Zhang Xiaofan's expression didn't change. His eyes stayed locked on the serpent, body weaving between explosions.
"If you speak again, I'll throw you straight into its mouth."
Bi Yao blinked. Then, remembering the stench of its jaws, the darkness of death closing in, she shuddered.
She pouted, trying to mask her fear.
"Hmph… then at least don't let that hideous fire stick of yours touch me. Someone might misunderstand."
"That's my magic weapon!" Zhang Xiaofan snapped, rolling his eyes.
But in the next instant, his gaze sharpened. From the corner of his vision, he saw it.....
A cliff blasted open by the serpent's orb.
And within, a cave.
From its depths, faint red light pulsed, like the beating of a heart.
Zhang Xiaofan's breath caught.
The Bleeding Cave… the Heavenly Book!
Bi Yao's sharp eyes noticed a cave in the distance.
A faint red glow shimmered from within, lighting up the dark cliffs.
Her heart immediately tightened. The Bleeding Cave!
She had grown up in the Ghost King Sect and had read countless ancient records.
Although the stories about this place were vague, she knew enough to recognize it. This was very likely their only hope of survival.
Without hesitation, she shouted, "Quick, Xiaofan! Into the Bleeding Cave! That giant serpent is too big to squeeze inside."
Zhang Xiaofan didn't even think twice. He tightened his hold around Bi Yao's waist, turned in mid-air, and shot toward the cave like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The moment they crossed the threshold, the furious roar of the Black Water Mystic Snake shook the entire valley.
"Roar!"
The massive serpent, its body like a moving mountain, lunged forward. Its enormous green eyes glared at them with killing intent.
It opened its cavernous mouth and spat out one energy ball after another....purple spheres blazing like small suns.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The energy slammed against the cliffs, shaking heaven and earth.
Dust and stones rained down as the beast's gigantic body coiled near the cave entrance.
But no matter how hard it tried, its bulk was simply too large to force a way in.
Frustrated, the serpent let out another furious roar. Then, cunning gleamed in its reptilian eyes.
It slithered back several dozen meters, lifted its head, and began bombarding the surrounding cliffs with energy balls.
Boom… Boom… Boom!
The explosions thundered without pause. Entire rock faces split open, sending down avalanches of boulders.
In moments, the cave entrance was completely sealed....buried beneath tons of collapsed stone.
The Black Water Mystic Snake hissed, satisfied.
With one last earth-shaking roar, it flicked its massive tail and slithered away into the abyss.
Silence slowly returned.
From the shadows of a nearby cliff, a figure quietly stepped out. It was You Ji.
Her dark eyes swept over the newly-buried cave. She recognized it instantly: the Bleeding Cave.
The entrance was sealed tight, the pile of boulders as tall as a small hill.
For ordinary people, digging through it was impossible.
But You Ji wasn't truly worried. As a demon of the Blood Refining Hall, she knew its secrets well.
Eight hundred years ago, the Bleeding Cave had been the forbidden ground of the Hall.
And like every great sect of the demonic path, they always left themselves a way out. There had to be a back door somewhere.
She thought for a moment, then relaxed. With Bi Yao's wit, she'll find the exit. She won't die here.
Just then, voices echoed faintly across the cliffs.
"Xiaofan! Junior Sister Lu!"
"Junior Sister Lu!"
You Ji looked up. Six righteous disciples were making their way through the valley.....Zeng Shushu, Qi Hao, Fashan, Fashang, Yan Hong, and Li Xun.
They scanned the cliffs anxiously, calling out the names of their companions.
You Ji's gaze slid sideways. Not far away, hidden among the shadows, lay Lu Xueqi....her clothes torn, her skin pale, her body weak from the earlier battle.
So, they'll find her soon…
Without a sound, You Ji turned and vanished into the distance.
With her cultivation level, the group of young righteous disciples would never sense her departure.
---
Leaning against the cold cliff wall, Lu Xueqi slowly opened her eyes. Pain wracked her body, every breath sharp as knives. When she heard familiar voices, her lips trembled and she whispered weakly,
"Junior Brother Zeng… Senior Brother Qi…"
"Junior Sister Lu!"
Zeng Shushu and Qi Hao almost jumped at the sound. They rushed forward, relief flooding their faces.
Zeng Shushu crouched beside her. "Junior Sister Lu, thank heavens! We've been searching everywhere. But… where's Xiaofan?"
At the mention of that name, Lu Xueqi's heart lurched.
She struggled to her feet, refusing Zeng Shushu's hand—she had always been aloof, never comfortable with men touching her.
Her gaze swept over the group. Everyone was here—Zeng Shushu, Qi Hao, the Tianyin monks, Yan Hong, Li Xun—but Zhang Xiaofan was missing.
Her voice trembled slightly. "We encountered… the Black Water Mystic Serpent. Before I fainted, the last thing I saw was Xiaofan holding me in his arms. After that…"
Her eyes dimmed. "I don't know what happened."
She didn't finish. Instead, she pushed herself toward the edge of the cliff, scanning desperately.
"Search!" she commanded coldly, though her heart was in chaos. "We must find Xiaofan!"
Zeng Shushu clenched his fist and nodded. "Alright. Everyone, spread out!"
The disciples scattered across the Necromancer Abyss, their shouts echoing off the cliffs.
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