The strong wind seemed to carry a devastating force, sweeping up the gravel and sand on the ground and furiously attacking Jing Li.
Amidst the hazy yellow sandstorm, the cameraman was blinded by the wind and sand. He could only cling to the camera on his shoulder and turn his back to wait for the wind to subside.
But the moment the cameraman turned his back, without the perspective of an ordinary human being, the once ordinary sandstorm suddenly grew more violent. Shards of rock suspended in the air lined up and attacked Jing Li.
The chaotic wind also instantly transformed into a sharp claw, swooping down towards Jing Li’s abdomen with a howl.
Jing Li’s eyes darkened, and he swiftly gathered spiritual energy. Sweeping his hand, he conjured a thick ice wall that blocked the sandstorm’s assault. The sand retreated several meters before dissipating into droplets of water that fell to the ground, along with the claw-shaped wind.
The wind immediately calmed down to a gentle breeze, with only a few grains of sand still swirling in the air.
Soon, once the sand fully settled, the cameraman would also regain his bearings.
Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Jing Li quickly formed an icicle and swiftly attacked Hu Feifei from behind.
At that moment, Hu Feifei was about to launch another attack, so she didn’t expect that the other party would suddenly turn around and attack her.
The distance between them was too close, and she had no time to block the incoming icicle. She could only watch helplessly as it pierced through her abdomen, immediately exploding upon impact with her demonic core.
The two conflicting spiritual energies clashed violently within her demonic core, causing excruciating pain that made her scream out loud, and the spiritual energy she had been quietly gathering also quickly dissipated.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye, and by the time the audience in the live stream heard the scream, the camera had not even panned back from the hazy sky.
“What’s going on???”
“What’s wrong? I think I heard someone scream? Did someone get hurt?”
“The wind came out of nowhere, and in the middle of the forest, it’s kind of creepy when you think about it. Hiss…”
“Cameraman, focus the camera on the guests and let us see what’s happening!!”
…
The many viewers and fans in the livestream started clamoring anxiously, their hearts filled with concern for the two guests on the screen.
With the external forces now gone, everything had returned to normal, and even the wind finally died down.
The cameraman turned back around and instinctively scanned the surroundings, only to find the forest had returned to its previous state, except that it had become cleaner after being blown by the wind.
As the cameraman shifted, the camera lens refocused on the two guests.
Everyone then saw Hu Feifei sitting on the ground, clutching her abdomen in evident pain.
Beside her, Jing Li had leaves scattered on his head, crouching down next to her with concern.
“Are you alright?” Jing Li tilted his head to look at her, speaking softly. “Shall I help you up?”
“No need.” Hu Feifei instinctively leaned back, a hint of wariness in her eyes.
Noticing the camera pointed at her, Hu Feifei forced a smile at Jing Li and said quietly, “The wind was too strong just now, and I accidentally bumped into a tree when I was stepping back. I’ll be fine after a rest.”
She seemed to feel a little embarrassed, and she slightly lowered her head to hide her expression.
“Alright, then. Take a break, and we’ll continue on once you’re ready,” Jing Li responded politely with a smile, then stood up and walked away.
However, a flash of coldness crossed his eyes as he turned his back.
Although Jing Li had previously suspected Hu Feifei had some ulterior motives towards him, he didn’t expect her to be so impatient, launching an attack on him so soon, and in front of ordinary humans no less.
While the brief confrontation didn’t reveal Hu Feifei’s true form, it was clear she was attempting to conceal her identity by harnessing the power of nature, to avoid exposure and suffer from the punishment of the laws.
But to be able to conjure wind strong enough to sweep up sand and leaves as weapons, her strength must be formidable, far exceeding the tree spirit he had encountered at the film set.
Perhaps it was this superior power that had made Hu Feifei overconfident. She did not take Jing Li’s abilities seriously, which led to her surprise when he was able to retaliate so swiftly.
Hu Feifei couldn’t believe Jing Li was unaffected by her, able to react and counterattack so quickly, leaving her no time to defend and taking a direct hit at her vital demonic core.
Hu Feifei really didn’t expect that Jing Li would be unaffected by her. Not only did he react so quickly, but he also counterattacked in time, so she didn’t have time to defend and take a direct hit at her vital demonic core.
She gritted her teeth secretly in frustration, Hu Feifei was annoyed at her own carelessness, which had given Jing Li the opportunity.
The thought of him daring to attack her demonic core enraged her.
Originally, she had been mindful that this was a live broadcast, and she did not want to cause too much commotion. She planned to simply take Jing Li’s spiritual energy and spare his life until after the filming was over.
But after that blow just now, her thoughts instantly changed.
This was the first time she had been injured by her own prey, igniting a surge of rage in her proud and arrogant heart. She now only wanted to capture him, torture him ruthlessly, and then extract and destroy his demonic core.
Since he was so eager to court death, she had no qualms about completely eliminating him in one decisive strike.
After all, she still had to go search for clues in the sea later, and the cameraman wouldn’t be able to follow her underwater.
Away from the sight of ordinary humans, she no longer needed to hold back. When the time came, whichever side emerged victorious would soon be revealed.
As for Jing Li’s potential death, it was not uncommon for people to die in “accidents” in the sea. What did it have to do with her?
Thinking this through, Hu Feifei quickly regained her composure, even discreetly curling her lips, already imagining the agonized expression on Jing Li’s face as she severely wounded him and then drained his spiritual energy before extracting his demonic core.
Jing Li also felt a sense of regret.
If it weren’t for the presence of ordinary people, he would have simply eliminated Hu Feifei on the spot just now.
However, after that powerful blow, if she had any sense, she shouldn’t be so reckless in her attacks again.
Jing Li narrowed his eyes.
“I’m fine now, let’s keep walking?” Hu Feifei suddenly spoke up in a soft voice.
“Alright,” Jing Li nodded, and the two of them resumed their trek.
After the previous encounter, everyone was now walking with extra caution, stopping to observe at the slightest disturbance.
Due to this cautious approach, the malicious party never found another chance to strike.
Eventually, they reached the edge of the forest. Beyond that was a large thorn bush that connected to the beach. They could reach the seaside by walking through it.
“I can hear the sound of the waves now,” Jing Li said with a smile to those behind him. “From here, it’s just down the slope and through the shrubs to the beach. Be careful not to get scratched.”
He then picked up a random stick, jumped down the shallow slope, and began breaking through the obstructing branches to clear a path for the others.
Behind him, Hu Feifei raised her eyes and watched Jing Li struggling through the bushes, unable to suppress the upward curl of her lips.
Ah, so we finally arrived at the beach!
She looked up, scanning the end of the bushes as if looking at Jing Li’s burial place.
Turning her gaze to Jing Li, who was smiling and beckoning the others to hurry and follow, a flash of coldness crossed her eyes, as if she already saw him as a dead man in her sight.
Hu Feifei quietly started mobilizing her spiritual energy, her expression turning ominously sinister as she looked at Jing Li. She planned to plunge into the sea and unleash her full power to subdue him.
Jing Li didn’t seem to notice Hu Feifei’s sinister expression. He called out to those behind him and continued clearing the path ahead.
Fortunately, there were no more obstructions this time, and the journey all the way to the beach went smoothly.
“Finally, we’re here.” Jing Li looked up at the vast ocean, taking a deep breath. “The sea always makes me feel the most relaxed. The air even seems fresher.”
Before he could finish, Hu Feifei chimed in, ruining the moment. “It’s getting late, we should head into the sea and start searching for the clues.”
I can’t wait to send you on your way.
Detecting the underlying meaning in her words, Jing Li’s smile faded slightly, but he didn’t say anything, simply giving a light response and continuing forward.
“The terrain here is open, we can practically see the entire beach at a glance. The production team probably won’t have hidden the clues in such an obvious place,” Jing Li said, scanning the beach and the ocean before them. “Looks like we’ll have to dive into the sea to search for them.”
As he spoke, he caught a glimpse of Hu Feifei already heading towards the water’s edge.
She proceeded to take the diving equipment prepared by the staff who had been waiting here, and started gearing up.
How impatient.
Jing Li narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything further. He also went to get a suitable diving suit from the staff and began putting it on.
While a bit cumbersome, it didn’t hinder him much.
Once they were both ready, they boarded the boat the production team had prepared and, with the hum of the engine, offered a brief greeting to the viewers before, accompanied by the instructor, plunging into the sea, disappearing beneath the calm surface.
Their entry into the water caused barely a ripple, and everything soon fell silent once more.
But beneath the serene surface, the atmosphere was about to erupt into tension.
As soon as they entered the water, Hu Feifei raised her hand to erect a barrier, then swiftly knocked out the instructor’s lighting equipment and high-definition camera before launching an attack on Jing Li.
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