“I’m out of strength.” Only after seeing the enemies utterly routed and fleeing did Li Xunmiao finally retract her Sword Intent.
The Zangtian Sword vanished into thin air, with no clue as to where Li Xunmiao had hidden it.
With a tacit understanding, Gu Ze reached out and put his arm around Li Xunmiao’s shoulder.
The girl’s body went limp, leaning gently against Gu Ze’s shoulder.
That sword strike just now had drained all the spiritual energy and Yellow Springs Qi in her body, only then could she injure Chen Lang, whose cultivation far surpassed hers by several realms.
Now, both of Li Xunmiao’s arms were trembling slightly.
Resting against Gu Ze’s shoulder, Li Xunmiao closed her eyes and said weakly, “Senior Brother Gu, am I really as soft and fragrant as they say?”
Gu Ze was left speechless—whether he answered yes or no, it would be awkward.
“Holding you like this, it can’t be comfortable for you, but for now, please bear with it.” He thought Li Xunmiao might dislike his presumptuous gesture.
The two of them were almost nestled together, looking quite intimate to an outsider.
But Li Xunmiao only shook her head gently, pressing her forehead against Gu Ze’s shoulder a couple of times.
“Xunmiao doesn’t mind. What I mean is, since I’m such a soft and fragrant little damsel, shouldn’t Senior Brother carry me for a bit?” She parted her cherry lips and asked softly.
“Of course, if you don’t mind.”
Before he even finished speaking, Li Xunmiao had already eagerly opened her arms and wrapped them around Gu Ze’s neck, hanging on his back.
Off to the side, Lin Tianya silently withdrew his gaze.
You two just hurry up and start dating already! I’m just a blacksmith, my heart’s tougher than iron—why are you two so sticky-sweet right in front of me?!
Lifting Li Xunmiao’s slender, firm thighs with both hands, Gu Ze carried her forward on his back.
She was so light that it reminded Gu Ze of his childhood, helping his grandmother harvest radishes before he transmigrated.
Li Xunmiao weighed about the same as a basket of radishes, and her thighs were just as slender.
Except, this defenseless beauty was truly soft and fragrant. Gu Ze couldn’t help but let his thoughts run wild and could only try to clear his mind.
If junior sister found out he compared her to a radish, she would definitely be upset, right?
Listening to the gradually slowing sound of breathing by his ear, Gu Ze’s pace also slowed a lot.
“Lin Shixiong, since the danger has been dealt with, shall we set up camp here and rest for half a day?”
Lin Tianya could easily see that Gu Ze was worried about Li Xunmiao’s condition.
Although he cared a lot about the spiritual mine deep within the earth vein and worried that someone else might seize it first, he still nodded in agreement.
Opportunities like this can’t be forced. Even if they rushed now, it was possible they’d find nothing and someone else would get the spiritual mine first.
When Li Xunmiao stretched lazily and opened her eyes, she found herself lying on a thick fur blanket. Gu Ze was meditating nearby, and Lin Tianya was not far off, wiping his magical artifact.
“Gu Ze…” Li Xunmiao’s lips moved slightly as she softly called out Gu Ze’s name.
Her voice was crystal clear in the tranquil underground.
Gu Ze slowly opened his eyes, ending his cultivation.
“Shimei, you’re awake.” He didn’t mind the way she addressed him—whatever Li Xunmiao wanted to call him was fine.
“Mm, Shixiong, why did you set up camp and stop here? Did I hold everyone up…?” Guilt flashed in her eyes.
“Don’t say that. Your safety is what’s most important. The Zangtian Sword is too much for you to bear. Use it as little as possible in the future.” Seeing she was mostly recovered, Gu Ze reminded her.
Li Xunmiao suddenly drawing her sword today had given him quite a scare. Gu Ze was well aware of the sword’s power.
Only Li Xunmiao could pay the price with Yellow Springs Qi—anyone else wouldn’t even be able to activate such a supreme treasure.
“Rest assured, Shixiong. I’ve already found my own reason to draw the sword. I will follow my heart and use the Zangtian Sword wisely.”
Li Xunmiao’s eyes were full of determination, leaving Gu Ze at a loss for further lectures.
Phoenix proud of the heavens—she probably didn’t need a salted-fish senior brother like him to instruct her.
As for Li Xunmiao’s reason for drawing the sword, Gu Ze didn’t ask.
It probably had nothing to do with him anyway…
***
After a sufficient rest, Lin Tianya finished packing up and stood up, saying slowly, “Shimei, while you were unconscious, the earth vein shook twice more, each time more violently than the last. I feel like the spirit that’s about to be born… might be related to the arrival of you two.”
Lin Tianya still couldn’t help but voice his suspicion.
The treasure of the spiritual mine was almost within reach—of course he was itching with anticipation.
Li Xunmiao’s face was expressionless, her eyes fixed only on Gu Ze.
This Lin Shixiong wasn’t a bad person. Though he guessed the earth vein’s shaking was related to her, he hadn’t turned on them or tried to force answers about their connection.
As expected, Gu Ze always picked good companions. He knew how to choose true friends—her Senior Brother Gu really had sharp judgment.
“Lin Shixiong, to be honest, the earth vein’s tremors are indeed related to Xunmiao. But our goal isn’t the spiritual mine. If we truly have the fortune to obtain it, you may have it all. Consider it compensation for the trouble we’ve caused you.” Gu Ze wasn’t greedy for this bit of luck.
Li Xunmiao heard this and nodded, completely following Gu Ze’s decision. Whatever her Senior Brother didn’t let her take, no matter how precious, she didn’t care.
Lin Tianya clasped his hands and sighed, “Meeting you two has truly been Lin’s good fortune…”
“Alright, alright, Lin Shixiong, no need for more words. Let’s get going.”
As they pressed deeper into the earth vein, the vibration of the dragon-shaped pendant on Li Xunmiao’s chest grew stronger.
At last, after almost a whole day’s journey, the three of them heard a deep dragon’s roar at the same time.
The entire earth vein seemed to come alive in that instant; cultivators standing atop it could even feel the flow of dragon-vein spiritual energy beneath their feet.
It was like a real, living dragon swimming underground.
The dragon qi stored within the pendant also burst forth, and under Li Xunmiao’s shocked gaze, the pendant flew up into the air, spraying dragon qi in all directions.
At the same time, the dragon vein reacted—a pure, earthy-yellow stream of energy shot over, about to merge into the pendant.
It’s done! Gu Ze was overjoyed.
But that dragon qi paused, neither merging nor leaving. Instead, it lured the pendant to fly farther and farther away.
Something’s wrong!
“Shimei, quickly retrieve the pendant!” Gu Ze called out, but it was too late.
Suddenly, the walls of the pitch-black cave lit up, revealing patterns of dragon scales. Accompanied by a heavy breathing sound, two earthy-yellow eyes appeared on either side of the cave.
Dimai Hua Long!
This earth vein wasn’t just condensing dragon qi anymore—it was on the verge of transforming into a dragon and breaking out.
Once the Dimai Hua Long soared to the sky, it would reach the Foundation Establishment stage upon its emergence!
Not only did it have no intention of adding any innate dragon qi to the pendant, it wanted to seize the dragon qi within the pendant to nourish itself, accelerating its own transformation.
Because of this, the three were now trapped within the earth vein—inside the body of an unformed dragon vein.
Yet, according to the books, the earth vein shouldn’t have developed to this degree yet.
By Gu Ze’s knowledge, from the moment dragon qi was conceived to the appearance of scales, and even the “dotting of the dragon’s eyes,” there should still be at least a thousand years to go.
Actually, Gu Ze had overlooked one person—a huge variable: Qingquan, who was preparing to form her Nascent Soul.
The Sect Master, in order to prepare for Qingquan, had connected the heavens and earth to gather spiritual energy.
The entire Yunhai Immortal Pavilion had secretly been inscribed into a vast Juling Zhen spanning ten thousand miles.
To grant Yunhai Immortal Pavilion another Nascent Soul, to add another Bati to this world, and to allow Qingquan to settle her three-hundred-year obsession, everyone in the know at Yunhai Immortal Pavilion had spared no effort, secretly gathering spiritual energy for Qingquan.
Songhuo Peak was situated right at one of the key nodes of the Juling Zhen.
With the earth vein absorbing so much spiritual energy, it was no wonder that a Foundation Establishment stage innate dragon was about to be born.
Yet, this thoroughly disrupted Gu Ze’s plans.
He’d only wanted to pluck a little dragon qi, but now, the three of them were suppressed inside the dragon vein itself, and even escape was difficult.
Watching as the pendant flew further and further away, anxiety flashed across Li Xunmiao’s face.
That jade pendant was the only proof of her fourteen years of existence in this world, and it would be her key to searching for her roots in the mortal world someday.
She absolutely couldn’t let it be taken! Even if it was, she would definitely get it back.
Sensing the threat from the three, the dragon vein instantly unleashed a storm of dust and stones, as if to tear them apart.
A blue light flashed before Li Xunmiao—Gu Ze’s Ice Dust Mirror activated, shielding them from all attacks and protecting the three of them.
But as the pendant flew farther away, hidden behind swirling sand and dust, Li Xunmiao softly chanted, “Burial Heaven…”
Gu Ze suddenly pressed a hand on her shoulder.
“No! You just used the Zangtian Sword, and your body hasn’t fully recovered. Using it again now would be too much of a burden.”
With that, he leaped out, diving into the sandstorm spewed out by the dragon vein.
“Your pendant—I’ll get it back for you.”
Seeing someone recklessly flying toward it, the two earthy-yellow dragon eyes turned on Gu Ze, shooting out a heavy beam of spiritual light.
In an instant, Gu Ze’s body was covered in earth and stone, and he was slammed to the ground.
It was as if he was stuck in a mire, unable to move.
Even though it wasn’t yet at Foundation Establishment, the intelligent dragon vein was already nearing Lianqi Da Yuanman—any casual strike was more than Gu Ze could handle.
He struggled to move, but under this terrifying dragon’s might, even lifting a finger was an immense effort.
At last, Gu Ze pointed at one of those eyes.
The other two, also pinned down by the dragon’s pressure, could only defend passively and watch Gu Ze’s actions in anxious silence.
“Return Li Xunmiao’s fortune to me!” A streak of radiant power flashed from Gu Ze’s fingertip.
Aiming at the dragon’s eye, he silently recited the reward granted by his system.
[Lianqi Da Yuanman Full Power Strike]
Before you transform, you’re still not Foundation Establishment!