Chat group, if you have anything to say to my Holy Sword,

It was a gray-blue and white evening gown.

Irene's fingertips gently brushed the hem of the grey-blue and white evening gown. The cool, smooth feel of the silk made her unconsciously hold her breath. The gown's design was simple yet elegant; the grey-blue main color resembled lake water at dusk, with white lace embellishments like moonlight shimmering on the surface.

"Want to try this on?" Xiling's voice suddenly rang in my ears.

Elena abruptly withdrew her hand as if burned, instinctively taking half a step to the side. "I...I was just looking around..."

“There’s no harm in trying it on.” Xiling turned to the shop assistant and said, “Could you please take this lady and this dress to the fitting room?”

Watching Elena leave with the shop assistant, Xiling turned and headed towards the men's clothing section. Another shop assistant approached her at the opportune moment: "Sir, would you like to take a look at some men's clothing?"

Xiling nodded: "Okay, take me to see it."

After browsing the men's section, Xiling's gaze fell upon a sharply tailored black suit. Just as he was about to head to the fitting room, a commotion suddenly erupted from the women's fitting area. Before he even got close, a chorus of exclamations of admiration reached his ears.

"So beautiful!"

"Like a delicate doll!"

"Is that a foreigner? A European?"

"It's so beautiful!"

In the center of the crowd, the gray-haired witch was elegantly holding up the hem of her evening gown. She had been proudly accepting the compliments of the crowd, but when she saw a familiar figure, the girl's expression suddenly became somewhat unnatural.

Xiling walked through the crowd to Elaina, stroking her chin and scrutinizing her closely. Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Elaina suppressed a strange feeling welling up inside, feigning composure as she tossed her hair: "How does it feel?"

Without hesitation, Xiling gave a thumbs up: "Very beautiful!" After thinking for a moment, he gave another thumbs up: "Extremely beautiful!"

Elena tilted her head back, her silver hair shimmering softly in the lamplight, and proudly replied, "Of course, after all, it's me."

But just then, several voices filled with envy rang out from the crowd:

"Is that her boyfriend? He's so handsome!"

"What a perfect couple!"

"That girl looks so shy."

"Isn't it all because you guys are talking nonsense?" Xiling glanced at the people talking in the crowd. Modern people really do have to meddle in everything. Can't they just buy their own things?

The girl's ears slowly turned red.

Seeing this, Xiling felt she should say something, "Don't mind it, that's how people are here. They start overthinking when they see young men and women walking together."

Elena gave a soft "hmm," and her heart raced again as she recalled the whispers in the crowd.

Just then, a waiter walked over with a smile.

"Sir, your girlfriend is really beautiful, but don't you think there's something missing?"

The staff member saw Xiling roll her eyes at her and immediately realized that she might have said something wrong. The other person might not be in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship. Just as she was about to speak up to smooth things over,

Elena spoke up, tilting her head as if in doubt to ask the staff.

"What am I still missing?"

The staff member was a little confused again. She glanced at Xiling, then at Elena, and finally took a deep breath.

So that's how it is! She understood everything!

At that moment, a sense of responsibility arose in the hearts of the service personnel.

A perfectly timed smile crept onto her face.

"Sir, don't you think this lady is missing a pair of matching shoes?"

She chose to skip the question from earlier.

Upon hearing what he said, Xiling also looked down at Elena's feet.

Indeed, we're still missing a pair of shoes.

"That's true, then I'll have to trouble you."

“It’s my pleasure.” The staff member continued, “Actually, this complete dress also comes with matching shoes. Please follow me.”

While Xiling and Elena were following the staff, Xiling suddenly teased, "Are you used to wearing high heels?"

"I'm a genius, even if I don't get used to it quickly," Elena said confidently, tilting her head slightly.

"Alright, Miss Genius Witch, just be careful not to fall."

The two quickly arrived at the place indicated by the staff, who asked Elena to sit for a while while they went to get their things.

Not long after, a waitress came over with a pair of blue crystal-like high heels, but at this moment her face showed anxiety. She came up to Xiling and said anxiously.

"I'm sorry, sir, something came up and I might need to take care of it for a bit. I'm very sorry."

"Oh, it's nothing, you go ahead and do your work," Xiling waved her hand dismissively.

"Thank you." After saying this, the waitress hurried away, but as she passed by Elena, Elena clearly saw the waitress wink at her.

It's like saying, "Keep it up, sister, that's all I can do to help you."

Elena blinked in confusion, and just then, Xiling handed her the shoes.

"Give it a try, it's quite pretty," Xiling said with a smile.

“Okay.” Elena looked at the shoes in the box, her eyes lighting up just like when she saw the clothes. She wanted to take off her own shoes and put on these shoes, but she stopped as soon as she bent down.

She finally understood what the waiter meant.

"What's wrong?" Xiling keenly noticed her unusual behavior.

Elena slowly straightened up, looking somewhat embarrassed: "Wearing this outfit... I feel like I can't bend over."

Xiling blinked, glancing at Elaina's cinched-waist dress and then at her embarrassed expression, before suddenly realizing, "Ah... what do we do now? Wait until he comes back?"

Elena's fingers unconsciously tightened around the hem of her skirt, her gaze drifting elsewhere: "Could...you help me, Xiling?"

The air seemed to fall silent. Elena turned her head away and didn't notice that Xiling's expression had been momentarily dazed.

He would probably find it difficult to refuse Elena's request.

He recalled that night when the girl smiled at him and made her final request.

Xiling sighed silently, and a smile returned to his face.

"if you do not mind."

Xiling crouched down and said with a smile, "I've never helped anyone put on high heels, so don't come to me with any problems."

Elena felt her heart pounding uncontrollably. She watched as Xiling untied her shoelaces, the warmth of her fingertips radiating down her calves, making her unconsciously hold her breath.

"Lift your foot up."

Following Xiling's words, Elena lifted her foot, and Xiling also took off her original shoes.

Elena felt all the blood rush to her cheeks. She stared at Xiling's focused profile, and in her mind, she seemed to have seen Xiling's profile from another angle, as if in a dream...

"Alright." Xiling helped her tie the last ribbon, then stood up with a smile. "Looks like I do have some talent. Let's get up and see."

Irena stood up, but as soon as she took a step, her foot twisted and she fell into a familiar embrace. A fragment of memory appeared in her mind; it was this same embrace that caught her before she fainted.

Something seemed to have been shattered!

At that moment, Elena remembered everything.

Chapter 114 The Witch's Confusion and the Hero's Helplessness

"No, you've only taken one step and you've already fallen. That's a bit ridiculous. I could probably do better than you." Xiling supported Elena to prevent her from falling, and then said in an annoyed tone.

"How are you now? Does it hurt? Do you want me to treat you?"

Irene lowered her head and did not reply to Xiling's words.

The other party's silence made Xiling feel a little strange.

Xiling lowered her head slightly, wanting to see what was wrong with the other person, but just then Elena spoke up.

"Feel sorry."

The voice was soft, like a feather falling in a gentle breeze, yet it carried a resolute tone. Before Xiling could react, Elena used the chat group teleportation system. A flash of light appeared and vanished in an instant; the weight in Xiling's arms vanished, leaving only the emptiness of holding air.

Xiling remained frozen in place, half-embracing and half-supporting, and blinked.

"So... what exactly happened?"

-

Meanwhile, in her own world, Elena suddenly appeared on a meadow, almost stumbling before regaining her balance. She clutched her chest tightly, as if her heart was about to burst out of her chest. She gasped for breath, not because of physical injury, but because of the turbulent emotions surging within her.

Countless fragments of memory surged into her brain, and those once blurry and fragmented dream segments were now rapidly combining and piecing together with unprecedented clarity and coherence.

At the heart of all those images and emotions lies the same figure. As long as you look at that figure, all fear, danger, and unease will be dispelled by an indescribable tranquility and power.

“Xiling…”

Irene unconsciously murmured the name over and over again, as if the name itself contained some kind of magic. She didn't know why she kept calling it, but a voice in her heart was driving her.

Every time she utters this name, a surge of warmth washes over her, bringing with it an almost blind faith that no matter what lies ahead—abyss or hell—as long as she calls this name, that person will surely descend to her side and clear away the thorns for her.

"Damn it! Damn it! This is too unfair!" Elena stomped her foot, and the broom appeared beneath her with a whoosh. She straddled it almost roughly, filled with unvented shame, anger, and chaos, and poured her witch's magic into the broom without reservation.

The next instant, she shot into the sky like an arrow, the air whistling past her cheeks. She manipulated her broom to perform various difficult turns, dives, and spiral ascents in the air, leaving a distorted white trail of air behind her.

She tried to use speed and the pounding wind to drive away the lingering image in her mind, wanting the biting air to dispel the burning heat on her face and the pounding of her heart.

However, the more she tried to forget, the clearer the figure became. The strength of Xiling's arm when he supported her, the warm breath he exhaled on her forehead as he spoke, and... and that lingering scent around her nose, exactly the same scent she had captured in her dream chapter, the one she cherished so dearly!

That was Xiling's unique, comforting scent. Just recalling that close proximity and that familiar aroma made her heart race like a runaway engine, pounding wildly against her ribs.

"Aaaaah!" Elena screamed in frustration in the air. "Why did I run away?! Like an idiot!" She questioned herself loudly towards the empty blue sky, regret and shame clinging to her like vines.

"Xiling! It's all your fault, you bastard! How am I supposed to face you now!" The shout, filled with complex emotions, was torn apart by the high-speed airflow and dissipated into the vast sky.

-

Kevin looked at his nearly maxed-out credit card, then at Xiling walking back alone, and immediately clicked his tongue. "Where's Elena?"

Lying on the sofa like a dead fish, Xiling shook her head. "I don't know. I just suddenly went back."

"waste!"

Kevin was furious. This bastard almost maxed out his card, and now he gets this response?

Xiling chuckled, glancing elsewhere, and didn't refute Kevin's words, after all, he had almost maxed out someone else's credit card.

The feeling of spending other people's money is truly irresistible.

Just then, Kevin walked right up to Xiling and asked her with a gossipy look on his face.

"What happened between you and Elena that night? Tell me the truth!"

Xiling glanced at Kevin, then turned to look in another direction, and Kevin immediately went to the other side.

"Hey, you almost maxed out my card, and this is the attitude you get!"

"Sigh." Xiling sighed. "They're all bad memories, what's there to talk about?"

He still feels pain in his chest, but something even more painful keeps lingering in his mind.

When Kevin saw Xiling's expression, he realized that things might not be as he had thought, so he didn't ask Xiling to say anything more.

"Alright, get ready. It's almost time. Change your clothes here, and I'll let you know when it's time. Just teleport over and I'll show you what our Firemoth's food is like." Kevin patted Xiling's head under her murderous gaze, then turned and left.

As the door slammed shut, Xiling was left alone. He slowly closed his eyes, but the moment he did, his mind began to replay a scene like a movie: a girl with a sword at her neck, smiling at him, and asking him to kill her.

It was a dream, and the people there were all dream projections assimilated by the ancient gods. Xiling knew this fact better than anyone else. He couldn't save her in the dream; he... couldn't do it.

He can't do anything.

The most beautiful smile he gave the girl in her short life ended this nightmare, and also ended the girl's short life.

Actually, Xiling doesn't know how to face Elena or, more specifically, how to face that face.

A sigh came from a room where someone was alone.

"Uh... troublesome."

-