Escape Filming Location

What? Could it be…

Qian Cangyi glanced back.

Under the dim sky, the Dark Shadow lurking among the furniture slowly emerged, like a ghost haunting every corner.

It didn’t chase after them but instead revealed the same eerie smile it had shown before, as if mocking their futile efforts.

Seeing this, Qian Cangyi felt a chill run down his spine, his breathing growing heavier.

“We’re heading to the Back Mountain,” Hawkeye said, releasing his grip.

“I’ll read as we walk,” Cangyi nodded, his voice trembling slightly.

Li Chenxi’s house was close to the Back Mountain. They could already see the path leading there, though it would still take some time to reach.

“The Dark Shadow isn’t attacking us. It’s probably waiting for the sun to set,” Qian Cangyi thought anxiously.

In June, the sun sets around 6:30 PM. However, with the heavy clouds hanging over Yuxi Village, the light was already dim.

Even though the sun hadn’t fully set, by 6 PM, the light would be as faint as nightfall.

Not only would it be hard to spot traces of the Dark Shadow in the darkness, but even walking would become a challenge.

One hour was the remaining window of relative safety for them. An hour and a half marked the limit of their survival.

“Our time is running out,” Hawkeye said, glancing at the horizon, his expression grave.

Qian Cangyi quickly opened the notebook.

On the title page, the name “Li Chenxi” was written.

[For those destined to seek eternal life.]

[At first, I thought the Death Ritual would only affect me, but I didn’t expect it to impact the entire Yuxi Village.]

[It’s a bit regrettable, but also not too bad. This way, I won’t be lonely after achieving eternal life.]

[What is the purpose of living?]

[For years, I’ve been searching for the answer to this question.]

[When it comes to eternal life, many people think of ancient emperors searching for the elixir of immortality, with countless legends surrounding it.]

[But I wonder, is it only emperors who desire eternal life?]

[Obviously not. Even ordinary elderly people dream of living longer.]

[This shows that everyone’s fundamental goal is to extend their life, because only by being alive can they have everything else.]

[To live is the foundation of everything.]

[I want to live. My illness has no cure. The doctors say it might be a genetic disease that requires testing abroad.]

[Ha.]

[Just visiting the hospital has drained nearly all my savings. Abroad? Maybe in my next life.]

[I can’t do anything but stay in Yuxi Village, waiting for death to come.]

[Others my age are traveling far and wide, but I’m different. I’m already waiting to die.]

[I don’t want to die. I want to live.]

[Every night before sleeping, I silently chant this phrase.]

[I used to mock those who prayed to gods and spirits, but now I find myself pitiful.]

[If I were like them, at least I’d have some spiritual solace. Even if it’s a lie, I’d rather be deceived.]

[I can no longer endure the fear of death. It clings to me like a parasite, gnawing at my mind 24 hours a day, leaving me with unbearable headaches.]

[Until two days ago, June 9th, when everything changed. On that day, I stumbled upon a black Stele in the Back Mountain.]

[The Stele wasn’t large-rectangular, about the height of a regular chair, and as thick as a thumb. Strange symbols were carved on it, evenly spaced. The symbols were obscure and unfamiliar, like tangled threads.]

[I brought the Stele home, intending to study it. After all, I had nothing else to do.]

[That night, I had a dream-a bizarre dream.]

[In the dream, I soared through the skies, traversing oceans, and finally landed in a village. The villagers welcomed me warmly.]

[At the dining table, I noticed none of the villagers were eating; they were merely watching.]

[When I asked, they told me they had achieved Eternal Life. They no longer needed food, drink, or sleep, living every day in joy and freedom.]

[Curious, I asked how I could attain Eternal Life like them. The villagers led me to the village shrine.]

[The shrine bore a plaque inscribed with the words “Death Ritual Shrine.” Inside, there were no ancestral offerings, only a black Stele.]

[The villagers explained that the black Stele was called the “Death Ritual Stele.” Without it, the Death Ritual could not be performed, and within the ritual lay the secret to Eternal Life.]

[Death Ritual-a ceremony to honor death. Once performed, it eliminates the fear of death, allowing one to exist eternally.]

[After hearing their explanation, I was overwhelmed with excitement and asked how to perform the ritual.]

[The villagers were delighted by my request. They spent three days and nights explaining the process in detail, repeating it over and over until I could never forget it.]

[Before I left, they repeatedly warned me that during the ritual, the Death Ritual Stele would be extremely fragile and must be protected at all costs.]

[I thanked them and departed.]

[When I opened my eyes, dawn had broken. As I sat up, my mind was filled with memories of how to perform the Death Ritual.]

[Was it the Stele sending me a dream?]

[I wasn’t sure, but I decided to carry out the ritual.]

[White Candles, Paper Money, a peculiar dance, and an incomprehensible chant-I remembered them all.]

[It took me a morning to prepare, not too long. By afternoon, I had moved the Death Ritual Stele to an open space in the Back Mountain. The ritual required a spacious area, and I didn’t want the villagers to see.]

[The clearing in the Back Mountain was a quiet place, rarely visited.]

[Once everything was ready, I began the ritual. First, I lit the candles and arranged them around the Stele-sixteen in total. Then, I burned the Paper Money, scattering it into the air.]

[Next, I danced around the Stele while chanting the Incantation, or perhaps it was a song.]

[At first, my movements were clumsy. After all, I wasn’t skilled at dancing. But within two minutes, my steps became more fluid, as if I had danced countless times before. Suddenly, I realized-it wasn’t me dancing; the Stele was controlling me.]

[The Death Ritual had begun!]

[The strange symbols on the black Stele started to tremble, as if they were about to leap off. In the next moment, they did-floating in the air, moving in sync with my dance. I had never seen anything so extraordinary.]

[A peculiar energy coursed through me, propelling me to continue dancing. In that instant, I felt as though I could dance forever.]