The two walked on in silence, each lost in thought, for about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense.
The passage gradually widened. The stone walls turned from rough to smooth, even revealing faint traces of old carvings and murals, though the years had worn them so badly that nothing could be made out.
The air grew thicker with spiritual energy, purer and sharper, but at the same time that rotten, deathly aura became even heavier.
Up ahead was a bend, and beyond it, a faint blue glow leaked out along with the sound of flowing water.
Jiu Jiu didn't hesitate. Her steps quickened as if she already knew what lay ahead.
Xie Zhaolin's eyes flickered slightly, but her expression stayed calm. She followed behind, her divine sense sweeping over every twitch of Jiu Jiu's movement while also scanning the surroundings with vigilance.
The corner turned, and the space suddenly opened wide.
A massive cavern stretched before them.
At its center lay a small pool of water, glowing with an eerie blue that lit the entire cavern with a cold, soft light. Water bubbled up constantly from the pool's bottom, spilling into a shallow channel that led deeper inside. The trickling sound filled the cave.
Around the pool, strange ferns and mosses shimmered faintly. The air carried a sharp chill, yet also a strange hint of vitality.
But the moment Jiu Jiu stepped inside, her feet halted abruptly.
She stood at the cavern's mouth, her gaze sweeping over the pool, the moss, and the deceptively calm blue surface. Her brows furrowed slightly, the playful grin slipping from her face, replaced by something far heavier… and a trace of surprise?
"Huh?" She let out a puzzled sound. "The aura of the pool's guardian… something feels off."
Tilting her head, she probed carefully, as if comparing the sensation to some memory.
"It feels… more restless than I expected. And there seem to be more of them too…" she muttered, not to Xie Zhaolin but more like she was talking to herself.
Standing just behind, Xie Zhaolin caught every subtle change in her expression and tone, doubts growing in her mind. This girl really does know this place inside and out. Even the usual state of the guardian beasts? But her surprise meant something here wasn't matching her intel.
"You know what's here." Xie Zhaolin's tone was calm, flat, but carried absolute certainty.
The sudden question snapped Jiu Jiu from her thoughts. She spun around, grin back in place as she tried to wave it off. "Ah? Haha, no way… I just have a sharp nose, that's all. Smelled treasure up ahead!"
But the flicker in her eyes and the beat of hesitation couldn't escape Xie Zhaolin's gaze. The cold silence that followed pressed down until Jiu Jiu's smile faltered.
"Fine, fine…" she huffed, puffing her cheeks like a scolded child. "I've got my own sources, alright? This should be the Blue Nether Pool. Its waters can calm the mind, even help with focus. Condensing Ice Grass grows nearby, but the place is usually guarded by Netherwater Blood Leeches."
She pointed at the water's surface, tone suddenly serious. "Normally they lurk at the bottom. They're not very smart, but their ambushes are nasty, laced with chilling poison that freezes spiritual power instantly. A real headache to deal with.
They're called blood leeches 'cause of how they look, but really, they're a kind of beastly plant. Records say they don't leave the pool, and there usually aren't many of them…"
Her words trailed as her brows knit tighter. "But right now, the chill is too strong. And their aura feels denser, more… agitated. Like something's been stirring them up."
Her eyes slid, almost unconsciously, toward Xie Zhaolin.
That glance didn't slip past.
Again?
The mind-bending demon yam, the corpse vines, and now the blood leeches… every time she drew near, the beasts turned savage.
Jiu Jiu clearly realized the same thing. Her curiosity and excitement nearly broke through, but she coughed dryly and changed the subject. "Ahem, anyway, things aren't exactly how I expected. Charging straight through is way too risky. We'll need to lure them off or suppress them somehow."
She rummaged through her things, muttering, "Didn't I bring Blazing Sun Powder? That fiery stuff's perfect, they hate it most… wait, huh?"
Her hands froze. Her expression collapsed into awkward guilt.
"Uh… benefactor…" she said, face scrunched pitifully. "Looks like I used up the Blazing Sun Powder… forgot to restock…"
Xie Zhaolin: "…"
Out of Blazing Sun Powder?
Such a rookie mistake, coming from this girl who looked so well-prepared and knowledgeable, was suspicious in itself. But now wasn't the time to interrogate.
Her gaze swept back to the eerie pool.
The surface looked calm, but her divine sense made clear the countless restless cold auras writhing beneath. Forcing a way through was suicide. Even if they broke out, the cost in energy and injuries would be huge.
Turning back?
The corpse vines behind likely weren't finished yet, and the fortune hidden deeper inside wasn't something she'd walk away from so easily. Her mind spun fast, weighing every detail of the environment, matching it against her available means.
Meanwhile, Jiu Jiu kept muttering beside her. "What do we do, what do we do… Blazing Sun Powder's gone… Blazing Sun Talisman maybe? No, used that too… Fire Jiao Tendon? Would that hold long enough…"
Her eyes, though, kept sneaking glances at Xie Zhaolin, gleaming with excitement she couldn't quite hide.
Xie Zhaolin ignored the chatter. She noticed something: the blood leeches stirred wildly, but their range never went beyond the moss at the pool's edge. Beyond that line, they didn't chase.
As if bound by some unseen limit.
Was it the environment? Or some restriction?
Her gaze fell on the shallow channel where the blue water streamed deeper into the cave. Unlike the pool, that water didn't carry such an overwhelming leech aura.
"Their core's in the pool," Xie Zhaolin said suddenly. "They can't leave it."
Jiu Jiu blinked, pausing mid-search. "Huh? Yeah, the records say the same. They can't survive long away from their pool, or they'll wither. Benefactor, you're saying…"