My Vampire Queen

Chapter 33: The Realm of Darkness!

Chapter 33: The Realm of Darkness! Beneath the bright moonlit sky, the howling wind swept past his ears, yet all Gu Xiao felt was an icy chill throughout his body. A pallid frost covered his cheeks. Gazing down at the vast, sprawling forest below, Gu Xiao couldn’t help but shiver uncontrollably! It wasn’t a fear of heights; rather, the icy chill constantly stung his nerves, causing his body to tremble instinctively. With a gentle wave of his snow-white hand, a pallid chill swept through the air, and in an instant, an icy frost spread across his entire body. Recalling this scene, Gu Xiao felt only a deep sense of helplessness and dread. The scent of death kept assailing him, and his frozen body made Gu Xiao feel as though his life was slipping away. A pale, frosty chain was now fastened around Gu Xiao’s waist, and above him, amidst the radiant moonlight, a pair of black, blood-veined bone wings soared through the sky. Beneath the moonlit sky! The scenery below rushed by in a blur. Whoosh—white breath escaped his nostrils as Gu Xiao watched the fleeting scenes below with a pounding heart. A colossal mountain peak came into view. Bathed in the moonlight, the massive peak was covered in a silvery glow. Whoosh~ A fierce wind swept in, hitting him head-on. Yet Gu Xiao had no heart to admire the scene, for the biting cold seeping into his body left him unsure how much longer he could endure. Whoosh~ As he soared to the summit of the mountain, a look of shock spread across Gu Xiao’s face—a mix of awe and disbelief welling up instantly. At the summit! Huge dragons, the sort one might expect to see only in a fantasy world, soared and twisted through the sky, occasionally spewing massive flames from their nostrils and mouths—a truly breathtaking sight beneath the night sky. The moment he looked down, an indescribable sense of awe filled his mind. Brightly lit, a city standing atop the towering mountain peak appeared before his eyes. Built into the mountainside, from the mid-slope all the way to the summit, towering ancient structures stretched endlessly. Especially under the enchanting moonlit sky, the scene exuded a truly fantastical atmosphere. At that moment, Gu Xiao seemed to forget the chill in his body; his eyes were filled with astonishment. What on earth was this place! Whoosh—before he could think further, his black bone wings carried him plummeting rapidly from the mountaintop. The nerve-wracking sensation of speed instantly flooded his mind. The fierce wind stung his frozen cheeks, but Gu Xiao forced himself to open his eyes, staring intently at the magical city growing ever closer. Above, winged monsters of all kinds soared through the night sky. As his speed increased, the distant city grew ever closer. One ancient-looking structure after another came into view. At that moment, the words “Dark Realm”—the legendary realm—flashed through Gu Xiao’s mind. In his past life! It had long been rumored in the Dark Mountains that a Dark Realm existed there, ruling over the entire Dark Mountain range. The scenes unfolding before him left Gu Xiao stunned—this was no legend, for he was now witnessing it with his own eyes. Exhaustion gradually set in. Though he possessed a strong will, the relentless chill enveloping his body made his eyelids heavy, and darkness slowly descended. As darkness engulfed him, Gu Xiao sighed. Perhaps he would never be able to explore this legendary Dark Realm. Disappointment! The Dark Realm was right before his eyes, yet he could not hold on long enough to reach that moment, unable to witness the legendary realm up close. Just as Gu Xiao lost consciousness, at the other end of the pallid chains formed from frost, a pair of black bone wings, veined with crimson, flapped with tremendous force. Under the intense momentum, the chains were stretched taut into a straight line. As if sensing the ebb of Gu Xiao’s life, beneath the ethereal moonlight, a face so beautiful it took one’s breath away cast a fleeting glance. Instantly, an inexplicable power surged through the chains. In an instant, the visible white frost on the unconscious Gu Xiao’s cheeks rapidly melted, only to be instantly dried by the howling wind. Tenacious signs of life began to slowly return. Witnessing this, the vermilion lips beneath the moonlight curled into a faint sneer: “You are this King’s prey!” Beneath the moonlit sky, the ancient Eastern city—bathed in brilliant light and suffused with an air of mystery and fantasy—sat perched on the slopes of a massive mountain, resembling a ferocious beast devouring the heavens and earth. Countless mysterious creatures soared through the sky, adding an extra touch of fantasy beneath the moonlit sky, as if it were a legendary fairyland. Alas, Gu Xiao could no longer witness any of this. The moment he lost consciousness, he also lost the chance to view this legendary realm up close from the sky. Whoosh~ With a single flap of his bone wings, a piercing sound suddenly rent the air. In an instant, the figure in the sky soared at breakneck speed; from a distance, it shrank into a tiny black speck before vanishing completely into the highest structure of this mysterious realm. It was as if the white rays of the setting sun were streaming through a window into a mysterious room—a black iron cage. The dim sunlight slowly shifted, illuminating the interior of the cage. A pale face could be seen, its brow slowly furrowing—whether in discomfort at the sudden light or for some other reason remained unknown. The eyelashes trembled slightly, followed by a gentle flutter of the eyelids, then complete stillness. After a moment with no reaction, the eyelashes slowly parted to reveal a narrow slit. The walls, built of blue stone, were carved with the faces of all manner of ferocious beasts. The floor was strewn with piles of dry, withered grass. A prison cell! In an instant, Gu Xiao realized he was locked inside an old building—a square cell formed by rows of black iron bars. Dim sunlight filtered through the window, and Gu Xiao knew that it was already daylight outside. Contrary to his expectations of a damp, dark cell, the room was dry and fresh, with no unpleasant odors. Rustle... Realizing his situation, Gu Xiao slowly pushed himself up, causing the withered grass and leaves on the floor to make a rustling sound. Weakness... A wave of exhaustion washed over him. Gu Xiao could clearly feel his body growing weak; though his injuries had only just healed, the frostbite had undoubtedly drained nearly all his energy. His pale palms were covered in flaking, wrinkled skin, resembling a snake shedding its skin. Gu Xiao knew this was the frozen skin undergoing natural regeneration. Cough, cough... After forcing himself to his feet, his lungs couldn’t help but cough. It seemed the frostbite had left lingering symptoms; a full recovery would require further recuperation. His eyes scanned the surroundings while his ears strained to listen. All was silent—as if he were in a death trap—with not a sound to be heard. Inside the cage was only a round, bronze-colored basin covered in patterns, filled to the brim with clear water, and a pile of withered grass beside it, on which lay some fruits he had never seen before. The green fruits resembled apples in appearance, though one was green and the other was a pale blue-green. His lips were parched, so he reached out with his pale hand, grabbed one, and began to gnaw on it. Splash! A burst of cool juice sprayed from his mouth as he bit into it. At the same moment, Gu Xiao felt an inexplicable energy begin to flow into his body, and a flash of sharp focus flickered in his pupils. Sure enough, that woman was no ordinary person. He recalled the Moonlit Summit just before he lost consciousness—the massive mountain peaks rolling past, those dreamlike scenes, and the cage he was trapped in. The disparity between heaven and earth was vast; their strength was simply incomparable. The sound of munching echoed constantly within the gloomy, cold cell. From the very first bite, Gu Xiao knew these fruits were no ordinary fruit, so he wasted not a single morsel, devouring them until they were completely clean. His stomach began to churn, and a wave of warmth spread through his body. The feeling of weakness seemed to fade, though Gu Xiao knew deep down that through these green apples, he could sense a thread of energy beginning to circulate within him. It felt cool, like cold water—without any discomfort or chill. After sensing all this, Gu Xiao fell silent. All living things and plants in the Dark Mountains were of the Yin nature; without the blazing sunlight of the vast sky, the food grew in this same environment. He knew his body was not yet able to adapt. The spirit-infused fruit allowed Gu Xiao’s body to recover somewhat. Though he felt a pleasant warmth, only he knew that this was merely superficial. His human constitution made it impossible for him to survive in this region. Before coming to this world, his ghostly shadow had been shattered many times. Now, Gu Xiao could clearly feel his shadow disintegrating, unable to coalesce. It was like when his palm went numb—no matter how hard he tried, the numb hand felt as if it were beyond his control. The dim sunlight refracting through the skylight above began to shift slowly. As time passed bit by bit, Gu Xiao’s weakened body showed signs of improvement. The dim sunlight cast a glow on his pale cheeks, creating an eerie beauty. Gu Xiao closed his eyes peacefully, basking in the faint warmth. A moment later, a pair of cold, piercing eyes slowly opened. A glint of sharpness flashed through them. Seeing that no one had come in for so long, he cast a cold glance around the cell before standing up and beginning to strip off his clothes. Swish, swish—he stripped off his tattered white shirt, revealing the sinewy muscles of his upper body. With a slap, he tossed it into the basin, then began to roam the cell uninhibitedly, though those icy eyes never wavered from the cell door. Clink, clink~ His fingernails tapped lightly against the cage. The hard, unfamiliar metal felt even colder as his pale palm gripped it tightly. Seeing this, a gleam flashed in Gu Xiao’s eyes. He crouched down and ran his hand over his white special forces boots. Upon close inspection, one could clearly see that Gu Xiao was actually pulling a thin thread from the edge of the boot between his fingers. If viewed under a magnifying glass, the thread would reveal rows of neatly arranged barbs. A wire saw! It was a wire saw. With calm composure, Gu Xiao began to pull the wire saw out and wrap it around his palm; protected by his combat gloves, his hand wouldn’t be cut. Sssshhh... A faint, continuous grinding sound could be heard. In the sunlight, a thin thread began to rub back and forth against a black iron pillar. Time passed slowly. By now, Gu Xiao’s forehead was covered in sweat, yet his eyes remained fixed on the iron pillar being scraped by the wire saw. Perhaps out of fear of being discovered, or perhaps driven by an urgent desire to escape, Gu Xiao’s bare upper body glistened in the dim sunlight, and his well-defined muscles radiated a powerful, dynamic beauty under these circumstances.