Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao (17)

Su Han composed himself.

He quickly entered a state of complete self-forgetfulness.

He circulated his cultivation technique with all his strength.

Lu Xueqi held the Tian Ya Divine Sword.

She stood quietly in the shadows at the entrance of the side hall.

Her gaze

was half vigilantly sweeping over the silent, starlit lake outside the ruined hall,

as well as the ancient buildings concealed amid the dark aquatic grass and coral.

The other half

rested inside the hall,

on the blue-robed figure meditating

and the unconscious woman in green beside him.

Her expression was complicated.

No one knew what she was thinking.

Time

flowed quietly through this underwater secret realm shrouded in starlight.

No one knew how much time had passed.

Perhaps a day.

Perhaps two.

The lighting inside the hall had barely changed.

Only the brightness of the pillar of light at the lake's center

shifted slightly in a steady, slow rhythm,

like the breathing of the stars.

Su Han awoke from his meditation.

His eyes opened.

The sharp gleam in them was restrained.

His complexion had visibly improved.

The exhaustion and injuries from the past several days

had recovered seventy or eighty percent under the nourishment of the Power of Stars.

Even his cultivation had improved slightly.

His first glance went to Bi Yao.

Bi Yao's complexion seemed to have improved a little more.

Her breathing had also become slightly steadier.

The tortoiseshell still emitted a steady, deep-blue glow.

A fine blue thread of light

remained connected to Bi Yao's chest,

like veins carrying nourishment.

Su Han felt somewhat relieved.

Then he looked at Elder Mu.

Elder Mu was still intently studying the tortoiseshell and the formation.

Several Jade Slips floated before him.

From time to time, his fingers traced through the air,

recording something.

Noticing that Su