The cave was destroyed by the attack and collapsed into itself. Kai sat on the ground at the bottom of the rubble while panting heavily. Next to him was a passed-out Fu Huang and Lixue the orb, now glowing with a faint blue light.
Before the attack landed, Kai had ordered Lixue to make a shield based on the defensive formation she had learned. Kai had conducted numerous experiments with Lixue and realized that once she had created a specific formation, she would be able to recreate it without the need for ingredients or the convoluted drawing process.
Lixue could recreate the same formation as if from instinct, using nothing but her Qi. All that Kai had to do was pass on the right feelings to spur up her defensive instincts.
Kai looked at Fu Huang, who was out cold and tried to wake the man up, but he was clearly exhausted, so Kai decided to explore instead. He touched the sturdy-looking Qi shield that had protected them from the falling rubble with wonder.
Big thanks to everyone who has been reading to this point!