Actually, Wu Yu came to his senses soon enough.
All around him were ruins - some battered walls and such. Luo Pin was setting spirit designs around them. Even though the sandstorm was howling outside, it was peaceful within these ruins.
Wu Yu rested for a few days and then was basically back to full strength. He spent a full day to recall the conclusions of the last two battles, and felt that he had benefited much from them.
"Thank you for before." Luo Pin breezed in from outside. While Wu Yu was recuperating, she had explored their surroundings but had come up empty.
"A small matter."
Wu Yu stood up. "Shall we continue?"
Luo Pin shook her head. "There is still time, no need to rush. Rest a while more, perhaps you can absorb more improvements."
If she was in no rush, then Wu Yu was in even less of a hurry. Besides, he indeed needed to cultivate. Not just to refine his Jindan, to let his Jindan reach full completion, but also to begin training his Nine Suns Black Dragon Sword Formation and Oblivion Beast Soul Shocking Technique.
In this Yan Huang Ancient Well, Wu Yu discovered that - whether related to the Yan Huang Ancient Well or not, he knew not - he seemed to be able to think clearer after coming here. In these two days, many of the cryptic points of the Heaven Earth Void techniques seemed not so insurmountable after all.
Therefore, although time did not pass very quickly, each day was passed in a state of alertness. At least in terms of his Heaven Earth Void techniques and refining his Jindan, his improvements were astronomical.
After two or three months, they still had not returned to the ancient city.
Although Wu Yu still had some questions he wanted to ask the Yan Huang City Lord, Luo Pin did not wish to return. Besides, he was improving at a ferocious rate, so he did not press the issue.
"In these three months, I've defeated 11 Yan Huang Ancient Souls, and they are indeed getting stronger and stronger!"
Thinking of the last one he had defeated, it had been an anxious struggle. His true body and doppelgangers had all been mobilized, and he had eked out the two newly cultivated Heaven Earth Void techniques. It had been very strenuous.
It was thanks to Luo Pin's help that he was eventually about to gain control of the situation and finally vanish the Yan Huang Ancient Soul.
No wonder most people could only stay here for half a year.
Actually, Wu Yu had not yet returned to the ancient city. Many people, even if they stayed a full year, did not fight more than 10 Yan Huang Ancient Souls.
After such a long time, he had become familiar with Luo Pin, and the two passed their time freely. They did not speak much, but it was comfortable, and they did not need to search for conversation topics.
"If this continues, I think I can reach the Violet Kingdom of the Inner Sea Realm in another three months." Wu Yu was very satisfied that he was nearing his goal.
As for Luo Pin, she was still doing well with the Yan Huang Ancient Souls, even giving hers over to Wu Yu at times. Most of the time, she was searching, and Wu Yu followed her. They had basically covered most of the ancient city in methodical fashion. They had even searched all their surroundings, and were now enlarging the radius to search even further.
She did not say what she was searching for, and Wu Yu did not dare ask.
However, her Heaven's Wrath acted up a few times, and each instance was very serious. During that time, she was completely incapacitated.
Wu Yu guessed that she had chosen to stay with him in case it acted up during a dangerous time.
The two advanced through the shifting yellow sands.
Luo Pin inclined her head and asked, "Moving with me must be dreary. Does it slow you down?"
After such a long time, Wu Yu still had not seen what she looked like.
"No."
However, there was still some distance between Wu Yu and her, and that kept some reservation in their conversation. For example, Luo Pin did not hide the fact that she was looking for something, yet did not tell him what she was searching for.
"She's an immortal beast. If she succeeds and recovers, she will definitely leave this place and fly away, and I will probably never have a chance to see her again. Besides, I can't be of help, so maintaining things as they are is best."
After Wu Yu thought this through, his heart was much more at ease.
Just as Wu Yu had worked this out for himself, Luo Pin abruptly halted and turned to face him. After a moment of silence, she suddenly said, "You have probably noticed, but I came to the Yan Huang Ancient Well not to improve myself. I came to search for something."
Wu Yu was pleasantly surprised that she would come clean with him.
After all, the two had been moving as one, and Wu Yu could see all that she was up to. Especially when the Heaven's Wrath triggered, it was Wu Yu who was taking care of her.
"What are you looking for? Do you need my help?" Wu Yu asked.
Luo Pin said, "Not for now. But as you can see, my condition is not very good, and I heard that there is something here which can restore me to my original condition. Although I haven't found it yet, I believe that it is here." In the whirling yellow sand, Luo Pin's eyes were as still like a sparkling gem or lake, crystal clear. After clearing this matter up, their relationship drew imperceptibly closer.
"If there's anything I can help with, just say it." Wu Yu smiled.
"Perhaps there will come a time where I will." Luo Pin's voice was much warmer. And then the two continued on their journey. Wu Yu focused on improving himself, while she was focused on finding her life-saving medicine.
"Ming Long, what do you think she's looking for?"
"No idea either. I'm puzzled too. How would there be medicine in this barren land?"
The two roamed on their journey.
Wu Yu suddenly recalled that Beishan Mo and Nangong Wei must also be roaming in similar fashion in the Reincarnation Realm.
This feeling was not bad, but it was a pity that the person beside him was not Nangong Wei, but Luo Pin. And anyway, Nangong Wei was not Luo Pin. If it had been Luo Pin, he would not have needed to leave Shushan.
Of course, Nangong Wei would definitely not like Beishan Mo.
Another half a month passed, and Wu Yu had defeated two more Yan Huang Ancient Souls. Actually, he had beaten four, because Luo Pin had given hers to him as well. It was a sort of compensation for dragging Wu Yu all over the place.
Wu Yu's improvement was remarkable, and he was on the verge of grasping the Violet Kingdom of the Inner Sea Realm. Through the fights with the Yan Huang Ancient Souls, his mastery of the Nine Suns Black Dragon Sword Formation and the Oblivion Beast Soul Shocking Technique was excellent. And Wu Yu's overall fighting strength was truly formidable.
Had there ever been so strong a Jindan Dao cultivator in a million years?
On this day, while Luo Pin was extending the search radius, they actually found an underground entrance while parting the sands. It was an ancient stone door. Heading down, they came to a dim, underground chamber, which grew larger the deeper they headed down.
After heading down, Luo Pin was a little excited. Perhaps what she was looking for would be within this enormous underground palace.
This was an ancient underground palace submerged in the depths of the yellow sands. There had been many defensive spirit designs etched on top, but they had crumbled with the march of time. They had fallen into disuse, only leaving some marks behind.
Within this underground palace, there were broken walls and rubble everywhere, collapsed stone pillars, and corpses. This must have been a battlefield.
They walked deep down and saw that the underground palace was not only huge, but extended in all directions.
"The City Lord said that there were many things that even he did not know about within the Yan Huang Ancient Well. We had best be careful," Wu Yu reminded.
Luo Pin had just been about to illuminate the entire underground palace with light, but desisted upon hearing Wu Yu's words.
"We still have plenty of time. We can search this place thoroughly." Wu Yu decided to temporarily pause his cultivation to help Luo Pin with her mission of utmost importance. After all, it concerned her life.
Pitter, patter!
There were also water droplets constantly falling within the underground palace, making the place feel like it was constantly wet and damp.
The two searched everywhere.
Weng!
Suddenly, there was a wild gust of wind, heralding the arrival of a black figure that appeared before the two. This person was extremely savage and threatening. Wu Yu immediately raised the Yan Huang Heaven Raising Staff and prepared to fight.
The opponent was a woman, her nubile body tightly wrapped to reveal seductive curves that would stir any of the living. Although she was a little aggressive right now, she was unmistakably Qin Fuyao.
"It's you two?" Qin Fuyao had spotted them as well. She had probably been preparing to attack as well. However, she relaxed a little after spotting them. Yet she was different from how she had been before. She seemed unhappy and distant. She sized the two up and said, "I found this underground palace. According to the rules, you two should not be here. I think you two had best leave as quickly as possible...."
Wu Yu had just been about to ask her how many Yan Huang Ancient Souls she had fought and what she had gained. To suddenly be talked to so coldly stunned him. In his memory, wasn't Qin Fuyao the girl who liked to tease him? Why did she seem so brusque all of a sudden?
In truth, Qin Fuyao was a little bipolar. She was hot and then cold, leaving people guessing. Her mood changed faster than one could flip the page of a book.
Wu Yu had yet to reply, but Luo Pin answered with a chilly tone, "There is no such rule in the Yan Huang Ancient Well. This underground palace does not belong to you simply because you arrived first."
After saying this, she prepared to move past Qin Fuyao.
Seeing the tension rising between the two, Wu Yu hurriedly asked Qin Fuyao, "Are you mistaken? There's nothing good in this underground palace, is there? No need to hog it. Besides, this is such a big place. You couldn't hold it all if you wanted to."
After all, Luo Pin was looking for the object to save her life. Wu Yu felt that this was still a higher priority.
Qin Fuyao frowned at them, then finally said, "Forget it. Come in if you want." Saying so, she seemed to be done with them, immediately heading deeper. There were many passages in the underground palace, and she disappeared in the blink of an eye.
Luo Pin looked at her disappearing figure.
Wu Yu scratched his head. "What's up with Qin Fuyao? Seemed like a completely different person."
Luo Pin said, "You just don't understand her. That's her true face."
"Eh?" Wu Yu was a little lost. Luo Pin seemed to have quite some enmity for her.
Luo Pin seemed to be on the verge of saying something, then stopped herself and took it back.
The two continued deeper into the underground palace to begin their search. Wu Yu did not know what they were looking for, but he looked everywhere nonetheless. He felt that this underground palace was very strange.