The Mirror of Startling Beauty: Her courtiers are everywhere

"This is the Demon-Subduing Formation—"

Jiu Fangzhi's voice suddenly rose, and for the first time, his perpetually unchanging icy face showed an almost uncontrollable solemnity.

"Junior Sister! Leave quickly!"

Before the words were even finished, the runic chains that had been severed and shattered...

The runes at the broken points spliced ​​and combined on their own.

In the blink of an eye, they were revived and emerged again from the cracks in the rocks around the altar.

It was denser, faster, and more ferocious than before.

Without any hesitation, Tang Xixue flashed the light of the Heart of Azure Snow at her fingertips, instantly taking the wounded Wind and Snow Silver Dragon into her spatial storage.

Almost at the same instant, countless chains, like snakes that have smelled blood, coiled towards her from all directions.

"Eight Gates Golden Lock Divine Shield—Open!"

With a flick of his sleeve, Jiu Fangzhi sent several mechanical blocks flying out of his palm.

"Click-clack".

The mechanical blocks combined and transformed in mid-air, instantly creating a golden shield of light.

The chains that came rushing in were forcefully blocked.

The runic chains struck the shield, sending sparks flying and producing a series of teeth-grinding metallic scraping sounds.

"Walk!"

He moved with lightning speed, pulling Tang Xixue into his arms and breaking free just as the inescapable net of countless chains was about to close in.

His arm was wrapped around her waist, the force just right so that she could lean steadily against him without feeling offended.

"Bingyou, take Zheyue and retreat!"

He turned around and shouted.

Bingyou had been poised to strike. With a flick of its dragon tail, it carried Sixingxuan and transformed into a streak of dark blue light, rapidly fleeing in another direction.

"No—Bingyou, you're going the wrong way."

The moment Si Xingxuan was thrown away, he glanced back.

His eyes held no trace of his usual playfulness, and his thin lips were tightly pursed.

"Zhizhi and Master are on the other side."

But Bingyou was too fast, and darkness swallowed Tangxi Xue's figure in an instant.

"Zhe Yue, let's escape first. That Demon-Subduing Formation is a counter to our dragon race."

Bingyou's voice echoed in Sixingxuan's ears.

The water at the bottom of the lake was stirred up by the formation, and countless rune chains danced wildly in the darkness, endlessly regenerating when severed and reassembling when shattered.

It was as if the entire altar and the bottom of the lake were connected as one by this formation.

Tang Xixue was carried away by Jiu Fangzhi for an unknown period of time.

"These dragon-binding chains are too troublesome."

She leaned against him, feeling the warmth of his chest seeping through her clothes—a warmth that was both calm and reassuring.

His heartbeat was steady and gentle, like a mountain that would never collapse.

"We're finally out of trouble."

The roar of the water and the clanging of the chains gradually faded into the distance.

"But, senior brother, where have we gotten here?"

The surroundings finally quieted down, leaving only the faint blue light of the water-repelling pearls shining around them.

Tang Xixue looked up, and the sight before her made her hold her breath.

They had somehow completely left the area of ​​the altar, and before them lay a city.

"Junior Sister, this seems to be an ancient city."

Jiu Fangzhi said with some surprise.

A city submerged underwater, yet perfectly preserved.

"There is light here."

The azure light of the water-repelling pearl only illuminated a small area, but the city did not need their light.

The walls of every building in the city gleamed with a soft pearly sheen, as if thousands of luminous pearls had been ground into powder and evenly kneaded into the bricks and stones.

The light was gentle and restrained, illuminating the entire city as if it were immersed in the eternal moonlight.

"It still looks brand new, it's amazing."

Tang Xixue couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"It really is a shocking place."

Jiu Fangzhi was also surprised that the ancient city underwater had not been eroded by the lake water.

The streets are straight and wide, with houses of varying heights on both sides, ancient in style but showing no signs of decay.

The eaves were upturned, the doors were vermilion and the windows were decorated with patterns they had never seen before.

A row of glass lanterns hangs under the eaves.

The stone steps were so clean that not a speck of dust was visible, as if someone had just swept them.

Tang Xixue stood there in a daze, unconsciously softening her breathing.

"This ancient city is so well preserved," she murmured, her voice filled with an incredulous awe. "It's as if time... has stood still here."

Jiu Fangzhi stood beside her, his gaze from behind the mask slowly sweeping over everything before him, a rare solemnity rising in his eyes as well.

"It's not solidified."

His voice was kept very low.

"She's asleep."

The two walked forward side by side.

Their footsteps echoed on the stone street.

"Senior brother, what kind of place is this? Where are all the people here? It's as if they vanished in an instant."

Tang Xixue asked softly.

Jiu Fangzhi shook his head.

"I don't know either, but it might be related to the fallen Medicine God."

The shops on both sides of the street had their doors ajar, and the counters were neatly stacked with unidentified goods.

Teacups sat on the table in the teahouse, with a thin layer of dried tea stains on the bottom, dating back countless years.

The drawer of the medicine cabinet in the pharmacy was half open, and several rare herbs that had long since disappeared lay quietly in the box. If you got close, you could still smell a very faint and delicate medicinal fragrance.

The blacksmith's furnace was cold, but the bellows handle was worn smooth and shiny.

A sword blank, unsharpened, hangs beside the anvil, its blade still bearing the marks of quenching, as if the swordsmith had just put down his hammer and gone next door for a bowl of cool tea.

You can find anything here.

There was no one.

"These people seem to have disappeared a long time ago."

Jiu Fangzhi paused for a moment in front of a weapons rack, his expression behind the mask obscured.

He reached out and brushed away the faint layer of dust on the surface of the sword blank.

"They must have disappeared at the same time."

When I lifted my fingertips, they were covered with a little cool powder.

It is iron filings left over from grinding the blade.

It was as if the swordsmith had been there just a moment ago.

Tang Xixue stood in the middle of the street, slowly looking around.

"They..." her voice was so soft, as if afraid of waking someone, "...are they people who originally lived here?"

"Perhaps they are descendants of ancient people."

Jiu Fangzhi withdrew his hand.

"This place doesn't look like an abandoned ruin; it's more like an ancient city that has been perfectly preserved."

"Senior brother, come closer."

Tang Xixue withdrew her gaze, glanced at the distance between them, then looked at the range of the water-repelling bead's protective shield around her, and reminded them in a casual tone.

"The water-repelling beads have a limited range. If you stand so far away, and half of your body gets wet, I won't be responsible."

Jiu Fangzhi remained silent for a moment.

Then, he cautiously moved half a step closer to her, as if testing the waters.

Just half a step.