Before long, another half hour had passed. Half of Qingfeng Valley's disciples had already gone through the passage, yet the progress of opening it had become even more dire. After asking around, Li Zongbao learned that the tunnel was likely still less than two li long. When the second group of Qingfeng Valley disciples prepared to enter the cavern, more problems arose. After nearly half an hour of desperate fighting, setting aside the fallen disciples, even those who had returned had expended more than half their spiritual power. They had to fly up the passage, exert their spiritual power again, then fly back to the cavern. By then, even less spiritual power remained for them. If they threw themselves back into battle, their situation would become all the more perilous!
In other words, these disciples could either remain here to kill sword cultivators or enter the cavern to open the passage. Both tasks had to be carried out, and their lives hung by a thread!
"Alas..." Li Zongbao grew anxious, yet he had no good solution. The passage could not be opened by Xiao Hua alone. He could only have the Qingfeng Valley disciples open as much of it as they could!
As for the sword cultivators, they saw the cultivators fighting them suddenly withdraw, filing away into a distant cavern, while other disciples emerged from within that cavern. Naturally, they found it strange. After a while, a swordmaster in command immediately saw through the trick. On one hand, he changed their tactics and did everything possible to spur the swordsmen into battle; on the other, he hurriedly dispatched swordsmen to carry the news out!
Seeing this, Li Zongbao became even more anxious. Those fighting now were all Bright Sword and Womb Sword Disciples. Not a single Illusion Sword Swordsman