The nineteen villagers, escorted by Mu Qingfeng, walked along the stone stairs they'd come from, supporting each other, with relief and weakness from surviving the ordeal. Liu Yun swiftly searched the cavern for remaining items, hoping to find more clues about Shadow Snake Pavilion's plans. Xiao Qi guarded near the cave entrance, frying pan horizontal, vigilant, sensing surroundings. The jade pendant on his chest continued emitting faint coolness, reminding him the demonic energy here hadn't fully dispersed.
Just as most villagers were about to exit the cave, when Liu Yun retrieved a black jade slip carved with a ferocious snake head from the dead Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator's inner clothing—sudden change occurred!
"Boom!"
A muffled boom came from the cavern's deeper depths, as if something heavy had been pushed open. Then, a terrifying aura several times more powerful than that Foundation Establishment cultivator's, like a slumbering fierce beast awakening, with suffocating pressure, instantly filled the entire underground space!
The already dim cavern seemed to have light devoured, becoming even darker. Cold, violent, with iron-blood massacre intent demonic energy surged like a tide, causing the villagers who had just reached the cave entrance to go limp with fear, turning back in terror,.
Liu Yun's face changed sharply. She hastily stored the jade slip, sword instantly drawn, sword tip pointing into the cavern's depths, her, treating it as a great enemy. Mu Qingfeng also contracted his pupils, immediately signaling Chen Feng and Lin Wan to expedite villagers' evacuation. He turned back swiftly, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Liu Yun and Xiao Qi, his expression extremely grave.
Xiao Qi felt his breath catch. That powerful pressure made his spiritual power circulation sluggish. He tightly gripped the frying pan; his palms were sweating. This aura... far exceeded Foundation Establishment early stage!
Heavy footsteps came from the cavern's depths, each step seemingly stepping on everyone's heartbeat. Finally, a tall figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
This person also wore a Shadow Snake Pavilion black robe, but the material was clearly higher quality; the snake pattern on the sleeve was dark gold. He wore an expressionless dark iron mask on his face, revealing only cold, cruel eyes lacking any human emotion. His build wasn't particularly burly, yet standing there, he seemed like an insurmountable iron wall. The Foundation Establishment mid-stage spiritual pressure emanating from his, mixed with condensed killing intent, made the entire cavern's air nearly solidify.
"Iron Mask Executive..." Liu Yun squeezed out through gritted teeth, her gaze extremely grave. Shadow Snake Pavilion's Iron Mask Executives, at least Foundation Establishment mid-stage cultivation, were backbone forces of the pavilion, ruthless and extremely difficult to deal with. Who knew such a master hid in the seemingly temporary base's depths! This place was more important than they anticipated.
The Iron Mask Executive's cold gaze swept across the dead Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator on the ground, then looked at the two captured Qi Refining subordinates, finally landing on Liu Yun, Mu Qingfeng, and Xiao Qi. His voice, passing through the mask, carried a metallic friction texture: "Qingxu Temple... actually found this place and killed my deputy. It seems we cannot leave you alive."
He didn't waste words. Before his voice finished, his figure suddenly blurred; the next instant, he had appeared before the three like a ghost! A palm covered with pitch-black metal gloves, with air-tearing screams, directly grabbed Liu Yun in the lead, who stood in front—speed terrifyingly fast!
"Careful!" Mu Qingfeng shouted, both palms thrusting out. Yellow-brown spiritual power condensed into a heavy stone shield, blocking before Liu Yun.
"Boom!"
A thunderous boom. The stone shield vibrated violently, its surface instantly covered with cracks. Mu Qingfeng grunted, retreating half a step, his face slightly pale. With just one strike, this Foundation Establishment early-stage peak cultivator suffered a small!
Liu Yun seized the opportunity; sword light surged like a venomous snake leaving its hole, stabbing toward the Iron Mask Executive's wrist vital point. However, the Iron Mask Executive didn't dodge or evade. Another hand curled a finger and, a crisp "dang," actually precisely Liu Yun's sword ridge! A tremendous force came; Liu Yun felt her wrist ache intensely, her sword nearly slipped, her sword momentum completely disrupted.
"Freeze!" Liu Yun endured discomfort, sword style changing. Extreme cold sword qi billowed forth, attempting to freeze the opponent.
The Iron Mask Executive coldly snorted. His demonic energy churned; that cold sword qi approaching within three feet of his body was counteracted and evaporated by scorching yet yin-evil demonic flame! "Insignificant tricks,?"
His figure moved again, palm transforming into claw. Five fingertips sprouted foot-long pitch-black demonic thorns,, clawing toward Liu Yun's throat! If this claw landed, perhaps even magical treasures could be crushed!
"Your opponent is me!" Mu Qingfeng roared, no longer holding back. Spiritual power within, both fists, using his signature move—"Mountain Crushing Fist!" Fist wind thick as a mountain,, smashing toward the Iron Mask Executive's ribs, forcing him to defend.
The Iron Mask Executive seemed to have some regarding Mu Qingfeng's strength; the claw grabbing Liu Yun had to retract, counter-palming toward Mu Qingfeng's fist.
"Boom!"
Fist and palm intersected; energy burst in all directions, grinding the gravel on the ground into powder. Mu Qingfeng was repelled several steps again, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth—evidently his internal organs were shaken. And the Iron Mask Executive only; the difference was obvious!
"Xiao Qi!" Liu Yun stabilized her footing, urgent shout: "Disrupt him! His demonic energy is condensed—your purification power may be useful!"
Xiao Qi had long been ready. He knew his cultivation level meant fighting head-on was suicide. Hearing Liu Yun's shout, without hesitation, he condensed that thread of golden purification force at his fingertip. Seizing the moment when the Iron Mask Executive's old force had just ended and new force not yet arrived after exchanging palms with Mu Qingfeng, he fiercely thrust out!
"Purifying Light Finger!"
A tiny yet incomparably pure, golden beam, like a meteor in the night sky, swiftly shot toward the Iron Mask Executive's back heart!
"Hmm?" The Iron Mask Executive clearly hadn't expected this Qi Refining he had been ignoring could actually release an attack so and terrifying. Before that golden beam even reached him, his demonic energy spontaneously fluctuated violently, as if encountering a natural enemy.
He fiercely turned back. The palm covered with metal gloves, like lightning, grabbed toward that beam.
"Sss-la!"
Like a hot branding iron, the moment golden beam contacted the demonic energy palm, ear-piercing sounds erupted. The Iron Mask Executive grunted; the demonic energy on his palm was purified a small piece, revealing the dark metal glove beneath. Even the glove's surface showed a trace of scorched marks!
Though no substantial damage was caused, this sudden, directly acting upon demonic energy source's disruption, caused the Iron Mask Executive's aura to appear momentary chaos and stagnation.
"Great chance!" Liu Yun and Mu Qingfeng were both battle-hardened veterans—how could they miss this fleeting opportunity?
Liu Yun, person and sword united, transformed into an extreme icy sword rainbow, stabbing toward the Iron Mask Executive's throat flaw exposed by his aura! Mu Qingfeng gathered all spiritual power again, both fists like two meteors, blasting his chest!
Facing their full-strength killing moves, the Iron Mask Executive's eyes showed first hint of anger and gravity. He roared wildly; his demonic energy, condensing before him into a black shield carved with ferocious ghost head!
"Ghost Face Demonic Shield!"
"BOOM!!!!!"
Sword rainbow, fist momentum, and demonic shield violently collided, producing earth-shaking thunderous roar. The entire cavern shook violently; rocks continuously fell from the ceiling, as if about to collapse at any moment. Violent energy storm swept across, scraping off a thick layer of ground.
Amid smoke and dust, that Ghost Face Demonic Shield vibrated intensely, fine cracks appearing on its surface, but ultimately didn't shatter. Liu Yun and Mu Qingfeng were forced to retreat continuously by the recoil, faces pale—evidently their consumption was enormous.
And though the Iron Mask Executive blocked this strike, his demonic shield was also heavily damaged. More importantly, Xiao Qi's purifying light's disruption to his demonic energy caused him, aura weaker than before.
He stabilized his stance. Behind the iron mask, his gaze Xiao Qi, filled with. "Xu family's bastard... and this nauseating purification power... Today, I must kill you first!"
Before the voice finished, ignoring Liu Yun and Mu Qingfeng, his figure blurred, like teleportation appearing before Xiao Qi. That palm covered with demonic energy,, directly slapped downward! This palm contained his Foundation Establishment mid-stage full strength, determined to thoroughly eliminate this variable—Xiao Qi!
The shadow of death, instantly enveloped Xiao Qi.