Ran Qingmo probably really couldn’t fly.
Being held and running away did not feel good, actually it was uncomfortable.
With every step on the ground, the powerful acceleration made Xu Yuan feel as if he were riding a drop tower from his previous life.
And after entering that dark and spiraling upward tunnel, Xu Yuan directly felt like he was spiraling towards heaven on a drop tower.
Upon reaching the ground,
Ran Qingmo then let Xu Yuan down from her embrace.
She let go, but Xu Yuan did not.
Already at Seventh Grade cultivation, Xu Yuan belonged to a superhuman class, but he was still far from the superhuman standard.
In less than one minute, being held by Ran Qingmo and spinning like a motor in that tunnel for hundreds of rounds, dizziness and nausea surged over him like a tidal wave.
Ran Qingmo stared at the man who was still holding on to her shoulder, her cold eyes slightly hesitant.
Her master had said that there should be a distinction between men and women.
A girl should not let a man touch her body easily.
Thinking about this, Ran Qingmo shook her head again.
Her master had also said that exceptions could be made in urgent circumstances.
And besides... this seemingly wasn’t the first time.
Without concerning herself with Xu Yuan’s hands anymore, Ran Qingmo withdrew her gaze and began to sense the Origin Qi below, which had been contaminated by the ghostly fog.
The fight between the Saint’s Remnant Soul and that fake Second Grade monster ghost seemed to have started...
realizing that he had reached the ground, Xu Yuan, still woozy, let go of Ran Qingmo.
Ran Qingmo brought her thoughts back and looked at him:
Xu Yuan, enduring the dizziness, gestured with his hand:
"Wait... wait for me a moment."
Having said that, he immediately closed his eyes and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing through cultivation.
The Blood Essence Meteoring Art could also cure dizziness.
About half a cup of tea’s time later, the dizziness subsided, and Xu Yuan reopened his eyes.
The grey-white land, the grey-white twisted tree trunks, the constantly rising ghostly fog, and the Formation preventing the fog from overflowing, everything was as still as when they had arrived.
Slowly standing up, Xu Yuan dusted the dirt off his robe and said softly:
"Ran Qingmo, we might as well wait here."
Ran Qingmo asked, "You... don’t want my help down there?"
Xu Yuan glanced at her and said:
"Help? Whom do you want to help down there?"
Ran Qingmo probed, "Help... the Saint’s soul entity?"
Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, asking with a hint of amusement:
Ran Qingmo tilted her head and countered:
"Isn’t your family, the Prime Minister’s Mansion, in some sort of agreement with him?"
Xu Yuan looked surprised.
He had never mentioned the agreement to Ran Qingmo, and Xu Changge had only given him the Soul Ring in front of her.
This Big Ice Lump had actually inferred this conclusion on her own?
Heh... quite smart, isn’t she?
Noticing his look, Ran Qingmo felt Xu Yuan was thinking of something impolite:
"Nothing," Xu Yuan shook his head.
After two seconds of silence,
Ran Qingmo looked at him seriously:
"Xu Yuan, I’m not stupid."
Xu Yuan couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Ran Qingmo quietly held her sword hilt, staring at him without a word.
Xu Yuan looked at the sword hilt and for some reason thought of a thick and long stick.
Clearing his throat, Xu Yuan said with a serious face:
"Alright, I get it, you’re not stupid."
"Mhm." Ran Qingmo nodded, satisfied.
Xu Yuan once again composed himself and brought the conversation back on track, saying:
"Ran Qingmo, you’re right about what you said earlier, Xu Changge and my father indeed reached some kind of cooperation with this Saint’s Remnant Soul, but that doesn’t prevent us from taking action against him."
Ran Qingmo thought for a moment and asked:
"Are you going to betray him?"
After a slightly awkward moment, Xu Yuan cleared his throat and said:
"It’s not like that, we are just making the first move for self-protection. It’s called cooperation, but the Saint’s Remnant Soul has his own schemes as well."
Ran Qingmo’s eyes suddenly flickered twice; it seemed she believed him:
Seeing this, Xu Yuan smiled and said no more.
But Ran Qingmo still had something to say, and spoke in a low voice:
"What about the demon ghost?"
Xu Yuan fell silent upon hearing this.
Demon ghosts, scientifically known as Yin Ghosts.
No one knows why Yin Ghosts are born into the world, just as no one knows why there is Origin Qi between heaven and earth.
Their origin is unknown, but from ancient times to the present, there have been many texts related to Yin Ghosts, and many of their characteristics have been identified.
The corpses of all things give rise to ghostly fog, and from within the fog, Yin Ghosts emerge.
They possess spiritual intelligence and even fragments of memory from the various corpses they were part of.
But even with fragmented memories, it’s almost impossible to communicate with Yin Ghosts.
Obsession, brutality, madness, flesh, slaughter.
These words, signifying destruction, seem to be the reason for the existence of Yin Ghosts in the world.
These were the pieces of information Xu Yuan had gleaned from texts.
Therefore, he actually didn’t understand why that completely ghostified withered old man did what he did just now.
Ran Qingmo, seeing Xu Yuan silent for a long time, gently called out to him:
Xu Yuan slowly came back to his senses and shook his head gently:
"Isn’t the ghostly old man just Third Grade? Aren’t you his match?"
Although he wasn’t sure if Ran Qingmo could beat his big brother when they were at the same level, given the earlier act of freezing the Saint’s Remnant Soul and killing the main character of the plot with that earth-shattering sword stroke, she could at least be considered half unbeatable at her level, right?
Ran Qingmo shook her head and said very seriously:
"Originally, yes, I could have beaten him, but now he’s almost Second Grade."
"Originally? Almost Second Grade?"
Xu Yuan furrowed his brows and, after a moment’s thought, asked, "Is it from the hour and more we were waiting?"
The withered old man had come down over an hour after they had entered the secret room; his power most likely surged during that time.
"Yes, it seemed to have devoured all the Yin Ghosts in that cave." Ran Qingmo nodded; when she had fled earlier, she saw that the Yin Ghosts in the cave had all disappeared.
Xu Yuan’s pupils shrank slightly.
In his mind, the scene of countless ghosts wailing as the Formation operated in the cave arose.
After pondering for a second, Xu Yuan shook his head gently.
He thought of something.
This place, Xu Changge had once visited.
He probably had some guesses about the whole situation.
The withered old man, who had not yet devoured the multitude of ghosts, was at most nearing Second Grade. A true Second Grade expert had been beaten by Xu Changge to nothing but a head; let alone someone just nearing Second Grade.
Could such a cultivator really have survived under Xu Changge’s hands?
Xu Yuan found it hard to believe.
Although he didn’t know why Xu Changge spared the completely ghostified withered old man, the big brother must have been confident in sending him here.
Xu Yuan suspected that Xu Changge was currently lurking in some hidden corner nearby, spying.
It was only a day’s journey from Jingjiang Prefecture to this place.
Having considered this, Xu Yuan said softly:
Ran Qingmo’s expression was puzzled: "But... you staying here could be dangerous."
Xu Yuan smiled faintly and said in a low voice:
"Xu Changge had been here before, and since that ghostly senior is still alive, there should be no problem."
As he spoke, Xu Yuan paused, then suddenly looked around:
"Moreover, I suspect that he is hiding nearby."
Ran Qingmo’s eyebrows knitted slightly upon hearing this:
Why would Xu Changge go through such an ordeal.
If he had decided to turn against us, why not come directly?
Xu Yuan shook his head, without answering.
The purpose was simple; this was most likely a test that the big brother had set up before his departure.
A test for both Ran Qingmo and his own abilities.
There were hints all over about the situation here, both overt and covert. If Xu Yuan still directed Ran Qingmo to help that Saint’s Remnant Soul under these circumstances, he could forget about traveling outside.
If he couldn’t handle this, what’s the point of having a bicycle?
Better to return obediently to the Prime Minister’s Mansion and stay put.