Abyssal Rift

In the heart of a vast canyon, amidst the biting wind and swirling snow, a colossal city stands majestically.

On the city wall,

Two middle-aged men dressed in white armor leaned against the frozen battlements, chatting idly.

"Old Li, when will this ever end?"

Upon hearing this, Old Li turned his gaze, reached inside the lining of the curved armor, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a small wooden box, which he then waved in front of the other person:

"Wang Cheng, stop complaining. You're always nagging like a woman. Want one?"

Wang Cheng looked at the wooden box, his eyes lighting up slightly:

"Hey Lao Li, this stuff isn't rationed much. We've been out here for half a year, and you still have this good stuff? You didn't get it by exchanging military merits with the logistics department, did you?"

As he spoke, Wang Cheng stared at the wooden box and licked his lips, which were dry from the cold:

"Are you just going to waste your military merits like this?"

"How could that be? I'm still waiting to win this battle and use my military merits to get promoted to a junior officer."

Old Li chuckled, his face crinkling with wrinkles, and grinned slyly. "You're only smoking cigarettes because you don't have the connections. There are plenty of people in Qujiang who don't smoke these cigarettes. Just trade them for some wine and meat."

As he spoke, he opened the wooden box, tossed one to Old Li, lit one of his own tinderboxes, and threw the tinderboxes down the city wall.

Burning tinder fell along the frozen city wall, its faint light illuminating the wind and snow, revealing the Jingguan of flesh and blood erected below the city.

The corpses of countless Barbarian Tribe women and children were piled up into mountains, frozen into bizarre ice sculptures in the wind and snow.

However, neither of them seemed surprised by this.

The Barbarian Tribe Holy City was for their own people to live in, and with so many corpses, plagues could easily spread. So they moved all the barbarian corpses from the city to the outside and built Jingguan.

The smoke and heat dissipated quickly. Old Li stared at the Jingguan below and suddenly whispered:

"By the way, Wang Cheng, I remember the military discipline manual said that whenever Jingguan is built, the bodies must be disposed of first."

"Yes, because too many corpses will breed Ghost Mist, but it doesn't matter in the Snow Plain."

Wang Cheng Chengxiu used Fire Element Cultivation Method, snapped his fingers with a "snap," and a flame appeared at his fingertips. He lit a cigarette and smiled.

"Anyway, this is the barbarians' territory. Even if Ghost Mist arises, it's their bad luck."

"Ha, Lord Marquis already slaughtered most of them, and now he has to deal with the Ghost Mist. These barbarians probably won't recover for hundreds of years."

Speaking of this,

Wang Cheng smacked his lips, took two puffs of his tobacco, and started muttering to himself again:

"But Lao Li, what do you think will happen if these barbarians are completely wiped out? How will we earn military merits in the future? We've been generals for almost ten years now, and we haven't been promoted after this war. Will we be stuck as generals for the rest of our lives?"

Old Li asked with a smile:

"Are you suggesting that our Marquis should also adopt the strategy of 'raising a bandit to enhance his own power'?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng's expression changed, he glared at Old Li, and pointed at his nose:

"Li Yongliang, I'm warning you, if we weren't such good friends, I'd punch you right now."

Having said that, Wang Cheng's expression returned to its previous resentment:

"But what's the point of leaving us in this dilapidated city while the Marquis continues his pursuit of the barbarians? We're stuck here Jingguan every day, watching this godforsaken snow, without even a single camp prostitute."

Old Li held a cigarette between his fingers, a smile on his face.

"Who said there weren't any camp prostitutes? Aren't there females among those barbarian prisoners awaiting interrogation? Bai Jiaqi said the experience seemed pretty good."

"."

Wang Cheng was taken aback, and the muscles on his face twitched slightly.

Having marched for years, they've seen countless pieces of flesh and blood, and severed limbs are nothing new to them. Dancing with death every day, everyone's hearts are more or less tainted with a bit of perversion.

But the Barbarian Tribe.

This white song is really well-played.

Old Li took a deep drag on his cigarette, and as he exhaled the smoke, he suddenly said:

"Don't tell anyone else about this. Bai Qu only told me. If word gets out, he'll probably fight me to the death."

"Don't worry," Wang Cheng scoffed, "I'm very tight-lipped."

Old Li lit a cigarette and finished it in one go.

"Our two tribes were the first to break through this Barbarian Tribe Holy City, so we should be promoted as well. Stop complaining; we have to give the other brothers a chance to make contributions."

"Shh."

Wang Cheng suddenly interrupted Lao Li, signaling him to be quiet.

Amidst Old Li's confusion, Wang Cheng drew the sword from his waist.

It slammed into the ground with a "whoosh".

Old Li frowned and asked:

What are you doing?

See for yourself.

Wang Cheng stared intently at the sword he had planted in the city wall.

The city walls fell silent for a moment.

Under their watchful eyes, the Spirit Blade ring sword stuck in the ground gradually began to sway.

Like the tremors brought by ten thousand horses, the ice crystals on the battlements cracked, and thick snow cascaded down towards the city. Wang Cheng and Lao Li's figures began to sway with the ground, and cracks gradually appeared in the city gate tower where they were standing amidst the tremors.

Looking back into the city, many houses had already collapsed in the tremors.

After a dozen or so breaths,

The snow, along with the gray smoke from the collapsed building, dissipated, and everything returned to calm.

They stared at each other for a moment atop the sturdy city walls.

Wang Cheng drew his sword, sheathed it, exhaled, and laughed:

"I thought it was an enemy attack, but it turned out to be an earth dragon turning over."

Old Li glanced at the relieved Wang Cheng, stroked his goatee, and smirked:

"Wang Cheng, when the earth dragon turns over, it causes a fluctuation in the Source Qi, but that fluctuation is chaotic and disorderly."

"."

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng frowned, closed his eyes to sense for a moment, then opened them with a puzzled look.

The Source Qi did indeed fluctuate, but it was not without pattern; rather, it exhibited a regular upward diffusion.

It is very faint, so faint that it is almost imperceptible without careful sensing, but this fluctuation is definitely present.

Old Li stared at the wind and snow below the city, his voice solemn:

There seems to be something underground.

As he spoke, he looked at Wang Cheng with excitement in his eyes:

"Wang Cheng, you stay here and guard this place. I will take one hundred white-armored cavalry to report this matter to the Marquis."

"Huh? Why wasn't it me who went?"

"." Old Li.

Blood Demon Cave.

When the white light dissipated, the tremors subsided, and everything returned to calm, the deafening roar of the Ink Snake was no longer behind us.

In silence,

Bai Muxi also stopped in her tracks, glanced at the young master who was tightly holding her, hesitated slightly but still did not say anything to remind him.

Holding Bai Muxi in her arms, Xu Yuan slightly adjusted his posture, one hand on her fragrant shoulder, the other around her delicate back from under her armpit, and naturally rested his chin on Bai Muxi's boneless shoulder.

Bai Muxi trembled slightly, but did not resist, and stood obediently in place without moving.

The warm, soft touch was transmitted through the woman's thin gauze dress. Xu Yuan could feel the softness of her breasts being squeezed and deformed against his chest, and the fragrance emanating from her hair.

The reason he didn't go down wasn't because he found it enjoyable.

In a life-or-death situation, who in their right mind would think about these things?

In all matters, one should act expediently when things are urgent; he was waiting for Li Qingyan's signal.

Although his 1.12 million taels of silver were incredibly powerful, if they failed to kill the Strange Ghost Ink Snake, they would have had to continue their escape.

Going down would only increase the danger; it's better to stay suspended.

"."

Time passed second by second.

Suddenly, a soft footstep sound came from the darkness.

Soon, a beautiful figure in red emerged from the darkness.

Despite the fierce battle just now, her red robes remained intact, without the slightest damage.

Well, it seems that with this Black Death Fungal Armor, it will be difficult to see Princess in battle-damaged armor again in the future.

Just then, Xu Yuan suddenly met her gaze.

With his phoenix eyes, gleaming with crimson light, half-closed, Li Qingyan stared at the two still embracing. His Lotus Boots trotted lightly and steadily on the ground, but the crimson blade in his hand gleamed with a sinister cold light.

His detached gaze seemed to say nothing, yet it also seemed to say everything.

"."

They locked eyes for a moment,

Bai Muxi was very sensible and immediately bent down to put Xu Yuan down:

"Young master, we are safe now."

Under Li Qingyan's crimson gaze, Xu Yuan coughed lightly, straightened up, and patted his robes.

"I already told you that the Ink Snake had no chance of surviving, and I asked you to put me down, but you insisted on protecting me."

"."

Bai Muxi immediately bowed her head and curtsied.

"Please forgive me, young master, Mu Xi was wrong."

Xu Yuan waved his hand dismissively:

"Considering you were also concerned for my safety, I'll let it go this time."

"They're quite adept at this charade."

As she spoke, Li Qingyan's icy gaze melted instantly, and a smile flashed in her phoenix eyes, "I didn't say anything, why are you so nervous?"

"."

Xu Yuan rolled his eyes inwardly.

He couldn't figure out what the princess was thinking.

They seem to have a very strong possessive nature, but in some aspects they don't seem to care much.

Composing himself, Xu Yuan stepped forward and asked softly:

"What's the rush? In urgent situations, you should act expediently."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan glanced at Li Qingyan from head to toe and asked softly, "Are you alright?"

He knew, of course, that Li Qingyan was injured, and seriously so, but knowing was one thing, asking was another.

Women all need care and attention.

Li Qingyan's phoenix eyes curved into a smile, and the crimson blade in her hand flashed with a cold light before sheathing it with a graceful and dashing movement.

"Your meridians are somewhat damaged, but not too severely. They should recover completely after a few days of meditation."

"We should still be careful; you're our only hope of getting out of here."

Xu Yuan raised his hand and affectionately wiped away the remaining blood from her lips. With a flick of his other hand, a jade bottle appeared in his palm.

"This is the Three-Pattern Meridian-Protecting Pill; it should help with your injuries."

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Qingyan's eyes, but she didn't open her hand, instead looking at him with a smile on her lips:

"Why do I feel like your Sumeru Ring has everything?"

Xu Yuan smiled and winked:

"The sect spent 30 million on that Cloud Qi Bomb. They didn't have enough silver, so most of it was converted from various resources. I should have most of what you can think of here."

As he spoke, Xu Yuan chuckled:

"Your Highness, sometimes, money really can buy your life."

"Virtue."

Li Qingyan chuckled and held out her hand in front of him, "Once you're out, I'll return you."

"Why should we talk about repaying when we're family? But if you really insist on repaying, you might as well just pay with your body."

With the Ink Snake eradicated, Xu Yuan was in a good mood. He joked as he placed the jade bottle in her palm.

But at that moment, he suddenly noticed bright red bloodstains on her palm.

He frowned slightly, grabbed her wrist, and then pulled her red sleeve up.

A fair, slender arm came into view, marked by several gruesome wounds, blood flowing continuously down her pale forearm.

Xu Yuan looked up at Li Qingyan, frowning:

"Didn't you say only the meridians were damaged?"

Seeing the concerned looks in her eyes, Li Qingyan smiled and replied:

"That Ink Snake was very strong. In order to slow down its pursuit, I had to take the hits head-on. I broke several times, but it was just a minor injury."

"How many times has it been broken?" Xu Yuan's eyes narrowed, and he gripped her wrist slightly. "This is considered a minor injury? I have some here too."

"No."

Li Qingyan withdrew her hand and said nonchalantly:

"I entered the Dao through martial arts. Although I am not as good as those Strange Ghost, my body has an extremely strong recovery ability. The pain from this external injury will not affect my combat power. On the contrary, it will make me more clear-headed."

"."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yuan's gaze towards her became somewhat strange.

Sober? More like sexual arousal.

Xu Yuan smiled knowingly. There was no point in saying more; they would know in time. He then asked:

"Where is the Ink Snake's Demon Crystal?"

Li Qingyan ignored his ambiguous gaze and glanced back at the darkness of the passageway:

"I haven't had time to pick it up yet."

"Go there immediately."

Without a second thought, Xu Yuan opened his arms to Li Qingyan: "With such a commotion, the nearby Strange Ghost might have already been attracted. We need to hurry and retrieve it, then leave."

"You don't seem to resist at all when I hold you."

Li Qingyan rolled her eyes at him, then naturally bent down and picked up Princess Xu Yuan: "I haven't seen a single bit of a man's pride in you."

"A real man can bend and stretch."

As Xu Yuan hooked his arm around her soft, fragrant shoulder, he retorted sarcastically, "Once I reach the Origin Beginning, Your Highness will know what true manhood is."

"Stubborn."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Qingyan took a step forward, Bai Muxi followed, and the three of them instantly disappeared from the spot.

A few breaths after the three disappeared, a strange crimson mist rapidly spread from the depths of the Blood Nest, instantly engulfing the spot where the three had been.

Standing at the exit of the passageway,

Xu Yuan looked at the enormous man-made cave in front of him and clicked his tongue slightly in amazement.

Money, indeed, is a wonderful thing.

The opening of the cavern formed by the Source Crystal bomb was extremely smooth. If it weren't for the shockwave that shattered the boulders on the inner wall when it was launched, the cavern would have been a near-perfect sphere.

Soon, all three of them focused their attention on the bottom of the spherical cave.

There, a long, charred patch lay quietly.

The Strange Ghost Ink Snake.

Now, it was no longer as ferocious and terrifying as before. It lay motionless on the ground, its tough snake body emitting a sizzling, burnt smell.

Despite enduring such a powerful Source Crystal bomb head-on, it still survived.

New shoots are struggling to grow from the charred flesh.

Unfortunately, the surrounding Black Death Fungal Mat had been vaporized in the explosion, and without its Black Death Fungal Mat, it simply didn't have enough vitality to regenerate its physical body.

However, seemingly drawn by this Mortal Shedding Strange Ghost, the surrounding Black Death Fungal Mat began to slowly creep towards the cave.

However, this speed is extremely slow, barely faster than an ant.

The three of them jumped down.

Protecting the two women in front of him, Xu Yuan slowly walked towards the Ink Snake.

As if sensing the approach of living people, the charred, long strip emitted a faint hiss as a warning.

Seeing that the other party could still speak, Xu Yuan told the two women to stop, and Li Qingyan used her fiery red sword energy, imbued with Dao essence, to finish off the Ink Snake.

It's always better to be cautious.

"Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!"

Fiery red beams of light illuminated the dark cavern, and dozens of sword flashes swept across the extremely fragile body of the Ink Snake.

The Ink Snake fell silent.

Even so, the three of them still did not approach.

Li Qingyan raised her jade hand and aimed it at the Ink Snake. Fiery red Source Qi surged forth, transforming into a giant hand that lifted the Ink Snake's body from a distance of a hundred meters.

Then,

Clench both hands together.

"Pfft!"

Blood and flesh splattered everywhere; the Ink Snake's flesh was completely reduced to a pulp, while a jet-black crystal gleaming with black light floated in mid-air.

Li Qingyan raised his hand, turned around, and asked softly:

"Changtian, is this the Demon Crystal?"

Xu Yuan's eyes flickered:

"This should be it."

Upon hearing this,

Without further hesitation, Li Qingyan pulled back with her jade hand, and the Demon Crystal was instantly drawn into her palm by the Source Qi.

It felt warm to the touch, and with a slight sense of touch, one could detect an eerily dense life force emanating from it.

Handing the Demon Crystal to Xu Yuan, Li Qingyan let out a long breath and smiled.

Let's go.

"Young Master."

Before the words were finished,

Bai Muxi, who had been standing quietly beside the two, interrupted Li Qingyan, her voice tinged with disbelief. "Abyssal Rift. Abyssal Rift of the Strange Ghost."

"."

Li Qingyan frowned slightly.

Xu Yuan subconsciously turned around, and his blood-red pupils suddenly contracted.

I don't know when,

The surrounding darkness had disappeared.

Instead, a dense, blood-red mist filled the air.