like someone is watching you?" Lin Ye asked suddenly. Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "It’s not your imagination. It’s real. This rock formation... it’s filled with living eyeballs."

"What do you mean?" Xi Yan had already guessed, but he refused to believe it.

Lin Ye stopped and turned to face him. "You’ve probably already realized. They are the eyes of living people, embedded into this rock."

"Why would someone do this? Who did this?" Xi Yan asked quietly.

"I don't know. But you're no longer a newcomer to these survival games; you should know that asking such questions is meaningless."

"I was just asking. Let's keep moving."

Lin Ye turned back and continued forward. After a short walk, the two finally reached the destination. In the distance, Xi Yan caught sight of the person he had been yearning for and worrying about—Xi Lin.

Xi Lin was only twelve. Even though she had seemed like a mere child when they were together, seeing her silhouette from afar, he could sense that she had already grown into a young adult. Beside her was a girl of similar age, and the two were standing with their backs to them, seemingly deep in discussion.

As they approached, Xi Yan stopped in his tracks. Lin Ye looked back curiously. "You see her, I didn't lie. But now that you've found her, why have you stopped?"

Xi Yan bit his lower lip. He hesitated for a moment, said nothing to Lin Ye, and began to walk toward his sister.

Xi Lin seemed to sense something. She stopped talking to her companion and turned around. When she saw Xi Yan, her eyes widened.

"Brother... Brother!" she cried out in excitement, sprinting toward him.

Xi Yan caught his sister in his arms, holding her tightly, terrified that she might vanish if he let go for even a second. Even if this were a dream, he hoped it would last forever.

"Brother, it's really you!" Xi Lin pulled back from his embrace, looking at him with joy.

Xi Yan nodded, stroking her hair with a tender, protective touch. His heart ached as he looked at her. "Are you alright? I'm sorry, it's all my fault. I let you suffer."

Xi Lin shook her head, smiling happily. "No! That's not true at all. Don't blame yourself, Brother. I'm fine."

"I hate to interrupt your reunion, but you two might want to look behind you," Lin Ye’s voice cut through the moment.

Xi Yan turned, displeased, only to find the river of blood at their feet beginning to boil.

Seeing the situation, Xi Lin immediately pulled Xi Yan behind her and called out to her companion. "Zhuo! Come here!"

The girl called Zhuo rushed to her side and activated a card. A shimmering shield enveloped all four of them. Just as the barrier formed, the boiling river erupted, and something monstrous surged out from the blood, lunging at them.

Zhuo’s shield held perfectly against the initial assault, but the attacks didn't stop there. Three or four more consecutive strikes followed, and Xi Yan could feel the barrier protecting them beginning to fracture.