Moments before, beneath the volcano.
"Hm?"
Bubu suddenly let out a soft hum and looked to her south.
Xiu Long, who was lying in place resting, heard Bubu's movement and couldn't help but turn to look at her, "What's wrong?"
"Do you feel a spatial fluctuation? To the south."
"I say, little ancestor, are you joking?"
Xiu Long said with a wry smile, "Not to mention that only two of us from the Xiu family came, and space is sealed off now. Who else can still use spatial power?"
Bubu pondered for a moment, as if she had thought of something, and her eyes suddenly lit up!
"No, there's still one person who can!"
Xiu Long frowned, "Who?"
"I know where he is now!"
Bubu said and then sped south, completely ignoring the lying Xiu Long.
"Hey!"
Xiu Long quickly got up, looked at Bubu's retreating back, and hurried to catch up, "Who is it! Little ancestor, tell me first!"
...
...
If Yun Ze's beheading of that Core Formation stage spirit beast pulled everyone out of dire straits.
Then Gu Wudao's breakthrough to Half-step Dao Condensation completely liberated everyone!
Only half an hour.
Without the pressure of a Core Formation stage spirit beast, with Yun Ze gone and Gu Wudao at Half-step Dao Condensation, everyone could hold on!
When the new Foundation Establishment stage cultivators appeared, the pressure on everyone would be further reduced, and breaking through would no longer be a problem.
But as soon as half an hour passed, the situation changed again!
A surge of spiritual energy erupted from not far away, and the spiritual energy of the entire secret realm began to converge around.
Those spirit beasts that had just been severely injured instantly recovered, and even some dying spirit beasts stood up again because of this.
Especially... that black tiger!
Its head, which had been blown off by Yun Ze, began to recover at a visible rate!
The spirit beasts madly devoured the surrounding spiritual energy, even forgetting to attack them.
But they did not relax, instead frowning at the scene before them.
They knew that once this tide of spiritual energy ended, they would face an even more terrifying counterattack!
"Seize the spiritual energy!"
Xiu Yun gritted his teeth and uttered three words, then turned to look at Wei Lanshu beside him, "Absorb as much as you can! Quickly!
Gu Wudao, you too! Quickly!"
Here, he and Tan Chenyu were both at the peak of Qi Refining ninth level. Unless their Qi Sea was expanded again, it would be impossible to store any more spiritual energy in their Qi Seas.
Yun Ze was still unconscious, so only Wei Lanshu and Gu Wudao could absorb a large amount of spiritual energy here!
"Okay!"
Gu Wudao no longer had to deal with the siege of spirit beasts. He responded and began to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy.
But one wave had not yet subsided when another arose.
As the first person broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage, the second person followed suit!
This wave of spiritual energy had not yet been consumed, and another more violent wave of spiritual energy arrived!
The Core Formation stage black tiger had now recovered. Although its cultivation had been knocked down to the late Foundation Establishment stage, it also began to absorb!
"Damn it!"
Xiu Yun cursed, drew his bow, and another crimson arrow shot through the air!
Almost simultaneously, a sword energy erupted from afar.
While they couldn't absorb spiritual energy, it didn't mean they couldn't delay the spirit beasts' recovery and advancement!
Then, the third person broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage!
The fourth, the fifth...
The concentration of spiritual energy around them grew denser and denser. The speed at which the spirit beasts recovered their injuries far exceeded the speed at which they inflicted damage!
Under such spiritual energy concentration, Gu Wudao even broke through to the perfect early Foundation Establishment stage, one step away from breaking through, and Wei Lanshu also reached the early Qi Refining seventh level!
"Holy Son!"
The first person to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage finally emerged from his cultivation state.
He opened his eyes, looked at the situation around him, and felt that something was amiss. He immediately came to Xiu Yun's side, "Holy Son, you..."
"Stop the nonsense! Go kill spirit beasts! Remember, don't use spiritual energy!"
"Yes!"
A black shadow flashed, and blood flowers began to erupt from the spirit beast horde.
Seeing that someone had taken over, Xiu Yun also bent over and gasped, staring at his ten fingers that were bleeding, his eyes slightly blurred...
One thousand seven hundred and twenty-six arrows.
Since the beast tide began, he had shot one thousand seven hundred and twenty-six arrows, each at full power!
If he continued, his fingers would be ruined!
He couldn't help but turn to look at Yun Ze, who was still lying on the ground unconscious, and a wry smile appeared on his lips.
A few more arrows.
He would injure as many as he could, and it would be safer to break through later.
"Hoo..."
Xiu Yun exhaled a breath of turbid air, drew his bow again.
*Twang~*
"Stop it."
Tan Chenyu's voice rang out, and she raised her hand to press on Xiu Yun's wrist.
The second person to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage also emerged from cultivation and took over the battlefield she was managing.
She looked at the blood-stained bowstring, "If you continue, you'll need someone to feed you for the next three years!"
"There are people from Ghost Doctor Valley here."
Xiu Yun replied casually and continued to draw his bow.
But Tan Chenyu just rolled her eyes, then slapped Xiu Yun's chest with the back of her hand, snatching the bow away!
The people from Ghost Doctor Valley were indeed trustworthy. Even broken fingers could be reattached without any sequelae.
But who knew if that person was still alive.
If Xiu Yun's fingers were truly broken, even if the Ghost Doctor himself intervened after leaving the secret realm, it would be difficult to recover.
Of course, if there were heavenly treasures like Body Sculpting Fruits, that would be another matter.
Although this item was difficult to find, it was easy for the forces of the Demon Cave.
But in these three years, they would lose a major combat force!
Xiu Yun frowned and reached out to Tan Chenyu, "Give it back to me! Or I'll kill you!"
"You have more important things to do."
Tan Chenyu ignored his threat and looked at Yun Ze, "I have a way to wake up my junior uncle early, but I need your help."
"...Speak."
Xiu Yun was silent for a few seconds, then finally uttered two words.
If it were anyone else, he might not care, but he owed Yun Ze.
Yun Ze treated him as a brother, so he couldn't abandon Yun Ze. If there was a chance to wake him up early, it would be considered repaying some of his debt.
"Qi Induction."
Tan Chenyu replied with four words and then sat cross-legged behind Yun Ze, "My cultivation technique is the same as his. I can help him absorb spiritual energy and circulate it through the Heavenly Cycle.
You help him up, protect his Heavenly Spirit and Yongquan acupoints, and leave the rest to me."
"Okay!"
Xiu Yun responded and helped Yun Ze up according to Tan Chenyu's instructions, "Why didn't you use this move just now?"
"I couldn't use it just now. You have to let him rest a bit, right?"
Tan Chenyu raised her hand and pointed at the back of Yun Ze's head, the Tianzhu acupoint, pouring a stream of spiritual energy into it and beginning to circulate the basic cultivation technique of the Five Elements Sword Art.
After one Heavenly Cycle, Yun Ze gradually regained his senses and opened his eyes, vaguely seeing a figure before him...
"Xiu Yun?"
"Shouldn't you call me second brother?"
Xiu Yun replied with a stern face, withdrew the spiritual energy he was using to protect Yun Ze's two acupoints, and turned to look at Tan Chenyu, "The bow, give it back to me."
Tan Chenyu threw the bow to Xiu Yun, and then threw a jade bottle, "For healing. Now that Junior Uncle has awakened, you should recover from your injuries first."
"You don't need to tell me."
Xiu Yun's face was expressionless, but he still took the jade bottle and began to apply medicine to his ten fingers.
To say he wasn't worried about his fingers was a lie. His main cultivation was the Way of the Bow!
If he lost his ten fingers, then half of his cultivation would be wasted.
Although Yun Ze had awakened, his sword energy had not yet recovered. He would need at least three days of rest to return to his previous level.
As for hiding his sword...
He didn't even have a sword now, so what was there to hide?
"What's the situation now?"
Yun Ze slowly got up, sensing the difference in the surrounding spiritual energy concentration, and looked at the figures shuttling through the spirit beast horde, "How long was I unconscious?"
"About half an hour."
Tan Chenyu replied casually, "Now these spirit beasts are busy absorbing spiritual energy and don't have time to pay attention to us. We just need to delay them as much as possible from recovering their injuries and increasing their cultivation. When the last person completes their breakthrough, we will evacuate this place."
"Three more people."
Xiu Yun, who was applying medicine to his wounds, also added, "I'm afraid that when they finish their breakthroughs and the spiritual energy dissipates, these guys will go berserk again."
"What are you afraid of!"
Gu Wudao's voice rang out from the side. The battle on the north side had also been taken over.
He walked over slowly, patted his chest, "Brother will take you all out later! Aren't they just some spirit beasts? They can't block my blade energy!"
"Blade energy?"
Yun Ze was stunned.
He remembered that this guy's skill was blade aura, not blade energy?
"He's reached Half-step Dao Condensation." Tan Chenyu replied.
"Dao Condensation!?"
Yun Ze was stunned.
Dao Condensation at the Foundation Establishment stage?
Usually, even Golden Core stage cultivators couldn't achieve Dao Condensation. This guy actually achieved it at the Foundation Establishment stage?
Even if it was only Half-step, it was still Dao Condensation!
What kind of monsters were these prodigies?
"This is all thanks to Third Brother! If it weren't for your sword strike, I wouldn't have reached this point."
Gu Wudao walked forward and placed his hand on Yun Ze's shoulder, "Third Brother! From now on, you are my sworn third brother! If there's anything you need Big Brother for, just ask!"
"Ah? Me?"
Before Yun Ze could recover, Xiu Yun snorted coldly from the side.
"Heh, as long as you don't try to escape halfway."
"I..."
Gu Wudao was about to retort when his voice abruptly stopped!
The last person finished their breakthrough.
The surrounding spiritual energy began to dissipate!
"Roar!"
"Be careful!"
A roar suddenly sounded from the distance, accompanied by a warning!
Before everyone could react, Gu Wudao flashed and stood in front of everyone with his blade!
*Bang!*
A dull thud erupted!
Gu Wudao was blasted back dozens of meters, and his blade aura shattered.
Yun Ze looked up in the direction of the attack and frowned.
How did that black tiger come back to life again!
Why had its size grown so much, and its aura was far beyond what it had been when it was not yet a Core Formation stage spirit beast! httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"Escape!"
Tan Chenyu was the first to regain her senses, pulling Wei Lanshu, who was still cultivating beside her, and rushing north!
"Everyone flee north! Quickly!" Xiu Yun also shouted at the same time.
These spirit beasts were simply unkillable. Since everyone who needed to break through had done so, it was time to escape!
Yun Ze did not hesitate, stepping on the Shadow Chaser and soaring through the air. He casually scooped up the heavily injured Gu Wudao and brought him along!
"Thank you, Third Brother!"
Gu Wudao chuckled, as if he didn't care about his injuries, "I knew you'd come for me, unlike that heartless guy."
Yun Ze said frankly, "Hm? Weren't you the heartless one first?"
"...Third Brother, have you heard of an ancient saying?"
"What?"
"People's lives are hard enough, don't tear each other down!"
"What do you mean?"
"Life is already so difficult, so don't tear each other down!"
Gu Wudao said helplessly, "I'm not the same person I was just now!"
Yun Ze did not answer, but stared intently to the north, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
That sword strike had depleted his sword energy, but it had deepened his understanding of space.
That location seemed to have a familiar spatial fluctuation...