Chapter 168 A Close Call

But these explanations couldn't be given to them. Jiang Ran's eyes flashed, and she casually explained, "Maybe there's sulfur powder in my sachet."

"Is that so?!" A hint of joy flashed across Si Youlin's face: "Thank goodness you were here!"

Seeing that he believed her, Jiang Ran smiled slightly and replied softly, "Mm."

Si Zuochen, who was listening to their conversation, suddenly chuckled and asked, "Sulfur powder in a sachet? Your taste is quite unique."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran instantly understood his unspoken meaning. Unlike Si Youlin, he was not easily fooled and clearly realized that she was just making things up, but he did not expose her.

Jiang Ran gave an awkward smile but said nothing more. The atmosphere instantly fell silent, and a chill seemed to emanate from the surroundings.

Jiang Ran sensed the change in the surrounding atmosphere, her eyes sharpened, and a trace of solemnity flashed across her face.

Looking around, I realized that I was surrounded by a black mist, and from within the mist, I could vaguely see some ghostly figures, all exuding a dense, chilling aura.

It seems these ghosts have been coveting them for a long time. No wonder a snake suddenly appeared and stared intently at them; it was meant to confuse them.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran frowned slightly, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes. She stared coldly at the group of ghosts, her hand tightly gripping the talisman in her pocket, ready at any moment.

The only problem now is that Si Zuochen and Si Youlin are still by her side. If she makes a move, she will not only expose herself, but also have to consider their safety, which makes things a bit tricky.

The ghosts were gradually approaching them, and the fog was spreading wider and wider. Jiang Ran tensed up and instantly became alert.

Si Zuochen keenly sensed the change in her aura and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Ran frowned, but not wanting him to worry, she replied in a low voice, "It's nothing."

She wasn't worried that they would see what was happening before them. After all, although they were born with the destiny of dragons and tigers, they didn't have the Heavenly Eye. Apart from their luck and aura, they were no different from ordinary people.

Si Youlin looked around warily, vaguely sensing that danger was gradually approaching.

Just as the ghosts were close enough to try and invade their bodies, Jiang Ran was about to make her move when, at the critical moment, a beam of azure light suddenly burst forth from Si Youlin's body.

His eyes were closed, his neck was tilted back, and his whole body was enveloped in a blue light, forming a circle around them and protecting them tightly inside.

The ghosts outside tried to rush in, but to no avail.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran was surprised. She didn't expect Si Youlin to activate his self-protection mode under such circumstances, but Gui Mei still rushed in recklessly.

Seeing that a gap was about to appear in the encirclement, Si Youlin frowned, his expression turned serious, and with a muffled groan, the phantom of a blue dragon suddenly appeared behind him.

Seeing this, Jiang Ran was shocked. The Azure Dragon phantom had actually been forced out!

The phantom of the Azure Dragon instantly appeared above the azure light. The ghosts and demons were no match for it, like eggs hitting a rock. With a roar, the azure light intensified, and the Azure Dragon pounced on the ghosts and demons with its claws outstretched. The ghosts and demons it touched were instantly devoured.

Jiang Ran stared at the scene before her, her expression of astonishment unable to subside for a long time. To have seen the phantoms of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger in one day was beyond words; shock was simply an inadequacy to describe her feelings.

As the ghostly apparition vanished and the azure light dissipated, the azure dragon phantom on Si Youlin's body also gradually faded and disappeared. Without the support of spiritual energy, Si Youlin's strength instantly dissipated, his face turned pale, and cold sweat seeped from his forehead. Clearly, that attack had exhausted all his physical strength.

Then his body swayed outwards, and Jiang Ran quickly caught him and gently pulled him into her arms.

A deep pang of heartache flashed in his eyes. Although the Azure Dragon's power was immense, he was still young and unable to control its power. It was normal for him to be exhausted.

When Si Zuochen saw Si Youlin suddenly faint, he looked surprised and asked in astonishment, "What happened to Alin?"

Only Jiang Ran could see what had just happened. In addition, Si Zuochen did not notice the subtle change in Si Youlin's expression. With a glance, he only noticed that Si Youlin had suddenly fainted unconscious.

Jiang Ran pursed her lips slightly and explained softly, "He's probably just too tired. After all, he's still young, and it's really not easy for him to keep going like this."

Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen's eyes narrowed slightly, and a hint of worry flashed across his face. He then replied in a low voice, "Let him get some rest."

Having said that, he looked up at the outside of the cave and murmured, "I wonder when this rain will end..."

As Jiang Ran listened, a hint of anxiety flashed in her eyes. The rain was secondary; she was just worried about the mudslides that might occur along the way.

Once a natural disaster like a mudslide occurs, all spells and magical powers become useless.

Adding to the difficulty was the fact that Si Zuochen was running a high fever and Si Youlin had fallen into a coma.

Jiang Ran was struggling to stay awake while watching over the two of them. Just as a hint of drowsiness flashed across her face, a few stones suddenly fell from above her head, and her drowsiness vanished instantly.

Si Zuochen also noticed the commotion around him, and a look of panic flashed in his eyes before he could even ask a question.

Jiang Ran cursed under her breath, "Damn it!"

Then he suddenly stood up, reached out and picked up Si Youlin, saying sharply, "Go!"

Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen, though confused, instinctively obeyed her and got up to walk outside.

As the torrential rain poured down outside, Si Zuochen shivered.

Before they had taken more than a few steps, a loud crash came from behind them, and the cave where they had just been collapsed instantly.

Upon seeing this, Si Zuochen was filled with shock: "This...this is?"

Jiang Ran frowned and explained, "Mudslide."

Having said that, he turned around and hurriedly said, "Let's go! It's too dangerous here."

“Since there’s nowhere to take shelter from the rain, we need to hurry down the mountain, otherwise you’ll be stuck here and your fever will get worse.”

Upon hearing this, Si Zuochen didn't even have time to be surprised. He quickly responded and followed her.

"Ah!" Si Zuochen didn't notice that his foot slipped, and he stumbled and cried out in surprise.

Fortunately, Jiang Ran reacted quickly and grabbed him, preventing him from falling.

Si Zuochen pursed his lips slightly and said softly, "Thank you."

"It's nothing." Jiang Ran waved her hand dismissively, then said, "The road down the mountain is slippery, be careful. I'm carrying A-Lin and can't look after you. Hold onto my clothes."

Listening to Jiang Ran's instructions, Si Zuochen looked at the hem of her clothes, his face slightly hesitant, when he heard her speak again: "Hurry up!"

"Okay," Si Zuochen replied in a low voice, then reached out and took his hand.

The three of them walked down the mountain, constantly on guard against their surroundings, fearing they might encounter another mudslide.

While unconscious, Si Youlin vaguely felt an extremely warm embrace. When he opened his eyes, he could only see the end of Jiang Ran's hair on one side, with Si Zuochen following behind, stepping slowly through the puddles.

A warm feeling welled up in her heart, but before she could speak, she fell into a deep coma again.

Just then, Jiang Ran lost her footing and stumbled. After barely regaining her balance, a sturdy tree, unable to withstand the onslaught of the torrential rain, suddenly fell head-on from halfway down.

"Be careful!" Si Zuochen noticed the danger and quickly warned him.

Jiang Ran instinctively looked up and saw a tree trunk falling towards her. Her steps froze instantly, and she stood frozen in place before she could react.

She instantly released her grip, and Si Youlin rolled twice on the ground, but was now out of danger. Jiang Ran tightly closed her eyes, originally thinking that this ordeal was inevitable, but the expected pain did not come for a long time. Suddenly, she heard a muffled groan.

Jiang Ran looked up and saw Si Yanxiao standing in front of her, using his own body to withstand the heavy blow from the tree.

Si Zuochen stood aside, staring blankly at the scene before him, when Si Yanxiao suddenly rushed over from the side and took the damage for Jiang Ran.

Jiang Ran stood there in a daze, unable to come back to her senses for a long time. When Si Yanxiao saw her lost in thought, he frowned and sneered coldly, "Aren't you going to get up?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ran instantly snapped back to reality and quickly replied, "Oh, okay..."

Then he stepped outside, picked up Si Youlin, and bit his lip hard, saying sharply, "Get out of the way!"