Ye Xin felt her eyelids grow heavy. As she slowly opened her eyes, she noticed a woman with her back turned, busy with something. The pleasant scent of medicinal herbs filled the entire room.
"Where am I?" Ye Xin rubbed her heavy head and slowly propped herself up on the bed. It was then that she took in the details of the room.
The space was small but exuded a serene elegance. It was constructed from a type of spiritual wood, emitting a gentle, woody fragrance. Judging by the materials, it seemed like the house had been recently built.
The sound of Ye Xin waking startled the woman, who turned around with a look of surprise on her face. The woman had fair skin and delicate features, her long, emerald-green hair flowing down her back. She was extraordinarily beautiful, her looks truly capable of toppling kingdoms.
Though the woman resembled a human, Ye Xin quickly realized that she was not. One distinguishing feature was her hair color, and another was her long, pointed ears. She wore a semi-transparent cloak draped over her shoulders, which seemed to grow from her neck, merging seamlessly with her body.
She belonged to the Green Spirit Clan, another lower-class race that lived in the underground world. Ye Xin had heard Lin Qian mention them, and Mu Houde had also spoken about them during their journey.
"You're awake! That's wonderful," the beautiful Green Spirit Clan girl, upon seeing Ye Xin wake, clapped her hands in delight. She then turned and brought over a wooden bowl filled with a steaming, semi-transparent liquid. "This is spiritual medicine wine we made. It'll help your body recover, sister."
Ye Xin smiled warmly at the girl's open-hearted demeanor and took the bowl. "Thank you."
"Sister, you have such a beautiful smile. Drink the spiritual medicine wine quickly!" The Green Spirit Clan girl beamed as she introduced herself, "My name is Cui Yu. What's your name, sister?"
"Ye Xin," she replied as she sipped the medicine. The warmth from the liquid spread throughout her body, revitalizing her. She held the empty bowl in her hands and looked at Cui Yu. "Did you save me?"
"Yes! I was out with the other sisters collecting Water Spirit Grass by the river when the Purple Demon Fish showed up. I thought for sure we were going to die," Cui Yu patted her chest with lingering fear. "But then the Purple Demon Fish was suddenly killed, split in two. Afterward, we saw you and your brother falling from the sky, so we brought you back to our village."
"It was Grandpa who treated you both, but the young man was hurt much worse, so Grandpa has been personally tending to him. You were less injured, so I was tasked with looking after you."
Ye Xin nodded in understanding and smiled. "Take me to see him. I need to know how he's doing."
"Huh? Sister, you're really worried about that brother. What's your relationship?" Cui Yu teased with a mischievous grin.
Blushing, Ye Xin softly replied, "He's my fiancé."
The village they were in was a settlement of the Green Spirit Clan, and in the largest building lived the village elder, or "Grandpa," who was in charge of the settlement. When Ye Xin entered his home, she immediately saw an elderly Green Spirit Clan man, though he looked more like a handsome young man. His breathing was steady, and his long, emerald-green hair trailed along the ground, making Ye Xin wonder how he didn't trip over it.
Inside the inner chamber, Lin Qian lay on the bed. Ye Xin rushed over. He was stripped down to his underclothes, his exposed skin covered in deep, bone-deep wounds.
Though Lin Qian's breathing was steady, his aura had faded completely, and he no longer possessed the strength of a transcendent realm warrior. Ye Xin's own aura was also weak.
"This young human's injuries were severe, but his body is incredibly strong. The fact that he held on this long is quite remarkable," the elder said as he looked at Lin Qian on the bed. "What could have possibly happened to him to leave him in such a state?"
Ye Xin gently brushed Lin Qian's forehead, whispering softly, "The Purple Demon Fish you mentioned was slain by him."
"What?!" The elder's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Really? Sister, is this brother really that strong?" Cui Yu exclaimed, her eyes wide with admiration as she looked at Lin Qian. "The Purple Demon Fish has terrorized us for so long, even the Fengxun Clan suffered heavy casualties. And this human brother managed to kill it?"
"Grandpa, who's stronger? This brother or the three human elders?" Cui Yu asked.
Hearing that, Ye Xin's eyes lit up. She hadn't forgotten the purpose of their journey.
"Cui Yu, the three human elders you mentioned—do they appear very ordinary? One of them looks kind and cheerful, and another is quite fierce and intimidating?"
Cui Yu nodded repeatedly. "Yes, that's exactly how they are! Especially the elder in the red robe. He looks so scary, but he's actually really nice."
Hearing this, Ye Xin breathed a sigh of relief. "It seems they really are here."
"So, you two came to find those three human experts?" The elder looked at Ye Xin, speaking calmly.
Ye Xin nodded. "Yes, that is indeed why we came."
"I'm afraid there's some bad news," the elder said, shaking his head. "They went to hide in a ruin to avoid the Fengxun Clan, but half a year ago, something went wrong."
Ye Xin's heart sank as she nervously asked, "What happened?"
"The sealed ruin they were hiding in suddenly opened, and the Purple Demon Fish emerged from it. Every month, the beast would awaken and attack, devouring anything it could find before returning to sleep. The exit to the surface has also been sealed by a purple force, trapping us all. We've been living in constant fear."
"With the ruin open and that monster coming from it, no one dares to enter and investigate. Who knows what other horrors lie within?"
"Xiao Qian will definitely go in to rescue them," Ye Xin sighed, frowning.
"He doesn't have to. We've already made it out." At that moment, a voice came from the doorway. Three figures stepped into the room.
Ye Xin turned and was shocked to see the three people she had been searching for—Fang Shuiwen, Zhou Yian, and Yang Guixiang!