CHAPTER 342: CHAPTER 317: SPIRIT OF NIGHT TRAVEL_2

But as the old saying goes, "No pain, no gain."

After the battle with the Seven Vines Monster, although he was nearly exhausted and had suffered an intense backlash from heaven and earth, his proficiency in "The Secret of the Primordial Dragon-Tiger Scripture" surged by nearly forty percent. The overall proficiency had reached 51%.

Within the Sixth Realm of the Hunyuan Dragon Tiger Scripture Mystery, he already had a faint outline taking shape in his mind. And as the progress bar passed the halfway mark, he gained more insights into the Mixed Yuan Path, most of which pointed directly to the long-silent Purple Tiger Ink Jiao.

Once this matter is over, I will find some time to ponder it; the Purple Tiger Ink Jiao is indeed the secret of this scripture. In terms of divine marvel and power, it is no less than Thunder Magic or sword techniques. However, it was only after the proficiency in the Fifth Realm surpassed halfway that I began to feel capable of wielding these two powers. After all, it’s because of a firm foundation; without a sufficiently high realm, one simply cannot wield and harness it.

Meanwhile, Qi Xiu was focusing all his energy on restoring his vitality and healing his severely damaged body. Although the Seven Vines Monster had all been slain, their purpose for coming to Ten Thousand Caves Mountain was not to slay demons and banish evil.

Suddenly, the entire interior of Ten Thousand Caves Mountain began to shake violently. At the same moment, a crack shimmering with faint starlight tore open beside Qi Xiu. In the next instant, several blood-soaked and disheveled figures staggered out from within.

"Qi, we sure had a hard time finding you," Zhao Zaiyang, who looked like he had just crawled out of a mud puddle, said with a wry smile as he dusted himself off.

Qi Xiu saw that Zhao Zaiyang and the others were all injured. Especially Xia Wan from the Miaofa Qianji Sect, a Hidden Great Sect; shockingly, only her upper body remained, and she was being carried by Monk Kongwen, already unconscious.

"What happened? How did you end up like this?" Qi Xiu asked as he slowly stood up. "Were you also attacked by Demonic Evil Cultivators?"

He had just finished asking when he noticed an incredibly dense darkness spreading from the Cosmic Bi fissure through which Zhao Zaiyang and the others had come. This darkness was so dense it resembled an abyss; gazing upon it, it seemed as if even one’s line of sight would be drawn in.

"They caught up so quickly! Run, I’ll explain on the way!" Seeing the thread of darkness, Zhao Zaiyang and the others’ expressions changed slightly, and they hurriedly pulled Qi Xiu to flee again.

Li Nian, from Star Mansion Sea Cliff, took out an ancient and exquisite Starry Compass. With a sweep of his hand, a gateway shimmering with starlight appeared before them. In a rush, they all quickly entered.

In an endless corridor radiating with the glow of countless stars, Zhao Zaiyang heaved a sigh of relief and squatted down, looking up at Qi Xiu, whose expression was grave.

"According to the plan, after you engaged with those Demonic Evil Cultivators, we went straight to the dragon’s lair and found the core area where the Outer Realm Evil God was invoked. But just as we entered that manor, an accident occurred. A madwoman had entered the place before us and tried to destroy the summoning array. She failed and was instead captured by the Evil God’s consciousness within the array, becoming its worldly avatar.

"We tried to intervene, but that Evil God was too formidable. If it hadn’t been for Sister Xia desperately using the Heaven-Guiding Attraction Technique of her sect, the Miaofa Qianjimen, to reflect the Evil God’s power back onto it, we would likely have been wiped out in that manor.

"Now, the Outer Realm Evil God has successfully descended. This Ten Thousand Caves Mountain has been completely sealed by it; there’s no way in or out. If those outside haven’t noticed something amiss, we might end up trapped here to die, or be killed directly by that Evil God."

A madwoman? Could it be...

Realizing something suddenly, Qi Xiu’s pupils shrank, and he backhandedly took out a portrait of Nangong Qingqiu from his sleeve. "Is it her?"

"Huh? You know her?" Seeing the portrait in Qi Xiu’s hand, Zhao Zaiyang appeared stunned; he hadn’t expected that the madwoman actually knew Qi Xiu.

This is bad... Learning that Nangong Qingqiu had become the worldly avatar of an Outer Realm Evil God, Qi Xiu’s expression darkened.

The true body of an Outer Realm Evil God cannot enter this Home Realm; otherwise, it would be wiped out by the Heavenly Dao. A worldly avatar can be understood as the Outer Realm Evil God’s legitimate identity in this Home Realm. It was like the Golden Flower Mother Church Leader of the past. The Mother Goddess of the Golden Flower, in an attempt to take over his identity and legally enter this Home Realm, had subjected him to a long period of assimilation, intending to replace him. And the Outer Realm Evil God secretly invoked by the Demonic Evil Cultivators was evidently a much more powerful existence than the Mother Goddess of the Golden Flower. The Evil God could arbitrarily possess the bodies of living beings to become its own worldly avatar.

If it were a temporary possession, there might still be a chance to save her. However, if too much time passes, my Second Senior Sister’s soul might be erased...

Just as Qi Xiu was contemplating how to rescue Nangong Qingqiu from the clutches of that Outer Realm Evil God, the entire corridor began to tremble. The dazzling brilliance of the stars dimmed progressively, as if suppressed by some power.

"Not good, she’s caught up!"

With a sudden change in expression, Li Nian pulled out the Starlight Compass, his hands weaving countless phantasms that intertwined. In an instant, more than a thousand Dharma Seals were pressed into the Compass.

Clusters of jelly-like starlight broke free from the Starlight Corridor, enveloping Qi Xiu and the others. They immediately shattered the pathway, breaking into an unknown void.

Just a few breaths after their departure, an infinite tide of darkness surged in like a flood, instantaneously corrupting the entire Starlight Corridor.

The next second, a pair of pale, jade-like feet slowly stepped into the place.

Barefoot, clad in a resplendent long gauze dress, and exuding an aura of tranquil stillness, ’Nangong Qingqiu,’ her eyes glinting with Divine Light, slowly surveyed the area.