Li Xian smiled and said, "There’s no need to thank me for an act of chivalry. Spring Xia Senior, please take a good rest and recover your strength quickly. After all, wouldn’t it be good to have more supporters for me?"

Zhao Chunxia smiled gently in response, and suddenly said, "I have instructed the disciples of the Sword Sect to boil hot water. You’ve worked hard today; how about I wash your feet?" Li Xian was taken aback and replied strangely, "How dare I, how dare I, I’m full of energy and don’t need to wash my feet." In his heart, he thought, "I once met her by chance at the Immortal Inn where she nearly killed me. Now we meet again, and she wants to wash my feet. This is truly strange."

Zhao Chunxia said, "However energetic you are, you still need rest and care. You saved my life, and it’s only right for me to wash your feet in return."

Seeing no way to avoid it, Li Xian noticed Zhao Chunxia with her eyebrows lowered, face flushed, eyes filled with autumn waves, hair simply tied up, displaying a mature charm. He thought, "This Senior Zhao Chunxia is indeed a good person who knows how to repay kindness. Her gesture to wash my feet is surely an attempt to express gratitude. Very well, why let this favor linger on someone’s mind for too long?" He said, "Then alright!"

...

...

The next day, the women were refreshed and full of vigor. After traveling for half a day, they suddenly saw a fork in the road ahead, one leading to the left, the other to the west. Li Xian pondered deeply, "Whenever facing a fork in the path in tombs, we must be cautious." He then instructed Mu Hongzhou and Yi Qianqian to explore forward along the left and right paths, each holding a strand of hair; if anything happened, they would know through the hair link.

After a while, the two women returned from their exploration and reported the situation. The right path was filled with marshes, with strange plants growing, lacking footing, desolate to the extreme; apart from the plants, there were no other living things. The left path was wide and flat, but there were black caves in the mountainside, emitting "huff huff" breathing sounds. Mu Hongzhou ventured to inspect further and saw that the caves housed sleeping lizard beasts of great size. If they swarmed out, it would surely be extremely dangerous!

Facing a decision, Li Xian thought, "The right side path is full of marshes, though lacking footing, we all possess Lightweight Skill and should traverse safely. However... this path is desolate, lacking Vitality, perhaps hiding dangers that are hard to detect. Even if there’s no hidden danger, the lack of supplies along the way, if we can’t proceed for several days, would inevitably place us in a dilemma. The left path, though harboring giant lizards, seems perilous indeed, but the danger is evident. As long as we devise a strategy to deal with them, there’s a chance to survive."

He conveyed his thoughts to the elders and disciples. Zhao Chunxia, Tang Mengluo, and others initially intended to head right, avoiding the lizards. But after listening to Li Xian’s analysis, they felt it made much sense, further thinking, "This young man’s thoughts are unique, truly a rare talent!"

They all agreed to proceed to the left.

Li Xian asked, "Mu Sister, can you identify the species of the lizards? Knowing the species would help us understand their habits. Based on their habits, we could avoid danger."

Mu Hongzhou exclaimed, "Ah!" with an apologetic tone, "I... I didn’t consider this aspect. When I saw the lizards breathing like tiger roars, it was so astonishing that I hurried back to report."

Li Xian said, "Mu Sister, please trouble you to go again and closely observe the lizard’s appearance. If possible, try to draw it." Mu Hongzhou said, "Alright!" Holding paper and pen, her figure agile, swiftly departed.

He Lijun, of the Lake Mountain Sword Sect, comforted, "After facing this ordeal, Hongzhou’s nature has become more steady!"

After a while, Mu Hongzhou returned to the camp, having drawn the lizard’s outline. Li Xian handed the drawing to the elders for inspection. Zhao Chunxia, Peng Sanluo... none could identify it. But Tang Mengluo examined it momentarily, identifying this type of "lizard beast" known as "Giant Leopard Lizard."

This lizard has a fierce temperament, highly sensitive to blood Qi. It moves incredibly fast, with a call like a tiger’s roar or a wolf’s howl, and possesses great Qi Power. It resides on the cliffs of "Southern Border." Tang Mengluo had visited Southern Border and encountered such lizards, which is why he identified them.

The Giant Leopard Lizard is blind but has a keen sense of smell. Li Xian gradually formed a strategy: He, along with Mu Hongzhou, Lin Aoshan, and Luo Feiyan, would steal the lizard’s excrement. Then they boiled the excrement in a pot.

They placed clothes over the pot to soak up the stench, and then wore them to cross the forked path. The women blushed but were unfazed by small matters, changing into the stinking clothes. That night, they ventured onto the forked road.

Having traveled several miles, they indeed found numerous holes in the mountain walls on either side. Looking up, there were hundreds of them... If they were provoked, these lizards would swarm out, even with extraordinary Martial Arts, fleeing would be the only option.

The caves emitted "tiger roar wolf howl" sounds, resonating loudly. The women’s hearts trembled with fear, cautiously taking each step. Li Xian occasionally spoke to reassure them.

As they continued around midnight, they suddenly heard "clack clack clack" sounds. Giant Leopard Lizards emerged from their caves, clawing into the walls, hanging on the mountain wall. The larger they were, the higher their caves were.

Mu Hongzhou suddenly covered her mouth and nose, trembling with her eyes widened, pointing to a high spot on the mountain wall. She saw a Giant Leopard Lizard nearly twenty zhang long, its body like a rock, its tail like a peak, hanging in the mountain wall. Its breath was like a gusty wind, a faint stench tickling her nose. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Li Xian thought, "Not as terrifying as Ao Mo. If I had first seen this beast, I’d surely be extremely shocked. But after witnessing a dragon entering the sea, this lizard hardly frightens me." He said calmly, "Don’t panic, we’ll walk slowly." As they went deeper, Li Xian counted the mountain caves, totaling forty-nine thousand eight hundred seventy-two.

Suddenly, they heard "boom boom boom" sounds, the ground vibrating frequently. In the distance, on the mountain wall, two Giant Leopard Lizards fought over a cave, clawing and biting each other, falling from the mountain wall in their struggle. They collided with other lizards mid-fall, causing chaos ahead, dozens of Giant Leopard Lizards entangled in fighting, raising a storm of gray dust.

Li Xian issued Orders to each group to watch their companions closely, gather in a tight cluster, and rest in place. As night deepened, the lizards’ ferocity intensified, with "boom boom boom" sounds heard from behind, more lizard fights ensuing.

In this manner, both paths ahead and behind were blocked. The women shivered in fear and confusion. Li Xian ordered them to wait in place, seeing the opportunity to act. Thus they spent the night sleepless, waiting until the next morning. The lizard fighting stopped, the survivors crawling back into their caves.