The dull thuds of blades piercing flesh rang out one after another.
Those rogue cultivators, who already had only a single breath left in them, didn't even have time to make a sound before their vital points were pierced in an instant, bringing a final end to their suffering.
Li Nanzhu watched this scene, her heart stirring slightly. In the dim light, the lines of Rong Yuying's profile suddenly became exceptionally cold and hard. There was no trace of hesitation or pity in her eyes, only a nearly cruel clarity and decisiveness.
"Take all the bodies with us. We can't leave them for the evil cultivators," Rong Yuying's voice was devoid of emotion, as if she had just performed a trivial task that required no explanation to anyone else.
Several Hehuan Sect disciples immediately stepped forward, produced a few ordinary storage bags, and silently and swiftly collected the bodies of those rogue cultivators.
Li Nanzhu naturally understood that this was the best choice. Most of these rogue cultivators were already at death's door; they would have died anyway even if they were rescued. Leaving them here would only provide the evil cultivators with nourishment to refine foul objects or nurture their strength, bolstering the enemy's power.
Her fingertips unconsciously brushed against the blood-stained rust on the chains. This Senior Sister Rong of the Hehuan Sect... her decisiveness in killing far exceeded Li Nanzhu's imagination.
It was at this moment that Li Nanzhu truly understood. The 'innate seductive bones' of the Hehuan Sect were never merely ornaments to please others, but blades that killed without drawing blood. She was even more composed and ruthless than Li Nanzhu, the transmigrator.
No, it should be said that this was how she was supposed to be. Someone born in the cultivation world, especially a disciple of a great sect—if she lacked this level of calm judgment, she wouldn't be worthy of her position.
This realization caused Li Nanzhu's evaluation of Rong Yuying to soar, while also adding a layer of wariness.
Li Nanzhu didn't think the other woman was doing anything wrong. In this life-or-death crisis, any superfluous mercy could bring about utter destruction.
In the cultivation world, sometimes you have to let others die if you want to live.
This was the naked and helpless law of the jungle in the cultivation world.
Compared to dying outside and being eaten by demonic beasts, at least their bodies would be given a proper burial now.
"Move!" Feng Qingping barked in a low voice. The group delayed no longer and rushed toward the exit.
The members of the Hehuan Sect took turns supporting the survivors or carrying the chains. Feng Qingping simply carried Feng Weilan in her arms, while Suisui transformed into a larger form to support the chains from below.
Li Nanzhu, meanwhile, hoisted the suppressed Golden Core evil cultivator like a dead dog.
The evil cultivator was clearly furious at being treated this way, his mouth splitting into a ghoulish grin. "You... won't escape..."
"Shut up!" Li Nanzhu slapped him backhanded, sending his head spinning. She then quickly checked him for any tracking marks or communication jade slips.
Once confirmed, she raised her foot without hesitation—
Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!
Four crisp snaps echoed as she cleanly crushed all of the evil cultivator's limbs!
"Aaah!" A shrill scream reverberated through the stone chamber as the evil cultivator buckled in pain, his face turning pale as paper.
"Scream again and I'll pull out your tongue too," Li Nanzhu said coldly.
The evil cultivator immediately clamped his teeth shut, not daring to make another sound.
Time was tight. The array outside could only remain open for fifteen minutes, and it could only mask their presence for that long. They had already delayed too much since entering; every second was now a matter of life and death!
In the passage, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. Their breathing was heavy and ragged. Though Feng Weilan and Ling Suxin were weak, the will to survive drove them to follow along with gritted teeth.
"Fast! Faster!" Rong Yuying's voice was exceptionally clear in the darkness, carrying an undeniable sense of urgency.
Finally, a faint light appeared ahead—it was the same corridor they had entered through!
However, Feng Qingping's divine sense had already detected spiritual energy fluctuations from further away. The evil cultivators were already rushing toward them! They would arrive in about ten minutes.
"They discovered us faster than expected." Rong Yuying noticed this as well, her expression changing slightly as she quickly cast a Breath-concealing Technique on everyone. "This is the final stretch. Full speed ahead!"
Perhaps because the array was about to restart, the pressure of the spiritual energy grew heavier. Jingyi suddenly stumbled, nearly dropping Ling Suxin, whom she was supporting.
Li Nanzhu moved quickly to catch them and noticed that blood was seeping from the corners of Ling Suxin's mouth again.
"Junior Sister Ling!" Jingyi's voice trembled.
Rong Yuying didn't say a word as she took Ling Suxin from her and shoved a crimson pill into her mouth. As the pill went down her throat, an unnatural flush surged onto Ling Suxin's pale face.
"A burning blood pill?!" Feng Qingping blurted out instinctively.
"Better than dying here," Rong Yuying replied coldly, continuing her sprint.
With the boost from the burning blood pill, Ling Suxin was actually able to manifest a bit of spiritual energy for a short time. To some extent, she could ignore the weight of the chains and no longer needed Jingyi's support, charging forward on her own while holding the chains.
Just as the fifteen minutes were about to expire, the group finally burst out through the stone wall!
"Turn left! We're meeting up with Team Two!"
Rong Yuying didn't stop for a moment, leading the group in a frantic dash forward.
Feng Qingping didn't forget to recover her array flags. She even added a few things to them on the fly, altering the array's functions, and meticulously erased all traces of their passage before finally departing.
...
Ten minutes later.
At the entrance to the prison, seven or eight dark shadows flickered into existence like ghosts.
The leading man in black raised a hand and waved it, instantly shattering the restriction on the stone wall. However, the moment it broke, a thunderous explosion erupted, catching the man in black off guard and leaving him covered in dust and soot.
"Get inside and check!" the leader roared. "Something definitely happened!"
The others didn't dare delay. They took out special tokens and charged inside. The arrays that had obstructed Feng Qingping's group now ignored these men in black, allowing them to rush straight to the deepest cells.
"Where are they?!" a Golden Core evil cultivator raged, kicking over a nearby stone bench and sending fragments flying.
Another man knelt down and wiped the floor with his finger, coming away with blood that hadn't yet dried. He said coldly, "They just left. The blood is still wet."
"Useless!" The leading evil cultivator was livid, killing intent surging in his eyes. "They actually let them escape?!"
He spun around and barked, "Everyone, listen up! Spread out and search immediately! Scour every inch of every passage! I want them found, alive or dead!"
"Yes!" the evil cultivators shouted in unison before turning into several black streaks and darting off in different directions.
One Golden Core evil cultivator remained where he was, his gaze dark as he scanned the traces inside the prison. He knelt down, picked up a fragment of the shattered stone wall, and frowned as he felt the cracks with his fingertips.
"They really did find a way to rescue them!" The leader angrily swung his hand, smashing the only intact section of the wall—the very piece Li Nanzhu had prevented the others from damaging earlier.
In the next second, several rock walls near him collapsed. Fortunately, the leader reacted quickly enough to avoid being buried alive by the falling stones.
"Damn it, damn it! They even left traps here! Damn it!"
"Enough," the other Golden Core evil cultivator spoke up. "Not only are the people gone, but they even took many of the chains. You'd better think about how to explain this to the superiors!"
The leader suddenly gave a sinister smile. "Explain? Why would I need to explain?" He pulled out a jade slip and crushed it. "Since they took everyone away and we've lost our nourishment, then let our precious pet... wake up early."
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