The Ninth Level

Xiao Yi swayed as she withdrew the Sea-Suppressing Pearl. The moment the pearl fell into her palm, its dazzling azure divine radiance swiftly receded like the tide, turning gentle and restrained once more. A few undried tear beads still clung to the little girl's pale face, and the tip of her nose was red. She tried hard to puff out her chest, wanting to force out a proud smile, but the corners of her mouth had only just lifted when her whole body collapsed forward like a rag doll with its spine pulled out.

"Xiao Yi!"

Quick-eyed and quick-handed, Lu Changsheng's figure flashed, and he caught her in his arms. The moment he touched her, he felt that Xiao Yi's body was terrifyingly light. Her skin, once warm and soft, was now icy cold, and even her rosy lips had lost their color, tinged with a faint purple that made one's heart tremble. Her eyes were tightly shut, her long lashes casting faint shadows over her pale cheeks, and her breathing was so weak it was almost imperceptible.

"What happened to Xiao Yi?"

Lin Qingxuan and Murong Taxue could not care about their own injuries. They struggled over and gathered around, their beautiful eyes full of worry.

Lu Changsheng held Xiao Yi with one arm while swiftly placing the other hand on her slender wrist. A strand of gentle yet pure spiritual power carefully probed into her body.

However, after his divine sense followed her meridians through one circuit, his expression abruptly turned grave, and thick heartache and lingering fear surfaced in his eyes.

"The Life Essence inside Xiao Yi's body... has been depleted far too severely. It seems that the Sea-Suppressing Pearl is a sacred object left behind by the Sea God. With Xiao Yi's current realm, forcibly activating