Despite the dangers that might lie ahead, Su Luowei resolutely stepped into the barrier.
However, contrary to her expectations, what awaited her wasn't a den of wolves and tigers, but a peaceful and serene landscape.
The sun and moon shone together in the sky, the grass was lush and green, and even the air carried a faint, fragrant scent.
Yet, Su Luowei did not let her guard down. She tightly gripped her spirit sword, her eyes alert and ready to draw her sword at the first sign of danger.
After walking for a while…
"Hey there, big sister..."
A crisp voice suddenly called out from above. Su Luowei looked up and saw a young girl in green sitting cross-legged on a tree branch, her doe-like eyes filled with curiosity as she studied her.
Su Luowei didn't know that the girl was the Azure Dragon, but she could guess that the girl must be related to the dragon.
The girl leaped down from the tree, landing lightly in front of Su Luowei. Seeing Su Luowei instinctively prepare to defend herself, the girl quickly waved her hands. "Big sister, don't be afraid, I mean no harm."
To prove her point, she even took a step back and spread her hands to show that she truly had no ill intentions.
Su Luowei stared at her for a while, and after confirming that the girl's eyes held only curiosity and friendliness, she gradually relaxed her tense posture, her expression softening.
"And you are…?"
"My name is Yunü," the girl chirped, introducing herself brightly. "Have you heard of me?"
"No," Su Luowei replied.
Whether in Qingxu Sect or within the Ten Directions Blessed Land, she had never heard of the name Yunü.
"You haven't?" Yunü looked puzzled, as if Su Luowei should have known her.
"Oh well, it doesn't matter," Yunü quickly shrugged off her confusion and grabbed Su Luowei's sleeve, asking enthusiastically, "Big sister, what's your name? Why are you here? This place is very dangerous, you need to be careful."
Not understanding why the girl was being so friendly, Su Luowei asked cautiously, "My name is Su Luowei. Do you know me?"
Yunü shook her head. "No, I just think you smell really nice. I like it a lot."
In the inherited memories of the Azure Dragon, there seemed to be someone very important who had a similar scent.
It was this familiar smell that calmed the furious dragon when she was on the verge of losing control after her spirit herb was stolen. She had been ready to turn the whole cave upside down to find and punish the thief, but after seeing Su Luowei and smelling that scent, her anger dissipated.
This had never happened before—it was so strange.
That's why Yunü couldn't help but talk to Su Luowei.
"My scent?" Su Luowei raised her sleeve and sniffed it, subtly pulling her sleeve out of Yunü's grasp at the same time.
"It's just ordinary lily-of-the-valley incense. If you like it, I can give you some."
Su Luowei took a small piece of incense from her storage pouch and offered it to Yunü.
But Yunü didn't take it. She just shook her head. "It's not that scent."
Talking about scents reminded Yunü of the time during her battle with the three beasts when she noticed another cultivator who had an intriguing scent. She had sent that person into the dragon's lair, intending to examine her later. But when she returned, the spirit herb was gone, and so was that cultivator!
Realizing the connection, Yunü's eyes widened in shock.
What?! The thief was someone she had personally let in!
It's a good thing she remembered what the thief looked like!
As a young dragon with little patience, Yunü couldn't stay still now that she had a lead. She leaped into the air but remembered to tell Su Luowei before she left, "Sister Wei, I suddenly remembered something very important I need to do. If you like this place, feel free to explore for a bit."
She hesitated for a moment before pulling something from her robe and tossing it to Su Luowei. "As long as you have this, the array won't attack you. Keep it safe and give it back to me the next time we meet."
With that, she hurried off.
The item she had thrown was a piece of red string threaded through a polished, round scale. The scale was a greenish-blue color, with an array inscribed in its center.
Though the scale had been processed, Su Luowei couldn't determine its origin, only sensing that it contained traces of spiritual energy.
Yunü's sudden appearance and departure were puzzling, and if she hadn't left behind this item, Su Luowei might have thought she was being played with.
Holding the scale, Su Luowei indeed encountered no danger along her path. She began to suspect the girl's true identity.
Unfortunately, she hadn't asked about Meng Shuying's whereabouts when she had the chance.
If Yunü really was the Azure Dragon, she would surely know where Meng Shuying was.
However, Su Luowei was wrong about one thing.
Yunü had turned the entire lair upside down but couldn't find any trace of Meng Shuying.
But she did find two other groups of people.
The disciples of Qionghua Peak and Baizhan Peak, who had entered the barrier earlier, were now all in trouble.
The Baizhan Peak disciples hadn't done much to provoke Yunü, so she only gave them a light punishment and then tossed them out.
But the Qionghua Peak disciples weren't so lucky.
Yunü still remembered that the thief had first been seen with the Qionghua Peak group at the Beast Hall's entrance.
Yes, they were definitely in cahoots.
So, when the Qionghua Peak disciples infiltrated her lair, it was clearly to support their accomplice.
How dare they be so brazen? Did they think she, the Azure Dragon, was nothing to fear?
Yunü was furious, and there were serious consequences.
While Yunü was interrogating the Qionghua Peak disciples, Su Luowei arrived at the edge of a pool.
The water was crystal clear, yet its depths were unfathomable. As she stood by the pool, pondering how to find Meng Shuying, she suddenly heard a faint bird call.
The sound was familiar, as if it were coming from within the pool.
But the sound vanished as quickly as it came, and when Su Luowei focused, she couldn't hear it anymore.
After a moment's thought, she jumped into the water, diving toward the bottom. She let the current carry her for a while until she spotted a figure ahead.
Adjusting her direction, Su Luowei quickly swam over and caught hold of the person.
It was indeed Meng Shuying.
Meng Shuying's eyes were closed, and she was unconscious, having no idea how long she had been drifting in the water.
With one hand holding Meng Shuying and the other propelling them through the water, Su Luowei quickly swam to shore.
On her way, Su Luowei noticed that the underground river wasn't the only feature down here; there were many caverns along the banks.
Since Meng Shuying's condition was unknown, Su Luowei didn't risk searching for an exit. Instead, she carried Meng Shuying ashore, planning to rest in one of the caves.
The water had eroded the underground rock, creating natural caverns. Huge stalactites hung from the ceiling, resembling the fangs of wild beasts.
Meng Shuying, already severely injured, had been soaking in the cold water for a long time. Her bloodstained robes were now dyed a deep red, making her look quite alarming.
Su Luowei laid her down and checked her condition.
Fortunately, she was still alive, but her breathing was faint and she was barely hanging on.
Su Luowei stood up and explored the cave. It was empty, with no plants or animals in sight.
At least it was safe.
Although the cave was barren, Su Luowei was well-prepared. Before entering the Ten Directions Blessed Land, she had packed plenty of supplies in her storage pouch.
She opened the pouch and pulled out some wood and twigs, then took out a flint to start a fire.
Recalling how Meng Shuying used to build fires, Su Luowei carefully arranged the twigs, leaving enough space in the middle for the flames to catch.
Then she struck the flint, producing a spark with a sharp crack.
But the twigs didn't catch, not even a tiny ember.
Watching Meng Shuying make a fire had always seemed so simple, but now that it was her turn, Su Luowei realized it wasn't easy at all.
Luckily, she had other options.
Su Luowei retrieved a fire talisman from her pouch, crumpled it into a ball, and placed it beneath the twigs. After forming a hand seal, a burst of flames erupted, instantly consuming the twigs.
Before the fire died down, Su Luowei quickly added more twigs and a few pieces of wood.
As the flames grew, they filled the cave with light, driving away the darkness.
Noticing a pair of eyes watching her, Su Luowei turned and saw that Meng Shuying had opened her eyes.
Though her face was pale from blood loss, her eyes were unusually bright.
The light in them was so intense it almost outshone the nearby fire.
"Is that you, Sister?" she murmured, afraid this was all a dream.
Was she about to die? Was that why she was seeing her sister?
Meng Shuying had heard as a child that people experienced a brief burst of clarity before death, during which they could see the person they missed the most.
So if she was seeing her sister now, it must mean she was close to death.
Despite her severe injuries, Meng Shuying struggled to sit up, trembling as she reached out to touch her sister's robe.
Su Luowei's heart clenched, and she quickly grasped Meng Shuying's hand.
Despite both of them having been in the water, Su Luowei's palm was warm and dry, completely unlike Meng Shuying's cold one.
Instinctively, Meng Shuying wanted to move closer, to absorb the warmth from her sister. But she restrained herself, only holding Su Luowei's hand and staring at her without blinking.
She was afraid that her wet, cold body would make her sister uncomfortable.
Dripping wet, with water running down her hair and soaking her collar, Meng Shuying looked utterly pitiful.
Yet her eyes were filled with nothing but reliance and joy.
Su Luowei suddenly recalled something that Xie Hanzhu had once joked about during her seclusion.
She had said that ever since Su Luowei began her seclusion, Meng Shuying would often sneak to the foot of the apricot tree outside her residence on Yanmo Mountain, sitting there for an entire day.
"Like a little stone waiting for its wife."
When she had made that joke, Su Luowei had thought that Meng Shuying was just feeling lonely in Qionghua Peak and was reminiscing about the peaceful days of the past.
But now, it seemed there might have been more to Meng Shuying's feelings than just nostalgia.
Su Luowei didn't want to dwell on it, nor did she dare to.
Focusing back on the person in front of her, she noticed Meng Shuying's pale lips. Offering a reassuring smile, she gently withdrew her hand.
Meng Shuying's expression immediately turned anxious, fearing her sister was about to leave.
But Su Luowei didn't leave. Instead, she opened her storage pouch, took out a handful of pills, selected a few, and placed them in Meng Shuying's mouth.
Seeing Meng Shuying's dazed expression, she chuckled, "What are you waiting for? Swallow them."
Meng Shuying gulped down the pills. As they dissolved, they released a surge of spiritual energy that began to heal her body.
But before she could fully absorb the sensation, Su Luowei said, "Take off your clothes."
Meng Shuying was taken aback. "What?"
Su Luowei replied calmly, "Take off your clothes."