Surrounded by the City

Swarming insects and rats surged together like a flood, nearly knocking Xu Yi off his feet.

It took him almost half an incense stick to make his way to a spot a dozen yards from the cave. He leaned against a green tree, opened his mouth, and greedily breathed in the fresh air, fragrant with grass and trees.

Once his breathing had steadied, he had a thought and took out a vat of clean water. He plunged his head into it and gulped down his fill.

When he lifted his head, Xu Yi froze. Reflected in the sunlit, reddish surface of the water was the head of an elderly man. He jerked his head up. The sun hung high in the sky above him, but there was no sign of Old Cangtou.

He lowered his head again. The old man remained at the bottom of the water.

A few drops dripped from the old man's drooping temples, falling onto the surface and sending ripples across it.

A chill seized Xu Yi. At last, he realized the old man reflected in the water was himself.

The old man in the water had graying hair at the temples, sagging flesh, and wrinkles crowding the corners of his eyes. He bore no resemblance to Xu Yi's former, handsome, dashing self.

"The loss of Life Source Power has wreaked such terrible damage."

Xu Yi was secretly alarmed. He had taken a Face Setting Pill, whose miraculous effects should have kept his appearance unchanged even until the moment he died of old age.

Clearly, his Life Source Power was now almost completely spent.

Even after swallowing several Precious Medicines, he had only just managed to regain the ability to move. The little strength he had recovered was a drop in the ocean compared with what