The Demon Rune Valley is dead silence was replaced by an even more sinister atmosphere.
Elder Feng and his disciples, under the Silver Mask Emissary Aunt Su is cold gaze, were like frogs stared at by a venomous snake.
Though full of resentment and doubts, they dared not disobey in the slightest.
They could only suppress their anger, burying themselves in repairing those scorched and broken formation patterns burned by the purification light.
The demonic energy slowly began to gather again, but the efficiency was obviously much worse than before.
The nauseating fishy sweetness in the air also became much lighter.
Tang Xiaoqi lay on Zhao Tiezhu is wide, solid back.
The violent jolting made his empty, aching meridians even more uncomfortable.
The weakness clung to him like a bone-burrowing maggot, but he forcefully maintained consciousness.
His gaze, passing over Zhao Tiezhu is shoulder, was firmly fixed on that silver figure standing quietly beside the ruined stone pillar.
Aunt Su.
That name chewed over repeatedly in his heart, carrying the subtle resonance of blood ties and the sharp opposition of identities, like a thorn piercing his restless heart.
Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng and Third Senior Sister Liu Yun flanked them left and right.
Their expressions were grave, their steps swift.
They were equally full of vigilance and confusion toward this Shadow Snake Pavilion high-ranking member who had suddenly appeared and helped them, but their instinct for survival told them they must seize this fleeting opportunity.
Just as they were about to rush out of this core area, stepping into the shadows of that dry riverbed to the northwest, something changed again.
Hum.
A low yet resonant hum suddenly sounded throughout the entire Demon Rune Valley.
Not from the formation being repaired, but from above the valley.
The dense demonic energy dome shrouding the valley, like a lake surface disturbed by a stone, rippled violently.
A powerful spiritual sense full of violent intent, like an invisible sledgehammer, brazenly swept across the entire valley.
This spiritual sense is strength far exceeded Elder Feng from before, even several times more terrifying than the aura Aunt Su was faintly emitting.
Carrying a pure, undisguised will to destroy, as if it would crush all living beings within the valley into dust.
It is the Punishment Demon Envoy.
Elder Feng repairing the formation face changed sharply, crying out in alarm.
His voice carried uncontrollable fear: Why would he suddenly patrol here.
That powerful spiritual sense instantly locked onto Xiaoqi and the others who were fleeing.
Especially on Xiaoqi on Zhao Tiezhu is back, that spiritual sense lingered the longest, carrying a hunter is joy and greed upon discovering prey.
Purification Source.
indeed is here.
Feng Yan, how dare you conceal this and act privately.
A hoarse voice like iron scraping echoed through the air, full of fury.
Obviously, this suddenly arrived Punishment Demon Envoy had sensed the residual aura from the earlier purification light eruption and Elder Feng is attack, but mistakenly thought Elder Feng wanted to monopolize the credit.
Before the words finished, a palm completely condensed from pure demonic energy, wreathed with twisted thunder, tore through the demonic dome.
It carried world-destroying momentum, slamming down ruthlessly toward Xiaoqi and the others.
This attack is power exceeded Elder Feng is demonic claw by several times at least.
Before the palm wind even arrived, that terrifying pressure already made Zhao Tiezhu stumble.
Senior Brother and Third Senior Sister is faces turned deathly pale.
Their internal spiritual energy circulation instantly stagnated.
Even the thought of resisting was hard to muster.
Despair, like an icy abyss, once again swallowed everyone.
Against such an existence is full-force attack, they were as insignificant as ants.
At this critical moment, Aunt Su, who had been standing motionless, moved.
She turned sharply, facing that crushing dark purple palm.
In her eyes beneath the silver mask flashed a moment of resolve.
She did not casually disperse the attack as before.
Instead, her hands rapidly formed seals.
Strong silver radiance erupted from her entire body.
That radiance was neither pure demonic energy nor righteous spiritual power, but a force more strange, more profound.
Punishment Demon Envoy, please calm your anger.
Her cold voice rang out, carrying properly measured urgency and respect: It is not Elder Feng concealing anything, but this subordinate received the Pavilion Master is secret orders.
I must ensure the Source Seed is activity and bring it back intact.
Elder Feng, not knowing the details, acted recklessly, nearly ruining the great plan.
This subordinate was about to apprehend him and hand him over to the Discipline Hall.
As she spoke, she thrust both palms forward.
That condensed silver radiance transformed into a massive curved light shield, brazenly rushing to meet the dark purple palm.
BOOM.
An ear-splitting explosion rang out.
The energy shockwave swept in all directions like a tsunami.
The gravel and debris on the ground were all swept away.
The formation patterns just beginning to be repaired were struck again, becoming a mess.
Elder Feng and his disciples were blown about by the blast, horrified.
Aunt Su is light shield under the dark purple palm is strike trembled violently, making sounds of unable to bear the load.
Its surface instantly covered with web-like cracks.
She let out a muffled groan.
A strand of blood seemed to seep from the corner of her mouth beneath the silver mask.
Her form swayed, sliding back several steps before barely stabilizing.
She blocked this attack, but it was clearly not easy.
Silver Mask.
Pavilion Master is secret order.
The Punishment Demon Envoy in the air seemed somewhat surprised.
The dark purple palm hovered in mid-air, not pressing down again.
His violent spiritual sense scanned Aunt Su, carrying scrutiny and suspicion: Why has this subordinate received no notification.
How could the Pavilion Master entrust such an important matter to you alone.
Aunt Su forcefully suppressed her churning qi and blood.
Her voice remained composed, even carrying a hint of unquestionable stubbornness: If the Punishment Demon Envoy does not believe, feel free to immediately contact the Pavilion Master to verify.
But if, because of your obstruction, the Source Seed is lost, or the Pavilion Master is great affair is delayed, this responsibility, I fear even the Punishment Demon Envoy cannot bear.
Her words cleverly utilized the Shadow Snake Pavilion is strict hierarchy and the Pavilion Master is absolute authority, shifting the focus of the issue from why save them to executing the Pavilion Master is orders and responsibility attribution.
The Punishment Demon Envoy in the air fell silent.
The lightning on the dark purple palm flickered slightly, clearly weighing pros and cons.
The Shadow Snake Pavilion had strict internal rules.
If this woman really had the Pavilion Master is secret orders, forcibly obstructing her would indeed have serious consequences.
But that pure purification aura was extremely tempting to evil cultivators like himself.
Giving it up so easily was truly unwilling.
At this brief moment when the Punishment Demon Envoy hesitated, Aunt Su, with her back to Xiaoqi and the others, her fingers hidden in her sleeve delicately flicked.
An extremely subtle yet precise strand of energy silently shot toward the base of a seemingly solid but actually already riddled with demonic energy erosion, ruined tall tower nearby.
Crack.
Rumble.
Accompanied by an unsettling cracking sound, that dozens-of-meters-high stone tower, without any warning, snapped in the middle and collapsed.
Huge boulders fell like rain, precisely covering the area where Elder Feng and his disciples were, and partially blocking the Punishment Demon Envoy is downward gaze.
Hurry.
Get out of the way.
What is going on.
Elder Feng and the others, caught off guard, immediately fell into chaos.
Shouts of alarm, sounds of rocks hitting the ground, and chaotic explosions of disordered demonic energy rang out in a cacophony.
This sudden change not only created tremendous chaos and smoke dust, but also to some extent interfered with the Punishment Demon Envoy is spiritual sense lock.
It created the final, most precious opportunity for Xiaoqi and the others to escape.
At the same time, a frantic yet extremely clear voice transmission, like a thread, precisely Xiaoqi is mind.
Carrying a kind of blood-connected-like tremor.
That was Aunt Su is voice, full of unprecedented urgency and worry: Xiaoqi.
Go quickly.
Take advantage of the chaos.
This Demon Rune Valley is formation is merely a decoy to attract attention.
The Shadow Snake Pavilion is true target is you.
It is your Xu family bloodline and that Purification Source.
They want to use you to complete a terrible ritual.
Qingxu Temple is interior may also be already infiltrated, no longer safe.
Return to the sect quickly, but trust no one.
Find the Temple Master, or your Master, and be very careful.
Go.
This voice transmission is content, like thunder in Xiaoqi is mind.
Decoy.
True target is me.
Qingxu Temple has been infiltrated.
The enormous amount of information impacted his already weak soul, making him dizzy.
But he clearly felt the sincere concern and anxiety contained in that voice transmission.
That was a warning from instinct, absolutely genuine.
He lifted his head sharply, looking at the skyful of smoke and dust raised by the tower is collapse, and that vaguely visible silver silhouette beyond the dust.
Aunt Su was still confronting the Punishment Demon Envoy in the air, buying them this hard-won window to escape.
Northwest.
The riverbed.
Senior Brother Mu Qingfeng reacted extremely quickly.
Though he did not receive the voice transmission, the chaos was a.
He let out a low shout, grabbed the still dazed Zhao Tiezhu.
Third Senior Sister Liu Yun also forcefully summoned her spiritual energy, her sword light sweeping away the falling rocks ahead.
The four, raised their speed to the extreme.
Like four arrows leaving the bowstring, they rushed into that dry, boulder-strewn ancient riverbed.
Using the terrain as cover, they fled desperately toward the northwest.
Behind them was the chaos of the Demon Rune Valley, the Punishment Demon Envoy is howls of rage, the pressure Aunt Su bore alone, and that earth-shattering warning from kin.
Ahead was unknown danger, possible undercurrents in the sect, and an even vaster and more sinister conspiracy targeting him.
Xiaoqi lay on Zhao Tiezhu is back, gripping the jade pendant at his chest tightly.
His weak gaze became unprecedentedly resolute.
He realized, this escape, had just begun.
And Qingxu Temple, that place he called home, perhaps was facing unprecedented crisis.