Shen Jingqi gently shook Li Baiyu, shouting, "Senior, wake up, what's going on?" His voice carried a hint of urgency and confusion, and his hands unconsciously shook her with increased intensity, his eyes locked onto her face, trying to find answers from her reaction.

Li Baiyu slowly opened her eyes, her gaze filled with bewilderment. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if disturbed by an invisible wind. She looked around, the surroundings unfamiliar, the walls pristine, the lighting soft yet chilly. Her brow furrowed slightly as she said, "Shen Jingqi, I just had a dream, huh, where did you go?" Her voice carried the laziness and confusion of just waking up, her eyes scanning Shen Jingqi, trying to piece together her missing memories from his expression.

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. His chest rose and fell with his breathing, his hands clenched into fists and then relaxed, saying, "We seem to have returned to the real world." His gaze fell on the surrounding amenities, those familiar desks, chairs, and file cabinets, all reminding him of his current environment, yet deep inside, the experiences on Spirit Mountain surged like a tidal wave.

"We?" Li Baiyu was even more confused. She propped herself up with her hands and sat up, her hair slightly disheveled on both sides of her face, "Shen Jingqi, what on earth are you talking about? I don't understand a word." Her body leaned forward slightly, wanting to hear Shen Jingqi's explanation more clearly.

Shen Jingqi crouched down, meeting Li Baiyu's gaze, his eyes full of seriousness and urgency, saying, "Yes, we came from Spirit Mountain, and Lin Yue... seems to be one of your incarnations." His voice was low and solemn, each word carrying a weight of thousands of pounds. He recalled the bits and pieces on Spirit Mountain, the intense battles, the mysterious spiritual power, and the scenes of fighting alongside Lin Yue, all flashing through his mind like a movie.

"Spirit Mountain? Incarnation?" Li Baiyu's eyes widened, as if hearing the most incredible thing in the world. Her mouth slightly agape, her face full of shock and disbelief, "Shen Jingqi, are you out of your mind? We've always been at school, where is there Spirit Mountain, what incarnation." Her body recoiled slightly, her eyes carrying a hint of caution, as if Shen Jingqi were a stranger, speaking some gibberish she couldn't understand.

Shen Jingqi stood up, pacing back and forth in the room, his footsteps somewhat hurried, his hands clasped behind his back, his brow tightly knit, saying, "Senior, I know it's hard for you to believe, but it's true. We experienced a great battle on Spirit Mountain, mysterious forces attacked, and I, Lin Yue, and the cultivators of Spirit Mountain resisted together. Later, we were swept into a vortex by a mysterious force, and when we woke up, we were here. Also, I feel that Lin Yue is you, you have too many similarities." His voice carried a hint of helplessness and urgency, desperately hoping Li Baiyu would immediately believe him and join him in unraveling this mist.

Looking at Shen Jingqi's anxious demeanor, Li Baiyu's heart began to waver. She knew Shen Jingqi wasn't someone who would easily lie, but this was all too absurd. She bit her lip and said, "Shen Jingqi, even if what you say is true, what should we do now?"

Shen Jingqi paused, looking at Li Baiyu, his eyes full of determination, saying, "Senior, we originally wanted to understand Cong Nanxue's situation, but unexpectedly, we traversed into different spaces for no reason. I think, there must be some connection here." His mind constantly replayed Cong Nanxue's vacant eyes and strange words, feeling that none of this was a coincidence.

"Cong Nanxue?" Li Baiyu murmured to herself, a hint of contemplation flashing in her eyes, "Her situation is indeed strange, she talked to me about seeing things that don't exist and always saying inexplicable things. But what does that have to do with our current situation?" Her brow furrowed, trying hard to make sense of it all, but the more she thought, the more it felt like a tangled mess.

Shen Jingqi walked to the window, looking at the campus scenery outside, sunlight spilling over the playground, students laughing and playing, a scene of harmony. But inside, he couldn't find peace, knowing that beneath this seemingly calm surface lay a massive secret. He turned to look at Li Baiyu and said, "Senior, I think Cong Nanxue's illusions might be related to Spirit Mountain and our space crossing this time. Maybe what she saw is a projection of another world. We must find her and uncover the truth." His eyes sparkled with determination, as if he had already glimpsed the dawn of solving the mystery.

Focusing his attention on the room, Shen Jingqi had a sudden thought, remembering Xu An once mentioning that this room was used for deep psychological consultation and was seldom used.

He slowly approached the door, his hand unconsciously resting on the knob. Just then, a faint light seeped through the crack at the bottom of the door, as if hinting at something. Shen Jingqi took a deep breath and forcefully pushed the door open.

Inside, the room was pitch-black, with only moonlight filtering through the curtains, casting mottled shadows on the floor. In the faint light, Shen Jingqi looked around. The place was simply furnished, with a sofa, a coffee table, and an old tape recorder. Yet the air was filled with an indescribable oppressive feeling, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Cong Nanxue, is that you?" Shen Jingqi called out softly, his voice echoing in the emptiness of the room. But only silence answered him. He furrowed his brow, the unease in his heart growing stronger.

At that moment, he heard a slight sound—from behind the curtains. Shen Jingqi swiftly turned his head, his eyes fixed on the curtains like a hawk. He slowly approached and reached out to pull them open. However, behind the curtains, except for a moonlit wall, there was nothing.

He frowned, a foreboding feeling surging within him. Just then, he noticed a portrait hanging on the wall, depicting none other than Cong Nanxue. Her gaze was empty and profound, as if piercing through time and space to stare directly into his soul. Shen Jingqi's heart tightened, causing him to step back involuntarily.

Then, the portrait's Cong Nanxue suddenly moved, her lips curving into an eerie smile. Shen Jingqi's eyes widened, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the portrait again, but everything was as it was, as if the earlier scene had been an illusion.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Cong Nanxue in the portrait moved again, this time more clearly. Her fingers moved slightly, as though signaling to him. Shen Jingqi's heart squeezed, and an unprecedented fear rose from his heart.

Trembling, he reached out, his fingertips lightly touching the edge of the portrait. At that moment, he heard a deep and indistinct voice—it came from inside the portrait. The voice seemed to carry some magic, causing his consciousness to begin to blur.

"Shen Jingqi..." the voice whispered, seemingly calling out his name.

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