Li Xiaoya slowly felt his way forward, taking the utmost care, and kept guessing what might be inside. Why was it forbidden ground? Could some great demon be imprisoned in there? Or did it hold some rare treasure? The more he thought about it, the more curious he became, until he could hardly hold his curiosity in check.
"Hm?" Li Xiaoya faltered inwardly. He vaguely sensed a faint trace of spiritual qi ahead, flickering on the edge of perception. Startled, he slowed his advance. Strangely, although he could sense that faint presence, it was so weak as to be almost imperceptible. Only his exceptionally strong divine sense allowed him to detect it at all.
"Huh?" Li Xiaoya suddenly caught a faint, sweet fragrance drifting through the woods. It was fresh and pleasant, and seemed rather like the scent on Liu Xian'er. He stopped in his tracks. Xian'er's scent? Could there be a female cultivator up ahead?
With that thought, Li Xiaoya gradually extended his divine sense toward the source of the fragrance. Sure enough, that faint spiritual presence lay in the same direction. He carefully strengthened his probing divine sense and discovered a petite figure some ten zhang away, hiding behind a tree like a barely visible wisp of smoke, her little head poking out as though she were spying on something ahead.
Seeing that she was not one of the golden-armored cultivators, Li Xiaoya felt considerably reassured, but puzzlement rose in him as well. Could someone else be curious about that enormous building and planning to sneak inside for a look? But why had she stopped there? Was something blocking the way ahead? With that thought, Li Xiaoya stayed where he was, hiding behind a large tree and watching quietly. Since someone else was scouting ahead, he was only