Chapter 28: The Divine Physician Breaks the Deadlock, Facing New Perils

Zhan Qingxue followed Niu Yichen’s gaze and gasped.

Before them lay not the cavernous tunnel they had expected, but a vast, ethereal expanse. Multicolored lights intertwined and pulsed, resembling a nebula map from a science fiction film, yet carrying an oppressive weight that made one’s heart tremble. Before she could react, a powerful suction dragged them both inside.

When they opened their eyes again, Niu Yichen and Zhan Qingxue found themselves in a bizarre, otherworldly realm. Countless translucent energy crystals floated all around, radiating dazzling light. These crystals varied in shape; some were as brilliant as diamonds, others as clear as crystal, and some as warm and lustrous as amber.

"What the hell? What kind of place is this?" Zhan Qingxue exclaimed, feeling an adrenaline rush even more intense than in a haunted house.

Niu Yichen frowned, scanning the environment with vigilance. He reached out, intending to touch a nearby energy crystal, but the moment his fingertip was about to make contact, a violent surge of energy erupted.

"Watch out!" Niu Yichen pulled Zhan Qingxue behind him, using his own body to shield her from the impact.

The energy wave slammed into him with a dull thud. He let out a muffled groan, feeling as if he had been struck by a speeding truck; his internal organs seemed to shudder.

"Brother Chen, are you okay?" Zhan Qingxue asked anxiously.

Niu Yichen waved his hand to signal he was fine. However, before he could recover, the surrounding energy crystals seemed to be agitated by some stimulus and began firing waves of attacks. One barrage after another descended like a torrential storm, leaving them nowhere to hide.

Zhan Qingxue felt as though her body were being torn apart, the pain unbearable. Niu Yichen held her tightly, enduring the onslaught for her.

"This won't do!" Niu Yichen gritted his teeth, suppressing the agony as his mind raced. He realized the attacks from these energy crystals were not entirely chaotic, but rather…

"Qingxue," Niu Yichen suddenly spoke, "have you noticed that the way these things attack… it’s almost like they’re dancing?"

Zhan Qingxue looked bewildered. "Dancing? Brother Chen, are you sure you weren't hit too hard in the head? They’re about to blast us to smithereens, and you're talking about dancing?"

Ignoring her sarcasm, Niu Yichen pointed at the crystals. "Look, their flashing frequency and attack trajectories—don't they have a sense of rhythm? Don't they look like the footwork of the aunties doing square dancing?"

Zhan Qingxue took a closer look, and to her surprise, despite the ferocity of the attacks, there really did seem to be a pattern. She couldn't help but retort, "Brother Chen, your perspective is… truly something else! But it actually does look like that."

Niu Yichen’s lips curled into a slight smile. "The essence of square dancing lies in the footwork; let's use some footwork ourselves!"

As he spoke, he pulled Zhan Qingxue through the gaps between the energy crystals, moving as if they were waltzing on a dance floor. Relying on his precise grasp of this "rhythm," Niu Yichen led Zhan Qingxue through the barrage, dodging fatal blows time and again.

"Three steps left, two steps right, one step back, then spin and leap!" Niu Yichen chanted, as if he were truly performing a square dance.

Zhan Qingxue gradually adapted to this bizarre method of evasion and even began to enjoy it. "Brother Chen, your footwork is actually impressive! It’s smoother than my ghost-step dancing!"

While dodging, Niu Yichen secretly channeled his Longevity Power. He discovered that these crystals contained incredibly pure energy, and if he could absorb and convert it, it would be a massive boost to his strength. He took a deep breath, pushing his Longevity Power to the limit, and began to absorb the surrounding energy.

At first, the energy was violent and difficult to control, but as his mastery of the Longevity Power grew, he gradually tamed the energy and assimilated it. Streams of pure power poured into his body, which seemed to act as a bottomless pit, greedily devouring the force. His aura grew stronger, and his once-pale face regained its rosy hue.

Zhan Qingxue watched his transformation in amazement, her eyes filled with admiration. "Brother Chen, are you… are you about to ascend on the spot?"

At that moment, a mysterious voice echoed through the space: "Congratulations on passing the first trial, but the true challenge has only just begun..."

Niu Yichen and Zhan Qingxue exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.

"Brother Chen…" Zhan Qingxue gripped his hand tightly.

"Don't be afraid," Niu Yichen patted her hand. "I'm here."

No sooner had the voice faded than several energy creatures shimmering with ghostly blue light appeared in the center of the space. They were bizarre in shape, resembling giant insects, waving sharp claws and emitting ear-piercing hisses.

"Damn it, these things are way tougher than those crystal lumps!" Zhan Qingxue couldn't help but swear.

Niu Yichen did not hesitate, immediately manifesting his golden needles to cast a defensive formation around them. Zhan Qingxue did not fall behind, manipulating the surrounding energy crystals to fire at the creatures like cannonballs.

The energy creatures threw themselves at the defensive formation without fear of death. Niu Yichen’s expression was grim; maintaining the formation consumed a vast amount of his internal energy, and if this continued, he would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

"Brother Chen, hold on!" Zhan Qingxue shouted, attacking while cheering him on.

Just as Niu Yichen was nearing his limit, a flash of inspiration struck him. He remembered the mysterious artifact he had obtained earlier. It contained immense power; if he could integrate it into the formation…

"It's now or never!" Niu Yichen gritted his teeth and poured the artifact’s power into the formation.

The formation flared with brilliant light, and the previously faltering defense became as solid as a fortress. Furthermore, the formation began to strike back, firing golden rays that repelled the energy creatures.

Seizing the opportunity, the two launched a joint assault. They realized that while these creatures were powerful, they had a fatal weakness: they feared a specific frequency of energy fluctuation. With seamless coordination, Niu Yichen controlled the fluctuations while Zhan Qingxue delivered the precision strikes. Soon, the energy creatures were eliminated one by one.

"Congratulations, you have passed the trial," the mysterious voice echoed again. "You are the successors chosen by the ancient guardians..."

As the voice vanished, a surge of powerful energy flooded into Niu Yichen, and his strength instantly reached a new realm.

Zhan Qingxue hugged Niu Yichen excitedly, her eyes brimming with adoration and love. "Brother Chen, you’re amazing!"

Niu Yichen looked at her, a wave of warmth washing over him. He lowered his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered, "Qingxue…"

"Qingxue," he murmured, his voice slightly raspy, "do you know? I really thought we were done for just now. It’s a good thing you reminded me that those things were like square-dancing aunties, or we would’ve become space junk."

Zhan Qingxue giggled and playfully punched his arm. "You’re still cracking jokes at a time like this! But Brother Chen, your square dancing is actually pretty good. You should consider a second career in the park after you retire."

Niu Yichen laughed and pulled her closer. "Retire? That’ll have to wait until we’re immortal. But honestly, Qingxue, going through this with you feels even more exciting than cultivation."

Leaning into his embrace and listening to his steady heartbeat, Zhan Qingxue felt an unprecedented sense of peace. "Brother Chen, I feel the same. With you here, even if the sky falls, I’m not afraid."

Niu Yichen kissed her forehead. "Silly, as long as I’m here, I’ll hold up the sky for you."

They shared a kiss, their love glowing as brilliantly as the flickering energy crystals in this strange, surreal space.

After a long while, they parted. Niu Yichen stroked her hair and said softly, "Qingxue, once we return…"

Before he could finish, his expression shifted, and he abruptly pulled Zhan Qingxue behind him. He sensed a cold, chilling presence approaching rapidly—a presence more powerful than any enemy they had encountered so far, carrying a suffocating pressure.

"What is it, Brother Chen?" Zhan Qingxue asked, sensing his sudden tension.

Niu Yichen did not answer. He narrowed his eyes, locking his gaze onto a point in the void, and said in a deep voice, "It’s here…"