Encountering Lin Xian'er Again

Boom!

Several thick bolts of lightning struck the ground.

Amidst the flashing thunder, the earth split apart.

A figure spat blood as he was sent flying dozens of feet, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Xiao Wuya scrambled up from the dirt, but instead of looking at the massive black-and-green bird, his gaze immediately locked onto a flying sword wreathed in icy energy not far away.

In the next moment, his expression twisted into madness as his murderous eyes swept the surroundings.

"Who's there?"

"Daring to ambush Xiao? Show yourself!"

His cold voice echoed, but there was no response.

Xiao Wuya's eyes burned with fury.

That flying sword had shattered the teleportation channel, cutting off his only escape.

Knowing he had no hope of fleeing from the monstrous bird, his only thought now was to find the hidden assailant and drag them down with him.

Yet no matter how fiercely he probed with his spiritual sense, he detected no trace of anyone.

To think that he, the second-ranked prodigy among the outer disciples of the Profound Clear Palace, would be ambushed to his death—without even knowing his enemy.

What humiliation!

At this moment, the bitterness in his heart outweighed even his fear of death.

Ignoring the black-and-green bird swooping down again, he frantically darted around, desperate to uncover his attacker.

Alas, his efforts were doomed.

Wang Jianqiang had already dug a hole and buried himself the moment his ambush succeeded.

With the Wooden Sword Array concealing his aura, he only needed to evade Xiao Wuya's sight.

In the end, Xiao Wuya never found his ambusher.

Amidst endless resentment, he was reduced to charred remains by the relentless lightning strikes.

After killing the intruder, the black-and-green bird circled the area once more before finally taking flight.

Some time later.

Wang Jianqiang cautiously brushed the dirt from his face, confirming the bird's departure before exhaling in relief.

For safety, he kept the Wooden Sword Array active—as long as it masked his presence, the monstrous bird couldn’t sense him.

His gaze then fell on a charred corpse.

The body was completely blackened, its countless wounds a testament to the agony suffered before death.

Rummaging through the remains, he retrieved a storage pouch.

After a quick inspection, a flash of spiritual light revealed a jade-green talisman in his palm.

This was the very talisman treasure capable of briefly restraining the black-and-green bird.

Previously reclaimed by Xiao Wuhen, it now belonged to him.

Beyond that, Xiao Wuhen’s storage pouch also contained six Foundation Establishment Pills and a wealth of spirit stones—truly a fortune.

With his spoils secured, he wasted no time lingering.

Orienting himself toward the core region, he crept forward with utmost caution.

...

In a dilapidated structure, a faint glimmer of light suddenly appeared, then flared brightly.

A figure emerged from the radiance.

As the light faded, the newcomer took in her surroundings.

"Where is this?"

Lin Xian'er’s face flickered with wariness.

Only after confirming no immediate threats did she relax slightly.

She felt no concern over Xiao Wuhen’s absence.

The Thousand-Mile Divine Travel Talisman’s teleportation was random—it was normal for them to land separately.

Given Xiao Wuhen’s skills, escaping the collapsing teleportation channel would’ve been trivial.

In her mind, he had surely made it out safely.

After careful observation, her eyes settled on a staircase leading upward.

After a brief hesitation, she ascended.

Upon reaching the second floor, she was met with an almost tangible concentration of pure spiritual energy.

Her attention snapped to a small pool, roughly ten feet in diameter.

"This… a liquefied spiritual pool!"

Delight flashed across her face as she instinctively approached.

Refining the spiritual water here would grant her a monumental boost in cultivation.

Whoosh—

The moment she reached the pool’s edge, a palm-sized green serpent shot from the water.

Blindingly fast, it struck before she could react, its fangs sinking into her shoulder.

"Damned beast!"

With a surge of spiritual energy, she flung the serpent away.

Inspecting the wound, she summoned a flying sword with a flick of her finger.

Clang!

Sparks flew as the blade struck—yet the serpent’s scales were unnaturally tough, leaving no mark.

Hissing in fury, the serpent lunged again.

Lin Xian'er’s expression turned icy.

She immediately activated a jade talisman, transforming it into a slender white sword.

A flash of light—

Thunk!

The serpent was split cleanly in two.

With the threat eliminated, Lin Xian'er exhaled in relief.

Clutching her wound, she moved to inspect the pool—only for a searing heat to erupt in her shoulder.

Within moments, the burning sensation spread through her entire body.

Her robes disintegrated under the unbearable temperature, her consciousness beginning to blur.

"Poison!"

Panic surged as she mustered all her strength to suppress the toxin.

Yet her efforts proved futile—the venom resisted containment.

In desperation, she plunged into the spiritual pool.

The dense energy soothed her, bringing momentary clarity.

"It’s working!"

But the serpent’s venom was far deadlier than she imagined.

A peculiar fire poison—it not only scorched her flesh like real flames but also ignited an illusory fire, amplifying every emotion to unbearable intensity.

Even with the spiritual pool’s aid, she could barely maintain a fragile equilibrium.

The poison was relentless, yet rootless—if she endured, it would eventually burn itself out.

But survival hinged on preserving this precarious balance.

...

Shielded by the Wooden Sword Array, Wang Jianqiang evaded multiple Foundation Establishment-level spirit beasts.

In just a day, he traversed over a thousand miles, reaching the heart of the trial space unscathed.

"So this is the final stage?"

Staring at the crumbling three-story pavilion before him, he pondered.

Every brick and tile bore the weight of untold ages.

Cautiously, he approached the entrance.

The moment he stepped inside, his vision blurred—

When it cleared, he stood in an unfamiliar hall.

Turning back, the doorway had vanished, replaced by solid wall.

A jolt of alarm gave way to forced calm.

Surveying the room, his eyes settled on the only path—a staircase leading up.

"No choice but forward."

Stealthily, he ascended.

Reaching the second floor, he froze.

Before him lay a ten-foot-wide pool.

The pool was brimming with astonishing spiritual energy.

Upon closer inspection, one could discern that the water itself had condensed from pure liquefied spiritual power.

Yet what truly caught his attention wasn’t the pool itself.

It was the figure soaking in the water—their back turned to him.