Chapter 36 036 A bucket of cold water made her examine her own worth...

Only Duan Lansheng appeared.

The wind from the sword blew away the withered branches and fallen leaves on the ground. Duan Lansheng gripped his sword in one hand and used the other to brush aside the drooping branches and leaves as he stepped out of the woods. It was clear that he had also gone through several fierce battles the night before; his robes were splattered with blood and mud, and he looked somewhat disheveled.

Upon seeing that the person on the ground was Lu Yuanyuan, his clear eyes widened, revealing obvious astonishment.

Lu Yuanyuan's gaze was drawn to the sword in his hand—the blade was surrounded by a bright crimson light, indicating that his spiritual energy was functioning normally!

That's great. One capable fighter has fallen, and another is on its way. If this isn't a miraculous escape from a desperate situation, what is?

Duan Lansheng sheathed his sword, stepped over the snake corpse, and took in Lu Yuanyuan's appearance and the scattered firewood: "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Lu Yuanyuan shifted her legs, gasped slightly, and looked down to see a dirty patch on the front of her skirt. Her clothes weren't torn, but her knees stung: "I fell to the ground just now; my knees are probably scraped."

Seeing her pale face, Duan Lansheng felt a little uncomfortable and was about to hand her the sword sheath—just like when they first met.

But his sword sheath was stained with a lot of blood.

After a pause, Duan Lansheng pursed his lips and awkwardly reached out his hand to her, like an animal unaccustomed to being touched: "Can you get up? Are you all alone here?"

Lu Yuanyuan shook her head: "Of course I'm not alone. If I spent the night here by myself, I would have been eaten long ago. Yin Yuanjun is with me."

Duan Lansheng was taken aback.

“We hid in this cave all night. This cursed place might have some kind of restriction. Since yesterday, Yuanjun’s spiritual power has been suppressed. When I woke up this morning, I found that her body was very cold. I couldn’t wake her up, so I came out to pick some things…” Before Lu Yuanyuan could finish speaking, a gust of wind swept past her. When she looked up, the person who had just been standing in front of her had disappeared.

He had clearly just killed a venomous snake that could harm people a moment before, so he wasn't unaware of how dangerous this place was for a lone mortal. However, the moment he heard that his senior sister was in danger, perhaps due to concern, Duan Lansheng's attention was completely diverted. He abandoned her without looking back and rushed into the cave.

The surrounding weeds were taller than a person, and the wind howled. She wondered if any monsters might suddenly appear. Lu Yuanyuan grabbed some firewood nearby and hugged it to her chest. As she tightened her grip, the firewood dug into her abdomen, causing a slight pain.

She stood up, ignoring the pain in her knees, and after regaining her balance, limped into the cave.

The barrier only blocked evil spirits, not Duan Lansheng, who was from the same clan. When Lu Yuanyuan entered the cave, she saw Yin Xiaozhu still lying on the ground, with Duan Lansheng kneeling beside her, gently pressing two fingers on her wrist as if probing her spiritual power. His movements were quite restrained.

Lu Yuanyuan put down the firewood and walked to the other side of Yin Xiaozhu. Seeing that Duan Lansheng's expression was getting more and more serious, she also felt a little nervous: "How is Yuanjun?"

"Not good." Duan Lansheng withdrew his hand, his expression grim: "The spiritual energy is stagnant."

As he spoke, he began to channel spiritual energy into Yin Xiaozhu's wrist.

Lu Yuanyuan muttered to herself, "This place is so strange. What about you? Have you felt your spiritual energy being affected?"

These words were spoken, but no one responded.

Duan Lansheng was completely focused on the person on the ground and ignored her question.

Seeing this, Lu Yuanyuan shut her mouth, picked up the firewood, and walked to the side.

Duan Lansheng channeled his spiritual energy and stayed by Yin Xiaozhu's side for a while before walking over to her and silently picking up a piece of firewood.

Having spiritual power is amazing; with a crackle, the fire started burning.

Lu Yuanyuan's palms were burning from the flint. She threw in the remaining firewood to start a fire and asked, "How is Yuanjun?"

Duan Lansheng's expression remained unchanged: "Let's see in an hour."

He didn't offer empty words or grand gestures to comfort people. His response indicated that Yin Xiaozhu's condition was still quite bad.

She wondered if Yin Xiaozhu's unusual behavior today was related to her strange behavior yesterday... However, this involved Yin Xiaozhu's secret, and Lu Yuanyuan had a feeling that she shouldn't say it.

For now, there's nothing they can do. Taking advantage of this lull, Lu Yuanyuan can finally ask about what happened over the past day and night.

At the time, the closest boat to the white crane boat where they had the accident was the one that Duan Lansheng was on.

His account matched her guess: the bat demons primarily attacked the White Crane Boat where Master Xugu was located. The reason they attacked the other boat was likely because they had attracted too many at once; after Master Xugu's White Crane Boat was destroyed, they couldn't all obediently leave, hence the swarm attack on the other boat.

Fortunately, the white crane boat that Duan Lansheng was on was almost entirely filled with disciples of the Sword Sect. Sword Sect disciples were not as scholarly as alchemists; they were professionals in dealing with demons. Therefore, their losses were not too severe, and they were able to spare some people to search and rescue below.

However, during their descent, the mist of Floating Pagoda Valley interfered with the magical artifacts, and the group encountered several waves of attacks, causing them to become separated.

Lu Yuanyuan asked, "After you arrived at the bottom of the valley, did you feel your spiritual energy being suppressed?"

Duan Lansheng lowered his eyes, looked at his palm, where a white light had appeared. He said definitively, "No."

Lu Yuanyuan's heart skipped a beat.

Indeed, the so-called suppression of spiritual power might really be related to Yin Xiaozhu's secret...

After the campfire was lit, the cave became much warmer. Lu Yuanyuan hugged her knees and dozed off for a while. She didn't know how much time had passed before she was suddenly woken up.

Duan Lansheng's eyes were slightly bloodshot. He said in a deep voice, "Yuanjun's condition is not good. We need to leave here as soon as possible and find a Danxiu to treat her."

Lu Yuanyuan's sleepiness vanished instantly. She glanced back and realized something was wrong, so she quickly extinguished the fire. Duan Lansheng bent down and carried Yin Xiaozhu on his back. She was much taller than the average woman, and her frame was also quite large. Fortunately, although Duan Lansheng was still a boy, he was already tall enough, and with a little effort, he easily carried her on his back: "Let's go."

“Okay!” Lu Yuanyuan nodded and followed.

It was still early, and the sky was still bright. Light filtered through the thick fog, casting a hazy glow on the valley and dispelling some of the gloom. Duan Lansheng had determined his location; he knew that if he followed the river, he could leave this place.

However, it's easier said than done. These pristine valleys, untouched by human development, lack even a trodden path, making every step difficult. Steep slopes require climbing on both hands and feet; a misstep will send you tumbling down. In some places, the soil is soft, demanding even greater caution.

Duan Lansheng, with his long legs and strong back, walked much faster than Lu Yuanyuan even while carrying someone on his back. They barely rested throughout the day, continuing their journey and occasionally encountering demons that attacked them. The atmosphere was tense, and no one was in the mood for conversation.

However, their walking speed was still too slow. Even though they were moving as fast as they could, they still hadn't encountered any Shu Mountain disciples as the light dimmed. They still had a long way to go to leave this vast valley.

Lu Yuanyuan followed behind, and as time went by, she could gradually sense Duan Lansheng's anxiety.

He always has a cold face, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

He was a very composed person, and Lu Yuanyuan knew why he was like that.

The fastest way to leave this valley is by flying on a sword. However, a sword can only carry one person at a time. This means that if Duan Lansheng takes one person with him, he must leave the other behind.

She and Yin Xiaozhu, one is incapacitated and the other is unconscious. Leaving either of them would be tantamount to sentencing that person to death.

Even if a barrier is set up, the safety of the person left behind cannot be guaranteed 100%. Once the barrier is broken, the person inside will only face death.

Therefore, they could only move forward together as a group of three—on foot.

If it weren't for her being a burden, Duan Lansheng could have quickly taken Yin Xiaozhu, whose fate was unknown, back to seek help. Every second of delay could lead to irreversible consequences.

Lu Yuanyuan understood this, but she couldn't bring herself to tell Duan Lansheng to leave her alone and go.

People are inherently selfish and value their lives; she couldn't bring herself to sacrifice herself for others and die without regret.

By the end of the day, Lu Yuanyuan's knees were aching more and more. Moreover, walking too much had caused her feet to swell, and her shoes, which had previously fit well, were now rubbing against her skin. Her soles seemed to be blistered and bleeding, and her stockings were stuck to her heels. However, if she stopped even for a moment to rest, she would quickly fall behind. Therefore, she could only rub her legs, endure the pain, and grit her teeth to keep up.

For the next two days, they were on their way.

As evening approached on the third day, darkness gradually fell. They found a tree hollow in the valley to rest, but there were already signs of a fire inside, and an unexpected person was sitting inside.

It was a young man dressed in the robes of the Shu Mountain Sect. He had a dignified appearance and was sitting in meditation to regulate his breathing.

It was Qi Chang!

This was the first living person that Lu Yuanyuan and her two companions encountered on their journey.

Qi Chang opened his eyes, saw them, and showed a surprised expression. When he saw Duan Lansheng carrying Yin Xiaozhu, he was even more startled and immediately told him to put the person down.

Unfortunately, even with Qi Chang's abilities, he couldn't figure out the reason for Yin Xiaozhu's coma.

Lu Yuanyuan recounted how they met.

"I understand." Qi Chang withdrew his hand. Although the situation was unclear, he still reassured the two, "You don't need to worry too much. Senior Sister has the cultivation of the mid-stage Golden Core realm. As long as we leave this place as soon as possible, there will definitely be no problem. After dawn, we can fly together on our swords, so we don't have to travel slowly..."

As he was speaking, suddenly, a loud noise came from outside the tree hollow. The area where they were standing trembled continuously, and rocks tumbled down like in an earthquake. The barrier also began to shake.

Those who had stayed in Floating Pagoda Valley these past few days had all dealt with attacks from evil spirits to varying degrees. But such a large-scale attack was rare. The three men's expressions changed slightly, and they immediately went out to investigate. They saw two enormous shadows fighting in the thick fog.

Lu Yuanyuan immediately understood. The Spirit Treasure Secret Realm was essentially a large-scale breeding ground for monsters, where demons frequently fought for power and territory. They had stumbled upon this scene, and the two monsters currently battling were not to be underestimated.

Duan Lansheng frowned, observed for a moment, and said, "They didn't notice us."

Qi Chang made a quick decision: "That's right. We don't need to get involved in their fight. Let's leave here first."

Lu Yuanyuan wholeheartedly agreed. When those massive creatures fight, you're easily crushed into cannon fodder if you're not careful. Avoiding combat is the best option.

However, the battlefield is unpredictable in its ever-changing nature. As they carried the unconscious Yin Xiaozhu out of the tree hollow, they suddenly saw that the surrounding vegetation was broken. A colossal object was hurtling towards them—

Boom—Bang!

The trees they had been sheltering from were reduced to dust. In the critical moment, Duan Lansheng and Qi Chang simultaneously erected a protective barrier. The shockwave was so strong that dust billowed up; only by planting their swords in the ground could they avoid being blown away.

After an unknown amount of time, the tremors finally subsided. When the dust settled, they realized that one person was missing from their side.

Just now, the two barrier spells unexpectedly rushed towards Yin Xiaozhu.

The person who wasn't chosen by them in the first instance had already disappeared into the icy, rushing river along with the falling tree.

...

Lu Yuanyuan sometimes admires her own vitality.

When she was hit by that blast of air, it felt as if she had been kicked in the chest and fallen into the water.

But she didn't drown.

She floundered in the swift current, desperately grabbing onto a piece of driftwood. She didn't know how far she was swept away or how many times she was bumped, but she never let go. Gradually, she felt the raging river slow down, and the banks narrowed. Realizing that she was about to run out of strength, she desperately let go of the driftwood and struggled to swim to the shore. Clinging to the vines hanging by the water's edge, she struggled to climb ashore.

Exhausted, she was too tired to lift a single finger. After collapsing on the shore for a moment, her face pale, she slowly sat up and found herself in a completely unfamiliar place within the Valley of the Floating Pagoda. As far as the eye could see, desolate and deserted.

Lu Yuanyuan crossed her arms, stared at the river, remained silent for a long time, and then gave a self-deprecating smile.

Some time ago, she went through two trials. Perhaps it was luck, but in the end, she passed both trials perfectly, albeit with some twists and turns. She knew what she was there to do, but she was still somewhat smug, thinking that true friendship is revealed in times of trouble, that her efforts hadn't been in vain, and that she had finally gained some weight in Duan Lansheng's heart, allowing her to be the one in control of the relationship.

But in fact, after these few days, even a fool could see that, once the hypnotic effect in his mind's eye was removed, Duan Lansheng's concern for the real her was nothing compared to his concern for his senior sister.

To put it bluntly, in Duan Lansheng's heart, Yin Xiaozhu and she were worlds apart. One was his benefactor and his ideal woman who had taken him in, encouraged him to stay, and never looked down on him. The other was a casual friend he had known for less than half a year.

He doesn't usually feel the difference, but when faced with a choice, he will make a decision without hesitation.

Lu Yuanyuan paused for a moment, reflecting on her recent actions, and a faint sense of embarrassment and awkwardness welled up in her heart, something she hadn't felt in a long time.

It has nothing to do with romance; she had long accepted the fact that she was cannon fodder in the love story of this book—any man who got involved with the female lead would inevitably become cannon fodder.

Moreover, to be fair, was Qi Chang wrong to prioritize saving Yin Xiaozhu? Of course not. Yin Xiaozhu was his senior sister; they were from the same sect, and their bond was far stronger than that of an outer disciple like her.

Was Duan Lansheng wrong to prioritize saving Yin Xiaozhu? No.

If they knew that in the critical moment, both of them were protecting Yin Xiaozhu, would they spare a glance for her?

Maybe.

Her embarrassment stemmed from the fact that she was a very strong-willed person who disliked burdening or troubling others. This was different from her feigning weakness for other purposes.

No matter how many lifetimes you've lived, it's always embarrassing to be a burden along the way.

Thinking that he had gained some influence around Duan Lansheng, he was immediately humiliated by being proven wrong.

However, this dose of reality came at the right time, allowing her to assess her own capabilities and adjust her mindset and future plans accordingly.

Lu Yuanyuan exhaled a breath of warm air into her palm and closed her eyes.

While she was in the river, her shoes had been washed away, leaving only her socks. Because of the bleeding, the stockings were stuck to her feet and hadn't come off even when they were wet.

Lu Yuanyuan frowned, slowly pressing her fingers against the sticky scabs, tearing off the dirty socks inch by inch. Seeing her pitiful feet, she couldn't help but cry from the pain.

Just then, she heard a rustling sound coming from the bushes behind her.