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With an air of dominance, Dongfang Qingcang stood confidently, his tall figure towering over the surroundings. He found himself back from a mysterious portal, and his mind was puzzled. He observed the sandy landscape around him, realizing he had returned to the arid desert-like region, the Xuanxu realm in Cangyan Sea, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of those he had slain earlier that day.

'How long have I been asleep? How did I end up there in the first place?' Qingcang wondered, but he brushed the thought away, choosing to focus on the present.

Qingcang took a deep breath and summoned an icy blue flame from his inner energy by opening his right hand. The flickering flame brought back a vivid memory from his dream—the image of two fires merging, accompanied by the presence of their primordial spirits.

Glancing down, Qingcang saw the Hellfire still burning dazzlingly in his hand. "My Hellfire has recovered," he whispered. The portal and the bold girl lingered in his mind as if it was still holding onto him. Bitterness twisted his features as he fumed over Lina's audacity. "That Silly Little Human dared to be so arrogant. No one had ever escaped my wrath," he muttered through gritted teeth, his anger visible in his clenched fists. "One day, I'll kill her," he growled, vowing with determination and disdain etched on his face.

Out of nowhere, a portal materialized amidst the clouds above, emitting bright beams of yellow-white light from the dark surroundings. Qingcang slightly parted his lips and squinted, the rays growing stronger and illuminating his face. As the light dimmed, his eyes widened, fixated on the clouds forming an enormous circle. The cloud patterns undulated like waves, swirling around his body, accompanied by distant thunder that added to the eerie atmosphere.

"It's the portal," Qingcang whispered to himself, the weight of the realization sinking in. Before he could fully process the revelation, a piercing scream shattered the air, jolting him back to reality. 'That voice...' he thought, recognizing the familiar cry. He briefly looked downward before snapping his gaze back up, a frown appearing on his features. "It's her!" he exclaimed.

Qingcang's eyes widened as the piercing screams reverberated through the portal. Within its depths, he witnessed the young girl attacked by a malevolent entity. A tightness constricted his throat, and a stabbing pain pierced his heart. Kneeling, he groaned in agony, steadying himself with one hand against the ground to stave off unconsciousness. His chest burned as if a searing, jagged blade had stabbed it.

'Why do we share this agony?' Qingcang questioned inwardly, a sense of unease gnawing at his gut. He realized that his fate was now intertwined with that 'annoying girl' and that his life would never be the same. 'So, the times I felt pain weren't due to her tricks? This means... I can't kill her,' his thoughts seethed with frustration.

With a swift motion, Qingcang summoned his last reserves of strength, pushing himself upright using the ground for support. He summoned his black-hued energy—an ethereal aura enveloping him—propelling his form swiftly toward the suspended portal above.

As Qingcang neared, the portal emitted crackling, electrical sounds, the air pulsating with energy. An oppressive constriction seized his chest as he witnessed the dark forces wrenching at Lina's heart within her chest. 'If she gets killed... then so will I,' he pondered grimly, his brow furrowing deeply. Extending a trembling finger, he touched the portal's shimmering surface. Radiant white light gathered around his body, engulfing him entirely. In an instant, he vanished from his familiar world, transported to another realm altogether.

Lina was in a state of panic as she cried out and begged for her life. The terrifying creature before her was a grotesque manifestation of darkness, its ominous presence suffocating her as it pinned her down, crushing her chest and making it difficult for her to breathe. She gasped for air, but it felt like no air was left to breathe. She was horrified by the sight of the creature and felt a sense of despair wash over her as she struggled to break free from its grasp.

Suddenly, Lina found herself unable to move, and her screams turned into muffled sobs as she was paralyzed. She could only pray to God, hoping that someone would come to save her from this nightmare. The dark energy yanked her body up and down, making her cry shrill, piercing screams. Her eyes were wide with fear as she did not want to die this way. She felt like she was being pulled apart, her limbs stretching beyond their limits.

In the corner of her eye, Lina saw something. It was black energy in the shape of bird wings emerging from the ceiling of her room. A familiar face appeared in the center of it - a young man she had seen before in her dreams. She thought to herself, 'It's him again! How? Why is he here?'

The mysterious man, Dongfang Qingcang, looked down at Lina with an emotionless expression and a slightly tilted head, maintaining a stern look. He observed her from above and thought, 'Strange... She can't speak because of this creature on top of her. I have never seen anything like this before in my life.' He narrowed his eyes in confusion as he tried to make sense of the situation.

Lina realized that this man was not human as she looked more closely at the wing-shaped energy surrounding the 'pretty-eyed' man from her dreams. She thought, 'No matter who he is, I need his help. I will be dead if I don't do something.' She looked Qingcang directly in the eyes and opened her mouth with all her strength.

Qingcang's narrowed eyes opened slightly in response to Lina's gaze, and he seemed to be studying her intently.

"H-h-h-he... he-hel-p..." Lina stuttered, her voice barely above a whisper, as she struggled to speak. She was barely able to utter the complete word for help without interruption. Her voice was weak and trembling, but her message was clear. She needed help and hoped Qingcang could save her from this frightening situation again.

Qingcang stood tall, his armor-clad body exuding power and strength as he raised his pointing finger, concealed beneath an armored glove. With swift precision, he lowered his finger and easily sliced the dark being in half, causing it to scream in pain. Narrowing his cold eyes, he slightly tilted his head downward. He opened his fingers to form a sphere-like dark-blue energy in the palm of his hand. His gaze remained fixed on the repulsive monster as it screeched in fear. Without hesitation, he clenched his fist and whispered, "Die," softly but lethally viciously. The creature instantly vanished into thin air, leaving nothing but dust scattered across the room.

Lina, who was pinned down by the monster, struggled to catch her breath with a heavy feeling in her chest. She looked up at the mysterious, strong man who had come closer to her, his face stoic and mysterious, and she thought to herself, 'He saved me again from this type of monster.'

Qingcang tilted his head and crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on Lina. With a graceful movement, he floated forward until he was at eye level with her.

Lina, who had been watching the scene in terror, could not help but ask, "Why didn't you kill me with it?" As Qingcang landed on her bed, she felt nervous and covered her neck with her sheets, only exposing her face, and thought, 'He's on my bed! Wait... is he going to touch me inappropriately?'

Qingcang straightened his back, sat gracefully on Lina's bed, and carefully eyed her in the dark. The moonlight behind him accentuated the sharp features of his handsome face as he raised his eyebrow and scrutinized her directly with a cold stare. He leaned in closer to Lina, his deep and menacing voice filled with malice as he spoke. "I do want to kill you very, very much," he declared with a dark intensity in his eyes and grabbed her wrist under the sheets. His grip was firm. "I want to snap your neck and feed you to the sharks."

Lina's eyes widened in mere disbelief. A gasp escaped her trembling lips. She struggled to process the cruel words that Qingcang had uttered; it was unbelievable that he could speak so harshly.

But Qingcang was not finished, and his hand traveled to Lina's face. His grip was gentle as he cupped her chin, but it was enough to make her heart race. "But I will never do that to you," he said, his tone softening slightly.

"Huh?" Lina blinked in confusion, unsure of what Qingcang meant. Before she could speak, he abruptly released her wrist and allowed her to massage it.

"Not only will I not kill you, but I also won't allow anyone to hurt you," Qingcang said with a sinister edge in his voice. "If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, I'll cut their head off and put it on a stand."

The words sent a shiver down Lina's spine. She stared at Qingcang, wide-eyed, trying to comprehend his level of control and possessiveness. "Uh...what?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Qingcang's eyes locked onto Lina's with a fierce intensity; his gaze was unwavering as he declared in a menacing tone, "As of now, you're mine. Your life belongs to me. Your breathing belongs to me. Your heartbeat belongs to me. Every drop of blood in your body...belongs to me."

Lina was taken aback by Qingcang's words; her shock and confusion were etched on her face. She could not quite believe what she was hearing.

Qingcang's voice grew increasingly ominous as he continued speaking. "You're not allowed to leave my sight without my permission. You belong to me." His gaze was intense and unwavering.

Lina was stunned by Qingcang's words, trying to process what he had just said. The weight of his words hit her like a ton of bricks. Was he being serious? Did he genuinely believe she belonged to him? Despite the gravity of the situation, she could not help but be amused and let out an awkward chuckle at his bold declaration.

Qingcang's eyes narrowed, clearly not pleased with Lina's reaction. He tilted his head slightly, observing her with a fierce expression.

Lina's heart raced as she replayed the intense moment in her head when their faces were close, recalling the feel of Qingcang's body pressing against hers and the warmth of his breath on her face. A rush of embarrassment washed over her as she felt her cheeks turn crimson at the memory of their accidental kiss. Now she was sitting on her bed with this mysterious stranger who had saved her twice and kissed her; she could not help but wonder if fate was playing a twisted game with her. Could it be that he was developing feelings for her? After all, they had kissed by accident.

Lina's confusion slowly turned to amusement as she smiled awkwardly at Qingcang. She wondered if this was his strange way of expressing his fondness for her. 'Did he fall in love with me?' she thought, flattered but confused by his way of expressing his feelings.

Qingcang, on the other hand, broke eye contact first, remembering that he needed to bring the girl with him to keep her in sight. But his heart sank when he looked at the ceiling and realized, 'The portal has closed!' He felt a sense of unease wash over him as he fully grasped the severity of the situation.

Dongfang Qingcang was now stranded in a completely unknown world, with no means of returning home. To make matters even worse, the only other person he knew was the girl from his dream.

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