If not

About half an hour later, the reinforced barrier was finally cast.

It was a translucent light shield that extended from the cave entrance to the depths of the cave, covering the entire cave.

The surface of the light shield was shimmering with tiny streams of light, like a thin layer of ice wrapped in starlight. When you touched it gently, you could feel the spiritual power flowing inside, gentle and firm.

"It's done!"

Wu Yi clapped his hands, took a few steps back and looked at the barrier.

"With Zhi Huan's limited skills, even if he came, he would have hit his head and bled outside this barrier! Last time in the cave, those Wutong vines I hit him with weren't in vain. Look at how he was grimacing in pain. I guess he's still lying in bed recovering from his injuries!"

Yingtang couldn't help but tease him, "You were the one who pulled off the sneak attack, and you still have the nerve to say that? If it weren't for Senior Brother Yan Xiu holding him back, your vine wouldn't have even touched the corner of his clothes."

"Why not?" Wu Yi immediately retorted.

"I only made my move when the opportunity was perfect! Besides, that vine of mine was wrapped in three layers of spiritual energy. Even if Zhi Huan had great spiritual power, he would have been completely entangled and dizzy! In my opinion, he must have been seriously injured since he hasn't come to me in the past few days. He will need ten days or half a month to recover!"

Yan Xiu sat aside and listened to the two bickering. He looked at Yun Xiu and saw that she was staring at the barrier in a daze, so he said:

"Zhi Huan hasn't come these past few days. Besides possibly recuperating from his injuries, there's another reason. He needs time to stabilize the divine power he absorbs. The last time he fought me, the fluctuations in his divine power were already a bit unstable. I think it's because he hasn't fully refined the immortal power he absorbed before, so he doesn't dare to act rashly for the time being."

Yunxiu nodded, and the worries in his heart were slightly relieved.

She thought of Zhi Huan whom she had seen in the illusion before. His eyes were full of hostility, like a wild beast out of control. If it was true as Yan Xiu said, that he was temporarily restrained by his injuries and divine power, then they would indeed have some peaceful time to recuperate.

In the next few days, the four of them rested in the cave to recuperate.

Gradually, I dared to go out of the cave to have a look. After all, I was a kid who grew up in the mountains and I couldn't stay home all the time.

Every day, Yingtang would go to the back mountain to pick fresh banyan leaves and spiritual fruits, nourishing them with spiritual energy before giving them to Yunxiu and Yanxiu. Yunxiu's injuries healed quickly. From being bedridden at first, he was able to sit up and later, even walk around the cave.

Yan Xiu's injuries gradually improved, and he was able to mobilize his divine power normally.

Every day, he would help Yunxiu sort out the divine power within her, teaching her how to better control that cold white energy. From initially only being able to condense it into a faint glow, to later being able to form a light shield and even create a few shallow light blades, Yunxiu's rapid progress surprised both Yingtang and Wuyi.

By the seventh day, Yunxiu was able to get out of bed and walk around normally, and even practice sword fighting with Yanxiu. The four of them discussed it and decided to temporarily leave the cave and find a more open place to stay in the mountains.

Although the cave was safe, it was too narrow and it would be hard to avoid feeling stuffy after a long time. In addition, the spiritual energy in the mountains was more abundant, which would also help them recover from their injuries.

They chose a bamboo forest near a stream. Deep in the forest was an abandoned bamboo house, which should have been inhabited by the fairies in the mountains in the past. Although it was a bit shabby, it was quite tidy after being cleaned.

Wu Yi repaired the roof of the bamboo house with sycamore branches, Yingtang planted a few banyan saplings in front of the house, and Yan Xiu cast a faint barrier around the bamboo house, which was more hidden than the one in the cave before and could perfectly avoid outside detection.

The four of them spent a rare leisurely time in the bamboo forest.

Early in the morning, just as the sky was getting light, Yunxiu would follow Yan Xiu to the stream to practice sword.

The stream is crystal clear, reflecting the bamboo forest on the shore. When the wind blows, the bamboo leaves rustle, as if accompanying them.

Yan Xiu would first demonstrate his sword moves. His movements were smooth and steady. The Broken Water Sword seemed to have life in his hands. When the sword light passed through the air, it could attract the surrounding spiritual power and form shallow air currents.

Yunxiu followed suit, her movements a little awkward at first, but gradually, she became more and more proficient. Cold white divine power flowed along the sword, occasionally intersecting with Yan Xiu's spiritual power, creating a shimmering intertwining effect, like two drops of water gently touching in a stream.

Yingtang will never give up her Miaomiao no matter where she is.

Taking care of the banyan saplings in front of the house, she nourished the seedlings with her spiritual power, watching them grow taller day by day, their tender green leaves glowing in the sunlight.

Wu Yize was still restless and could not be seen. He went hunting in the mountains, and occasionally brought back a few rabbits or pheasants, which he washed in stream water and roasted over the fire.

The roasted meat had a faint spiritual scent and tasted tender and juicy. The four of them sat around the fire, eating meat and chatting, as if they were back in the days in Yaoxi Mountain.

"After we resolve the issues with Zhihuan and the Ancient God, we'll go back to Yaoxi Mountain. It'll be the same as before."

It was Wu Yi who said this. He took a bite of the succulently roasted rabbit leg, then suddenly put down the bone, his eyes glittering with curiosity. "But then again, if these catastrophes had never happened, if Zhi Huan hadn't messed around, if the Ancient Gods hadn't messed around, what would you have done? What kind of life would you have lived?"

The fire crackled twice, and Yingtang put down the barbecue in her hand. There was still a little grease on her fingertips, but she didn't care.

"I want to practice medicine in the human world."

Yunxiu looked at Yingtang and couldn't help but think of her days in Yaoxi Mountain.

Yingtang always squatted by the bamboo forest, using his spiritual power to bandage the broken claws of injured little squirrels, or followed his master to the village at the foot of the mountain to boil herbal medicine for the elderly who were coughing, and massage the muscles and bones of villagers who had sprained their muscles while working. After finishing his work, he would sit under a banyan tree to rest, and sometimes even fall asleep.

Although very tired, Yingtang still went the next day.

She could guess what Yingtang was thinking. He probably wanted to take advantage of the fact that there was no disaster and go further, not just wandering around Yaoxi Mountain. He could treat the illnesses and relieve the pain of people along the way, and not leave behind those injured little creatures.

Yingtang would always think of lending a hand to help the stray cats huddled on the roadside, the old oxen too tired to stand from pulling the plow in the field, and even the flowers and plants that were almost withered and no one cared about in the corner, so that they could get better again.

Yunxiu thought that such days should be the most peaceful and happiest for Yingtang. They were gentle and appropriate, exactly what she liked.

Wu Yi's eyes lit up, he clapped his hands, and said excitedly:

"I'm different from you! I want to be a hero! I'll travel the world with a sword on my back, and when I see bad guys bullying others, I'll help them. Wherever I hear of bullies, I'll go and deal with them. When I'm famous, people will call me 'Wu Yi Hero' wherever I go. How impressive!"

As he spoke, he imitated the movements of swinging a sword, which made Yunxiu laugh out loud.

Yan Xiu, holding half a baked cake in his hand, listened to the two people's conversation without saying a word. It was only when Yun Xiu asked him that he finally spoke:

"I don't have that many ideas. I just want to live an ordinary life. Being a farmer wouldn't be bad, cultivating a few acres of land, sowing in spring and harvesting in autumn, and eating the food I grow myself. Or I could open a small shop and sell wild fruits from the mountains and small things I make myself. Or maybe I could be a teacher and teach the children in the village to read and write. I'd just like a stable life."

Yunxiu put down the meat in his hand, and gently rubbed the edge of his clothes with his fingertips. With a gleam in his eyes, he spoke for the first time:

"I'm going to write a book! When I was in Yaoxi Mountain, I only saw the scenery inside the mountains. Later, I followed you to Qinglan Sect and experienced so much. Only then did I realize there are so many beautiful places outside. There are rivers as clear as streams, forests denser than bamboo forests, and mountains dyed red by the sunset. If there were no disasters, I would carry a pen and paper and travel around the world, writing down all the beautiful mountains and rivers I see, so that people who have never been there can also know how beautiful this world is."

"Writing a book is great!" Wu Yi immediately agreed. "Then I'll be the hero and help you fight off the bad guys on the road. You just focus on writing! Let's walk the same road together!"

Yunxiu scolded him with a smile, and chaos suddenly broke out again.

Yan Xiu looked at the three of them, a faint light in his eyes.

In their previous life, they didn't get to see such a day. The calamity that destroyed the world came too quickly, leaving them no time to say goodbye properly. But in this life, they might still have a chance.

In the evening, the four of them would sit on the bluestone in front of the bamboo house and watch the sunset.

The setting sun dyed the sky orange, and clouds drifted across the horizon like ignited cotton wool, with the occasional bird flying by, leaving behind a faint silhouette. The wind, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees and the moist scent of stream water, blew on my face, so gently that I wanted to close my eyes.

"Do you think Zhihuan will never come again?"

Wu Yi looked at the sunset and suddenly asked.

No one answered.

Yunxiu remained silent, his fingertips lightly touching the pendant on his chest.

She could feel that the divine energy in her body was still slightly warm, maintaining a subtle connection with the residual soul of the ancient god.

She knew that these leisurely days were only temporary, and they would eventually have to face Zhi Huan, the ancient gods, and the possible apocalypse.

But... at least for now, let her indulge in her dreams.

At night, an oil lamp would be lit in the bamboo house, and the dim light would illuminate the small space.

Yingtang sat under the lamp, weaving a small basket with sycamore leaves; Wuyi leaned against the wall, chattering incessantly; Yanxiu helped Yunxiu sort out her divine power to ensure that the power in her body was stable; Yunxiu would sit aside, obediently extending her hand to Yanxiu, while bickering with Wuyi.

On a rather ordinary night, while Yunxiu was marshaling her divine power, she suddenly felt a slight fluctuation in her divine essence, as if something had touched her. She froze for a moment, then looked up at Yan Xiu.

Yan Xiu also noticed it and frowned slightly: "It's the remnant spirit of the ancient god. He is testing you."

Several people in the room immediately stopped their actions and words.

"What does he want to do?" Yunxiu was a little nervous.

"Don't panic." Yan Xiu gently pressed her shoulder. "He can't do anything to you right now. He just senses that your divine power is increasing, and he's a little uneasy. As long as you maintain your will and don't let him influence you, he won't be able to do anything."

Yunxiu nodded, and according to the method taught by Yan Xiu, he concentrated his attention and condensed the cold white divine power in his body into a barrier to block out the divine essence.

Soon, the fluctuation disappeared, as if it had never appeared.

"It's okay." Yan Xiu let go of his hand with a smile in his eyes.

"You're becoming more and more skilled."

Yunxiu's injuries have completely healed. Not only can he control his divine power skillfully, but he can also cooperate with Yan Xiu to perform several combination sword moves; Yan Xiu's injuries have healed; the banyan saplings planted by Yingtang have grown to half a person's height, and the tender green leaves sway gently in the wind; Wu Yi's barrier technique has also improved a lot, and he can cast a solid vine net in an instant.

Zhihuan still didn't show up.

That evening, as the four of them sat in front of the bamboo house watching the sunset, Yan Xiu suddenly said, "We should leave."

Yunxiu, Yingtang and Wuyi all looked at him.

"Although Zhihuan hasn't come, he must be looking for us. We can't hide here forever, we have to take the initiative."

Yan Xiu's gaze fell on Yun Xiu.

"Your divine power has stabilized, we..."

Let’s go back to Yaoxi Mountain.

He didn't say it out loud, but the same thought echoed in the minds of the four people.

Yingtang nodded and looked outside: "The banyan sapling is growing so well. I will come back to take a look after I have sorted out the problem."

The sun gradually sets, and the last ray of light falls on the bluestone in front of the bamboo house.

The four of them stood up and looked towards Yaoxi Mountain. The mountains in the distance were looming in the twilight, like a sleeping giant beast.