CHAPTER 330: CHAPTER 308: TRAPPED!_3

It seemed there were more caves on the western side, approximately three thousand of them.

Withdrawing his gaze, Qi Xiu stepped towards the entrance of a cave directly in front of him. Just as he was about to enter, a burning heat suddenly surged from his spine, and his raised foot came to an abrupt halt. Dragon Binding Rope? Feeling the Dragon Binding Rope within his body issuing a warning, Qi Xiu narrowed his eyes. He stared at the cave entrance before him and slowly retreated.

His intuition and the Human Path Merit had given no warning. Yet the Dragon Binding Rope was a Dragon Court’s Treasure, possessing immense Spirit Essence; it could not be sounding an alarm without cause. After a brief hesitation, Qi Xiu decided to trust the warning from the Dragon Binding Rope. His intuition and the Human Path Merit weren’t omnipotent. Previously, in the Huangquan Sha Hai, he had been deceived by Meng Po’s innate abilities. There was no guarantee that Ten Thousand Caves Mountain wasn’t similarly treacherous.

Realizing the malevolence of this demonic mountain, Qi Xiu immediately tried to contact Zhao Zaiyang and the other two through the Seven-Star Divine Light Skill.

"There’s nothing abnormal on our side." Zhao Zaiyang and his companions’ replies indicated they hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

No abnormalities? Could it be a problem with this specific cave? Frowning at the cave in front of him, Qi Xiu was about to move to a different one. But before he could lift his foot, the intense, searing heat re-emerged at his back. He was clearly still far from that cave. So why was the Dragon Binding Rope issuing another warning, even more vehement than the last? Once could be an accident, but twice? What did that mean?

Instantly realizing something was amiss, Qi Xiu was about to activate the Observing Qi Skill to probe his surroundings when an indescribable, severe pain suddenly burst from the Ancestral Aperture in the center of his forehead.

Within his Ancestral Aperture, Qi Xiu’s soul, at some unknown point, had become ensnared by several grotesque and terrifying demonic vines, each topped with the face of a beautiful woman. Clusters of black and red spore clouds continued to thicken, seeping into his soul. Despite this bizarre and horrifying situation, Qi Xiu had not sensed anything amiss before.

Ambushed!

The moment this thought arose, the beautiful woman-faced demonic vines entangling Qi Xiu’s soul suddenly opened their red lips and simultaneously bit down upon his soul. A strange poison capable of contaminating the soul rapidly spread throughout it. Demonic vines visibly began sprouting from his soul and flesh.

Just as Qi Xiu seemed destined to follow in Wei Wujie’s footsteps, a clear, bell-like chime suddenly resonated.

At the base of Qi Xiu’s soul, a Golden Lotus Platform had unknowingly appeared. Its golden lotus petals emanated an endless, sacred aura. The strange poison from the demonic vines that had invaded his soul was swiftly purified. Even the demonic vines entangling his soul and those that had subsequently sprouted were annihilated.

With the poison gone, Qi Xiu opened his eyes, his pupils suddenly contracting. He found himself standing atop a withered tree, surrounded on all sides by terrifying, sharp-toothed vines. One misstep, and he would immediately fall into the maws of these demonic vines.

When was I ambushed? After regaining his senses, Qi Xiu’s gaze turned solemn as he recalled everything that had happened. Could it have been that gust of wind? He remembered a breeze brushing past them as they exited the formation. Perhaps that was when their perceptions had been obscured, and they had fallen into an illusion.

I wonder how Zhao Zaiyang and the others are faring? Sensing that the eeriness of Ten Thousand Caves Mountain far exceeded their initial expectations, Qi Xiu slightly turned and surveyed the surrounding demonic vines. From the center of his forehead, a golden vertical pupil, brewing with the terrifying power of the Thunder Pond, slowly forced its way through his skin.

Just as Qi Xiu was about to use the Hidden Thunder Heavy Pupil to obliterate these terrifying demonic vines, he saw Kongwen approaching. Kongwen carried the corpse of a Pinnacle of the Bloodstained Realm Great Demon in one hand, treading on Buddha Light.

Seeing Qi Xiu was awake, this First Seat of the Weituo Monastery’s gaze flickered, and he nodded slightly. "Qi, your cultivation is formidable."