Chapter 824: Two-Person World

The Quantian Biyue Jiao’s attempt to drown him with water was a grave miscalculation.

For any other human master, even a Grandmaster, being dragged to the bottom of the unfathomable pool would have been incredibly difficult. Humans are at a disadvantage in water, both for breathing and fighting.

However, Zu An possessed the ‘Azure Duck’ skill, granting him immense water affinity. In the water, he felt completely at home.

The Quantian Biyue Jiao never anticipated such a turn of events. Seeing Zu An not only unaffected but growing stronger with each passing moment, its massive psychological shock threw it into a panic. Furthermore, Zu An had approached its vulnerable inverse scale. Ultimately, after a fierce struggle, it was slain by Zu An.

Zu An then dove into the pool. Protected by ‘Azure Duck,’ he moved as if on solid ground, quickly searching the surroundings.

Due to the cascading waterfall and the recent battle, the water was extremely turbulent, and visibility was poor. However, this did not hinder Zu An’s sight.

He could discern the situation in the pool by sensing water elements, without needing to use his eyes.

Suddenly, his heart stirred, and he swiftly dived, cutting a line through the water like a nimble fish.

Soon, he spotted Bi Linglong. She was struggling desperately in the water, her face flushed crimson.

It turned out she was caught in several underwater currents and couldn't break free no matter how she swam.

A sixth-rank cultivator could form a Qi protective barrier around their body, allowing them to store a small amount of air. However, in her current state, she had clearly exhausted her air supply.

Bi Linglong was now in a state of oxygen deprivation, unable to even maintain her elemental shield. She had no idea how much water she had swallowed, and a hint of despair flashed in her eyes. She hadn't expected to come down here only to fail at saving anyone, but to drown herself.

Just then, a familiar man suddenly appeared in her vision.

She felt a moment of disorientation. She had heard that people experience hallucinations before death, but she hadn't expected to think of him in her final moments, instead of her parents or the Crown Prince.

At that moment, she felt a powerful arm wrap around her, and a steady voice seemed to whisper in her ear, "It's alright!"

Her heart eased, and she could no longer hold on, directly losing consciousness.

Zu An was surprised that she had fainted. He looked up. They were already close to the bottom of the pool, and it would take some time to reach the surface. He worried she might not be able to last that long.

Suddenly, a bright light flashed. He looked back and saw a shimmering water shield not far below, seemingly containing a vast cavern.

A thought sparked in his mind: this must be the Quantian Biyue Jiao’s lair. It must have used its water abilities to create an energy barrier nearby, isolating a space within.

Since this was its lair, it had also set up some formations outside. The whirlpools that had just trapped Bi Linglong were probably one of them.

Without delay, he quickly carried Bi Linglong to the transparent light shield.

The shield clearly had restrictions, but they couldn't stop Zu An. His affinity with water elements allowed him to place his hand on the shield, quickly resonating with the water elements inside, and then he passed directly through the barrier with Bi Linglong.

Inside the shield was a relatively dry world; apart from some shallow puddles on the ground, the rest of the space was filled with air.

Zu An carried Bi Linglong to a raised platform. "Linglong, wake up quickly?"

Unfortunately, she was unconscious and showed no reaction.

Zu An’s gaze fell upon her slightly distended abdomen, and he immediately realized she had swallowed an unknown amount of water. He quickly began emergency resuscitation.

He crossed his palms and pressed repeatedly on her chest. He suddenly recalled that when he first transmigrated to this world, he had saved Xue’er in the same manner, only to be seen by Chu Chuyan.

Surely, it wouldn’t be such a coincidence that someone would misunderstand again this time?

After pressing for a while, his expression gradually turned solemn. Although she had expelled a good deal of water, she remained unconscious, and her breathing grew weaker, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, threatening to extinguish at any moment.

He quickly bent down, continuing chest compressions while giving her rescue breaths.

After an unknown period of resuscitation, a cough broke the silence, and Bi Linglong slowly opened her eyes.

Zu An let out a sigh of relief. "You're finally awake. Looks like my first-world aid knowledge wasn't wasted after all."

"Ah Zu..." Bi Linglong dimly saw his face, somewhat disbelievingly. "Am I dead? Are we meeting in the Underworld?"

"Bah, bah, bah! We're perfectly alive. What's this talk of dying?" Zu An quickly corrected her.

"Did you save me?" Bi Linglong regained her senses, asking with a mix of surprise and joy.

"Of course," Zu An said, looking pleased with himself. "I kept pressing you, so much that my hand went numb..."

He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing something was amiss. In this world, they apparently didn't know this was a form of first aid.

As expected, Bi Linglong looked down and saw his large hand still on her chest. Her face instantly flushed crimson, and her maidenly instinct made her instinctively raise her hand and slap him across the face. "Shameless!"

Zu An jumped back, dodging the blow. "Don't be ungrateful! I was saving you. If I hadn't kept pressing, how else could I have expelled all that water you swallowed? You'd be dead by now."

Bi Linglong sat upright, clutching her chest tightly. "Couldn't you have just pressed my vital points and used your Qi to force the water out of my stomach? Why did you have to press my... my chest?"

Zu An paused, then remembered that when Chu Chuyan saved the drowning Xue’er, she had indeed just lightly pressed a few points to expel the water. He couldn't help but chuckle awkwardly. "That's the rescue method from my hometown. It's ingrained in me; I didn't think of using Qi to force it out in the moment."

Bi Linglong was speechless.

Her gaze suddenly fell upon his lips, which seemed to have some lip gloss on them. The color looked familiar. She instinctively touched her own mouth, then swung her palm at him. "You actually took advantage of me!"

In her eyes, it was less anger and more disappointment. She hadn't expected him to take advantage of her vulnerability and commit such a despicable act.

Zu An dodged while protesting defensively, "I was saving you! Your breathing had stopped. In my hometown, this is called artificial respiration; it's how we save drowning people."

Bi Linglong chased him, her face a mix of shame and indignation. "Nonsense! What part of Brightmoon City has such a custom? If drowning women were saved like that, how could they ever live in peace again?"

Zu An found himself in a bind. He truly couldn't explain. In everyone's eyes, Brightmoon City was his hometown. He couldn't exactly say he was a transmigrator from Earth, could he?

From his mind, Mi Li’s soft chuckle echoed: "Serves you right!"

At this moment, she quietly sat nearby, leisurely watching the drama unfold. As long as she didn't wish it, Bi Linglong couldn't see her anyway.

Seeing Zu An's silence, Bi Linglong grew even more mortified. "See? You're too guilty to say anything, aren't you?"

Zu An also became annoyed. "How is it that you're right no matter what? Fine, I'm not dodging anymore! Is there any part of your body I haven't held, haven't touched? Do I need to use this method to take advantage of you?"

Bi Linglong’s face instantly turned scarlet. "You!"

However, she had to admit there was some truth to his words. Given the circumstances when they had embraced, he truly wouldn't have needed such means to take advantage of her.

Moreover, based on their interactions over this period, he didn't seem like that kind of person.

Her anger earlier was merely the mortification of a maiden’s modesty. Now, as she gradually calmed down, she slowly began to believe his words.

She was, after all, no ordinary woman. Taking a deep breath, she composed herself. "I'm sorry. I was a bit flustered and impulsive just now. Thank you for saving me."

Zu An was somewhat surprised, not expecting her to be so reasonable. He couldn't help but look at her in a new light. "I find I'm growing quite fond of you."

"Who wants you to like them?" Bi Linglong retorted, spitting lightly with a blush, and cautiously took a step back. "Don't ever say such things outside, or you'll be in mortal danger."

Zu An couldn't help but laugh. "Are you concerned about me? So, I can't say it outside, but I can say it when it's just the two of us?"

From a distance, Mi Li scoffed inwardly, "Tsk, what a scoundrel. Tricking another innocent girl."

However, she also knew that a dignified Crown Princess, with her vast experience, was hardly an "innocent girl."

"It's not allowed even when it's just the two of us," Bi Linglong said, a little flustered. Her heart was pounding wildly. She had always preferred feeling in control, but now there were clear signs of things getting out of hand.

"But I just heard them say that you saw me in danger and jumped down to save me without hesitation?" Zu An gazed intensely at the beautiful and noble woman before him.