No one went to disturb Ma Guniang.
Two days ago, the scouts brought back two pieces of news.
The good news was that the waterway Nan Zhi mentioned, which led out of the secret realm, did indeed exist and had not disappeared.
The bad news was that the Flying Golden-Winged Centipede seemed to have sensed something unusual and had claimed that waterway as its nest.
Or perhaps the waterway itself had always been its lair.
But at the very least, there was hope of returning home.
The exploration team worked even harder, actively hunting demon beasts every day to collect and preserve samples. They took what they could and buried the rest in organized caches.
Though the chances were slim, if they ever managed to return, these would all be considered Great Xia assets!
Qin Yue was also busy beyond measure.
The underwater areas of the secret realm were inherently perilous, not to mention that Ma Guniang had to lead so many people through a long underground waterway.
She could only do her best to coordinate the various departments, ensuring they were prepared and waiting for Ma Guniang's instructions.
During this time, with everyone's nerves stretched to the limit, they seemed to view Ma Guniang as a sort of spiritual pillar.
Even Qin Yue had to admit that Ma Guniang possessed a convincing, reassuring quality that commanded respect.
She didn't know if this was a good or bad thing.
Qin Yue understood one thing clearly.
Compared to the Locust God possessing Professor Liu, who viewed human life as nothing more than grass or ants, she was far more willing to trust Ma Guniang, who hailed from the Demon Suppression Division.
The Demon Suppression Division—the organization that, centuries ago, had been willing to toil for the common people, protect all living beings, and choose to perish alongside the Lady of Grudge to save a city.
They were the same kind of people.
Driven by faith, unafraid of the path ahead.
...
Soon, the day of departure arrived.
Despite Hongluo's noisy insistence on staying with her, Nan Zhi was quite firm. She arranged for Hongluo to hide in the grotto with the exploration team.
It was a harsh reality, but when Foundation Establishment cultivators fought, any mortals caught in the crossfire would essentially become cannon fodder.
Therefore, hiding and not causing trouble—so she wouldn't have to be distracted by saving them during the battle—was the greatest help they could provide.
She believed Qin Yue could manage the group, and she trusted that an official exploration team wouldn't contain the kind of idiots found in movies who insisted on seeking death and causing trouble for the protagonist.
“Are the mortals hidden?”
On the altar, Liu Ruhe slowly paced behind Nan Zhi, looking toward the underground river a kilometer away where movement was visible. She let out a dry chuckle.
“Let us be clear: I have just been reborn through soul-snatching. I am not even a Qi Refinement practitioner yet. Though I wish to help, my strength is insufficient.
“If you die, I will see to it that your bones are properly buried. Consider it a final courtesy for our chance meeting.”
“Actually, this isn't the first time we've met.”
Nan Zhi stared at the churning underground river and suddenly tossed out this cryptic remark. Before the other could ask, she struck out through the air, reopening a deep wound on Liu Ruhe's recently healed forearm.
Immediately, blood gushed out like a fountain.
“Ssss! Roar!!”
The fragrance of the locust corpse intensified. A hundred-meter-long colossal creature lunged out from the surface of the underground river. In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains swayed as countless massive Sun-Burning Stones fell from the roof of the grotto!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The cavern rumbled.
Huddled in the grotto with wet blood mud smeared on their faces, the team members gripped the ground tightly. Even when the gales from falling stones swept over them, they didn't make a sound.
“The beast is indeed agitated. It looks like it can't wait to devour me.”
Liu Ruhe's face turned pale. Ignoring the bleeding from her arm, she pointed at the centipede and whispered:
“Fellow Daoist, look. Twelve inches below the head, where the scales overlap—that is the creature's death point. Remember it well; you must not miss.
“I shall wait here for your victorious return to offer my congratulations.”
“Fine. I'm going.”
Nan Zhi tapped her foot lightly and flew upward against the falling Sun-Burning Stone fragments. Her movements were uncanny as she easily dodged the hail of debris.
The wariness in Liu Ruhe's eyes deepened as she muttered to herself:
“The Demon Suppression Division truly has a profound heritage. A mere Foundation Establishment junior can fly through the air on qi. I wonder how many treasures she carries. What a pity...”
A cruel sneer touched her lips before quickly vanishing.
...
The Flying Golden-Winged Centipede was indeed lured onto the shore. Its massive, black segments twisted continuously, and its two antennae struck the ground with thunderous booms, signaling its intent to kill Ma San at any cost.
“Ssss... Ssss!”
Wood Manipulation Art!
Earth Mud Art!
Before it could advance further, ten thick vines suddenly erupted from the ground, coiling around a hundred pairs of the centipede's legs. The ground abruptly turned soft and unstable, transforming into a giant swamp that trapped the hundred-meter-long insect!
Nan Zhi performed hand seals and chanted, cursing silently in her mind.
This Flying Golden-Winged Centipede was simply too large.
Even the swamp she had manifested could only barely trap half of its body.
“Ssss! Roar!”
Having suffered a setback, the centipede's long, flat head twisted. Its pair of massive compound eyes blinked, and tens of thousands of tiny, densely packed eye globes shifted in unison.
Finally, they fixed upon the azure figure in the sky.
“Ssss!”
It seemed utterly tired of the flying humans. The scales on both sides of its head suddenly stood on end like bristling fur, and its sides pulsed as it let out a series of roars:
“Ssss! Roar!”
It seemed to be summoning something.
Sensing something, Nan Zhi immediately flew further out. She saw a swarm of hungry ghosts rushing from the depths of the secret realm like a tide of black ink.
The hungry ghosts moved with incredible speed, devouring everything in their path. Wherever they passed, nothing was left alive—only mangled remains.
Without needing orders, the hungry ghosts saw Nan Zhi flying in the sky and immediately began stacking themselves into a ladder, roaring and clawing upward.
Some smarter hungry ghosts even began gnawing at the vines trapping the Flying Golden-Winged Centipede!
One by one, the black hungry ghosts jumped into the swamp, using their own bodies to fill it and force the centipede's trapped legs out of the mud!
Nan Zhi suddenly realized something.
She had entered through that waterway, so naturally, things could also leave through it.
The Flying Golden-Winged Centipede must have cleared the waterway and used the locust corpse fragrance as bait to lure the water ghosts and demon beasts from the Huai River here to serve as its food.
That was why such a massive number of hungry ghosts had gathered in the secret realm!
She had experienced the danger of a swarm of hungry ghosts before, but she regained her composure in an instant.
She pulled the Azure Sea Sky Hairpin from her hair and made a light slashing motion toward the ground.
It looked casual, but a moment later, the ground hummed. A wave of invisible energy surged out, instantly slicing a fissure dozens of meters long and five meters wide into the earth!
Thud!
Thud!
Crash!
The ladder of hungry ghosts collapsed. One by one, the black ghosts plunged into the fissure like falling dumplings. Before they could struggle to climb out, Nan Zhi cast another spell, sending out several rays of spiritual light like heavenly maidens scattering flowers.
Earth Mud Art!
Wood Manipulation Art!
Flying Fire Art!
Solidified giant earth spheres, over ten meters in diameter, plummeted from a height of a hundred meters with merciless weight!
Many hungry ghosts couldn't dodge in time and were crushed into paste, exploding instantly.
That wasn't all.
The thick vines seemed to have a mind of their own, grabbing the giant earth spheres and grinding them back and forth in the fissure like a mortar and pestle.
In an instant, a foul stench filled the air. The cavern echoed with the sickening crunch of bones and the agonizing wails of humanoid creatures.
Some were left with only half a body and were still struggling, only to be crushed by the stone spheres in the next second. Others had their heads pulverized into mud, their green eye globes bursting and flying several yards away.
Then, fireballs the size of millstones rained down from the sky.
The screams were endless.
The air was thick with the smell of scorched flesh and grease. The terrifying sounds of snapping joints and bodies turning to paste filled the ears.
The humanoid creatures wailed in their struggle, but there was no escape.
The woman in azure robes walked through the air as if taking a stroll, looking down upon everything with disdain.
It was an absolute, overwhelming massacre!
The people hiding in the grotto trembled and shook, feeling as though they were trapped in the world's most terrifying nightmare.
Only then did they remember.
Ma Guniang was a Greater Ghost herself.
If she wished, she could create a boundless purgatory with a mere wave of her hand.
Someone couldn't take it and gagged, their mind on the verge of collapse, but they were immediately struck by the stern-faced Qin Yue.
“Hold it in! Do you think the enemy would show you mercy on a battlefield?! Stay quiet and don't distract Ma Guniang!”
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