Transmigrating Into a Fantasy World: Signing in During Pregnancy, Reaching the Summit with My Childhood Sweetheart

202: Chapter 202: The Remnants of the Valley and the First Recovery of the Star KeyIcy river water crashed down upon him as the heart-palpitations brought on by the feeling of weightlessness instantly seized Nangong Xuan’s remaining consciousness. He forced his heavy eyelids open, and through the misty spray, he saw a vast valley below embraced by steep mountain walls. It was lush and green, a stark contrast to the desolate Gobi and the filthy deep sea he had previously experienced. There seemed to be a large lake in the center of the valley where the waterfall fed into, with simple but sturdy wooden houses scattered along the lakeshore.

Before he could take a closer look, there was a loud splash as the small wooden boat slammed hard into the lake’s surface, instantly shattering into pieces! The freezing lake water rushed into his mouth and nose, and the massive impact nearly shook Nangong Xuan’s already fragile body completely apart.

He gritted his teeth and, relying on his last instincts, grabbed the unconscious Su Muxue and Zi Linger with each hand, struggling desperately toward the surface. Within his Dantian, the newly added water star key trembled slightly, and a faint but gentle power of water spiritual energy surged out of its own accord, lifting the three of them and slowing their descent.

Splash—

The three of them struggled to the surface, coughing violently. The cold lake water actually helped clear their minds a bit.

”Cough, cough... Brother Xuan...” Su Muxue opened her eyes weakly. Seeing that Nangong Xuan was unharmed, she breathed a sigh of relief, but was immediately set shivering by the cold lake water. Zi Linger also slowly woke up, her face as pale as paper.

At this moment, the three of them were in a truly pathetic state. Their clothes were shredded and they were soaked to the bone. Although the blood had been washed away, their auras were withered and they were covered in wounds. They looked no different from Mortals who had fallen into the water, lacking even half the appearance of a Cultivator.

Their appearance had clearly startled the residents of the valley.

Soon, several rugged wooden rafts rowed swiftly from the shore. Standing on the rafts were several burly men dressed in coarse hemp clothes, holding harpoons or simple crossbows. Their skin was dark, their physiques robust, and their sharp eyes held a deep wariness and scrutiny. There were no obvious fluctuations of Spiritual Qi on them, but their blood energy was exceptionally vigorous, and their movements carried a fierce jungle aura.

”Who are you? Where did you come from?!” shouted a middle-aged man with a scar on his face. He pointed his harpoon at the three of them, his gaze lingering for a moment on the extraordinary-looking ancient sword at Nangong Xuan’s waist, his wariness deepening. Their language had a slightly ancient rhythm, but it was mostly understandable.

Thoughts raced through Nangong Xuan’s mind. They were currently in a terrible state and completely unable to use force. Furthermore, they were in an unfamiliar place, so it was not wise to start a conflict. He took a deep breath, suppressed his injuries, and tried to make his tone sound peaceful and weak: ”We are... traveling merchants who encountered a shipwreck. Our boat was smashed by a storm, and we were swept into an underground river by undercurrents, luckily drifting here... We mean no harm, we only seek a moment’s rest.” He deliberately hid their identities as Cultivators and their previous earth-shattering experiences.

The scarred man’s gaze swept back and forth over the three of them, clearly not believing this story. Merchants? What merchant family would bring two such beautiful women who had no cultivation (Su Muxue and Zi Linger’s auras were restrained, and coupled with their heavy injuries, they looked no different from Mortals), and manage to survive that perilous waterfall undercurrent? Especially Nangong Xuan—though his aura was weak, the sharpness and steadiness deep in his eyes were definitely not something an ordinary merchant would possess.

However, he looked at the trio’s miserable appearance, then at the completely shattered wreckage of the small boat. After a moment of silence, he gave a look to someone behind him. That person nodded and dived into the water, resurfacing a moment later and shaking his head at the scarred man, indicating there were no other anomalies or traces of ships underwater.

The scarred man’s expression softened slightly, but his wariness did not vanish. He waved his hand, ”Take them back to the village first and keep them under guard! Wait for the Elder’s decision!”

Several men jumped into the water and hauled the three, who were almost unable to move on their own, onto the rafts. They confiscated Nangong Xuan’s ancient sword and the three’s accompanying Storage Pouches (fortunately, the most important star keys and star Core were in his Dantian or his robes and were not discovered), then rowed the rafts toward the village by the lake.

The village was larger than it looked from a distance. The houses were orderly, mostly built of giant stones and rough wood in a rugged and ancient style. Villagers flocked around upon hearing the news—men, women, young and old, all dressed in hemp clothes, observing these three uninvited guests with curiosity and wariness. Their eyes held a sense of isolation, untouched by the outside world, within their simplicity.

Nangong Xuan observed secretly and found that these villagers indeed had no traces of cultivating Spiritual Qi in their bodies, but their Physical Body strength generally far exceeded that of Mortals. Even the children appeared exceptionally agile as they ran and jumped. The Spiritual Qi in this valley was also quite thin, even worse than the outside world, but it contained a peculiar aura that nourished the Physical Body.

They were taken into the largest stone house, where an old man with white hair and a beard sat. His face was covered in wrinkles, but his eyes were exceptionally clear and bright. He leaned on a gnarled wooden staff, his aura calm as if he were one with the entire valley.

”Elder, the people have been brought. They say they are shipwrecked merchants,” the scarred man reported respectfully.

The Elder slowly opened his eyes, his gaze like warm ancient jade, scanning the three of them one by one. His gaze paused slightly when it passed over Nangong Xuan, a flash of indiscernible surprise flickering through before he looked at Su Muxue and Zi Linger. Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice aged but carrying a power that calmed the heart: ”Guests from afar, you have been startled. I am the Elder of this village, Elder Mu Li. Rest assured and recover from your injuries here. Though the valley is poor, there are no Yao Beast attacks for now, so it is quite safe.”

His tone was peaceful and held no ill intent. Nangong Xuan breathed a small sigh of relief and thanked him again: ”Thank you for taking us in, Elder.”

Elder Elder Mu Li nodded and said to the scarred man, ”Shi Meng, take the guests to an empty room to rest. Bring some clean clothes and food over. Their injuries are not light; go to the medicine hut and get some ’Green Fern Ointment’.”

The scarred man named Shi Meng responded. Although he remained wary, he had no objection to the Elder’s command.

The three were settled in a clean and simple stone room, changed into dry hemp clothes, and applied the ointment sent by the villagers, which emitted a cool herbal fragrance. The ointment’s effect was surprisingly good; as soon as it was applied to the wounds, a sliver of coolness seeped in, greatly reducing the pain, and the wounds began to heal slowly.

Once the villagers had left and only the three of them remained in the room, they truly breathed a sigh of relief.

”That was close... These people seem to have no cultivation, but their Physical Bodies are so strong,” Zi Linger whispered. Sensing the vitality in the ointment, she judged, ”This ointment is formulated from many aged Spiritual Plants. Although the refining method is crude, the medicinal effect is excellent. This valley is not simple.”

Su Muxue also nodded, ”That Elder... the feeling he gives me is very peculiar. He seems unfathomable, yet he truly has no fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.”

Nangong Xuan sat cross-legged and took a deep breath. ”Regardless of that for now, recovering our strength as quickly as possible is the priority.” He looked inward at his Dantian.

The four-cornered balance formed by the four star keys (fragments) rotated slowly. Although their light was slightly dim, a strange power flowed between them, complementing each other. The guidance of the phantom star key, the emptiness of the Nirvana True Seal, the sharpness of the sharp metal star key, and the nourishment of the water star key—the four characteristics faintly blended within the balance, spontaneously absorbing the thin but peculiar energy in the valley, slowly and steadily nourishing his Physical Body, Meridians, and Divine Soul.

Especially the newly added water star key—although there was still a small, stubborn dark green stain at its Core that hadn’t been completely purified, the vast water spiritual power it emitted was of great benefit for healing, greatly accelerating his recovery process.

At this rate, perhaps in just a few days, he could recover most of his strength. Su Muxue and Zi Linger’s injuries were lighter, so they would recover even faster.

He then checked the chaos star core in his robes. The star Core was still silent, like a dark-golden stone, but upon careful sensing, he could find that a storm seemed to be brewing within it. The massive amount of energy it had swallowed was being slowly and painstakingly digested, refined, and fused. Lin Mo’s consciousness was still slumbering, but it seemed slightly more solid than before.

They were safe for the time being.

But Nangong Xuan did not relax. This valley was isolated from the world, the villagers’ physiques were abnormal, and the Elder’s gaze was like a torch; this was definitely no ordinary village. Whether their recovery here would be a blessing or a curse was yet unknown.

Furthermore, the terrifying existence in the Northern Dark Abyss and the Jin Jue Sect’s overwhelming pursuit were like swords hanging over their heads, ready to fall again at any time.

He had to recover as quickly as possible, then figure out the situation here, find a way to leave, and continue to the Southern Wilderness Molten Heart to find the fire star key.

Just as he was lost in thought, there was a soft knock on the door.

Elder Elder Mu Li’s peaceful voice came from outside: ”Guests, may I come in for a chat?”