Under the augmentation of the "Talisman Battle," Yu Ci, like a fish through water, dove swiftly into the earthen layers. However, after a few breaths, he sensed something amiss. Looking back, he found nothing and furrowed his brow, refocusing on the task at hand. Yet, abruptly, he turned his head again. This time, in the near pitch-dark environment, he finally saw a slender figure, moving with a fluidity that surpassed his own, emerging from the soil.
"Zhai Que'er!"
Weren't they supposed to go their separate ways? Yu Ci's heart chilled. He didn't know that Boss Third He, whose divine consciousness starlight had parasitized Xia Shuanghe, was clearly moving in a completely different direction. In such a case, what was Zhai Que'er intending to do?
As he pondered, Zhai Que'er had already accelerated slightly and crashed into the True Sha Circle he had laid out. The world's escape techniques relied on such a "circle" to exchange primordial qi with the outside world, a process that was supposed to be meticulously secure. Yet, this female cultivator had somehow penetrated it effortlessly, without causing any aura conflict.
Instinctively, Yu Ci wanted to distance himself, but he saw the seemingly ethereal and pure female cultivator place a finger to her lips, gesturing for silence. Then, she curled up slightly, her body seemingly shrinking as she pressed close to Yu Ci. Even earlier, her blue clothes and small cap had come off her body, inexplicably supported by a formless strength, transforming into a human shape that rapidly increased the distance between them, shooting off into the distance.
It was a technique akin to projecting separate consciousness and thoughts. Yu Ci quickly made this judgment, but what left a deeper impression on him at that moment was the unique warmth and fragrance of the woman against his chest and abdomen. Of course, Zhai Que'er hadn't come to throw herself into his arms without reason. She had shed the borrowed blue clothes and small cap, revealing a Dark Vigorous Attire underneath. Yet that sensation originated from the sweet fragrance, traveling from his nose and skin, all the way into the eye of his mind.
"Oh, your face is flushed!"
Yu Ci did not respond immediately. Today, he had performed the Layered Orifice Combination and the swift escape technique, with the True Sha energy moving rapidly within him. The effects of the Marrow-Burning Curse were not easily concealed, but he didn't believe for a second that Zhai Que'er couldn't see through to the natural flow of Qi and Blood. In the end, she was either teasing him or trying to distract him—frankly, it was somewhat effective. But if Zhai Que'er thought such tricks could confound his Divine Soul, she was underestimating him:
"I think it's better to clarify things."
Yu Ci held the beauty in his arms as they continued to descend through the layers of earth. He lowered his head, and his lips just brushed Zhai Que'er's temple, a faint fragrance seeping into his nostrils. "Miss Que'er, this is not the time for jokes."
"Indeed, the situation is very tense!"
Zhai Que'er wrapped her arms around his shoulders, securing her delicate body to his, while adopting a tone of matter-of-factness: "If my senior brother finds me, I'm as good as dead. You're so smart, you should understand that I'm using your aura to hide mine!"
"Is there any point?" Yu Ci doubted such a simple ruse could fool a True Immortal. Even if it worked momentarily, within a radius of tens of miles, there were only so many targets. How hard could it be to sift through them one by one?
"Please, just help me out for a little while," Zhai Que'er's voice grew softer, "My senior brother's opponent is no easy mark. If he's distracted for too long, things could turn ugly."
The reason was not particularly compelling, but with the beauty in his embrace, and aside from the Warm Jade and Gentle Fragrance, Yu Ci had not forgotten that she was, in fact, a powerhouse far stronger than himself. When she said she needed help, it was perhaps just a polite way of making a threat.
As they spoke, the two had descended another seven or eight miles. Here, the pressure of the earth's strata had become immense, somewhat hindering Yu Ci's physical movements. However, the increased pressure and the complex geological structures above also isolated them from most of the oppressive force emanating from the combat with the Taoism Immortal.
Throughout this descent, Yu Ci felt a searing sensation flash across him at least twice. The first instance was inconsequential, but the second time, the heat, catalyzed by the Malicious Qi, penetrated straight through, nearly burning through his internal organs. Such was the level of a True Immortal's Manipulation of Divine Consciousness. With the black-robed figure's mastery of the Core-Melting Fiery Prison Technique, a mere glance could incinerate a Nature-Connecting Cultivator into charcoal.
Yu Ci took a deep breath to steady himself and then said, "It seems he's realized he's been duped."
Zhai Que'er did not respond immediately. Yu Ci, feeling puzzled, was about to look down when a chill struck his chest. He gasped as the beauty in his arms slid her cool, slender hand into his robe, gently caressing his skin.
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A shiver ran through him, and Yu Ci exclaimed in anger, "What are you doing!"
"Thanks for that... I'll see you in Abundant Capital City!" Zhai Que'er's voice was laced with laughter as she slipped something into his embrace and then disengaged from him. Concealing her presence, she descended like a formless wraith into the deeper strata of the earth.
Baffled, Yu Ci was utterly confounded by the woman's actions. But in such a moment, he dared not delay. He diverged from the direction Zhai Que'er had taken, yet he too plunged rapidly into the depths.
Impatient, Shadow Ghost emerged and urged, "Quick, see what it is. Don't let her have the last laugh."
Yu Ci snorted and, while continuing his descent, reached into his robe and pulled out the object. In truth, he had guessed its nature by the feel of it against his skin. He only needed to take it out for a final confirmation.
The sight of the scroll immediately piqued the curiosity of Shadow Ghost. "Is that a scroll from the Heavenly Seal Society? I wonder if it's a Class-A or Class-B," he mused. Upon noticing the imprint on the Hanging Scroll, Yu Ci confirmed, "It's Class-A."
The scroll was a testament to Zhai Que'er's cunning. To call it a thank-you gift would be an understatement, for it was likely Zhai Que'er herself who most wished for Yu Ci to engage with the scroll's challenge. Yet, what could be more enticing to a Talisman Cultivator than a Talisman ripe for exploration? Especially when it was a Class-A Scroll from the inner sanctum of the Heavenly Seal Society, an item one couldn't find elsewhere. Even if Yu Ci wasn't a pure Talisman Cultivator, his curiosity about the scroll's contents was naturally aroused.
Regardless, the inclusion of such an item, perhaps as a gesture of goodwill, prevented Yu Ci from harboring any ill will towards her.
At that moment, although the crisis wasn't immediately pressing, trouble loomed ever-present. Yu Ci decided not to dwell on it any longer. He stowed the scroll away and put the matter aside for the time being, continuing his descent into the depths of the earth.
Simultaneously, Yu Ci was gaining a firmer grasp of the overall situation. Beyond his personal experiences, there was the fact that the Starlight he had recently implanted deep within Xia Shuanghe's Divine Soul was continuously feeding him a wealth of information. After a period of covert movement, the distance between the two had grown to over fifty li. Xia Shuanghe had been lucky; he remained unscathed and seemed to have escaped the high-danger zone, appearing relatively calm and composed.
The direction in which Zhai Que'er had departed also seemed free of trouble.
Taking into account the positions and trajectories of the three individuals, Yu Ci was beginning to draw a conclusion: the focus of the black-robed ones had shifted away from this area. The clash between the two True Being Cultivators was also taking place dozens of li away. It seemed the crisis had truly passed.
Was it really so simple to dodge the misfortune? Could it be that the unlucky fellow was Boss Third He?
Yu Ci couldn't help but let out a wry laugh, feeling a slight sense of schadenfreude. In the next moment, Shadow Ghost uttered a soft exclamation, prompting him to pay attention.
"Where?"
"That one surnamed Xia..." Shadow Ghost shared the convenience of the Divine Chart, which also served as a scout. At present, it was proving quite competent. "What is that guy up to?"
Yu Ci directed his focus accordingly, adopting Xia Shuanghe's perspective. He noticed that Xia's attention was intensely concentrated on a sealed bottle in his hand. Yu Ci remembered that this was an artifact Xia Shuanghe had found near the Earth's Core Fire Eye in the Abandoned Mine District, a relic of Elder Spirit Witch, containing a luminescent bug known as "Flying Fluorescence," seemingly crucial to Xia Shuanghe's success in becoming a Spiritual Witch.
Why would he take it out at a time like this?
Yu Ci skillfully tapped into the information from Xia Shuanghe's Six Senses Telepathy, quickly discovering that the little bottle was trembling. Inside, the tiny Flying Fluorescence, powered by an unknown force, was violently striking the inner walls of the bottle, displaying a significant agitation.
Unfortunately, Yu Ci couldn't grasp Xia Shuanghe's thoughts, but he speculated that Xia must also be feeling a mix of hesitation and conflict. After a good while, Xia finally made a decision. Taking a deep breath, he removed the bottle stopper, and the Flying Fluorescence immediately burst forth with a trail of light, flying out and burrowing into the soil layer without a moment's pause, moving with remarkable speed.
So, this little creature knows how to use the Escape Technique?
Witch's Mystical Items are indeed unpredictable oddities. Yu Ci muttered to himself as Xia Shuanghe also made his move, chasing after the Flying Fluorescence at a rapid pace. Judging by the direction, he seemed to be heading towards Yu Ci.
Of course, Xia Shuanghe—or rather, the target of Flying Fluorescence—wasn't this location. After covering a distance of about three to five miles, they stopped. Through Xia Shuanghe's perspective, Yu Ci could see the faint red light seeping through ahead, as well as feel the wave of heat rushing towards him.
Xia Shuanghe slowed down, chanting the spell to summon Flying Fluorescence, which obediently circled in the heatwave before flying back to him. Xia Shuanghe caught the little insect and carefully placed it back into the bottle, securing the stopper. Only after completing these tasks did Xia Shuanghe proceed with caution.
They had come upon a relatively wide fissure in the rock, from which the fiery red light emanated. Xia Shuanghe passed through it and was suddenly greeted by a vast expanse. Before him lay a sea of rolling, deep-red magma, with massive fire bubbles swelling and bursting, and flames spurting out, capable of engulfing any living being daring enough to approach.
"Is this a river of magma?"
Yu Ci observed the thick magma slowly flowing from one fissure to another, pouring into what might be an even larger space. It resembled a great river wedged between treacherous rapids. The "water" might not have been as turbulent, but the volatile fire was incomparable in intensity.
Xia Shuanghe hesitated for a moment before moving forward again. He seemed to sense something, but such profound and mysterious things became somewhat obscured when translated through the Divine consciousness starlight. Yu Ci could only passively observe.
However, it wasn't long before he too noticed something: "Is there something... floating in that river?"
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e