Chapter 102: Back Then

Above the surface, giant waves crashed through broken ice, and a storm roared thunderously. But it was as calm as ever in the bottom of the sea.

Ji Yunhe looked at the shimmering lingzhi on the seabed and murmured, "It's good to let bygones be bygones, but if I don't mention it, there will always be a thorn in his heart." She touched a lingzhi.

"When Changyi returns, I should tell him everything." She made up her mind and rubbed her belly.

"This big-tailed fish is so slow today. Is he cooking up a feast?"

Remembering the mark he had planted on her, she closed her eyes and pictured his face. Her ear felt a cool tingle, and her vision floated out of the deep sea.

She thought she would see trees and greenery, but the vision was full of thunder clouds and rolling fog. Occasionally, she could hear sounds of weapons clashing against each other. Suddenly, blood splattered out of the misty haze. Ji Yunhe opened her eyes violently. Something had happened to Changyi!

She stood up and tried to summon her power, but as soon as she mobilized the energy in her body, she felt a burning heat inside her chest. There were still some remnants of the fire poison left. Ji Yunhe did not want to wait anymore. She squatted down and plucked a couple of sea lingzhi, stuffed them into her mouth and ate them.

The sea lingzhi suppressed the fire and she immediately broke through Changyi's magic barrier. The further she went up, the faster the darkness faded. Ji Yunhe felt the churning waves of the sea before she even reached the surface.

She grew more anxious. Nine tails appeared behind her as the sudden daylight blinded her vision. She closed her eyes and leaped onto the cliff. It was empty aside from a pile of fruits still resting on the ground, padded by a leaf. They had been battered by the wind and rain.

Ji Yunhe tried to sense the whereabouts of Changyi again, but the connection felt weak and far away, as if he had already gone thousands of miles during the time it took for her to come up.

"Master Warden! Protector!"

The shout came from the sea below. Ji Yunhe looked down from the cliff and saw Qu Xiaoxing floating on a piece of ice among the waves. She flew down and pulled him up.

"What happened?" she asked him.

"Where is Changyi?"

The Frozen Sea had been shattered as far as the eye could see. Dark clouds were still rolling in the sky with heavy rain pouring down. Qu Xiaoxing wiped his face and gasped for breath.

"Princess Shun... Shunde was here..."

Ji Yunhe looked at the wreckage all around and was very puzzled.

"Her? Did the Grand Master come too?"

"The Grand Master did not come, but Princess Shunde somehow had a pair of giant green wings. At first we thought it was Qing Ji. Shunde was extremely strong, her battle with the jiaoren changed the winds and clouds. And it looked like he still had some previous injuries, he... I told Luo Jinsang to go get help from the north, I myself would try to find you, but I could not get down... " Qu Xiaoxing sounded very distressed.

"He... while he was saving me, Shunde attacked him from behind..."

Ji Yunhe's face grew pale as she recalled the blood in her vision and her body trembled uncontrollably.

Qu Xiaoxing continued, "He... he was taken away..."

"Taken away? Changyi didn't..." Ji Yunhe paused, trying to calm herself down, "he didn't die, he was just taken away, right?"

"Right."

She felt slightly relieved. Knowing he was still alive, she suppressed her panic and began to analyze the situation.