Buzz...
Within the Ancient Temple, spirit light pulsed and flickered.
Inside the head at the center of that enormous Demon Statue, its gaping bloody maw hung low as a vortex spun counterclockwise.
Suddenly!
Four figures stumbled out from within.
Before they had even steadied themselves, one of them instinctively tried to rush back inside.
Lu Zhenqiu hurriedly grabbed her arm. "Senior Sister Liu, do not act rashly and enter the tiger's den again!"
Liu Muhan's eyes were red-rimmed. It was as if she could still hear Junior Brother Xuan Luo's words ringing in her ears: "Take her away."
"How can you expect me not to act rashly? Junior Brother Xuan Luo is still trapped inside!"
"Muhan, calm down! The Teleportation Array can no longer operate. Look carefully!"
At Lu Zhenqiu's stern shout, Liu Muhan's body stiffened as she stared blankly at the Demon Statue.
The gaping bloody mouth that had originally hung open was slowly closing, returning to its initial state of a faint, grinning smile.
The Teleportation Array within its mouth no longer bore the slightest trace of spirit light.
Any cultivator with even a little knowledge of formations would understand that this was a sign that the Teleportation Array had failed.
Lu Zhenqiu sighed and said heavily, "Xuan Luo must have feared that the enemy within the Black Jade Space would pursue us out, so he destroyed the Teleportation Array on the other side himself."
Liu Muhan's body could not help trembling, her eyes filled with pain.
"It should not have been him. It should have been me. I entered the sect before he did and have more experience. Especially since this mission concerning the vanished spiritual energy had nothing to do with him—it should have been me who stayed behind to cover the retreat."
Lu Zhenqiu opened