“Shushu, this little fellow still remembers you!” The voice of the Hehuan Divine Tree echoed through her sea of consciousness.
Yuan Shu moved her fingers. Fine green vines coiled around her fingertips and rubbed against them affectionately.
The vitality radiating from the vines was vigorous and pure.
It was the essence of the subterranean spiritual leyline!
Back then, Yuan Shu had helped the subterranean spiritual leyline give birth to a new source of power. It must have sensed her presence and secretly sought her out after avoiding Helan Ying.
What Helan Ying probably didn’t know was that she could use the power of the subterranean spiritual leyline too!
Yuan Shu’s eyes shifted, and the corners of her lips lifted into an almost imperceptible smile.
…
In the dim underground cavern, a tall man in a black robe stood silently, black-and-gray spiritual power swirling around him.
Several entirely black spirit scorpions crawled in from the corner of the wall with a rustling sound, rousing the man in the cavern.
Mo Yi’s tightly closed eyes snapped open. The spiritual power surrounding him paused before swiftly withdrawing into his body.
With one hand, he swept back his robe and spun around to face the corner. “Did you find it?”
The black scorpions waved their pincers and danced in place, making a series of rustling noises.
A moment later, a smile curved Mo Yi’s lips. “You found a trace? Let’s go take a look!”
At his words, the black scorpions hurriedly turned around and led Mo Yi deeper into the cavern.
About half an hour later, Mo Yi found the cavern where Helan Ying and Yuan Shu had previously been trapped.
Looking at the broken chains on the formation and the corpse exposed beneath the ground, Mo Yi’s brows drew together slightly.
It was obvious that the person they were looking for had already escaped!
Before Mo Yi could say anything, an aged voice suddenly rang out from a black ring on his finger.
“I underestimated that Earth Demon Fiend. It actually managed to break free of the Three-Eyed Concealment Formation first. Judging from the traces, however, it couldn’t have escaped long ago.”
“The Earth Demon Fiend clan spent so many years preparing for this, and only now managed to find a reincarnated Earth Demon Fiend. We absolutely cannot let it get away!”
Hearing this, Mo Yi quickly lowered his eyes and cupped his fists. “Yes, Elder Qiu. I will find its hiding place as quickly as possible!”
The divine sense of Elder Qiu gave a faint response before withdrawing its power and falling silent.
At that moment, the communication jade token at Mo Yi’s waist lit up.
A moment later, a message appeared before his eyes.
[Baize Spirit sighted. Hurry over and surround it!]
Mo Yi’s eyes widened slightly. With a wave of his hand, he dispersed the words projected by the communication jade token and turned to leave the cavern at a brisk pace.
…
Helan Ying had been sitting cross-legged inside the green web of energy for an entire afternoon.
As evening fell, the cavern grew dim. Since Yuan Shu was temporarily unable to leave, she sat cross-legged in a corner of the cavern to meditate and recover her strength.
Suddenly, a violent surge of energy erupted from the cluster at the center, startling Yuan Shu awake.
She abruptly opened her eyes, only to discover that Helan Ying had vanished from within the web of spiritual energy at some point.
Yuan Shu rose from the ground, her heart filled with vigilance. She slowly edged toward the wall.
All of a sudden, an attack came from her side in the darkness.
She instinctively raised her hand to block it, but the attacker easily seized her arm and pressed her against the stone wall with several staggering steps.
The familiar scent of osmanthus drifted into her nose from the person before her. Backlit by the glow, Yuan Shu couldn’t make out his face.
But aside from Helan Ying, there was no one else whose presence felt like this!
“Helan Ying?” Yuan Shu called out.
The person before her lowered his head, his neck twisted at an odd angle. He said nothing.
Yuan Shu frowned and struggled with all her might, but the person in front of her only pressed her more firmly against the wall.
The delicate skin of her back scraped against a protruding stone, and the pain made Yuan Shu knit her brows.
Yet the person before her suddenly seemed to have been struck by something. He let out a muffled groan and released his hold on her.
Yuan Shu’s gaze sharpened. The instant Helan Ying let go, she seized his arm, spun around, and slammed him against the stone wall behind her.
By the light emitted from the subterranean spiritual leyline, Yuan Shu finally saw Helan Ying’s face—and was instantly shocked.
At some point, winding, twisted green patterns had spread across Helan Ying’s originally handsome, fair face.
The patterns lay hidden beneath his skin, writhing as though they were alive.
Every movement brought Helan Ying excruciating pain, making him grit his teeth and groan under his breath.
Yuan Shu’s eyes widened slightly.
Helan Ying’s soul was that of an Earth Demon Fiend, whose innate power belonged to the fiendish-spirit element.
Yet today, he had forcibly absorbed so much of the subterranean spiritual leyline’s power that his body couldn’t fully digest it in such a short time. That was why the two opposing forces were now clashing within him!
Was this man trying to die, recklessly risking his life just to increase his strength?
Wait—what was he doing?
Helan Ying suddenly lowered his head. Yuan Shu keenly sensed him lick the back of her hand.
“Helan Ying, are you out of your mind?”
Yuan Shu frowned and tightened her grip around his neck. Helan Ying was forced to tilt his head back, unable to touch the back of her hand again.
At that moment, he began to laugh softly, the corners of his lips curling into an evil, unruly smile.
“Big Sister, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable. Could you help me?”
His handsome brows and eyes held a languid smile. His pleasant voice carried a hint of pleading and seduction, stirring the listener’s heart.
After a slight pause, he continued, “Big Sister, I only need a tiny bit of your blood. Just a tiny bit will do.”
The moment Helan Ying finished speaking, the Hehuan Divine Tree cried out in alarm from within Yuan Shu’s sea of consciousness.
“Shushu, he wants my divine power! This man never intended to give up on taking my divine power!”
Yuan Shu understood as well.
When Helan Ying had attacked her at the beginning, he had been aiming for the divine power within her.
It was only because his strength had not yet recovered that, when he tried to bite her neck, she had managed to turn the tables and restrain him!
Now that he wanted her blood, wasn’t he simply trying to absorb her divine power?
Damn it!
Yuan Shu’s gaze turned cold. The instant the Hehuan Divine Tree finished speaking, she pulled out a short dagger and thrust it toward Helan Ying’s face.
But the dagger stopped just an inch from his face.
Even the hand Yuan Shu used to restrain him suddenly lost its strength.
Two black glimmers lit up around her wrist. They were the four strands of black spiritual power Helan Ying had secretly wrapped around her limbs long ago!
The black strands restricted the spiritual power within her body, as well as her movements.
Pain shot through her wrists, and Yuan Shu’s expression changed. She staggered back a step.
Helan Ying, however, seized her wrist and pulled her into his arms.
His slightly husky voice was filled with teasing.
“Big Sister, have you forgotten? You’re nothing more than a fish in my hands now. I decide what you do.”
As he spoke, he lifted a hand and brushed the loose strands of hair from Yuan Shu’s temple, tucking them behind her ear. Then he turned his face and lightly touched her cheek.
“You smell so good, Big Sister. The divine power within you smells good too.”
“Helan Ying, don’t you dare do anything reckless! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless!” Yuan Shu shouted coldly.
At the same time, her divine sense was discussing countermeasures with the Hehuan Divine Tree in her sea of consciousness.
But after arguing for a long while, they still hadn’t come up with anything useful.
Helan Ying’s current strength was far beyond what Yuan Shu could contend with.
The power of the subterranean spiritual leyline could not be used at the moment either.
If this man truly decided to attack her, she would have no means of resisting at all!
Helan Ying chuckled softly, burying her face in Yuan Shu’s neck. She rubbed her smooth, tender cheek against Yuan Shu’s skin and took a deep breath.
“Big sister, don’t be nervous. I only need some of your blood—blood infused with divine power will be a tremendous help to me right now.”
“After tonight, I’ll give you some rare treasures to preserve your life. From now on, just stay by my side. I won’t treat you poorly.”
