The spirit beasts attacking Chu Lingwei did not stop their assault just because she had retreated into the mountain cave, quickly pursuing her.
Chu Lingwei ran swiftly. The moment she darted into the cave, she glanced back and personally witnessed a spirit beast stomp a cultivator into a pulp.
These spirit beasts seemed to have gone mad, charging at any cultivator they saw with suicidal desperation, directly taking their lives.
Something must have happened here.
Chu Lingwei knew her current situation was extremely perilous, but she did not want to flee or retreat into her spatial dimension. The dimension was her last resort, not a means of survival.
She couldn't rely on the dimension all the time; otherwise, if it were to disappear one day, she would be unable to survive.
The cave was small. After Chu Lingwei ran a hundred meters in, the spirit beasts outside could only roar and bellow. Simultaneously, she sensed someone else following her into the cave.
Chu Lingwei's expression darkened, and she quickened her pace. She did not wish to be with anyone else right now; here, humans were the most dangerous.
"Ah."
Chu Lingwei ran for about fifteen minutes when a surge of spiritual energy was directed at her. Chu Lingwei threw herself to the ground, narrowly evading the attack.
This was cultivation spiritual energy.
Chu Lingwei attempted to circulate the spiritual energy within her body. It had recovered eighty percent. Having spiritual energy was good.
"Who is ahead?" Chu Lingwei slowly moved forward, sensing a cultivator's aura nearby. "Don't come closer."
Chu Lingwei stopped. The voice was familiar; it sounded like the cultivator who had saved her last time.
"Fellow Daoist?" Chu Lingwei spoke again, her tone inquisitive. "Are you in danger? Do you need my help?"
There was silence ahead. After a full three breaths, the male voice reappeared, "Fellow Daoist, it is dangerous here. Leave quickly."
Chu Lingwei gave a wry smile. "If we leave this cave, our spiritual power will vanish. Outside, there are several high-level spirit beasts who can crush us into a pulp at any moment."
"We cannot stay here long," came the man's calm voice from ahead.
"You're injured?" It was not a question but a certainty; Chu Lingwei detected a faint scent of blood.
This male cultivator had saved her life. Chu Lingwei remained in place. "Fellow Daoist, I have medicinal pills. I can bring them to you."
The male cultivator seemed to be considering the truth of Chu Lingwei's words until Chu Lingwei heard footsteps behind her, and the cultivators who had followed her caught up.
"Thank you, Fellow Daoist," the male cultivator's voice ahead sounded somewhat urgent.
Chu Lingwei did not delay and quickly moved forward. She indeed saw the male cultivator leaning against the wall, with her crescent blade, the 'Si Yue Wan Dao', impaled in his chest.
Being injured by her own magical artifact truly stunned Chu Lingwei. Her sword had already gained sentience; how could it harm its master?
"Fellow Daoist, your blade?" Chu Lingwei quickly approached her companion and fed him a Ling Yun Dan, then hesitated, looking at the crescent blade in his chest. "If this blade is not removed, your wound will be difficult to heal."
"It's fine. Now is not the time to remove it," the male cultivator shook his head, his eyes fixed on the pursuing cultivators. "I cannot be discovered by them."
Chu Lingwei understood instantly and quickly set up a barrier around them.
"Curious, I clearly sensed a cultivator's aura here just now," one male cultivator's voice held a hint of doubt. He had indeed sensed a cultivator's presence here.
"That's right, I felt it too. How did they disappear so suddenly?" a female cultivator frowned. "Could they have already left?"
"Impossible. We came from the outside to here, and there are no other exits. Those two must not have left. Perhaps they are hiding somewhere."
A male cultivator dressed in the robes of a Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect disciple said this. He was different from other disciples of the sect; he had not shaved his head. Without his sect robes, one would never assume he was a disciple of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.
"Let's search further inside. Perhaps they discovered something," the first male cultivator spoke, his eyes fixed ahead. "I sense something up ahead."
At these words, all the cultivators present ceased their speculations. If there was something inside, then the two cultivators before them must have gone further in.
"Let's go see," the female cultivator said, already moving forward.
Chu Lingwei watched these cultivators, her eyes full of confusion. None of them were the cultivators who had entered with her. They must have been here for a century.
"Do you recognize them?" Chu Lingwei squatted down. Those who could stay here for a century would likely know most people here.
"Yes, they have been here for a very long time," the male cultivator coughed lightly, spitting out a mouthful of blood, his voice weakening. "Please, Fellow Daoist, help me remove the blade from my body."
"I..."
Chu Lingwei looked at the blade in front of the male cultivator's chest, which continuously emitted spiritual energy, nourishing his body. It seemed his sword had been inserted into his chest to protect him.
However, a magical artifact that had developed a spirit had only one master in its lifetime, and others could not easily control it.
"Yes, my body cannot withstand its spiritual energy. If it remains lodged, I will die," the male cultivator said with certainty.
"Then I will try."
Chu Lingwei grasped the crescent blade and felt it tremble slightly in her palm before becoming still. Chu Lingwei was surprised; such a docile blade spirit.
"Fellow Daoist, I am going to pull it out."
Chu Lingwei was worried that the cultivators ahead might return. She exerted force, pulling the blade out, and a spurt of blood erupted.
"Quickly eat the pills," Chu Lingwei said as she stopped the bleeding. He was severely injured at this moment.
The male cultivator took the pill and circulated his energy. Chu Lingwei watched as the wound on his chest rapidly healed.
"Let's leave here quickly. This is not a good place," the male cultivator's wound healed, and he stood up, grabbing Chu Lingwei's wrist, and ran rapidly into the mountain cave.
Chu Lingwei shook off the male cultivator's hand. They shouldn't be so familiar with each other.
"Fellow Daoist, we are going deeper inside," Chu Lingwei reminded the male cultivator.
"Yes, the high-level spirit beasts outside the cave. If we exit through that opening, it's a dead end," the male cultivator nodded. "Moreover, they will pursue us soon. Here, we are no match for them."
"Are you very familiar with this place?" Chu Lingwei followed the male cultivator deeper in. The male cultivator spoke with such certainty that he must be very familiar with this place.
"Not familiar," the male cultivator shook his head decisively. "This is my first time entering as well. It's just that these spirit beasts are too powerful; we are no match for them."