She turned to him, "I am sorry, I think I failed,"

"Young mistress!" Xixi screamed with her eyes fixed behind her, she turned back to see what had caused her to scream like that, her eyes widened in happiness seeing that she has managed to eliminate all the black stones with her last move.

​​

She smiled in disbelief, she has always taken pride in her intelligence but the moment she entered the forest, she felt like she had entered a nightmare, the place where she killed a human and it seemed to her that she has lost all her abilities to think and act.

She turned back to look at Wei Xianlu who nodded his head and at her with a look that showed that he had always believed in her right from the beginning, winning the chess game made her regain a part of her confidence but thinking about the next hurdle they have to pass through she was now thinking if it is possible for her to help them pass through it just like she did before.

"We can now move forward without worries all least for now," she informed then they continued forward but the men still didn't let their guards down, they didn't believe that their survival depends on the games only.

"Does Miss Rufei know what game we have to play next?" he inquired but he ended up making his question sound unserious, Rufei stopped on her tracks and turned to him with a frown on her face, making everyone stop too.

"Does Young master Wei think these things are just games? do you realise that one mistake might lead to the end of our lives, I don't know how capable young master Wei is but I suggest you act carefully," her intense gaze made him feel like he had done something really wrong when all he did was ask a question if it was another woman who spoke to him in that manner, he knows exactly what he would have done to her.

"Where are your manners when speaking to..." Wei Xianlu raised his hand, signalling his bodyguard to stop, then he smiled.

"It seems like I have offended Miss Rufei with my tone of speaking but I assure you that I did not mean it that way, I am sorry if you have taken offence to my question.

{Young master is apologizing...to a woman at that}

Ke Yang questioned inwardly in disbelief, his master his well known for his cruelty just like his father and he has always demanded respect from everyone but seeing him apologize totally shocked him, Xixi who was nervous to hear his reply sighed in relief then she waited for her young mistress reply to dissolve the situation but Ruo Rufei still kept quiet with a frown still on her face.

"Young mistress," Xixi mumbled, nudging her.

"If I misunderstood then it is alright, forgive my rudeness, I am a bit tense,"

"I understand," he responded then they continued forward.

The fourth prince and his followers were still walking around under Xiaodi's guidance but they felt they have been walking around the same area even though they have been walking for a long time but neither of them thought they were thinking the same so they just kept quiet until they couldn't hold it anymore.

"I think we have been walking around the same area for some time now," the three of them chorused in unison, they glanced at each other in surprise before bursting into laughter which was shortlived because of the fourth prince coughing.

"It seems like we all noticed the same thing," the fourth prince remarked.

"Xiaodi what is wrong with you, you should be leading us to the fire element grass not walking around the same place repeatedly," Xi Feng scolded, earning a glare from Xiaodi who was already starting to get frustrated herself and the last thing she wanted to hear is his scolding.

"Master, I am very sure that I have been following the trails of the scent but I think there is something wrong with this place," she stated, ignoring the person who asked her a question, the fourth prince nodded his head then he walked around the area while the rest stood at the same spot watching him, he knelt on the ground and scattered the sand on the ground then he lifted his head in alarm, he immediately stood from his knees and returned to where he was standing.

"Our footprints are not on the ground even though we have been circling this place, it is the statue...."

"Xiaodi, watch out!!" Xi Feng shouted, he immediately pulled her away from the spot she was standing and flung her petite body away from the stone statue that had appeared out of nowhere with its sword aiming at Xiaodi, he quickly held the sword with his hand and used his inner strength to push the statue back causing him to slide back.

Before they could process the situation, more statues appeared from nowhere, they somersaulted out of the range of the statues but the more they moved back, the more surrounded they got so the fourth ordered both of them to stop.

"This is the statue maze, do not panic, let them gather then we can find our way out, understood?"

"Understood!" they replied in unison, but Xiaodi still hasn't recovered from the timely rescue Xi Feng gave her, if he wasn't fast enough, the statue would have ended up hurting him instead of her, she shook her head to shake her thoughts away knowing that she has to concentrate at least for now.

The stone statues soon surrounded them completely, each statue seemed to be dressed in armour and holding a sword, the statues started circling them and swinging their sword in all directions, it didn't take long for Xiaodi and Xi Feng to understand what they needed to do to get out of the situation.

"Now!" the fourth prince ordered.

They flew into the air then they all landed on top of the status, each on of one statue with their arms spread to maintain their balance as the statues were now spinning at a very fast speed, making it almost impossible for them to make any move.

Escaping the statues is very easy for them but it would consume a lot of time which is something they don't have to spare considering the fourth prince's condition.

"Master, what should we do?" Xiaodi questioned

"I will use my ice power to freeze them, then we can pass through them without any trouble, that way we won't have to waste much time," he responded then he closed his eyes and waved his hand in the air, he brought both hands together to his chest then he separated them, forming blue Qi between his palms.

"Master you musn't!" Xi Feng exclaimed, the fourth prince stopped for a moment and turned to him.

"If you use your ice power now, you will speed up your transformation process and your pain will only get worse, whatever it takes, we will do our best to escape the statue maze in time so you don't have to use your power," Xi Feng continued with a worried look in his eyes but part of him already knows that the fourth prince wouldn't listen.

The fourth prince hesitated for a while but the pain in his chest spiked up at that moment, making him taste a concentrated metallic taste in his mouth, realizing what it is, he quickly swallowed it back but pretended like he wasn't feeling anything.

Without saying anything, he propelled himself into the centre of the maze then he spun his body around and waved his hands in the air again before pushing them downward, at a fast speed, the frost from his hands quickly covered the statues, stopping them in their tracks.

He stopped then he flew to the ground and the others followed after him with concern written on their faces, even though he is the powerful saint of the extinct ice clan with thousands of years worth of cultivation, they still couldn't help being concerned about him since he is forsaking a lot for the sake of a girl who doesn't even know him.

"Are you alright, master?" Xi Feng asked but the fourth prince only nodded to his question, the both of them instantly felt there is something wrong, their eyes fell on his clenched fist then they realized that he must have been keeping something from them and they know just what it is.

"Someone is here," Xi Feng shouted pointing behind the fourth prince.

"Where?" the fourth prince asked, turning his back to see who was there but Xiaodi quickly took the opportunity to strike his back, his eyes widened as he turned back to see their faces which were still expecting a result.

All of a sudden, a mouthful of deep red coagulated blood spurted out of his mouth, he waved his index finger at them in disbelief but Xiaodi landed him another hit on his back.

"Xiaodi!" he shouted angrily but he stopped when he felt the metallic taste in his mouth again this time, he couldn't control it, he vomited another mouthful of blood.

Seeing how much blood he had vomited, they couldn't believe that he was acting like he was fine all through the time they had entered the forest, angry, Xiaodi pulled the edges of his robe and pulled them apart taking advantage of his slightly weak and unguarded state.

"Xiaodi, you are going too far!" he retorted angrily but her teary eyes met his furious gaze, seeing the blue branched lines on his chest almost reaching his heart.

"Master, why didn't you tell us that you were feeling so much pain, you could have said something at least, if you fall unconscious and never wake up, what is Xiaodi going to do?" Xiaodi yelled angrily with tears dropping down her cheeks.

"Master..."

"Don't tell me you are also about to cry, Xi Feng," then he turned to Xiaodi, he flicked her forehead and removed her hands from the robe then he pulled her closer to him.

"Don't be stupid, I won't be unconscious, not now not ever and even if I do, it won't be forever only until my spirit has recuperated so don't say something like that next time," he smiled to reassure them but they were no fools to fall for it again.