Art is an Explosion

"Junior Sister, are you crazy?!" Jiang Yifan looked at Li Nanzhu in disbelief. "We can't even get close to the core of the mother nest!"

"That's why I need your help." Li Nanzhu's mind raced as she calculated her strategy. "Didn't you all say it yourself? We have to get out of here alive."

"Even so, it shouldn't be you!" Feng Qingping grabbed Li Nanzhu's hand. "As long as we're here, you're not allowed to go!"

"It has to be me!" Li Nanzhu broke free from her fifth senior sister's grip. Her gaze was calm, without a hint of panic.

"Your cultivation levels are too high. The moment you approach, the mother nest core will definitely activate layers of defenses. Only I, a cultivator merely at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, won't trigger its full guard."

"That's too risky!" Jiang Yifan growled. "What are you going to use to stay alive?!"

Li Nanzhu tapped her finger against her brow. "I have... something life-saving here. It can be used one last time." Her voice was soft. "I believe I'll be fine."

Feng Qingping rested a hand on Li Nanzhu's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

"Didn't Fifth Senior Sister and Sixth Senior Brother see it back in the dungeon? Just trust me!"

"Fine." Feng Weilan suddenly spoke, his voice low and steady. "The plan."

Li Nanzhu's eyes lit up. She immediately crouched down, her fingertips quickly tracing a few marks on the ground. "Right now, the mother nest is single-mindedly focused on killing us. What you need to do is provoke it. As long as you cause a big enough commotion, it will divert most of its tentacles to attack you."

Jiang Yifan frowned. "You mean..."

"Fourth Senior Brother and Fifth Senior Sister will be responsible for the frontal assault to draw the mother nest's attention." Li Nanzhu pointed to the ground. "Sixth Senior Brother, you'll be responsible for breaking a path at the critical moment so I can get close to the core."

Feng Qingping bit her lip. "Even if we do that, how will you determine the exact location of the core?"

"I observed it just now," Li Nanzhu said rapidly. "The flames on the left went out quickly, which means the demon qi concentration there is low. That might be an escape route the mother nest intentionally left..."

"And the flames on the right are burning brighter and brighter," Jiang Yifan reacted instantly. "Which means the demon qi is dense, and that's the direction leading to the core!"

Li Nanzhu took out another alchemy furnace explosive she had just prepared. "I refined this as a backup. As long as it's thrown near the core, the intensity of this explosion is enough to kill the mother nest." She paused. "But it's best to be within three zhang, or I'm afraid the power won't be enough."

Jiang Yifan stared at her brow. "Are you certain that thing can keep you safe?"

"I am." Li Nanzhu nodded. "But just to be safe..."

Before she could finish, Feng Qingping took a green jade pendant from her sleeve and hung it directly around Li Nanzhu's neck. "This is my Qingling Heart-Protecting Pendant. It can block a full-strength strike from a Golden Core stage cultivator once."

Jiang Yifan also produced a crimson jade pendant. "A Heart-Protecting Jade. Wearing it will ensure your heart meridians remain undamaged."

Feng Weilan didn't say a word. He simply took a pendant from his storage bag and pressed it into Li Nanzhu's palm. "A trace of my strongest blade qi is stored inside. If necessary, activate it with spiritual energy, and it will be released directly."

Li Nanzhu gripped the jade pieces and took a deep breath. "This is more than enough."

After a moment's thought, Jiang Yifan pulled out a silver-white silk ribbon from his storage bag. "Take this too."

Li Nanzhu accepted the ribbon. It felt cold and soft to the touch, yet incredibly tough. "This is...?"

"It's not for much, other than it can extend infinitely," Jiang Yifan said flatly. "Tie it around your waist. At the critical moment, we'll pull you back."

Once everything was ready, Suisui transformed into a heart-protecting mirror and attached itself to Li Nanzhu's chest.

Jiang Yifan and Feng Qingping charged at the mother nest. The collision of arrays and flames instantly attracted the siege of over twenty tentacles.

The mother nest let out a piercing shriek. The flesh at the core writhed violently as even more tentacles burrowed out from underground, lunging to strangle the two of them!

Feng Weilan remained hidden in the shadows. His long blade left its sheath, and with a flash of light, he silently severed several lurking tentacles, clearing a narrow path for Li Nanzhu.

"Go!" he barked.

Li Nanzhu's figure blurred. She slapped an acceleration talisman on herself and rushed toward the mother nest core.

Her aura was masked by the Qingling Heart-Protecting Pendant, and combined with her low Foundation Establishment cultivation, the mother nest failed to notice her presence for a moment.

Fifty zhang... thirty zhang... twenty zhang...

Just as she was about to reach the core, a tentacle hidden deep within suddenly surged up, stabbing directly toward her back!

"Watch out!" Feng Qingping's cry rang out.

The Qingling Heart-Protecting Pendant suddenly flared. With a flash of green light, the tentacle froze an inch from her back and shattered into pieces. However, the pendant's light dimmed instantly, having clearly fulfilled its purpose.

Li Nanzhu didn't have time to overthink. She gritted her teeth and continued her charge, finally closing in on the core. The mother nest seemed to finally realize the threat; the flesh at the core contracted frantically while the tentacles originally attacking Jiang Yifan and Feng Qingping began to retreat at high speed to defend!

Dozens of tentacles wove into a dense web, closing in on Li Nanzhu! Right then, a brilliant blade light split the world apart—

"Break!" Feng Weilan's blade qi arrived later but struck first, forcibly tearing a hole in the wall of tentacles.

Li Nanzhu seized the opening and burst through. Just as she was five zhang from the mother nest core, two more tentacles suddenly erupted from the ground!

Bang!

The first tentacle shattered the jade pendant on her chest. Jiang Yifan's Heart-Protecting Jade erupted in a shower of sparks!

The final tentacle, aimed straight for her heart, was blocked by Suisui's bone shield as it manifested. Li Nanzhu took the opportunity to trigger the blade qi in her sixth senior brother's pendant. The blade qi collided with the tentacle, severing it instantly!

At that moment, Li Nanzhu poured all her spiritual energy into her feet and lunged, closing the distance to within three zhang!

"Go!" The alchemy furnace, filled with reagents, was hurled from Li Nanzhu's hand. Her fingers moved in a blur as she performed hand seals, pushing the three-flame separate control to its absolute limit!

In that instant, the window lattice patterns on the small pagodas she had seen in the inheritance secret realm surfaced in her mind.

Now aided by her divine sense, the fire lotus condensed at her fingertips and traced a precise arc, landing squarely on the alchemy furnace at the mother nest's core!

"Pull!"

The moment the fire lotus touched the furnace, Jiang Yifan, Feng Qingping, and Feng Weilan pulled simultaneously!

The silver-white silk ribbon snapped into a straight line. The spiritual energy of the three erupted, and Li Nanzhu's body was yanked back like an arrow from a bowstring!

BOOM—!!!

A world-shaking explosion resounded throughout the entire Blackwater Marsh!

However, the power of the explosion far exceeded everyone's expectations.

The moment the fire lotus struck the furnace, the mother nest core was like a powder keg being ignited. Violent spiritual energy surged frantically, sweeping over everything in its path!

Li Nanzhu's body was only halfway back when the blinding flames caught up to her. The scorching airwaves were about to swallow her! It was too late!