Aileen supported the gravely wounded Lin Qin as they struggled through the dense woods on the edge of the Dark Forest. Lin Qin was in terrible shape. His Saint Power was nearly depleted, his internal organs were injured, and his breathing was weak. Aileen had also exhausted her magic, and was holding on through sheer willpower.
They had to find somewhere safe to recover as soon as possible. Reinforcements from the Dark Church could arrive at any moment.
"Head east... I remember the map showed an... unexplored stretch of hills over there," Lin Qin said weakly, forcing himself to guide her.
Aileen gritted her teeth and supported Lin Qin as they stumbled through the forest. Every so often, she looked back, wary of possible pursuers.
Fortunately, the Dark Church seemed to have been completely stunned by the explosion in the valley and the fall—or severe wounding—of three members of the Saint Realm. It did not immediately send out an effective force to pursue them.
A day later, they finally left the Dark Forest and entered a desolate stretch of hills. Jagged rocks jutted everywhere, and vegetation was sparse. There was hardly a sign of human presence.
"Over there..." Lin Qin pointed to the inconspicuous entrance of a small valley, half surrounded by several enormous boulders. His spiritual perception detected faint elemental fluctuations inside the valley, and the entrance was concealed.
The two of them struggled into the valley. It was not very large, but it was dry, with a small patch of grass and a shallow pool. A few herbs that gave off faint traces of life even grew beside the water.
"The elemental concentration here... is a little higher than outside, and it's well hidden." Lin Qin leaned against the rock wall and breathed a sigh of relief. "We're