Seeing Li Xiaohao behind him, Bai Huaqian hurriedly stood up and pointed at the pool, saying, "It seems we have to swim across this deep pool to find them."

Li Xiaohao stared at the body of water, silent, offering neither guidance on the next step nor raising any questions of his own.

Bai Huaqian grew a bit anxious and suggested releasing the Corpse Control Technique, having me swim across first to scout things out, while she would follow behind and react as needed.

Li Xiaohao rested one hand on his cheek and held his waist with the other, appearing lost in thought. After a long pause, he finally nodded at Bai Huaqian in agreement. Bai Huaqian smiled at Li Xiaohao with a hint of coquetry, extended her index finger, and tapped my forehead.

Freedom, at last, had returned. I flexed my limbs, feeling a stiffness in my joints, and my head felt slightly heavier than before. Still, reclaiming sovereignty over myself was an immensely joyful thing.

Just as I was performing this little exercise to get my body moving, Bai Huaqian thrust her hand out in front of me and said, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, "Hand over the Gu antidote you're carrying."

Hearing that demand, I froze. How did she know I had the antidote? That was my elder sister's life; I absolutely could not give it up. I played dumb: "The antidote must be in the luggage, left back at Gui Fang's place."

Bai Huaqian was truly not one to be easily fooled. She didn't believe my story for a second, delivered a sharp left hook, then rapidly patted me up and down with her right hand, pulling the small vial from the pocket at my waist and handing it to Li Xiaohao.

Li Xiaohao took the small bottle, nodded in understanding. My sister's life had once again fallen into their hands.

Watching Li Xiaohao idly turning the vial containing the life-saving medicine, a painful ache tightened my chest, and tears began to fall like beads from a broken string. It was over. My sister's life was forfeit, and mine wouldn't last much longer either, leaving only my aging mother alone in the world. I had intended, after rescuing my sister, to tell her the news that our mother was alive and then travel with her to the ends of the earth to find her. Now, this wish could only be carried to the grave.

Before my grief could fully subside, Bai Huaqian gave me a shove from behind, and I plunged into the pool with a splash. Water gurgled violently into my mouth, choking me until I crawled to the edge, coughing violently for a long time, but the water was surprisingly warm—this was a hot spring, much like other water sources near volcanoes.

"You swim down first, I'll be right behind you," Bai Huaqian instructed, then jumped in herself, testing the flashlight she held to see if it was waterproof. Thankfully, the torch remained illuminated even submerged.

When the enemy holds the superior strength, adapting to the situation and preserving one's capabilities is essential. I offered no extensive debate or resistance, especially with the antidote in Li Xiaohao's possession. The best way to deal with ruthless people is to endure and wait for the right moment.

I took a deep breath and sank to the bottom, beginning to investigate. The pool wasn't deep, perhaps only two or three meters, and the bottom was strewn with rocks, just like any ordinary pool. Perhaps due to the lack of sunlight, there was no moss or other vegetation; the pool walls were very smooth, looking less like a natural formation and more like a well that had been artificially excavated. I ran my hands along the walls in all four cardinal directions and discovered, directly opposite where we entered, a hole about the size of a wooden barrel—just big enough for a person to squeeze through.

The pool water clearly led somewhere. The real question was whether I could swim to the other side without air and without protection, and whether the far side possessed air like this one did.

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