Chapter 716: Chapter 716: Petrification
Qin Yi stepped forward cautiously and extended his hand towards the lake. He had to be careful; this place was full of dangers, and one wrong move could end his life prematurely.
Qin Yi’s hand slowly dipped into the lake; it was indeed water.
He stirred the water with his hand but found that it did not create even the slightest ripple, which was very strange.
"Old Mo, why are we checking if this lake has any issues?" Qin Yi turned around and asked a question he hadn’t figured out.
Mo Wuji and the others were stunned.
"Yeah, why are we checking if there’s something wrong with this lake?"
"Don’t look at me, I don’t know either." Bai Jingqing shrugged. "We could have just bypassed it, but you guys wanted to find out."
Qin Yi was taken aback and then laughed, "Right, why are we taking this unnecessary risk? We could just bypass it."
"Perhaps the urge to explore runs in human veins."
Qin Yi thought that was the only explanation.
He set the little guy aside and started washing his face with the lake water. He still had blood and grime on his face from the previous battle.
"Brother Qin, is it safe?" Mo Wuji asked.
"It seems safe, just an ordinary lake. But given that this area is a Great Array, the still water might be connected to it."
Upon hearing that it was safe, Mo Wuji and the others also stepped forward.
Wind and sand were everywhere; even though they had been using Energy Movement to ward it off, they still felt a bit grimy.
"This lake water is really clear." Several women, including Zi Yuan, played with the water as they washed their faces.
After washing his face and arms, Qin Yi stood up, moved away a bit, squatted down, and was about to scoop some water to drink. Glancing subconsciously at Mo Wuji’s side, his face turned dark.
"You all are too much, aren’t you?" He had come to drink water away from where they washed, only to see Zi Yuan dipping her feet in the water.
"I’m sorry!" Zi Yuan said, embarrassed. The lake water was so cool and clear, she thought she would cool her feet, not realizing Qin Yi almost drank her foot-washed water.
Qin Yi rolled his eyes and waved his hand, "Forget it."
Saying that, he took out a bottle of mineral water from his Storage Ring and drank from it.
Mo Wuji looked surprised, "Brother Qin, are you Doraemon? How do you suddenly produce things out of nowhere? Where do you hide them all?"
"It’s magic. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained." Qin Yi laughed, casually taking out four bottles of water and tossing them over.
As Qin Yi drank water, he also removed his shoes and put his feet in the water.
Following suit, Mo Wuji did the same, "This feels great."
"Junior sister, you should try it too, it’s really nice."
Bai Jingqing shook her head.
"Is Fairy Bai shy? On our journeys, why be so reserved?" Qin Yi teased.
"Do you think everyone is like you?"
Qin Yi’s face immediately flushed. Bai Jingqing probably didn’t mean anything by it, but he was reminded of the earlier embarrassing incident with his trousers.
"Brother Qin, this place is so large, where exactly is the treasure?"
"I don’t know. We’ve got a month anyway, so we’ll take our time searching. If we’re lucky to find it, great. If not, well, it’s just a sightseeing trip."
Mo Wuji looked at Qin Yi, bewildered, "Brother Qin, I truly admire your attitude. You just said @#￥%&*..."
Qin Yi looked at Mo Wuji, perplexed, "Did Fairy Bai bite your tongue? Why are you speaking gibberish?"
"Ah, ah..." Suddenly, Zi Yuan screamed.
"Junior sister, what happened?" Bai Jingqing was alarmed.
Before she finished speaking, Zi Yuan stiffened and fell headfirst into the lake.
Bai Jingqing rushed over and pulled her to the shore before she sank, but Zi Yuan lay rigidly on the ground like a stone, maintaining her sitting position by the lake.
Bang! Bang!
Bai Jingqing turned and saw Hua Rui and Qing Lan fall to the ground, bodies stiff, mouths slightly open, only their eyes still moving.
"@#￥%&..." Qin Yi intended to ask what was happening, but his speech came out as incomprehensible gibberish.
What was going on?
Qin Yi suddenly realized it wasn’t that he was slurring his words, but his tongue was stiff, his face rigid, unable to form expressions or move his limbs, as if he were petrified.
Looking at Mo Wuji, he found his face still showed that awkward and comical expression, struggling to smile but unable to.
This lake water was problematic.
As Bai Jingqing hadn’t touched the lake water at all, she was unharmed.
"What happened to all of you?"
The sudden petrification of these people left Bai Jingqing at a loss.
"Little, Bai, Fairy, quickly, take, us, away, from, here." Qin Yi labored over the words, his skill helping him articulate despite the stiffness, all thanks to Xia Yanbing.
Qin Yi sensed danger but did not know from where it came.
Bai Jingqing hurriedly gathered everyone together, but she struggled to figure out how to carry the five of them alone.
"Young Master Nan, there’s water up ahead."
Suddenly, a voice came from the other side.
Young Master Nan? Could it be Nancheng Fei?
"Apologies, Young Master Qin." Bai Jingqing’s expression changed slightly as she began removing her clothes—no, unraveling her Jade Belt at her waist.
Qin Yi’s eyes widened. What was she doing? Had Bai Jingqing always had designs on him, coveting his physique, and now seized her chance?
Oh no, a friend’s wife should not be coveted; he’d rather die than submit.
Yet, Bai Jingqing tied the Jade Belt around Qin Yi’s waist.
Damn, was she actually into this kind of thing?
Clearly, Qin Yi was overthinking.
Bai Jingqing tied the Jade Belt around Qin Yi’s waist, followed by Mo Wuji, then the three women including Zi Yuan.
Her belt was long enough to bind five people’s waists, with over two meters still left.
"Sorry, this is the only way."
With that, Bai Jingqing grasped the belt and dragged the five of them along.
Oh my...
Qin Yi and the others were dragged along like dead dogs, carving a sacred furrow in the sandy ground.
Qin Yi was at a loss for words, constantly using Energy Movement to try and break free of the stiffness, but it was futile.
He realized he was completely out of his depth here, unable to defeat any creature or even cope with a lake.
"Young Master Nan, there seems to be someone on the other side?"
The area around the lake appeared to be an isolated space, devoid of wind and sand, completely silent, making voices carry clearly.
Several figures came on the opposite shore; it was Nancheng Fei and Mo Tianwei, along with some disciples and followers from both families.
"Ah, it’s Fairy Bai?"
Nancheng Fei and Mo Tianhao recognized Bai Jingqing.