“Fall back, everyone retreat to the grand formation!” Seeing the cyan flames on the banners growing thicker, Lü Tianmeng shouted urgently and was the first to pull back, darting toward the rear formation.
The cultivators beside him, hearing this, instinctively followed their leader in retreat.
Upon seeing this, Xuan Le did not hesitate and immediately issued the same order to withdraw.
However, among Han Li’s group of cultivators, aside from a small number who had the upper hand and could disengage at will, the rest found themselves desperately entangled by their opponents, unable to break free. Han Li’s opponent also launched a frenzied assault, attempting to pin him down.
But Han Li let out a cold laugh, retracted his other magical instruments, and summoned the White Scale Shield. With it, he effortlessly withstood his opponent’s attacks and nimbly retreated into the formation. The Tian Sha Sect cultivator could only stop outside the formation, a look of frustration on his face.
Seeing that more than half of his team was still trapped outside the formation, locked in even fiercer combat, Xuan Le sensed the dire situation. He was about to join other cultivators in offering assistance when Lü Tianmeng grabbed him just as he moved.
“It’s too late! The Qingyang Demonic Flame has already been summoned by the enemy!” Lü Tianmeng shook his head, his face ashen.
Hearing this, Han Li also noticed that the red-robed figures holding the banners were now shooting arm-thick cyan flames from the tips of their flags. Over a dozen streams of cyan fire soared into the air, converging into a massive ball of blue flame several meters in diameter, floating lightly and swaying ominously—a dazzling yet terrifying sight.
“What is this?” Xuan Le was stunned for a moment before he began to speak, but the next move of the red-robed figures immediately made his expression turn extremely grim.
The red-robed figures pointed their banner tips toward the Seven Sects cultivators still trapped outside the formation. With a dull thud, the massive fireball split into over a dozen smaller fireballs, each several feet long, and shot straight toward these cultivators.
These cyan fireballs moved with astonishing speed, closing in on the Seven Sects cultivators in the blink of an eye.
Naturally, these cultivators had already noticed the strange transformation of the large fireball. Most of them used various magical instruments to intercept the cyan fireballs, while a few employed talismans for Daoist art attacks, all attempting to destroy the incoming threat.
Unfortunately, this cyan flame, known as the “Qingyang Demonic Flame,” was truly terrifying!
Whether it was a magical instrument or a Daoist art attack, upon contact with the cyan fireball, it was silently dissolved without a trace, like moths to a flame.
Witnessing this unbelievable scene, the cultivators’ faces turned as pale as snow.
Before they could even process what was happening, over a dozen fireballs struck them simultaneously. Their protective shields and barrier spells were extinguished upon contact, and their bodies were instantly incinerated by the demonic flames, leaving not a trace behind in this world.
The remaining cultivators who had not yet been attacked saw this horrifying scene and, without a moment’s hesitation, risked severe injuries from their Tian Sha Sect opponents or even abandoned their entangled magical instruments, fleeing directly toward the formation.
However, in their panic, two or three cultivators were directly killed by their opponents’ magical instruments.
Thus, in just the initial engagement, the Seven Sects side defending the spirit mine had lost nearly a dozen Qi Condensation disciples and one Foundation Establishment cultivator—a devastating blow.
But the power of the Qingyang Demonic Flame did not end there!
Under the control of the red-robed figures, the cyan fireballs merged back into a single entity. Then, transforming into a wave of cyan flame, it charged directly toward the Four Fiends Formation.
At this, everyone hiding within the formation turned pale, and a sense of panic spread among all the cultivators.
Seeing this, Xuan Le frowned deeply and directly asked Lü Tianmeng, “Brother Lü, what exactly is this cyan flame? How can Foundation Establishment cultivators release such a terrifying true flame? Shouldn’t the formation’s restrictions be able to block this assault?”
Lü Tianmeng could only manage a bitter smile in response to the barrage of questions. Noticing the intense gazes of the other cultivators fixed on him, he reluctantly explained, “To be honest, fellow Daoists, when I encountered this Qingyang Demonic Flame during border conflicts, I only witnessed its terror briefly! As for whether it can break the Four Fiends Formation, I truly cannot say! However, I later heard from some elders that this demonic flame cannot be unleashed casually. Not only do these Kuang Yan Cultivators need to cultivate the Qingyang Demonic Flame Art, but each release comes at the cost of their own cultivation base. That is why it is so difficult to withstand!”
Lü Tianmeng’s words left Xuan Le and the other cultivators exchanging uneasy glances, their expressions filled with frustration.
At that moment, the wave of cyan flame finally collided with the four-colored restrictions of the formation, emitting a low, explosive sound that drew everyone’s attention.
They watched as the cyan waves crashed incessantly against the four-colored light screen, causing it to ripple violently. Yet, it managed to hold against the terrifying demonic flames, allowing the Seven Sects cultivators within the formation to breathe a temporary sigh of relief.
However, Han Li and the others did not remain relaxed for long before their fears returned.
As time passed, the four-colored light screen gradually dimmed under the repeated onslaught of the cyan flames—a clear sign that the formation was on the verge of collapse. Although the red-robed figures were also sweating profusely as they waved their banners, they showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Now, every cultivator in the formation was desperately racking their brains, searching for a way to repel the enemy or escape.
Based on the attacks on other spirit mines, Seven Sects cultivators who fell into the hands of the demonic path were not immediately killed but were instead transported behind enemy lines. No one knew what fate awaited them as prisoners of the demonic path.
The conflict between the Seven Sects and the six demonic sects had reached a point of deep-seated hatred! It was unlikely that prisoners would be treated leniently. Especially since the demonic path was known for their cruel methods of soul extraction and spirit refinement, which filled the Seven Sects cultivators with great unease.
Thus, surrender was not an option unless absolutely necessary.
“I know of an underground passage that leads directly dozens of miles away. It should be enough for our escape!” said the old man Yu Xing, who had been stationed here for over a decade, his expression calm as he spoke.
His words were like a boulder dropped into still water, causing Xuan Le and the others to first gasp in surprise, then quickly become excited.
“Brother Yu, is that true?”
“Excellent! We can escape now!”
“We’re saved!”
…
The previously anxious Seven Sects cultivators now showed signs of life on their faces, overjoyed at the news.
Han Li was also extremely surprised and relieved. After all, he had no way to deal with those cyan demonic flames; even if he wanted to fight desperately, he had no means to do so.
Suppressing their excitement, Xuan Le and Lü Tianmeng confirmed the existence of the underground passage with Yu Xing and, without further delay, issued the order to retreat!
As for the spirit stone mine, there was no need to worry. At most, the enemy would destroy the mine entrance, preventing the mine from supplying spirit stones for a short time. The spirit stones within the mine couldn’t be taken by the demonic path. Even the mortal miners were generally spared by both sides in the conflict.
All they needed to do was leave without looking back.
Thus, Han Li and the other fifty or so mine-defending cultivators followed Yu Xing into an underground tunnel within the spirit stone mine. But the moment they entered the underground passage, everyone felt the entire canyon tremble slightly.
“The Four Fiends Formation has been broken!” Xuan Le said expressionlessly.
Immediately, the cultivators quickened their pace.
…
Inside the tunnel, the moonlight stones held by the cultivators illuminated the path brightly. The pitted walls of the tunnel showed that it had been entirely dug out by hand, which surprised the cultivators.
According to Yu Xing, this tunnel was originally an extremely long branch of the spirit stone vein. Over time, those mining the spirit stones had unknowingly dug out this long underground passage, which directly connected to an exit on the other end.
Fortunately, the tunnel was so long that Yu Xing remembered it clearly. Otherwise, they would truly have had no escape route today!
The other cultivators nodded in agreement.
But at that moment, the tunnel suddenly shook violently. With several loud, rumbling noises, it began to collapse bit by bit.
Under the terrified gazes of the cultivators, countless mounds of earth and giant rocks buried them. The entire underground world was plunged into darkness once again.
…
Several hours later, a section of the natural stone wall in the underground world crumbled with a crash. A lizard-like puppet beast burst out of the hole, cautiously surveying its surroundings before jumping back into the hole.
After the time it takes to finish a meal, the lizard mechanism beast emerged again from the hole in the wall, followed closely by a person climbing out—it was Han Li, who had miraculously survived the collapse.
Han Li stood up, looked around at his surroundings, and showed an expression of relief at having cheated death once again.
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