Deep inside the world of the giant tree, Ye Ziyun and Xue Hui managed to find three more Blood Soul Resins after defeating quite a number of blood collectors that were guarding them.
Unlike the first encounter, Xue Hui and Ye Ziyun worked together and were able to eliminate the enemies much faster than before.
Xue Hui acted as support while Ye Ziyun faced the enemies directly. Because of this, her combat techniques became more refined as she learned from every fight, making her a more capable fighter.
For that, Ye Ziyun was greatly thankful for Xue Hui's guidance.
She felt that her strength had grown significantly ever since she joined everyone. She had learned more about the world around her and had also met people beyond the walls of Glory City.
But more importantly, this trip had allowed her to befriend Xiao Ning'er again and rekindle their friendship, something she had always hoped for but felt was unlikely to happen due to the tension between them.
All of these amazing things happened because Xue Hui invited her to join their journey.
Her eyes drifted to Xue Hui and lingered on his back. Despite having a toned physique, somehow Xue Hui's back looked massive, as though he could support everyone on his shoulders.
This reminded Ye Ziyun of her own grandfather. Just like him, Xue Hui had a back that made her feel secure.
Then suddenly, Xue Hui's back was overlaid by the faint image of Nie Li's.
This made her eyes widen, and her heart became chaotic. She remembered their time in the underground ruins during their trip to the Holy Orchid City Ruins.
And how Nie Li had made her feel secure as well whenever she was with him.
Nie Li was a complicated person.
He made himself known in the most grandiose fashion, made an enemy of one of the major families, appeared out of nowhere to help her understand some books, and then randomly gave her a precious gift that she couldn't refuse.
It didn't take long before Nie Li became a constant presence in her life, and despite how rascal-like, shameless, and unreasonable he could be, Ye Ziyun found comfort in having a friend like him.
But he was also someone who confused her.
Nie Li liked her, and he didn't really hide that fact from anyone, especially from her.
He was too forward about it, to the point that she didn't know whether he was being truthful or simply pulling her leg, which made her unsure of his true feelings.
But One of the main reasons she couldn't bring herself to believe his words was the way he looked at her.
Ye Ziyun had a vague feeling that Nie Li was not looking at her as herself. Instead, he was seeing someone else through her.
From time to time, Nie Li would show a longing gaze in his eyes. For some reason, that gaze seemed to pass right through her even when he was looking directly at her. It was as though she reminded him of someone he had once deeply loved.
And Ye Ziyun didn't know what to feel about that.
She liked Nie Li as a friend, but she didn't fully understand what she was to him.
"Ziyun, are you okay?"
"Eh?"
Lost in deep thought, she failed to notice the dangerous terrain ahead of them. As she continued walking, Xue Hui, who had stopped after noticing what lay ahead, was alarmed when Ye Ziyun didn't stop.
Panicking, he hastily reached for her arm and yanked her back, stopping her in her tracks.
This caused Ye Ziyun to snap out of her musings in shock. Before she could react, her body jerked backward and collided with Xue Hui's embrace. Which made her beautiful face buried in his chest.
"Don't let yourself get lost in thought too much in a place like this. You almost fell to your death without even noticing it." Eyes wide in fear, Xue Hui reprimanded Ye Ziyun, who was still confused about everything that had happened.
"Fell... what?... Eh?" Her face was filled with shock as she stared at Xue Hui in confusion.
"Look behind you," he replied, knowing she would immediately understand if she saw it for herself.
As she did, all the color drained from her face. Her knees buckled, the top of her head went numb, as her hand instinctively reached for Xue Hui as though seeking security.
Behind her was a huge chasm nearly a hundred feet across, a steep drop so deep that it vanished into darkness.
Ye Ziyun was terrified.
She couldn't believe she had been so preoccupied that she had nearly walked straight into it.
"Are you alright? Exhausted or something? If you want, I can send you back to the Garden so you can rest. You've already done an amazing job. There's no need to push yourself any further." His words were filled with genuine care and concern.
Even so, Ye Ziyun quickly detached herself from him. She stood unsteadily at first before regaining her footing. Lifting her head, she met Xue Hui's gaze.
Several emotions flashed across her delicate face, but in the end, determination settled in her eyes as she shook her head.
"I-I can still keep up. I was just thinking about something and got lost in thought. It won't happen again, I promise."
There was a hint of pleading in her voice. She was unwilling to end their exploration so abruptly. She still wanted to see more of the place they were in.
Xue Hui gave her a long look. He narrowed his eyes as though searching for any sign of falsehood in her words.
She returned his stare. She wanted to appear determined before him, but being looked at so intently made her feel awkward.
It didn't take long before her cheeks grew hot.
Her resolve began to falter, and her lips quivered slightly as she did her best to maintain eye contact. However, each passing second made the task increasingly difficult.
"Fine, you can stay. But please stay on your toes while we're here. This place has some sort of hidden danger lurking around.
I don't want you to get hurt or worse, so please be careful, okay?"
Hearing his words, Ye Ziyun's shoulders slumped. Her head lowered, and a faint "okay" escaped her lips.
She felt truly ashamed of her earlier blunder.
Noticing this, Xue Hui's expression became more gentle.
"Hey, c'mon. You don't have to beat yourself up over it. Everyone has their slip-ups. I certainly did. What's important is that we learn from them and make sure not to repeat them."
Looking up, she saw Xue Hui wearing an understanding expression paired with the brightest smile she had ever seen from him.
This prompted her to mirror his expression, causing a smile to spread across her face.
The two looked at each other before chuckling, apparently finding the situation a little amusing.
"So what even is this enormous pit? It's so random that it was placed here. I thought this entire area was just a grassy plain." She questioned.
Truth be told, even if Ye Ziyun had been paying attention, she would have had a hard time noticing the massive hole from a distance.
The entire area was covered in lush grass that reached up to their knees. Only when standing near its edge could they properly see it.
"This place is actually what I've been searching for. Beneath this chasm is where you can find the Life Core of this entire tree."
"Life Core?" she repeated, tilting her head curiously.
"Mm." He nodded and continued.
"The Life Core is what's allowed these trees to grow this huge. Think of it like a demon beast's core. Instead of one, this tree has a Life Core. It steals spiritual energy from the ground, the air, and the creatures it captures. It then refines that spiritual energy into nutrients for itself and dumps all of its accumulated impurities, which become the extreme yin energy."
As he explained, he walked closer to the edge and attempted to peer into the depths below, but the chasm was far too deep for him to see the bottom.
"Oh," she exclaimed.
Then something he said clicked in her mind.
"Wait, are you searching for this place specifically? Why, though? Is it because of the Life Core?"
She asked uncertainly, looking uneasy as her gaze shifted between Xue Hui and the giant pit.
"Yep. I want that Life Core for myself so I can use my Origin Power to devour its energy and make it my own. But it won't be easy, that's for sure. Even I have no idea what it's like down there. Do you still want to explore it with me, Ziyun?"
Hearing his words and sensing the dread hidden within the pitch-black darkness of the chasm, a brief hesitation crept into her heart.
But as soon as it appeared, she cast it aside.
Straightening her posture, she adopted a determined expression and spoke decisively. Standing before him, she carried a regal air.
"Yes, I still wish to accompany you and explore that place. If you judge the situation to be too risky for my safety, then you have my permission to send me back to the Garden whenever you want."
She spoke with finality.
"Is that so?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at her brave expression.
A glint of playfulness flashed through his eyes.
He leaned closer and called upon his Origin Sphere.
"Hm, yes." She nodded firmly, not noticing when Xue Hui slipped a hand behind her back.
"Eek!... Xue Hui, what are you doing?!"
Being suddenly pulled into his embrace, Ye Ziyun's face instantly turned red from surprise. Startled by the sudden closeness, she instinctively placed her hands against his broad chest to create some distance.
But her resistance was entirely futile, as Xue Hui's hold on her slender back remained firm.
"You're quite brave, aren't you, Ziyun?"
She froze.
Only then did she notice the mischievous grin spread across his face.
"X-Xue Hui, what are you doing?"
"Close your eyes."
"Eh?"
"Close them so they'll adjust to the dark."
As he spoke, she felt her body being lifted.
Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Before she could react, a rush of wind brushed against her face.
The moment she realized what had happened, her entire body froze in fear.
She squeezed her eyes shut, tightened her hold on him, and screamed at the top of her lungs.
"XUE HUI, YOU ROGUE!"
The two leaped into the chasm, descending rapidly as they were swallowed by the darkness.
End of Chapter 90
.
.
.
.
If you like my story, and want to support me, you can read advance chapter to my patreon.com/AxelDeAxist