A single sword strike cleared the swarm of bats.
The entire Ancient Bat Cave fell silent. Only water dripping from the rock walls and the group's heavy breathing remained.
Faxiang withdrew the golden barrier, now covered in cracks, and looked at Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi, his eyes full of admiration.
"Amitabha. Senior Brother Li and Senior Sister Lu joined forces and displayed such divine might. I am truly impressed."
Shock and envy were written all over Li Xun and Yan Hong's faces.
They had to admit that even the strongest Daoist arts of Incense Burning Valley could not have cleared the area so thoroughly.
Qi Hao's face turned ashen.
He looked at Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi standing side by side, as perfectly matched as a pair of jade figures. The flames of jealousy in his heart nearly consumed his reason.
Qi Hao realized that the gap between him and Li Xiaoyu had not narrowed. It had only grown wider.
The helplessness drove him mad.
Li Xiaoyu paid no heed to the others' reactions. He sheathed the Autumn Water Sword and gazed solemnly toward the depths of the cave.
"Everyone, stay alert. The real threat may still lie ahead."
He could sense that the source of that bloodthirsty, evil aura was deep within the cave.
At his words, the others put aside their distractions, steeled themselves, and continued onward.
The ground was strewn with bat carcasses and black slime. Their footsteps crunched through it, sending chills down their spines.
They walked for the time it took an incense stick to burn before the passage opened up ahead.
A vast underground cavern appeared before them.
Its ceiling soared a hundred zhang overhead, festooned with stalactites of bizarre shapes.
In the center of the cavern stood an altar, clearly built by human hands.
The altar was made of black stone and carved with strange, blood-red runes. An ominous aura radiated from it.
Several black flags stood around the altar. Twisted ghostly faces flickered across their banners, letting out silent wails.
A few figures sat cross-legged atop the altar, apparently performing some kind of ritual.
The man at their head was burly, with a full, bristling beard.
Several others stood beside him, their auras just as powerful and wicked.
One was a handsome young man in white, holding a folding fan, his features refined but his manner effeminate.
Another was a beautiful young woman with a curvaceous figure.
The last was a tall, gaunt man with a sinister gaze.
Behind them stood a towering brute of an odd appearance, carrying a gray Fang Club.
Blood Refining Hall!
The name flashed through Li Xiaoyu and the others' minds the instant they saw these people.
There was no doubt about it: they were core members of the Demon Sect's Blood Refining Hall.
At the same moment the group spotted them, the people on the altar noticed them too.
"Didn't expect those righteous brats to have such sharp noses. They actually tracked us down here."
The burly, bearded man at their head slowly rose and turned around. His bell-like eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
His gaze swept over the group before settling on Li Xiaoyu.
"You're Li Xiaoyu, the leader from the Green Cloud Sect?"
His voice boomed through the cavern.
"I am Nian Laoda, Hall Master of the Blood Refining Hall!"
He announced his name, and the oppressive might of an Upper Purity Realm expert erupted, bearing down on them.
Faxiang, Li Xun, and the others paled. It felt as if a mountain had settled on their chests, making it hard to breathe.
They had not expected the Blood Refining Hall's master to be such a formidable expert!
His Cultivation was only a step below the chief seats of their respective sects!
Standing at the very front, Li Xiaoyu bore most of the pressure alone.
His chest tightened, but his expression remained unchanged. The spiritual energy of the Taiji Profound Clarity Path circulated on its own within him, easily dispelling the pressure.
"Hall Master Nian, your Blood Refining Hall fiends have wreaked havoc here and slaughtered innocents. We've come today to uphold Heaven's justice and wipe you all out!"
Li Xiaoyu's voice was cold. He drew the Autumn Water Sword once more and pointed it at Nian Laoda on the altar.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Nian Laoda threw back his head and laughed as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.
"Uphold Heaven's justice? What a fine thing to say!"
His laughter abruptly stopped, and his expression turned vicious.
"You little brats, barely weaned, dare to spout such nonsense in front of me?"
"Don't think that driving off a few brainless beasts makes you invincible!"
"Today, I'll show you what the Blood Refining Hall can really do!"
He barked an order to the people beside him.
"Lin Feng, Liu Gao, take care of that kid from Incense Burning Valley and the monk from Heavenly Sound Temple!"
"Beautiful lady, go deal with that little beauty carrying the blue divine sword!"
"As for this foolhardy leader..." Nian Laoda fixed his gaze on Li Xiaoyu, a cruel smile curling his lips. "I'll personally see to him!"
"Yes, Hall Master!"
The others answered in unison, then shot forward in streaks of light, hurtling toward the righteous cultivators.
The young man in white, Lin Feng, snapped open his folding fan. A gale sprang up, filled with countless razor-sharp blades of wind that swept toward Li Xun and Faxiang.
The gaunt Liu Gao summoned a yellow flying sword. Its blade light was strange, aimed specifically at its opponents' lower bodies—devious to the extreme.
The beautiful young woman gave a coquettish laugh. A red Immortal Binding Rope appeared in her hand and darted toward Lu Xueqi like a venomous snake.
The battle erupted in an instant!
Li Xun and Faxiang joined forces against Lin Feng and Liu Gao.
Incense Burning Valley's flames and Heavenly Sound Temple's holy light mingled, temporarily holding off their opponents' attacks, but they were clearly at a disadvantage.
Lu Xueqi, meanwhile, was locked in a bitter struggle.
The beautiful young woman's Immortal Binding Rope was exceedingly strange. It was tough enough that even the Tianya Divine Sword could not cut through it right away, and it gave off a scent that clouded the mind.
Relying on her profound Cultivation and the Tianya Divine Sword's spiritual power, Lu Xueqi could barely protect herself. For the moment, she was firmly entangled by her opponent.
Qi Hao and Zhang Xiaofan were held off by Wild Dog Daoist, who wielded the Fang Club.
Wild Dog Daoist's Cultivation was inferior to the others', but the Fang Club in his hands was immensely heavy. Every strike landed with the force of a thousand jun, and even Qi Hao's Ice Sword energy could not fully withstand it. He was driven back again and again.
Zhang Xiaofan swung the Fire Poker, supporting Qi Hao with the artifact's strange powers, but he too was in constant danger.
The righteous side was at a severe disadvantage.
And that was not even the worst of it.
The worst situation was Li Xiaoyu's.
He had to face Nian Laoda, the Blood Refining Hall's master, whose Cultivation had reached the ninth level of the Jade Purity Realm!
"Boy, ready to die?"
Nian Laoda sneered as he strode toward Li Xiaoyu.
Every step he took seemed to make the entire cavern tremble.
He used no magical treasure. He merely raised his fist and threw a punch at Li Xiaoyu.
The strike looked plain and unadorned, yet carried enough force to shatter mountains and split peaks.
Before the fist wind even reached him, Li Xiaoyu felt a pressure rushing toward him, powerful enough to grind him to dust.
Meeting it head-on meant certain death!
Li Xiaoyu's pupils contracted sharply. Without hesitation, he stepped along the Seven Stars and darted aside.
Just as the fist wind reached him, his figure blurred, and he narrowly evaded the lethal blow.
Boom!
Nian Laoda's fist slammed into the spot where Li Xiaoyu had stood.
The hard stone floor shattered like tofu, leaving a crater several zhang deep.
Shattered rock flew everywhere as dust billowed through the air.
"Hm? You actually dodged?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Nian Laoda's eyes, quickly turning into cruel excitement.
"Interesting. Looks like you've got a few secrets, brat."
"But against my overwhelming strength, every trick is useless!"
He roared again and unleashed a flurry of punches at Li Xiaoyu.
In an instant, fists filled the cavern, and the thunderous booms rang without end.
Amid the countless fists, Li Xiaoyu's figure was like a tiny boat in a raging sea, dodging and weaving as danger closed in from all sides.
The situation had reached a breaking point!
Before you continue