With an explosive roar, there was a flash of golden light, and the pile of corpses scattered. The disciple of the Pheasant’s Grace mountain stood straight once again. As an eighth layer Qi Practitioner, he obviously could not be harmed by these regular zombies.
Suddenly, he felt a terrifying sword intent bombard his back. He wanted to turn around, but it was already too late. Lowering his head, he saw the tip of a bone sword protruding from his chest, which was being drawn out slowly.
Xiao An moved through the crowd of people like a ghost, looking for openings to kill stronger Qi Practitioners. As long as she found an opening, she would use the sword style derived from the Cursive Sword Calligraphy to kill them all.
During the chaos, Li Qingshan had already entered the cave with the dumbfounded Yu Zijian. Not a single zombie bothered him anymore. He was just about to leave when he suddenly sensed something. He turned around and saw the first senior brother flying towards the cave as well. His clothes were in rags, and he was in horrible shape too. Right behind him was the Steel Plate corpse in close pursuit.
Li Qingshan smiled. He raised the Whale’s Ingestion of Water, which squirted out Ice Condensate water, immediately forming a thick wall.
On the other side of the ice wall, the first senior brother’s mouth was wide open, as if he was cursing aloud. He used all of his true qi as well. He was like an enraged lion.
Afterwards, with a bang, he smacked into the ice wall and slowly slid down with a twisted expression.
Li Qingshan grinned. The ice created from Ice Condensate water was as tough as high grade spiritual artifacts, so how could it be destroyed so easily?
The first senior brother just watched through the ice wall as Li Qingshan turned around and fled, vanishing into the dark cave. It was too late for him to curse, as the claws of the Steel Plate corpse were only inches away.
After the howls had been sealed off by the ice, they rapidly drew further away. Yu Zijian opened her eyes and only saw darkness. Li Qingshan had not just sealed in the first senior brother with that. He had sealed off the path of retreat for all those other Qi Practitioners.
“Niu Juxia?”
“What’s wrong?” Li Qingshan lowered his head and looked at Yu Zijian, as if he already knew what she wanted to say. However, she shook her head instead. “Nothing.” She only furrowed her brows as if she was in thought. Everything that she had gone through underground today had a tremendous impact on her pure mind. If she could understand something, then it would be a piece of wealth much more precious than any spiritual stones or spiritual herbs.
Light seeped into the gloomy depths like water. Li Qingshan stopped and placed down Yu Zijian. “Up ahead is the exit. You can go by yourself!”
Yu Zijian asked, “What about you?”
Li Qingshan said, “I obviously have to return underground.”
“But it’s very dangerous right now!” In Yu Zijian’s eyes, the underground was hell, and there were terrifying monsters lurking down there. As soon as she heard that Niu Juxia actually wanted to return to such a place, she began to worry.
“To me, the surface is even more dangerous than underground. The three mountains are searching for me. The three old coots are probably waiting for me up there!”
Yu Zijian said, “Chenglu is on the surface too. You know, she’s a good friend of mine. She has an elder brother who’s a commander of the Hawkwolf Guard. You’ve heard of the Hawkwolf Guard, right? Anyways, he’s a very impressive person and very kind too. I’ll ask him to plead on your behalf. It’ll definitely… definitely…”
Her voice gradually tailed off. She was pure, not stupid. After everything that she had gone through today, she understood just how vile human nature could be. She was just a worthless little girl, so what right did she have to ask for those important figures to help? Even if this important figure was willing to help, could he really guarantee Niu Juxia’s safety?
Li Qingshan smiled. “Thank you for trying.”
She covered her face with her arm, lowered her head, and began sobbing.
Li Qingshan asked, “What are you crying for?”
“I’m useless,” she said as she sniffled.
“If you’re useless, then why did I save you? Don’t worry, I have my ways to deal with this. I won’t die. You should go!”
“Really?” Yu Zijian used her sleeve to wipe her eyes and raised her head. Her eyes were red from crying, her face was covered in tears, but she was full of hope.
“Really.” Tender feelings developed in Li Qingshan when he saw her like this. He turned her around and pushed her back gently. “Stop being so silly.”
She stumbled a few steps before suddenly stopping. She turned around and sucked in a deep breath as if she had become extremely determined. “I want to stay here to help you out!” She pressed on her sword as she stood, and the light from behind made her shine from one side. She had quite the bearing.
“Your snot,” Li Qingshan said helplessly.
“What?”
“It’s almost flowing out.” Li Qingshan rubbed his nose.
Yu Zijian sniffled hard in a hurry. Her tiny bit of bearing vanished completely.
Li Qingshan strode back down the cave, while Yu Zijian called out from behind, “Hey, I’m serious! Don’t go!”
Li Qingshan’s figure had already vanished. Only a voice lingered about, resonating in the cave, “We’ll see after you accomplish something with your divine abilities first!”
Yu Zijian took a few steps forward. All she heard was her own steps. The suffocating feeling of repression and fear filled her heart once again. She gulped before slowly backing away. The strange, jagged rocks seemed like daemonic beasts. No, she felt like she currently stood within the gut of a huge beast, with no one to rely one, alone.
There was a sudden, great rumble from underground, like a huge beast turning over. The daemonic beasts all seemed to spring alive, baring their fangs and swinging their claws, wanting to lunge over. She screamed before turning and fleeing.
Li Qingshan felt the violent rumble as well. He found it to be rather familiar. Yes, a rumble like this had happened when he first met Milliped in the garden outside Salt Mountain city.
Wasn’t he sleeping? Did something happen?
Li Qingshan sped up and rushed deeper underground. He arrived before the cavern, and a great, bloody hole had already been ripped open in the ice wall. There were still a few Qi Practitioners in the cavern, curled up in a corner with faces filled with despair.
The zombies had completely vanished now, and only three Iron Plate corpses remained. This only illustrated the intensity of the struggle that the Qi Practitioners had put up before death. However, both the zombies and their corpses had vanished. They had all become nutrients to Xiao An.
Xiao An clutched her bone sword and stared at the cave leading underground. The first senior brother was heavily injured and had fled that way, but she did not send the Steel Plate corpse in pursuit. Clearly, she had realised the cause of the tremor as well.
The first senior brother clutched his injured chest and unleashed all of his true qi, flying deeper underground. He would look back from time to time to see whether the monster was chasing him or not. There were other paths that led to the surface. As long as he could escape, he could rise up again. He would never redeem himself until he got his revenge.
The rumble grew more and more intense. He had participated in many Herb Gathering ceremonies before, so he knew that earthquakes often occurred underground. As a result, he did not care too much about it.
Suddenly, a green flash shot by him. He only managed to catch a blur. It was a cultivator in the uniform of the Green Vine mountain who gave off a strange smell. It was too late for him to think anymore about it. With a thump, a huge figure slammed into him.
