Chapter 574: How Could You Be So Careless?

Old Nian, having been injured himself and seeing that his men failed to capture Qi Hao and the others, immediately shouted, “Retreat!”

With that, he turned and vanished directly into the darkness.

Hearing Old Nian’s command, the other members of the Demonic Cult did not hesitate at all. They all employed stealth techniques or accelerated their movement skills, disappearing like ghosts into the depths of the cave.

The tightly strung nerves of the group finally relaxed slightly, and everyone let out a breath.

“Little Uncle, that Old Nian is indeed cunning; he actually got away,” Qi Hao said.

“He can’t run far!” Yu Xian’s gaze was fixed on the direction where Old Nian disappeared.

He knew that further inside was the Dead Spirit Abyss, and the General Outline of the Heavenly Tome was in the Dripping Blood Cave, which was the core Secret Realm located at the bottom of the Dead Spirit Abyss, by the shore of the Heartless Sea.

Upon hearing this, everyone understood what Yu Xian meant.

“Little Uncle is right, let’s pursue!” Qi Hao said solemnly, then immediately drew his sword and took the lead in chasing after them.

Lu Xueqi and the others followed suit, and the four people from Tianyin Temple and Fenxiang Valley also chased after them. Only Yu Xian lagged behind.

Yu Xian smiled faintly and followed them as well.

Soon, everyone arrived in a spacious cavern. The environment was slightly brighter, allowing them to see their surroundings. On a giant rock nearby, three characters were carved: “Dead Spirit Abyss”!

“Dead Spirit Abyss? Have we reached the Forbidden Land of the Blood Refining Hall?” Zeng Shushu exclaimed in surprise.

Just as everyone was astonished, the members of the Demonic Cult reappeared. This time, there were more of them than before. Lu Xueqi and the others wasted no time and immediately attacked those Demonic Cult members with their swords.

“Mountain River Fan, Raging Sand!” As a person from the Demonic Cult shouted, gusts of raging sand were whipped up from the ground by the fan in his hand.

Instantly, the entire cave was filled with sand and wind, visibility plummeted, and everyone’s sight was obscured by the yellow dust. Even the golden light of the Six Harmonies Mirror dimmed slightly.

At this moment, the Demonic Cult members took the opportunity to launch sneak attacks or surround Qi Hao and the others.

Qi Hao bore the brunt of the attack, being sandwiched between three demonic evildoers from the front and back. Although he could barely defend himself, he was thrown into disarray by the opponents’ strange movement skills.

Lu Xueqi’s Tianya Sword flared with brilliant blue light, attempting to clear the enemies around her, but she was entangled by two Disciples from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect who were using poison. Amidst the spreading toxic mist, she was forced to divide her attention to circulate her internal energy to protect herself.

Zeng Shushu was suppressed tightly by a master from the Ghost King Sect using the Ghost Claw technique, unable to fully execute her sword moves.

Zhang Xiaofan was even forced into a corner by two demonic evildoers. Although his Fire Burning Stick faintly emitted black Qi, its power was greatly reduced due to his unstable state of mind, allowing him only to barely protect himself.

From Tianyin Temple, Faxiang and Fashan held their palms together, protected by Buddhist light, continuously chanting scriptures to resist the attacks. Li Xun and Yan Hong from Fenxiang Valley unleashed fire Spell techniques, trying to dispel the sandstorm, but with little effect.

Throughout the cave, the members of the Righteous Path found it difficult to support each other due to the obstruction of the sandstorm, fighting separately. The situation instantly became perilous.

Zhang Xiaofan, having the lowest cultivation, was forced to retreat continuously under the siege. Seeing this, Lu Xueqi pushed back the Demonic Cult evildoers near her and immediately went forward to provide support.

Her Tianya Sword transformed into a streak of blue rainbow light, instantly crossing several zhang. Wherever the Sword Qi passed, it forced the two evildoers attacking Zhang Xiaofan to retreat repeatedly.

Zhang Xiaofan managed to catch his breath and looked gratefully at Lu Xueqi.

However, Lu Xueqi had already turned to face another Demonic Cult master lunging toward her. Her cold figure in the sandstorm resembled a proud, cold plum blossom—solitary yet upright.

What Lu Xueqi didn’t know was that she had been targeted by a beautiful woman among the Demonic Cult members. While Lu Xueqi was helping Zhang Xiaofan fend off the attack, a golden rope suddenly flew towards her.

The rope sliced through the air in a strange arc like a spirit snake, silently wrapping around her waist.

Lu Xueqi was fully focused on fighting the enemy in front of her. By the time she sensed the sinister wind attacking from behind, it was too late. The golden rope tightened fiercely, binding her body securely. The Tianya Sword also flew out of her hand, landing with a ‘clang’ on a rock not far away.

The golden rope then seemed to be controlled and reeled back, dragging Lu Xueqi flying towards the darkness. Caught completely off guard, her body involuntarily arched backward in the air. She subconsciously reached out, trying to grab something, but her fingertips only grazed the cold air.

The surrounding sandstorm continued to rage, completely blocking the figures of her companions. She could only faintly hear the clash of weapons and shouts from a distance, but she couldn’t get close.

The golden rope constricted extremely tightly, almost embedding itself into her flesh. A chilling power spread along the rope, causing the circulation of spiritual power within her body to become sluggish.

Her heart sank. She knew she had fallen into the enemy’s trap, and the person controlling the rope was currently hidden in the shadows, observing her predicament with a look of mockery.

“Senior Sister Lu!” Seeing this, Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes widened in fury. He tried to rush forward to save her but was held fast by two Demonic Cult masters, unable to move.

“Truly a peerless beauty. What a shame she fell into my hands,” the owner of the rope said mockingly as she watched Lu Xueqi being pulled back to her side.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, she felt a sharp sword held against her neck. She instantly froze and couldn’t help but swallow hard.

Her life and death hung in the balance for a single moment.

A demonic voice echoed in her ear: “Is that so?”

As Yu Xian’s voice fell, the sword in his hand swept out in an arc. The lady controlling the rope clutched her neck with both hands, her eyes full of unwillingness, and she collapsed straight to the ground.

“Little Uncle!” Lu Xueqi also noticed him when Yu Xian spoke, and her heart filled with surprise. The golden rope wrapped around her waist lost its tension as its owner fell, hanging limply.

Yu Xian reached out, untied the rope, gently helped her up, and gently smoothed her messy hair. “How could you be so careless? Are you alright?”

Lu Xueqi shook her head in a fluster, a blush involuntarily rising on her face. She quickly summoned her Tianya Sword, and a complex emotion flashed in her cool eyes as she whispered, “I’m fine, thank you, Little Uncle.”

“It’s good that you’re fine,” Yu Xian said softly.

“Little Uncle, I’ll go help Junior Brother and the others!” Lu Xueqi, feeling flustered, dared not linger by Yu Xian’s side.

Before her words faded, the Tianya Sword had already transformed into a sharp blue light as it left its sheath. She tapped her toes, and her figure drifted into the fray like a willow catkin.

After arriving at the Dead Spirit Abyss, none of them had paid attention to Yu Xian. After the fighting started, it seemed they hadn’t seen Yu Xian make a move either. Unexpectedly, Yu Xian had been there all along, and he had appeared behind her like a divine soldier descending from heaven at her moment of crisis.

Yu Xian said nothing more. He scanned the still chaotic battlefield but didn’t rush to attack. He knew everyone would be fine.

Since he brought them out for experience, he naturally couldn’t handle everything for them; he had to let them handle it themselves.