At this very moment, Zhang Ruoxi was hidden among the crown of a large tree, doing her utmost to suppress her aura.
Although her strength was considerable by now, she had no intention of attracting trouble in a place like this. Naturally, her priority was to conceal herself and quietly await Yang Kai's arrival. Once the Master arrived and clashed with the Monster Race, she would rush out to lend him a hand. Surely the Master wouldn't blame her then.
She genuinely just wanted to do her part. She didn't want to be stowed away inside the Small Sealed World at the first sign of danger, left to wait in boredom—that would make her seem entirely useless.
Patrol after patrol of minor demons passed nearby without detecting Zhang Ruoxi's whereabouts, which filled her with secret relief and bolstered her confidence considerably.
This was the first time she had undertaken something so dangerous, and naturally she was brimming with nerves. Fortunately, all those years of traveling far and wide with Yang Kai hadn't been for nothing—she had weathered plenty of storms, and even though she was tense, she could more or less hold herself steady.
Time trickled by, bit by bit.
Another patrol of Monster Race warriors approached from ahead. These ones were supremely vigilant, their eyes sweeping in every direction as though searching for some suspicious trace. Just as the group passed beneath the tree and were about to move off into the distance, one of the warriors suddenly halted, his nostrils flaring gently as he sniffed the air repeatedly.
"What is it?" another warrior asked, eyeing him with suspicion.
The warrior didn't answer. He sniffed for quite a while longer before abruptly raising his eyebrows and declaring: "There's a human scent!"
The moment those words left his mouth, Ruoxi's face changed drastically. She knew this was bad—she had likely given something away. If these warriors pinpointed her location, she wouldn't be able to escape even with wings.
All she could hope for now was that the warrior was merely suspicious and not certain. If that was the case, she might still slip away unscathed.
But that hope was quickly dashed. After sniffing a while longer, the warrior actually jerked his head upward and looked straight toward the tree's crown.
Though thick layers of foliage stood between them and their gazes never met, Zhang Ruoxi's heart still hammered fiercely. She knew she could no longer remain hidden here.
Just as she steeled herself to flee, a grimy head suddenly materialized beside her—hair hanging in wild tangles, an upside-down face grinning at her with bared teeth.
Ruoxi jumped in fright, nearly crying out. But once she made out who this disheveled person actually was, she clamped a hand over her mouth, refusing to let any sound escape, and simply stared wide-eyed at that filthy face.
A hand reached out and seized Zhang Ruoxi. The instant it grabbed her, the figure flickered, and the two of them vanished from the spot like ghosts.
Whoosh…
One of the Monster Race warriors leaped up into the tree's crown, scanning left and right for a moment, but found nothing. He scratched his head in puzzlement.
"What's the situation up there?" the warrior waiting below called out.
"Nothing at all," came the reply. The warrior hopped back down and offered an awkward laugh. "Probably just my imagination."
The rest of the patrol eyed him with undisguised displeasure, reproaching him for being jumpy, before continuing onward.
On the crown of a different tree, Zhang Ruoxi watched the group of warriors recede into the distance before finally letting out a long, heavy breath. Her full chest rose and fell sharply. Just a moment ago, her heart had nearly leaped out of her chest—she had been convinced she was about to die. Thank heavens someone had stepped in at the critical moment.
She quickly turned her head to look beside her.
Right next to her, the Third Elder of Ice Heart Valley was gazing at her with a dopey grin. Looking more closely, Ruoxi could see that this woman must have possessed exquisite beauty once—but now, her damaged mind had left her completely unkempt. Years of living in the ancient land had caked her features in grime, a sight that couldn't help but evoke a pang of sorrow.
"…Third Senior, what are you doing here?" Ruoxi had no idea what this person's actual name was—even Yang Kai didn't know—so she could only address her with that vague title.
The Third Elder giggled, seemingly having not understood the question, or perhaps simply having no intention of answering. Instead, much like the Monster Race warriors before, she kept sniffing repeatedly, her dirty nose almost pressing against Ruoxi's body, as if she found the scent on Ruoxi immensely pleasing. She sniffed and sniffed, a look of blissful contentment spreading across her face.
Ruoxi felt deeply uncomfortable being sniffed like this, her skin prickling with itchiness. She quickly raised a hand to block the Third Elder's continued invasion, saying: "Third Senior, stop it! Those Monster Race warriors will find us!"
The Third Elder was pushed away and immediately pouted, her face full of displeasure.
Seeing her like this, Ruoxi felt her heart soften. Here was a perfectly beautiful woman—a powerful cultivator at the second level of the Emperor realm. Out in the wider world, she would have been a celestial figure pursued and admired by countless men. Yet now she had been reduced to this wretched, almost ghostly state. Ruoxi couldn't help but wonder whether her master, Senior Bing Yun, would be heartbroken if she knew.
"All right, Third Senior, I have things to do, so please be good!" Zhang Ruoxi reached out and took hold of the Third Elder's two grimy hands, showing not the slightest hint of disgust. She patted them gently and spoke in a soft voice: "I'm waiting here for the Master. The Master—you know him, don't you? The one who gave you those fruits last time. The Master has been looking for you. So don't run off, all right? Stay here with me and wait for him!"
The Third stared at Zhang Ruoxi for a moment, then suddenly began nodding vigorously.