Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

Ying Huai really wanted to turn around to touch Xu Xingguang, to see if she was there, but was afraid the person he touched wouldn’t be Xu Xingguang.

Ying Huai’s mind was in turmoil, just as he planned to call out to Xu Xingguang, he heard Xu Xingguang say, ”Don’t look around, just keep walking forward, I’m right behind you.”

Clear and crisp, but not cold, it was indeed Sister Xingguang’s voice.

Ying Huai felt relieved and followed Xu Xingguang’s instructions, continuing onward with Ying Jing and Ying Zhongmei.

They didn’t know how long they walked before they finally saw a light.

The light was flickering, and it looked like...

Ying Huai couldn’t find the right adjective, after all, he was young and lacked experience.

Xu Xingguang said, ”Ahead is the sea.” The shimmering light was what sunlight passing through seawater looked like.

Ying Huai looked again at the light and shadows, realizing it indeed resembled the light from within the sea.

Ying Zhongmei didn’t join the discussion, but her eyes were fixated on the light, feeling nervous and tense at the thought of the Divine Martial Realm lying behind it.

”We’re almost there.”

Since entering the Medicine King Tower, this was the first time Ying Jing spoke.

Ying Zhongmei responded, while Ying Huai and Xu Xingguang remained silent.

Not hearing a response from the two behind her, Ying Jing didn’t mind, she stared at the light and said, ”After passing through that light, you’ll enter the Barrier Gate between the Divine Martial Realm and Mortal World. Prepare your passage tokens, as anyone without one will be crushed to pieces by the barrier membranes of the two worlds.”

Upon hearing this, Ying Zhongmei instinctively touched the passage token around her neck.

Ying Huai also gripped his passage token tightly, so tense that he moved awkwardly.

As they walked toward the light, Xu Xingguang noticed the humidity increasing in the air, and soon there was water accumulating beneath their feet, slowly rising to cover the calves, then the thighs.

Ying Huai, being small in stature, was the first to be submerged past his nose, but he held his breath and pushed forward with difficulty, his right hand always tightly clutching the rope.

Xu Xingguang grabbed the young boy, ”Hold your breath.”

Ying Huai gratefully glanced at Xu Xingguang, yet in the dim light he couldn’t clearly see her features, only a blurred outline.

Soon, Xu Xingguang was also submerged past her nose, so she held Ying Huai with one hand and grasped the rope with the other, swimming in the direction Ying Jing led.

After diving underwater for about a minute, they emerged to the surface.

”Cough, cough!” Ying Zhongmei’s head broke the surface, treading water while vigorously coughing.

Xu Xingguang spat out some water and examined Ying Huai’s condition.

Ying Huai also choked on some water but not seriously, he leaned against Xu Xingguang, coughed heavily for a while, and soon recovered. ”Thank you, Sister Xingguang.”

”No need.”

Ying Jing said, ”We’ve reached the Barrier Gate.” She braced herself on the surface, made a jumping motion, and landed steadily on the sea level.

Seeing this, Xu Xingguang raised her brows slightly, supporting Ying Huai at the waist to place him by Ying Jing’s feet. Ying Huai sat firmly on the sea level, reaching out to touch the water below, realizing his hands could pass through the seawater while he himself remained firmly seated on the surface.

”Amazing.” Ying Huai was amazed.

Xu Xingguang jumped onto the sea level, glanced around at the endless horizon, then looked down at the water beneath her feet. She noticed that as she jumped onto the surface, the seawater had just covered her feet.

In just a few seconds, the seawater had reached her ankles.

Xu Xingguang suddenly realized and said thoughtfully, ”This is the entrance outside the barrier. If we don’t present our passage tokens and can’t open the barrier, the seawater below will completely engulf us within minutes, and then the barrier will reform, causing us to vanish.”

Without passage tokens, no one can truly enter the Divine Martial Realm.

Ying Jing noticed Xu Xingguang quickly recognizing the situation, her evaluation of Xu Xingguang rose. She realized that this woman named Xu Xingguang was indeed extraordinary.

However, the Divine Martial Realm was full of talented individuals; Xu Xingguang, no matter how smart, would find it hard to shine there on her own.

Ying Zhongmei’s expression grew more tense on hearing Xu Xingguang’s words. ”Ying Jing Emissary,” Ying Zhongmei couldn’t help but ask, ”How do we use the passage tokens?”

Before Ying Jing could explain, a gate appeared on the sea level behind her.

It was just a black door frame, without a door leaf.

Ying Jing took off the passage token from around her neck and said to the three of them, ”Hold the passage token in your right hand and just walk through this gate.”