Chapter 654: Died in That Place

Li An and Guo Yao exchanged a glance, and a long-absent smile appeared on their faces. They had finally escaped that terrifying Sky City and seen the light of day again.

"We made it." Li An's voice carried a hint of excitement.

Guo Yao nodded. She gripped Li An's hand tightly, her eyes full of gratitude and affection. "Thank you, Li An. Without you, I might have died in that place long ago."

Li An gently patted the back of her hand and said softly, "We're partners, aren't we? No matter what happens, I'll protect you."

They sat on the grass, resting quietly. Recalling what they had just been through, they were still shaken. But their eyes grew even more resolute in their determination to explore the unknown.

"Li An, what secret do you think the Ancient Key is hiding?" Guo Yao asked curiously.

Li An shook his head, a gleam of curiosity sparkling in his eyes. "I don't know, but no matter what secret it's hiding, we'll definitely find it. Because we're explorers, aren't we~?"

Li An clenched both fists, his gaze like a torch fixed on the area ahead shrouded in dangerous energy. The Ancient Key was right before his eyes, yet it seemed separated by a thousand mountains and waters, out of reach. Self-reproach surged within him like a tidal wave, surging and turbulent: "It's all my fault for not being strong enough, dragging Guo Yao into this desperate situation with me."

Guo Yao gently patted the back of his hand, her charming eyes gleaming with resolve: "Li An, I believe you can definitely resolve all of this. We'll definitely find the Ancient Key and unravel every mystery."

Li An turned his head, looked at Guo Yao's trusting eyes, and the self-reproach and dejection in his heart seemed washed away by a warm current. He took a deep breath and pulled himself together again: "You're right, I can't just give up like this. I have to find a way to break through all of this."

He began carefully observing the energy flows around them—those riotously colorful streams of energy writhed like snakes, weaving into a complex net in the air. Li An's gaze gradually sharpened; he seemed to perceive a subtle connection between these energies and the architectural structure of Sky City.

"Guo Yao, look at these energy flows—they seem to echo Sky City's architectural structure." Li An pointed ahead as he spoke.

Guo Yao followed the direction of Li An's finger, her brows furrowing slightly: "You mean we can use these architectural structures to neutralize the energy?"

Li An nodded: "Exactly, let me try."

He took Guo Yao's hand and carefully stepped forward. The originally violent energy, as if sensing their presence, grew even more surging and turbulent. But Li An was unafraid; he held Guo Yao's hand tightly and wove through the dangerous streams of energy.

Their figures were like two nimble sprites, dancing gracefully through the energy streams. Drawing on his understanding of Sky City's architecture, Li An skillfully dodged wave after wave of attacks. Guo Yao followed closely behind Li An, her eyes filled with trust and admiration for him.

"Li An, you're amazing!" Guo Yao couldn't help exclaiming.

Li An gave a faint smile, yet dared not relax in the slightest within: "It's not over yet, be careful."

Just then, an even more powerful surge of energy came from ahead. Li An and Guo Yao stopped at the same time, warily looking forward. They saw a massive beam of energy shoot down from the heights of Sky City, striking the ground directly before them..