Inside the black stone forest, strange rocks stood like jagged teeth, forming a natural maze. Light struggled to penetrate, making it exceptionally dark and gloomy. The air carried a faint sulfur scent and the cold breath of stone, distinctly different from the swamp's rot outside. It seemed this environment had some repelling effect on the poisonous miasma.
Falcon and Iron Wall placed the unconscious Xiaoqi, Shadow Shuttle, and another severely injured companion in a relatively dry corner formed by three massive black rocks. Both were also at the end of their strength—Iron Wall's giant shield was nearly destroyed, several ribs broken, every breath bringing blood foam; Falcon's internal organs were injured, his bow-holding arm trembling slightly, his quiver more than half empty.
Iron Wall struggled to take out his last few healing pills, distributing them to Falcon and the unconscious companion. He carefully crushed a Red Yang Poison-Expelling Pill, mixing it with water, trying to feed it to Xiaoqi. But Xiaoqi's teeth were clenched tight, his face the color of gold, his breathing so weak it was nearly imperceptible—the pill couldn't be administered.
"What do we do? Fellow cultivator Xiaoqi..." Iron Wall's voice was hoarse with despair. This tough man's eyes were now filled with helplessness. Without Xiaoqi's purification power and those miraculous pills and talismans, they couldn't move an inch in this swamp, let alone complete their mission.
Falcon leaned against the rock, shaking his head with a pale face. He barely had the strength to speak. Faint sounds of the poison flood dragon's unwilling roars could still be heard outside; though it seemed wary of this stone forest and hadn't pursued them inside, who knew how long it might wait outside? They were trapped, out of ammunition and food, with heavily injured members—it was nearly a hopeless situation.
In this suffocating atmosphere of despair, a clear, cold female voice carrying a trace of urgency suddenly rang out from the depths of the stone forest like a ghost:
"Follow me, don't make a sound!"
Falcon and Iron Wall were startled, forcing themselves to alertness, grabbing their weapons and looking toward the source of the voice. A blurred silver figure, seemingly merged with the shadows, soundlessly appeared beside a massive rock nearby. She still wore that exquisite silver mask—it was Aunt Su!
"You!" Falcon recognized her, his tightly-strung heart loosening slightly, but his wariness didn't diminish. After all, she had once been the Shadow Snake Pavilion's Silver-Faced Envoy.
Aunt Su didn't waste words. Her gaze quickly swept over the unconscious Xiaoqi on the ground, her eyes revealing unmistakable heartache and anxiety. "No time to explain! That beast won't dare enter this 'Obsidian Stone Forest' for now, but its roaring might attract patrol squads! I know a safe place. Hurry, bring them, follow me!"
Her tone carried an undeniable urgency and authority. Falcon and Iron Wall exchanged glances—at this point, there seemed no better option. Iron Wall gritted his teeth, hoisting Shadow Shuttle onto his shoulder once more, while Falcon struggled to support the other injured companion. Finally, their gazes fell on Xiaoqi, both looking troubled.
Seeing this, Aunt Su's figure flashed, already beside Xiaoqi. She lifted him onto her back with movements gentle yet swift. Though slender in build, carrying Xiaoqi seemed effortless for her.
"Go!" Aunt Su commanded softly, turning to lead the way deeper into the stone forest. Her steps were extremely strange—clearly very fast, yet landing silently, and the paths she chose wound and twisted, often turning at seemingly dead-end gaps between rocks to find a way through.
Falcon and Iron Wall dared not slack off, enduring their pain to follow closely. This Obsidian Stone Forest indeed held hidden depths; without a guide, one could easily become lost. Aunt Su was clearly extremely familiar with this place, leading the three through narrow stone crevices, avoiding areas emitting strange energy fluctuations, occasionally forming unique hand seals to temporarily calm certain hidden restrictions.
About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, Aunt Su stopped before a massive black rock covered in moss that seemed perfectly ordinary. She extended her silver-gloved hand, pressing on several inconspicuous protrusions on the rock in a unique rhythm while channeling spiritual power.
"Om..."
The rock's surface rippled like water. Then, a deep cave entrance just wide enough for one person appeared silently in the rock face. A breath of damp cold and faint spiritual energy flowed out from within.
"Enter!" Aunt Su took the lead, carrying Xiaoqi through the entrance.
Falcon and Iron Wall followed closely. Upon entering, they discovered it wasn't narrow as imagined, but a naturally formed limestone tunnel sloping downward. The surroundings were slippery rock walls, stalactites hanging from above, the sulfur scent even stronger.
Aunt Su led them down the tunnel about a hundred zhang before the space suddenly opened up into a massive underground cavern. The cavern's ceiling had countless fluorite stones emitting faint white light, illuminating the space below like a starry sky. Inside was a small underground hot spring, its steam curling up, emitting faint sulfur scent and pure spiritual energy, making the air far fresher than the swamp outside. Around the cavern's edges were several smaller branch tunnels leading to unknown destinations.
"Temporarily safe," Aunt Su said, carefully placing Xiaoqi on a flat, dry stone platform beside the hot spring. She turned to look at the battered Falcon and Iron Wall. "This is a natural limestone cavern beneath the Obsidian Stone Forest, with earth-vein spiritual springs and natural formations isolating it. Even Shadow Snake Pavilion members may not know of it. You can heal here."
Iron Wall and Falcon only then truly relaxed, their taut nerves loosening as they nearly collapsed to the ground, panting heavily while hurriedly taking pills and circulating energy to heal.
Aunt Su knelt beside Xiaoqi, carefully examining his condition. When she sensed his nearly depleted spiritual power, damaged meridians, and weakened soul, the brow beneath her mask furrowed tightly. Even more alarming, she faintly sensed that the aura from the jade pendant at Xiaoqi's chest had become extremely weak, even... showing traces of damage.
"This child... what power did he invoke to overdraft to this extent..." Aunt Su murmured, her tone filled with worry. She unhesitatingly took out a jade bottle from her storage treasure, pouring out a longan-sized, amber-colored pill emanating rich vitality and medicinal fragrance.
"Life Creation Pill?!" Falcon exclaimed softly upon glimpsing it. This was a top-tier healing treasure capable of restoring flesh to bone and reviving the dead, worth a fortune!
Aunt Su didn't respond, carefully placing the pill in Xiaoqi's mouth and using her own pure spiritual power to help dissolve its potency. Simultaneously, her hands formed seals, pressing against the position of Xiaoqi's jade pendant as she channeled gentle, mellow spiritual power with moist nourishing qualities, carefully warming his damaged meridians and the seemingly slumbering jade pendant.
Time passed bit by bit. Under the powerful medicinal effect of the Life Creation Pill and Aunt Su's help at the cost of her own origin, the terrifying golden color on Xiaoqi's face gradually faded, his breathing becoming steady and prolonged. Though still unconscious, his life was no longer in immediate danger.
Only then did Aunt Su stop, somewhat wearily standing up to look at Falcon and Iron Wall, who had initially stabilized their injuries.
"Many thanks... Senior Su for saving our lives." Iron Wall struggled to rise, bowing with cupped hands, his tone sincere. Without Aunt Su's timely appearance, they likely would have been completely wiped out by that poison flood dragon.
Falcon also bowed solemnly.
Aunt Su waved her hand, her voice returning to its usual cold clarity: "No need to thank me. I saved you for Xiaoqi's sake, for... opposing the Shadow Snake Pavilion." Her gaze swept across the cavern. "You can rest and recover here for three days. Within three days, I must leave. The spiritual spring here benefits healing and restoring spiritual power, but remember not to venture deep into those branch tunnels—inside are earth-fire poison miasmas that Golden Core cultivation can barely withstand."
"Three days... that should be enough," Falcon estimated. With this relatively safe environment and the spiritual spring's aid, they should be able to recover some combat capability.
"What's the situation outside? The covert team..." Iron Wall couldn't help asking.
Aunt Su fell silent for a moment, then shook her head: "I'm only responsible for receiving your overt team. The covert team... the situation is unclear. That underground river isn't peaceful; we can only hope they have good fortune." She paused, looking at the unconscious Xiaoqi, her tone complex. "When he wakes, tell him... be careful in all things, act within your capabilities. Only by living is there hope."
After speaking, she said no more. Her figure swayed, vanishing into one of the smaller branch tunnels as if she had never appeared.
The cavern returned to silence, broken only by the gurgling of the underground hot spring and the heavy breathing of several people. The relief of surviving a desperate situation intertwined with worry for the future in their hearts. But regardless, they had gained a precious respite. Falcon and Iron Wall dared not waste a moment, immediately sitting cross-legged to channel energy for healing, waiting for the unconscious one to wake, and for the unknown path ahead after three days.