Since saving Bian Yixia was of the utmost importance, Zou Feng immediately took out an Elixir and tried to throw it through the Array’s barrier.

He wanted to see if this kind of Array barrier would only block living things, not inanimate objects.

But the next moment, the Elixir was repelled, and it was clear that the Array’s power had significantly damaged it.

Zou Feng frowned deeply. This was going to be difficult.

Missing the return ship wasn’t actually that big of a deal. After all, he still had the Flying Celestial Ship.

But if he couldn’t save Bian Yixia, that would be a huge problem. They were so close to being reunited. He couldn’t just stand by and watch her die from her severe injuries right in front of him, could he?

’Break the Array with brute force?’

Even Lu Guanghua hadn’t been able to do anything about it earlier. In his current state of near-total exhaustion, trying to shatter the Array by force would do nothing but worsen his own injuries. It would be completely useless.

"Sister Yun, how much longer can Yixia hold on?" Zou Feng asked, clinging to a sliver of hope.

But just one look at Tian Yun’s expression told him the situation was far from optimistic.

She didn’t answer. Instead, she entered a room in the Underground Palace.

A short while later, she emerged, carefully carrying the barely breathing Bian Yixia.

Walking to the edge of the Array’s barrier, Tian Yun gently laid Bian Yixia on the ground.

The scene looked as if she were letting the two of them have one final meeting...

Zou Feng looked closely. Bian Yixia had at least a dozen sword wounds on her body.

Although the wounds had been treated and were no longer bleeding, Sword Qi was still rampaging within them.

This was Sword Qi from a Dao Foundation expert; Tian Yun was completely helpless against it.

Moreover, the only reason Bian Yixia was still alive was that Lu Guanghua had wanted to capture her alive and hadn’t used his full strength.

It was precisely because that bastard held back that Bian Yixia had the chance to escape into the Underground Palace.

Seeing Bian Yixia’s terrible condition, the sliver of hope Zou Feng had been clinging to instantly vanished.

Her injuries were truly too severe. Any further delay, and they would be separated by death forever.

"Miss..." Zou Feng knelt down and called out softly.

As if sensing his presence, Bian Yixia, who had been unconscious, slowly opened her eyes a moment later.

"Feng... you’re... back?"

Zou Feng nodded. "I’m sorry, I was a step too late..."

"It’s good you’re back... It’s good you’re back... To see you one last time..."

"Stop!" Zou Feng held up a hand to cut her off. "Don’t waste your energy on such ominous words! Hold on, I’ll figure something out!"

They were so close, separated only by a transparent, intangible barrier, yet they couldn’t even touch each other.

It was the very definition of "so close, yet so far."

But Zou Feng was constantly racking his brain for a solution. He couldn’t afford to waste time on a tearful dialogue with Bian Yixia; that sort of thing only happened in movies and anime.

"Sister Yun, that spirit ship just now—did it fly out from inside the Underground Palace’s barrier?"

Zou Feng’s mind was unusually clear at that moment, and he immediately recalled this detail.

If the spirit ship had flown out from within the Array’s barrier to block the sword for him, it meant the barrier didn’t block absolutely everything.

Tian Yun froze for a moment upon hearing this, then quickly realized what Zou Feng was getting at.

However, she shook her head and sighed. "The spirit ship wasn’t parked inside the Array’s barrier. The Underground Palace can’t accommodate a ship that large. The empty space behind you is where it was originally parked..."

Hearing this, Zou Feng didn’t look disappointed. He continued to ask, "Then how was the spirit ship activated to fly out?"

Tian Yun said, "I activated it with a Technique, of course..."

Tian Yun had also reached the First Grade, also known as the Spirit Body Realm.

At this Realm, one can wield "Magical Power," which is how she was able to remotely control the spirit ship to block the sword for Zou Feng.

After all, the spirit ship, which Tian Yun had personally built piece by piece, was her own Magical Artifact.

Hearing this, Zou Feng’s earlier idea suddenly seemed possible, and he was overjoyed.

’If my guess is correct, Bian Yixia can be saved.’

Tian Yun’s "Magical Power" had passed through the Array’s barrier to activate the spirit ship...

Therefore, Magical Power—or forces even greater than it—was not among the things the Array’s barrier could block!

Without bothering to explain anything to Tian Yun, Zou Feng knelt down again and stared at Bian Yixia. "Miss, do as I say! Activate the Heart Skill of the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill right now!"

The moment he said this, not only Bian Yixia, but Tian Yun beside her was also completely baffled.

’What the hell? Was he trying to have a final moment of passion with Bian Yixia before she breathed her last!?’

’Although it was sort of understandable—it could be seen as a final farewell kiss, just... taken up a notch to a final ’session’...’

’But the problem was the same as before. With the Array’s barrier in the way, how could they possibly fulfill that desire? It was completely out of reach.’

Tian Yun stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to say. Bian Yixia, on the other hand, quickly accepted the proposal.

"Feng... are you... confident you can... poke a hole... in the barrier?"

As she spoke, she even tried to turn over, intending to get into a prone position.

Her words, combined with the way she was trying to adjust her position, completely threw Zou Feng for a loop.

But he quickly snapped out of it and waved his hands frantically. "No, no, don’t move! Just circulate the Heart Skill of the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill!"

It was obvious that both Bian Yixia and Tian Yun had completely misunderstood him.

’In their eyes, was he really the kind of guy who would mess around at a time like this!?’

Still, having Bian Yixia circulate the Dragon and Tiger Kan and Li Skill truly was a way to save her.