The matter with Ge Ji was resolved for the time being, and Zhong Shenxiu's gaze swept over the soldiers once more.
These soldiers were now nothing more than corpses; their souls had just been drawn out by Zhong Shenxiu and converted into a form of energy for Pa Ji!
This was the fitting retribution these soldiers deserved. As the saying goes: those who kill shall be killed!
Simply drawing out the souls of these soldiers was not enough to quell the fury burning in Zhong Shenxiu's heart. He intended to seize their bodies as well, to make them utterly regret every action they had taken!
With a wave of his hand, he sucked the corpses of the soldiers into his magic ring. Then, Zhong Shenxiu gently lifted Robin and mounted his flying sword, heading back the way they came!
As for the murderers, their demise was merely a matter of time. Currently, Zhong Shenxiu had no time to concern himself with them as he needed to focus on treating Robin. Once Robin's treatment was properly underway, that would be the moment the nightmares began for those killers!
Inside the manor at Ivey Fort, the entire contingent of the "Ethereal Mercenary Group" stood silent in the courtyard.
Their expressions were uniformly grave. Although Keni had assembled them without stating any reason, from the look on Keni's face, they could tell something extraordinary must have happened. Otherwise, the ever-smiling Keni would never wear such a worried expression.
What could it be?
Everyone's mind churned with various possibilities!
Just then, a dark shadow appeared in the distance of the sky, approaching at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, it stopped right in the small courtyard—it was Zhong Shenxiu returning!
The others started to move to greet him, but when their eyes fell upon Robin cradled in Zhong Shenxiu's arms, they froze instantly!
The shock they felt was like being struck by a bolt of heavenly lightning!
What kind of person Robin was, and what level of strength she possessed—these people knew better than anyone. Within the entire "Ethereal Mercenary Group," Robin was universally recognized as the fourth-ranked master, or to put it plainly, the number two monster, an existence they considered absolutely insurmountable!
But now, Robin was injured, and grievously so. Her state made one doubt whether she was even alive at this moment!
Heavens, who could possibly have defeated Robin to this extent?
In their collective understanding, the only person capable of defeating Robin was Zhong Shenxiu. Yet, they knew with certainty that Zhong Shenxiu would never harm Robin; that needed no proving! So, what was the cause of Robin's condition?
Keni was the first to recover among them. She rushed forward, urgently asking, "Robin... What happened to Robin?"
At her prompting, everyone held their breath, and the atmosphere instantly became heavy and suffocating!!
"Heavenly Tribulation!"
Zhong Shenxiu spoke only two words, but Keni already understood.
It made sense; the only entity capable of injuring Robin this badly, besides Zhong Shenxiu himself, could only be the "Heavenly Tribulation"!
While Keni grasped the meaning, the others remained completely bewildered. They even wondered who this "Heavenly Tribulation" was—was he even more powerful than Robin?
For a moment, everyone stared at Zhong Shenxiu with strange expressions. Although Zhong Shenxiu appeared calm, from their long association, they could tell he was currently suppressing a terrible rage within.
No one knew what words of comfort to offer Zhong Shenxiu, nor did they know how to treat Robin, or even what they should be doing!
As the atmosphere settled into a gloomy silence, Zhong Shenxiu moved his intent, releasing Bhefidanti and Diya, who were sound asleep inside the "Medium Pouch"!
"Sister!" Mercedis gasped upon seeing Bhefidanti.
"Sister... Sister, what's wrong?" Mercedis shook Bhefidanti's body incessantly, but received no response.
Seeing Bhefidanti's disheveled state, Mercedis grew more anxious. She turned to question Zhong Shenxiu, but he spoke first!
"They are merely asleep, do not worry. You are responsible for looking after them; I have questions for them when they wake up!" Zhong Shenxiu's calm tone carried an undeniable force that resonated with everyone present!
Although Zhong Shenxiu was usually strict with them, none of them had ever seen him truly angry! This tranquility was like the stillness before a hurricane; the calmer he was, the more violent the coming storm would be!
They truly wondered who possessed the audacity to provoke the Commander. That person certainly wouldn't meet a good end!
After issuing the necessary instructions, Zhong Shenxiu again took Robin and departed on his sword, without stating where he was going.
Beside the "Moonlight Spring" at the "Mengchen Star Martial Arts Academy," Rogelia once again secretly arrived here to meditate, as was her habit. Although Zhong Shenxiu had laid down a massive formation here, it wasn't activated, allowing her to enter.
Rogelia had noticed that since the time that young boy named Zhong Shenxiu tinkered with the area, her cultivation speed had become several times faster than before—a fact that had been a persistent question in her mind.
Through days spent with Amiryda and Betty, she had learned much about Zhong Shenxiu, yet this knowledge only generated more questions!
Firstly, she needed to know where this young boy originated from, and why he exuded such endless mystery!
And what about his personality? How was it that he didn't seem like a normal child at all?
They said he was strong, frighteningly strong, but to what extent exactly? Was he stronger than a dragon?
During this recent period, Rogelia had gained a new method to pass the time: contemplating these strange questions alone. (This naive elf had yet to realize that the more she contemplated, the deeper she would sink, very possibly becoming unable to extricate herself!)
Rogelia's meditation period was three hours. She had just finished, but instead of leaving immediately, she gazed absently at the reflection of the moon in the spring water.
The gentle moonlight, refracted by the water, illuminated her face, making her appear transcendently beautiful, like a fairy descended from the heavens! No wonder people often said that Elves were inherently incarnations of beauty; there was clearly a reason for it!
Just as Rogelia drifted back into contemplation, a strange sound of something slicing through the air startled her awake. When she blinked and looked around, she was astonished to find two figures standing not far away, right in the center of the "Moonlight Spring"!
One of them was the young boy she had just been pondering, and the other... Dear gods, what was wrong with her?
Rogelia nearly cried out, for she could finally see Robin's condition clearly!
Just as she questioned whether this was a hallucination, Zhong Shenxiu turned his head and glanced at her. That look of profound melancholy stunned Rogelia into silence! His gaze was like that of a solitary camel in the vast desert—was it loneliness or sorrow? It was something to ponder!
Rogelia felt her heart resonate, beating restlessly, as if her entire soul had received some kind of summons. Her eyes could no longer shift away from Zhong Shenxiu's expression!
What kind of emotion could produce such a look?
Was he grieving for the woman in his arms?
As Rogelia speculated, Zhong Shenxiu had already turned his face away.
This was the most suitable place for treating Robin. Although the spring hadn't been useful during the crossing of the Heavenly Tribulation, the moonlight essence contained within the water was a supreme spiritual medicine for mending Robin's meridians!
Zhong Shenxiu began weaving hand seals again. He needed to make adjustments to the formation here, to make the moonlight essence condense faster and purer! The surrounding protective great formation was no longer necessary; the focus now was to unleash the full efficacy of this "Moonlight Spring"!
As seven-colored light flickered, the previously placid water began to dance joyfully, emitting a "whoosh-whoosh" sound.
Rogelia was jolted awake. When she looked toward Zhong Shenxiu again, she witnessed the scene of him slowly sinking into the spring, still holding Robin!
"No!" Rogelia cried out in alarm, thinking Zhong Shenxiu was attempting to end his life. Ignoring everything else, she channeled her wind magic, intent on rushing over to save them!
However, she was horrified to discover that she could not activate any magic at all. It was as if all ambient magical elements had been frozen, utterly impossible to manipulate. It wasn't just wind magic; even water magic was failing—all inert!
How could this be?
This phenomenon was entirely new to Rogelia, but the current situation allowed no time for deep thought, as the water had already covered Zhong Shenxiu's neck.
Drawing on courage she didn't know she possessed, though she was clearly a mere mortal, she leaped toward the spring without hesitation!
But, just as when she had encountered Zhong Shenxiu here before, she was thrown back by an invisible force. That momentary delay was enough; Zhong Shenxiu and Robin had completely submerged. The once-dancing water returned to its calm state!
Ignoring the sting on her backside, Rogelia scrambled up and rushed back to the edge of the bank. Through the clear water, she could distinctly see the two figures below, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, seated cross-legged, hands pressed together!
Rogelia was stunned silent—for the simple reason that the two figures she saw underwater were completely naked; their clothes had vanished!
This was utterly bizarre, so bizarre that it even made Rogelia forget to blush!
Just then, Rogelia's body stiffened, because Zhong Shenxiu looked up and met her gaze. While that look was no longer melancholic, his eyes were profound beyond measure!
As Rogelia remained mesmerized, the water's surface suddenly changed, creating circles of ripples. As these ripples spread outwards, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin's figures disappeared!
How could this be?
Rogelia's eyes widened. She could clearly see every blade of grass and every pebble at the bottom of the pool, yet she could no longer find any trace of Zhong Shenxiu or Robin!
Time passed slowly, and Rogelia remained rooted there. The moonlight in the sky began to fade, and a pale, fish-belly white appeared in the distance; dawn was seemingly about to break!
Finally, ripples stirred on the water's surface again, and then Zhong Shenxiu's figure slowly emerged.
After a brief moment of shock, Rogelia's face instantly flushed scarlet.
The reason was simple: Zhong Shenxiu had surfaced completely naked, displaying his little backside...