Listening to the commotion from above, Su Shi'er's heart raced. Being in such close contact with Shen Miaoyin also triggered an instinctive physiological reaction in him.
"You..." Shen Miaoyin's eyes widened in shock, her body stiffening as she instinctively prepared to cry out.
Close contact was one thing, but Su Shi'er's reaction made her feel violated.
Su Shi'er felt a bit embarrassed; this reaction was beyond his control. Yet, his mind remained alert, and upon hearing the noise, he instinctively tilted his head and used his mouth to cover Shen Miaoyin's.
In this situation, making a sound would surely mean death!
"Mm~..."
In that instant, Shen Miaoyin realized the danger.
But she never expected Su Shi'er to stop her from making a sound in such a bold way.
This daring boy, I... I...
Shen Miaoyin's chest heaved with anger.
The more she reacted this way, the more awkward Su Shi'er felt.
For a moment, the entire underground chamber was filled with a tense atmosphere.
Shen Miaoyin's face quickly turned red. If there were light, it would be clear that her face was now a bright, blushing red.
She had always been detached and emotionless, but now, due to her injuries affecting her foundation, this contact with Su Shi'er stirred a tingling sensation in her heart.
This brewed a sense of embarrassment within her.
...
In the Spirit Plant Garden, Ye Liangchuan held his long sword, quickly organizing the scene.
Behind him, the crowd dispersed swiftly, leaving fewer than ten people.
Ye Liangchuan looked indifferent, about to turn and leave when his gaze swept over a pile of boulders not far away.
"Senior Brother Ye, what's going on?" a disciple hurriedly asked.
"Do you think it's possible that the person didn't leave but is hiding?" Ye Liangchuan squinted, asking while showing a contemplative expression.
"Hiding? Could it be in this pile of stones? But there's no spiritual energy fluctuation here!" someone examined the boulders, quickly trying to sense anything.
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"Regardless, we'll know once we check it out," another disciple quickly suggested.
"No need for such trouble!"
Ye Liangchuan snorted coldly, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes.
Holding the Purple Thunder Sword, he waved his hand, and a dense purple thunder mist surged forth.
The mist rushed towards the pile of boulders!
Within the mist, thunder light crackled, with strands of lightning as thin as hair instantly enveloping the entire pile of boulders.
Under the thunder light, the tall pile of boulders turned to dust in the blink of an eye.
Excess lightning struck the ground, sinking into the earth.
In the underground chamber, as the lightning struck, Su Shi'er and Shen Miaoyin's bodies convulsed.
Fortunately, the lightning's power was greatly reduced after being conducted through the ground. Though painful, it wasn't fatal.
Neither dared to use their cultivation to resist, instead gritting their teeth and enduring the pain in silence.
Su Shi'er was somewhat accustomed to it, having experienced similar pain while cultivating with Gathering Qi Pills.
Shen Miaoyin, however, hadn't endured such agony in years. She clung tightly to Su Shi'er, her nails unknowingly digging into his flesh.
Luckily, the disturbance didn't last long.
"Let's go. It seems the person really has left!"
Seeing all the boulders reduced to dust and no sign of anyone, Ye Liangchuan finally looked elsewhere.
He wouldn't have guessed that Su Shi'er and Shen Miaoyin hadn't left but were hiding in the underground chamber beneath the boulders.
"Senior Brother Ye, if we can't find that person, our trial..." a few disciples close to Ye Liangchuan asked quietly.
For them, retrieving the spirit plants wasn't the main concern. Their trials were the priority.
"Don't worry, even if we can't find that person, I have ways to ensure you pass the trial."
"Give it three days. If there's still no trace, I'll find another way for you." Ye Liangchuan said indifferently.
He couldn't afford to waste too much time; this matter also put great pressure on him.
With no harvest from the Spirit Plant Garden, if they continued to find nothing, he'd face immense pressure once the trial ended.
Hearing this, the others finally relaxed.
In the underground chamber, Su Shi'er and Shen Miaoyin leaned against each other. Only when the outside was silent did they breathe a sigh of relief.
"They've left, Peak Lord Shen, you can let go of me now!" Su Shi'er twitched his eye, quickly separating his lips from Shen Miaoyin's, whispering.
Shen Miaoyin's cheeks flushed red as she realized she was still tightly wrapped around Su Shi'er.
"Your... back!" Feeling the sticky sensation on her fingers, she realized she had inadvertently scratched Su Shi'er, her tone carrying a hint of apology.
"It's nothing, just a minor scratch. It'll heal in a few days." Su Shi'er shook his head, smiling.
For a cultivator, such an injury was nothing. However, the intimate contact with Shen Miaoyin was an unforgettable experience for him.
"Hmm!" Shen Miaoyin huffed softly, raising her hand to push open the entrance to the underground chamber.
"Peak Lord Shen, I advise you not to rush out. The outside is sealed off, and if they can't find anyone, they'll definitely come back." Su Shi'er quickly advised, maintaining a calm demeanor.
"I didn't expect you to be so young yet so meticulous." Shen Miaoyin said indifferently, pausing her actions.
She had thought of this herself. However, the close contact made her uncomfortable.
"Fine, let's take this opportunity to recover our strength first!"
With that thought, she took out a pill and swallowed it. She then closed her eyes, concentrating on refining it.
Only in this state could she remain unaffected by external distractions.
Moreover, recovering her cultivation quickly would give her more confidence in facing any danger.
Seeing this, Su Shi'er didn't waste time. He directly took out a vermilion fruit and swallowed it. Refining a vermilion fruit required at least ten days, but he had plenty of time now.
As the vermilion fruit went down his throat, he felt as if he had swallowed a massive energy.
This energy traveled from his throat to his stomach, and with a slight thought, he felt a warm current rapidly circulate through his meridians, then transform into his cultivation.
This was much easier than refining spiritual energy or Gathering Qi Pills, and most importantly, it was very comfortable.
However, the speed at which he absorbed it was much slower compared to the energy mass.
With this in mind, Su Shi'er dared not waste any time, focusing all his energy on refining.
His cultivation slowly increased at a visible pace.
In ten days, the people from Heavenly Splendor Peak searched the Spirit Plant Garden's perimeter countless times and returned to the garden several times, but all to no avail.
In the end, they had no choice but to give up reluctantly.
On the eleventh day.
Two figures emerged from the ground beneath the pile of boulders.
Shen Miaoyin wore a smile, looking full of energy. Her entire being exuded a strong aura, a sign of her restored cultivation.
Ten days of recuperation had fully restored her cultivation. Once she returned to refine those two vermilion fruits, she had a seventy percent chance of forming a Golden Elixir.
However, when her gaze fell on Su Shi'er beside her, her expression turned slightly awkward, with more surprise.
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