But it was all in vain; he and Xu Yuehuai fell off the cliff together. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. Qi Guze only had time to let out a cry of alarm before he and Xu Yuehuai plunged into endless darkness.

The wind whistled past his ears, and the poisonous miasma pierced his skin like countless tiny needles. He closed his eyes tightly, gritted his teeth, and endured this series of impacts.

Fortunately, there was a soft patch of grass below. Although some impact was inevitable upon landing, it was the best outcome possible compared to crashing directly onto hard rocks.

Qi Guze disregarded his own pain and immediately checked on Xu Yuehuai's condition.

Her face was pale, and her eyes were closed; she was clearly unconscious. His heart tightened, and he quickly helped her up, pulling her against him.

Their environment had become even more dangerous. Thick poisonous miasma filled the air, like an endless, dark ocean.

They were like travelers stranded on a deserted island, not knowing when rescue would arrive. Qi Guze looked around and found a ravine ahead that could provide shelter from the wind.

He quickly carried Xu Yuehuai there and gently laid her flat on the ground. At this moment, the bandages that had been wrapped around Xu Yuehuai's leg were already stained with blood, and Qi Guze knew that he had to treat her wounds immediately.

He quickly removed the bandages and found that the wound had begun to turn black, a sign of toxin infection. He knew time was of the essence; if he didn't act immediately, Xu Yuehuai's life could be in danger. He took a dagger from his bag and lit the tip with a flint.

The flickering firelight illuminated his resolute face. He took a deep breath and used his dagger to slash the skin around Xu Yuehuai's leg wound.

Black blood immediately seeped out, and Qi Guze did not hesitate to suck the poisonous blood out with his mouth.

Each time she sucked out the poisonous blood, Xu Yuehuai's body would tremble slightly, but her brows did not furrow, indicating that she had fallen into a deep sleep.

Qi Guze was filled with guilt and heartache.

As the dark blood at the wound gradually faded, Qi Guze knew that the toxins had been mostly cleared. He then used his internal energy to continue clearing and expelling the remaining toxins from Xu Yuehuai's body.

Then he began to re-bandage her wounds and used his own clothes to wipe the cold sweat from her forehead.

After doing all this, Qi Guze finally breathed a sigh of relief. He sat down next to Xu Yuehuai and held her hand tightly.

They are in dire straits at this moment, but at least for this moment, they are each other's support.

Xu Yuehuai slowly opened her eyes. It was pitch black all around, with only moonlight filtering through the dense leaves and dappling her face.

She felt her eyelids were heavy, as if pressed down by stones, making it difficult to open them. She tried hard to recall what had happened before, but her memories were like a broken mirror, impossible to piece together.

Suddenly, she realized that she was being held tightly in someone's arms, and that person was Qi Guze.

His body temperature was unusually cold, and his lips were even purple; he looked to be in very bad shape.

Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened, and she instantly came to her senses. She struggled to sit up, only to find that one of her legs was properly bandaged.

She couldn't help but recall what had happened before, remembering being bitten by a venomous snake and falling into a coma.

Was Qi Guze taking care of her all along? Did he use his mouth to cleanse her of the toxins?

Thinking of this, Xu Yuehuai felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if she were being pricked by needles.

"Qi Guze!" she called his name loudly, but he did not respond.

The only sounds around her were the silence of the night and the distant cries of wild beasts, which filled her with immense fear and helplessness.

She began frantically groping, trying to find anything that could help her. Her hand touched his cold body, and she felt his weak, erratic heartbeat.

Xu Yuehuai couldn't hold back her tears, and she kept praying in her heart: "Please, you must pull through."

She began to recall the first aid knowledge she had learned, trying to find any way to save him.

However, her thoughts grew increasingly chaotic, and everything around her seemed to be spinning. She knew that if this continued, both she and Qi Guze would be in danger.

Xu Yuehuai took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. She began to recall their location: a mountain valley.

She remembered seeing a small path before, perhaps with houses along it. So, she decided to leave with Qi Guze and seek help.

Despite her frailty, she persevered. With all her remaining strength, she held Qi Guze in her arms and walked step by step toward the path.

With each step she took, her heart raced faster, and she kept telling herself, "I must persevere."

Xu Yuehuai supported the unconscious Qi Guze, groping their way forward through the secluded path. The night was deep, with only dappled starlight falling on them, faint and flickering.

The path wound its way through the woods, seemingly without end, and Xu Yuehuai felt a nameless dread welling up inside her. This dense forest felt like an ancient battlefield, every inch of it permeated with a chilling atmosphere.

The surrounding trees had intertwined branches and leaves, like a giant green spider web, tightly binding them. A faint smell of decaying leaves filled the air, making it somewhat suffocating.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, rustling the leaves as if countless tigers were roaring. Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened, and the dagger in her hand flashed with a blinding cold light.

She pressed her lips together, her eyes resolute, preparing to face the impending danger.

"Qi Guze, hang in there!" Xu Yuehuai said softly, her voice trembling slightly but full of strength.

Suddenly, a dark figure darted out of the woods, lunging straight at Xu Yuehuai. She dodged to the side, her dagger tracing a graceful arc as she narrowly missed the figure.

A shrill scream echoed through the air, making Qi Guze's eyelids twitch violently.

"What is this?" Qi Guze struggled to open his eyes, wanting to take out the soft sword at his waist to help, but found that his hands and feet were weak and he didn't even have the strength to lift his hands.

"It's okay, I can handle it." Xu Yuehuai took a deep breath. She knew that this dense forest was an illusion, but only by finding the flaws in the illusion could she find a way out.

However, the tigers in the illusion seemed endless, attacking wave after wave. Xu Yuehuai wielded her dagger with incredible speed, each strike carrying a fierce and imposing aura.

A resolute light shone in her eyes, as if she wanted to sever all fear and despair. Time seemed to slow down, and Xu Yuehuai's every movement and every counterattack became cautious.

She knew that this was a life-or-death moment, and any carelessness could plunge them into an abyss of no return.