Countless thoughts crossed Xu Ziqing’s mind, but his footsteps never slowed.
He swept forward like the wind, moving as swiftly as lightning.
Before long, he drew near.
Now he could clearly see the figures locked in battle.
As expected, one side consisted of cultivators wearing magical robes. They were all strangers; he did not recognize a single one. The other side consisted of evil creatures, different from the green-skinned ones he had seen earlier. They were more than eight chi tall, with indigo-blue bodies and longer horns.
Xu Ziqing made a rough count. There were four or five cultivators and seven or eight evil creatures fighting here. Flying swords stabbed back and forth, producing dazzling flashes, while the creatures spat out terrifying poisonous fumes.
Upon observing them, he realized that the blue-skinned creatures were several times stronger than the green-skinned kind.
In a battle between cultivators and evil creatures, Xu Ziqing naturally sided with the cultivators. But the human heart was unpredictable. He could not yet judge the situation, so he refrained from volunteering his assistance.
Besides, the cultivators already held the advantage… Thinking this, he smiled rather bitterly.
In the past, he would probably have rushed forward to help. His disposition had undeniably grown colder than before.
One young man in brocade robes shouted, “Junior Martial Sister, fall back! Leave this to me!”
The woman in the blue jacket and skirt retreated. With a flick of her hand, she released a talisman that formed a transparent barrier around the young man, then guarded his back.
A dazzling blaze of fire shot from the young man’s long sword and stirred the surrounding air. In an instant, his blade pierced an evil creature’s skull. He kicked the corpse aside and struck at another.
The creatures were formidable, not merely because of their great strength. Their poisonous breath also formed clusters that looked like ghostly flames floating in the air. The slightest contact would corrode a large patch of whatever it touched.
Apart from that pair of senior and junior martial siblings, two other people seemed to belong to a different group. Although they were all fighting the same creatures, they remained somewhat on guard against each other.
Xu Ziqing observed that the martial siblings were slightly stronger, both around middle Foundation Establishment. Of the remaining two, one was at middle Foundation Establishment and the other at early Foundation Establishment. Their sword techniques also differed considerably, as did the movement of their auras… They seemed quite unlike the pair of martial siblings.
Most likely, they were not members of the same sect. Why, then, had they all come down to this underground place?
Perhaps they had fallen here accidentally, as he had. But perhaps… Xu Ziqing thought about it and felt his heart begin to race.
Perhaps they had come here deliberately.
If that was so, he might truly learn something from them.
With that possibility in mind, Xu Ziqing watched even more intently.
He had to conserve sufficient true essence while ensuring that the cultivators survived…
The battle progressed rapidly. Each indigo-skinned creature seemed to possess power roughly equivalent to early Foundation Establishment. With a difference of one cultivation stage, the middle Foundation Establishment man and woman were holding their own comfortably. The other pair fared somewhat worse. Nevertheless, since all four were prey to the creatures, the weakest managed to occupy one demon while his companion occasionally drew other attackers away, allowing him to endure.
Soon, fewer and fewer indigo-skinned creatures remained. The junior martial sister released several talismans that floated around her in a shifting array. Whenever she pointed a jade-white finger, one shot forward with a whistle and exploded against an evil creature! The creature shrieked as it was struck again and again, eventually becoming a mass of charcoal.
Xu Ziqing was almost dazzled.
He had used talismans before, but what he saw now was utterly different from his past experiences.
The talismans he had previously encountered were yellow, red, or green paper talismans, inscribed with several cloud-seal characters that contained magical power for use against enemies. The talismans in this woman’s hands, however, floated around her body, radiating countless fine flashes of spiritual light. Their movements were exceptionally flexible and unusual.
Seeing them, Xu Ziqing felt a stir of interest.
Whether he practiced swordsmanship or accumulated true essence, the goal was to improve his strength and attacking power. These talismans were so formidable. Wouldn’t it be useful to obtain a few and carry them with him?
With that thought, he paid even closer attention to the woman’s technique.
The talismans looked almost transparent, with fine, threadlike patterns wandering across their surfaces and dense spiritual energy emanating from them. Whenever one flew out, an illusory copy remained in its original position. After the talisman exploded, the phantom became solid again, though one of the fine lines on its surface had disappeared.
The talismans surrounded the woman on every side, protecting her from attacks in any direction and preventing the evil creatures from injuring her.
At last, the four cultivators killed the final blue-skinned creature. They then turned to face each other warily. With all the creatures dead, the atmosphere between the two groups became rather delicate.
They stood in opposition, each side scrutinizing the other.
Xu Ziqing wondered whether they had merely met by chance.
After a while, the weaker pair finally spoke first. “Fellow Daoists, how do you propose to divide the Indigo Heavenly Demons lying on the ground?”
The martial brother and sister exchanged a glance. They had the stronger position, but attempting to seize more than their share would not necessarily be easy. The junior martial sister said, “We joined forces to slay these demons, and we all know which methods we used. Why not divide the spoils according to who killed each one? Whoever killed it may keep it.”
The two weaker cultivators were naturally delighted that no one intended to take their gains. They smiled. “In that case, let’s each collect what belongs to us.”
The senior martial brother said, “Very well. Junior Martial Sister, stand guard here. Don’t let anyone take us by surprise.”
The other pair remained equally cautious but made no objection.
Xu Ziqing was surprised. When he had allowed Rong Jin to feed earlier, the vine had drained the green-skinned creatures completely. Did these things have some other use?
As he wondered, the cultivators began moving.
The senior martial brother picked up his flying sword and sliced a line across an Indigo Heavenly Demon’s chest. He turned the blade and dug something bloody from within.
Xu Ziqing was startled. Were they cutting out the creatures’ hearts?
No. He watched the young man bring two fingers together and send a stream of water over the object. Once washed, it proved to be a pitch-black crystal about the size of a fist, surrounded by an indistinct but immensely powerful aura.
So it was not a heart. Yet perhaps it was not so different, either. It was presumably a crystallization of the evil creature’s internal power. He wondered what use it had compared with a demon beast’s core.
There were fifteen corpses on the ground, nine of which had been killed by the martial siblings. The senior martial brother worked swiftly, extracting nine crystals in a few strokes. A flick of his fingers sent them all into his storage ring.
His movements were neat and practiced. The other two cultivators were slower and more careful, evidently less experienced.
Suddenly, Xu Ziqing felt someone’s spiritual sense sweep toward him. He immediately released his own spiritual sense and blocked it.
The junior martial sister turned toward him and shouted sharply, “Who’s skulking around over there?”
The remaining three cultivators also looked in his direction, instantly alert.
Xu Ziqing sighed. He had intended to emerge and ask questions anyway. Being discovered before he could introduce himself was unfortunate, but refusing to come out now would be even worse.
He stepped out of the shadows and revealed himself to the four cultivators. Rong Jin was no longer showing off. The demon vine lay meekly coiled around both his arms like a harmless ornament.
“I mean no harm. You were in the middle of a fierce battle, and I thought it improper to interrupt, so I waited nearby.” Xu Ziqing smiled gently, his manner warm and courteous. “I hope you’ll forgive me.”
Ordinarily, a lone young cultivator whose realm was no higher than one of theirs, and whose appearance was so approachable, should not have aroused much hostility.
Instead, after seeing Xu Ziqing, the four cultivators became even warier.
Xu Ziqing sensed their growing suspicion and was rather surprised. Still, he was not about to harm others merely because they were cautious of him. After a moment’s thought, he tentatively asked, “Fellow Daoists… is there some misunderstanding?”
The woman replied, “Fellow Daoist, anyone who dares come alone to the Heavenly Demon Cavern must possess extraordinary abilities. Why are you concealing yourself here, and what business do you have with us?”
Evidently, she regarded him as someone harboring sinister intentions.
Xu Ziqing did not know whether to laugh or cry. He possessed no extraordinary power. He had merely wandered here through an accident of fate. Apparently, the place was called the “Heavenly Demon Cavern,” a name that was unpleasant merely to hear.
He understood that unless he explained his circumstances, these cultivators, who were so guarded toward outsiders, would probably not answer his questions. They might even attack him, which would accomplish nothing. But telling strangers his story carried risks of its own. What if they were deceitful?
He sighed and weighed the advantages and disadvantages carefully… In the end, Xu Ziqing was still thinking of his appointment with his senior martial brother and the approaching sect competition. Besides, these people did not appear to follow a wicked demonic path. He would take his chances.
Having made his decision, Xu Ziqing cupped his hands. “I am Xu Ziqing of the Wuling Immortal Sect. While undergoing arduous training in the Sword Cave, I accidentally wandered into an underground opening and arrived here. My carelessness is truly embarrassing. It wasn’t easy to find human voices, and when I discovered you fellow Daoists here, I had the nerve to approach and ask for information. I hope you can clear up my confusion…”
His sincerity caused the four cultivators’ vigilance to lessen somewhat.
Xu Ziqing was pleased. As long as they were beginning to soften, there was at least a good chance they were reasonable people.
Shortly after he finished speaking, the weaker pair cupped their hands and said, “We are disciples of the Giant Whale Sect. We still have important business to attend to, so we must take our leave. Farewell, fellow Daoists.” With that, they turned around and departed without any intention of staying.
The martial brother and sister remained. They cupped their hands in return, and the young man said, “So Fellow Daoist is a disciple of the Immortal Sect. We’ve long admired your sect. We are disciples of the Zixia Sect. My name is Wu Anyi, and this is my junior martial sister, Ji Rui.”
The names Giant Whale Sect and Zixia Sect sounded unfamiliar to Xu Ziqing, but he paid little attention to that. He smiled. “Fellow Daoist Wu, Miss Ji.”
Ji Rui smiled too, revealing an attractive face. “We’re all cultivators here, Fellow Daoist Xu. There’s no need for such formality. Please call me Fellow Daoist as well.”
As requested, Xu Ziqing said, “Fellow Daoist Ji.” Then, after considering his words, he asked, “Fellow Daoists, what exactly is this Heavenly Demon Cavern?”