566: Lu Xueqi (43)

After the Devil Shadow in the deep pit knelt and dissipated, the Devilish Qi permeating the ruins seemed to lose its violent aggressiveness.

However, they did not disappear; instead, they flowed quietly among the ruins like docile pets.

Su Han, Lu Xueqi, and Bi Yao dared not delay for a moment, enduring the surging Qi and blood and the emptiness of Spiritual Qi within their bodies, quickly leaving the heart-pounding square.

Their figures rapidly moved through the collapsed palace remnants and twisted corridors.

Their footsteps echoed hollowly on the broken flagstones, sounding particularly clear in this silent world.

Every echo struck the taut heartstrings of the three.

Lu Xueqi's face was as pale as paper; the tianya divine sword was already sheathed, but her hand still tightly gripped the hilt.

The Divine Sword Lightning Leading True Skill, which she had unleashed with all her might just now, had almost drained the Spiritual Qi stored in her Meridians.

At this moment, her aura was weak, and her steps were even somewhat unsteady, relying entirely on a tenacious will to support her.

Bi Yao's situation was slightly better, but her consumption was also enormous.

The crimson bloodstains on the heartbreak flower had faded, and its petals appeared somewhat withered.

She occasionally looked at Su Han and Lu Xueqi with concern, holding several Medicinal Pills that emitted a soft glow in her hand, but due to the urgency of leaving the dangerous area, she temporarily could not stop to consume them.

Su Han walked at the very front, the qingming sword lowered, but his gaze sharply scanned ahead and to his sides.

The Spiritual Qi within his body was also nearly half depleted, but the shock brought by the netherworld token and the lingering doubt kept him highly focused.

The token he tightly held still had a warm, moist touch, as if it were alive and slightly heating up.

This token, obtained from an unnamed Immortal Cave and originally thought to be merely a Netherworld Dao token, had today displayed such incredible power.

It not only intimidated the terrifying Devil Shadow but also caused it to kneel in submission.

This was something no ordinary token could achieve.

What was the relationship between the Netherworld Dao and this demonic creature suppressed in Liubo Mountain?

Was it the suppressor?

Or was it... a more complex, more unsettling relationship?

Su Han dared not think deeply, only suppressing this surprise and doubt in his heart for now; the immediate priority was to find a relatively safe place for Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao to recover their Spiritual Qi.

The three walked in silence, only their hurried footsteps and slightly heavy breathing audible.

The surrounding scenery slowly changed; the strangely styled palace ruins gradually thinned out, replaced by twisted, scorched earth.

It was as if an unimaginable inferno had once swept through, and even some vitrified crystals could be seen on the ground, reflecting an eerie glow in the dim light.

The air retained the aura of scorching heat and destruction, distinctly different from the gloomy Devilish Qi of the previous square.

"It seems... a great battle took place here," Bi Yao said in a low voice, cautiously looking around.

On the scorched earth, occasional giant, non-human skeletal fossils could be seen, half-buried in the black soil, their shapes bizarre, revealing ancient and ominous origins.

Su Han nodded, his gaze falling ahead.

At the end of the scorched earth, a forest of broken stone pillars appeared.

These stone pillars soared into the clouds; even though most had broken and collapsed, the remaining parts still appeared incredibly magnificent.

Complex patterns were carved on the stone pillars, but most had been worn obscure by time and destruction, only vaguely revealing outlines of stars, cloud patterns, and unidentifiable giant beasts.

"Let's go check out the stone forest; perhaps we can find a place to temporarily rest," Su Han suggested.

Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao both agreed.

Currently, the stone forest seemed to be the only place nearby that could offer shelter.

The three quickened their steps and entered the stone pillar forest.

Upon entering the stone forest, they immediately felt an inexplicable sense of oppression.

These giant stone pillars stood in a seemingly chaotic yet subtly regular arrangement, like a natural Formation.

The light grew dimmer, and the air was filled with the scent of dust and ancient stone.

"Be careful; the arrangement of these stone pillars is a bit strange," Su Han reminded, slowing his pace and slowly extending his Divine Sense, cautiously sensing his surroundings.

His Divine Sense seemed to be somewhat suppressed here, unable to reach far, only vaguely sensing an area of a few dozen zhang nearby.

The three carefully moved through the stone forest, searching for a suitable place to meditate and recover.

Finally, after circling an unusually thick stone pillar that had a large crack down its middle, they discovered a small recessed area.

It was a triangular space naturally formed by several fallen, overlapping stone pillars, with a narrow entrance but enough room inside for three people to hide, relatively concealed and easy to defend.

"Let's stay here," Su Han carefully scouted the surroundings, confirming there were no dangerous auras for the time being.

Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao both sighed in relief.

The continuous experiences and flight had exhausted them physically and mentally.

The three filed into this simple hiding place.

Bi Yao immediately took out a Formation Plate and several small Formation Flags from her Storage Pouch.

She skillfully arranged the Formation Flags in the corners of the recessed area, then placed the Formation Plate in the center and cast a Spiritual Incantation.

A faint, almost invisible transparent light screen rose, sealing the entrance and simultaneously isolating the internal aura and sounds.

"A small Illusion Formation combined with a simple Formation to block auras; I hope it's somewhat useful," Bi Yao explained, her face growing paler from the effort.

"Thank you, Miss Bi Yao," Su Han nodded in thanks, then looked at Lu Xueqi, "Junior Sister Lu, how are your injuries?"

Lu Xueqi sat cross-legged, shaking her head gently, her voice tinged with weakness: "Spiritual Qi is overdrawn; I need to recover as soon as possible."

She said no more, directly closed her beautiful eyes, formed hand seals on her knees, placed the tianya divine sword horizontally in front of her, and began to circulate the Taiji Profound Clarity Dao, absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

However, the Spiritual Qi within the Liubo Mountain ruins was exceptionally thin and mixed with various violent, sinister auras, making direct absorption and refinement extremely inefficient and quite risky.

Seeing this, Su Han took out a jade bottle from his Storage Pouch and poured out two Dragon-eye-sized Medicinal Pills that emitted a refreshing fragrance.

"These are 'Spirit Nurturing Pills,' they have a miraculous effect on recovering Spiritual Qi. Junior Sister Lu, Bi Yao, quickly take them."

He handed the Medicinal Pills over.

Bi Yao's eyes lit up, and without ceremony, she took the Medicinal Pills and swallowed them, immediately feeling a gentle, pure medicinal power spread, nourishing her parched Meridians.

"Thank you, Su Han."

Lu Xueqi opened her eyes, saw the Medicinal Pills Su Han offered, and hesitated slightly.

She was always aloof and disliked owing favors, especially to men.

But the situation was critical, and she knew it was not the time for pretense, so she softly said, "Thank you."

After taking the Medicinal Pills, the pure medicinal power spread, and her pale face finally regained a hint of color.

Su Han also took a Medicinal Pill himself, then guarded near the entrance, refining the medicinal power while vigilantly watching beyond the Illusion Formation.