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Xie Shiyuan observed the countless expressions flashing across Qin Shu's face, wondering what was going through her mind.

Glancing up at the sky, he finally spoke: "Those two petals will help restore my inner core. Once it recovers, it will no longer linger in your dantian."

Qin Shu's face lit up with joy. "Great!"

Before he could react, she had already picked up a petal and shoved it straight into her mouth.

Xie Shiyuan couldn't hold back any longer. "Have you forgotten... that you're an alchemist?"

Any self-respecting alchemist would refine the herb first—who in their right mind would just eat it raw?

Qin Shu blinked.

Oh... right.

She was technically a pill refiner, wasn't she?

But... she hadn't actually made a single batch of pills yet.

At this moment, she finally understood why her two senior brothers owed the sect decades' worth of alchemy tasks.

Come to think of it, maybe sixty years was just the maximum allowed debt—otherwise, they probably would've owed one hundred and twenty years' worth.

With an awkward chuckle, she spat out the half-eaten lotus petal, stuffing it back into her storage ring.

"...I was just testing its quality," she said, trying to save face. "I'll refine it later. Totally intentional."

Xie Shiyuan, now fully accustomed to her nonsense, merely let out a noncommittal grunt before saying, "Time to leave."

Qin Shu glanced back at the formation beneath the pit and hesitated. "What about the array?"

Sure, the lotus was gone, but as long as the formation remained intact, it was only a matter of time before another deadly plant took root.

Xie Shiyuan raised a brow. "Isn't that a good thing?"

Qin Shu froze.

The skull she had been absentmindedly holding was hurled straight at his face.

"How many people have to die for that damn thing?! And you think it's a good thing?!"

Xie Shiyuan merely tilted his head, letting the skull sail past him.

His dark gold eyes glowed with cold amusement.

"What does their survival have to do with me?"

Qin Shu was stunned.

But then—she remembered.

He was a serpent demon.

How could she expect him to understand human emotions?

Her expression cooled.

Taking one last deep breath, she turned away and firmly declared, "Our paths are different. We are not the same."

Then, without another word, she grabbed a vine and started climbing back down.

Xie Shiyuan watched her descend, completely puzzled.

Humans were supposed to be selfish and cunning.

Then why was she so angry?

Even knowing there was an array down there, she still went back.

Perched on the cliffside, he watched her small figure carefully maneuver down the vine.

With her weak cultivation, did she seriously think she could destroy a formation?

Na?ve.

Yet, moments later, he noticed something.

She had stopped.

Just above the pit's center, she braced her feet against the cliffside, channeling spiritual energy into her hands.

Xie Shiyuan's brows lifted slightly.

Interesting.

Her movements were practiced—far more refined than he had expected.

He could sense the energy gathering in her palms.

...So, this little thing did have some skill.

Qin Shu worked quickly, but her own spiritual energy wasn't enough.

Without hesitation, she began tapping into his inner core.

She had no idea how much power was inside, but she could feel an endless supply flowing into her body.

The more she drew from it, the more alarmed she became.

...Just how strong was this snake?

Finally, once the energy reached her absolute limit, she launched the seal forward.

A gold-green sigil, tinged with faint strands of purple mist, surged toward the formation.

Atop the cliff, Xie Shiyuan's expression darkened immediately.

His cultivation!

She was using it like it was free water!

For a moment, he considered flipping her off the cliff himself.

But... at least his realm hadn't dropped.

Fine. He would let her go this time.

The sigil descended onto the array, exploding on impact.

The resulting shockwave tore through the chasm, sending debris flying.

Qin Shu, completely drained, was slammed against the cliffside by the blast.

Her hair whipped backward, yanking painfully at her scalp.

Her entire face contorted from the impact.

Her vision blurred.

Then, suddenly—a powerful force grabbed her.

Before she could process what was happening, she found herself slung over a shoulder like a sack of rice.

Her stomach lurched violently.

If not for the fact that she survived entirely on fasting pills, she probably would've thrown up on the spot.

She propped herself up weakly, gasping for air, only to almost smack her head against a tree branch.

...Was this what it felt like to "stand on the shoulders of giants"?

Because it wasn't a pleasant experience.

Qin Shu finally caught her breath. "Put me down."

Xie Shiyuan replied calmly, "You won't find the way out alone. I'll take you."

That sounded great, actually.

Flying out by herself would either burn through her spirit stones or exhaust her stamina.

...But.

"Your shoulder bones are stabbing my stomach. Can you—"

Before she could finish, she was shifted upward.

Now, she was perched neatly on his left shoulder.

Just like how Xiaoxiao used to sit on hers.

Qin Shu: "..."

On one hand—this was kind of humiliating.

On the other hand—this was amazing.

Stable. High vantage point. Extremely comfortable.

Grinning, she pulled out a recovery pill, popping one into her mouth.

Then, after some thought, she pulled out a supreme-grade spirit pill and shoved it into Xie Shiyuan's mouth as well.

Sharing snacks was basic decency. Even three-year-olds knew that.

Xie Shiyuan, caught off guard, went completely silent.

For the first time in centuries, he wondered—

...Was it too late to start learning alchemy?

Once her strength returned, Qin Shu quickly wrapped her head in a protective barrier to avoid getting hit by more tree branches.

Then, glancing sideways, she stared at Xie Shiyuan's ridiculously handsome but unprotected face.

After a moment's thought—

She created another barrier.

And placed it directly on his head.

Xie Shiyuan: "......"

What the hell is this?

Oh.

A "protective shield" so weak he could probably break it by sneezing.

He was about to shake it off—but for some reason...

He didn't.

And so, the two of them, now sporting matching dirt-colored "helmets," sped through the Silver Spirit Forest at breakneck speed.

For Qin Shu, the sensation could only be described in one way:

Fast as hell.

With Xie Shiyuan's speed, the labyrinth-like array that had trapped her for days—

He broke through it in seconds.