Forced Separation

As her voice fell, the three of them instantly tensed their nerves, standing back-to-back as they warily scanned the surroundings.

Li Nanzhu’s thunder talisman was held taut between her fingers. Suisui lay on her shoulder, its soul fire flickering uneasily, casting a small circle of ghostly blue radiance amidst the thick toxic miasma.

However, the marsh remained deathly silent. The water's surface was as calm as a mirror, with only the toxic miasma flowing slowly; not even a ripple could be seen.

Feng Qingping lightly tapped the array disk with her fingertip, and water-blue spiritual energy delved into the water like silk threads. After a moment, she frowned slightly. "No movement... Was it an illusion?"

Feng Weilan did not relax. His blade remained lowered, his gaze sharp as a hawk's. "No, my blade doesn't give warning for no reason."

Li Nanzhu gripped several thunder talismans. Suisui lay on her shoulder, soul fire swaying slightly as if sensing something. The three held their breath, guarding against anything that might appear. Yet, a quarter of an hour passed, and the marsh remained terrifyingly calm.

"Perhaps it was just residual resentment," Feng Qingping said softly. "Let's keep moving."

Feng Weilan remained silent for a moment before finally sheathing his blade slowly, though his eyes remained vigilant. The three resumed their pace, moving along the edge of the muddy marsh.

However, just as the seventh step fell—

Splash!

The water's surface suddenly exploded!

A thick, pitch-black tentacle burst from the water like lightning, striking directly at Feng Qingping’s throat!

"Look out!" Feng Weilan’s pupils shrank. His long sword was out of its sheath in an instant, golden light erupting as he slashed fiercely at the tentacle!

Clang!

The blade struck the tentacle, but only a spray of sparks flew. Feng Weilan’s blade only cut an inch deep before being deflected, and the tentacle continued its unstoppable coil toward Feng Qingping!

"Bind!" Feng Qingping tapped her finger, and the array disk spun rapidly. Water-blue chains instantly wrapped around the tentacle, attempting to restrain it.

Li Nanzhu reacted with extreme speed, throwing out a thunder talisman as purple lightning exploded with a roar!

Boom!

The tentacle was struck by the lightning and trembled violently, but it did not retreat. Instead, it writhed even more frantically, directly tearing apart Feng Qingping’s spiritual energy chains.

"Fall back!" Feng Weilan barked, grabbing Feng Qingping’s wrist and leaping backward. Feng Qingping’s array disk spun rapidly again as the water-blue spiritual energy delved into the water once more. "It's a demonic beast! It's testing us!"

Feng Weilan’s blade had already locked onto the target. He said deeply, "Be careful, its speed is very fast."

The water churned again, and this time, the demonic beast’s true form finally revealed itself—

It was a giant octopus demonic beast, pitch-black all over. Eight thick tentacles coiled in the water like giant pythons, each one covered in suckers and sharp bone spikes.

A pair of crimson vertical pupils sat upon its head, watching the three with cold cruelty. And at the base of one tentacle, a crimson metal fragment was embedded—it was the fragment of her Fourth Senior Brother’s magic tool!

"It’s Fourth Senior Brother’s Red Flame Copper Mirror!" Feng Qingping’s voice trembled. "It has fought with him!"

Feng Weilan’s expression was grave. "To survive a Golden Core cultivator... this demonic beast is at least in the middle stage of the Golden Core!"

The octopus demonic beast let out a low growl like rolling thunder. Its eight tentacles rose simultaneously, sweeping down toward the three of them!

"Scatter!" Feng Weilan shouted, and the three instantly split up to face the attack individually.

Li Nanzhu gathered cold energy at her fingertips, and frost spread along the water’s surface in an attempt to freeze the octopus's movements. However, the demonic beast’s tentacle slammed down, and the ice layer shattered instantly!

Crack crack crack! Suisui leaped from her shoulder, its soul fire transforming into a blue light blade that slashed fiercely toward the octopus's eyes!

The octopus recoiled in pain and swung its head violently. Suisui was sent flying, but its attack successfully drew the beast's attention.

Feng Qingping’s array disk hovered before her, and the water-blue spiritual energy poured down like a waterfall, forming a barrier that temporarily blocked the attack of two tentacles. However, the octopus's strength was beyond imagination, and cracks soon appeared on the barrier!

"Senior Sister!" Feng Weilan’s eyes nearly split with rage. The golden light on his long sword erupted as he leaped into the air, his blade pointing straight at the wound on the octopus’s tentacle!

Pfft!

The blade pierced deep, and blood sprayed! The octopus let out a shrill roar, its tentacles writhing wildly, curling directly toward Feng Weilan!

"Come back!" Feng Qingping cried out in alarm. Her array disk spun sharply, and spiritual energy transformed into a chain that wrapped around Feng Weilan’s waist, trying to pull him back.

However, the octopus’s tentacle was faster!

Bang!

Feng Weilan was slammed away. When he hit the ground, he still gripped his sword hilt tightly. Blood seeping from between his fingers mixed with the muddy water, slowly soaking into the hilt.

"Senior Brother!" Li Nanzhu threw out several thunder talismans. Lightning roared, temporarily forcing the octopus back as she rushed to Feng Weilan’s side to help him up.

Blood leaked from the corner of Feng Weilan’s mouth, but his gaze remained sharp. He whispered, "Its weakness is the wound... we must concentrate our attacks there!"

Feng Qingping bit her lip and condensed a drop of essence blood, dripping it onto the array disk. "Water Dragon Bind!"

The array disk shone brilliantly, and a water dragon roared forth, tightly coiling around three of the octopus's tentacles.

"Now!" Feng Weilan grabbed his long sword and charged forward again!

Li Nanzhu followed closely behind. Suisui’s soul fire transformed into an ice blade, stabbing straight for the octopus's eyes!

The octopus struggled frantically, and the water dragon was slowly torn apart, but Feng Weilan’s blade had already slashed into its wound—

Pfft!

The blade buried itself deep. The octopus let out a deafening roar, and all eight tentacles slammed against the water’s surface simultaneously!

Boom!

The marsh beneath their feet suddenly collapsed!

"Not good!" The mud beneath Feng Qingping’s feet split open instantly, and she began to fall straight down!

"Qingping!" Terror filled Feng Weilan’s eyes as he lunged forward, desperately reaching out to grab her.

His fingertips almost touched her sleeve, but he only caught a stray lock of hair. The expression of rage and horror on his face froze as he was slammed into the marsh by another tentacle in the next second.

"Go!" Feng Qingping’s voice rapidly faded as her figure was swallowed by the darkness.

On the other side, Li Nanzhu was also pulled into the collapsing mud. Suisui gripped her collar tightly, its soul fire burning frantically in an attempt to pull her back. However, under the flight restriction, no matter how hard Suisui tried, it could not fly. It could only use its bone claws to grip her collar, trying to slow the speed of her descent.

Thud!

Li Nanzhu landed on a patch of damp, cold stone ground. Her entire body felt like it was falling apart, and a sharp pain radiated from her right arm. In the black fog, she was the only one left. In the distance, the octopus demonic beast’s roars gradually faded, as if blocked out by some kind of power.

"Fifth Senior Sister! Sixth Senior Brother!" she shouted several times, but her voice was swallowed by the black fog without even an echo.

Suisui lay on her shoulder, its soul fire flickering weakly, seemingly affected by the miasma here.

Li Nanzhu gritted her teeth, forcing herself to calm down. In a place where even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator could perish, she would become just another pile of bones if she wasn't careful.

"Don't panic..." she whispered to herself. "I must find a way to get to them."

Suisui suddenly used its bone claws to pry off a piece of the 'stone wall'—it wasn't a rock at all, but rather a fragment of the Red Flame Copper Mirror revealed after the dried blood crust had peeled away!