The depths of the cavern were steeped in heavy blood and despair. The villagers' empty eyes in the iron cages were heartbreaking. Liu Yun's sword was stained with blood, Mu Qingfeng's breath was steady, and Xiao Qi tightly gripped the black iron frying pan. The jade pendant on his chest continuously emitted warnings—the yin-evil power here was so concentrated it nearly solidified.
"Quick resolution." Liu Yun's voice was cold and sharp, her gaze sweeping across the three shocked demonic cultivators. "Mu Qingfeng, hold back those two Qi Refining ones, prevent them from going desperate and hurting villagers. Xiao Qi, follow me to break the formation first, then eliminate the leaders!"
Before her words finished, she had transformed into an icy sword light, stabbing directly at the one holding the White Bone Banner. Before the sword arrived, the sword intent caused the surrounding temperature to plummet; fine white frost crystallized on the stone walls.
The Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator let out a strange cry, violently thrusting the White Bone Banner into the ground. His hands rapidly formed incantations. Black energy churned on the banner surface, instantly condensing three skeletons holding bone knives, eye sockets jumping with green ghost fire, howling as they charged toward Liu Yun. Simultaneously he spat a mouthful of black smoke; within the smoke countless tiny grudge souls screamed, disturbing the spirit.
"Insignificant tricks!" Liu Yun's sword intent remained unchanged, yet countless ice crystal swords appeared around her like a blizzard, colliding with the three skeleton soldiers, producing dense metallic clanging. Her sword heart was clear, completely unaffected by the grudge souls' screaming. Sword light advanced relentlessly.
On the other side, Mu Qingfeng's figure blurred, appearing like a ghost between the two Qi Refining demonic cultivators and the cages. He didn't draw his sword, only circling and guiding with both palms. A resilient yet spiritual power formed an invisible wall, firmly blocking the two demonic cultivators trying to rush toward the villagers. No matter how they activated demonic power to hack and chop, they couldn't break through this spiritual barrier.
"Xiao Qi, act!" Mu Qingfeng low-toned.
Xiao Qi had long been ready. His gaze locked onto the blood pool formation continuously draining the villagers' vitality. His feet planted the Swimming Dragon Step, body agile as he avoided residual filthy demonic patterns on the ground, charging straight to the blood pool's edge. The closer he got, the more nauseating the yin-evil bloody aura intensified. The jade pendant on his chest had become ice-cold.
"Disperse!" Xiao Qi roared, fully activating the faint golden purification force within, converging it entirely in his right palm. His entire hand was covered with soft, pure golden light, and he slapped violently toward those core demonic patterns at the blood pool's edge!
"Hum—!"
Like water dripping into boiling oil, like sunlight melting ice and snow. The moment golden light touched the demonic patterns, violent energy fluctuations erupted. That complex twisted area of patterns emitted ear-piercing sizzling sounds; black light rapidly dimmed, collapsed, turning to wisps of black smoke rising and dissipating. The dark red liquid churning in the blood pool seemed gripped by an invisible hand, violently stagnating. That uncanny force continuously draining vitality instantly ceased!
"Ah! My formation!" The Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator fighting Liu Yun sensed the formation was broken, his mind shocked, revealing a flaw. How could Liu Yun miss such an opportunity? Sword light like a bone-seeking snake, instantly piercing his protective demonic energy, leaving a deep-visible bone wound on his left shoulder.
The Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator let out a miserable howl, staggering back. His gaze at Xiao Qi filled with terror and resentment. "Purification power?! The Xu family's remnant! How dare you harm our Holy Sect's great work!"
Xiao Qi ignored him, having succeeded, his spirit soaring. Without pause, he slapped continuously with both palms. Faint golden purification light like swords, precisely striking other blood pool surrounding demonic pattern nodes not yet destroyed. Where it passed, demonic patterns collapsed in succession. The suffocating yin-evil aura in the entire cavern began noticeably weakening.
"Quick! Break the cages!" Xiao Qi, while purifying demonic patterns, shouted to the villagers whose spirits had slightly recovered because the formation stopped.
A spark of hope ignited in the villagers' originally numb eyes. Several bold young adults reacted, vigorously impacting the iron cages. Xiao Qi also rushed to the nearest cage, swinging the spiritual power-filled frying pan at the thick iron lock!
"Dang!" A muffled boom, sparks flew. The black iron pot displayed stunning hardness and power; the iron lock broke instantly! Xiao Qi repeated the process, breaking the locks on the other cages one by one.
"Thank you, Immortal Masters! Thank you for saving us!" Villagers scrambled out of the cages, kneeling and kowtowing, weeping with joy.
"Get up, follow us, we'll take you out!" Xiao Qi hastily urged, his heart both relieved and aching.
At this moment, the battle was also nearing its end. The Foundation Establishment demonic cultivator, having lost the formation's support and being suppressed by Liu Yun, showed clear signs of defeat. He let out a wild roar, seeming to want to use some mutual destruction secret technique, his demonic energy fluctuating violently.
"Stubborn!" Liu Yun's eyes, sword style changed again, using her killing move—"Frost Sky Condenses!" Her sword erupted with dazzling cold light, instantly differentiating nine extremely condensed ice crystal sword shadows, stabbing toward the demonic cultivator from all directions simultaneously! Where the sword shadows passed, the air seemed frozen.
The demonic cultivator desperately activated the White Bone Banner to resist, but only a dense cracking sound was heard—the White Bone Banner was shredded by the sword shadows. He himself was pierced by several sword shadows, instantly turning into an ice sculpture, then crashed and shattered with a bang, unable to escape.
The leader dead, the two remaining Qi Refining demonic cultivators were even more terrified, easily subdued by Mu Qingfeng, their cultivation sealed, tossed aside.
In the cavern, the evil formation had been completely destroyed. The blood pool stopped churning, leaving only faint stench. All nineteen imprisoned villagers were rescued. Though each was haggard and weak in breath, they at least survived.
Liu Yun sheathed her sword, looking at the shaken villagers and the chaotic demonic lair. "This place cannot stay long; the demonic cultivators may have more allies. Mu Qingfeng, take Chen Feng and Lin Wan to provide support, escort villagers back to Kaoshan Village immediately. I'll handle the cleanup with Xiao Qi."
Mu Qingfeng nodded, immediately sending a messaging talisman while organizing villagers in orderly evacuation.
Xiao Qi walked to the destroyed blood pool, looking at the dark red liquid within, brow furrowed tightly. He activated purification power again, both palms pressing on the pool's edge. Soft golden light slowly seeped into the pool. The pool water seemed to boil; within the golden light's purification, the yin-evil bloody aura gradually turned into colorless, odorless clean water. That uncomfortable stench completely vanished.
Having done this, Xiao Qi finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at the empty cavern and the two captured demonic cultivators, knowing this was only the tip of the iceberg regarding Shadow Snake Pavilion's massive conspiracy. But rescuing these villagers, destroying this demonic lair, made him even more determined in his heart—no matter how the road ahead, he must walk it, protect these innocent beings, and eliminate demons from the world.