Recalling that A’Luo had previously said she would protect her fellow sect members, Yun Xiao flipped down from the tree. She rushed toward the female cultivator who was watching her warily and said, “I can save him.”
The female cultivator recognized her and said excitedly, “You, you are the Senior who was sucked into the Secret Realm.”
Yun Xiao nodded: “Yes, and I am also your Martial Aunt Fang’s friend.”
The female cultivator was overjoyed and close to tears: “This junior, Chu Hui of the Azure Cloud Sect, is carrying my Senior Brother Bai Mofeng. He was poisoned by a sixth-level Ink Snake. I implore Senior to save my Senior Brother.”
The poison of a sixth-level Ink Snake is extremely potent. One must either consume a high-grade Antidote Pill or eat the Ink Snake’s gall bladder.
Looking at Bai Mofeng’s condition, she feared he would not last until she could kill the snake and retrieve its gall.
Yun Xiao tossed out a defensive formation plate. Under Chu Hui’s perplexed gaze, she took out her alchemy furnace and the medicinal ingredients for refining an Antidote Pill, and she began the process.
Chu Hui was not an alchemist, but she had seen her fellow disciples refine pills. It was definitely not done as casually as Yun Xiao was doing it.
Anxiousness mounted in her heart, but she wanted to ask, yet she feared angering Yun Xiao.
Half an hour later, nine round pills appeared in the alchemy furnace. Yun Xiao took one out and handed it to Chu Hui: “Go, give it to him to consume.”
Receiving the pill with both hands, Chu Hui saw a pattern on it that she had never seen before and was somewhat hesitant.
Considering that Yun Xiao’s alchemy technique was different from other alchemists, she decided to take a gamble. If Yun Xiao truly intended to harm them with her cultivation, there would be no need for such trouble.
Bai Mofeng’s thoughts aligned with Chu Hui’s. He swallowed the pill instantly.
A few breaths later, an electric current spread throughout Bai Mofeng’s body, and he began to convulse.
Yun Xiao lifted her hand to touch her nose, feeling a bit guilty. She mumbled vaguely, “The pills I refine are a bit special. Don’t worry, aside from this minor side effect, the medicinal effect is definitely fine.”
After six minutes, Bai Mofeng expelled a mouthful of foul air. He mobilized his spiritual energy to inspect his body and found that the poison that had spread to his internal organs was indeed neutralized.
He stood up, cupped his hands, and bowed: “Thank you, Senior, for saving me. If there is ever a place where this junior can be of service in the future, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Yun Xiao waved her hand: “No need. If you truly want to thank me, just tell me where your Martial Aunt Fang is.”
Chu Hui and Bai Mofeng shook their heads in unison.
Chu Hui took the communication jade slip hanging from her waist and presented it to Yun Xiao with both hands: “Senior, please see. In this Secret Realm, neither communication jade slips nor communication talismans can be used.”
Yun Xiao did not take the jade slip, believing Chu Hui’s words. She then asked, “What about the others from your sect?”
“Master said this Secret Realm transports people randomly. After entering, I walked alone for three days before I ran into my Senior Brother. Along the way, I haven’t seen any other sect members,” Chu Hui stated truthfully.
So that’s how it is.
Having gained some insight, Yun Xiao put away the defensive formation plate. She looked at the two and asked, “Are you coming with me to look for your Martial Aunt Fang, or are you going to train alone?”
“We will follow Senior,” Chu Hui and Bai Mofeng said in unison.
Since entering the Secret Realm, they had faced countless dangers. Now that Yun Xiao did not mind them and was willing to take them along, they were naturally extremely willing.
The choice of these two was within Yun Xiao’s expectations. She muttered to herself, “You came from the west, and I came here from the east.”
She spun around on the spot, then raised her hand and pointed toward the south, “We’ll go that way.”
Chu Hui and Bai Mofeng had no objections, nor did they dare to have any.
At first, the two were a bit constrained, feeling the awkwardness of being in the presence of a senior and fearing that a single misstep would invite a reprimand.
Gradually, they realized they were mistaken. Yun Xiao had no senior’s airs. When chased by a demon beast, Yun Xiao actually ran and scolded just like them.
Finally shaking off the relentlessly pursuing eighth-level demon beast, Chu Hui gasped for breath and asked, “Senior, may I take the liberty to ask, even you couldn’t defeat that White Ape?”
Yun Xiao waved her hand: “We stole its home. What’s wrong with letting it vent its anger?”
In reality, she was too lazy to fight. Fighting is tiring.
Alright, the truth is, she noticed four Golden Core stage rogue cultivators following them two days ago. The stealthy appearance of these four made it hard for her not to be suspicious.
Chu Hui’s expression was complicated, and she did not say a word.
Yun Xiao pretended not to notice and continued their journey.
After traveling for another half day, the three were about to rest when they suddenly felt several spiritual energy fluctuations approaching their location.
The three held their breath, watching vigilantly in the direction of the spiritual energy fluctuations.
A familiar voice vaguely entered Yun Xiao’s ear.
“You go first.”
Yun Xiao’s eyes sparkled. That was A’Luo’s voice.
A’Luo was in trouble.
She instructed the two behind her: “Follow me.”
Leaving the two behind would have been the proper course of action, but there were four malicious individuals hiding in the shadows. The cultivation of those four was higher than that of Chu Hui and Bai Mofeng. Leaving the two here would be akin to sending a sheep into a tiger’s mouth. She should have dealt with those four tails first.
Using the Lightness Art to approach, Chu Hui’s face showed pleasant surprise: “It’s Martial Aunt Fang and her group.”
Yun Xiao flew into the air and saw a ninth-level Vajra Ape constantly attacking Fang Zhiluo’s group from afar.
Among the dozen people, only two were Nascent Soul cultivators. The rest were either Foundation Establishment or Golden Core. Fang Zhiluo, the highest-cultivated one, was covered in bloodstains and dirt on her snow-white spiritual robe, protecting the group of lower-cultivated people. Her bound three thousand strands of black hair had become messy, and she looked quite disheveled.
The Vajra Ape is famous for its strength. It exhaled a mouthful of foul air and threw another punch toward Fang Zhiluo, who was leading the group. If she were hit, her internal organs would certainly be displaced.
Yun Xiao threw a seventh-level defensive formation plate to Bai Mofeng and transmitted a message: “Go meet your fellow sect members and take them to a safe place. Remember, there are four tails hiding in the shadows.”
Before she finished speaking, she quickly tore a flight talisman and headed toward Fang Zhiluo’s location.
Infusing sixty percent of her spiritual power, she cleaved her sword toward the Vajra Ape, buying Fang Zhiluo a moment to breathe.
Seeing that the color had completely drained from Fang Zhiluo’s face, she immediately took out two high-grade Spring Return Pills and shoved them into Fang Zhiluo’s mouth. She shouted: “Nascent Soul cultivators stay; the rest, head northeast. Bai Mofeng and his group will meet you.”
She noticed the two Nascent Soul cultivators were also in bad shape and quickly threw them a bottle of high-grade Spring Return Pills.
Yun Xiao looked at Fang Zhiluo: “You go and recover your spiritual power first. Leave this ape to me.”
Fang Zhiluo knew this was not the time to be stubborn. She nodded: “Be careful.”
Yun Xiao had no intention of facing the Vajra Ape alone. She said to the two Nascent Soul cultivators behind her: “I will tie it down. You seize the opportunity and hit it with everything you have!”
It dared to hurt her A’Luo! She would beat this ape until it ran away with its tail between its legs.
Without waiting for their reply, she flew into the air and began to tangle with the Vajra Ape.
The Vajra Ape was not only astonishingly strong but also enormous. Yun Xiao’s attacks, which were not heavy, were no different from a mere scratch to the Vajra Ape.
“Hey, what’s with that look? That was just the appetizer; the main course is now.” Before she finished speaking, she unleashed the first lethal move of her self-created sword technique—Thunder’s Fury.
Then came the spreading of lightning and the roar of thunder.
Sword after sword landed on the Vajra Ape. Even if it didn’t make the Vajra Ape run away, it did tear its skin and flesh.
After consecutively throwing two Spring Return Pills into her mouth, she cleaved her sword toward the Vajra Ape again.
Fang Zhiluo, whose spiritual power had recovered, swapped out the two junior brothers and began fighting the Vajra Ape with Yun Xiao.
The situation had long been reversed. The Vajra Ape knew that continuing the fight would be detrimental to it and developed a desire to retreat.
Noticing this, Yun Xiao immediately blocked the Vajra Ape’s retreat path: “You want to escape? No way.”
She gave Fang Zhiluo a look and raised her sword to strike the Vajra Ape again.
Although Yun Xiao did not say anything, Fang Zhiluo still understood Yun Xiao’s meaning. The two cooperated seamlessly. After more than thirty rounds, the Vajra Ape was at the end of its strength.
They could not give the Vajra Ape time to breathe. The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously unleashed their respective killing moves.
Caught in a pincer attack, the Vajra Ape was overwhelmed, and its massive body heavily crashed onto the ground.
Yun Xiao carried her sword, dragging her heavy steps, and walked toward the Vajra Ape step by step.
Just before the Vajra Ape could make a final desperate move, she plunged her sword, infused with thunder spiritual power, into the Vajra Ape’s heart.
The Vajra Ape died in reluctance, its bronze bell-sized eyes staring at Yun Xiao.
Yun Xiao scoffed, cutting off the sword. She sat down on the ground, breathing heavily.
Yun Xiao exerted the greatest effort in fighting the Vajra Ape. Fang Zhiluo only tried her best to cooperate with Yun Xiao, so her spiritual power consumption was less than Yun Xiao’s.
She walked over and asked worriedly, “How are you?”
Yun Xiao threw a high-grade spiritual herb into her mouth and insisted stubbornly, “I can still fight three hundred more rounds.”
Fang Zhiluo did not expose her. She turned to the two junior brothers, who had already recovered, and said, “You two go and rendezvous with the others first. We will follow later.”
“Yes.”
Seeing that the two were actually about to leave, Yun Xiao spoke up: “Hey, why are you leaving? Don’t you want the spoils of war?”
Hu Hongtao, dressed in gray spiritual robes, spoke sincerely: “If Daoist Friend had not intervened, I fear our group would have already become souls under the Vajra Ape’s fists.”
Yao Rui, beside him, agreed with Hu Hongtao.
“That may be true, but you two also contributed,” Yun Xiao took out four high-grade spiritual herbs from her storage pouch and tossed them to the two. “Compensation for your effort.”
The two looked at Fang Zhiluo. Seeing Fang Zhiluo nod, they felt reassured and accepted the herbs.
Once the two figures were out of sight, Yun Xiao immediately looked at Fang Zhiluo pitifully: “A’Luo, my body hurts so much. Please blow on it for me.”