Deng Qing took a deep breath and said, " Senior Brother, you're already like this, what kind of errands can you still do for him?"
Zhang Yan smiled slightly, reached out and patted Deng Qing on the shoulder, "Junior brother, I am very happy for your good fortune today, truly very happy."
You have your own path to walk, so go ahead and do it well. You don't need to drag me into it anymore.
Actually, the reason I touched your back that day was because my master instructed me to do so.
He was certain that after you refined the Wasteland Blood, you told me not to bother you anymore, so we didn't inform you about any of our operations.
Deng Qing was taken aback; this news was truly unexpected.
Zhang Yan cupped his hands and said, "And that letter, junior brother, please remember to give it to your sister-in-law when you get back."
After saying that, he turned and rushed into the Dense Forest ahead.
Deng Qing stood still, quietly watching as the tangled branches gradually obscured his undulating back.
He considered many possibilities, but this was the one he hadn't thought of.
Deng Qing stood there for a long time, and finally, all his words turned into a deep sigh. Since things had come to this, there was nothing he could do to force things.
He put his Mongqi Hide back on, wearing only the lining of his clothes, and hurried back.
Yes, he decided to leave.
No matter how lively it is here, he doesn't plan to get involved.
It's a complete mess, just thinking about it gives me a headache.
He retraced his steps and soon took a piece of clothing from a corpse to put on.
Then he continued walking back.
Half an hour later, he entered the passageway where the sword immortal in the painting was depicted. The painting of the woman dancing with a sword was still on both sides of the wall.
Deng Qing glanced at it and then walked towards the exit of the passageway at the other end.
He had only taken a few steps when a point of green light suddenly emerged from the mural, then dispersed into several rays, rapidly moving across the wall.
Deng Qing was startled; how could this green light move on its own?
As he was still wondering, the originally dark lines on the wall lit up one after another, and the entire mural regained its luster.
The woman in the wall, her clothes fluttering lightly, had already completed her initial stance.
Then, the sword light followed her, the beautiful woman moved with light steps, and the still mural began to flow again.
Deng Qing had witnessed sword dancing before, and even seeing it again still left him feeling awestruck.
But at this moment, his entire focus was on why the sword dance had been activated.
He remembered that last time, Su Yun found the mechanism, and he himself stepped on the green light repeatedly, which opened the mural.
The mural has been activated on its own, even though no one has touched it, which is quite strange.
As Deng Qing was observing carefully, suddenly, a thin crack appeared on the tip of the sword the woman was wielding.
The fine lines spread rapidly, and in the next instant, the entire illusion shattered! The light and shadow on the wall turned into countless points of light, which vanished in an instant.
Immediately afterwards, pieces of plaster peeled off the wall.
The woman's beautiful face and slender hand holding the sword were both thrown into the dust.
Boom!
Deng Qing's feet suddenly trembled, as if the sky were about to collapse and the earth was about to cave in.
Deng Qing realized something was wrong and leaped toward the exit of the passageway. However, before he arrived, the light at the exit suddenly shifted to the left.
He was startled Collapse Step, about to leap out of the tunnel, when the light above his head quickly receded, and the exit was sealed.
At the same time, the sunlight filtering in from the other end of the passageway was also cut off.
In an instant, the passageway was plunged into absolute darkness.
Although it was dark, the noise was still extremely loud. Deng Qing could hear a muffled rumbling sound, and the four walls were shaking violently.
Deng Qing could no longer see, but his senses remained. He felt as if the entire passageway had transformed into a train carriage that had lost power and was moving rapidly!
The roaring sounds from all around came and went, sometimes near, sometimes far.
Deng Qing took out the Desolate Iron Sword and intended to try digging upwards.
But with the passageway moving like this, he dared not act rashly and could only wait for it to stop.
At the same time, he condensed the Blood Baleful Intent in his palm, ready to cover his entire body at any time.
He silently counted in his mind, and when he reached one hundred and thirty-two, boom! The passageway came to a stop.
Deng Qing steadied himself by leaning against the wall, when a heavy stone brick fell from above and crashed down on him.
Deng Qing swung his sword to push aside the stone bricks, sending stone chips flying everywhere.
Then, more bricks loosened and fell down.
Deng Qing activated the Collapse Step, Desolate Iron Sword, under the effect of the Seven Forms of Settling Solitude, seemed to transform into a miraculous fly swatter, swatting away all the unavoidable stones.
In the blink of an eye, the roads ahead and behind were blocked by boulders, while the cracking sounds overhead grew more and more frequent. Suddenly, a beam of light shone down from above.
Deng Qing looked up and saw that a crack the size of a bowl had appeared in the dome, and the stone bricks on both sides were still falling down, and the crack was continuing to widen.
He waited a few more breaths, and the gap was wide enough for a person to pass through. He used his sword to deflect the falling rocks, touched the ground with his toes, and used the side wall for leverage to rise into the air again.
The next instant, he leaped out and landed on a stone slab.
Deng Qing looked around and was immediately taken aback.
The Stone Forest and plaza that were there before had all disappeared.
All around were towering stone walls, with tunnels embedded in the ground, some broken into several pieces, and the cracked roof still spewing down rocks.
One after another, figures sprang out from the crack, then cried out in surprise and leaped into the air.
Not far away, blood was gushing out from the numerous holes in the stone wall.
These openings, some as small as a child's arm and others as thick as a water vat, were gushing blood and water, irrigating the open space in front of them.
As the blood flowed in, a strong, pungent stench filled the air. Deng Qing had already experienced the potency of this stuff firsthand.
Even with the Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood protecting him, he didn't want to have any contact with this blood.
At that moment, Deng Qing stood up, stepped over a broken pillar, and landed on a platform on the left.
This platform is more than three feet above the ground, which seems sufficient to withstand the risk of blood flooding.
Unexpectedly, in just a few dozen breaths, the blood below had already risen more than a foot high.
Clearly, at this rate of increase, the place where he is standing right now is not safe either.
Deng Qing glanced around and saw that everyone around him was climbing to higher ground.
Many people climbed using the grooves in the rock face, while others swung out short hooks with ropes to grab the upper edge of the rock and pull their companions up.
Some people even took the high ground first, holding their weapons horizontally to prevent others from getting close.
Deng Qing then noticed that most of these people had red scarves tied around their arms, and almost all of them were members of the Donghuang Cult.
Deng Qing thought to himself, "Was I just sent straight into a den of thieves through that tunnel?"
Without thinking twice, he leaped upwards again.
Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from behind him, and the platform he had just stepped on was slammed onto by a wave of blood.
Deng Qing changed locations several times, and when he looked back, the blood had risen to more than three feet high.
In the entire pool of blood, only a series of platforms of varying heights remained standing.
The blood was still rising rapidly.
The lower platforms were no longer safe, so everyone was climbing towards the higher ones, which led to conflict.
Even within the same camp, conflict is inevitable.
One unlucky person was jostled and lost their footing, falling into the water with a piercing scream.
In no time at all, the man dissolved into the pool of blood.
Deng Qing glanced at the man once before looking away, his gaze already fixed on a tall and wide platform near the stone wall ahead.
The platform was several meters square, and although more than twenty people had already gathered on it, there was still plenty of room.
With a swift movement, he stepped over half of the stone beam, his body rising high as he landed directly on the platform.
Who goes there!
Several swords and knives were pointed at him at the same time.
The twenty-odd people gathered on the platform stared at him intently, their expressions hostile.
Deng Qing had already taken out the red scarf while in mid-air. As he landed on the platform, he casually tied it around his arm, saying, "We're all on the same side, can I borrow a place to stand?"
The red-faced man at the front glanced at his red scarf, then at his clothes, and lowered his blade.
Deng Qing cupped his hands in thanks, "Thank you..."
Before he could finish speaking, a scream suddenly rang out from afar, "Don't believe him! This scoundrel is Spy for the Imperial Court!"
Deng Qing's eyebrows twitched, and she turned to look.
Five or six zhang away, on another platform, Fatty Zhao Laosan was leaning against Stone Pillar, waving frantically in this direction.
Standing nearby were a man with a mustache and a thin man, along with several other members of the Donghuang Cult whom they had seen before. "He's the one who killed Xiong Zhen! Seize him!"
Zhao Laosan's face trembled as he shouted.
Deng Qing cursed under his breath, thinking how unlucky he was.
"You scoundrel, you're asking for death!"
The red-faced man reacted extremely quickly; the blade he had just lowered suddenly flipped up, aiming straight for Deng Qing's lower abdomen.
Deng Qing dodged with a quick movement, then reached out with his left hand and precisely grabbed the red-faced man's wrist. Next, Deng Qing Sinking Shoulder the shoulder.
With a loud bang, the red-faced man's chest dented, and he flew backward, knocking over the two people behind him.
Almost simultaneously, blades flashed from both sides, slashing towards Deng Qing's face.
Deng Qing spun around and punched the man on his left in the face. Blood spurted out of the man's face, and Deng Qing took a heavy blow to the back.
He leaned forward, grabbed the man, and swung him to the right, knocking both of them over.
In the blink of an eye, Deng Qing had taken down several people, leaving everyone utterly terrified.
"Don't be arrogant! Surround them!"
In the distance, the anxious man with the mustache shouted at the top of his lungs, "This guy is incredibly strong, Movement Technique, and has a wicked defense! Everyone, attack together!"
Actually, he didn't need to remind me at all.
Seeing Deng Qing's terrifying combat power, the remaining Donghuang Cult were already pale and immediately formed a formation to surround and attack him.
They were originally a gang, and coordinated operations were their forte.
Immediately, several men in the front row attacked with knives, while those in the back row used spears to reach over their companions' shoulders, aiming to exploit any openings in Deng Qing's defenses. Meanwhile, someone on the side threw a hidden weapon, blocking Deng Qing's escape route.
Although the platform was wide, with more than twenty people crammed on it, there was very little room for Deng Qing to move around.
Gradually, Deng Qing's situation became increasingly perilous.
He had barely dodged a spear aimed at his eye when a hooked sickle swept towards him from below.
He dodged the knife, but took another solid blow to the shoulder.
The Blood Baleful Intent flashed past his clothes, failing to cut into his flesh, but the force of the slash made half of his shoulder go numb.
A fierce glint flashed in Deng Qing's eyes, and instead of retreating, he advanced.
Before the man could sheathe his sword, he was grabbed by the collar and, with a powerful Elephant Hurls, Mountain Crumbles, crashed into the crowd, sword and all.
Several screams rang out simultaneously.
The two people on the outermost edge lost their footing, slipped, and fell into the bloody water.
"Ah..."
Screams echoed from the pool of blood, shaking the surrounding area.
The man who fell into the pool of blood clung to the edge of the platform with both hands, desperately trying to pull himself up. However, his legs, soaked in blood, felt as if they had fallen into a pool of concentrated sulfuric acid. In the blink of an eye, his clothes were torn to shreds and his flesh melted away.
The person next to him fared even worse; only half of his face was visible before it was covered by the surging wave of blood.
A few breaths later, only a churning mass of foam remained on the surface of the water.
The crowd surrounding Deng Qing felt their scalps tingle, but this also fueled their ferocity.
"Drive him down!" "Don't let him break formation, hold on!"
The group's offensive grew increasingly fierce.
They also realized that keeping Deng Qing, this menace, around would inevitably lead to someone else being thrown down sooner or later.
Soon, Deng Qing punched and broke the barrel of the spear that was thrust at him, and then took a kick to the waist.
He reached out to grab him, but the man was prepared and retreated under the cover of his companion. Immediately afterwards, two long swords slashed down from above and below, while another spear aimed straight for his chest.
Deng Qing gritted his teeth, slapped the spear tip aside with his palm, took a blow to the side, and rushed into the gunman's arms.
With a muffled thud, the spearman flew out, spitting blood, knocking down another man, and the two tumbled off the platform together.
However, before Deng Qing could catch his breath, a clanging sound suddenly rang out above his head.
Several short hooks caught on the stone wall above.
It turned out to be the Donghuang Cult from not far away, who swung over using ropes. Several of them stepped on the stone wall and leaped like monkeys.
Deng Qing felt a chill run down her spine.
This group of people are trying to surround me and kill me here.
The Mystic Wasteland Baleful Blood can block the blade, but it cannot block the force from fists, feet, and weapons.
The knife fell, and although the skin and flesh were not broken, the tendons and bones still had to endure tremendous force.
At this moment, Deng Qing felt pain in every part of his body, including his shoulders, back, waist, and ribs.
What's more troublesome is that this place is too narrow, making it suitable for encirclement and attack, but not for using Movement Technique.
Back then, he was able to Collapse Step Cao Chun and his guards all by himself, which shows how much effort he put in.
However, in this cramped environment, surrounded and besieged, the benefits of the Collapse Step were almost completely wiped out.
He had tried his best to attack instead of defend, taking down several enemies in succession, but the number of enemies on the platform did not decrease, simply because reinforcements kept falling from above.
Deng Qing shoved aside a man wielding a knife, and two strong gusts of wind came from behind him.
Just as he was about to turn around, the tip of a spear suddenly appeared horizontally in front of him, blocking his path.
Just then, a figure wearing a cloak swooped down from the height.
The man took two quick steps on the stone wall, his clothes billowing up. As he landed, he slapped away the spear with his palm and then slammed into the space between the two men behind Deng Qing.
Two loud bangs!
Caught off guard, one stumbled backward, while the other was knocked so hard that half of his body jutted out of the platform, and he quickly grabbed his companion in shock.
Without uttering a word, the Cloaked Figures stepped forward, blocking the attack from the side for Deng Qing.
Taking this chance to catch his breath, Deng Qing threw a punch, causing the man in front of him to spit blood from his mouth and nose.
He immediately turned his head to look, and the cloak fluttered, revealing a familiar face.
Deng Qing was taken aback. " Senior Brother Zhang?"
No sooner had Deng Qing uttered that than there was another noise above him.
He looked up and saw seven figures wearing cloaks hurrying along the stone wall.
These people used both hands and feet to cling to the wall like geckos. When they encountered a protruding stone edge, they would use it as leverage to leap across several meters. Wide cloaks draped over their bodies, making them look indescribably strange.
"That kid's come to help!"
A follower of the Donghuang Cult cried out in alarm.
Before the words were even finished, the Cloaked Figures at the front had already pounced down.
With a bang, the man and his spear flew off the platform.
The remaining six people followed closely behind.
The Donghuang Cult had been surrounding Deng Qing were scattered in the blink of an eye. Some people hurriedly turned around, and before they could even raise their weapons, they were knocked back several steps, lost their footing, and fell into the bloody water with a scream.
With the pressure suddenly reduced, Deng Qing was unwilling to let the opportunity slip by.
He strode forward, grabbed one man by the shoulder, and swung him around in a sweeping motion.
Several muffled thuds followed, and suddenly a space opened up in front of them.
These Cloaked Figures were equally powerful and worked in perfect unison. With a single thrust forward, the remaining members of the Donghuang Cult could no longer stand.
In just over ten breaths, the sounds of fighting ceased on the stage, but screams echoed from the blood pool.
Someone tried to grab onto the rock edge to climb back, but as soon as one hand touched it, their body, submerged in the water, suddenly sank, and they disappeared into the surging waves of blood.
Those who were still struggling gradually fell silent.
The Donghuang Cult who had come to reinforce the stone wall above, using short hooks and ropes, had already tightened their ropes and climbed back the way they came.
Deng Qing exhaled a breath of stale air, stretched his numb shoulders, and bowed to Zhang Yan, "Thank you for your help, Senior Brother."
Zhang Yan waved his hand, "Don't be so polite with me. If you really want to thank someone, thank all my Senior Brother first."
As he spoke, he gestured to a tall, slender Cloaked Figures figure, "This is Fang Bingshan, Senior Brother Fang."
The man lifted his hood, revealing a thin face with high cheekbones, and smiled at Deng Qing.
Zhang Yan then pointed to the two people beside him, " Senior Brother Zhou Heng, Senior Brother Zheng Ping."
He then introduced the remaining four people one by one.
Xu Zhaonian, Lu Kuan, Du Changgeng, Meng Qiusheng.
The seven men were of varying ages, the youngest appearing to be in their early thirties, while the older ones already had graying temples. Some nodded to Deng Qing, while others smiled and cupped their hands in greeting, all looking at Deng Qing with great affection.
Deng Qing returned their greetings one by one, but his mind was a little confused. Where did all these Senior Brother come from?
Zhang Yan laughed and said, "No need to doubt, they are all your proper senior Senior Brother, and also my Senior Brother."
They were all Master's Personal Disciple, but by the time you Initiation, they were no longer in the hall.
Personal Disciple? Fellow senior Senior Brother?
Deng Qing was stunned.