Vision limited, hearing becomes increasingly sharp, and the sounds around Jian Huan are like iron filings attracted by a magnet, all pouring into her ears.
The heartbeat of Shen Jizhi, right in front of her, is close at hand, thumping, thumping, thumping, each beat like a powerful drum in a band.
Following this is a series of chaotic footsteps, approaching from a distance. As they walk, their skirts brush against the ground, producing faint noises.
Jian Huan holds her breath and silently counts in her heart.
The first person steps onto the stone steps... the second person steps onto the stone steps... the last person steps onto the stone steps.
In the long and narrow corridor of the steps, the footsteps echo and rotate endlessly, never dissipating.
Time seems to stand still in the isolated underground palace.
After an unknown amount of time, the last echo of the footsteps finally fades away.
Shen Jizhi instantly lets go, as if he can't bear to carry Jian Huan for another moment, and sets her down abruptly.
Jian Huan, caught off guard, sways a few times before steadying herself, complaining, "Couldn't you have warned me before putting me down?"
Shen Jizhi's tone is flat: "Did you tell me when you buried your face in my back?"
He struggled so hard, countless times wanting to throw her off his back, does she know that?
If it weren't for the three million bounty, heh.
Jian Huan can't help but roll her eyes.
She understands now; his meaning is that she's deliberately taking advantage of him.
Shen Jizhi, it seems, is well aware of his good looks and guards himself closely, thinking all girls are after his body!
Jian Huan laughs in exasperation: "Should I keep three steps away from you in the future, and even have to inform you in advance if I come closer?"
Shen Jizhi: "I would be grateful."
Jian Huan grits her teeth: "If you could immediately return my one hundred thousand nine hundred and twenty-one spirit stones, I swear to stay far away from you, so far that you'll never see me again in this lifetime."
Shen Jizhi: "……"
Jian Huan sneers: "Why aren't you talking now?" Weren't you quite talkative just now?
The Invisibility Talisman loses its effect, and Shen Jizhi's tall figure appears in the dim light of the underground palace.
He softly denies: "No."
Jian Huan gently touches her hairpin, her tone rising: "No what?"
Shen Jizhi lowers his eyes, his eyelashes quivering: "Not what you think."
Jian Huan raises an eyebrow: "Oh?"
Shen Jizhi glances at her, then looks away, explaining: "If it weren't for your talisman, we wouldn't have reached here, and might have been trapped in the old mansion forever. For that, I am truly grateful."
Is this what it feels like to be a creditor?
Jian Huan smiles sweetly, glancing at him as she takes a step forward, her posture exuding an indescribable ease and lightness, her pale pink skirt slightly rippling outward.
She hums softly: "It had better be."
Shen Jizhi: "."
With no one around, the two of them no longer use the Invisibility Talisman. Although they still have some, who knows how long they will be trapped here.
If they run out, and there's no time to draw new ones when they really need them, that would be disastrous.
The two stop talking and remain vigilant, walking one after the other deeper into the main hall.
When they first descended, Jian Huan roughly scanned the area, and even then, she couldn't help but feel a chill.
Now, with some mental preparation and the banter with Shen Jizhi, the fear and disgust have been somewhat alleviated, but she still feels uneasy.
In the center of this hall grows a towering tree.
Above the hall is a thick, dark void, and the dense canopy of the tree extends into this darkness, without end.
...
Jian Huan's vision encompasses countless tree branches reaching out from the tree's trunk, extending throughout the hall. The branches intertwine, forming small clearings filled with thick, dark green liquid.
These 'small ponds' surround the tree trunk in layers, looking like terraced fields.
However, what grows in these fields are not rice, but—children.
The oldest child is about eight years old, the youngest just a few months old.
Dozens of children lie quietly in the ponds, their chubby arms crossed over their little bellies.
The dark green liquid envelops them, their eyes closed, their long and dense lashes casting shadows, their delicate faces serene and peaceful, not crying or making a sound, as if dreaming of something beautiful.
These children, just placed here, still have limbs and complete features.
But as they walk around the tree trunk to the other side, they find that the children inside can no longer be called human.
Jian Huan instinctively lowers her eyes, recalling what she learned in class before.
A mother's ten months of pregnancy: [Note 1]
In the first month, the child is still an unshaped embryo;
In the second month, the mouth, nose, ears, and little hands and feet gradually sprout, taking on a human form;
In the third month, the embryo's small tail disappears, the limbs begin to bend, and it is almost fully formed;
In the fourth month...
But here, the situation is completely reversed.
The children are immersed in this unknown liquid, gradually regressing to their original state, until—
Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi stop and look into the nearest pond.
There is no longer any fetus inside, only a small green light circle, within which four crystal-clear small leaves are gently unfolding.
Jian Huan's voice is strained: "This is... the spiritual root, right?"
Shen Jizhi hums softly in agreement.
The two remain silent for a while, then return to Chu Chu.
Chu Laoye had shown Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi a portrait, which was so lifelike that it was easy to recognize.
The little girl lies there, her chubby face plump, her expression as peaceful as if she were still in her mother's womb.
Jian Huan lifts her skirt and squats down to observe closely.
The little girl is still breathing lightly.
She breathes a sigh of relief; that means she's still alive.
The dozens of children nearby, just placed here, are also fine for now, with no significant changes in their bodies.
But over time, they will also become just a light circle enveloping a spiritual root.
The immediate priority is to rescue them from the ponds.
However—
Jian Huan glances at the skeletal guards around, which are likely more than just decorations in this underground palace.
The two dare not act rashly. They skirt around the strange tree and explore every corner of the hall.
The hall is very wide, with the same unknown darkness surrounding and above them, as if it has no end.
After about a stick of incense, Jian Huan stops and says, "Let's go back and think of other ways."
She feels they shouldn't go any further; the deeper they go, the faster her heart beats.
Shen Jizhi agrees: "Good."
Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi have been in the underground palace for over two hours, but in the real Yujiang City, only one hour has passed.
The morning light falls on the simple courtyard, and Zhao Shi, who has been busy all night, still hasn't slept.
He quickly packs a bundle...
#30340 luggage, puts on a pair of half-new cloth shoes that he only wears on important occasions, locks the courtyard door, and pulls a cart towards the city gate.
The cart is loaded with several empty night soil buckets, which he plans to take to Azure Dragon City.
But the weight of the cart is noticeably heavier than just the empty buckets, though Zhao Shi doesn't pay much attention.
He is currently very excited.
Last night, he casually mentioned it, and to his surprise, Brother Baili Dao agreed immediately, suggesting they pack up and leave right away instead of waiting until the afternoon.
Such a spontaneous and carefree attitude is so chic!
Zhao Shi can't help but think of the heroic tales the storyteller often tells, which makes his blood boil.
He hums a tune and walks briskly through the morning streets.
After all, he lost his parents at a young age and has no attachments to this small city.
The city gate has just opened, and a long line has formed, as each person leaving the city must pass through a spirit-testing stone, making the process quite slow.
As soon as Zhao Shi joins the line, those around him instinctively move away and cover their noses.
He doesn't mind; he's used to it after so many years.
But why hasn't Brother Baili Dao arrived yet?
Zhao Shi waits and waits, and as he's about to reach the front, Baili Dao still hasn't shown up, making his heart sink.
Could it be? Brother Baili Dao, who seemed so reliable, would go back on his word?
While hesitating whether to go to Azure Dragon City alone without Baili Dao, an old farmer hurries over.
In the eastern part of Yujiang City, there is a large piece of land, and the old farmer has several fields there.
The old farmer often collects night soil from Zhao Shi and Baili Dao, and Baili Dao always gives a bit extra, so he quite likes this honest lad. He even thought of marrying his eldest daughter to Baili Dao.
Early this morning, before the sky had even lightened, Baili Dao hurriedly arrived at his field, delivering a barrel of night soil and asking him to pass on a message.
The old farmer picked some vegetables, sent them to his wife who was rushing to secure a spot at the morning market, and then hurried over.
"Stone!" the old farmer called out, "Big Knife says you should go first!"
Zhao Shi: "Ah? Then he's not coming?"
"He's coming, he's coming," the old farmer replied, feeling a bit reluctant, as if the prospective son-in-law he had in hand had suddenly flown away. "He said his carriage suddenly broke down, and he'll fix it and catch up. Just wait for him at the pavilion three kilometers outside the city, he'll be here soon!"
Zhao Shi breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the ever-lengthening queue behind him, he didn't want to go back and find Baili Dao to rejoin the line. So he said, "Alright!"
The night soil cart rolled through the city gate, and Zhao Shi was taken to test the spiritual stone. A nearby guard pinched his nose, disdainfully opening a barrel of night soil.
The barrel was empty but not cleaned. The guard, holding back the urge to vomit, closed the lid and stepped back.
His companion, finding the situation amusing, teased, "What's the matter? Why don't you check each one?"
The guard cursed, "You go check them if you want! Luckily, I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning, or I would have thrown up for sure! Ugh!"
The companion burst into laughter: "Hahahaha..."
Zhao Shi was soon released. He climbed onto the night soil cart, took the reins, and, with a spirited air, headed towards the long-awaited destination.
The sky outside the city always felt higher and more expansive than inside, and even the roadside trees seemed different, towering into the clouds, growing wildly.
Zhao Shi hummed a tune as he drove, and when he passed the pavilion, he stopped the cart.
He jumped down, and before he could even finish a yawn, suddenly everything went black, and he collapsed to the ground.
Zhao Shi didn't notice that at the very back of the cart, a barrel's lid had been opened slightly, revealing a pair of thick eyebrows and big eyes, filled with deep regret.
It was none other than Baili Dao.
This was the first time in his life that he had lied and the first time he had knocked out a good person, which made Baili Dao feel very guilty.
Zhao Shi wanted to become a martial arts hero, but his innate talent was poor; he couldn't even learn ordinary martial arts, let alone cultivate into an immortal.
To compensate, Baili Dao fed him a Spirit Recovery Pill.
This was enough to forge Zhao Shi's talent, allowing him to learn some martial arts and become a wandering hero in the jianghu.
At the Jade Clarity Sect.
In Elder Hall, Yu Qing and the head of Equipment Forging Hall were playing chess.
Yu Qing held a white chess piece but hesitated to place it, feeling uneasy.
Ever since Jian Huan told him that the Teleportation Talisman for finding people had succeeded and they had left Azure Dragon City to search, there had been no further news.
Li Yucheng glanced at him several times, then suddenly moved his finger, and the black chess piece instantly shot towards Yu Qing's brow.
Yu Qing reached out and caught the black chess piece, a bit helplessly: "Uncle Li."
Li Yucheng leaned back lazily, took a large gulp of wine from a flask in his arms, and said, "What happened? Have the demons attacked our sect? Is the Nine States about to collapse?"
"No to both," Yu Qing replied with a smile, tossing the black chess piece back to Li Yucheng, "One of my disciples from this year's intake has lost contact on the Xuantian Mirror, and I'm a bit worried."
Li Yucheng asked casually, "How long has it been?"
Yu Qing: "About ten days?"
Li Yucheng: "Is that really necessary?"
Disciples going out to train could be gone for months or even decades.
Just ten days? Was he hearing things from drinking too much, or had Yu Qing gone mad from drawing talismans?
Yu Qing explained, "Uncle, you don't know, Jian Huan almost daily reports her whereabouts to me on the Xuantian Mirror..."
Li Yucheng had some impression: "Oh, you mean that girl, wasn't she going with that unfortunate disciple of Master Gu's?"
Yu Qing sighed softly: "Yes, but she hasn't reported to me for ten days."
Li Yucheng propped his head with one hand and thought carefully: "I haven't seen Shen Jizhi either, he hasn't returned to Equipment Forging Hall. They must be in trouble."
Yu Qing put down the white chess piece, looking at the board: "I don't know whether I should go find them."
"Find them? You should learn from Master Gu," Li Yucheng said bluntly, thinking of his old rival, "You're still young, you don't understand that every disciple has their own fate. If something really happens, even if you're a great immortal, you can't protect them. You need to learn to let go, Yu Qing. In the path of cultivation, there are nine deaths and one life, and opportunities are always sought in danger. Being too concerned about disciples may not be good for them; can you help them through the golden elixir stage and comprehend their Dao heart? Don't ruin their opportunities. We naturally have to protect them within the sect, but outside, they must learn to protect themselves."
Yu Qing's hand holding the white chess piece paused, and he sighed: "That's why I'm hesitating."
He had made it to where he was today by surviving life-and-death situations.
Li Yucheng comforted: "You're just starting to lead disciples, and now you worry even about a scratch from a branch. It's normal. After a few years, you'll get used to it. And when they really die, you can find a way to avenge them! Alright, stop thinking, let's play chess. Whoever loses treats the other to wine for a month!"
Yu Qing suppressed his worries and was about to place a chess piece when the Xuantian Mirror beside him suddenly rippled.
He quickly looked over.
It was a message from a cultivator named [Dao of the World].
Jian Huan had mentioned this person, saying she and Shen Jizhi had gained a companion named Baili Dao, likely this person.
[Dao of the World: Elder Yu Qing, your sect's Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi have been trapped in Jiang Manor of Yujiang City for ten days! The situation is dire; please come quickly to save them!!]
With a snap, the white chess piece fell.
Yu Qing instantly vanished from sight.
With no one to play chess, Li Yucheng took another swig of wine, shaking his head.
To have such a caring elder, it was also that girl's fate.
She was lucky, indeed.
In the underground palace.
The most important elements in the main hall were three things: the skeleton guards, the children in the pool, and the round, bulging tree belly.
In front of the pool, Jian Huan, with one hand on her waist and the other supporting her chin, bit her fingernail as she exchanged views with Shen Jizhi: "This formation has three layers, the outermost layer is the old Jiang residence, the middle layer is this underground palace, and the innermost layer—"
"—is just it," Jian Huan pointed at the tree belly surrounded by the pool, her eyes narrowing like stars, "The formation's core must be inside."
Shen Jizhi, with his hands behind his back, scanned the surrounding skeletons.
The skeletons were densely packed, almost every three steps one, and the flickering blue flames on the nearby lamp stands resembled their ghostly eyes.
"These things are guarding the formation's core," Shen Jizhi said, looking at Chu Chu in the water, "As soon as we move, they'll wake up."
Jian Huan glanced at the skeletons, feeling a tingle of fear, and ducked her head, pretending not to see them.
These children seemed smaller than before?
For safety, they needed to get these children out as soon as possible, but as soon as they moved, those things would wake up.
After a long silence, Shen Jizhi suddenly said, "We have to be fast enough to have any chance."
Jian Huan understood his meaning, she hummed in agreement: "You're definitely faster than me, you handle three-quarters, I'll handle one-quarter."
"That's fine," Shen Jizhi said calmly, "But I need more space to clear."
Jian Huan: "The usual deal, half and half, you clear the extra part and put it in my space, okay?"
Shen Jizhi: "Okay. After that, you cut open the tree belly?"
Jian Huan: "Yeah, you hold off those things, I'll use the Thunder Talisman to split it!"
They got to work, walking into the boundless darkness and pulling out the treasures they had looted from the old Jiang residence.
There were thirty-six children just placed in the pool, eight embryos, and four spiritual root light rings, totaling forty-eight.
Each of them needed to clear space to accommodate eighteen children and four embryos.
The light rings were small, so their space could be ignored.
The children in the pool were in a living dead state, so they could just scoop them up and put them in the spatial pouch, but the embryos and light rings couldn't be directly scooped up; they needed to be taken with the dark green liquid in containers.
They had observed that the tree absorbed nutrients from the children through the dark green liquid and then channeled them to the tree belly.
As a result, the children gradually shrank, regressing to embryonic and even spiritual root states.
Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi crouched in the pervasive black mist, each contributing four silver bowls, gold basins, and glass cups to resolve the situation.
Then they began to throw their treasures out.
Both remained silent, as the act of discarding treasures had already exhausted all their energy.
The children were gradually shrinking, and they were in a hurry, so they didn't have time to think too much and started with the larger items.
Jian Huan lifted out a large round-bellied blue and white porcelain vase...
Shen Jizhi took out a piece of Shoushan stone with a warm luster and smooth texture...
After a moment, Shen Jizhi handed over some items from his spatial pouch to Jian Huan.
Jian Huan painfully cleared out some more items and placed his share into his own spatial pouch.
Almost done, Jian Huan counted her talismans.
The Lightning Talisman was the most powerful attack talisman she had mastered. Before leaving the old mansion for the underground palace, she had drawn hundreds of them for self-protection.
This should be sufficient, so the two prepared to leave and start their mission.
But they heard someone entering.
Jian Huan and Shen Jizhi were forced to stop, activating their Invisibility Talismans and moving to the boundary between light and darkness in the hall to observe.
It was two servants, each holding two jade bottles, descending the stone steps.
One was taller, the other shorter.
The taller one led the way, while the shorter one followed, somewhat displeased: "Miss Bing Lian's temper is getting worse, insisting we come now! I was in the middle of soaking in Foundation Liquid, and a bit later wouldn't have mattered."
The taller one replied: "Alright, do you have the guts to say that to Miss Bing Lian's face? Telling me doesn't count for anything."
The shorter one pouted, passing by a pool, stopping to bend down and take a closer look, then chuckled: "This little girl is quite pretty, delicate and exquisite, heh..."
The taller one knew what his companion was like and sneered: "Why don't you scoop her up and take her home to raise?"
"I wouldn't dare touch anyone here," the shorter one straightened up, glancing at the skeleton, "If I scooped her up, those things would tear me apart."
The taller one shook his head and approached the pool where the children had already dissolved into spiritual roots.
He unscrewed the wooden stopper of the jade bottle, aimed the mouth at the pool, and ignited the array patterns on the bottle's body with spiritual energy. The luminous ring enveloping the spiritual roots, along with some dark green liquid, flowed into the jade bottle.
Only then did the taller one seal the bottle and move on to the next.
Beside him, the shorter one was doing the same.
Behind them, Jian Huan reached out and touched Shen Jizhi's arm, writing on it: "Attack?"
These two were only at the Qi Condensation stage.
Although those children had already turned into spiritual roots, she and Shen Jizhi were here, so they couldn't let these two take the 'embryos' away, right?
It would be best to take them all out and see if they could find their original parents. Then, well, have the parents consume these 'embryos' and give birth again?
Shen Jizhi wrote back on her arm: 'I'm taller.'
Jian Huan patted his shoulder, indicating it was settled.
Over there, the shorter one was putting away his jade bottle and said: "I heard that these things need to be drunk by the ladies, and then they must have intercourse for three days to ensure pregnancy. This array—" He looked at the lush tree in front of him, "It's quite terrifying, I wonder how the lady thought of it." It was beyond common sense; the first time he saw it, he almost died of fright.
Thinking of Qi Wan, the taller one shuddered: "Women are the most poisonous."
The shorter one laughed: "Isn't that right? Who in the manor doesn't..."
Jian Huan, still under the effect of the Invisibility Talisman, silently approached the shorter one from behind. He was a bit shorter than her.
From her perspective, she could clearly see the large gold hairpin he used to tie his hair.
Jian Huan raised her hand, her palm holding a Thousand-Pound Talisman, and without hesitation, she struck his nape with a palm.
The spiritual energy activated, causing the Invisibility Talisman to instantly fail, revealing Jian Huan's cold expression.
But the shorter one could no longer turn around to see.
The thousand-pound force crushed his nape, severing his head from his neck, and he fell heavily to the ground, instantly losing consciousness.
Jian Huan used a cleansing...
spell to wash away the bloodstains on her body, bent down to take the two jade bottles from his hand, and put them into her spatial pouch, then stepped over his body.
This was the first time she had ever killed someone.
But she didn't have much inner turmoil; the shorter one deserved to die.
She had seen the disgusting look he gave Chu Chu.
Shen Jizhi had also finished dealing with the taller one.
Seeing Jian Huan like this, he was slightly stunned.
Noticing the gaze, Jian Huan looked back and raised her right hand, thumb pointing outward: "Start?"
Shen Jizhi: "Yeah."
Jian Huan went to Chu Chu's side, while Shen Jizhi went to the child next to Chu Chu. The two exchanged a glance, using spiritual energy to cover their hands and simultaneously reached into the pool.
Almost as soon as the children were lifted out of the pool, the ground began to shake.
Crunching sounds came from all around, and skeleton guards began to awaken one by one.
Jian Huan ignored everything happening behind her, picking up a child and throwing it into her spatial pouch, then running to the next pool and repeating the action.
From the moment the skeletons awakened to approaching, a few tens of seconds were all the time they had to fish out the children.
Shen Jizhi stood on his Snow Sword, his figure stopping and moving, lightning-fast.
Jian Huan's skills were different, and she couldn't match his speed, so he fished out most, and she took care of the remaining quarter.
The Speed Talisman could be fast, but it had a fatal flaw; once used, it couldn't be stopped, only suitable for escaping, not here.
Jian Huan raced against time, her feet moving at her personal limit. But by the last pool, just as she was lifting a golden tray with water and embryos, the swarm of skeleton guards had reached her back, slashing at her with a sword.
Jian Huan squinted, speeding up her hand to place the golden tray securely into her spatial pouch, while driving her spiritual energy.
The defensive talismans she had plastered all over her body upon arrival lit up one by one, blocking the attacks.
The sharp sword energy was neutralized, but the immense impact still jolted her internal organs, and a mouthful of blood surged up her throat, causing her to inevitably fall forward.
At the critical moment, a hand reached out, grabbing her collar and, with a twist of the wrist, threw her into the tree's belly.
Thud! Jian Huan slammed into the tree's belly, the blood she had been holding back uncontrollably spewing out.
Damn! Couldn't you throw me a bit more gently?
Jian Huan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, supporting herself on the branches below to stand up.
She glanced behind her.
Shen Jizhi soared into the air, holding his Snow Sword, twisting his waist and swinging his hand, creating a circular sword aura that expanded outward from the tree's belly. The front row of skeletons was all cut down, falling to the ground.
But there were more, endless rows, countless and boundless.
These skeletons were like locusts during a locust plague, swarming towards them.
The ground trembled violently, sending chills through the heart.
Jian Huan's heart skipped a beat, she retracted her gaze, quickly pasting a circle of Lightning Talismans on the tree's belly, trying to carve out a hole big enough for a person to crawl through.
But dozens of Lightning Talismans only scorched a tiny bit of the surface, as if mocking her overconfidence.
Jian Huan: "..."
At this rate, even if she used all three hundred Lightning Talismans, it seemed she wouldn't be able to break through.
Jian Huan took a deep breath, glancing at the sky. Shen Jizhi had already taken several boxes of Spirit Recovery Pills, but he...
was visibly getting lower and lower, the sword aura circle dimmer than before.
There were simply too many skeleton guards, endless.
Jian Huan focused, also taking some Spirit Recovery Pills, and began to concentrate on stacking Lightning Talismans on one spot. After a hundred or so, the tree's belly finally cracked open a hole large enough for an eye to peek through.
She looked inside and could see a spacious area with descending stone steps.
This confirmed their guess was right! The tree's belly was the key to breaking this array!
Jian Huan began to paste Lightning Talismans layer by layer around that small hole.
Since a hole had been cracked open, it was slightly easier to break through.
As the hole grew larger, Shen Jizhi also got closer to Jian Huan, and the skeleton army he was holding back naturally got closer to them.
Shen Jizhi spat out the umpteenth mouthful of blood, his voice weak as he asked the person behind him, "Are you done yet?"
Jian Huan's face was as pale as snow. "Almost, almost! Just hold on a bit longer!"
Shen Jizhi: "I..."
Jian Huan encouraged him, "Think about the treasures in your spatial pouch! Think about the reward you're about to get! Go for it, Shen Jizhi!"
Shen Jizhi: "..."
In an instant, his sword intent became sharp once more, forcing the skeleton army back by two steps. However, it was merely a last-ditch effort. Soon, Shen Jizhi was pushed back again.
Jian Huan had used up all her Thunder Talismans. Seeing the not-so-large hole, she had no other choice but to crawl into it.
She managed to get her head through, then her shoulders, and even her waist, but got stuck at the next step.
With her head already inside the tree's belly, Jian Huan looked at the path of life ahead and struggled to move forward, but to no avail. She called out, "Shen Jizhi, it's enough, come and kick me!"
Hearing this, Shen Jizhi took a deep breath, gathered his strength, and unleashed a powerful sword intent, forcing the skeletons back by a step or two. Seizing the moment, he quickly turned around, seeing Jian Huan's flailing legs outside the tree hole, his eyelids twitching fiercely.
He didn't use his feet to kick her but grabbed her thighs with both hands and shoved her forcefully inside.
With a thud, Jian Huan landed inside the dark tree's belly.
Her lower back was burning with pain, likely scraped and bleeding, but she didn't care and immediately got up, calling out, "Quick, come in!"
Shen Jizhi didn't hesitate, sheathing his sword and crawling into the tree hole. His small face easily slipped in. His shoulders were a tight fit, but the hole Jian Huan had carved with the Thunder Talisman wasn't a perfect circle but an oval, with a wider angle. Adjusting his shoulder's horizontal line, he managed to squeeze in.
Jian Huan quickly hugged his arm, pulling with all her strength to drag him into the hole, like a game of tug-of-war.
Until he got stuck at the same spot as Jian Huan, his hips.
The skeleton army had reached the hole's entrance, countless swords and spears slashing at Shen Jizhi's legs. His protective spiritual energy instantly crumbled, and he felt the pain of sword intent scraping against his legs.
Shen Jizhi gritted his teeth, pulling back slightly outside the hole, twisting his waist, and kicking off a few skeleton warriors.
The collision of his foot with the hard armor gave him a counterforce. Using all his remaining spiritual energy, he squeezed forcefully into the tree hole.
The skeleton warriors outside reached out, but it was too late.
Shen Jizhi, squeezing in, knocked Jian Huan to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust.
The skeleton army...
Seemed to be wary of the tree's belly, not daring to reach inside.
Suddenly losing their target, they stood outside, dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.
Inside the tree hole, the two of them lay on the ground, exhausted, their limbs numb, their bodies limp, not moving for a long time.
Just now, in the extreme danger, they didn't feel anything, but now that the tension was released, the burning pain from the scraped wounds flared up.
It was pitch black all around, only the heavy gasps and panting of the two could be heard, echoing in this small space, filled with the relief of surviving a calamity.
After an unknown amount of time, their strength slightly recovered. Jian Huan rolled over, lying on her back, exhaling a long breath.
On the other side, Shen Jizhi also stirred, getting up.
Jian Huan gritted her teeth and stood up as well.
Outside, the skeleton army gradually dispersed, and the eerie blue light of the underground palace seeped through the tree hole, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
After getting up, Shen Jizhi stood still. Jian Huan felt strange and glanced at him.
Then, her gaze froze.
His robe, embroidered with bamboo, was completely torn at the hem, ragged as if gnawed by some animal, revealing his two long and sturdy legs.
Jian Huan stared at them, dumbfounded.
Shen Jizhi's face was pale, with a few streaks of blood like silently blooming red plum blossoms at the corners of his lips.
He wiped it gently and asked her calmly, "Is it nice to look at?"
Jian Huan slowly looked up, glanced at him, and whispered, "Um... not bad?"
Seeing his beautiful glassy eyes gradually darken, a cold killing intent emanating from him, she quickly covered her eyes, turned around, and dared not provoke him further.
