The Aloof Lord's Mysterious Wife-Chapter 866: You Really Came to Save Me—I Thought I Was Going to Die

Chapter 866: You Really Came to Save Me—I Thought I Was Going to Die

Even with Ximen Chuan’s level of cultivation, he still encountered dangers he couldn’t resolve—ordinary cultivators stood even less of a chance.

Relying on fragments of memory from her past life, Nanli could avoid many perils.

She’d assumed Ximen Chuan would’ve reached the Blazing Region by now, but after following the paper crane for a while, it led her into a desert instead.

No way.

Had Ximen Chuan not even made it to the Blazing Region, only to perish here in the desert?

Sure enough, after flying a bit further, she spotted a figure.

It was indeed Ximen Chuan.

He was entwined by massive thorny vines, their sharp spikes piercing his body, steadily draining his blood, moisture, and spiritual energy.

Once a handsome, roguish man, he was now on the verge of becoming a desiccated corpse—his face shriveled, clinging to life by a thread.

The desert vines were slowly retracting downward, clearly intent on dragging Ximen Chuan underground to savor him bit by bit.

Nanli didn’t rush to land.

She drew out several Talismans, transforming them into spiritually infused paper figures and sent them scattering in different directions.

The paper figures didn’t touch the desert floor—they merely hovered above it. Yet, vines shot up swiftly from below, wrapping tightly around them.

But since they were just paper, the vines quickly sapped their spiritual energy.

Once the paper figures dissipated, the vines retreated back underground.

The desert returned to stillness.

Having gauged their approximate locations, Nanli pulled out her Golden Hairpin. "Wake up! Time to get to work!"

The Hairpin Elf stirred from its slumber, dazed for a moment.

It immediately vented its displeasure. "Hmph, good thing you still remember me, a lowly Hairpin Elf. I thought I’d be cast aside forever, never to be used again."

"No nonsense," Nanli said. "The spikes on these desert vines are poisonous—I can’t go down myself. You go in, find the main body, and kill it. Once it’s dead, the vines will lose their vitality."

The Hairpin Elf glanced at the scene and recoiled. "It’s disgusting enough out here—the main body must be even worse. I can’t handle this job."

"Look at its size—it’s been growing for thousands of years. Who knows how much spiritual energy it’s absorbed, all concentrated in that main body," Nanli said.

The Hairpin Elf perked up, instantly changing its tune. "Master, rest assured—I can handle this!"

It was ready to charge out.

Nanli grabbed it back, inscribing a Talisman onto the Golden Hairpin to aid its mission.

Then she pointed to a spot. "The main body should be right beneath here. I’ll use paper figures to distract the vines—you must strike true on your first try. You’re a Ware Elf, after all. If the vines catch you, you’re done for."

The Hairpin Elf pursed its lips, feeling the weight of the task.

But for the potent spiritual energy in that main body, it was willing to risk everything!

Nanli deployed more spiritual paper figures, luring the vines to a distant spot, while the Hairpin Elf dove straight into the sand at the designated location.

The underground was pitch black—the Hairpin Elf couldn’t see a thing.

But with Nanli’s Talisman lighting the way, it caught a faint reddish glow.

It was a crystal.

Surrounded by liquid, encased in a thin membrane. freewebnøvel.com

The crystal pulsed intermittently.

The Hairpin Elf gathered its strength and charged forward.

It had assumed the membrane would be easy to pierce, but as the Golden Hairpin neared, it found the membrane incredibly tough!

Panic set in as the Hairpin Elf heard rustling sounds beneath the earth—the vines were retracting, closing in to trap it!

Lacking combat experience, it lost its nerve.

"Master!" the Hairpin Elf cried out desperately. "Save me!"

As its shout echoed, several beams of cold light streaked in.

Swish, swish—

The sound of slicing rang out.

The nearest vines were severed first.

Then a sword intent pierced the membrane, striking the core dead-on.

A piercing scream erupted from the core, the surrounding vines thrashing wildly, the entire underground trembling as if it might collapse.

Snapping out of its daze, the Hairpin Elf darted toward the breach, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy the core had amassed over millennia.

The vines gradually lost their vitality.

Soon, they withered, and calm returned to the area.

This was thousands of years’ worth of spiritual energy—the Hairpin Elf nearly burst from it. Emerging into daylight, it couldn’t help but let out a burp.

Nanli had already freed Ximen Chuan.

But he was practically a dried husk, teetering on the edge of meeting the King of Hell.

Nanli reached out, summoning the Golden Hairpin back. "Give him some spiritual energy."

"What? Master, so this was your plan," the Hairpin Elf grumbled reluctantly. "Look at him—he might not even survive. Why waste this energy?"

"Injured by these desert vines, even with just a breath left, the core’s spiritual energy can detoxify and revive him," Nanli explained.

"Master, you’re truly a fountain of knowledge," the Hairpin Elf conceded, unable to argue. It relinquished a portion of the energy it had absorbed, channeling it into Ximen Chuan.

As Nanli predicted, with just a trickle of energy, Ximen Chuan’s flesh began to regenerate, his skin regaining elasticity, restoring him to his usual self.

The sun blazed overhead.

Ximen Chuan opened his eyes, his first sight landing on a graceful silhouette.

His lips parched, he croaked hoarsely, "Water..."

Nanli produced a water pouch, propped him up, and brought it to his mouth.

After draining it, Ximen Chuan’s mind fully cleared.

Turning his head, he saw a flicker of concern in Nanli’s eyes and immediately burst into tears. "Wah... you really came to save me... I... I thought I’d die here..."

Overwhelmed with grief and gratitude, he lunged to throw himself into Nanli’s arms for a good cry.

Nanli thrust a hand out, keeping him at bay, and said irritably, "I didn’t expect someone with your reputation to be so weak. This desert is still half a day’s journey from the Blazing Region."

In the end, she’d had to come herself.

With no one else around, Ximen Chuan dropped his façade, whimpering, "Do you know how dangerous this North Wilderness is? Getting this far was already a feat."

"I saw what looked like people in this desert, so I came down to check. How was I supposed to know it was a trap set by poisonous vines?"

Nanli replied, "These vines are masters of disguise. But I’m guessing you weren’t just being kind—you saw something else that lured you down, right?"

"..." After a brief silence, Ximen Chuan admitted, "Well... I saw an immortal artifact..."

Nanli gave him an I-knew-it look.

"In the North Wilderness, as long as you’re not greedy, staying alive is simple."

Ximen Chuan disagreed. "If you come to the North Wilderness and leave empty-handed, isn’t that a wasted trip? It was an immortal artifact! Take a gamble—if I’d gotten it, my strength would’ve soared! Even if I died here, I wouldn’t regret it!"

"Heh, then why did you crush the stone for help? Why not just die quietly?" Nanli retorted. "You’re alive now, so of course you say you wouldn’t regret it."