Reunion

"Bi Yao, do not be rude to Senior Brother Li!"

Zhang Xiaofan saw this and hurriedly spread his arms, blocking the way in front of Li Xiaoyu.

"Yo, blockhead, can't even take a joke?"

Bi Yao was amused by his appearance and giggled.

"However, in consideration of you telling me stories these past few days, I won't bully him."

She stood up, clapped her hands, and said to Li Xiaoyu, "Rest assured, if I really wanted to kill you, you would have died a hundred times over already."

"This is the Blood-Dripping Cave, which this blockhead and I discovered by accident; it is safe for the time being."

Blood-Dripping Cave.

Li Xiaoyu silently repeated the name, his heart filled with doubt.

He looked at this strange pair before him—a righteous sect disciple and a demonic cult enchantress—actually able to coexist peacefully in this desperate place.

It seemed that some stories had unfolded between them as well.

But that was not what he cared about most right now.

"Did you see a woman in white clothes who was with me?"

Li Xiaoyu looked at Bi Yao and asked urgently.

What he worried about most now was Lu Xueqi's safety.

Hearing his question, the smile on Bi Yao's face faded. Her large eyes rolled, and then a sly smile appeared again.

"A woman in white? Is it that cold, icy fairy sister?"

She said, pretending to be deep in thought.

"Where is she?!"

Li Xiaoyu's heart leaped into his throat.

Bi Yao watched his nervous expression, and the smile at the corners of her mouth deepened.

"Want to know? Sure."

She extended a finger and beckoned to Li Xiaoyu.

"Beg me."

"You!"

Anger flashed in Li Xiaoyu's eyes, but he suppressed it.

He knew he was severely injured and the Immortal-Slaying Gourd had fallen into a slumber; he was no match for this demonic cult enchantress.

Going head-to-head with her would only be asking for humiliation.

Li Xiaoyu suppressed his anxiety, closed his eyes, and ignored Bi Yao's provocation.

He began to silently circulate the Taiji Profound Clarity Path, attempting to recover from his injuries.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

Bi Yao found it dull when Li Xiaoyu ignored her.

She still wanted to tease this Green Cloud Sect disciple, but Zhang Xiaofan stepped forward from the side.

"Bi Yao, don't make things difficult for Senior Brother Li; he is severely injured."

Zhang Xiaofan pleaded.

"Just tell him if Senior Sister Lu is alright."

Bi Yao pursed her lips, looked at Zhang Xiaofan and Li Xiaoyu, and felt bored.

"Fine, I won't tease you anymore."

She waved her hand impatiently.

"That ice-face, I didn't see her."

"But I guess she should be fine."

These words made Li Xiaoyu's heart sink, then rise with hope.

"What do you mean?"

Li Xiaoyu opened his eyes abruptly and asked.

Bi Yao walked to the cave entrance and looked out into the darkness: "Beneath this Abyss of the Dead, besides the Blood-Dripping Cave, there should be other exits."

"The giant waves were so massive at the time that the two of us were separated and only managed to regroup later; it's normal for her to have been washed away somewhere else."

"Besides, her cultivation is not weak, and the divine sword in her hand is formidable; self-preservation shouldn't be a problem."

Bi Yao's analysis was logical and sound.

Li Xiaoyu listened, his heart still heavy with worry, but his nerves relaxed slightly.

Bi Yao was right.

With Lu Xueqi's cultivation and the power of the Tianya divine sword, it would not be difficult for her to protect herself in the Abyss of the Dead, provided she did not encounter the Black Water Profound Snake.

The only thing he could do now was to recover his strength as quickly as possible and then go find her.

"Thank you."

Li Xiaoyu expressed his gratitude to Bi Yao.

"Who asked for your thanks?"

Bi Yao turned her head away, muttering under her breath.

Over the next few days, a strange balance formed within the Blood-Dripping Cave.

Li Xiaoyu seized every moment to sit cross-legged in meditation, recovering from his injuries.

Although the Immortal-Slaying Gourd remained dormant, the Taiji Profound Clarity Path technique within his body continued to circulate on its own. Combined with the medicinal power of the pills, his injuries were healing at a slow but steady pace.

Zhang Xiaofan became the "nanny" for the two of them.

Every day, he went out into the cave to search for fresh water and gather edible fungi.

The taste was unpleasant, but it was better than going hungry.

Bi Yao, meanwhile, pestered Zhang Xiaofan, making him tell her interesting stories about Green Cloud Mountain.

She would find ways to tease him, watching him blush in embarrassment before bursting into laughter.

Though Zhang Xiaofan was clumsy with words, he was kind-hearted.

Faced with Bi Yao's wilfulness, he always took it in stride, even going so far as to care for her in return.

This brought a sense of novelty and warmth to Bi Yao, who had grown up in the Demon Sect.

Unbeknownst to her, she began to develop feelings for this Green Cloud Sect disciple.

Li Xiaoyu watched all of this, feeling a sense of emotion in his heart.

Was the distinction between righteous and demonic truly that important?

Perhaps the goodness or evil within a person's heart was the root of everything.

On this day, Li Xiaoyu's injuries had recovered by thirty or forty percent. While he still could not utilize large-scale Daoist arts, his mobility was no longer hindered.

He was just about to discuss exploring the Blood-Dripping Cave with Zhang Xiaofan to find a way out.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the cave entrance.

The three of them tensed, immediately becoming alert.

"Who is it?"

Zhang Xiaofan gripped the Fire Poker in his hand, staring nervously at the entrance.

Bi Yao also stood up, her eyes filled with caution.

Li Xiaoyu placed his hand on the hilt of his Autumn Water Sword.

A white figure emerged from the darkness of the entrance.

The figure was slender, dressed in white as pure as snow, with a cold and aloof temperament.

Her face showed signs of exhaustion, but when she saw the familiar figures in the cave, her eyes lit up with joy.

"Xiaoyu!"

It was Lu Xueqi!

She had actually found this place!

"Xueqi!"

The moment Li Xiaoyu saw her, all the worry and longing in his heart transformed into immense surprise.

He could no longer concern himself with anything else and hurried forward to meet her.

"You're alright, that's wonderful!"

Li Xiaoyu reached out, wanting to pull her into his embrace, but he paused, ultimately settling for holding her cold hand.

Feeling the warmth of his palm and looking at his face, Lu Xueqi's eyes reddened.

Over the past few days, she had been alone in the Abyss of the Dead, enduring countless dangers.

Lu Xueqi had slain countless wraiths and evaded innumerable traps.

There were several times when she had nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

But whenever she thought of that figure, strength would surge within her heart.

Relying on the Tianya divine sword's resonance with Li Xiaoyu's aura and a single-minded obsession, she had tracked him down in this desolate place.

When Lu Xueqi saw Li Xiaoyu standing before her, safe and sound, she felt that all the suffering of the past few days had been worth it.

"I am fine."

Her voice remained cold, yet it trembled.

The two locked eyes, seeing only each other.

This tender moment was shattered by a voice.

"Yo, isn't this the icy-faced fairy sister? Did you come all the way here looking for your lover?"

Bi Yao had appeared behind them at some point, arms crossed, watching Lu Xueqi with a smile.

Lu Xueqi's body stiffened, only then noticing the presence of this demonic sect enchantress in the cave.

The joy on her face faded, replaced by coldness and vigilance.

"Demonic enchantress, why are you here?"

Lu Xueqi released Li Xiaoyu's hand and stepped back, the Tianya divine sword emitting a hum as its light pointed directly at Bi Yao.

The temperature in the cave plummeted due to her killing intent.

"Why can't I be here?"

Facing the edge of the Tianya sword, Bi Yao showed no fear.

She stepped forward, looked at Lu Xueqi, and said with a grin, "This isn't your Green Cloud Sect's territory. I come and go as I please; what business is it of yours?"

"Oh, I forgot," Bi Yao feigned realization, her gaze sweeping between Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi, "you're here looking for your lover."

"It's just a pity," Bi Yao sighed, feigning sympathy, "you're too late. I've been the one taking care of your lover these past few days."