# 195
**Chapter 195 – Heaven-Return Jade**
Where is this…?
In a daze, Shen Qingzhu slowly opened his eyes.
In the darkness, he was being carried on the back of a chubby figure, inching forward step by step. The person beneath him was gasping for breath, body trembling uncontrollably from exhaustion.
“Fatty?” Shen Qingzhu frowned, his voice hoarse and weak.
Baili Pangpang clicked his tongue in annoyance. “I save your life, carry you for almost half an hour, and the first thing you say is ‘Fatty’?”
Shen Qingzhu was silent for a long time, then slowly said, “Baili Tuming…”
“That’s more like it.”
“Li Liang and Deng Wei…”
“Don’t worry, I got them out. Wen Qingqing’s treating them. They’re not in life-threatening danger.”
Shen Qingzhu was quiet for a moment, then said softly, “Thank you…”
“Thank my ass. They’re my comrades too. Saving them is what I should do. Don’t act like you owe me some huge favor,” Baili Pangpang muttered.
“Where are we?”
“No idea. The mountain seems to have flipped over. This looks like some kind of cave.” Baili Pangpang panted. “But it’s massive and full of twists and turns. I’ve been walking forever and still haven’t found a way out.”
Shen Qingzhu frowned. “Put me down. I can walk.”
“Walk my ass,” Baili Pangpang said with a pained expression. “Half an hour ago, you were practically knocking on death’s door. If I hadn’t used the Heaven-Return Jade to keep you alive, you’d be chatting with the King of Hell right now.”
“Heaven-Return Jade?” Shen Qingzhu froze, reaching into his chest. His fingers quickly found a warm, thin piece of jade.
“That’s the real deal. It carries Forbidden Ruins Sequence 040 – ‘Heaven-Return.’ As long as you’ve got one breath left, it can drag you back from the brink of death. It can even nourish your soul. Most importantly, it can block a soul attack once, regardless of the attacker’s level.”
Baili Pangpang looked like he was about to cry. “Regardless of level! You know what that means? Even if a god tries to kill you, it can protect your soul!
There’s only one of these in all of Great Xia, and it’s in my family. My dad guards it like a treasure. He only gave it to me this time because I was heading out for training…
Damn it, the more I think about it, the more I feel ripped off. You don’t have to count the favor of saving Li Liang and Deng Wei, but this Heaven-Return Jade? You owe me big time. If you don’t save me ten or eight times in the future, I’ll cry myself to sleep.”
The more Baili Pangpang talked, the more heartbroken he looked, as if he’d forgotten how exhausted he was.
Shen Qingzhu gently stroked the warm jade on his chest. After a long silence, a determined look appeared in his eyes.
“Thank you… I will repay this debt.”
Baili Pangpang didn’t reply. He just continued carrying Shen Qingzhu forward, step by step…
After who knows how long, faint footsteps echoed from deeper in the cave.
Baili Pangpang and Shen Qingzhu both held their breath, hiding behind a jutting rock.
A faint firelight appeared ahead. Zhuang Qi held a lighter in one hand and a hunting knife slung over his shoulder, frowning as he walked toward their hiding spot.
Behind him followed a man entirely clad in silver.
They were the two “River Realm” experts who had been chasing Lin Qiye earlier.
“What the hell is this place… We were just in the mountains, and now we’ve fallen into this pit?” Zhuang Qi muttered coldly. “Made me lose my target. Who knows if I’ll ever find that brat again in this damn place.”
“Probably an Earth Dragon,” the silver man behind him said.
“Earth Dragon?”
“A powerful mystery creature. Usually only found in famous or ancient mountains. Their strength ranges from River Realm to Klein. There’ve been a few sightings in history, so they’re not unheard of.
Legend says when an Earth Dragon turns, it transfers whatever was on its back into the underground caves it lives in. This time, only a few peaks were affected, so it probably hasn’t reached Infinity level yet.”
“But aren’t they only supposed to appear in famous or ancient mountains? This Jinan Mountain is nothing special. Where’d an Earth Dragon come from?”
“No idea.”
“…”
As the two walked and talked, the silver man suddenly stopped. He frowned and sniffed the air.
“There’s blood. Close,” he said.
Zhuang Qi narrowed his eyes. His hunting knife instantly shattered into hundreds of tiny fragments, surging forward like a swarm of locusts into the narrow passage ahead!
Baili Pangpang’s heart sank. He knew they’d been exposed. Without hesitation, he turned and ran, carrying Shen Qingzhu on his back. At the same time, the 【Yaoguang】 on his chest transformed into a golden shield that blocked behind them.
Zhuang Qi’s blade shards slammed into the golden shield, rapidly slicing at its surface. The shield dimmed visibly.
Baili Pangpang was already at his physical limit, and now he was carrying Shen Qingzhu. Even with all his strength, he couldn’t run fast…
Bang—!
The golden shield finally shattered into sparks of light. At the same time, the silver man behind Zhuang Qi transformed into a cheetah and shot forward like lightning.
He was too fast. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed the winding cave and was closing in on Baili Pangpang’s back.
Shen Qingzhu, still on Baili Pangpang’s back, narrowed his eyes. A determined look flashed across his face. He tried to loosen his arms from Baili Pangpang’s neck to jump down and block the enemy, but Baili Pangpang’s arms were like iron clamps, refusing to let go.
“Put me down, or we both die!” Shen Qingzhu growled.
“Shut the hell up!” Baili Pangpang snarled, eyes bloodshot, a wild look on his face. He reached into his pocket…
Boom—!!
Just then, the top of the cave behind them exploded. A figure dropped from above, landing perfectly on the sprinting silver man’s head!
Clang—!
A Straight Blade was drawn.
A deep blue arc flashed through the air. The black military coat spun mid-air as the blade slashed toward the silver man’s neck!
The silver man’s pupils contracted. Metal wings sprouted from his back, crossing to block the Straight Blade!
The clash of metal rang out. The figure used the rebound to land lightly, placing himself between Baili Pangpang and the silver man.
Small stones rained from the hole above. In the swirling dust, Lin Qiye, clad in a black military coat and holding a Straight Blade, slowly opened his eyes. His golden pupils blazed like twin suns in the dark cave.