"Coming?"
Qian Renxue was momentarily taken aback. What was coming?
But instinctively, she followed Dugu Bo gaze and sensed the surrounding energy.
The dense force of earth elements surged, moving quickly toward their position. And it was coming from beneath the ground!
Could it be Li Yu?
Qian Renxue had already sensed a somewhat familiar aura, but since Li Yu didn't possess the power of earth elements, she was slightly skeptical.
Then it occurred to her—Li Yu mission had been to acquire the sixth soul ring.
Could it be... that the sixth soul ring granted him control over the earth element?
Her eyes brightened at the thought. If that were the case, everything would make sense.
However...
She stole a slightly guilty glance at Dugu Bo. This was precisely the moment that she realized she might have wronged him earlier.
Dugu Bo senses were far more acute than hers, and since Li Yu hadn't concealed his aura while approaching, he had already confirmed that the person was indeed Li Yu.
Qian Renxue furtive glance, which seemed accidental, didn't escape Dugu Bo notice.
He lifted his chin smugly, already imagining how he would make 'Xue Qinghe,' the little yellow-haired one, apologize for misjudging him.
Under Qian Renxue awkward gaze and Dugu Bo triumphant expression, the dense earth elemental power surged, finally reaching their location. The ground shifted slightly, and Yellow energy swirls before the eyes into the shape of blood, pale-skinned figure.
It was Li Yu.
His aura was faint, and his body slumped lifelessly to the ground. The soul power radiating from him was barely perceptible.
His condition wasn't entirely due to the Titan Giant Ape, Er Ming's actions.
The harm caused by Er Ming was limited to the backlash from the interrupted 'Space Jump' and the internal injuries caused by the 'Gravity Suppression.'
Had a typical soul master been in his condition, they wouldn't have been able to withstand it. But with his 40% physical enhancement from the [Water Fire Spirit Body], and since Er Ming hadn't attacked with full force, sensing Li Yu weakness, Li Yu had managed to barely endure.
But now, the reason Li Yu appeared so feeble was because of his innate ability, [Elemental Dissolution].
[Elemental Dissolution]: This ability allows the user to dissolve into any element, with the cost being weakness for seven days, and it can only be used once a month!
This was Li Yu first time using this innate ability.
It confirmed that [Elemental Dissolution] did indeed offer powerful survival potential, but also made him acutely aware of the price for using it!
Weakness for seven days.
It wasn't just a simple reduction in combat ability. The effect drained almost all of his soul and mental power!
It had directly caused him to lose his ability to move and even think!
This condition would last for seven days.
During this time, both his soul and mental power would remain "silent," and no external force could restore them.
Only after the seven days would his powers slowly begin to recover.
That meant...
These so-called seven days of weakness were essentially seven days during which he was vulnerable to being killed.
So, after seeing Qian Renxue and Dugu Bo, Li Yu had no strength left to hold on. His eyelids fluttered, and he fell into unconsciousness.
"Li Yu!"
"Little Yu!"
Upon seeing Li Yu appear, both Qian Renxue and Dugu Bo, who had initially smiled in relief, suddenly changed their expressions.
They rushed to Li Yu side.
Qian Renxue cradled Li Yu in her arms, her eyes reddening instantly.
"Li Yu, what happened?"
She was overwhelmed with panic and for a moment forgot to assess his injuries.
As a Title Douluo with experience in nurturing poisonous snakes, Dugu Bo had studied the "soul" aspect as well. And since medicine and poison are often intertwined, Dugu Bo, renowned for his mastery of poisons, also had extensive knowledge of medicine.
So, as soon as he reached Li Yu side, his hand immediately rested on Li Yu.
He wasn't just checking Li Yu pulse, but also using his soul and mental power to examine his condition.
Qian Renxue didn't stop him.
At this moment, seeing Li Yu in such a dire state, the guilt she had felt for wrongly accusing Dugu Bo vanished in an instant.
For everything that had happened, she still felt that Dugu Bo was at fault!
However, she knew that he understood the principles of medicine and poison.
"How is he?"
Qian Renxue asked, her tone tinged with urgency.
"There seems to be some force protecting him internally, so I can't get a full reading of his condition!"
Dugu Bo furrowed his brows, his expression serious. "But based on her pulse, she should be fine."
"Should be fine?"
Qian Renxue voice grew sharper.
Dugu Bo, hearing this, fell silent. After a moment of further inspection, he repeated, "He should be fine!"
He paused again and added, "The way he looks now, it must be related to the method she used to escape!"
"But she didn't mention any aftereffects of the technique. Her body seems to be in self-protection mode, and no external forces can interfere. If someone were to force him, it might have an adverse effect."
"Therefore, based on my experience, she should be left to rest. After a period of time, she should recover on his own."
As he said this, Dugu Bo stopped and looked at Qian Renxue seriously.
"Earlier, Your Highness, what you said wasn't entirely accurate. I truly care about Little Yu!"
"Ever since she helped Dugu Yan with her poison, I've treated her like a granddaughter. Her importance to me is no less than what she means to you!"
"You can trust my judgment."
Qian Renxue fell silent after hearing this.
Her eyes softened slightly after hearing his words.
Given Dugu Bo cultivation, it was unnecessary for him to lower his dignity to explain himself, especially since he used "I" to refer to himself, which clearly showed his sincerity.
"I trust you, Your Excellency!"
Qian Renxue let go of her hostility and gently lifted Li Yu in her arms. She placed him so that his head was resting against her chest, using her soul power to stabilize him.
After doing all this, she turned to Dugu Bo and asked, "Your Excellency, shall we hurry back?"
At this moment, Qian Renxue hadn't yet heard about the events in the Sunset Forest. She asked this to see if Dugu Bo intended to take Li Yu back to his seclusion place for healing.
She knew that Dugu Bo often secluded himself in the Sunset Forest and that he was rumored to have his own medicinal fields there.
"Cough, cough. Of course."
Dugu Bo understood what she meant, and he felt slightly uneasy.
Seclusion place?
The little girl in your arms has already taken it all over!
Otherwise, do you think I would go to your broken East Palace?
But of course, he didn't say this. First, because it involved Li Yu secret, which he couldn't reveal. Second, because his own home had been raided, and saying something like that wouldn't sound good.
He was a Title Douluo, after all, and still had some pride.
So, he didn't explain. With a wave of his soul power, he enveloped Qian Renxue and lifted her into the air, quickly heading towards Tiandou City.
Along the way, Qian Renxue suddenly seemed to recall something.
"About Today events..."
"It has nothing to do with me."
Dugu Bo answered faintly, knowing she was referring to the matter of his power.
So he gave a straightforward answer.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"