267 - Elasia Saga

Fu Yan could distinctly sense that Shui Liuqing was not too far from her current location. As she made her way towards the eastern side of the tomb complex, Fu Yan diligently avoided the crowds. After all, the last thing she wanted at this time was to stir unnecessary trouble. It was better if the attention was drawn more towards the male protagonist, Fang Yu. Her journey was abruptly interrupted when, not far off in the sky, there was a sudden spark of spiritual energy exploding, and the air was laced with a painfully familiar aura. Pausing swiftly atop a roof's edge, Fu Yan raised her gaze towards the source of the commotion she just witnessed. This was the distress signal of their Frost Glow Palace disciples asking for help. Realizing this, Fu Yan quickly changed her course, using puppet paper dolls to locate the position of her disciples while speeding rapidly towards their direction. Although Fu Yan specifically brought the disciples out for some training, as the palace leader, she couldn't disregard their safety. She had no choice but to temporarily set aside her earlier plans. Rescuing people was the priority now. Hence, seeing the distress signal, Fu Yan didn't hesitate for even a moment and immediately dashed towards the source. After nearly a quarter of an hour, Fu Yan finally reached the exterior of a still-imposing palace. She glanced up, and immediately, a strong wave emanated rapidly from within. Upon witnessing this, Fu Yan's expression darkened slightly. Inside the palace, two Frost Glow Palace elders, along with two disciples, appeared to be trapped within an array formation. One of them was lying on the ground, status unknown, while the remaining three huddled together, straining every effort to fend off the formation's attacks. Encircling the array were three post-transformation stage experts, who regarded the trapped figures with a nonchalant gaze. One of them stepped forward, sneering at the four trapped within, "I advise against struggling further. Hand over what you just acquired here, and maybe we'll spare your lives." "Why should we give you something we obtained?" one of the disciples retorted, simmering with indignation, their gaze towards the opposition filled with loathing. However, it was clear they were reaching their limit, with a trace of blood at the corner of their lips. As it turned out, the four of them were the first to break into this palace, and after arduous efforts, had finally seized numerous resources. Among their winnings were two full chests of Transformation Pills. Transformation Pills aid cultivators in breaking through to the completion stage, a priceless asset, especially coveted by post-transformation experts. The value of two chests of Transformation Pills could easily reach several million top-grade spirit stones, enough to make anyone green with envy. They never expected that such hard-earned resources would be discovered by the three late-stage transformation experts who had come in afterwards. Immediately, greed illuminated their eyes, inciting them to kill and rob. In the ensuing clash, it became apparent that the two elders could not match the strength of the three. The disciple now lying on the ground had been critically injured and was clinging to life with barely a breath left. Fortunately, the two elders had preservation artifacts allowing them to hold out temporarily; otherwise, the four would have already met their demise. Yet even with these artifacts, the two elders were visibly pale, their endurance nearly exhausted. Seeing this, the three outside did not press their attack, instead watching like cats toying with mice. The disciple glared fiercely at the adversaries and warned, "We are people of Frost Glow Palace. When our peak master and palace master arrive, you will surely suffer consequences unbearable!" "Hahaha, Frost Glow Palace? What kind of insignificant sect is that? Sorry, but we've never heard of it," mocked those outside the array. These three were rogue cultivators of the continent, temporarily allied. They knew well the great sects to avoid offending, but held no concern for an unknown force. As the last disciple's spiritual energy waned, collapsing again provoked another bout of laughter from the three inside. "Elder Liu, what do we do?" Elder Wang asked through gritted teeth, looking at Elder Liu beside him. Elder Liu was equally unwilling to resign, yet escape now seemed impossible. "We've sent the signal long ago and no one has come. It seems our fates today are indeed grim." Before joining Frost Glow Palace, both elders had been solitary rogue cultivators on the continent for decades, familiar with escape techniques. However, these came at a hefty price; they could neither preserve the resources nor rescue the disciples. Their loyalty to Frost Glow Palace hadn't reached a level where they'd die alongside the disciples. Survival considerations arose in their minds. If no one from the palace arrived in time, they would have to abandon everything and flee. "Forget it, let's not waste time talking to them. Kill them and take the goods, then split them. Rumor has it there's a treasury opened elsewhere. We shouldn't linger here." Another of the attackers spoke up, casting a look at the pair inside. With that, the three post-transformation stage experts nodded in agreement, raising their hands to gather true essence attacks, seemingly preparing to end it all. Fu Yan entered just in time to witness this scene. Without any idea of sneaking in, she directly unleashed a full-force attack with her sword. "Buzz" In an instant, the air within the entire space trembled slightly, the powers of several forces rapidly intertwining. However, Fu Yan's attack seemed insufficient to fend off the combined might of the three, and the as-yet-untempered force continued advancing. Fortunately, at that moment, Fu Yan descended from above, landing steadfastly before the two elders. She quickly retrieved a shell obtained earlier in a cave, activating her spiritual energy in secret. With a "splash" sound, an invisible force instantaneously unfolded around her, and when the remaining attacks struck, not a single strand of her hair was ruffled. "Palace Master!" Seeing Fu Yan's figure, the two elders behind her rejoiced, their earlier thoughts of surrender vanishing in an instant. At this moment, Mo Ling leisurely floated in from outside, eyeing the three post-transformation shadowy figures opposite, exchanging a light grin with Fu Yan. Clearly, it had no intention of intervening. Mo Ling understood well that Fu Yan was not someone easily deceived or manipulated. No matter how it pretended, she wouldn't trust it readily. Under such circumstances, it wouldn't volunteer as a free enforcer, given the laws binding it could only control, not punish, it. Fu Yan glanced at Mo Ling, seemingly unsurprised by its indifferent stance. In fact, after they escaped the grave, Fu Yan had anticipated that Mo Ling would become less cooperative. Fortunately, the three opponents were merely at a post-transformation stage. While Fu Yan might not necessarily win in a head-on clash, her possession of numerous magical artifacts, both for defense and attacks, made things manageable. "Who are you?" The sudden intervention that blocked their combined strike made the opponents' expressions shift slightly, their gaze fixed on Fu Yan. She revealed herself to be at the early stage of the transformation. When Lu Xiaowen reset her restriction during her arm recuperation, her puppet identity's cultivation level was easily discerned, though she seemed unbothered by it. Snapping out of their thoughts, the group, emboldened by their misunderstanding, mocked, "Just an early stage of transformation. How foolish. We shall begin with you!" With that, one of them burst forward, surging towards her. The two elders behind, despite some uncertainty after hearing his words, held firm trust in their palace master, recalling how she previously killed one of the eight generals of the Corpse Ghost Sect. In the next instant, Fu Yan dashed forward, sword in hand, unleashing her Linglong Sword Technique upon the attacker. Swish! Swish! The sword's intent emanating from her constellation sword, shockingly comparable to the attacks of a post-transformation stage opponent. Wasting no time, Fu Yan's every move was lethal. Shortly, the opponent found themselves at a disadvantage, and against their attacks, she confidently held her shell, unaffected. Witnessing this, the remaining two were visibly startled. Realizing the gravity of the situation, they charged together. Even facing an onslaught from the trio, Fu Yan's expression remained unchanged. The shell served as a semi-immortal defensive artifact, rendering their attacks akin to mere scratches, providing her the opportunity for unrestrained combat. Inside the palace, a sharp blade of light flashed by. Moments later, a severed head flew high, with the demise of a comrade rattling the remaining two. In no time, Fu Yan systematically eliminated them. After collecting their storage rings, silence briefly returned to the surroundings. "Many thanks for your rescue, Palace Master!" Expressing their gratitude, the two elders, having taken a moment to adjust their breathing, hurried towards Fu Yan and bowed respectfully. Fu Yan nodded, her gaze falling upon the two fallen disciples on the ground. The disciple who had fallen earlier was primarily suffering from overexertion of spiritual energy and some minor internal injuries, not anything life-threatening. However, the disciple who was barely clinging to life was in a precarious situation. Seeing this, Elder Liu couldn't help but speak up, "Please forgive us, Palace Master, for failing to protect the disciples." Fu Yan walked over to the disciple and took out a life-saving spiritual herb, utilizing her own spiritual energy to help the unconscious figure absorb it fully. When she entered, she had picked a variety of spiritual herbs from half of the garden. Apart from the most precious Ice Spirit Eight-Petaled Orchid, she had also obtained many other valuable herbs. Reviving this disciple wasn’t much of a challenge. Soon enough, the disciple's breath eased into a steady rhythm. Fu Yan then turned to hand several healing pills to the other disciple and the elders before standing up. By now, the tomb complex had been mostly scoured by various factions. The hidden spots were not something an average cultivator could reach. Fu Yan pondered for a moment before speaking slowly to the two elders. Fu Yan instructed, “You should quickly regroup with Yi Tu and Liu Bei. It's safer to be together.” As she spoke, she sent a message to Yi Tu. Elder Wang promptly responded, "Yes, Palace Master." "The tomb is no place to linger. Find the right moment and make your way back to the shore swiftly," Fu Yan advised them again before giving them a glance. Elder Liu hesitated, instinctively voicing, “But Palace Master—” He immediately realized he might have overstepped his bounds, understanding that the palace master’s matters were not for him to inquire about. He promptly fell silent. Fu Yan didn’t mind but also didn’t elaborate further. Once the two disciples awoke, Yi Tu and Liu Bei appeared to have received her message and were quickly making their way over. In no time, they finally reunited with the group in the grand hall. After further instructions from Fu Yan, she quietly vanished, taking Mo Ling with her. Upon leaving, Fu Yan initially assumed that Shui Liuqing had moved from her original location but was suddenly taken aback to find she hadn’t moved at all. This was peculiar. ... Ji Qingjue, trembling slightly, held Shui Liuqing tightly. She gazed down at the person struggling to apologize beneath her, tears that she couldn’t control filled her eyes. “I… understand. I forgive you. For now, don't… don't say anything else.” Ji Qingjue spoke with a slight sob, struggling to get out a complete sentence. Despite her inner turmoil, Ji Qingjue forced herself to remain calm. Gently, she laid Shui Liuqing down and focused her gaze on her injury. Shui Liuqing had suffered a stab to her abdomen, leaving it a bloody mess. The bright red blood had started to darken; the scorpion's venom was clearly spreading within her body. Ji Qingjue didn’t hesitate, channeling her power into Shui Liuqing and using her true essence to guard her heart and veins, preventing the venom from spreading further. After stabilizing the blood flow and halting the venom, Ji Qingjue let out a quiet sigh of relief. She immediately noticed Shui Liuqing’s eyes starting to flutter shut and quickly gave her a gentle shake. Seeing her regaining consciousness, Ji Qingjue hurriedly produced a pill, gently placing it at her lips, whispering, “Open up.” Hearing Ji Qingjue’s voice seemed to restore some clarity to Shui Liuqing’s thoughts. Despite the agony enveloping her body, she opened her mouth with difficulty, allowing Ji Qingjue to feed her the pill. Ji Qingjue clasped Shui Liuqing’s hand again, letting warm energy flow between them. As Shui Liuqing began to regain sensation after a quarter of an hour, attempting to circulate her spiritual essence brought an overwhelming wave of pain. “Ugh…” A stifled groan escaped her lips. At some point, Ji Qingjue’s tears had ceased. She knew any show of negativity would be detrimental. "Don’t move," she advised softly. Shui Liuqing lifted her gaze to Ji Qingjue's face. The tears on Ji Qingjue's cheeks had dried, and her complexion was rather pale. “I need… my storage ring…” Shui Liuqing struggled, her voice weak. Upon entering, not only Fu Yan had taken the Ice Spirit Eight-Petaled Orchid, but Shui Liuqing had also gathered spiritual herbs over a thousand years old, intending to hand them over to Frost Glow Palace later. However, she now needed to use them. She knew Fu Yan wouldn’t mind. Understanding Shui Liuqing's intent, Ji Qingjue gently opened her storage ring, retrieving a millennia-old Thousand-year Snow Grass. The Thousand-year Snow Grass could cure a hundred poisons and quickly recover internal injuries. Recognizing the herb, Ji Qingjue’s eyes brightened—it meant Shui Liuqing could be saved. “Here.” Ji Qingjue lifted Shui Liuqing’s head, placing the herb near her mouth. Though Shui Liuqing was weak, she managed to bite off half of the herb before becoming motionless again. “What’s wrong?” Ji Qingjue asked. Shui Liuqing remained silent, just staring at her. Momentarily puzzled, Ji Qingjue realized Shui Liuqing’s intention and hurriedly spoke, “I’m fine. Just take it.” Shui Liuqing stubbornly shook her head, communicating, “Half the herb is enough.” Ji Qingjue had clearly used a technique harmful to her own body to kill the venomous creature. Ji Qingjue was about to argue but relented under her gaze, lowering herself to take the remaining half of the Snow Grass with resignation. Shui Liuqing: “…” Biting the other half of the herb brought Ji Qingjue to a pause. She understood Shui Liuqing intended to share the herb equally, and she had to comply for her health. However, the closeness of their faces and mingling breaths was unexpected… Ji Qingjue hadn’t anticipated this turn of events, realizing she had drawn too close for comfort—a brief second passed before she bit through the herb, retracting swiftly as if by reflex. Catching a glimpse of the bewilderment in Ji Qingjue’s eyes, Shui Liuqing’s brows flickered with emotion, though her weakened body couldn’t act on it. She swallowed the herbal remedy slowly, letting the energy flow into her body. “Ugh...” The antidote began to work quickly, easing the toxicity from her system. A profound warmth spread through Shui Liuqing, gradually evaporating the scorpion venom. The groans of relief from Shui Liuqing snapped Ji Qingjue from her thoughts. She seized Shui Liuqing’s hand, continuing to infuse her with spiritual energy. Soon, exhaustion overcame Shui Liuqing, and she slipped into unconsciousness, lasting well over half a day. Meanwhile, Ji Qingjue, still recovering with her share of the Snow Grass, balanced aiding Shui Liuqing’s recovery with her own meditation. She, too, consumed several pills, her recovery nearing completion as necessity demanded constant readiness for potential threats. “Cough, cough…” Moments later, Shui Liuqing awoke from her stupor with a light cough, attempting to sit up. Ji Qingjue, jolted from her meditation, rushed to help her, cautiously settling her against a railing with concern still evident in her voice, “How are you feeling? It seems the venom is almost purged.” Once the venom was expelled, all would be manageable. Shui Liuqing checked her physical state. Sure enough, the Thousand-year Snow Grass had neutralized the venom, and her abdomen was bandaged, though internal recovery would require time. “I’m alright.” Although her lips still lacked color, her condition had visibly improved. Aware of her state, she promptly consumed several recovery pills without further prompting. Relieved, Ji Qingjue felt the tension in her chest ease and recalled Shui Liuqing’s earlier apology. “Why… why did you apologize to me?” In response, Shui Liuqing only chuckled softly, reaching to brush away Ji Qingjue’s dried tears with the clean side of her sleeve, leaving Ji Qingjue momentarily thrown. Though instinct urged her to evade the tender contact, her body remained still, allowing the gentle gesture. Only after a moment did she hear Shui Liuqing’s slightly fragile, yet clear, voice echo with the serenity of a mountain stream. “I don’t want to push you away anymore.” ... Fu Yan noted Shui Liuqing’s location was unchanged. For some reason, Fu Yan suddenly thought about Ji Qingjue. The two of them had been together for some time without moving from the spot. Fu Yan: "..." Knowing Ji Qingjue and Shui Liuqing were together reassured Fu Yan of their safety, even if faced with completion-level experts. Therefore, she wasn’t overly concerned about their well-being. Considering her next steps, she unconsciously slowed her pace. She was uncertain whether it was the right time to approach them. Just as Fu Yan was silently pondering, she suddenly noticed a flicker from the voice transmission mirror on her person, momentarily stunning her. The voice transmission mirror was linked exclusively between her and Bai Yue Li, and could only be used when they were in the same space. Bai Yue Li should still be inside the Xu You Jade Seal, so how had it lit up all of a sudden? The Xu You Jade Seal contained an independent realm, essentially another space. Puzzled, Fu Yan quickly activated her spiritual energy. Bai Yue Li's familiar voice echoed in her ears: "Is everything going smoothly at the bottom of the You Heart Lake?" "Senior Sister?" Fu Yan was genuinely surprised. Although her true self shared a complete soul connection with her, she hadn't realized when Bai Yue Li came out of the seal, as her true self was deeply submerged in cultivation. Fu Yan quickly regained her composure and asked, "Senior Sister, how did you come out?" Initially, Fu Yan figured Bai Yue Li had sneaked out while her true self was still engrossed in secluded cultivation. However, upon further thought, something didn't add up. The Xu You Jade Seal had been refined by herself; without Fu Yan's accompaniment, Bai Yue Li shouldn't have been able to come and go freely. As it turns out, Bai Yue Li had heard that through dual cultivation and soul cultivation, Dao companions would mark each other's spiritual aura. This connection would thus allow them to utilize each other's refined spiritual tools or artifacts effortlessly. After her tribulation adjustment, Bai Yue Li hadn't disrupted Fu Yan's secluded practice, but she decided to experiment with this newfound bond—and succeeded in traversing from the Xu You Jade Seal. Hearing Bai Yue Li's explanation, Fu Yan experienced an epiphany, as she had known about this, but it hadn't crossed her mind initially. With a humor-tinged smile, Fu Yan remarked, "Indeed, dual cultivation yields great benefits. Does this mean I can now use Senior Sister’s spiritual artifacts too?" "Yes." Bai Yue Li's face flushed slightly, although Fu Yan couldn't see it.