Yes, it was a dead end.
But it was not entirely hopeless. If Xu Tong was willing to expose himself a little, he could still save Yuan Lan.
So that was exactly what he did.
He could not possibly stand by and let Yuan Lan die like this. He had gone to such pains to save her, only for her to die before his eyes right afterward. Would that not mean all his earlier efforts had gone completely to waste?
Besides, he would have a hard time explaining it to Yuan Tian.
The matter was small, but the karma it entailed was not.
Thus, at the final moment before the spiritual qi tide erupted, Xu Tong used his magic power, instantly forming a barrier to protect Yuan Lan.
The instant he used his true power, he felt someone watching him.
That sensation came from above, from some unknown existence.
He did not know whether it was a law, the Heavenly Dao, or a living being whose power had reached that level.
The only fortunate thing was that it had not locked onto him directly. Rather, the power he unleashed had drawn its attention.
So it had only locked onto this general area, knowing that he was somewhere within it.
As long as he did not continue exposing himself, it would not be able to pinpoint his location.
But that was only one aspect of the problem. As his power erupted, it also triggered the laws of this world.
After all, he was not a recognized visitor to this world. He was effectively an unregistered resident.
In the mortal world, what would happen if someone with no proof of identity suddenly tried to become an official? That hardly needed explaining.
The power he possessed was equivalent to an official's position in