130: A miraculous escape from a desperate situation, the Black Iron Sectors are in motion.

The valley was deathly silent, and the lead-gray sky hung low, seemingly within reach.

The howling wind carried pure yet violent Heaven and Earth energy, like countless tiny blades, causing a slight stinging sensation when scraping against the skin.

Li Ao and Medusa supported each other, moving arduously along the bottom of the craggy valley.

Both were severely injured, and every step aggravated their internal wounds.

Li Ao’s Soul was wounded, his Sea of Consciousness stinging as if pricked by needles, and the circulation of his Dou Qi was sluggish and difficult.

Although Medusa’s injuries were mainly internal, caused by excessive Dou Qi consumption and forcefully resisting the Saint’s might, the residual power of a single finger strike from Hun Qianmo, which she took to protect Li Ao earlier, also damaged her Meridians and disrupted her aura.

The immediate priority was to find a relatively safe place to treat their injuries.

The valley was far wider than they had imagined, and the terrain was more complex.

Beneath the withered yellow weeds, they occasionally saw fragments of rusted, long-lost weapons, and even some massive, pale white skeletons, unlike those of humans or known Demonic Beasts, half-buried in the soil, silently recounting the tragedy that had once occurred here.

“The energy here... although violent, the ancient Evil Qi and deathly stillness it contains are not entirely without benefit to our injuries.”

Medusa’s purple eyes flickered slightly as she keenly sensed the surroundings.

She possessed the Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python Bloodline and was inherently capable of devouring and refining various energies, making her adaptability to this type of cold and Evil Qi-laden energy stronger than that of ordinary experts.

Li Ao nodded; he felt it too.

The dormant black iron within his body, along with the Nirvana Origin that shared its source, seemed to have become... slightly more active here?

Although extremely faint, that stirring, like a sleeping Vicious Beast slightly turning over, made it impossible for him to ignore.

The aura of termination and deathly stillness pervading this place seemed to be its natural nourishment.

“There seems to be a cave over there.”

Li Ao focused his gaze on an inconspicuous, dark entrance beneath a distant cliff face, mostly hidden by vines.

The two approached cautiously.

Medusa flicked her finger, and a wisp of faint Seven-Colored Dou Qi probed into the cave like a spiritual snake, retracting moments later.

“The cave is not deep, and there is no sign of living creatures.

It seems to have once been the lair of a Yao Beast, but it has been abandoned for many years.”

Pushing aside the dead vines, an odor mixed with dust and faint mildew rushed out.

The interior of the cave was about ten feet square, the ground covered with dry moss and withered grass.

Fine cracks in the ceiling allowed a few weak rays of light to penetrate, making it barely possible to see.

“This place will suffice.”

With a wave of Medusa’s hand, Seven-Colored Dou Qi swept through the cave like a bolt of silk, clearing away the dust and debris.

Without further words, the two found relatively flat spots, sat cross-legged, and began circulating their energy to heal their injuries with all their might.

Li Ao first took out several healing Medicinal Pills emitting a rich medicinal fragrance and swallowed them.

These were high-quality pills he usually refined.

As the medicinal power dissolved, it flowed through his dry Meridians like sweet spring water, bringing waves of comfort.

He focused his mind, fully circulating the Burning Technique, guiding the faint flame of Dou Qi to carefully nourish his damaged Meridians and internal organs.

At the same time, he split off a wisp of his consciousness and sank it into his Sea of Consciousness.

Within the Sea of Consciousness, the gray mist representing the backlash of the Nirvana Origin still lingered, constantly eroding his Soul Power and causing waves of tearing pain.

He tried to use his own Soul Power to dispel and refine it but found the effect negligible; the gray mist was extremely potent and highly stubborn.

Just as he felt troubled, a faint ripple suddenly came from the dormant black iron deep within his glabella.

A subtle suction force emanated from the black iron, and the gray mist in his Sea of Consciousness, which was so hard to dispel, was drawn toward the black iron, strand by strand, wisp by wisp, eventually being devoured and absorbed by it!

Although the speed was extremely slow, Li Ao could clearly feel the stinging pain in his Soul gradually receding!

“This black iron... can actually absorb the backlash?”

Li Ao was both surprised and delighted.

This was undoubtedly tremendous news, meaning that if he were forced to activate the Nirvana Origin again in the future, he might be able to rely on the black iron to accelerate his recovery and reduce the risk.

He dared not delay, concentrating his spirit, coordinating with the black iron’s absorption, and guiding the medicinal power and Dou Qi to fully repair his physical injuries.

Medusa, nearby, was enveloped in a faint layer of seven-colored light.

She did not consume any Medicinal Pills but instead directly devoured the violent Heaven and Earth energy from outside.

The phantom image of the Seven-Colored Sky Swallowing Python flickered behind her, forcibly refining and purifying the violent energy pouring into her body, converting it into pure Dou Qi to repair her damaged Meridians.

Her method was more overbearing and direct, yet highly efficient.

Time quietly slipped away in this silent valley.

They did not know how much time had passed, perhaps a day, perhaps several.

Li Ao was the first to open his eyes.

Although his face was still somewhat pale, his gaze had recovered its former depth and sharpness.

The wounds to his Soul had stabilized with the help of the black iron and were slowly beginning to heal, and his internal Dou Qi had recovered by thirty to forty percent.

He looked at Medusa beside him, seeing that she was still Cultivating with her eyes closed, her aura steady and prolonged, clearly recovering well too.

He stood up, stretched his somewhat stiff muscles and bones, walked to the cave entrance, and looked out at the lead-gray sky and the desolate land.

“This place is definitely not benign, but crisis often harbors opportunity.

What Elder Yao Senior said was true; this place... is indeed extraordinary.”

He muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the scattered bones and weapon fragments.

“These skeletons and broken weapons have remained incorruptible after countless years.

Their owners were likely at least of the Dou Zun level when they were alive... This is probably an ancient battlefield.”

For so many experts to have perished, the great battle that erupted here back then must have far exceeded imagination.

Just then, the black iron deep within his glabella, which had been silent, suddenly began to tremble violently without warning!

A sense of longing and guidance, far clearer and stronger than before, surged into Li Ao’s heart like a tide!

The direction pointed straight toward the deeper parts of the valley!

At the same time, Medusa, who was Cultivating, suddenly opened her eyes, a trace of astonishment flashing in her purple pupils: “That sense of summons... it’s gotten stronger!”

The two exchanged glances, seeing seriousness and a hint of curiosity in each other’s eyes.

Their injuries were not yet healed, and the road ahead was unknown.

But the anomaly of the black iron and the mysterious summons were like a lighthouse in the fog, impossible to ignore.

“Let’s go take a look,” Li Ao said in a deep voice.

A new exploration officially began in this ancient deadly land.