Since receiving the prompt and entering this space, Song Qingxiao hadn’t figured out exactly what this so-called “Trial of the Gods” was all about. The clues she had gathered were limited. 

After splitting into teams and leaving their previous space, they received a task prompt, and nine cards appeared in their minds. It wasn’t clear what relation these cards had with the nine people who entered the space. 

Until she could understand what was happening, the presence of the dagger somewhat comforted Song Qingxiao. 

“When I entered, I was on my way home from work, and something unexpected happened…” 

Song Qingxiao didn’t mention the encounter with the murderer on the road. The middle-aged man didn’t suspect her of lying. Given the current situation with the girl and himself, both of them had items related to what they held when they entered the “Trial of the Gods.” However, whether it was the girl’s phone or the mouse he had thrown away, none of these items seemed to have any use in this place. The chubby man subconsciously thought that it was normal for Song Qingxiao not to bring anything with her when she entered, and even if she had some reservations, the items she received might not have any significance. 

Even so, the man still gave her a glance. At the moment, she looked a bit disheveled. 

After entering the space, although the wound on Song Qingxiao’s neck had disappeared, her hair and clothes were soaked with rainwater, and her long hair was covered in mud, sticking to her face. 

The thick bangs, wet with water, firmly covered half of her face. When her black hair contrasted with her pale skin, her complexion appeared even paler, devoid of any color. 

It seemed that she had been frightened by this eerie space. She was still trembling uncontrollably, and the middle-aged man couldn’t help but feel disgusted when he looked at her. He only glanced at her briefly before turning his head away. 

On the other hand, despite her timidity, the girl undoubtedly looked more attractive than Song Qingxiao. 

“Did you receive any prompts?”  

With most of the thick fog around them dissipating and a certain level of visibility restored, the middle-aged man became somewhat calmer. He raised his head and, imitating the doctor’s tone from the previous space, adopted a commanding tone as he asked the two girls. 

Song Qingxiao remained silent, and the girl, who was evidently very naive, was more forthcoming. When the middle-aged man asked, she immediately replied, “Yes, as soon as we entered, I received an image.” Like Song Qingxiao, she also saw nine cards in her mind, adorned with mysterious patterns. She currently had no idea about the purpose of these cards, but the eerie patterns on the back made her uneasy. 

“What about you?” she asked. 

At this point, Song Qingxiao guessed that all the participants who entered these mysterious spaces probably received similar prompts. Perhaps the opportunity to leave this space was hidden within these prompts. 

Since everyone received the same message, there was no need for her to conceal it, so when the girl asked, she nodded, indicating that she had also received the same prompt. The middle-aged man’s expression changed several times, as if he still couldn’t figure out the purpose of these cards. Nevertheless, he admitted that he had received a similar prompt. 

“Now, I think we should return to where we were just now and wait for everyone to regroup,” he said. 

The girl readily agreed, and Song Qingxiao fell silent for a moment before softly reminding them, “The space has disappeared.” 

After hearing her words, both the middle-aged man and the girl finally realized this issue. They looked around. 

While most of the thick fog had dissipated, it had not completely cleared. The light and visibility had improved only slightly. 

The area they were in was an open space, with dense, grayish fog in the distance. Vague dark shapes, resembling monsters ready to pounce on prey, could be seen. 

The space where they had been before had indeed disappeared. Even the three of them had no clear sense of direction from which they had come or where they were currently located. The middle-aged man suddenly felt a sense of despair. 

“Damn it!” he cursed. “What the hell is this place?” 

The girl trembled with fear, and Song Qingxiao was also afraid. She once again touched the dagger hidden in her sleeve. The sharp blade of the dagger provided her with some sense of security in this environment. She mustered her courage, carefully looked around, and tried to find something distinctive to use as a marker to avoid getting lost in this place. 

Among the four teams formed by the nine people who entered the space, the team Song Qingxiao was in was the weakest. The girl was timid and young, and in such a situation, she couldn’t provide much help to the group. Even not causing any trouble would be considered good enough. 

The middle-aged man appeared older, and in theory, he should have more experience. However, his lecherous gaze and his previous reaction, almost resorting to violence because of the girl’s scream, made him unreliable. 

Though Song Qingxiao wasn’t particularly brave herself, in a place like this, she couldn’t trust anyone but herself. 

“Let’s find a place to determine our direction,” she said, taking a deep breath and speaking up when both the girl and the middle-aged man seemed lost. “To leave this place, we need to regroup with the others and find an exit at least.” 

Given the circumstances, there was no better option. The middle-aged man and the girl agreed with Song Qingxiao’s words. 

Once the decision was made, the middle-aged man quickly tried to establish himself as the leader of the group. He beckoned to the girl and said, “We don’t know if this place is dangerous, so it’s best not to separate. I’ll hold your hand…” He puffed up his chest, giving orders, and, upon seeing Song Qingxiao’s dirty appearance and disheveled state, he showed a hint of disdain and instructed the girl, “You hold her hand.” 

Clearly, he had forgotten Song Qingxiao’s name. Song Qingxiao didn’t mind. She had grown accustomed to feeling ignored like this. Moreover, in such a mysterious space, facing a group of strangers, having a lower profile might work to her advantage. 

The girl obediently allowed the middle-aged man to hold her hand. She seemed to be frightened and, once she held onto the middle-aged man and Song Qingxiao, even though Song Qingxiao’s hand wasn’t clean, she held on tightly without letting go. 

It was apparent that the girl came from a well-off family, and her parents were very protective of her. Her palm was soft and tender, and it was easy to tell that she had never done any housework, given its texture. 

“Do you still want your mouse?”  

As the three of them were about to move, Song Qingxiao glanced at the mouse that had been thrown on the ground and asked softly. 

She had very few items she could use now, and she didn’t know what might happen in the future. Having something in her hand, even if she knew it wouldn’t be very useful, could still provide her with a sense of security. 

Although the middle-aged man had previously expressed his disdain for the mouse, now that he heard Song Qingxiao’s intention to take it, he didn’t want to let her have an advantage. So, when she asked, he replied, “Of course.” 

As he spoke, he bent down to pick it up. 

The three of them held hands and chose a direction to start moving. After walking for about ten minutes, they saw no signs of people. Since their phones and watches were no longer functioning in this place, the middle-aged man gradually grew impatient. As they got closer to a massive dark shadow they had previously discovered, their palms and backs started to sweat profusely. 

The middle-aged man was starting to lose his composure. He stopped and shouted loudly, his voice sounding somewhat hysterical. The two girls dared not make a sound. After he shouted, he stopped for a while. It was a long time before they faintly heard an echo: “Is there… anyone? Is there… anyone?… Zhou… Jing… Jing…” 

The last “Jing” echoed many times. This eerie echoing sent shivers down their spines, and it particularly unnerved the middle-aged man, who almost collapsed to the ground. 

Song Qingxiao licked her dry lips, flexed her arms, and felt the presence of the dagger. Her heart, which had paused for a few beats, began to beat rapidly again. 

After this echoing incident, the middle-aged man dared not shout loudly again. He realized that, given his previous loud voice, anyone from Zhou Jing’s group, the doctor, or any of the other groups nearby should have heard it. Since there was no response, it either meant they were not in the same space anymore or they were far away. 

This was troublesome. If they were far apart, it meant they couldn’t come to each other’s aid or rescue each other if danger arose. 

Song Qingxiao was keenly aware that the middle-aged man was becoming increasingly irritable. Her upbringing and the near-death encounter with a stranger earlier tonight had made her very sensitive to crisis situations. She needed to be careful around this man. 

The nine cards in her mind hadn’t changed so far. She didn’t know if this was a good or bad sign. 

After walking for who knew how long, the middle-aged man finally couldn’t bear it anymore. He kicked the tall grass in front of him forcefully. He was about to curse, but when his foot landed, he stepped on nothing. Unable to retract his leg in time, he fell to the ground, taking the tightly held girl and Song Qingxiao down with him.