Lian Li and Yun Huizhou, deep underground, had no idea that the massive monster they had driven away had gone out and immediately begun causing trouble for the horse bandits.
Even if they had known, the two wouldn’t have cared. They would only have hoped for a fierce fight, preferably one where both sides suffered heavy losses.
After taking some time to recover, the two cautiously entered the tunnel the monster had used to escape, walking all the way to the monster’s innermost lair.
Only after confirming the monster had truly fled outside did they return to the shore of the underground lake.
Although it was exceptionally damp by the lake, it was unexpectedly warm now that night had fallen.
In particular, a layer of hot steam was actually rising from the surface of the underground lake.
Lian Li approached the water’s edge to test the temperature, but Yun Huizhou stopped him.
Yun Huizhou said, “That monster ran out, but we don’t know if other lakes might lead here. I’ll go down to the bottom first to check the situation.”
Lian Li thought about it and agreed. He handed the transparent lotus to Yun Huizhou, saying, “Take this, just in case.”
Yun Huizhou did not refuse. Taking the lotus, he dove into the water.
They hadn’t explored the bottom of the underground lake before. Now that the small monsters were dead and the large one might not be able to return from elsewhere, it was the perfect time to investigate.
While Yun Huizhou was underwater, Lian Li didn’t stay idle. He used his lightness skills to fly onto the large leaves in the center of the lake.
Calling them “large leaves” was no exaggeration; they could actually support the weight of a person floating on the water.
They had been down here for quite a while. Especially after driving the large monster away, the two had shared a brief kiss before getting down to business.
They had inspected the entire underground space and truly found nothing else particularly strange.
After thinking it over, Lian Li felt that unless Yun Huizhou found something at the bottom of the lake, he could only suspect these large leaves in the center.
However, he had examined every single leaf carefully and still couldn’t see anything special about them.
At that moment, Yun Huizhou emerged from the water. He used one hand to slick his hair back, revealing his handsome features without any obstruction.
Lian Li took one look and immediately averted his gaze.
Can’t look too much, can’t look too much. Now isn’t the time.
Yun Huizhou climbed out of the water and landed beside Lian Li, loosely throwing his clothes over his shoulders. He said, “The water is lukewarm, and I saw below that all these leaves share a single root system.”
Lian Li asked in surprise, “All these leaves come from one root?”
Yun Huizhou nodded and said, “Yes. To make sure I didn’t miss anything, I circled it several times. There are also Youxia Vines at the bottom. If it weren’t for the Youxia Vines, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been able to see the situation down there at all. You probably guessed right; the treasure is most likely related to these leaves.”
As he spoke, Yun Huizhou opened his left hand. In his palm, besides the transparent lotus, was a Youxia Fruit.
He smiled and said, “Nine of them. You can increase your internal energy by nine years.”
Returning to the shore, Yun Huizhou picked up a fruit and handed it to Lian Li. He said, “Eat one first. I will assist you in circulating your energy.”
Lian Li held the Youxia Fruit to his lips and asked, “What if something unexpected happens right after I eat it?”
Yun Huizhou shook his head and said, “It won’t. The effect is quite mild. Even if a battle starts immediately, it won’t affect you. At most, you just won’t absorb the benefits of the Youxia Fruit, and one fruit will go to waste.”
Hearing him say this, Lian Li no longer had any reservations. He tossed the Youxia Fruit into his mouth, chewed it up, and spat out the pit.
Truth be told, the Youxia Fruit was quite sweet, with a taste and texture somewhat like fruit jelly.
As soon as the fruit entered his stomach, Lian Li felt a warm current rise from his dantian, and his internal energy became active. He quickly sat cross-legged, and Yun Huizhou sat opposite him.
The moment they raised their hands and pressed their palms together, Lian Li felt Yun Huizhou’s internal energy enter his body. It followed his meridians and quickly reached his dantian.
Allowing another person’s internal energy to roam freely inside one’s body was a very dangerous thing. If the other person had any ill intentions, one’s martial arts could be completely ruined at best, or they could lose their life at worst.
Only when the other person was someone one trusted implicitly would they allow that person’s internal energy to wander through their body as if it were coming home.
With Yun Huizhou’s internal energy protecting him, Lian Li closed his eyes and boldly began to circulate his technique to digest the internal energy brought by the Youxia Fruit as quickly as possible.
It took five days for Lian Li to finish all nine Youxia Fruits, averaging about two fruits a day.
To ensure he could quickly digest the effects of the Youxia Fruits, Yun Huizhou protected his meridians every time, allowing him to instantly stabilize Lian Li whenever his internal energy became turbulent.
When the medicinal effects of the last Youxia Fruit were fully absorbed, Lian Li remained sitting in place, carefully sensing his current internal energy.
After a good while, he opened his eyes, looked at Yun Huizhou, and said, “Hahaha, I’m super powerful now!”
Yun Huizhou sat opposite him with a doting smile and said, “Indeed, you are super powerful.”
In a fit of excitement, Lian Li lunged forward and threw himself onto Yun Huizhou.
They didn’t dally for long before Yun Huizhou said, “The dry rations we brought down aren’t really enough anymore, and they’ve all gotten a bit damp. It’s best not to eat them, or a stomach ache would be a big problem.”
Hearing this news, Lian Li’s excitement faded slightly. He let go of Yun Huizhou and sat back in his original spot. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Then should we go out and check the situation?”
Yun Huizhou nodded and said, “That’s what I was thinking. Besides, that large monster hasn’t returned for several days. Since it’s been outside, it’s very likely to run into the horse bandits. We need to scout things out.”
Lian Li looked at the patch of large leaves in the center of the lake and sighed softly.
Why hasn’t it manifested yet? If this drags on any longer, he and Yun Huizhou will be in a very passive position.
Yun Huizhou stood up and walked toward the tunnel, with Lian Li following behind him, whip in hand.
They had barely been walking inside for half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea when they suddenly felt a wave of extreme cold air spreading out from behind them.
In an instant, Lian Li felt as if his very blood was about to freeze.
He hurriedly accelerated the circulation of his internal energy, but the effect was minimal. Without hesitation, he released his internal energy outward to wrap around his body, finally isolating the chill.
Yet this cold air continued to spread in all directions at an extremely high speed.
He saw that the long hair hanging down Yun Huizhou’s back was covered in frost.
Due to the spreading chill, the Youxia Vines on the tunnel walls began to wither slowly, starting from the direction of the underground lake and moving toward the cave entrance.
By observing the position and speed of the vines’ withering, he could judge the speed and reach of the spreading cold.
In front of him, Yun Huizhou had already stopped in his tracks and looked back toward the direction they had come from.
“Lian Li…” Yun Huizhou called out softly. “I feel like that great treasure has come out.”
