Chapter 55 Exploring the Ruins 3: How come Li Yuan is here?
"Yes, a little lower, but don't damage the roots."
Beside a seventh-tier Earth Core Leaf, Xu Xing was bowing his head, patiently instructing Shen Du on how to dig it out intact without damaging its spiritual energy.
Shen Du was clearly a "good student"; Xu Xing only had to demonstrate once before he mastered the trick.
There were too many spiritual herbs and medicines in this valley. Although Xu Xing was very tempted, Mei Zihan and Qianqian were probably still waiting for them outside the barrier, so they didn't have much time to waste here.
Xu Xing could only pick a limited amount by himself, so Chen Du came to help.
Even so, it took the two of them a whole day to pick a small portion of all the spiritual herbs in the valley, including some poisonous herbs such as the Soul-Severing Grass.
These poisonous herbs mostly grow deep in the valley, and their grade is relatively lower than that of spiritual herbs. They are also not that old. Xu Xing guessed that the poisonous herbs might have been replanted later, but the reason for this was unknown.
Looking contentedly at the high-level materials in her backpack, Xu Xing wished she could start refining pills on the spot. Fortunately, she still had some sense and suppressed her restless desire.
"Are sword techniques carved on the mountain wall?"
After the herbs were harvested, Shen Du mentioned what he had seen on the mountain wall. Upon hearing this, Xu Xing became curious. Could the person who carved the sword moves on the mountain wall be the true owner of this medicine valley?
The two arrived at the cliff face. Xu Xing stared at the words and thought of the same thing as Shen Du.
"Shuang... Senior Brother, do you suspect that the word 'Shuang' might refer to Senior Fu Shuang?"
"Whether it is or not, we'll know once we try." Shen Du picked up his sword and had Xu Xing demonstrate the sword technique that Fu Shuang had taught them before they left.
Fortunately, the cultivators imparted the moves to her mind. Although Xu Xing did not practice diligently, she still memorized each move. She recreated the moves one by one in front of the mountain wall, but her movements were a bit clumsy, which showed that she had not practiced enough.
Seeing Shen Du staring at him with a frown, Xu Xing, who hadn't been practicing his sword properly, felt a little guilty.
After she finished practicing for the first time, Chen Du, who was holding a sword and watching her, nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought, "Continue."
Xu Xing didn't understand, so she obediently practiced again. By the third time, Shen Du was still standing there motionless, making no comment. Xu Xing's arms were getting a little sore, and she couldn't help but suspect that her senior brother was taking the opportunity to make her practice swordsmanship, otherwise why would he keep making her practice again and again without stopping her?
However, the next moment, Shen Du suddenly drew his sword and joined in. He practiced with Xu Xing according to half of the sword moves carved on the mountain wall. The two completely different sword techniques were able to be perfectly integrated!
The sword techniques and sword intent on the mountain wall are long and profound, while the sword techniques taught by Fu Shuang are cold and ruthless. It is difficult to connect the two without practicing together. However, they lead to the same goal and echo each other from afar.
After this round ended, Shen Du finally signaled to Xu Xing that he could stop.
Xu Xing caught his breath and asked in confusion, "The sword techniques Senior Brother used were drawn on the mountain wall? How come they..."
Before he could finish speaking, a faint spiritual light appeared on the strokes of the cliff face, covered by a layer of white mist. The next moment, a phantom slowly emerged. The phantom's face was indistinct, but it could be vaguely identified as a woman with long hair reaching the ground.
"Ah Shuang...you're back..."
The woman suddenly leaned down and touched Xu Xing's cheek. Chen Du gripped his sword tightly, wary of the shadowy figure's movements. Since he hadn't sensed any murderous intent, he didn't stop her, choosing to observe the situation.
This woman was merely a phantom left behind by her master, possessing no offensive power. However, Xu Xing felt a chill on his face as the Illusion Pill, which originally had two days remaining, suddenly became ineffective. In the empty eyes of the phantom, he saw his own golden pupils filled with surprise.
Xu Xing looked at Chen Du, bewildered. The other shook his head slightly, so she had no choice but to hold her breath and let the illusory figure move as it pleased.
Its hand gently pressed against the corner of Xu Xing's eye, and it murmured softly, "A Shuang, I..."
"I put it in the Ruins of Return. You don't want it, and I don't want to give it to anyone else. Consider it my apology, Ashuang. Don't be angry with me..."
After saying only two sentences, the phantom seemed to lose its power. It turned into a white light and landed on Xu Xing's eye like a tear.
At the same time, the entire valley began to tremble, and most of the remaining spiritual herbs and medicines emitted faint light, transforming into a tiny seed that floated in front of Xu Xing along with the valley.
Xu Xing stretched out her hand in a daze, and the seed floated into her palm, instantly merging into her flesh and blood, becoming one with her, and actually forming an independent space.
The tremors continued, but the valley vanished.
Mei Zihan and Qianqian outside were still trying to break the barrier when the barrier suddenly flashed, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy threw Chen Du and Xu Xing out. Then the barrier shattered into pieces and fell to the ground.
The barrier space has disappeared?
Meanwhile, deep within the secret realm of the Exploration Cave, a colossal, striped tiger lay sprawled on the ground, its body riddled with holes, countless ice needles that would never melt emerging from its body, piercing its flesh and tormenting it day after day for years, making its life a living hell.
The next moment, the giant tiger suddenly opened its eyes, and its yellow pupils burst forth with a light of hope. It let out a low growl and transformed into a handsome and tall man.
Outside the cave, the tiger-clan servant, noticing the commotion, immediately entered, knelt on one knee, and respectfully said, "Your Excellency!"
Rong Jun narrowed his eyes, a low laugh escaping his throat. "She really did come. Was she so eager to see me die?"
"My lord, I will immediately send men to capture him!"
"Bang--"
Rong Jun's face turned cold. He kicked the waiter away and said in a cold voice, "You dare to challenge me?"
The waiter slammed against the cave wall, blood gushing from his mouth, but he didn't dare utter a sound. He quickly scrambled to his feet and knelt at Rong Jun's feet, whispering, "Your subordinate misspoke!"
Rong Jun closed his eyes, and after a moment, he opened them. "That lowly dragon clansman Wei Shengyue actually tampered with my body before she died!"
"Go, tell the demons over at the volcano to speed things up! She thinks she can wait for me to die? Dream on!"
So what if she once swept away the demon realm and her sword shook the nine heavens? Fu Shuang could not be heartless and emotionless after all. She would never be indifferent to the legacy of her dear friend Wei Sheng Yue!
"Yes, sir!"
...
"Fellow Daoists, are you injured?"
Mei Zihan glanced at the now-dissipated barrier. He noticed that the spatial aura within the barrier had suddenly vanished, but he didn't ask any questions. Instead, he gently inquired about the two people's health.
Xu Xing had taken the Illusion Pill before the space collapsed, and now his golden eyes and face were hidden again.
Qianqian stared at the spot where the barrier had dissipated, her eyes filled with doubt. She seemed to have sensed a familiar aura just now.
After confirming that they were unharmed, Mei Zihan spoke up, "Did you two find any clues inside the barrier?"
Xu Xing pondered the extra space within his body, unsure if it could be considered a clue, but he couldn't just say it outright, as their relationship with Mei Zihan and the others wasn't yet close enough for them to be completely honest with each other.
Xu Xing was still hesitating about how to explain when he saw Shen Du take out his own purple glass token and show it to Mei Zihan.
"We were able to enter the barrier because of this glass token. Inside the barrier, there is a mountain wall engraved with sword moves, each one exquisite. I was eager to learn, so I studied in the space, which is why I was delayed. Who knew that as soon as I finished learning, my junior sister and I were teleported out of the space."
"So what you have is such a rare glass token. No wonder you have such an opportunity."
Mei Zihan only glanced at it a few times, and very discreetly did not reach out to touch it.
With a slight shift in his gaze, Mei Zihan coughed twice, his words carrying a deeper meaning, "Any opportunity encountered in the secret realm is a matter of personal fate. My junior sister and I have no intention of competing for it. We are here only to obtain clues to the key. If you two are fortunate enough to enter the Ruins of Return in the future, we would be grateful if you could bring Junior Sister Qianqian with you."
Mei Zihan's words were almost an explicit statement. He knew that there were definitely more than just mountain walls inside the barrier, but he had no intention of exploring. He only hoped that Shen Du and Xu Xing could take Qianqian with them after they found the key to enter the Guixu Secret Realm.
Shen Du looked into his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Mei, rest assured, if we are able to enter the Guixu Secret Realm, we will never forget you."
Mei Zihan felt much more at ease after receiving the assurance. He could tell that Shen Du and Xu Xing were not treacherous people. Since they possessed such a precious purple glass token, they must have had some unknown encounters. Perhaps following them would truly allow him to enter the legendary Guixu Secret Realm.
Moreover, for some reason, he always felt that Xu Xing gave him a very special feeling.
They quickly left the medicinal field, intending to cross the volcanic zone into the east. Along the way, Xu Xing was somewhat absent-minded.
She couldn't see the space inside her body right now, but suddenly having an entire valley of spiritual herbs, how could she remain calm? However, Xu Xing also knew in his heart that this valley was actually given to "A Shuang" by the woman's illusory image, but he didn't know who that woman's illusory image was. The "A Shuang" she mentioned should be Senior Fu Shuang.
When she finally met Senior Fu Shuang, she should explain the matter. Xu Xing thought happily, "With so many spiritual herbs, Senior Fu Shuang will surely give me some, right?" She wasn't greedy for all the resources in the valley; she would be content as long as she could get some spiritual herbs.
While they were pondering, the group finally reached the edge of the volcanic area.
The scene before you is scorched earth, with ash floating in the air. In the distance, a volcano is poised to erupt, and the closer you get to the volcano, the higher the temperature becomes.
The dark clouds in the gloomy sky seemed to press down on everyone's hearts, making them feel extremely depressed and unable to breathe.
"Rong Jun's situation is probably even worse..."
Mei Zihan suppressed the itch in his throat and explained in a low voice, "The scenery of this secret realm is closely related to the physical condition of the realm master, Rong Jun, especially this volcano, which is formed from his essence and blood. When we came in last time, it wasn't this bad, but now it seems that his life is in danger. We need to speed things up."
If Rong Jun were to perish, the Exploration Realm would cease to exist, let alone the search for any key.
Shen Du and Xu Xing knew that only when Rong Jun died could the key to the Guixu Secret Realm truly appear in the world.
Mei Zihan gazed at the dark clouds above the volcano in the distance. "Last time we explored most of the eastern part of the secret realm, but we didn't set foot in the volcano's location. Since this volcano could erupt at any time, why don't we..."
"That old demon has some skill! He actually created a secret realm!"
"The demon race has many rare and precious treasures. After this is over, we should thoroughly plunder them!"
"Don't let this interfere with our important business. Take these two people to the volcano first."
"What's the use of human cultivators? They want alchemists, but where are we going to find so many? We finally managed to catch a few, and they're still complaining that it's not enough!"
Shen Du's eyes sharpened, and an invisible sword aura burst forth from his fingertips. Mei Zihan also reacted quickly, taking out a concealment artifact and, together with Shen Du's sword aura, enveloping the four of them, concealing their figures and auras.
Soon, a group of four or five demonic cultivators approached from not far away, with two black ropes tightly binding two unconscious human cultivators behind them.
Upon recognizing the face of one of the people they were holding, Xu Xing frowned. What was Li Yuan doing here?!
After the demonic cultivators had gone some distance, Xu Xing immediately looked at Chen Du, "Senior Brother, Li Yuan is in their hands!"
Although Li Yuan was arrogant, she was still a fellow disciple of the Jade Cloud Sect, and the fourth-tier Thunderburst Bead was still in her hands. Xu Xing really couldn't just stand by and watch her die.
Shen Du looked at Mei Zihan and said in a deep voice, "When you came here earlier, did you notice any instances of demonic cultivators abducting people?"
"No, although we encountered some demonic cultivators at the time, we were able to coexist peacefully. If it weren't for the final sneak attack, I would have assumed that they were also after the treasures of the secret realm."
After all, it was the savings of a Mahayana stage cultivator, and anyone who saw it would be envious. Although very few cultivators actually found treasures here, many people now realize that Rong Jun's so-called savings were just a facade.
Unexpectedly, the people captured by the demonic cultivators were actually fellow disciples of two allies. Mei Zihan's expression turned grim. He had originally planned to go to other areas in the east to avoid the central volcano, but the destination of these demonic cultivators was precisely the volcano. Could it be that fate was guiding them there?
"Senior Brother, we have no clue either. Why don't we follow these demonic cultivators, find an opportunity to rescue people, and also see what they're up to?" Qianqian was thoughtful and also wanted to save people. From the demonic cultivators' words, she sensed that they didn't seem to be in the secret realm looking for something, but rather seemed to be doing something for someone else.
But this is a secret realm of the demon race, what can demonic cultivators do?
"Very well, fellow Daoists, please rest assured, we will do our best to help with the rescue."
Although there is competition among the disciples of Shuiyun Immortal Capital, they are very united and friendly to each other. When Xu Xing said that they were from the same sect, Mei Zihan took it to heart.
The road to the volcano was covered with scorched earth, and there were some scattered ores of excellent quality, but they were very small and not very useful. It is likely that the larger pieces of ore have already been mined away.
Qianqian took a soft breath. "The spirits here are so strange. Although they are very dense, they are also very chaotic."
Xu Xing felt a little dizzy from the fumes, and she tried her best to control herself from inhaling too much demonic energy, lest her scales reappear.
Fortunately, the group moved very quickly and soon followed the demonic cultivator to the vicinity of the volcano.
"This is……"
Xu Xing stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, finding it somewhat absurd.
They're actually refining elixirs here?
At the foot of the volcano, there was a circle of alchemy furnaces, more than twenty in total, and several demonic cultivators were forcing a group of alchemists to refine pills.
Each pill was quickly fed into the mouth of a cultivator, and the cultivator who ate the pill was thrown directly into the volcano by the demonic cultivator!
Those who were given the medicine were chosen from a group of cultivators, including both humans and demons, all at the Foundation Establishment stage. Li Yuan and another cultivator were thrown among them, clearly among those about to be thrown into the volcano.
"They're using cultivators' spiritual bodies to refine pills! That volcano is clearly a large alchemy furnace!"
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Author's Note: Wishing all my lovely readers a happy National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday! [heart emoji]
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