717: Blood Spirit Tree

"Let's go."

After waiting for a few more breaths,

and seeing no more Blood Bats appear,

Zhou Shixi said to Ye Lingshuang behind him.

Then he subconsciously grabbed Ye Lingshuang's arm.

In his other hand, he held the nameless fragment.

He bypassed the gently trembling heavenly capital demon mirror fragment and stepped into the dense forest.

He hurried towards the depths of the dense forest.

As for this fragment and the Blood Bats trapped within it,

let them fight it out for now.

Pulled by Zhou Shixi, Ye Lingshuang entered the dense forest.

Her heart trembled.

She subconsciously wanted to pull her hand away, but she made no movement.

She was Venerable Lingyun's Personal Disciple of Lingyun Sect.

No fellow Disciple or other Cultivator had ever held her hand before.

This made her feel a strange sensation.

She didn't reject this strangeness.

Instead, she even felt a hint of secret joy.

This was the accumulation of various impressions of Zhou Shixi throughout their journey.

Mysterious, powerful, with profound foundations, yet also graceful, broad-minded, benevolent, and decisive in action, showing no mercy to enemies.

All these things seemed to make the seed of curiosity, planted long ago, quickly take root and sprout at this moment.

However, in the next moment,

her eyes dimmed.

If her Revered Master were still alive, if Lingyun Sect still existed, and if she were still the favored daughter of Lingyun Sect,

with her personality,

if she truly fell for someone,

she would certainly not suppress her emotions.

She would definitely take the initiative.

However, all of this had changed before she met Zhou Shixi.

She was now burdened with a deep blood feud.

Her adventure with Zhou Shixi to this Blood Cloud Demon Cave was not just to repay a kindness.

It was more for revenge against Taiyi Sect, and to seek the legendary Treasure Trove said to be hidden within this Blood Cloud Demon Cave.

Ye Lingshuang's eyes dimmed.

But she did not pull her hand away.

Instead, she allowed Zhou Shixi to pull her, silently rushing towards the depths of the dark dense forest.

Zhou Shixi did not notice Ye Lingshuang's unusual state behind him.

His attention was entirely focused on this deep dense forest.

He was worried that there might still be bloodthirsty Blood Bats in the dense forest, and they had not been attracted by the heavenly capital demon mirror fragment.

Therefore, he remained tense throughout the journey.

After an unknown amount of time,

Zhou Shixi slowly exhaled a breath of relief.

His speed slowed down.

He had already seen a clear boundary.

In the depths of this dense forest, shrouded in blood-colored Spiritual Qi,

a deep cave appeared.

It was like a giant beast, opening its massive maw, waiting for prey to walk into its trap.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, have you ever seen this cave in any ancient texts before?"

Zhou Shixi stopped, released her hand,

and asked Ye Lingshuang, whose emotions were unknown, behind him.

Ye Lingshuang withdrew her hand, feeling a faint sense of loss in her heart, but she quickly reined in these emotions.

She looked up at the deep cave entrance ahead.

The next moment, Ye Lingshuang shook her head,

"We might be the first people to arrive here, besides the Cultivators of Taiyi Sect."

Ye Lingshuang had no impression of this cave hidden deep within the dense forest.

Those adventurers

did not have the ability to pass through the dense forest where the Blood Bats slept, as they did.

"There aren't even any Cultivators from Taiyi Sect guarding this place..."

"However, with the Blood Bats present, whether there are guards or not makes no difference..."

Ye Lingshuang pondered in her heart.

"That divine tree should be inside this cave."

Ye Lingshuang stopped her contemplation and spoke her premonition to Zhou Shixi in front of her.

Zhou Shixi nodded.

He had sensed the movement of the Black Small Beast on his shoulder.

"Let's go."

Zhou Shixi nodded to Ye Lingshuang.

Then he took the lead.

His figure disappeared into the deep cave.

Ye Lingshuang did not hesitate.

With a thought,

she followed.

The cave was deep and silent, making it impossible to see.

Zhou Shixi's mind was calm, and he dared not be negligent.

This dense darkness seemed to have the effect of isolating Divine Sense exploration.

Zhou Shixi could not grasp the full extent of the cave.

He could only proceed along the cave wall.

Behind him,

the overly silent atmosphere made Ye Lingshuang feel a little panicked.

Sensing the reassuring aura ahead of her,

Ye Lingshuang subconsciously reached out her hand.

She grabbed a corner of Zhou Shixi's clothes.

Zhou Shixi's heart stirred.

For some unknown reason, an imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Throughout this journey,

although Ye Lingshuang seemed a little downcast, she was still like a resilient plum blossom.

Although Ye Lingshuang didn't say much,

Zhou Shixi could guess that she must have experienced a great change.

That's why he happened to save her.

She's actually afraid of the dark... Zhou Shixi chuckled softly to himself.

He allowed Ye Lingshuang to hold onto his clothes.

His pace slowed down a little.

He walked carefully along the cave wall.

In the deep, dark cave,

two figures, one in front and one behind, walked slowly.

Zhou Shixi dared not produce any light.

The darkness was too thick.

If he were to walk with a light, it wouldn't help him much; on the contrary, it would make him a target for any potential threats lurking in the darkness.

"This seems to be going downwards..."

Zhou Shixi made a judgment in his heart.

"Little Shixi, you're too slow."

The next moment,

a familiar, crisp voice rang out in Zhou Shixi's mind.

"Elder Xiao Yi, you're awake?"

Zhou Shixi's heart filled with joy.

After they set off, Chao Xiaoyi had fallen into a deep sleep to stabilize and recover from her injuries.

She would occasionally wake up once in a while.

"This Elder has already smelled the scent of the blood spirit tree."

Chao Xiaoyi's coiled body stretched out.

Her two round eyes opened, looking into the dense depths.

"No danger, you can go faster."

Chao Xiaoyi scanned the area; her eyes saw further and wider.

Zhou Shixi nodded.

He gestured to Ye Lingshuang behind him.

Their speed picked up considerably.

The Black Small Beast, sitting on Zhou Shixi's shoulder, felt a slight excitement in its heart.

Before long,

a streak of blood-red light appeared in the vision of the two people and one beast.

This blood-red light was so dazzling in the darkness.

Like a torch.

Zhou Shixi's body paused, and he looked intently.

He saw an ancient tree, about a person's height, with many branches spread out, blood seemingly flowing on them, and emanating Spiritual Qi, appearing in his line of sight.

"It is indeed the blood spirit tree."

Chao Xiaoyi nodded joyfully.

The next moment,

a black shadow flashed past.

Between the trunk and the spiritual leaves of the person-height small tree, the figure of a Black Small Beast appeared.

Chao Xiaoyi was not polite.

She opened her mouth and inhaled.

The blood-red sap, which flowed downwards from the branches, through the roots, and into the earth, condensed into a line and flew into Chao Xiaoyi's mouth.

At this moment, sensing the Bloodline Power within the Black Small Beast's body gradually recovering,

Zhou Shixi finally truly relaxed.

He did nothing but guard by her side.

Ye Lingshuang's gaze retracted from the blood-colored ancient tree.

Her objective was not this divine tree.

But the secrets that might be hidden here.

Following the blood-red light, Ye Lingshuang meticulously investigated the bottom of the cave.

She tried to find secrets that Taiyi Sect might have overlooked or failed to discover.

At the same time,

deep within Xunye Plain, extremely far from the Blood Cloud Demon Cave,

in the sky, a middle-aged figure wearing a Daoist robe embroidered with an ancient character 'Yi' suddenly stirred in his heart.

His gaze turned towards the direction of the distant Blood Cloud Demon Cave.

"Someone has touched the ancient tree..."