144: The aftermath of the return journey and the changes in the earth's veins
His consciousness felt like it was submerged in warm water, surrounded by the familiar fresh scent of the Spiritual Vein. Liu Shan slowly opened his eyes. What greeted him were the familiar wooden beams of the Pill Chamber. Hanging from the beams were biye flower seeds harvested last year, tied with red string, swaying slightly.
“You're awake?”
Lin Qingxue's voice sounded beside him, carrying a hint of fatigue but unable to hide her joy. Liu Shan turned to look. She was sitting on a low stool by the bed, holding a damp cloth, having clearly just wiped his forehead. There were faint dark circles under her eyes, indicating she had been watching over him for a long time.
“I...” Liu Shan tried to sit up but found his whole body weak and sore. The slightest effort brought a dull ache to his chest. “How long was I asleep?”
“Three days.” Lin Qingxue quickly helped him lie back down and handed him the medicine bowl from the side. “Brother Shi Yan prepared a Spirit-Calming Decoction for you. Drink it while it's hot.”
The medicinal soup carried a slightly bitter herbal aroma. As it slid down his throat, a warm current instantly surged through his body, dispelling much of his exhaustion. Only then did Liu Shan notice that the Pill Chamber was very quiet; only the water in the medicine stove was bubbling, and the air was filled with the faint scent of medicine and the aura of the Spiritual Vein.
“Where is Liu Zhi?”
“He's outside guarding the Formation Plate.” Lin Qingxue's voice was softer. “Luoxia Valley's barrier hasn't been completely repaired yet, and he's afraid more Shadow Eaters might break in.”
At the mention of the Shadow Eaters, Liu Shan's heart sank. “As for the Blood-colored Canyon...”
“After we returned, the canyon fell completely silent.” Lin Qingxue shook her head, a trace of lingering fear in her eyes. “Brother Shi Yan said that after the Blood Gate closed, the energy fluctuations there were highly unstable, so there shouldn't be danger for now, but...”
She paused, looking at Liu Shan's chest. “The Shadow Eater Power within you, and the remnants of the Xu Seal—although suppressed—are like two ticking time bombs. We don't know when they might explode.”
Liu Shan remained silent, raising his hand to press against his chest. He could feel the New Power within him slowly recovering. The Three-colored Imprint on his brow was still dim, but the seed-like glow remained, acting like a calming pill, giving him a strange sense of peace.
“How is the Earth Vein?” He suddenly remembered Luoxia Valley's Earth Vein. Earlier, in order to fight the Shadow Eater King, he had nearly exhausted the Earth Vein's reserve power.
At the mention of the Earth Vein, Lin Qingxue's expression turned serious. “It's not good.” She helped Liu Shan out of bed and walked to the Pill Chamber window, pushing it open.
The Spiritual Fields outside the window had been tilled again, and the soil had returned to a greenish-black color. However, the biye flower seedlings were growing sparsely, and their leaves carried faint yellow streaks, clearly indicating insufficient nourishment from the Earth Vein. Even stranger, the leaves of the oldest locust tree in the center of the Spiritual Field began to wither at a visible rate, and tiny, blood-red patterns appeared on its trunk, somewhat resembling the Blood Gate's runes.
“This is...” Liu Shan's pupils suddenly contracted.
“It started three days ago.” Lin Qingxue's voice was filled with worry. “The roots of the locust tree connect to the deepest part of Luoxia Valley's Earth Vein. Its wilting means the Earth Vein has been... contaminated.”
Contaminated? Liu Shan's heart sank sharply. He could sense that the aura emanating from the locust tree contained an extremely faint, bloody scent belonging to the Blood Master!
The black and white torrent that rushed into the Blood Gate fissure not only struck the Blood Master, but a trace of the Blood Master's power actually followed the connection of the Earth Vein and retaliated against Luoxia Valley!
“We must purify the Earth Vein!” Liu Shan's voice was urgent. He turned to leave but was pulled back by Lin Qingxue.
“Your body is still very weak.” Lin Qingxue's gaze was firm. “Brother Shi Yan already tried. Those blood-red patterns are extremely strange; ordinary Lingmai Power cannot purify them and will instead be devoured.”
Liu Shan looked at the withered locust tree, his brows tightly furrowed. He could feel the bloody scent within the locust tree slowly spreading. At this rate, the entire Earth Vein of Luoxia Valley would be contaminated in less than half a month. At that point, let alone planting biye flowers, the very survival of their clan members would be threatened.
“There is only one way.” Liu Shan took a deep breath, his eyes becoming exceptionally resolute. “I must enter the depths of the Earth Vein and use the mark on my brow to forcibly purify that bloody scent.”
“Absolutely not!” Lin Qingxue immediately objected. “Your body can't withstand the pressure of the Earth Vein, let alone the Blood Master's power that is inside!”
“There is no time.” Liu Shan gently patted her hand, his tone carrying undeniable determination. “You also said that the bloody scent will devour Lingmai Power. The longer we delay, the worse the consequences will be.”
He looked at the withered locust tree outside the window, then recalled the Blood Master's cold gaze in the Blood-colored Canyon. His heart felt as if it were being squeezed by something. The Blood Master's power could actually penetrate the barriers of the Blood Gate and the Earth Vein to affect Luoxia Valley. This meant the opponent's strength far exceeded his imagination, and he absolutely couldn't afford to be careless.
Lin Qingxue knew his temperament; once he made a decision, he wouldn't easily change it. She bit her lip and finally nodded, though her eyes were full of worry. “I'll go with you.”
“You stay up here and guard the Formation Plate.” Liu Shan shook his head. “The situation in the depths of the Earth Vein is unknown; I'll be more flexible going alone.” He paused, adding, “Besides, Luoxia Valley needs someone to oversee the overall situation.”
Lin Qingxue wanted to say more, but the Pill Chamber door was suddenly pushed open. Liu Zhi ran in, panting, his face pale. “Dad! Sister Qingxue! This is bad! Outside... there's a strange person outside!”
A strange person? Liu Shan and Lin Qingxue exchanged glances, both seeing alarm in the other's eyes.
“Who is it?”
“He's wearing a black robe and a Bronze Mask on his face. He says... he says he wants to see you.” Liu Zhi's voice trembled. “He also said he knows how to purify the bloody scent in the Earth Vein.”
Liu Shan's brow instantly furrowed.
Black robe? Bronze Mask? And he knows about the contamination of the Earth Vein?
Is it the White-Robed Figure? Or someone sent by the Shadow Eater King? Or... someone from the Blood Clan?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, each one carrying an aura of danger.
“Where is he?”
“He's outside the barrier at the valley entrance, saying he'll only wait for you to go alone.” Liu Zhi's hand tightly clutched the corner of his clothes. “Dad, should we activate the Defensive Formation?”
Liu Shan did not answer immediately. His gaze fell upon the withered locust tree outside the window, then shifted toward the valley entrance, his eyes flickering uncertainly.
The other party was clearly prepared, possibly even aware of his current condition, and deliberately chose this moment to appear.
If the person truly knows how to purify the Earth Vein, this might be their only chance.
But if it was a trap... He glanced at Lin Qingxue's worried eyes, then recalled the constantly spreading bloody scent in the Earth Vein, and finally made up his mind.
“I'll go meet him.”
“Dad!”
“Liu Shan!”
Lin Qingxue and Liu Zhi spoke up simultaneously to stop him, their faces filled with objection.
Liu Shan waved his hand, signaling them to calm down. “Don't worry, I'll be careful. If I'm not back in half an hour, Qingxue, immediately activate the highest level Defensive Formation, take the clan members, and leave Luoxia Valley through the Secret Passage.”
The Secret Passage was a contingency left by the Dan Wang Valley Master, leading to the other side of the Duan Yun Mountains. It would never be activated unless absolutely necessary.
Lin Qingxue's eyes instantly reddened, but she nodded heavily, her voice choked. “I'll wait for you to return.”
Liu Shan smiled, then turned and walked toward the valley entrance. Although the New Power in his body was weak, the faint glow on his brow was exceptionally resolute, like a seed waiting for the moment to break through the soil.
Outside the barrier at the valley entrance, a Black-Robed Man was indeed standing.
He was tall, and the edges of his black robe were embroidered with dark red patterns, somewhat similar to blood markings. He wore an ancient Bronze Mask on his face, engraved with complex runes, concealing all expression. Only a pair of deep-set eyes could be seen, calmly watching Liu Shan approach.
Liu Shan stopped ten zhang away, quietly circulating the New Power within him, ready to handle any sudden situation.
“Who are you?” His voice was cold, devoid of emotion.
The Black-Robed Man did not answer immediately. He simply raised his hand and drew his fingertip across the barrier's light wall. Strangely, the light wall did not obstruct his movement but rippled slightly. The runes, which were previously dim, actually lit up with a faint glow under his touch.
Liu Shan's pupils suddenly contracted.
This person could actually control Luoxia Valley's Defensive Formation!
The Black-Robed Man finally spoke. Filtered by the mask, his voice sounded somewhat muffled, yet it carried a strange sense of familiarity:
“Who I am is not important.”
His gaze fell upon Liu Shan's brow, as if he could penetrate skin and flesh to see the dim mark.
“What is important is that the mark inside you has begun to resonate with the Blood Master's power.”
Liu Shan's heart seized up.
Not only did the person know about the contamination of the Earth Vein, but they also knew everything about the mark on his brow!
The Black-Robed Man seemed to see through his shock, and the corner of his mouth curved slightly beneath the mask, revealing a meaningful arc:
“Do you want to know how to stop all of this?”
He extended his hand, and a small Bronze Token, similar to the runes on his mask, appeared in his palm.
“Follow me.”
Liu Shan looked at the Bronze Token, then at the Black-Robed Man's deep-set eyes. The New Power in his body fluctuated violently, and the faint glow on his brow began to flicker restlessly.
He knew that this person before him was more dangerous than the White-Robed Figure and the Shadow Eater King combined.
But he also knew he had no choice.
The Earth Vein's bloody scent was spreading, the Blood Master's threat was closing in, and Luoxia Valley was in imminent danger.
He took a deep breath, slowly raised his foot, and took a step toward the Black-Robed Man outside the barrier.
An imperceptible glint flashed in the Black-Robed Man's eyes.
He turned and walked toward the depths of the Duan Yun Mountains. That direction was not the Blood-colored Canyon, but a stretch of mountain forest that was older and more mysterious.
Liu Shan followed closely behind him, every step feeling exceptionally heavy.
He didn't know what awaited him, nor did he know if he would ever return to Luoxia Valley after this journey.
He only knew that for Lin Qingxue, for Liu Zhi, and for the clan members of Luoxia Valley, he had to go forward.
The barrier at the valley entrance slowly closed behind him, temporarily isolating the warmth and peace of Luoxia Valley from the outside world.
From the depths of the mountain forest came the cry of an unknown bird, sharp and eerie, as if foreshadowing something.
Liu Shan's steps did not falter, only the faint glow on his brow grew brighter and brighter.