Chapter 8, Breaking Free from Pursuit

Taking advantage of the brief moment just now, he had wandered around and discovered that the distant mountains and forests were exceptionally eerie, subtly emanating an incredibly powerful aura. Even he did not dare to venture deeper. This small valley resembled a paradise, devoid of any danger, yet it bore no traces of any birds or beasts ever having existed.

However, Qu Ningxuan merely glanced around and felt a chill run through her body. For what appeared to be an extremely beautiful place was, in fact, a dead zone, devoid of any sound

Su Chenxian did not pay attention to the details, and thus did not inform her that the Jingying bracelet, being a treasure of such caliber, could only be barely recognized by someone at the Qi Transformation to Divine Realm. Currently, Qu Ningxuan was merely at the peak of the Xuan Zhao stage and had not established a spiritual connection with the Jingying bracelet, yet she forcibly activated its top-tier ability, which could only be used three times. She was already the master of the bracelet, and the spirit of the artifact naturally had to act according to the rules. If the spiritual power was insufficient, then it would have to be supplemented by her soul. If it were not for this... Qu Ningxuan would have long since turned to ashes, how could she have lasted until now? She was already the master of the bracelet, and the spirit of the artifact naturally had to act according to the rules. If the spiritual power was insufficient, then it would have to be supplemented by her soul. If it were not for this... Qu Ningxuan would have long since turned to ashes, how could she have lasted until now?

Qu Ningxuan knew that relying solely on her words would never gain the trust of Jun Qiantang, but the items exchanged for merit were her protective talismans, and she could never part with them. At this moment, she felt fortunate for the unique invisibility feature of the merit exchange items, which gave her a sense of confidence. Thus, she decisively took out her storage bag and emptied its contents, saying lightly, "I have limited experience and may not recognize treasures; could you please take a look and see if there are any rare items among these?"

Unexpectedly, the lake was astonishingly clean, not only devoid of fish and shrimp, but even lacking in water plants and similar items. Qu Ningxuan stood steadily at the bottom of the lake, carefully observing the surroundings, and felt that this lake resembled a basin filled with water, appearing less natural and more artificial. Moreover, as a stagnant lake, isn't it excessively clean here?

A hint of confusion flashed in Qu Ningxuan's eyes, and then she gently shook her head

As Jun Qiantang calmed his mind and reflected, he realized that he had been overly anxious; the source of the extraordinary treasure might not be in the lake, but rather on the ground. To his surprise, as soon as he stepped onto the land, he discovered Qu Ningxuan lying not far from the lake, her breathing so faint it was nearly imperceptible, struggling on the brink of death. Jun Qiantang's expression changed dramatically, and he immediately rushed to Qu Ningxuan's side, crouching down to provide her with treatment, his demeanor growing increasingly grave.

This action made Qu Ningxuan feel uncomfortable all over, and she instinctively wanted to break free, only to meet Jun Qiantang's gaze, which was sharp and somewhat cold. Qu Ningxuan was taken aback, secretly lamenting that she had been swayed by Jun Qiantang's subtle warmth and protection during this time, and a tinge of bitterness flashed through her heart

He is well-informed and naturally knows that the methods for opening secret chambers and hidden realms in the world are varied and numerous. Some require descendants of a specific lineage, some need tokens, some demand the blood of individuals born in certain years, and others necessitate individuals with special constitutions... In short, there are countless possibilities. Perhaps this young lady has inadvertently met the conditions for opening the secret chamber

Jun Qiantang has always been cautious, which is why he asked Qu Ningxuan once again: "Do you possess any extraordinary treasures that could have caused the various phenomena just now"

It was merely a sudden flash of inspiration, yet Qu Ningxuan increasingly felt that it was indeed possible

Upon realizing this, Jun Qiantang took out a relatively mild elixir and administered it to Qu Ningxuan. Noticing her body tremble slightly and her eyes slowly open, he then softly inquired, "What has happened?"

Qu Ningxuan's injuries are quite severe, and it is essential to use the rare medicine "Liyun Dan" in order for her to recover. This pill possesses the miraculous ability to defy the heavens; as long as a severely injured person still has a breath of life, taking this pill can snatch back a life and gradually restore vitality. Its preciousness is beyond imagination. Even with Jun Qiantang's status and position, he does not possess such a pill. However, in order to treat Jingwen, he went to great lengths to obtain one, only to find that this pill is ineffective against Jingwen's peculiar illness and can only be kept for his own collection.

Jun Qiantang was unaware of Qu Ningxuan's thoughts and mistakenly believed that her confusion was due to an unexpected attack. He furrowed his brows, hesitating over whether to rescue Qu Ningxuan

This place cannot be opened up by human effort; if we are not transported thousands of miles away, then this place is maintained by otherworldly treasures. Jun Qiantang slowly approached, breaking the chilling silence.

Whoever obtains such a precious elixir will carefully store it, regarding it as a last resort for survival, and Jun Qiantang is no exception. He would never take out the Liyun Pill for the sake of Qu Ningxuan, but could he just watch this girl die? ... She might very well be a key figure in this secret realm; if anything were to happen to her, he could be permanently trapped here

After a brief contemplation, Jun Qiantang made a decision. He was certainly not going to take out the Falling Star Dan, but he also could not bear to watch this young lady perish, nor could he allow himself to be trapped in this secret realm. The only course of action now was to expend his spiritual energy to prolong her life and see how things would develop thereafter

Seeing his confident demeanor, Qu Ningxuan couldn't help but feel a sense of discouragement, and she began to doubt whether her escape plan would succeed.

After Jun Qiantang discerned the clues of the lake, he instructed Qu Ningxuan to go ashore at mhetushu.com, while he continued to explore the lakebed. He was already one hundred percent certain that the lake itself was a rare treasure, specifically a type of mirror artifact. It was evident that a treasure protected by the Ancient Emperor in such a secretive manner must be extraordinary, and how could Jun Qiantang not be tempted? Taking advantage of the barrier, he decided to remain in the lake, searching everywhere and meticulously exploring every inch of land. However, after three days, he found nothing. It was evident that a treasure protected by the Ancient Emperor in such a secretive manner must be extraordinary, and how could Jun Qiantang not be tempted? Taking advantage of the barrier, he decided to remain in the lake, searching everywhere and meticulously exploring every inch of land. However, after three days, he found nothing.

Indeed, a high-level cultivator is a high-level cultivator. Even if their gaze is gentle like a spring, it does not mean they will always tolerate you on critical issues. ... Just because a handsome man with a good background, high status, and pleasing appearance treats you well, you think you are a dish to be served ...! ... Don't be foolish! The path of cultivation is fraught with difficulties, and it is even more challenging for women to achieve success. If you do not distance yourself from men, the one who will be hurt is only yourself.

Qu Ningxuan also guessed that it was likely her lack of strength that had brought about this peril, yet she was even more bewildered by what had just occurred. As she was enveloped by the bone-chilling cold of death, a golden light suddenly surged from the depths of her soul, warm like the gentle winter sun, yet tender enough to evoke tears.

Jun Qiantang took a brief glance and saw that apart from dozens of books in her storage bag, there were only some elixirs and materials, with nothing of value; not even a single magical artifact. He discreetly scanned again and noticed that apart from a jade hairpin on Qu Ningxuan's head, she was not wearing any other accessories, indicating that it was unlikely for her to possess any extraordinary treasures.

Jun Qiantang, being well-informed and knowledgeable, naturally understands that this situation can be categorized into two types: one is that the teleportation array has transported them to a mysterious and unfathomable place, and the other is that this is inherently an alternate space. If it is the former, there are further two scenarios: one is that there is some extraordinary treasure here, causing any beasts or other entities to dare not approach, and the other is that there are extremely powerful beasts present, whose overwhelming pressure causes all creatures to retreat.

They all understand that, regardless of the circumstances, the key location should be at the center of this lake

Qu Ningxuan's cultivation was completely drained, and her soul suffered severe damage. To be precise, it was as if she had employed those sinister techniques that maximize the potential of the soul, inflicting a thousand points of damage to the enemy while harming herself eight hundred. However, the issue is that this place is not far from the bottom of the lake; if there were any disturbances, she should have been aware of them. Why would it be...

Qu Ningxuan discerned the meaning behind Jun Qiantang's words and could not help but gaze at the lake's surface, smooth as a mirror

She had long been prepared to be transported to treacherous places such as mountains of blades and seas of fire, swamps and jungles, or the ghostly prisons of malevolent spirits. However, to her surprise, as she regained her senses, she found herself in an extraordinarily beautiful location. The sunlight was warm, the lake shimmered, a gentle breeze made the branches sway slowly, various wildflowers bloomed in competition, and the faint fragrance of fresh grass lingered in the air, bringing a sense of tranquility. Such a splendid place could easily be described as a paradise on earth.

After contemplating these thoughts, Qu Ningxuan took a deep breath and quickly calmed down. She engaged in self-hypnosis, forcefully ignoring the discomfort in her heart, and submerged into the water alongside Jun Qiantang. It was unclear what kind of barrier Jun Qiantang had created, but it allowed them to move and see underwater as if they were on land, without any sensation of breathlessness.

Jun Qiantang had long suspected that she possessed a treasure. However, partly due to his pride, he was unwilling to take action against a woman, and partly because he had not initially considered the matter of exchanging merits for treasures. Her most sincere and unpretentious first reaction temporarily deceived Jun Qiantang. But after resolving the issues here, will he truly refrain from taking action?

Jun Qiantang could have easily stepped out of the teleportation array's range, yet she found it difficult to suppress her curiosity and remained still. Qu Ningxuan was quite self-aware; she understood that following Jun Qiantang at such a moment was more secure, so she abandoned the thought of fleeing and obediently stayed put.

The gap between her and the advanced practitioners is not merely in cultivation, magical artifacts, or human and material resources, but also in experience and life history. Unfortunately, the latter cannot be compensated for by mere talent and comprehension; it must be accumulated over long years and numerous experiences. Even though the upper echelons of the Shen family do not possess the insight of Jun Qiantang, they are still much better than her, who is unaware of how to conceal traces, how to pay attention to important matters, and so on. Even though the upper echelons of the Shen family do not possess the insight of Jun Qiantang, they are still much better than her, who is unaware of how to conceal traces, how to pay attention to important matters, and so on.

Qu Ningxuan nodded gently, aware that she had no power of choice. She followed Jun Qiantang to the lakeside, where Jun Qiantang extended her left hand and deftly grasped her right hand, preparing to set up the barrier before jumping down.

Before she could discern anything, a hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Jun Qiantang's lips as she softly murmured, "So this is how it is..."

Upon thinking of this, Jun Qiantang slightly furrowed her brows and said to Qu Ningxuan: "Come with me."

Even if she can recite the geographical records of mountains and rivers fluently, it cannot conceal the fact that she is utterly inexperienced. Can fleeing truly lead to success? ... If not, the next outcome could be ... ! ... Wait a moment? ! Is this not a good opportunity to use the Shadow Bracelet?

This is an unknown place, one that even a high-level cultivator like Jun Qiantang cannot ascertain. They do not know how long it will take to get out, enduring a period of weakness lasting eighty-one days... If I were to use the special ability of the Silent Shadow Bracelet now, making Jun Qiantang mistakenly believe that the reason she could come here is due to her unique constitution... This is a great opportunity to achieve two goals with one action