Li Yan didn't turn his head. He gazed at the dim alley he had seen countless times, his expression calm.
"Alright!"
Zhao Min stretched out her long, slender, snow-white hand and naturally took Li Yan's large hand. A rare look of worry appeared in her beautiful eyes.
"Hehehe, it's alright!"
Li Yan finally turned his face, a smile on his lips.
He was doing this to find out if there would be any Nascent Soul-level "Soul Spirits" ahead.
He had a deep sense of unease in his heart, and the same feeling should now be rising in Zhao Min's heart, or perhaps she had also sensed Li Yan's unease.
According to their speculation, there was a greater than fifty percent chance that they would encounter a high-level "Soul Spirit" that they couldn't handle.
Even if the opponent wouldn't pursue them beyond ten zhang, the attack speed of a Nascent Soul-level "Soul Spirit" was such that Li Yan's chances of dodging it were less than twenty percent.
And this was under the condition that the opponent had no physical body, which greatly reduced their attack speed and power.
If Li Yan was hit, his Sea of Consciousness would either be instantly annihilated or severely injured and difficult to heal. It was not something that could be recovered by just sitting in meditation.
The attack of a Nascent Soul-level "Soul Spirit" was very fast. If Li Yan didn't react in the first moment, the significance of being pulled by a spirit power rope was not very great.
The greatest significance was only that his physical body could eventually be dragged back. In such a situation, whoever went could perish.
But Zhao Min did not fight for the chance. It was the same whether she or Li Yan perished; the other would find it impossible to live on. Moreover, the one with the highest cultivation here was Li Yan, and the one with the strongest Divine Sense was also Li Yan.
"Do you think Su Hong managed to bring our message back to Little Bamboo Peak?" Zhao Min suddenly said softly.
"She probably did. It's been fourteen years. Master and Martial Mother will be very, very happy to know you're still alive..."
Li Yan held Zhao Min's jade hand, his eyes also filled with warmth.
"Eldest Senior Brother and the others should be in a good mood too!"
"Yes, Eldest Senior Brother is the one who cares about you the most besides Master and Martial Mother. I wonder if Eldest Senior Brother has become Dao Companions with Fourth Senior Sister yet?"
"Hmph, why must it be Fourth Senior Sister? Isn't Senior Sister Changting good?"
"Oh? Oh... Senior Sister Changting is good, Senior Sister Changting's Gu-wine is even better!"
"I can also brew Gu-wine. It might be of great use to your Fragmented Poison Body!"
"Oh? Oh, oh... I think this thing is meant to be an enjoyment. Cultivating all day, everyone is too tired. It would be too much work to go and refine Gu-wine... But, Eldest Senior Brother has been drinking it for years, he must prefer it..."
"...When we go back, we'll drink together under the moon in your small courtyard..."
The two of them whispered like this, neither of them mentioning Shuang Qingqing taking them back, as if that matter was not on their minds at all.
After the time it takes for a cup of tea, Zi Kun also opened his eyes. Li Yan and Zhao Min immediately stopped talking.
"Master, Matriarch, let me go next!"
Purple light flashed in the purple-robed youth's eyes as he stared coldly at the long alley ahead. He hated this place in his heart—monotonous, boring. He had been trapped in the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda for long enough back then...
Li Yan and Zhao Min's conversation just now had not been via voice transmission. What they said was not too private, just idle chat to relax their minds.
To them, Zi Kun was no longer considered an outsider, so the purple-robed youth had heard everything.
"No need. Your speed is not good enough, and your Divine Sense is weaker than mine. I should go!"
Li Yan let go of the hand that was holding Zhao Min's.
"Let him go. We'll just be careful to receive him in a moment!"
Zhao Min also shook her head at Zi Kun. Now, she was already used to the title "Matriarch."
With only the three of them here, she wouldn't hide the tenderness and warmth in her eyes when she looked at Li Yan.
"Master..."
"You are an ancient ferocious beast. Since when did you become so indecisive! Remember, if anything happens to me, you must not advance another half step. When you have cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage, then you can try to break out!"
Li Yan had already started walking forward as he spoke, giving Zi Kun his final instructions.
At the same time, a blue light flashed in Zhao Min's hand. Without needing Li Yan to say anything, she had already acted the moment he lifted his foot.
A dark blue spirit power rope shot out from her hand and wrapped directly around Li Yan's waist. Zhao Min's Divine Sense also enveloped Li Yan in an instant, her lips tightly closed.
Zi Kun sighed helplessly in his heart. Li Yan was right.
His strength was indeed very strong now. With his innate divine ability and naturally powerful physical body, he could even fight a Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator.
But compared to Li Yan and Zhao Min, he was still a bit lacking. This could be roughly seen just from the time the three of them had taken to repair their Sea of Consciousness just now; he had taken the longest.
Then, Zi Kun waved his hand, and another purple spirit power rope wrapped around Li Yan's waist. His expression became highly focused in an instant, and he spoke no more.
Soon, Li Yan had walked more than ten zhang. After arriving here, he became exceptionally careful.
First, he vigilantly probed the surroundings with his Divine Sense. After repeatedly confirming, he slowly lifted a foot.
As his foot lifted, the nerves of Zhao Min and Zi Kun behind him instantly tensed. Their four eyes and Divine Sense were firmly fixed on Li Yan.
Li Yan took a deep breath and finally placed his raised foot on the ground.
An abyssal light flowed restlessly on the surface of his spirit power shield, which was activated to its maximum defensive state without reservation, tightly protecting Li Yan's entire body.
His foot landed, and Li Yan, his whole body tense, was ready to retreat at any moment.
However, nothing appeared in his perception. Everything was calm. But he did not let his guard down because of this.
On the contrary, his entire being became even more tense.
Then, he slowly lifted his other foot. This time, after only a slight hesitation, he took another small half-step down. The expected attack and the drifting "Soul Spirits" were still nowhere to be seen.
'Was I being paranoid before?'
But Li Yan felt that his sensing of danger was most likely not wrong. He and Zhao Min had experienced too many life-and-death situations. This instinctive feeling was somewhat close to the Buddhist "Heavenly Eye Power."
But as things stood, Li Yan could only move forward. He couldn't just stop here.
Then, he took another small half-step!
At this moment, cold sweat was already trickling down Li Yan's forehead. No one could bear this state of mental tension for a long time, but still no "Soul Spirits" appeared...
Half an hour later, in an extremely oppressive atmosphere, Li Yan's black robe was soaked as if it had been washed in water. Every small half-step he took, he would leave a watermark on the ground...
He had already walked more than seventy zhang, but not a single "Soul Spirit" had appeared. This was a situation that had never happened before.
Previously, after walking more than ten zhang, various attacks would basically appear successively, in greater or lesser numbers.
Now, the more it was like this, the more Li Yan and the other two felt that danger was approaching. Their previous sensing had to be correct.
Zhao Min bit her lower lip. Zi Kun's forehead was also covered in sweat. His hands were trembling slightly, his gaze fixed on the front.
And at this moment, Li Yan, who had just taken a half-step, suddenly paused. The aura that had been restrained and locked within his body suddenly fluctuated violently.
"Pull!"
Before Li Yan could have any other reaction, Zhao Min immediately shouted. In fact, she didn't need to say it. Zi Kun had acted almost at the same time as her, his magical power erupting.
The moment Li Yan's body paused, it was pulled back, leaving an afterimage. In a single pull, he was back in front of the two of them in an instant.
And as Zhao Min and Zi Kun saw Li Yan fly back, they pushed off the ground, and like arrows leaving the bow, they turned into two streaks of light and shot back at high speed.
A few breaths later, relying on their years of experience and constant sensing, the two finally stopped.
And Li Yan, who was being pulled behind like a kite, also hovered in mid-air.
But to Zhao Min and Zi Kun's great surprise, Li Yan's gaze was somewhat dull at this moment. The magical power in his body was fluctuating uncontrollably, and his entire spirit was in a dazed state.
Zhao Min, abandoning her usual cold demeanor, brought Li Yan immediately before her with a pull of her magical power, the anxiety in her eyes completely unconcealed.
There was no pain on Li Yan's face, and his eyes had lost their spiritual light, filled only with a dazed emptiness.
They had fought with "Soul Spirits" for so many years, so they naturally knew that if his expression was one of pain, it usually meant he was only injured, and the situation was actually better.
A state like this, although he still had an aura, could possibly mean that Li Yan's Sea of Consciousness had been instantly and severely damaged.
Such an injury, even with careful treatment, would likely mean his divine soul could not be restored. He would basically become an idiot.
"You... you... you..."
Zhao Min's voice trembled, and she only managed to utter a single word. Her palm was already reaching for Li Yan's forehead.
And just as her palm extended, the previously dazed Li Yan's body shook. He subconsciously dodged the approaching hand, and his gaze instantly became clear.
"Master, are you alright?" Zi Kun cried out.
At this moment, Li Yan also saw the extended hand clearly. He grabbed Zhao Min's jade hand, his voice having lost its usual calmness.
"We... we... we've reached the end!"
Startled by the suddenly lucid Li Yan and having just regained her senses, Zhao Min's beautiful and flawless face also froze, just like Li Yan's before.
A few breaths later...
"Junior... Junior Brother... you... you said we've reached the end of the long alley?"
Zhao Min still couldn't believe it. Her voice also carried a strange emotional fluctuation.
"Hehehe, I just saw the end of the alley. The real end. There's no road ahead... Let's go, we'll know once we take a look!"
A few breaths later, the three of them flew directly to the previous location at an even faster speed. Just as they had advanced another seventy-plus zhang, the light before their eyes suddenly became a bright yellow.
There was no longer the dim, unchanging long alley of the past fourteen years. Instead, a high wall stood before them.
The entire wall emanated bright yellow rays of light, illuminating the surroundings and invigorating one's spirit.
The three of them landed in front of the bright yellow high wall. In fact, while flying over, their Divine Sense had already swept across it.
"There's a small door here!"
The moment Zi Kun landed, he pointed to a corner at the bottom of the high wall in front of them.
There was a "small door" about ten feet high and ten feet wide. Its color was slightly dimmer than the wall.
Of course, this "small door" was only small in comparison to the high wall, but it was already enough for several people to pass through side by side.
In fact, he didn't need to say it. Li Yan and Zhao Min had already seen that "small door." Without a doubt, this was the final exit of the Hellsoul Clan's trial here.
"Let's see how we can get out!" Li Yan said with a smile. Having reached this point, he was no longer as anxious as before.
"Let me try!" Zi Kun also said excitedly. He was originally the artifact spirit of the "Great Dragon-Elephant Formation" and was quite proficient in formations.
As he spoke, his Divine Sense had already begun to carefully probe the area around the "small door."
Just a short while later, rays of magical art light continuously rose from his hands. Purple runes that were difficult to recognize flew out and, in the next moment, landed one after another on that small door.
In an instant, a dazzling golden light appeared on the small door, illuminating the faces of Li Yan and the others in a bright yellow glow.
The speed at which Zi Kun formed hand seals became faster and faster, and the light on the small door grew brighter and brighter.
As Li Yan and Zhao Min watched, a loud crack suddenly came from the wall amidst the brilliant golden light!!