Chapter 125: Danger at Xijian Pool!

"Senior Sister, how about I help you dry your clothes?"

The deeper they walked into the Sword Tomb, the fiercer the Sword Intent in the air became.

At first, it was just like a gentle breeze brushing against the face, but now it felt like countless tiny blades scraping across the skin.

If it were a Cultivator with slightly lower cultivation, they probably would have been sliced to pieces by this omnipresent Sword Qi before even laying eyes on any treasures.

"Clang, clang, clang…"

A series of crisp impact sounds endlessly echoed in their ears; those were the noises generated when everyone's Protective Aura collided with the Sword Intent in the air.

"Junior Brother, are you alright?"

Jiang Wanqing, walking at the very front, stopped in her tracks and glanced back.

The hanshuang sword in her hand automatically emitted a circle of light blue light barrier, shielding Gu Lan behind her, for fear that he might be harmed even a fraction by this Sword Qi.

"I'm fine, Senior Sister."

Gu Lan was somewhat speechless and didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He currently possessed the Physical Body of a Half-step Golden Core; this bit of Sword Qi was just like an itch-scratching tickle to him.

But in the eyes of several Senior Sisters, he seemed like a fragile porcelain doll, requiring all-around care and protection.

"Lüluo, on the other hand, stop running around blindly; the gravity here is somewhat bizarre."

Gu Lan grabbed the back collar of Lüluo, who was about to pull out a broken sword by the roadside.

"Ouch! Let me go! That sword still looks usable, and it can be sold for lots of Spirit Stones!" Lüluo thrashed her short little legs in protest.

"That is the Soul-Breaking Sword; it has the Death Qi of its original owner attached to it, and you'll rot the moment you touch it."

Lanyu spoke coldly, her longsword flicking upward as a streak of Sword Qi shattered that broken sword, and sure enough, a wisp of black smoke emerged, corroding a large pit into the ground.

Lüluo shrank her neck in fright and immediately became well-behaved, tightly hugging Gu Lan's arm and not daring to let go.

They marched on for roughly another quarter of an hour.

The field of vision ahead suddenly broadened.

A huge black pool of water appeared before everyone's eyes, blocking their path.

The pool was circular with a diameter of fully a hundred zhang; the water surface was as calm as a mirror, yet pitch-black and fathomless, emitting a soul-palpitating chill.

Right in the center of the pool stood a huge stone tablet, inscribed with three blood-dripping characters—

[Xijian Pool].

"Xijian Pool?"

Hongxiu walked to the edge of the pool and peered inside.

"This water… why does it look like black ink?"

She casually picked up a stone and threw it in.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—"

The moment the stone touched the water surface, it was like being thrown into strong acid; a puff of white smoke instantly rose, and it melted completely without even bubbling.

"Hiss—"

Everyone drew in a cold breath.

"Where is this an Xijian Pool? This is clearly a Bone-Dissolving Pool!" Hongxiu retreated a few steps in disgust, fearing that the water would splash onto her pretty skirt.

"If we want to pass through here, we must fly across this water surface."

Jiang Wanqing glanced around; this was the only path they must take, and both sides were sword-edged cliffs towering into the clouds, completely impossible to circumvent.

"Everyone be careful, this pool water is bizarre and can corrode Spiritual Qi. Try to fly a bit higher when executing sword flight."

Having spoken, she took the lead in summoning the hanshuang sword, her figure as graceful and ethereal as an immortal as she flew toward the opposite shore.

Gu Lan and the others closely followed behind.

However.

Just as everyone flew to the center of Xijian Pool—

"Rumble—!!!"

The originally calm water surface suddenly exploded.

Several tentacles condensed from the black pool water, just like a deep-sea giant octopus, carrying a nauseating stench as they frantically lashed toward everyone in the air!

"Watch out!"

Gu Lan shouted loudly, the fentian sword in his hand instantly unshielded as a fiery-red Sword Qi slashed toward one of the tentacles.

"Chi—"

Fire and black water collided, producing a harsh sound.

Although that tentacle was severed, it quickly re-condensed, and their numbers grew increasingly greater, densely sealing off all paths of retreat.

"What kind of monster is this?!"

Hongxiu exclaimed in shock.

She had just accidentally been touched on the hem of her skirt by a splashed droplet of water, and that top-grade defensive magical robe was actually corroded into a large hole instantly, exposing the snow-white calves inside.

"Roar—"

Accompanied by a muffled roar—

A huge figure slowly rose from the bottom of the pool.

That was a giant fully ten zhang tall, its entire body composed of countless broken swords and black silt, with only a single eye emitting a red light.

The guardian of Xijian Pool—the Sword Silt Fiend!

"Trespassers… die!"

The Sword Silt Fiend swung its huge arms, and the black water all over the sky transformed into a rain of swords, smashing down overwhelmingly.

"Defense!"

Jiang Wanqing gave a delicate cry as the hanshuang sword transformed into a huge ice shield, blocking above everyone's heads.

But that black water possessed extremely strong corrosiveness, and the ice shield became riddled with holes after persisting for only a moment.

"Ah!"

Lüluo let out a shriek as a black water arrow pierced through the defense, heading straight toward her.

"Get out of the way!"

Hongxiu was quick-eyed and nimble-handed, shoving Lüluo away, but she herself was half a beat slower because of this movement.

"Puff—"

A large mass of black water directly splashed onto her body!

"Senior Sister!"

Gu Lan's pupils sharply shrank.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—"

The protective spiritual light on Hongxiu's body instantly shattered.

Although that black water did not directly harm her Physical Body, it instantly melted the already thin and light bright red gauze dress on her body…

Melting away more than half of it!

The originally ethereal long dress instantly turned into a "beggar outfit," exposing vast areas of snow-white and smooth skin to the air.

Especially around her chest and waist sides, the fabric was practically nonexistent, leaving only her close-fitting undergarments to barely cover her shame. Soaked by the black water, they clung tightly to her body, displaying her graceful curves completely without reservation.

Wet-body temptation!

"Ya—!!"

Hongxiu let out a shriek of extreme shame and indignation, her hands shielding her chest, her entire person wobbling unsteadily in the air.

Meanwhile, the Sword Silt Fiend seemed to have locked onto this flaw, the red light in its huge single eye blazing intensely as a thick tentacle carried a sure-kill momentum, viciously whipping toward the defenseless Hongxiu!

"You're courting death!"

At a moment of imminent peril—

A white shadow flashed past like lightning.

Gu Lan directly executed the Flash Step, appearing right before Hongxiu.

He didn't use his sword to block, instead directly extending his left hand to wrap around Hongxiu's wet, slippery, slender waist, pressing her tightly into his embrace.

The fentian sword in his right hand erupted with an unprecedentedly terrifying high temperature!

"Fentian Second Form—Purgatory Sea of Flames!"

Boom!

Centered on Gu Lan, a cyan-red fire lotus suddenly bloomed.

The whipping tentacle, the moment it contacted the fire lotus, was directly vaporized into nothingness.

The terrifying high temperature instantly swept across the entire Xijian Pool.

The originally pitch-black pool water began to boil violently, emitting billowing white smoke.

"Roar—!!"

The Sword Silt Fiend let out a painful howl.

It was a water-attribute fiend; what it feared most was precisely this kind of supreme-yang and supreme-rigorous heavenly fire.

"Senior Sister, hold on tight!"

Gu Lan gave a low shout, holding Hongxiu as he soared straight up into the sky.

He spun around in the air, his longsword swinging out a hundred-zhang-long flame Sword Qi, fiercely hacking down toward the single eye of the Sword Silt Fiend!

"Dry it up for me!"

Screeech—

This single sword strike not only severed the head of the Sword Silt Fiend, but moreover boiled away more than half of the water in Xijian Pool below…

Directly boiling it dry!

"Rumble!"

The Sword Silt Fiend's massive body collapsed with a bang, transforming into a pile of scrap iron.

Gu Lan held Hongxiu as he slowly landed.

At this moment, Xijian Pool had already turned into a dried-up large pit, at the bottom of which lay a few crystals emitting a faint glow.

"Hoo…"

Gu Lan let out a long breath, lowering his head to look at the beauty in his arms.

Hongxiu at this moment was like a startled quail, shrinking in his arms and trembling slightly, her face so red it was almost dripping blood.

Because her clothes were severely damaged and furthermore soaked by water, her current appearance was simply even more alluring than wearing nothing at all.

Gu Lan only glanced at her once before feeling his nose grow somewhat hot.

"Um… Senior Sister…"

Gu Lan swallowed a mouthful of saliva, feeling that the tactile sensation in his palm was truly too wonderful, making him somewhat reluctant to let go.

"Are you alright?"

"How much longer are you going to hold her?"

A chilling voice came from the side.

Jiang Wanqing walked over carrying her sword, her gaze sweeping across Hongxiu's large expanse of exposed skin before locking fiercely onto the large hand Gu Lan had placed around Hongxiu's waist.

"Still not letting go?"

"Your clothes are torn into such a state, what system of propriety is this!"

Saying this, she directly took off her own outer robe and unceremoniously threw it onto Hongxiu, wrapping her up like a rice dumpling.

"Cover up tightly! Have some shame!"

Hongxiu only then recovered her senses, struggling free from Gu Lan's embrace, tightly wrapped in Jiang Wanqing's Daoist robe as she revealed a pair of bashful and angry fox eyes, glaring at Gu Lan.

"What are you looking at! Haven't you seen enough yet?"

"Just now… where was your hand touching just now?"

"I've been wronged! I did that to save someone!" Gu Lan raised both hands to show his innocence.

"However…"

He glanced at Hongxiu's hair that was still dripping water, a gentle fire spiritual energy surging from his palm.

"Senior Sister, this water is poisonous, and wearing wet clothes makes it easy to catch a cold."

"How about… Junior Brother helps you 'roast' your clothes dry?"

"Using my heavenly fire, guaranteed not to harm the skin, and we can conveniently do a… hot stone SPA?"

Hongxiu was stunned for a moment, and then thinking of something, her face flushed even redder.

"Scram!"

"I think you're trying to take the opportunity to burn away the remaining clothes as well?!"

"Pervert!"

"Obscene!"

Jiang Wanqing and Lanyu also successively cast disdainful gazes over.

Only Lüluo trotted happily into the dried-up pool bottom, picking up those few crystals.

"Wow! It's Sword Marrow Crystal! Such good stuff!"

"We're rich, we're rich!"

Looking at this rambunctious scene, Gu Lan helplessly shook his head.

Where was this an expedition?

This was clearly… torture accompanied by pain and joy.

However…

Recalling the tactile sensation in his palm just now—

Mm, it really was very smooth and moist.