Jiang Yang landed softly back on the tree trunk, trying to make as little noise as possible.
Just then, Qingyan opened her eyes. Her face serene, she nodded slightly to Jiang Yang and said softly:
"Thank you for standing guard, fellow Daoist."
Jiang Yang waved a hand to show it was nothing.
A little while later, all three finished regulating their breathing and roused themselves, rising to gather around him.
With the four of them together, Jiang Yang looked at Jiang Junrui and asked with concern:
"How do you feel, Brother Jiang? Are you any better?"
Jiang Junrui managed a faint smile and replied:
"Well enough, though I'm afraid I won't be able to fight anyone for a while."
Jiang Yang's heart stirred at those words. Though this place was called a Blessed Land, it was dangerous in truth. Being unable to fight was hardly good news.
After their meditation, Zhao Xixun and Qingyan had both recovered to their peak condition and were now brimming with vitality.
Jiang Junrui was in much worse shape. Some color had returned to his face, but his internal injuries could not heal completely in a matter of moments. At best, his condition had merely stabilized.
Understanding this, Jiang Yang turned to another question:
"What do the three of you intend to do now? Do you have any plans?"
Zhao Xixun had already made up her mind. At his question, she immediately took a Jade Slip from her Storage Bag and said:
"I'm definitely going farther. This is a map detailing the Blessed Land. I found it in a pavilion..."
She then continued:
"I assume you all saw that enormous gate of light reaching into the heavens? There are actually three such gates, dividing three regions. The first region is called [Radiant Expanse]."
"We're between