Those energies drilled out through the bloodstains, then back in again, running rampant beneath his skin.
Helan Ying’s face twisted in pain. He clenched both hands into fists and gritted his teeth, forcing himself to endure it.
A surging wave of Earth Demon Fiend aura suddenly burst forth, enveloping his entire body. The threads of golden light were wrapped up and slowly corroded.
The green web of light at the center of the cavern seemed to sense something as well. A tide of powerful green energy surged toward him.
A gentle force pushed Yuan Shu toward a corner of the cavern. In the sea of her consciousness, the Hehuan Divine Tree’s voice came through, tinged with astonishment.
“Tsk… As expected of Earth Demon Fiend aura. It can actually suppress the backlash of pure-yang dragon qi!”
Yuan Shu nodded in agreement. However, she had never intended to defeat him with nothing more than the backlash of pure-yang dragon qi!
Since the man was currently too occupied to keep an eye on her, this was the perfect opportunity to sneak away!
Over the past two days, she had secretly been building up her strength. Together with the Divine Tree’s power, she had devised a way to break free from the black energy wrapped around her wrists and ankles.
The only problem was that Helan Ying had left a barrier inside the cavern.
Helan Ying was powerful, and the barrier he had left behind was no simple one either. Breaking through it and escaping would not be easy.
Just as Yuan Shu was frowning in thought, something lightly brushed against her fingertip.
She lowered her head and saw a green vine winding up along her trouser leg and curling around her finger. It rubbed against her hand affectionately.
It was the Underground Spirit Vein!
The little thing had not dared to come out while Helan Ying was there. Now that something had happened to him, it had seized the opportunity to come see her.
The little thing gestured wildly with its vines for quite some time. Yuan Shu’s heart stirred, and she understood.
“You’re saying that you have a way to get me out of here?”
The little thing hurriedly nodded its vine-tipped head. It wound its way up along Yuan Shu’s waist, then climbed higher. The tip of a green vine lightly touched her forehead.
In an instant, a cool, clear force of soul energy flowed into her. The method the Underground Spirit Vein had described appeared in Yuan Shu’s mind.
Her eyes widened slightly. A moment later, she slowly nodded to show that she understood.
Seeing this, the Underground Spirit Vein quickly withdrew its vines and quietly slipped away.
Yuan Shu glanced at the web of spiritual-vein light enveloping Helan Ying. Then, following the agreement she had made with the Underground Spirit Vein, she slowly walked over and called out loudly,
“Helan Ying, are you all right?”
Inside the sphere of light, Helan Ying, who was absorbing spiritual energy, frowned. He seemed not to have expected Yuan Shu to come over.
“I’m fine. The spiritual energy here is violent and surging—it’ll hurt you. Don’t come any closer!”
The power of the Underground Spirit Vein was already fierce and overbearing.
What was more, in order to absorb its power, he had employed a secret technique of the Earth Demon Fiend clan.
The concentration of spiritual energy at the center of the sphere was far too intense. If an ordinary person touched it, they would probably be reduced to ashes on the spot!
“Are you really all right?”
Yuan Shu appeared unconvinced. Furrowing her brows, she took two more steps forward.
“You looked terrifying just now. I don’t believe you’re really fine. I’ll only believe you if you come out and let me see for myself.”
Helan Ying did not answer, because he was currently at a critical point in absorbing the spiritual energy.
Yuan Shu, however, seemed determined to get what she wanted. When she received no response, she moved closer to him step by step.
“Helan Ying, say something! Helan Ying, how are you?”
Helan Ying had no choice but to wave his hand and open an exit in the sphere of green-veined light, revealing half of his body.
“Big Sister, I’m really fine.”
Yuan Shu’s eyes traveled up and down his body, examining him from head to toe.
At that moment, Helan Ying looked completely normal. The wounds on his body had vanished, and he truly seemed fine.
Yuan Shu marveled inwardly at the speed of his recovery, but on the surface, she only pretended to let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s good that you’re all right. I thought…” Yuan Shu hesitated, and tears suddenly glimmered in her beautiful black eyes.
A moment later, as if afraid he might notice, she abruptly lowered her head and refused to look at him.
But Helan Ying had been watching her the entire time. How could he possibly fail to notice?
Yuan Shu reached up to wipe away her tears. The sight of her delicate, beautiful figure made Helan Ying’s heart clench inexplicably, and he even stammered as he spoke.
“B-Big Sister, why are you crying?”
Yuan Shu said nothing. She lowered her head and sobbed twice, shaking it from side to side.
Helan Ying was somewhat bewildered. He was the one suffering the backlash from the pure-yang dragon qi physique, wasn’t he? He was the one in pain, wasn’t he?
So why was Yuan Shu the one crying instead?
He did not understand why, but whenever he saw Yuan Shu cry, he felt inexplicably miserable. It was as though he simply could not bear to see tears in her eyes!
The exquisite features of his face visibly grew agitated. For the first time, Helan Ying felt that absorbing the power of the Underground Spirit Vein to heal his wounds was taking far too long.
“Big Sister, d-don’t cry. I’m really fine!”
He had more or less realized that Yuan Shu had been frightened by the sight of him covered in wounds.
Those streams of golden light had sliced through his flesh like blades. Anyone who did not know what was happening could easily have been terrified.
He wanted Yuan Shu to stop crying, but she seemed to cry even harder, and faint sobs began to drift toward him.
Yet he was currently at the critical stage of healing. Once he succeeded, his strength might even increase, so he could not stop halfway.
There was no way for him to pull Yuan Shu into his arms and comfort her!
“Big Sister…”
Helan Ying visibly panicked. Even the hands forming his seals began to tremble, as though he wanted to terminate the healing process regardless of the consequences.
Yuan Shu kept her head lowered, but from the corner of her eye, she secretly watched Helan Ying’s expression through the strands of her hair.
When she saw him panic, the corners of her lips lifted almost imperceptibly.
“Tsk, as expected of you, Shushu. You really know how to read people!” the Hehuan Divine Tree said with a light cough from within her sea of consciousness.
“I was just wondering how you were going to make him open the sphere of spiritual-vein light. I didn’t expect it to be this simple!”
Yuan Shu let out a soft laugh, not surprised in the least.
She had complete confidence in her own charm!
“Ultimately, he’s just an Earth Demon Fiend who hasn’t been born for very long. He’s seen too little of the world and doesn’t understand… how sinister the human heart can be!”
“Later, when the Underground Spirit Vein transports me away, remember to release some dissipating divine power. Make it look as though I’ve been reduced to ashes or something. Be sure to make it convincing!”
“Don’t worry, Shushu. I guarantee I’ll get the job done!” the Hehuan Divine Tree chimed in.
“Big Sister, Big Sister, stop crying! I-I’m really all right!” Seeing Yuan Shu cry harder and harder, Helan Ying grew even more flustered from inside the sphere of light.
As if to prove that he was perfectly fine, he deliberately opened the exit in the sphere even wider.
“Big Sister, raise your head. Please don’t cry…”
Yuan Shu finally lifted her head. Her eyes were red, as though she truly had been crying just moments before.
Helan Ying’s heart ached at the sight.
Perhaps their first meeting had been filled with schemes and calculations, but he could be certain that he had truly fallen for Yuan Shu.
From beginning to end, he had never changed the way he addressed her.
It was only because, when he had tentatively called her “Big Sister” at the start, she had looked so happy and pleased.
He had truly imagined a future with her!
Once this matter was over, he would find a way to leave this place with her!
Besides, the two of them could already be considered dao companions.
He had seen, felt, and possessed every part of her.
Everything they had shared together was enough to set his heart racing whenever he thought of it!
“You’re all right. That’s wonderful. I was so worried about you, Helan Ying. I never realized that I truly like you.”
Yuan Shu suddenly confessed her feelings. The earnestness in her voice struck Helan Ying so hard that he was left dazed.
“R-Really?”
“Of course it’s true! I know you want my divine power, so… Helan Ying, I’m willing to give it to you!”
Yuan Shu looked up, her ink-dark eyes gazing at Helan Ying with deep affection.
The instant the words left her mouth, Yuan Shu suddenly rose to her feet, opened her arms, and threw herself toward the glowing orb of spirit-vein energy where Helan Ying was.
