The pursuers also arrived at the pit and glanced inside. It was a hole big enough for two people to embrace, but it wasn’t very deep and was solid at the bottom, so no one could hide there.

Where could they have gone?

Originally, this pit was very deep, reaching a spatial rift. However, DuGu QingLi was here.

As soon as she jumped down, she skillfully solidified ice, filling much of the top, making it appear as a shallow pit at first glance. No one among the pursuers thought in that direction, and they were momentarily stunned.

How could people just disappear, their aura completely gone?

“It’s probably an escape technique. Blast everything around! They’re injured, so their escape can’t take them far!”

The ice surface was bombarded with colorful explosions, a truly beautiful sight. In the distance, Jiang Yuan watched gleefully through the perspective of her mechanical puppet.

She had originally wondered how to assist them, but it turned out they saved themselves without needing help. As expected of Lu XingZhou; even with such injuries, he could escape from the tiger’s mouth. Therefore, her failed ambush back then wasn’t her fault in battle; her opponent was simply too cunning.

Watching these people stupidly rage and blast away seemed foolish, much stupider than herself. In comparison, her retreat back then was quite elegant! She only lost a piece of tattered cloth!

Since that was the case, when they recovered from their injuries and reappeared, it wouldn’t be about assisting anymore; it would be about turning the tables. She could wait and perhaps provide some support.

“Bang!” Everything went black; the mechanical puppet met a tragic end from an area attack.

Jiang Yuan sniffled, then secretly released another one.

Speaking of which, Jiang DuXu sent his granddaughter out of the capital precisely because he didn’t want her getting involved with Lu XingZhou. Yet, she traveled so far, even out of the country, only to inexplicably encounter Lu XingZhou and naturally plan to get involved with him. One wonders if Jiang DuXu would be so enraged he’d vomit blood if he knew.

In any case, Lu XingZhou was still unaware of Jiang Yuan’s presence. He and DuGu QingLi had entered the spatial rift, directly arriving at the underwater location where the XuanShe once slumbered.

At this moment, both of them found even treading water difficult. They barely managed to swim to shore, then rolled over and lay silently on the grassy bank.

They were too exhausted.

Soaked from the swim, normally they would have dried off or dispelled the water, but now they didn’t even have the strength for that, letting themselves remain drenched.

Lu XingZhou barely managed to turn his head and glance at DuGu QingLi. Her white hair, like a small white plume, was disheveled and plastered to her forehead and temples. She was gasping for breath, her high chest rising and falling with each breath. Her wet clothes clung to her body, making her look incredibly beautiful.

Lu XingZhou once again pulled out a pill and handed it over, but his hand couldn’t reach her mouth.

DuGu QingLi turned her head and took the pill with her mouth, but she didn’t turn back. They remained facing each other, their eyes sparkling with something unreadable.

After a long while, DuGu QingLi finally asked, “How did you know there was a secret realm here? I didn’t even know.”

“Your fish-catching martial aunt and I happened to come here last time. There was a snake here that we killed, and she took its body.”

“…” DuGu QingLi turned to lie flat on her back. So, this is where you and master had your secret rendezvous, isn’t it?

The atmosphere was silent for a while, then DuGu QingLi suddenly whispered, “Why did you block in front of me?”

She asked this question after such a long time, as if her database had been searching for an answer since the moment he blocked the attack, but found none.

Lu XingZhou was slightly amused: “If I hadn’t blocked, you would have suffered extremely serious injuries, far worse than the ones you have now.”

DuGu QingLi continued to ask, “I’m asking why you had to use your body when you could have used many other methods.”

Lu XingZhou said, “You should be able to judge that it was the most stable plan.”

“But you would get injured because of it.”

“Does it matter?”

“What if you died?”

“What kind of nonsense is that?”

“What if you really died?” the little white plume insisted.

Lu XingZhou was quite helpless: “In the middle of a battle, you simply don’t consider such things. Your mind only thinks that nothing can happen to you, and instinctively, I rushed forward.”

DuGu QingLi fell silent.

Lu XingZhou said, “Don’t be moved, and don’t keep saying I’m trying to win you over. It’s mutual aid between comrades. Even if you were a man, I would have done the same.”

DuGu QingLi actually knew this. Even if she were a man, Lu XingZhou would most likely have done the same; he couldn’t stand by and watch a brother be in danger.

It was just that the feeling was too strange, etched in her heart, refusing to fade.

The intensity of this memory was on par with the kiss back then and the incident where something got on her face a while ago, ranking as the top three most profound memories. However, the feelings these three scenes evoked were completely different, and no one else had ever brought her these kinds of feelings.

In fact, there was a similar scene once before, in the palace courtyard, when Lu XingZhou pushed her away and took the brunt of the TaiYin True Fire himself. But ultimately, he wasn’t injured, so the impact wasn’t as great compared to the scene of bleeding injuries, but it confirmed that he always acted this way.

Placing her safety above his own, consistently.

Lu XingZhou was saying, “Anyway, your master told me to bring you out with me, so I must bring you back to her safe and sound, otherwise, how can I explain?”

DuGu QingLi finally asked what she had been holding back: “So, the person you are responsible for, is it DuGu QingLi or Ye TingLan?”

Lu XingZhou froze, then turned to look at her again.

DuGu QingLi met his gaze silently, her blue eyes deep and unreadable.

Lu XingZhou finally took the question seriously, thought for a long while, then somewhat hesitantly said, “If I say it’s DuGu QingLi, will you again say I’m trying to win you over?”

DuGu QingLi said, “We’ll discuss it after you say it.”

Lu XingZhou stated with certainty, “You are my friend first, and then Ye TingLan’s disciple. So, I am primarily responsible for DuGu QingLi.”

DuGu QingLi pursed her lips, unable to discern her feelings upon hearing the word “friend.” Was this the answer she wanted?

Human thoughts, human emotions, are difficult to understand, annoying, and also strange.

They could always easily throw her sword heart into disarray.

Then Lu XingZhou added, “What’s more, I like you.”

DuGu QingLi’s eyes widened, and her CPU burned again.

Things were already chaotic enough, and now you add this.

Lu XingZhou, however, asked very naturally, “Hey, you’re always giving me the cold shoulder and picking fights with me. Is it because I offended you that time, or because of my relationship with your fish-catching martial aunt?”

DuGu QingLi was expressionless: “Am I always cold to you?”

“Aren’t you?”

“I’m like this with everyone.”

Lu XingZhou: “…”

She’s learned to avoid the important points and change the subject like the wind. Who taught her to be like this?

“Anyway, you can’t like me,” the little white plume said.

“Why not?”

“You’re asking despite knowing.”

“I don’t know,” Lu XingZhou said. “It’s true that I’m engaged to your fish-catching martial aunt, but she’s just a martial aunt, and not even close to you.”

DuGu QingLi suddenly felt like laughing.

Lu XingZhou said, “Hey, hey, yes, yes, smile a little.”

DuGu QingLi straightened her face: “Lunatic.”

Lu XingZhou “hmphed,” then turned away from her and lay flat on his back.

DuGu QingLi also lay flat, looking at the sky: “No wonder she was raised by a lunatic martial aunt since childhood.”

Lu XingZhou: “?”

Why is everyone insulting Yu now? What does Yuan MuYu have to do with you?

DuGu QingLi didn’t know why she wanted to curse Yuan MuYu; ever since she found out about Lu XingZhou’s connection with her, she had no good feelings for Yuan MuYu.

Is this what they call “the person who likes Lu XingZhou dislikes her more than Lu XingZhou himself”? The little white plume couldn’t analyze it; she just disliked her. Looking at it this way, Yuan MuYu was also her martial aunt, and not close… could Ye ZhuoYu be counted in the same way? Anyway, Ye ZhuoYu was untraceable.

At this thought, the little white plume’s heart suddenly thumped, her mind wandering.

The two were silent for a long while before DuGu QingLi finally managed to suppress her chaotic emotions and asked, “Do you have any idea who the ambushers were?”

If Jiang Yuan had heard their conversation, she would probably start scolding them. The real important matter, and you’ve been chatting about nonsense until now? Who’s the lunatic here?

Lu XingZhou thought for a moment: “Most likely BingYu Zong, small chance it’s Si Han. It still needs verification.”

DuGu QingLi said, “Why? Weren’t they masked? Their cultivation techniques and spells were varied, impossible to judge. And they even called me ‘Little Snow Maiden’… BingYu Zong or Si Han wouldn’t call me that, would they?”

Lu XingZhou said, “Precisely because they were masked, it’s highly likely they were acquaintances. ‘Little Snow Maiden’ was clearly meant to mislead. And Si Han lacks motive; the only one with a motive would be BingYu Zong. Of course, there’s a lack of evidence, so it’s just a guess. We’ll have to fight our way out and capture one for verification.”

DuGu QingLi said, “I once asked you if BingYu Zong was reliable, and you said mostly reliable.”

“That was only ‘mostly’,” Lu XingZhou sighed. “People’s thoughts change over time. This earthquake, the emergence of the ancient ice city, is strongly related to the Ice Demon. BingYu Zong might have glimpsed some inside information… and this information might change Ling QiXuan’s thinking. There’s even a possibility that this entire incident was caused by something Ling QiXuan did, and our stabilizing the space spoiled his plans.”

DuGu QingLi said, “How are your injuries?”

The implication was that the little white plume wanted to go out and kill.

Lu XingZhou did an internal check and felt a little embarrassed: “I’m still not good. This injury feels like it needs a few days to heal; it’s not like before where a short rest would fix it.”

DuGu QingLi said, “Me too.”

“?” Lu XingZhou said angrily, “Then why did you ask? I thought you were almost recovered, so you were asking about my progress.”

“I was simply asking about your injuries. Why do you read so much between the lines?”

Lu XingZhou: “…”

DuGu QingLi said, “Are there any more effective pills? To speed things up. If it really takes days, everyone will have run off. Where will we verify anything?”

“No. Injuries need recuperation. Where is there a miraculous pill that heals instantly? If there were, it would have to be Anaphasic-level.”

“What about with your BiShui DiChen?”

“What about my injuries then?” Lu XingZhou retorted crossly. “If we really want to speed it up, there is indeed another way, but you can’t possibly use it.”

DuGu QingLi fell silent.

She, of course, knew what method he was referring to.

Isn’t it just kissing… why is it impossible to use? It’s not like they haven’t kissed before.

The real impossibility is, you can’t make me ask for it, can you?

I had so many implications this time, why couldn’t you figure it out?