Chapter 453 - 231: Crystal

Chapter 453: Chapter 231: Crystal

Xie Yuan, who had been waiting patiently for the opportune moment, launched a surprise attack. Qian Yangsheng had no time to react and was struck down by the sword.

Based on his strength, if he hadn’t been trying to flee, he probably would have only lasted a little longer anyway.

But his frantic escape only hastened his death.

However, the death throes of a Third Transformation Realm expert were something both Xie Yuan and Zhang Junyi were wary of, so they didn’t dare press too close. Capturing him alive or seizing the treasures on his person would have been exceedingly difficult.

Seeing Zhang Junyi approach, Xie Yuan shook his head in frustration.

"If we could have stopped him, we might have been able to force him to hand over the Jade Pendant."

"Capturing someone alive is ten times harder than killing them. Not to mention, the Yao family is notoriously slippery. If he sensed things were going south, he could have just used the Jade Pendant himself."

"But, Brother Xie, your strength... It seems to have improved again."

Zhang Junyi sized up Xie Yuan, a note of awe in his voice.

’Aside from suppressing the Water-Stabilizing Pearl, all I did was provide support. He seemed to handle a Third Transformation Realm expert with ease. How did he get so much stronger in such a short time?’

He offered his praise, then held out his hand to display their spoils.

"It wasn’t a total loss."

A blue Treasure Bead, slightly larger than a fist, and two medicinal pills that had floated out of Qian Yangsheng’s last porcelain vial.

"The Water-Stabilizing Pearl. And these two are Red Ganoderma Life-extending Pills. As long as you have a single breath left, they can keep you alive. The guy treated himself well."

Xie Yuan offered a modest reply, glanced at the items, and directly reached out to take one of the pills.

"One for each of us. You take the Water-Stabilizing Pearl."

A life-saving Divine Medicine belonging to someone of Qian Yangsheng’s status was naturally no ordinary item.

If they were outside, Xie Yuan would have been satisfied with such a haul.

But it was a shame they hadn’t gotten the key to get out. With their future uncertain, Xie Yuan’s brow furrowed, and he couldn’t help but want to look down.

Zhang Junyi didn’t stand on ceremony. With a chuckle, he happily put away the Red Ganoderma Life-extending Pill. Then, with a wave of his hand, he unleashed the Clear Qi from the Water-Stabilizing Pearl.

A burst of blue light flared, enveloping the two of them. They immediately felt the pressure of the water lighten, making it feel no different from being on land.

Xie Yuan felt as if he had been born in this lake, and his vision extended much farther.

His focus shifted. Looking down, he could vaguely make out something at the bottom of the lake, and this time, no illusions formed.

After a moment of contemplation, he looked at Zhang Junyi.

"Daoist Zhang, if I want to get out, my only option is..."

"Say no more, Brother Xie. We’ll explore it together. I’m not the sort to abandon a companion."

Zhang Junyi said with a hearty laugh.

A touched expression appeared on Xie Yuan’s face as he offered a reminder.

"But we have no idea what dangers lie below. Why don’t you just lend me the Water-Stabilizing Pearl? I’ll go check it out myself. You can stay here and use the Jade Pendant to return at any time."

"Without the Water-Stabilizing Pearl, I’d be uncertain, but now that we have it, how could I not go take a look? We’ve come this far."

Zhang Junyi said excitedly.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Xie Yuan simply nodded in silence.

He took a Healing Elixir, tended to the wound on his shoulder, and after a brief rest, exchanged a look with Zhang Junyi. They both nodded.

The Water-Stabilizing Pearl emitted a soft glow, and the two of them, as if enveloped in a blue bubble, slowly descended.

As they went deeper and deeper, the surroundings grew darker and darker. If not for the light of the Water-Stabilizing Pearl, they would have seen nothing at all, not even knowing which way was up, and would have quickly become lost.

Xie Yuan felt as if something inexplicable was furtively spying on them from beyond the sphere of light, and a sense of unease grew in his heart.

But with the Water-Stabilizing Pearl of Jianzhen Lake, the two of them were like masters of this domain. Inside the protective light, they were no longer plagued by illusions and were able to proceed peacefully toward the lakebed.

"It’s this deep?"

After what felt like the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they still hadn’t reached the bottom. Xie Yuan couldn’t help but murmur.

Zhang Junyi replied in a low voice.

"It’s just ahead. I can feel we’re almost there."

They sped up their descent and suddenly felt solid ground beneath their feet. They had reached the bottom of the lake.

This was a bit unexpected. They looked down and saw ordinary mud. Looking ahead, they still couldn’t see a thing.

Xie Yuan looked at Zhang Junyi, who was holding the Water-Stabilizing Pearl, and said with some hesitation.

"I feel like... there’s... probably... something... up ahead."

Xie Yuan fell silent for a moment. ’The Daoist seems a little unreliable when he’s not in a fight.’ he thought.

"What is it, specifically?"

"I don’t know."

Zhang Junyi scratched his head.

"Something good or something bad?"

"Hard to say."

Zhang Junyi wore a silly grin.

Speechless, Xie Yuan took the Water-Stabilizing Pearl and felt it for himself.

"It’s indeed not far ahead... This should be the core of Jianzhen Lake. The Water-Stabilizing Pearl is drawn to it. If we get closer, we should be fine as long as we have the pearl."

Xie Yuan nodded and tried to hand the pearl back to Zhang Junyi, but he wouldn’t take it.

Zhang Junyi shook his head.

"Brother Xie, you should hold it. It’ll be more useful with you."

Xie Yuan pressed his lips together and accepted without any pointless refusals.

The two of them walked forward side by side. After what felt like less than ten steps, their vision suddenly brightened.

A huge, diamond-shaped crystal was embedded in the lakebed, emitting a soft, ethereal glow.

Half of the crystal was exposed, while the other half was buried in the mud. Yet, the exposed part alone was as tall as four or five men and as thick as several people linking arms.

It looked pure and flawless, completely transparent. Its light wasn’t dazzling, yet it was bright enough to illuminate the surroundings. They had no idea why they couldn’t see it before.

Through the crystal, Xie Yuan could easily see to the other side.

The lake water on the other side was clear and azure blue. There was nothing there either.

No, wait. There were fish swimming freely over there. Not just one or two, but entire schools...

Hiss—why were there so many, like vast schools of sardines in the ocean?

’Can there even be fish here?’

A sudden flash of white light filled his vision. He saw a blue sky dotted with white clouds, and the schools of fish had transformed into flocks of birds, soaring beneath the clouds.

Two thick lines crossed the sky, and there seemed to be strange boxes as well.

A buzzing sound filled his ears, a cacophony of noise that made him dizzy. Then, his vision went black.

...

When he opened his eyes again, his vision was filled with a stark white.

The blurry, overlapping images gradually converged, and Xie Yuan’s eyes regained their focus.

’This ceiling is so white, it’s unsettling...’

’That’s an old incandescent bulb. It needs to be replaced.’

His fingers twitched. He tried to push himself up from the bed but felt a sense of emptiness in his body.

Suddenly, a joyous cry rang out from beside him.

"Son! You’re finally awake!"

Xie Yuan turned his head and saw a middle-aged woman who seemed both unfamiliar and familiar to his very bones. He called out hesitantly.

"Mom?"

"Thank heavens, oh, thank the good Lord! Son, you’re finally awake!"

The woman leaned close to Xie Yuan, her face overwhelmed with an emotion she couldn’t contain, her eyes welling up with tears.

Xie Yuan was dazed, finding it hard to understand the scene before him, but a pang of sorrow still struck his heart.

He subconsciously patted the woman’s shoulder. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the voice of a news anchor coming from a nearby television.

"...The results of the investigation into the recent scenic area cable car accident have been released. The report is as follows..."

"Those responsible have been taken into custody by the relevant authorities. The university student injured in the accident is still receiving treatment in the hospital but has yet to show any signs of waking up..."