At the edge of the underground lake, the pitch-black water resembled a solidified abyss, exuding an unsettling, deathly stillness. On the opposite shore, shrouded in dense demonic energy, the massive shadow of a looming figure looked like a dormant ferocious beast, radiating a palpitation-inducing pressure that silently proclaimed the danger of this place.
The seven members of the "Dawn"小队 (team) lurked behind a submerged reef near the lake shore, concealing all their aura like seven lifeless stones. Their gazes pierced the slightly murky water as they cautiously observed the opposite bank.
"The concentration of demonic energy is too high; my spiritual sense is almost completely suppressed." Mu Xue's cool voice transmitted through spiritual sense, tinged with gravity. Her *Ice Heart Clarity* was also severely disrupted here; she could barely perceive the energy vortex at the storm's center emanating from the massive shadow on the far shore.
"Aunt Su's map ends here. Ahead is unknown territory." Xiao Qi frowned, sensing the faint throbbing from the jade pendant on his chest. The connection to the lotus seed's main body—or rather, to his sealed father's soul spirit—had become somewhat clearer here, but was still blocked by the thick demonic energy, preventing precise location.
"Crossing the lake directly is too risky. There's something strange about this water. My draconic senses tell me something is hiding down there." Crown Prince Ao Qin's azure dragon eyes flickered with a golden glint as he stared at the deathly still lake surface, showing instinctive caution.
"Go around." Second Senior Brother Luo Feng, controlling his puppet body, pointed to the left shore. "There's a crack in the cliff face over there that seems to lead deeper. It might allow us to avoid the lake surface."
The rabbit spirit squatted on Xiao Qi's shoulder, sniffing vigorously with its little nose, then extended a paw and also pointed toward the left cliff direction. But at the same time, it scratched Xiao Qi's neck uneasily, conveying a complex message: "There's danger, but it seems to be the only path."
"Go!" Xiao Qi made the snap decision.
The seven moved like shadows along the cliff face on the left and quickly found the crack. It was narrow, allowing only one person to pass sideways. Inside was deep and dark, leading to an unknown destination. The air was filled with a strange odor—a mix of mustiness and a faint smell of sulfur.
"I'll take the lead, Tiezhu brings up the rear," Xiao Qi said quietly, squeezing sideways into the crack first. Liu Yun followed closely, her sword intent ready to burst forth. Mu Xue, Ao Qin, and Second Senior Brother were in the middle, while Zhao Tiezhu's burly frame squeezed in last, almost blocking the crack entirely.
The interior of the crack was longer than expected, winding and twisting, with the terrain gradually sloping upward. The rock walls were slippery and covered with slimy, faintly glowing moss. The deeper they went, the space would sometimes become tight and cramped, sometimes slightly more open, but always shrouded in a suffocating sense of oppression.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the crack suddenly widened into a huge, cavern-like space. Countless sharp stalactites hung from the ceiling, and oddly shaped stalagmites rose from the ground. However, unlike ordinary caves, most of these stalactites and stalagmites were an ominous dark red, their surfaces covered with honeycomb-like holes, and the smell of sulfur in the air grew even stronger.
Just as the group stepped into this cavern space—
*"Zhi zhi—!"*
*"Ji ji—!"*
A series of sharp, dense, eardrum-piercing screeches erupted without warning from the ceiling! The sound was not just physical; it carried a strange power that stabbed directly into the soul spirit, like countless icy needles viciously piercing into their seas of consciousness!
Xiao Qi felt his head buzz, his vision went black, and his soul spirit trembled violently, as if about to be torn apart by this invisible soundwave! If it was this bad for him, Second Senior Brother (in his soul body state), whose cultivation was weaker, let out a muffled groan; the runes on the surface of his puppet body flickered violently, nearly dispersing!
It was Soul-Devouring Demon Bats! And a huge swarm of them!
From the countless dark-red stalactite holes in the ceiling, dense black figures poured out like a tide! They were not large, with a wingspan of just over a foot, but their numbers were so vast they almost covered the entire ceiling! Each demon bat had glaring red eyes and sharp fangs in its open mouth. Their screeches merged into a terrifying storm of spiritual impact that swept through the entire cavern!
"Watch out! Soul-Devouring Demon Bats! Their soundwaves specifically attack the soul spirit!" Xiao Qi forced himself to endure the stabbing pain in his sea of consciousness and shouted sternly. He instantly activated the jade pendant on his chest; a stream of cool purification power flowed through his body, barely protecting his mind, but the pervasive soundwaves still left him dizzy.
*"Ice Wall • Rise!"*
At this critical moment, Mu Xue's cool voice rang out like a stabilizing pillar. She slammed her ice crystal staff onto the ground, and a surge of powerful ice-attribute spiritual energy burst forth!
*Crack! Crack!*
Several crystal-clear ice walls, several feet thick, rose instantly from the ground, shielding the seven like a fortress. The ice walls not only blocked part of the physical soundwaves but also, with their extreme cold, interfered with and slowed the invisible spiritual impact!
The bats' screeches were blocked by the ice walls; though they still penetrated, their power was greatly reduced.
*"Roar!"*
Zhao Tiezhu let out a furious roar and stepped forward, his burly body standing like a mountain in front of the group. His blood and qi exploded outward; the scorching, masculine blood and qi formed a visible crimson wave of heat, like a blazing fire shield, further burning and dispersing the residual soundwaves trying to seep through the ice walls! His blood and qi were supremely yang and firm, a natural bane to such sinister soul spirit attacks!
However, the number of demon bats was simply too great! They surged like a black flood, crazily slamming into the ice walls, their sharp claws and teeth scraping against the ice with a teeth-grating sound. Even more bats circled outside the walls, continuously emitting their soul-devouring screeches. Under the sustained impact of soundwaves and physical battering, fine cracks began to appear on the ice walls!
"We can't go on like this! The ice walls won't last long!" Liu Yun's eyes were cold as her sword finger pressed on her sword case. But she knew that against such a large number of dispersed bats attacking primarily the soul spirit, her flying sword would have limited killing efficiency.
"Xiao Qi! Use that!" Second Senior Brother Luo Feng urgently transmitted.
Xiao Qi understood immediately. He took a deep breath, enduring the discomfort in his sea of consciousness, and formed an esoteric hand seal in front of his chest. The jade pendant on his chest glowed with intense cyan light, drawing upon a pure and vast power of the Purification Origin. This merged with his own spiritual power and a hint of insight from a fragment of his father's memories—an ancient soul-calming secret art of the Xu family.
He opened his mouth, but instead of sound, he emitted a strange wave imbued with the true intent of purification, soul-calming, and exorcism. Like an invisible chant, it spread outward in all directions with him at the center!
*"Om… ma… ni… pad… me… hum…"*
This was not the Buddhist Six-Syllable Mantra, but it carried a similar power of purification and soul-calming, further infused with the Green Lotus Origin's property of rejecting and purifying all negative energy!
Wherever this purifying chant passed, the violent soul-devouring soundwaves, as if meeting their bane, collapsed and dissolved! The swarm of bats circling outside the ice walls immediately emitted even more shrill screeches—clearly pained and terrified. Their formation became chaotic, and many bats fell from the air like dumplings, writhing in agony on the ground.
Mu Xue seized the opportunity. She waved her staff again, and countless sharp ice spikes condensed on the ice walls, shooting into the chaotic bat swarm like a rainstorm, killing large numbers.
Crown Prince Ao Qin also opened his mouth and spat out a condensed dragon breath water arrow. The arrow exploded in mid-air, turning into countless fine water blades that precisely cut the bats' wings.
Liu Yun's flying sword finally left its case, transforming into a roaming ray of death, specifically picking off those bats that tried to regroup or were noticeably larger—the leaders.
With the group's tacit cooperation, especially Xiao Qi's purifying chant suppressing the bats, this sudden encounter was finally brought under control. The bats suffered heavy casualties; the remnants let out reluctant screeches and retreated back into the holes in the ceiling like an ebbing tide. The cavern fell temporarily silent, leaving only the bodies of bats and shattered ice shards on the ground.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, exhaustion evident on their faces. Xiao Qi and Zhao Tiezhu, in particular, had consumed a great deal of mental energy to power the chant and continuously burst forth blood and qi to block the soundwaves respectively—their expenditure was considerable.
"Move quickly! We can't stay here long!" Xiao Qi suppressed the churning of his blood and qi, glanced at the mess on the ground, and took the lead rushing toward the exit at the other end of the cavern.
The others dared not delay and quickly followed. After passing this dangerous spot, the path ahead seemed to narrow again, but the ominous pressure of the demonic entity became increasingly distinct.
They knew they were getting closer to their goal. And danger would surely follow one after another.