Multiple Personalities

"Wha... what's going on here?" Renault's voice trembled, filled with fear and confusion. He tried to shake his wrist, hoping to make the second hand move again, but the watch seemed dead, completely unresponsive. His heartbeat accelerated, as if it was about to burst out of his chest, and an inexplicable fear arose from the bottom of his heart, quickly spreading throughout his body.

Shen Jingqi and Li Baiyu also noticed Renault's abnormality. They followed Renault's gaze and saw that the second hand of the broken watch was indeed motionless. Shen Jingqi's heart sank as he realized that this phenomenon was definitely more than a simple coincidence. Although the watch was broken, the hands had been moving all along until just now. Why did it suddenly stop?

"Renault, was your watch fine before?" Shen Jingqi asked solemnly, his eyes filled with seriousness and concern.

Renault nodded, then shook his head, appearing somewhat flustered. "I... I don't know. It was fine before, and then suddenly... just stopped." His voice shook, clearly scared by the sudden change.

Li Baiyu frowned, a foreboding premonition welling up inside him. Could there be some link between the sudden stop of the watch and the fact that the three of them couldn't move? He wasn't sure, but his intuition told him that there must be some unknown connection between the two.

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

He once again carefully examined everything around, trying to find any possible clues.

Suddenly, his gaze was attracted by a glimmering point of light in the distance. It was a tiny speck of light, flickering weakly in the afterglow of the sunset. He immediately gestured for Li Baiyu and Renault to look in that direction.

Li Baiyu and Renault followed Shen Jingqi's gaze and indeed saw the point of light. It seemed like a reflection off the surface of something, but they couldn't make out what the object was.

"Let's go take a look," Shen Jingqi said in a deep voice.

However, when they tried to move in that direction, they found their bodies still unable to move. The invisible force seemed even stronger, rendering them unable to take even a single step.

A sense of despair and fear surged in Renault's heart. He felt as though he was imprisoned by an intangible force, one he could never escape from. His eyes filled with helplessness and confusion.

"What should we do?" Li Baiyu's voice sounded again, this time filled with anxiety and helplessness. He knew that if they couldn't find a way out soon, they might be trapped here forever.

Shen Jingqi gritted his teeth, a stubborn determination rising within him.

He once again carefully observed everything around, trying to find any potential breakthrough. Suddenly, his gaze fell upon the shadows on the ground. His heart skipped a beat as he immediately thought of a possible method.

"Let's try to move using our shadows!" Shen Jingqi said loudly, his voice filled with hope and anticipation. He knew this method might seem absurd, but in this moment of crisis, any possible method was worth trying.

Li Baiyu and Renault, hearing his suggestion, showed a trace of doubt and confusion. Nevertheless, they chose to trust Shen Jingqi, as he had always been the wise leader among the three of them.

Shen Jingqi took a deep breath, trying to relax his body. Then he attempted to control his shadow with his mind, directing it towards the point of light.

Initially, there was no response. But Shen Jingqi did not give up; he continued to try controlling his shadow with his mind. Finally, after his relentless efforts, the shadow seemed to have a faint movement.

Shen Jingqi's heart lifted with joy, and he immediately increased the intensity of his mental focus. He watched as the shadow slowly moved towards the light, its pace slow but definite.

Li Baiyu and Renault also noticed this phenomenon, a trace of surprise and hope flashing in their eyes. They immediately emulated Shen Jingqi's method, trying to control their shadows with their minds.

Thus, under Shen Jingqi's lead, the shadows of the three slowly moved towards the point of light. Although the pace was slow, they did not abandon hope, knowing this might be their only chance to find a way out.

Just as they were about to reach the point of light, a more powerful force suddenly surged forth. This force was several times stronger than the one that previously bound them, causing them to instantly lose control over their shadows.

Their bodies were again tightly restrained, unable to move an inch. The point of light also vanished from their sight at that moment.

Despair and fear surged in Renault's heart, making him feel as though he was being devoured by an invisible force, one he could never escape from. His eyes filled with helplessness and confusion.

"What... what should we do?" Li Baiyu's voice trembled, filled with urgency and helplessness. He knew that they were at a dead end.

Shen Jingqi gritted his teeth, slowly calming his mind.

He once more carefully observed everything around, attempting to find any possible clues or breakthroughs. However, everything around seemed so normal; other than their immobility, there were no other abnormalities.

Just when they were about to lose hope, a faint sound suddenly reached them. It seemed to come from a great distance, weak and indistinct. But Shen Jingqi, with his sharp senses, caught the sound and immediately signaled Li Baiyu and Renault to listen closely.

They held their breath, listening intently to the sound. Although it was weak, they gradually discerned that it was a murmur of voices, as if someone was conversing in the distance.

Shen Jingqi's heart leaped, and he immediately thought of a possible method. He signaled Li Baiyu and Renault to use their Inner Strength to amplify the sound, attempting to hear what those people were saying.

With Li Baiyu and Renault's efforts, the voice grew clearer. They heard one voice say, "This formation is truly impressive; even they cannot escape."

Another voice continued, "Indeed, this formation took us a lot of effort to set up. They surely have no way out this time."

"We must find a way to break the formation!" Shen Jingqi responded.

Li Baiyu and Renault nodded, knowing they had no other choice.

However, faced with this formation, they found themselves unable to take action for the moment.

As time ticked by, the three of them grew increasingly anxious and helpless.