Grassroots Travel: The Star Lord of Another World

Chapter 367: Frustration in the Dark Night

The darkness swallowed up everything. Gao Xingchen felt as if he was in the boundless universe, surrounded by endless coldness and nothingness. The light of the Heart of Stars gradually dimmed, and he could even hear Nan Li's rapid heartbeat echoing in his ears, like a death drumbeat.

Suddenly, a strong suction force came, and Gao Xingchen felt himself being pulled back violently. He subconsciously hugged Nan Li tightly, and the two fell into a warm embrace together.

"Cough cough..." Gao Xingchen coughed violently, and the world in front of him gradually became clear. He found himself and Nan Li in a dense forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees. The sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, forming mottled light and shadows on the ground.

"We... are still alive?" Nan Li's voice was weak, but she still held Gao Xingchen's hand tightly, as if she had grasped the last hope.

Gao Xingchen struggled to sit up, looked around, and finally breathed a sigh of relief after confirming their safety. He looked down at Nan Li and found that she was pale, with a trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, and it was obvious that she was seriously injured.

"Lier, how are you?" Gao Xingchen asked anxiously, his voice trembling slightly with worry.

"I'm fine..." Nan Li forced a smile, but her body was trembling slightly because of the pain.

Gao Xingchen knew that Nan Li was comforting him. He endured the severe pain in his body, took out a pill from his arms, and carefully fed it to Nan Li. The pill melted in his mouth, turning into a warm energy that flowed through his body, and Nan Li's complexion improved slightly.

"We must leave here as soon as possible." Gao Xingchen looked at Nan Li, his eyes full of worry. "Although the Fire Cloud Evil God is dead, his subordinates will definitely not let it go."

Nan Li nodded, she knew Gao Xingchen was right. They were seriously injured now, if they met the enemy again, the consequences would be disastrous.

Gao Xingchen supported Nan Li, and the two of them supported each other and walked through the forest with difficulty. They walked for a long time until it was getting dark, and then they found a hidden cave and settled down temporarily.

The cave was completely silent, with only the occasional sound of dripping water, which made the surrounding air seem even more oppressive and dull. Gao Xingchen sat cross-legged, circulating the power of the stars to heal his wounds, but the injuries in his body were more serious than he had imagined. The power that the Fire Cloud Evil God gained from burning his soul was too strong, and even the Heart of the Stars could not completely resist it.

Nan Li's injuries were not optimistic either. She lay quietly beside Gao Xingchen, her pale face without a trace of blood, her brows furrowed, as if she was enduring great pain.

Looking at Nan Li's painful appearance, Gao Xingchen felt full of self-blame and helplessness. He knew that if it weren't for him, Nan Li wouldn't have been hurt like this.

"Li'er, I'm sorry..." Gao Xingchen held Nan Li's hand, his voice low and hoarse.

"Xingchen, this is not your fault..." Nanli opened her eyes with difficulty and looked at Gao Xingchen, her eyes full of tenderness and worry, "We will all be fine..."

Gao Xingchen didn't say anything, but held Nan Li's hand even tighter, as if to pass on his strength to her. The cave fell into silence again, with only two hearts clinging to each other, keeping each other warm in the darkness.

They don't know what's waiting for them, but they know that as long as they are with each other, they will be able to overcome all difficulties.

In the dim light of the cave, Gao Xingchen frowned, the power of the stars slowly flowing through his meridians, and each cycle was accompanied by piercing pain. His injuries were far more serious than he had imagined. The forbidden spell that the Fire Cloud Evil God had obtained by burning his soul had already touched the edge of the laws of the universe. Even if he had the Heart of the Stars, it would be difficult for him to fully recover in a short period of time.

He turned his head and looked at Nan Li who was unconscious beside him, and his heart felt like it was being cut by a knife. Nan Li's face was as pale as paper, her breath was weak, and her originally rosy lips were now bloodless. Gao Xingchen gently held her hand, feeling her cold body temperature, and his heart was filled with self-blame and fear.

"Li'er, you must hold on, I will definitely heal you..." Gao Xingchen whispered in a low voice, with an imperceptible tremor in his voice. He knew that if it wasn't for protecting himself, Nan Li wouldn't have tried her best, let alone been seriously injured.

Nan Li seemed to have heard his call, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, but she never opened her eyes. Gao Xingchen's heart tightened, and he quickly sent more star power into her body, hoping to relieve her pain.

However, no matter how hard he tried, Nan Li's condition did not improve, but became even weaker. Despair gradually spread to Gao Xingchen's heart. For the first time, he felt powerless and desperate about his own strength.

"Is there really no way I can save her?" Gao Xingchen clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his flesh, but he felt no pain. He looked up at the dark cave, his eyes empty and confused, as if he had lost his direction.

At this moment, a faint light suddenly lit up in the depths of the cave. Gao Xingchen suddenly raised his head and looked vigilantly in the direction where the light came from. The light became brighter and brighter, gradually illuminating the entire cave, and a vague figure slowly appeared in the light.

Gao Xingchen's heart was shocked. He recognized the figure. It was the mysterious person who guided him to find the Heart of Stars!

"It's you? Why are you here?" Gao Xingchen asked in surprise, with a glimmer of hope in his heart.

The mysterious man slowly walked in front of Gao Xingchen, his eyes fell on the unconscious Nan Li, and he sighed softly: "Her injuries are very serious, even you can't completely heal her."

Gao Xingchen's heart sank suddenly. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but found that his throat was dry and no sound came out.

The mysterious man seemed to see through his thoughts and continued, "However, you don't have to despair too much. Everything in the world is interdependent and even the most serious injuries are not incurable."

Gao Xingchen raised his head suddenly, and hope rekindled in his eyes: "Really? What do you need? As long as I can save Li'er, I'm willing to do anything!"

The mysterious man nodded slightly and said in a serious tone: "You need to find a treasure called the 'Fountain of Life'. Only it can completely heal her injuries."

"Fountain of Life?" Gao Xingchen murmured to himself. He had never heard of this name, but he kept it firmly in his heart.

"I will tell you where to look, but you must remember that finding the Fountain of Life is only the first step. If you want to truly save her, you will need to make greater efforts and sacrifices..." The mysterious man's voice gradually disappeared in the cave, and the light dissipated, leaving only Gao Xingchen and Nan Li dependent on each other in the darkness.

The mysterious man's words echoed in the cave for a long time, like a ray of dawn, illuminating Gao Xingchen's desperate heart. The four words "Fountain of Life" seemed to be engraved deep in his soul and became his only hope.

"Senior, please tell me where the fountain of life is?" Gao Xingchen bowed deeply towards the empty cave, his tone full of pleading.

However, the only response he got was the whistling sound of the wind in the cave. The mysterious man had disappeared, as if he had never appeared.

Gao Xingchen did not give up. He firmly believed that as long as he worked hard enough, he would be able to find the fountain of life and save Nan Li. He carefully picked up Nan Li, walked out of the cave, and looked at the vast sky in front of him, his heart full of determination.

"Li'er, don't worry, I will definitely find the fountain of life and wake you up again." Gao Xingchen looked down at Nan Li who was sleeping in his arms and whispered softly. Her face was still pale, but it made him more determined.

He didn't know what the Fountain of Life was, nor where it was, but he believed that as long as he didn't give up, he would be able to find it. The mysterious man said that everything in the world is interdependent and mutually exclusive. If there is a fatal injury, there must be a magical object that can bring the dead back to life.

Gao Xingchen took Nan Li on a journey to find the Fountain of Life. He asked around and searched along the way, climbing over mountains, crossing rivers, passing through dense forests, walking through desolate deserts, and experiencing countless hardships and dangers.

Along the way, he met kind people who gave him help and guidance; he also encountered vicious monsters and experienced life-threatening battles. But no matter what difficulties he encountered, Gao Xingchen never gave up hope, because he always had a belief in his heart: for Nan Li, he must not fall.

On a stormy night, Gao Xingchen hid in a dilapidated temple to avoid the rain. He looked at Nan Li, who was unconscious in his arms, and his heart was filled with worry. Nan Li's injuries were getting worse and worse, her breathing was getting weaker, and her body temperature was getting lower and lower.

Gao Xingchen knew that he had to find the fountain of life as soon as possible, otherwise Nanli would be doomed.

Just when he felt desperate, he suddenly found that the walls of the temple were engraved with ancient words and patterns. Gao Xingchen carefully identified them and found that these words and patterns turned out to be an ancient secret book, which recorded the legend of a divine object called "Fountain of Life".

Gao Xingchen was ecstatic. He read the contents of the secret book carefully and finally found the clue about the Fountain of Life. The secret book said that the Fountain of Life was located in the most dangerous place in the Nine Star Realm - the center of the Sea of Death. It was shrouded in thick fog all year round and full of unknown dangers. There were also powerful guardians guarding the Fountain of Life.

Gao Xingchen looked at the description of the Sea of Death in the secret book and couldn't help but hesitate. But when he thought of the unconscious Nan Li, he gritted his teeth and his eyes became firm. For Nan Li, he was willing to give everything, even in the face of great danger, he would go through the Sea of Death!

The Sea of Death, as its name suggests, is a dead and silent place. Thick fog permeates the air, blocking out the sun and making it impossible to see the sunlight. There is not a single ripple on the sea, as if it is a huge black mirror, reflecting endless fear.

Gao Xingchen held Nan Li in his arms, stepped on the flying sword, and flew carefully in the thick fog. Nan Li's breath became weaker and weaker, and his heart seemed to fall into the abyss, so heavy that it was difficult to breathe.

"Li'er, hold on, we will find the fountain of life soon." He murmured in a low voice, as if he was talking to Nanli, or as if he was encouraging himself.

Suddenly, thick fog rolled in front of them, and a powerful aura came overwhelmingly, accompanied by a deafening roar. Gao Xingchen's face changed, and alarm bells rang in his heart.

"Roar--"

A huge sea beast rushed out of the thick fog, opened its bloody mouth, and pounced towards Gao Xingchen. This sea beast was huge, covered with hard scales, and its blood-red eyes flashed with ferocious light.

Gao Xingchen did not dare to neglect it, and immediately urged his true energy to swing his sword to fight back. The sword light collided with the sea beast's sharp teeth, making a harsh metal friction sound. The sea beast's power was surprisingly strong, and Gao Xingchen was shocked so much that his blood surged, and he almost fell off the flying sword.

"Damn it, this Sea of Death is really full of dangers!" Gao Xingchen gnashed his teeth and cursed in his heart. While resisting the attacks of the sea beasts, he observed his surroundings vigilantly, fearing that there were other dangers lurking in the thick fog.

At this moment, an even more powerful aura came from afar, carrying with it a devastating pressure that made Gao Xingchen terrified.

"Oh no! It's the Fire Cloud Evil God!" Gao Xingchen's face changed drastically, and his heart was filled with despair.

The Fire Cloud Evil God, the demon from the Nine Star Realm, was extremely powerful and had always coveted the Star Heart in him and Nan Li's body. They had only managed to repel him together before, but they had never expected that he would chase them to the Sea of Death!

The figure of Fire Cloud Evil God slowly emerged from the thick fog. He was wearing a blood-red robe, with an evil smile on his face and greedy light flashing in his eyes.

"Gao Xingchen, Nanli, you can't escape!" The voice of Fire Cloud Evil God seemed to come from the Nine Nether Hell, full of gloom and terror.

Gao Xingchen hugged Nan Li tightly, feeling powerless. He knew that in their current state, they could never be a match for the Fire Cloud Evil God.

"Li'er, I'm sorry, I'm useless and can't protect you..." Gao Xingchen lowered his head and looked at Nan Li who was unconscious in his arms, his eyes filled with sadness and despair.

……