Chapter 144: Going Downstream

And Jiang Yu, in that instant, thump… bang, fell into a spring brimming with white mist.

Originally fine, the person's eyes were splashed by the spring's spouting eye, unable to open, and the body kept being pulled and pushed, unable to break free.

Fortunately, in less than three breaths, her cultivation and spirit sense restored to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Jiang Tu, at this moment breaking the limit, the instant he flashed out of the Dragon Pearl, his body suddenly enlarged, carrying Jiang Yu out of the spring.

And at the instant the two of them flashed into the Dragon Pearl, someone else fell in.

Jiang Tu saw clearly in front of the Dragon Stele that it was Guo Jue and a few others, plus one was Xia Bing, followed by Deng Yuanwu.

The guy reacted quickly; after stabilizing his body in the water, he grabbed Xia Bing.

Moreover, he also saw Qin Zhuo of the Profound Heaven Sect, and several people surnamed Min.

"Jiang Yu, is your eye okay? Your forbidden spirit net was just torn by the gray mist."

"What artifact, whatever you hold can become a disposable tool. Quickly forge a birth treasure." Jiang Tu stared at the closed‑eyed Jiang Yu lying on the ground.

"It's fine. It's just the water pressure hurts too much, I'll rest a bit." Actually, another reason is that Jiang Yu flung a big net, trying to catch Guo Jue, when the net was cut by some unseen force.

Then several broken pieces of net rope struck around her eyes, and with the water surge it hurt even more.

When she used her restored spiritual power to circulate around her eyes, cultivators who kept falling into the spring gradually made it to the shore or rocks to dry off.

Xia Bing also pushed aside Deng Yuanwu, determined to jump into the river to find Jiang Yu.

Guo Jue was being dragged by Qin Zhuo, falling onto Great Stone Mountain, constantly spitting out water that filled his belly.

Looking at the other few, they were all drenched and in a sorry state.

When Jiang Yu finally opened her eyes fully, the people outside the Dragon Pearl had already composed themselves and sent out their spirit senses to scan the surroundings.

Guo Jue's fellow disciple tugged his senior brother's hand, secretly unfolded his palm, revealing a tiny, glowing, translucent sphere.

"Dragon Tears! There are Dragon Tears here, and they're top‑grade." Jiang Tu exclaimed.

Guo Jue quickly pressed his senior brother's hand: "Senior brother, please make sure no one notices."

But he didn't know, the two Jiangs saw everything clearly, because the Dragon Pearl was hidden beneath the stone crevice where they sat.

Jiang Tu's eyes lit up: "This spring is a treasure; I must find a way to get you out."

It wasn't the Dragon Tears he craved; this thing only wanted the spring's eye to hide some treasure.

"Today, the Dragon Pearl has been hidden and flying in the desert for a long time; trying to fly out from underwater now is already impossible, right?"

"We'll wait for tomorrow to find a chance to get out." Jiang Yu calculated the distance in her mind; she didn't want today's inattention to expose the Dragon Pearl's space.

Jiang Tu paused at the words, then let out a sigh and fell silent; he no longer moved.

When Jiang Yu got up and moved, she heard Senior Sister Xia Bing calling her name and sighed: "Senior Sister Xia, you truly are a caring senior sister to your fellow disciples."

"Deng isn't bad either; when Xia Bing was struck by the gray mist, he stepped in to help." Jiang Tu, having seen the scene, felt his resentment toward Deng Yuanwu lessen a little.

"People are complicated." Jiang Yu shifted her gaze to Qin Zhuo, who kept appearing in the water, while her mind lingered on where Wen Xin had been sent.

At this moment, she of course didn't know that Wen Xin and several others, including Qi Haohao and Senior Brother Xing, were downstream of this spring.

Indeed, the spring is a living spring; it forms a large pool in this mountain hollow, then follows the terrain, merging into a shallow stream flowing downstream.

Jiang Yu saw that Senior Brother Wen Qian, who was smelling the red, was moving downstream along the water, and the annoying Min Chi Yuan quickly caught up with him; the two together explored downstream.

She watched the two's backs fade away, thoughtful: "These two?"

"Which two?" Jiang Tu, observing the others, counted that a total of fourteen people had fallen into the water, including Jiang Yu.

Among them were Xia Bing, Deng Yuanwu, two young monks, Qin Zhuo, and a female cultivator wearing the Ten Thousand Swords Sect's uniform.

At this moment, the female cultivator said to Xia Bing: "Senior Xia, we haven't found Cultivator Jiang in the water; perhaps we should search upstream or downstream."

"However, I prefer to find a direction out of here, to confirm we are not inside the ancient city or the desert."

Xia Bing wiped the water from her face, then pulled out a communication jade; whether she typed text or transmitted voice with her spirit sense, the jade gave no response.

She glanced again at the downcast Min Chi Yuan, who had been searching with her, and said, "Let's rest a bit, then we'll move on."

But the other seven Eastern Continent cultivators, seeing Min Chi Yuan and the other two heading downstream, hurried after them.

In less than a moment, Xia Bing also prepared to leave; calling the young monks, the two bright‑headed ones conferred on something.

Jiang Tu watched anxiously: "They should leave quickly; you should get out too."

"No rush." Jiang Yu steadied herself; she no longer watched the people outside the Dragon Pearl, but stepped toward the Spirit Sword.

With a thought, she entered the Spirit Sword space, facing three earthen mounds.

"Xuantang Xingjun, the ancient city gates are closed; do you know whether the gray mist has transported anyone out of the city?"

"I don't know. The ancient city and the desert rarely appear; few who entered left records here."

"Because the desert can, under the scorching noon sun, devour a cultivator's life; many cannot withstand the power of seven suns and die of dehydration."

"Jiang Yu, if you recognize the master spirit sword with your heart's blood and help me get out, I will point you to a clear path." Xuantang Xingjun continued to tempt Jiang Yu.

Unfortunately, after hearing his words, Jiang Yu gave no proper answer, then flashed out, she placed the Spirit Sword into a spare sheath, wrapped it in cloth, and strapped it to her back, "Jiang Tu, are you done walking?"

Jiang Tu kept watching from outside: "Done walking, how will you speak when you go out?"

"No words." Jiang Yu slapped the invisibility talisman, instantly flashed into the Dragon Pearl space, and sat on the large stone where the young monk Guo Jue had originally sat.

Then she retrieved the Dragon Pearl, pulled a water‑repelling bead from her storage bag, and plunged into the spring; after a few breaths she swam to the spring's eye.

The water shield formed by the water‑repelling bead protected her well as she circled the spring's eye.

Jiang Tu watched her press left then right, unable to help, he said: "I have Dragon Tears; you needn't waste effort to look for them."

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Yu's hand pressed a spot, and as spiritual water power entered, the spring's eye split open.

In an instant, they watched the split form a downward staircase.

Jiang Yu shot several water arrows down the steps, but apart from the splash she heard no other response.

But Jiang Tu, impatient, burst out of the Dragon Pearl, said nothing, and rode the up‑flowing water along the steps, rushing downstream.

Jiang Yu thought he probably sensed something, hurried after him; after a short while the split spring eye closed again, and the steps vanished.

Jiang Yu felt something seal behind her; chasing Jiang Tu left her no time to worry, "Jiang Tu, wait for me."

She had just finished speaking when the water-repelling pearl on her body shattered, and she fell into an unseen abyss.