The Golden Core evil cultivator had finally dropped his carefree demeanor, though he still regarded a thunder spiritual root cultivator with some caution. Intent on a swift victory, his curved blade expanded instantly, effortlessly deflecting the second blow from the staff.
Yun Xi's Seven Stars Soul-Shattering Staff, imbued with thunder spiritual power, clashed once more with the curved blade. But the vast difference in strength between them was evident. The resulting shockwave hurled her backward, this time slamming her hard against the stone wall of the cavern.
With a sharp crack, the defensive bracelet around her wrist shattered. It had been a gift from Uncle Feng before she joined the sect, a defensive artifact that could only withstand attacks from Foundation Establishment cultivators. Against the power of a Golden Core, it had reached the end of its life.
Yun Xi landed hard, then rolled to her feet. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, then flicked her wrist to activate the white magnolia hairpin pinned in her hair. This was no ordinary accessory—it was a true treasure, capable of withstanding attacks even from a Nascent Soul cultivator.
In the next instant, the evil cultivator's curved blade came slicing down, aimed straight at Yun Xi's head. But this time, it struck a glowing barrier and bounced off.
The Golden Core evil cultivator narrowed his eyes. Now he was certain: this girl was a prize catch. The artifact she'd casually activated could resist a late-stage Golden Core attack—she had to be carrying far more valuable treasures.
Greed flashed in his eyes. If she was truly this well-equipped, her belongings alone might be enough to help him break through to the Nascent Soul stage. This was more than a fight; this was a golden opportunity.
Meanwhile, Dian Dian had already slipped away from the battlefield. Taking advantage of Yun Xi's tumble, it had darted out from her boot without a sound. To avoid drawing the evil cultivator's attention, it had even stuck a third-grade Concealment Talisman—newly drawn by its master—onto its own body.
Following the route Yun Xi had provided, Dian Dian crept deeper into the cave complex and soon reached the prison chamber. The place was heavily warded with restrictive formations.
Inside, more than thirty cultivators were held captive—men and women alike, most at the Foundation Establishment stage, with a few still at the Qi Refining level. Judging by their spiritual auras, they were all quite talented.
As Dian Dian hovered outside the barrier, its presence was quickly noticed. A female cultivator's eyes lit up. She immediately called out.
"Whose spirit beast is that? Hurry, send it out to get help!"
Everyone turned toward the little black-eared mouse sniffing about outside the restriction, casting questioning looks at each other.
Then, a surprised voice rang out.
"That looks like Dian Dian—Little Sister Yun Xi' spirit beast!"
"Junior Sister, are you sure?"
"I'm sure. Last time in Wanruo City, we only got away thanks to Little Sister Yun Xi's spirit beast and its keen nose. Senior Brother, you were badly injured then, so you probably didn't notice."
The two speaking were Yu Qingcheng and Liu Haotian from Baihua Tower. Four years ago, they'd narrowly escaped disaster and returned to their sect, forcing the evil cultivators to back off temporarily. But ever since, the evil cultivators hadn't given up their pursuit, still coveting their beauty and cultivation talent.
A month ago, Yu Qingcheng had accepted a sect task to search for butterfly eggs in Xiafei Valley in preparation for Baihua Tower's Flower Festival. Trusting her cultivator's sixth sense, she'd invited Liu Haotian to accompany her.
Liu Haotian still owed her his life, so he didn't hesitate. The two of them traveled to Xiafei Valley by airship.
They had also been drawn in by the rumors of the third-grade Flying Mist Butterfly eggs. After collecting a few first- and second-grade ones, they pushed deeper into the valley, relying on their superior cultivation.
Both were cautious upon entering the inner valley. They didn't join up with any other cultivators and declined even friendly invitations to team up.
After three strange encounters with other cultivators, they sensed something was wrong. But by then, it was too late—they were ambushed and captured by Xue Ao.
Xue Ao hadn't destroyed their cultivation. He wanted to sell them for a good price. However, both were force-fed Spirit Sealing Pills, leaving them powerless and awaiting transport.
Many others imprisoned with them were in similar situations. Some had been ambushed, others betrayed by teammates—like Xia You—and had their spiritual power sealed. With no way to resist, they were easy prey.
Everyone knew that once the evil cultivators gathered enough captives, they would be transported away. They were all quietly trying to overcome the effects of the Spirit Sealing Pills in hopes of escaping.
But the evil cultivators were thorough. Every two days, they were force-fed another pill, leaving no window for recovery.
As cultivators, they understood well: without spiritual power, they couldn't break through the barrier—let alone get far, especially with all their storage pouches confiscated. Despair filled the cave.
Until Dian Dian appeared.
After confirming it had arrived at the right place, Dian Dian tapped the storage pouch hanging from its neck—a special pouch Yun Xi had prepared just for this mission.
In the next moment, a formation disk appeared in front of it—the very same fourth-grade formation disk given to Yun Xi by City Lord Li as compensation.
Yun Xi had known that the prison held many captives. There was no way the evil cultivators would let them escape so easily. Her plan had been simple: she would distract the evil cultivators and eliminate the lower-level ones, while Dian Dian carried out the rescue.
Since Dian Dian didn't have much combat power, Yun Xi had entrusted it with the fourth-grade formation disk and a stack of talismans. How to use them depended on the situation.
When it became clear the restrictions couldn't be broken by talismans alone, Dian Dian adjusted the formation disk into a killing formation and hurled it toward the barrier, then darted far back to hide.
"Everyone, get back!" Liu Haotian called out.
They could see what was happening outside the barrier, but they couldn't hear anything. Still, they all saw Dian Dian's bold maneuver. If there was a chance to escape, no one wanted to be the one holding others back. The captives quickly retreated to the far end of the cavern.
The moment the formation disk collided with the barrier, a violent tremor shook the entire cave. Stones and debris rained down from above.
All eyes were on the glowing restriction. No one cared about falling rocks. Moments later, under the crushing force of the formation, the barrier flickered and then vanished. As the formation disk floated down, Dian Dian darted back in and stuffed it into its storage pouch.
Its beady black eyes scanned the rushing crowd of escaping cultivators. Originally, Yun Xi had tasked it with finding Xia You and delivering the antidote to the Spirit Sealing Pill—that would complete its mission.
But among the escaping cultivators, Dian Dian caught a familiar scent. Without hesitation, it changed course.
Yu Qingcheng had barely steadied herself when Dian Dian leaped up, grabbed her robe, and scrambled onto her shoulder. Just as Liu Haotian instinctively reached out to stop it, Dian Dian flung a small bottle of pills at him.
Then, clearly disgruntled, it puffed up its cheeks and glared at Liu Haotian as if to scold him.
"Dian Dian came to save you, and this is how you treat it? Hmph! You've no idea how kind this mouse's heart is!"
Of course, neither of them could understand Dian Dian's indignant squeaks, but the message came across loud and clear—it was angry at them.
Yu Qingcheng's mouth twitched. "You're Little Sister Yun Xi's spirit beast. You must be here to help us."
She spoke with certainty.
Dian Dian nodded its little head, then pointed at the bottle of pills with its paw before leaping off Yu Qingcheng's shoulder and vanishing into a side tunnel.
"Senior Brother Liu, what is that?" someone asked.
"Antidote for the Spirit Sealing Pill."
Gasps of surprise broke out.
"We're saved!"
"Hurry! Take the antidote. We need to help Little Sister Yun Xi!"