64: Lu Shu

Lu Shu bowed elegantly to the three of them, then ceased to be distracted.

It raised its snow-white head, its red tail swishing behind it, beating out a rhythm.

A cry, clearer and more melodious than before, surged from its throat.

At first, the sound was like pearls falling on a jade plate, then like a clear spring washing over stones, and finally transformed into continuous Dao sounds of heaven and earth, cleansing the surrounding Evil Qi.

As the cry rose and fell, a strange scene appeared—the Evil Qi within the vicinity began to fluctuate rhythmically, like silk threads being combed by an invisible hand.

The ancient runes on the ground lit up one by one, and the power of the earth veins was invoked, beginning to purify the Evil Qi.

The purified Evil Qi did not simply dissipate; instead, it condensed into crystal-clear water droplets in the air, slowly seeping into the cracked earth.

On the stone platform where Lu Shu's four hooves trod, those cyan ripples were gradually forming a circle of purification light screen.

With each completed cycle, the range of the purification light screen expanded slightly.

But at the same time, the surrounding Evil Qi also seemed to be stimulated, continuously replenishing from further away, forming a tug-of-war with Lu Shu's purification.

Gradually, Lu Shu's cries began to become hurried, fine beads of sweat seeped from its fur, and the movement of its four hooves treading the ground became noticeably sluggish.

However, the surrounding Evil Qi became increasingly violent, even condensing into ferocious beast shapes, constantly striking against the purification light screen.

"It can't hold on much longer," Yuan Feng said with a frown.

The Evil Qi here was simply too thick; relying on the strength of a single beast was somewhat insufficient.

Just as Lu Shu was about to exhaust its strength, Qing Wu began to activate the Golden Bell in his hand.

The simple and unadorned bell body slowly rotated in his hand, emitting a long hum.

This sound perfectly harmonized with Lu Shu's cry, actually weaving golden ripples in the air.

With every ring of the Golden Bell, the light grew stronger.

Wherever the sound of the bell reached, the purified spiritual liquid no longer seeped into the ground but suspended in the air, forming a giant water net that blocked the replenishing Evil Qi outside.

Lu Shu gave Qing Wu a grateful look, and its cry became clear and melodious once again.

With the support of the bell's sound, it suddenly stood on its hind legs, its front hooves tracing two perfect arcs in the air.

"What exquisite coordination!" Hong Yun couldn't help but praise.

Seeing that patterns similar to Lu Shu's jade horn appeared on the surface of the Golden Bell, a certain connection seemed to have already been established between the two.

Qing Wu said thoughtfully, "It seems this Golden Bell is quite compatible with Lu Shu..."

He gently stroked the body of the bell, "Continue, we will help you stabilize your footing."

Under his protection, Lu Shu finally completed the purification ritual.

The entire area suddenly burst with vibrant life.

Tender green grass sprouts grew from the parched ground, and the air was filled with fresh Spiritual Qi.

Lu Shu lay on the ground exhausted, but its eyes were full of relief.

At this moment, it suddenly remembered the Golden Bell that had harmonized with it just now. Looking up, it found the Golden Bell already suspended above its head, slowly rotating and scattering waves of mysterious halos that made it feel a sense of closeness.

Then it poked its head out, followed the Golden Bell out of the Formation, and met the three of them.

The Golden Bell emitted a chime, seemingly acknowledging Lu Shu, before returning to Qing Wu's hand.

Although it acknowledged Lu Shu, it ultimately still needed the current master's approval.

Lu Shu sized up the three of them, then walked straight to Qing Wu's side and lay down just like that, exceptionally quiet and obedient, as if it had chosen him.

Seeing this, Hong Yun was also quite surprised, "Fellow Daoist, this little beast seems to be quite fond of you."

Qing Wu smiled faintly, reached out to pat Lu Shu's head, and then tied the Golden Bell around its neck.

Since the Golden Bell had already acknowledged Lu Shu, Qing Wu naturally had no objection.

He was originally helping someone find a Disciple; finding one sooner would allow him to fulfill this Karma earlier.

Feeling the Dao rhythm of the Golden Bell around its neck, Lu Shu's eyes immediately welled up with crystal-clear tears.

It touched the body of the bell with its nose, and the Golden Bell responded with a soft hum. The ancient patterns on the bell and the patterns on its body gradually flickered in synchronization, emitting a harmonious glow.

It looked up at Qing Wu, its glass-like eyes filled with unspeakable gratitude.

Its front hooves gently knelt on the ground as a gesture of respect to Qing Wu.

Afterward, Lu Shu affectionately rubbed against the corner of Qing Wu's clothes and then lay quietly at his feet, appearing exceptionally peaceful and harmonious.

Seeing how well-behaved and sensible Lu Shu was, Qing Wu also felt some fondness for it.

Stroking the top of Lu Shu's head, he said softly, "In that case, you shall travel with us."

Lu Shu let out a joyful soft cry, and the three of them continued their journey under its guidance.

Hong Yun was also quite curious about Lu Shu.

On the way, Hong Yun asked Lu Shu many questions. Although Lu Shu could only respond with cries, it did not hinder their communication.

According to it, the original home of the Lu Shu tribe was that area of dead land filled with Evil Qi.

Later, it was occupied by Vicious Beasts, who slaughtered its tribe, but the Legacy within its tribe remained.

After the Great Calamity ended and the Vicious Beasts perished, it was born, becoming the last Lu Shu in this Great Desolation.

This was why, even though its birthplace was no longer suitable for survival, it had to purify the old tribal land before leaving.

It had absorbed the Legacy left by its tribe and was now the last Lu Shu in the current Great Desolation.

"Such a sensible and grateful exotic beast is truly rare," Hong Yun couldn't help but sigh.

Afterward, Hong Yun relentlessly asked many more questions, finally making Lu Shu a bit annoyed.

After spitting at Hong Yun, it obediently followed behind Qing Wu.

In its view, compared to the talkative Hong Yun, the Dao rhythm around Qing Wu made it feel more at ease and close.

As they walked, the surrounding scenery gradually became eerie.

The Evil Qi here was more than ten times denser than before.

Lu Shu stepped forward to stop them, letting out a low cry to issue a warning, and used its front hoof to draw a line on the ground.

Hong Yun also stopped, a familiar feeling washing over him, "It's just ahead. This is where I stopped last time."

Yuan Feng narrowed her golden eyes and looked into the distance.

Ahead, the Evil Qi was almost substantial, and even space showed cracks.

The air was like a broken mirror, reflecting distorted shadows.

Dark shadows occasionally poked out from those spatial cracks and then quickly retracted.

Hong Yun swallowed hard: "Are we... really going in?"

Last time, he was frightened by this eerie and terrifying sight, and even his curiosity vanished, leaving him to drift away in a sorry state.

Seeing it again, it was still somewhat shocking.

Lu Shu stomped its hooves uneasily, signaling them not to go any further, as there must be some terrifying existence inside.

Qing Wu smiled slightly and patted its head.

Since they had come this far, there was no reason to go back.

Even Beast Emperor Shen Ni was only at the half-step Hunyuan Golden Immortal level before his death; what kind of trouble could he cause after dying?

But considering Lu Shu's current strength was still shallow, it was not suitable for it to enter such a dangerous place.

So he turned to Hong Yun and said, "Fellow Daoist can wait here and take care of Lu Shu for me."

As for Hong Yun's character, Qing Wu was still relatively at ease.

This was the weight of being the Great Desolation's 'old good man.'

"No problem, no problem. You two Fellow Daoists can rest assured."

Hong Yun originally wanted to go along, but with his strength, he might just be a burden.

But since Qing Wu said so, he might as well stay behind and have a heart-to-heart talk with Lu Shu.

"Let's go!" Yuan Feng released her aura, dispersing all the surrounding Evil Qi.

The two of them then walked forward together.