Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Miss Yunzhao, you worry too much. Even if you had just entered the attack range of that rock Spirit Summoning Gu,"

"I was confident that I could have successfully rescued you. Hmm... though you might have sustained some injuries,"

Jin Xu said with full confidence.

Xia Yunzhao opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for what to say in response.

The Taoist didn't notice the change in her emotions.

He looked around in all directions and saw nothing but wasteland and an air of death everywhere, unable to help but shake his head in regret with a sigh.

The information given to him by Chi Dao before had included a section of the past scenery of Ling State.

Looking at the place now devoid of any hint of life,

It was like heaven and earth were apart.

Moreover, from the time Jin Xu and his companions set foot in this realm, including the time taken to deal with the rock Spirit Summoning Gu, the expansion of his Spiritual Sense had not slowed down at all.

Yet, after half a day, though he sensed numerous prohibitions and remnants of magic hidden underground, in the air, and under the water,

He didn't find any living creatures, not even a single sprouting blade of grass, within this small world.

"No wonder the lack of vitality hit us in the face as soon as the spatial channel opened.

"Now that my Spiritual Sense has spread out over three thousand li, it's almost certain that it's not just a coincidence that we happened to fall into a place of death or a forbidden area devoid of life.

"It seems that the battle that once took place on this main battlefield was indeed tragic."

The Taoist murmured softly for a bit before turning earnestly to the few people beside him and saying,

"No matter what happens, you all must not leave the protection of this Golden spiritual power light shield, understand? If there is any irresistible force or accident that causes you to leave the protection of this light shield, you must return to my side as quickly as possible.

"Especially you, Miss Yunzhao. Although you have the cultivation of the Divinity Transformation Realm, which is somewhat stronger than Little Yu and Little Purple Spirit Elephant,

"Just in the brief exploration I've conducted earlier, I've found dozens of places that could pose a threat to you, so you must not let your guard down."

Jin Xu spoke at length with grave seriousness.

Yu Yaoer and the Little Purple Spirit Elephant, one nodded and the other vigorously bobbed its nose in agreement.

And Xia Yunzhao was quick to speak up and promise, assuring that she would absolutely obey and not wander off.

Of course, whether the Empress of Great Xia, who had come here to break through to a closer relationship with Jin Xu, had any ulterior motives in her heart, no one knew.

The Taoist saw that everyone seemed to obediently agree and the vague notion that had risen in his mind about sending them back to the Nine Provinces first and exploring this realm alone began to subside.

But then, another more unsettling thought emerged in his mind.

"This realm has already become so desolate, I wonder whether the Origin of the world can still exist."

One should know that the strength of a small world's Origin is closely related to the number, cultivation, and prosperity of the living beings within it. Given the current state of the Spirit Realm, Jin Xu's concern was not unfounded.

"Let's find someone who's breathing and ask them first."

Jin Xu suppressed the unease in his heart and made up his mind, telling the two women and elephant what they were going to do next.

They first sealed up the spatial channel entrance in the usual manner. Then, according to the range of the spiritual power exploration, he used the Escape Technique to fly towards the general direction of the Seventy-two Spirit Springs.

An hour later.

After activating countless prohibitions left by both the righteous and Demon Sect, and shattering thousands of residual waves of magic,

The journey was smooth, and they arrived at the ruins of the Seventy-two Spirit Springs.

The little Taoist felt relatively familiar with the concept of Spiritual Springs, given that there was one in the backyard of his Taoist temple.

But when he arrived at the legendary territory and lifted the concealing protective prohibitions described in the materials.

Jin Xu was utterly stunned.

According to records exclusively sponsored by the ancestors of the Immortal Palace, although Ling State was once ravaged by the Demon Lord and later became the main battlefield of the great war between good and evil.

Still, those infamous Seventy-two Spirit Springs and Thirty-six Famous Mountains were kept at a distance by all parties possible.

After all, whoever won the battle might claim these famous mountains and springs as spoils of war.

Therefore, as per the materials, the Thirty-six Famous Mountains were moved by both sides using mountain-moving magic to their respective territories during the war. After the Demon Sect's defeat, some of these famous mountains were divided between Kunlun Immortal Palace and the Four Great Immortal Sects, and some were awarded to certain lesser sects who had made significant contributions.

The Seventy-two Spirit Springs, on the other hand, could not be moved in time. Hence, both sides had to lay down some prohibitions around them, trying their best to protect them.

But now...

"Young Master, all these stone pits have dried up."

After Jin Xu forcefully broke through the concealing protective prohibitions around the Seventy-two Spirit Springs, he directly descended upon this place.

And Yu Yaoer, who had been looking forward to the water of the Spiritual Springs all the way, couldn't help but speak in a slightly disheartened tone upon seeing that only seventy-two pits of various sizes remained.

"Strange, after only a thousand years, these springs with their miraculous effects and yet independent from one another, how could they all dry up?

"When I explored this place with my Spiritual Sense, the prohibitions were still in place. I thought there would be living creatures depending on the spring for life, so I didn't even dare to probe deeply with my Spiritual Sense, but I didn't expect such a result."

According to the records, among these seventy-two springs, there were a dozen types of living creatures residing. Moreover, the size of these springs as recorded could support those living beings for a thousand years without any problem.

They should not have dried up to this extent.

The little Taoist with a tone of doubt asked his companions to wait here.

He then left the Spiritual Power Light Shield alone and earnestly started examining each pit one by one.

Thanks to the prohibitions that had long concealed the place, no mischief arose within the ruins of the Seventy-two Spirit Springs.

Thus Jin Xu's inspection proceeded quite rapidly.

After about half the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

He stood in front of the largest pit, his brows slightly furrowed.

The little Taoist could now confirm that these springs had completely dried up. Down to a thousand feet underground, there wasn't a single drop of water infused with Spiritual Energy.

And the Spiritual Sense he kept probing with had yet to touch upon any living being, not even the rock spirits and monsters that could survive in extreme environments.

"Could it be that the Origin of the world of the Spirit Realm truly dissipated because this realm became barren, leading to the drying up of these seventy-two springs?

"If so...then the rules of the Heavenly Dao in the Nine Provinces Realm have a gaping void."

Jin Xu speculated with a touch of worry in his heart, while speeding up the Spiritual Sense he was extending outward.

And just at that moment!

A ripple of spatial fluctuation stirred at the Golden spiritual power light shield, three feet away from him.

Suddenly rising!