Void Rift

Early the next morning, Yun Yao had already selected five capable Jade Clarity Sect disciples and had them waiting outside.

The five disciples—three men and two women—were all at the late or peak Earth Immortal stage. Clad in standard azure robes with spirit swords on their backs, they carried steady auras and sharp gazes. They were clearly veterans of many battles.

They were both curious about and respectful toward Li Su, the "Bamboo Senior" favored by Martial Grand-Uncle Qingxu.

"Fellow Daoist Mo Xing, these five are Ming Feng, Ming Yue, Ming Shi, Ming Yue, and Ming Xin. They are all elite inner disciples of our sect, proficient in combined sword formations and fairly familiar with the environment of Riftwind Canyon," Yun Yao introduced.

The five bowed to Li Su in unison. "Greetings, Senior Mo Xing!"

Li Su bent his bamboo body slightly in return. "I'll be relying on you, fellow Daoists."

Yun Yao then took out a jade slip and handed it to Li Su. "This contains a detailed map of Riftwind Canyon and the necessary precautions. It marks several relatively safe routes and known stable areas of spatial rifts. However, the situation within the canyon changes by the moment, so you must remain vigilant at all times."

"Thank you." Li Su accepted the jade slip and swept it with his divine sense, committing the information to memory.

After bidding Yun Yao farewell, the group left the camp and headed northwest toward Riftwind Canyon.

The closer they drew to the canyon, the more violent the energy in the air became. Fierce astral winds howled from the canyon like invisible blades, mixed with torn baleful energy and thin traces of spiritual energy. They scraped against their protective light with a sizzling sound.

From time to time, tiny black spatial rifts appeared in the air like scars, vanishing in an instant while radiating a terrifying aura of destruction.

At the canyon entrance, the sight before them was even more astonishing. Two incomparably massive cliffs stood facing each other as though cleaved apart by a gigantic axe, forming a vast chasm several hundred miles wide and unfathomably deep.

Violent winds roared and coursed through the canyon like enraged dragons, whipping up sand and stones until visibility was extremely low.

The cliffs were covered in marks left by wind erosion, smooth as mirrors, yet faintly flickering with strange runes. They seemed naturally formed, yet also seemed to bear traces left behind by ancient great cultivators.

"Senior, the astral winds within the canyon are fierce. You must maintain your protective light at all times, and the baleful energy mixed into the wind can corrode the mind, so you must guard your spiritual platform closely.

"The most dangerous things are the spatial rifts that can appear at any time. They are completely unpredictable. Once one is dragged inside, even a True Immortal would find it difficult to escape." Ming Feng, the leading disciple, gave the warning with a grave expression.

Li Su nodded. A glow of Star Swirl Body Protection lit up around his bamboo body, enveloping both himself and Zhiwei.

The five Jade Clarity disciples each activated protective jade pendants or Dao techniques, forming a small sword formation that shielded everyone at its center.

"Move!" Ming Feng gave the command. The sword formation blazed brightly as it charged into the canyon against the fierce astral winds.

The instant they entered the canyon, the pressure surged! The astral winds pressed in like solid walls, and the baleful energy within them battered everyone's protective light frantically, producing a teeth-grinding scraping sound.

Divine sense was also severely suppressed here, able to probe only a hundred zhang around them.

The Jade Clarity disciples' sword formation was exceptionally intricate. The five were linked in aura, their spiritual power cycling endlessly like a single whole as they advanced through the gale with difficulty but steady progress.

Li Su followed closely behind. The glow of Star Swirl Body Protection revolved around him, deflecting and absorbing most of the astral winds and baleful energy. He appeared relatively at ease and could even spare attention to observe their surroundings.

Following the map's guidance, they chose a route along the left cliff wall. The astral winds were somewhat weaker there, and several protruding boulders offered temporary shelter.

After traveling roughly a thousand miles, they encountered no real danger. They occasionally came across several small spatial rifts that suddenly appeared, but everyone detected them early and avoided them.

However, as they passed an enormous wind-eroded stone pillar, an abrupt change occurred!

Without warning, a twisting black spatial rift more than ten zhang long tore open ahead and to their side!

A terrifying suction force erupted from it, instantly swallowing the astral winds, sand, stones, and even the light around it!

"Watch out! It's a large rift!" Ming Feng's expression changed drastically as he shouted sharply, exerting all his strength to maintain the sword formation and stabilize their bodies!

But the suction force was too immense. The sword formation's radiance swayed violently, and the five disciples groaned as their bodies were involuntarily dragged toward the rift!

Zhiwei cried out as well and was nearly pulled away, but Li Su swept her back with a bamboo branch just in time.

The sword formation was on the verge of collapse, and everyone was about to be sucked into the spatial rift!

Li Su's gaze hardened. Without hesitation, he drove his eight-zhang bamboo body deep into the rocky ground. At the same time, he pushed his divine sense to its limit, connecting with the earth veins and the power of the surrounding stars—though the astral winds interfered, he could still draw upon a faint trace of it!

"Bedrock Anchors the Abyss!"

He shouted softly, driving the Dao essence of the Bedrock Rune to its utmost limit and merging it into Star Swirl Body Protection!

At once, the protective glow became incomparably solid and heavy. The stellar vortex within the glow spun in reverse, temporarily resisting that terrifying suction force. Like a reef amid rushing currents, it shielded everyone behind him!

At the same time, his bamboo roots spread wildly, gripping the underground rock layers tightly and anchoring him in place.

With the brief respite Li Su gave them, Ming Feng and the others finally stabilized themselves. The sword formation shone once more as they joined forces to break free backward!

Boom!

The moment everyone escaped the suction force, the spatial rift abruptly snapped shut and vanished as though it had never existed, leaving behind only a chaotic vortex of energy.

Everyone was drenched in cold sweat, lingering fear still in their hearts.

"Thank you for saving us, Senior Mo Xing!" Ming Feng and the others withdrew their sword formation and bowed respectfully to Li Su, their faces full of gratitude and lingering dread.

Had Li Su not blocked that instantaneous suction force in time, they would likely have faced grave danger.

"It was nothing." Li Su's bamboo body swayed slightly as he restrained his aura. Forcing the Dao essence of the Bedrock Rune just now had also drained him considerably.

After that close call, everyone became even more cautious, and their pace slowed.

They traveled another thousand miles or so, and the canyon's environment became increasingly hostile. Strange elemental creatures and spatial phantoms born from the astral winds and baleful energy began to appear. They were bizarre and troublesome, but the group repelled them together.

At last, a faint glow appeared ahead, and the sound of the wind gradually weakened.

"We're almost there! The canyon exit is ahead!" Ming Yue said joyfully.

Everyone's spirits rose, and they quickened their pace.

However, less than a hundred miles from the exit, the Bedrock Rune deep within Li Su's primordial spirit trembled faintly again. This time, it pointed not toward the exit, but toward an extremely concealed wind-eroded cave on the right cliff wall!

The entrance to the cave was hidden by scattered rocks. Without the Bedrock Rune's sensing, it would have been impossible to discover.

Li Su's heart stirred. He said to Ming Feng, "Fellow Daoist Ming Feng, I sense that something unusual may be present there. I need to investigate it. Could you wait here for a moment?"

Ming Feng looked toward the hidden cave and swept it with his divine sense, but found nothing unusual. Still, he now had great faith in Li Su and nodded. "Please go ahead, Senior. We will stand guard here."

Li Su had Zhiwei remain behind and flew alone toward the cave. He pushed aside the scattered rocks and entered.

The cave was not deep, but it was extremely dry and cut off the astral winds outside. At its deepest point, he saw a... golden skeleton seated cross-legged!

The skeleton was not human. It resembled both man and beast, its bones a pure gold that radiated faint pressure and an ancient, sacred aura, as though it had perished here countless ages ago.

On the ground before the golden skeleton, several incomplete ancient characters had been written in some unknown blood:

"...Brahma... clan... betrayal... fled... beware... light..."

Clutched tightly between the golden skeleton's finger bones was a damaged milky-white jade pendant covered in cracks. It was carved with complex, sacred runes Li Su had never seen before. Though damaged, it still emitted a faint yet resilient Dao essence of "protection."

What the Bedrock Rune had sensed was precisely this damaged jade pendant!