Tang Xin had not expected that someone affected by the sleep-inducing smoke could still leap up from the ground. Caught off guard, she was immediately tackled to the ground.
【Generating options…】
【Option 1: “You little vixen, trying to turn the tables, huh?” Pin Zhou Yu down beneath her, then proceed with joyful activities.】
【Success rate 50%, reward: Indestructible Pill, with a 50% chance of being drained dry by a reawakened Zhou Yu halfway through.】
【Option 2: “Um… please be gentle.” Give up resisting and enjoy the pleasure.】
【Success rate 100%, reward: Unyielding Pill.】
【Option 3: Use Qi to immobilize Zhou Yu’s movements and deal with the little fox first.】
【Success rate 100%, reward: Pet Affection +1.】
Without a second thought, she tapped several times on Zhou Yu’s shoulder, and he immediately collapsed again, closing his eyes.
Turning the tables was out of the question, the suppression of strength was evident…
Tang Xin pulled the little fox out from her chest and examined it.
According to the “Fox Spirit Raising Manual,” the best way to counteract the effects of the sleep-inducing smoke on it was to absorb its vital essence.
However, having been drained just a few days ago, repeating the process wouldn’t be as effective.
At the moment, there was another person…
“Absorb, but just a little bit…”
Tang Xin placed it next to Zhou Yu.
Understanding its master’s intention, the little fox sniffed around before beginning to absorb in its unique way…
As it absorbed, Zhou Yu’s complexion gradually returned to normal, and the effects of the sleep-inducing smoke seemed to be lifting bit by bit.
…
After a while, Zhou Yu slowly woke up.
“Mmm…”
She rubbed her shoulders, involuntarily letting out a sound from the corner of her mouth.
Her body felt sore and numb, her limbs weak as if she had just gone through an intense workout, with sweat still lingering on her neck.
“Wait,” Zhou Yu realized they were still in the woods and said anxiously, “What about the demon cultivators?”
“They haven’t caught up for now.”
Tang Xin explained while petting the little fox’s head.
“Are we safe then,” Zhou Yu breathed a sigh of relief, “then let’s hurry to the swamp. I wonder how Shangguan Sister and the others are doing…”
“No rush,” Tang Xin said, “You kept shouting ‘don’t’, ‘this isn’t right’, ‘can’t do this’ just now. Were you having a nightmare?”
Zhou Yu lowered her head, her brows furrowing.
Had someone heard her?
That was terrifying.
Even in her dreams, the taste of betrayal by Shangguan Sister was utterly despairing.
How could such a thing happen? Wasn’t her trust in Shangguan Sister absolute? Someone like her sister wouldn’t do such things, right?
And, how did the nightmare turn into such an inappropriate plot towards the end?
She vaguely remembered a white-haired beauty relentlessly demanding from her, leaving her with a sore back and aching waist…
“It’s nothing,” she shook her head, “Things in dreams are all fake.”
“Fake as they may be, they could still mean something…”
Tang Xin didn’t elaborate, just hinting enough.
After resting on the spot for a while, the two set off again, heading towards the swamp.
Before long, the trees in the woods thinned out, and a more open, flat area appeared before them.
Even the elders have never fully explored the swamp, which is said to be the most dangerous place in the Hundred Poison Mountain Range.
“In the swamp, there seems to be a cave dwelling,” Tang Xin pointed to a mark on the map, “Our agreed meeting point is at the entrance of the dwelling.”
In the world of cultivation, in some remote areas, there are cultivation sites left by the predecessors. Sometimes they hide opportunities, and sometimes dangers lurk within.
Such cave dwellings, if one is confident in their own strength or willing to take a risk, entering to explore might yield some gains.
Entering the swamp, Zhou Yu closely followed behind Tang Xin.
From arriving at the Hundred Poison Mountain Range to entering the swamp, she could fully appreciate why Shangguan Sister was so eager to recruit the person in front of her.
Not only because of her status as the chief disciple of Xuanling Sect, her exceptional talent, intelligence, bravery, adaptability, and even her speech and demeanor were flawless.
Perfect.
Such people usually end up in one of two ways.
One is to adhere to their moral principles and potentially become a renowned figure across the Nine Provinces, the other is to think “you are not worthy to be my peers,” becoming a formidable enemy that troubles countless people.
Either way, they are individuals who will have a significant impact.
She must be a good person…
After all, she had saved her twice, once at the hot springs and once from demonic cultivators. Someone with such a kind heart, it’s hard to imagine them becoming a ruthless demon…
With Tang Xin, who is very knowledgeable about poisonous insects and substances, the two did not encounter any danger in the swamp.
“Stop a moment,” Tang Xin, who was leading, suddenly raised her hand to signal, “There are signs of a fight.”
“Signs of a fight?”
Zhou Yu hurried forward to check.
The turf was blasted open, rocks shattered, and poisonous water hissed out, indeed signs of a fight, and it hadn’t been long since it happened.
“It’s Sister’s Clear Heart Palm,” Zhou Yu said gravely, “It’s her signature move.”
“They’ve chased us all the way here,” Tang Xin hummed, “Let’s also pick up our pace.”
In the swamp with no landmarks, the two of them took several detours before finally determining the exact location of the cave entrance.
As they approached the cave, signs of battle became increasingly frequent, which inevitably made Zhou Yu anxious.
However, they did not send out a distress signal, indicating that they could still handle the situation on their own…
“It should be around here.”
Tang Xin studied the map repeatedly and confirmed.
Looking around, they found several more signs of battle, but no entrance or anything that looked like one was discovered.
“It’s possible that the entrance to the cave is hidden by magic or a formation…”
Tang Xin mused, resting her chin in her hand.
“This is beyond my expertise.”
Formation cultivation not only requires special techniques and secrets but also a unique talent, which she had not yet developed.
“Let me give it a try.”
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yu volunteered to step forward.
A faint light shone from her fingertips as she traced patterns in the air, and a gentle breeze began to blow around them.
“A talent for formations?”
【Would you like to spend one hundred points to view the target’s talent?】
【Mind’s Eye: Possesses an extremely high precision in sensing spiritual energy fluctuations, highly suitable for cultivating formations, and has the potential to become a legendary formation master, a rare talent.】
Well, no wonder she’s a main character, truly not someone to be trifled with. Besides her signature techniques, she also possesses such a talent…
After Zhou Yu performed the ritual for a while, a space nearby flickered.
The two walked over and tried to probe it, discovering indeed there was an invisible barrier.
On the ground, there was also a small piece of a handkerchief.
“It belongs to Senior Sister Shangguan,” Zhou Yu said. “They might have already gone inside…”
“Since we’re already here, there’s no reason to stay outside,” Tang Xin nodded. “Let’s go in too.”
Crossing the invisible barrier, the two of them vanished into thin air above the swamp…
