Seeing that the surrounding Fire Rock Beasts were finally all killed, Ye Qingchen, who had been pushing himself to his limit, could no longer hold on and collapsed.
"Young Master! Young Master, are you all right?!" Xiao Xiao cried out. Disregarding her own exhaustion from the battle, she hurried over as soon as she saw him fall. Seeing Ye Qingchen covered in blood, she could no longer hold back her tears.
"I’m... fine. I’m just... too tired," Ye Qingchen said, his voice extremely weak. Still, he forced himself to try and comfort her.
But Xiao Xiao knew it was a miracle that Ye Qingchen, a second-rank martial master, had withstood the siege of so many Fire Rock Beasts for so long. She stopped him from speaking further and took a Spirit Pill from her storage ring. Yao Yue had given her this Spirit Pill as a life-saving treasure. Although Xiao Xiao didn’t know its grade, the solemn way Yao Yue had presented it told her that it must be incredibly precious. Despite its value, Xiao Xiao didn’t hesitate for a moment, immediately placing the Spirit Pill into Ye Qingchen’s mouth.
After Ye Qingchen swallowed the Spirit Pill, his scars rapidly scabbed over and fell away, and his complexion gradually grew ruddier as most of his wounds quickly healed. However, the battle had not only gravely injured him but also drained a great deal of his mental fortitude. So, although his injuries had mostly healed, he finally succumbed to his exhaustion and fell asleep.
Seeing Ye Qingchen close his eyes, Xiao Xiao grew anxious again. But upon hearing his steady breathing and seeing his rosy complexion, she was finally relieved. She silently stood guard by his side and soon noticed the blood-soaked Zhao Jiehui.
This is a teammate who fought side-by-side with my Young Master. She wanted to treat Zhao Jiehui, but she only had one pill of that caliber. Therefore, she could only take out a Spirit Pill that Ye Qingchen had refined for her and help Zhao Jiehui swallow it. The Spirit Pill Ye Qingchen had refined was second-grade, so it was naturally not as effective as the one from Yao Yue. Nevertheless, after Zhao Jiehui swallowed the pill, his wounds finally stopped bleeding. While his injuries remained severe, he would no longer die from blood loss.
The sun and moon were invisible within the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire, where a fiery red glow permeated everything. Xiao Xiao had no idea how much time had passed before Ye Qingchen finally, slowly, awoke.
"Young Master, you’re awake?" Having been watching him intently, Xiao Xiao saw his eyes open and happily threw herself into his arms.
Warmth filled Ye Qingchen’s heart. If Xiao Xiao hadn’t arrived in time, I probably would have died here.
"Thank you, Xiao Xiao," he said tenderly, gently patting her back.
Only then did Xiao Xiao realize that she had just hugged Ye Qingchen without regard for their respective statuses. How embarrassing! She quickly pulled away, her small face flushed crimson. It was hard to tell if it was from shyness or the reflection of their fiery surroundings.
"Young Master, you should change your clothes first," she said. She took a set of his usual clothes from her storage ring, tossed them to him, and then ran a good distance away as if fleeing.
Ye Qingchen smiled and shook his head. That girl, Xiao Xiao, has really grown up. She even knows how to be shy now.
Ye Qingchen quickly changed. Although his skin still felt sticky, it was a vast improvement. He then went to check on Zhao Jiehui’s injuries. Thanks to the Spirit Pill Xiao Xiao had given him, Zhao Jiehui’s life was no longer in danger for the time being, but a full recovery would likely take some time. Moreover, here in the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire, Ye Qingchen lacked the necessary spiritual herbs to refine another Spirit Pill to heal him.
Just then, Xiao Xiao walked over and asked cautiously, "Young Master, is he all right?"
Ye Qingchen nodded. "His life is no longer in danger, but it’s still troublesome. It seems we can’t go any further. Senior Brother Zhao sustained such severe injuries protecting me. I can’t just ignore him and think only of myself!"
Xiao Xiao looked at Ye Qingchen’s determined expression and sighed inwardly. From Yao Yue, I know how important the Fen Tian Earth Fire is to him. He prepared for this for so long... To give up now, he must be incredibly unwilling. And yet, he’s willing to abandon this chance for Senior Brother Zhao!
After a moment’s thought, Xiao Xiao took a palm-sized, compass-like device from her storage ring. She handed it to Ye Qingchen and explained, "Young Master, this is an Array Plate that Sister Yao Yue gave me. It can instantly deploy a third-rank Defensive Array. I know how important the Fen Tian Earth Fire is to you. Since we’ve come this far, we shouldn’t give up!"
Ye Qingchen looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to possess such a treasure. A third-rank Defensive Array would be enough to block the Fire Rock Beasts’ attacks. With this Array Plate, he could leave Zhao Jiehui here without worrying about his safety and continue deeper into the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire to search for the Fen Tian Earth Fire.
However, Ye Qingchen shook his head and refused. "I can’t take this. Yao Yue gave it to you for your own protection. I can’t accept it."
Anxious, Xiao Xiao stuffed the Array Plate into his hands. "What’s mine is yours, Young Master! Besides, if I don’t have this one, I can just ask Sister Yao Yue for another. You don’t know, Young Master, but Sister Yao Yue is very good to me."
Ye Qingchen held the Array Plate and looked at Xiao Xiao’s pouting expression. He wanted to laugh but knew that if he refused her again, the young lady would truly get angry. He was not an indecisive person. The Fen Tian Earth Fire was indeed crucial for him. If he gave up now, he had no idea when, if ever, he would get another chance.
With this in mind, Ye Qingchen infused his Spiritual Energy into the Array Plate. Just as Xiao Xiao had said, it emitted a burst of azure light, and a Defensive Array instantly appeared, enveloping the three of them. Ye Qingchen tested the array’s strength and confirmed it could indeed block the attacks of the Fire Rock Beasts. Furthermore, they were already in the depths of the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire, a place almost no one could reach. This meant leaving Zhao Jiehui here was absolutely safe.
After setting everything up, Ye Qingchen could finally leave with peace of mind. He and Xiao Xiao headed deeper into the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire. Along the way, small groups of Fire Rock Beasts occasionally attacked, but the two easily dispatched them. Thus, their pace was not slowed, and they soon arrived at the very deepest part of the Heavenly Pond Sea of Fire.