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"Boom..."
With a loud crash, Gu Shi Yi plunged into the pool with the waterfall, startling a school of small fish which scattered away. She had no time to react as the immense downward force pressed her deep into the bottom of the pond, about eight or nine zhang deep. Fortunately, having toughened her body since childhood under the guidance of the Old Taoist Priest, although she was bruised and her limbs bore numerous scrapes, she sustained no internal injuries. As she sank into the waters, the desire to survive made Gu Shi Yi instinctively start to paddle with her hands and feet.
By then, the jade box had slipped from her grasp and was sinking straight to the bottom of the pond. The seal on the box had already been broken by Wei Chuan, and the talisman stuck on it was nothing but a showpiece that couldn't protect the contents inside at all. After entering the water and getting hit by the strong current, the talisman scattered, the lid popped open, and the Blood Corrosion Grass floated out. Amidst her dizziness, Gu Shi Yi caught a glimpse of it and subconsciously grabbed it!
After all, she had been guarding this thing night and day for over ten days. Now, she was struggling on the edge of life and death for it. If she were to let it sink to the bottom, she would be at a great loss!
If she was going to die, she would take it with her as a burial item!
Thus, Gu Shi Yi clutched the Blood Corrosion Grass in her hand and swam vigorously toward the surface. After a great effort, she finally reached the surface. Her lungs, nearly bursting for air, finally found relief,
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Gu Shi Yi gasped for air desperately, her legs kicking water, her body floating and being carried by the current towards the edge of the pool...
However, she was unaware that Shang San had been pursuing her from behind. He saw the runaway carriage heading towards the cliff, Gu Shi Yi flying out from inside, and the aura of the jade box following her down the cliff. Enraged,
He was severely injured and concerned about the Blood Corrosion Grass. His body barely recovered a little before he gave chase. Now, his mana was still present, but the damage to his body was too great; even with the help of elixirs, it wasn't something that could be fully healed in a short time. So, he could only watch helplessly as Gu Shi Yi fell down the cliff with the jade box, so angry that veins bulged on his forehead. He no longer cared, and with a flick of his finger towards the fleeing carriage,
"Bang..."
The carriage, which was running wild in the distance, seemed to be struck by something heavy. Amid the loud noise, the carriage broke into countless pieces, and the Coachman was thrown out, rolling to a stop about seven or eight zhang away against a rock, blood spewing from his mouth ceaselessly!
By that time, Shang San had no mind to care for him. Having used mana in his rage, he soon felt a rush of blood, his injuries somewhat uncontrollable. So, he hastily descended from his Flight Light, sat cross-legged on a nearby rock, poured a whole bottle of elixirs into his mouth, and prepared to meditate and heal.
Down below, Gu Shi Yi struggled to climb ashore, looking for a place to catch her breath. It was then that Li Yaner in her chest spoke,
"Shiyi, run quickly, we can't stop here. I can feel that man Shang is right above us on the top of the mountain!"
Being a ghost, her ability to sense auras was far stronger than that of ordinary people. Since Shang San was no longer bothering to conceal his aura, Li Yaner easily sensed that he was lingering at the top of the mountain, though she didn't know why he hadn't come down.
Gu Shi Yi looked up in surprise, seeing the high and steep cliffs above her. From below, they appeared to scrape the sky; however, such heights were trivial for Great Cultivators. Gu Shi Yi nodded and gritted her teeth to stand up, fighting the nausea and urge to vomit as she asked,
"He's a Great Cultivator, with Divine Sense. Where can I escape to?"
Although she said this, she was not the kind to resign herself to fate. She turned her head from side to side, looking for a place to hide. Li Yaner thought for a moment and said,
"We can't hide. Follow the current downstream, only by moving with the water can we move fastest!"
Slogging through such dense forest was almost like worming through mud in the eyes of a Great Cultivator. The might of the water's flow might be their only chance of survival!
Gu Shi Yi nodded. She looked at the Blood Corrosion Grass in her hand which was now soaked through with water. It lay wilted in the palm of her hand, barely distinguishable from roadside weeds.
Gu Shi Yi's belongings were long gone, and she feared that if she tucked it into her bosom, it might fall out when she dived into the water. So, she simply put the grass in her mouth and, after taking a deep breath, plunged headfirst into the water below.
The ponds in this great mountain were tiered, one level after another, each a step and a layer, much like a staircase or a string of pearls, each deep pond a bead of jade.
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