Chapter 326

Li Youyi and the five Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors broke through Sikong Yanlun’s ghost-fire palm print, seeing that Yang Qingxi was still standing by as a spectator, seemingly having the intention to join forces with them.

Thus, he put the five little ones and the Earth Spirit Cub into his insect bag, preparing to escape into the depths of the swamp and use the spatial power of the Prefecture Governor’s official robe to flee.

"Li, this strike is worth five million Spring Coins; don't come asking me for money in the future."

Yang Qingxi stepped on a long river of Dharma Qi, flew up from the water’s surface, and held her twin swords as she headed straight for the Jade Boat.

She saw that the Jade Boat was the true treasure for escape, but unfortunately, it was being tightly restricted by Sikong Jingyuan.

Yang Qingchan steered six Bodhi seeds and over eight hundred scriptures toward the battlefield of Li Youyi, Sikong Yanlun, and Yi Zhouxue, tearing a gap in the Dao heart manifestations of the two great powerhouses.

Li Youyi could not fathom the true intentions of the two Yangs and dared not let Yang Qingchan get close, so he decisively escaped to the bottom of the water.

As for the two people and two phoenixes on the Jade Boat, he could no longer worry about them; he could only hope that Qi Xiao would be decisive and trigger the Jade Boat’s flight power to escape.

Yi Zhouxue and Sikong Yanlun rushed into the water, following the aura of Li Youyi sensed by their Dao heart manifestations to pursue him, their Dharma Qi entangling him. Even if he could use water or earth escape techniques, they would drag him back.

"Splash! Splash! Splash!"

Three figures rushed out of the water simultaneously, their faces filled with extreme terror as they fled at high speed.

"Boss, run quickly, the things below... they’ve all come to life!" Sikong Yanlun roared in horror, alerting Sikong Jingyuan.

Li Youyi was also frightened by the situation below and fled back to the surface; he didn't even have time to take out the Prefecture Governor’s official robe, shouting to Qi Xiao: "Steer the Jade Boat, escape immediately."

It was too terrifying, like the descent of a ghost realm.

On the Jade Boat, Yang Qingxi had just obtained the ghost flag and looked back.

She saw.

Behind Yi Zhouxue, Sikong Yanlun, Li Youyi, and Yang Qingchan, the water surface was burning; it was all ghost fire.

Phantom images of Buddhist monks appeared within the ghost fire.

Some held prayer beads, some held wooden fish, some held monk staffs... all were chanting scriptures, the Zen sounds incessant to the ear.

The corpses at the bottom of the water climbed up one after another, held up on the surface by the ghost fire. They were so decayed that only white bones remained, with only a few still wearing tattered armor or monk robes.

On the water surface, more and more ancient departed spirits appeared.

"Swish!"

The Jade Boat sped over, picked up Li Youyi and Yang Qingchan, and then flew into mid-air, erupting with unparalleled speed as it headed straight for the massive hole several thousand meters above.

"Young Lady Yang, where are you taking us?" Qi Xiao asked.

Yang Qingxi stood at the bow, her Dharma Qi continuously releasing and pouring into the Jade Boat: "In the current situation, only by going up is it safest."

"According to the orientation, above the Black Swamp of Underworld Flowers is the Zen Forest of Truth." Li Youyi sat in meditation to heal his injuries, then released the five Phoenix-Winged Moth Emperors from the insect bag, secretly transmitting his voice to them to guard against Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan.

There was no choice; even if Yang Qingxi and Yang Qingchan had truly wanted to help just now, he and Tuoba Butuo were both severely injured, and if they lacked the power to protect themselves, there was no guarantee the women wouldn't turn and strike them down.

Yang Qingxi raised her beautiful head, looking at the massive hole above that looked like the "sky collapsing," and muttered to herself: "The layer above is indeed the Zen Forest of Truth. But this giant hole seems to lead even higher; could it be connected to the Sacred Heart layer?"

Soon, the Jade Boat disappeared into the pitch-black hole.

The swamp below.

A blood-mud figure, riding a coffin, drifted out from behind the countless departed spirits.

It gazed at the glimmer of jade light disappearing into the giant hole and spoke to itself: "Good lad, it’s been over a year, and your combat power has actually reached such a level."

The blood-mud figure was none other than Master Guan.

Zen Sea Viewing Mist, Master Coffin, and Master Spirit Tablet had all followed the giant hole to the Sacred Heart layer; Master Guan had stayed behind to provide support for them.

When Li Youyi first arrived here, Master Guan had already noticed him but dared not make contact easily.

Firstly, Qi Xiao and Tuoba Butuo were present.

Secondly, he was unsure if any Longevity Realm giants of the Rice Sect were following in the shadows.

"Everyone disperse; it’s better not to cause too much of a stir. If I provoke a Longevity Realm giant, in my current state, I won't be able to hold them off."

Master Guan waved his hand gently, and then the departed spirits sank back into the bottom of the water one by one, no longer pursuing Yi Zhouxue and the others.

In the grotto-like secret treasury.

Li Youyi spent three hours bringing his injuries under control, then stood up and observed the cave; Qi Xiao, Tuoba Butuo, and Yang Qingchan were all there, but Yang Qingxi was nowhere to be seen.

The cave dwelling was large, and his footsteps echoed.

Li Youyi walked several hundred meters before seeing Yang Qingxi, who was studying the ghost flag near the stone gate and the entrance array.

He walked over, his tone soft: "Have you figured it out?"

Yang Qingxi raised her head and glanced at him: "Don't think I want to keep it for myself! It’s not safe here; Sikong Jingyuan and Sikong Yanlun could find us at any time, and I must master stronger power to deal with them."

Li Youyi stared into her eyes: "Earlier, did Young Lady Yang truly want to save me, or did you have other motives?"

"You actually suspect me? If I had other motives, do you think I would have given you the chance to heal?" Yang Qingxi said.

Li Youyi nodded: "That makes sense! But there is one thing that doesn't make sense: earlier in the Black Swamp of Underworld Flowers, I was clearly at an absolute disadvantage, and even if we joined forces, we would have had little chance of winning. Yet Young Lady Yang chose to help me instead of killing me; that makes no sense."

Yang Qingxi did not answer this question immediately, pondering for a moment: "Your potential is far above theirs; you are a better partner for cooperation. The combat power you displayed earlier earned my approval."

Li Youyi walked up to her, only a foot away, and shook his head: "Too far-fetched! The benefits of killing me would be far greater than those of cooperating with me."

Yang Qingxi felt Li Youyi’s aggressiveness, her heartbeat quickening; she dared not meet his gaze and turned to the side: "I don't believe that after killing you, those three would share a portion of the benefits with me."

Li Youyi found her appearance amusing and stepped half a step closer: "But I heard that Sikong Yanlun is deeply in love with you; it’s absolutely impossible for him to deal with you."

"Him? He is just driven by possessiveness! Can you stop standing so close? Why do I feel like you’re trying to take advantage of me?" Yang Qingxi retreated two steps as if fleeing.

Li Youyi had never imagined that a strong woman like Yang Qingxi could have such timid moments.

"Li, let me tell you, she might be a little moved by you! When a woman has feelings but refuses to admit it, many things cannot be explained clearly."

Yang Qingchan’s figure leaned against the stone wall, a smile on her face.

Yang Qingxi’s eyes turned cold as she looked at her: "If I were truly someone who would lose my head because of feelings, I would have acted long ago, not waited until he was in the most dangerous moment."

"Acting at the most dangerous moment is the only way to make him remember you more deeply and feel grateful toward you." Yang Qingchan revealed a set of snow-white teeth, her red lips bright and moist.

Li Youyi said: "I actually think Young Lady Yang the Second’s explanation is quite reasonable. It seems I can’t call you Qingxi anymore; it’s too ambiguous, and if I keep calling you that, you might take it seriously! You are too easy to take things seriously!"

Li Youyi laughed heartily, shifting from his previous aggressiveness back to his playful, cynical self, and walked into the cave.

Regardless of anything else, this time, Li Youyi had completely changed his view of Yang Qingxi; he could see that she genuinely wanted to help him escape.

Being able to stand on his side at the most dangerous moment was already no small feat.

As for what she was truly thinking—calculation, long-term planning, the intentions of the Sui Sect, or perhaps even a tiny bit of genuine affection—it didn't really matter.

In any case, they were both clear-headed and rational people who wouldn't be swayed by such minor emotions.

Yang Qingxi’s mood was sent up and down by Li Youyi, her ears feeling a bit hot; she had never experienced such intense emotional fluctuations before, and she said coldly: "Five million Spring Coins, consider it settled."

"What kind of beautiful dream are you having? You didn't really help much earlier; you didn't act in time, and you still want to pay off the debt?"

Li Youyi disappeared into the depths of the cave dwelling.

Although she was very angry on the surface, ripples were stirring in Yang Qingxi’s heart; this sense of connection made her feel that there was always a bond linking the two of them.

She made up her mind that this money must absolutely not be returned to him.

His internal injuries were too severe, and it took Li Youyi four full days for his injuries to fully recover.

He dared not easily step out of the secret treasury, as Sikong Jingyuan, Sikong Yanlun, and Yi Zhouxue had appeared in the nearby area. Furthermore, there were large numbers of patrol guards.

"They must have returned to the main altar and, upon learning we didn't return, guessed that we were hiding here." Yang Qingxi’s eyes were heavy, regretting not having fled back to the main altar immediately.

Li Youyi said: "They might have also invited some other experts over."

Qi Xiao said: "The strength of those three is truly terrifying; even so many departed spirits couldn't keep them."

Everyone nodded, realizing that the sudden appearance of the large number of departed spirits in the swamp was quite strange.

"They shouldn't be able to find the entrance to the treasury for a while, and the entrance is narrow and easy to defend, making it a good place to hide. Next, we will take turns keeping watch." Tuoba Butuo said.

Li Youyi nodded: "If we can really hide for ten days or half a month, they might retreat, thinking we followed that massive hole, which is tens of miles wide, to a higher region."

"If we really hide for that long without returning to the main altar, it should alarm the big shots behind the two of us!" Yang Qingxi said.

For the next half month, everyone immersed themselves in cultivation and improvement. Under crisis and pressure, a Wu Xiu’s potential would be stimulated, constantly developing their talent and enhancing their aptitude.

"Splash!"

In the cave dwelling, a powerful spiritual light erupted, spreading across the stone walls and illuminating the entire space with a scorching brightness.

Supported by sufficient Spirit Platform Flame Star Stones, two attempts at breaking through had failed.

On the third attempt, Li Youyi finally condensed the fourth mental power star.

Qi Xiao and Tuoba Butuo were startled, stopping their cultivation to look over, all of them envious.

Whether in martial arts or mental power cultivation, the Fourth Realm was an extremely difficult hurdle to cross. And now, Li Youyi had actually crossed it first.

The center of the cave dwelling.

Li Youyi sat cross-legged, behind him the light shadow of the Fusang Divine Tree, which had grown significantly longer.

The divine tree’s light shadow was like two large umbrellas, showering down Golden Crow fire rain from its branches and leaves, enveloping his body, while his mental power nerves intertwined throughout the space like a spiderweb.

(End of chapter)