Chapter 983 - Rescue

Someone had made a desperate move, knowing it wouldn't benefit anyone. They believed that if they couldn't get the supreme-grade spirit stones, then no one else should.

Those outside, after being stopped, grew frustrated from waiting and resolved not to let the pit's occupants monopolize the spiritual vein. After several days of effort, they had dug out a large circular boulder.

With a loud rumble, the boulder made its way toward the pit. It would block the entrance if it reached the bottom, sealing everyone inside, even if they managed to get the spiritual vein.

Liu Wuxie had underestimated the resentment of those around him. Seven to eight thousand cultivators were shut out, and they had become a force to be reckoned with. They had united to challenge Luan Tianzhi and the others.

The loud rumble alerted those inside the pit, who rushed out to investigate.

"You're courting death!" Luan Tianzhi roared and struck with his palm, trying to destroy the boulder.

However, the boulder didn't slow down as it was covered in intricate runes, forming a barrier. Luan Tianzhi's attack only chipped away a small piece of it, and more people flocked out of the pit, trying to stop it.

Liang Yi, Mu Yuanyi, and Yuan Zilong unleashed their strongest attacks to destroy the boulder. Their bombardment made the boulder tremble, sending shards of stone flying in all directions. The cultivators finally stopped the boulder's momentum.

Those outside weren't pushovers, and they also executed their dao techniques to accelerate the boulder's momentum.

"All of you are courting death!" Mu Yuanyi was enraged, but there was nothing he could do. They were vastly outnumbered; even Earth Profound Realm experts stood among the opposition. Attacking rashly would only backfire.

Nearly ten thousand cultivators were fighting over the spiritual vein. It was chaos incarnate.

Now that the Earth Profound Realm cultivators had left the pit to defend it, many people could sneak in unnoticed.

"Stop them!" Luan Tianzhi roared.

The disciples of the Scarlet Dragon Cult rushed underground to intercept the infiltrators, and chaos erupted just when the spiritual vein was within reach.

Liu Wuxie and Han Feizi exchanged a look, and they had come up with the same idea.

"Let's go!" Liu Wuxie and Han Feizi entered the underground world with Ruan Ying, leaving Liu Feng, Liu Xin'er, and Gu Yu behind.

The three would only hold them back if they went with them, and staying behind was best for them. Acting on Liu Wuxie's orders, Liu Feng led everyone to safety. The chaos provided the perfect cover to escape.

The disciples of the Scarlet Dragon Cult and the Profound Cloud Sect, who were charging out from the pit, were sent flying by Liu Wuxie, and Han Feizi was even more ruthless in cutting down anyone who stood in his way.

The incoming cultivators were relentlessly knocked back and sent tumbling into the pit. In addition to Liu Wuxie and Han Feizi, other cultivators had also charged into the pit, and chaos broke out.

"Not good, it's Liu Wuxie!" someone yelled.

They didn't fear other intruders slipping into the pit, but Liu Wuxie's arrival terrified them. They hadn't forgotten how Liu Wuxie had seized the Thunder Saint Pearl right from under the noses of many Earth Profound Realm cultivators.

Luan Tianzhi and the others gritted their teeth and gave up on the boulder, rushing into the pit. The cultivators had already destroyed half the boulder, and even if the other party pushed it in, it wouldn't threaten the underground world. At best, it would cause a partial collapse of the tunnels.

On the other hand, Liu Wuxie's entry wasn't good news. He had to be stopped at all costs.

Since arriving in the sacred ground, Liu Wuxie had defied all odds and reaped incredible fortunes.

Liu Wuxie moved like lightning, darting into the underground world in the blink of an eye.

"Ruan Ying, locate them quickly!" Liu Wuxie ordered. This was the reason why he had brought Ruan Ying along with him.

Ruan Ying pulled out her compass, which carried the auras of Lu Liang and the others, making it easier to pinpoint their location.

"That way!"

Liu Wuxie already knew the compass could be used to pinpoint someone's location.

They moved swiftly through the winding tunnels, weaving their way forward with urgency. The passageways were damp and muddy, hastily dug over the past half month, with water slowly seeping through the earthen walls.

Each step left deep footprints in the soft ground, but they didn't slow down. Time was against them, and they had to reach their goal before danger closed in.

......

Aboveground, the battle raged on. Even Luan Tianzhi and the others, strong as they were, couldn't withstand the flood of enemies pressing in from every direction, overwhelming any defense.

Some cultivators slipped through the blockage and entered the pit. Once inside, no one could find them.

......

Roughly fifteen minutes later, a small puddle appeared before the trio, and a sword aura shot toward them.

"It's me," Ruan Ying said after deflecting the sword aura.

Two people emerged from the side of the puddle. It was Lu Liang and Shen Rong hiding in the shadows.

"Senior Brother, are you alright?" Liu Wuxie shouted and rushed forward to support Shen Rong, only to notice his injuries. Someone had whipped him repeatedly and forced him to dig without rest.

Thankfully, Shen Rong was alive. He possessed the Kunpeng bloodline, which granted him a formidable physique.

"I'm fine. I won't die that easily," Shen Rong said, squeezing a weak smile at the sight of Liu Wuxie.

He had endured days of darkness and had even thought of taking his own life. But he had kept pushing on with an unshakable belief that he would see the light again.

"Where are the other two Senior Brothers?" Liu Wuxie asked, handing him a pill to heal his injuries.

"They're nearby," Shen Rong replied. But he wasn't exactly sure of their location.

"Master, news just came from He Hai'an that he's close by," Ruan Ying said, tucking away the compass and leading the way.

Handing Shen Rong to Han Feizi, Liu Wuxie quickly followed behind Ruan Ying. They passed through several tunnels to find Jiang Le, who was severely injured and barely breathing.

"Senior Brother!" Liu Wuxie hurried over and grabbed onto Jiang Le.

If it weren't for the commotion aboveground, Jiang Le would've lost his life here. But Liu Wuxie had arrived just in time, fed him a pill, and began treating his injuries.

Just then, Han Feizi caught up, supporting Shen Rong. The martial brothers' reunion was a flood of tears.

"Junior Brother, you must save Second Senior Brother," Jiang Le whispered weakly.

"Where is he?" Liu Wuxie asked. He was also anxious, as there had been no news from Jiang Nan, which meant that his second senior brother's life was in danger.

"He's at the end of that tunnel. It collapsed, and he is trapped under it. He'll suffocate to death if we don't save him soon," Jiang Le said.

This was why no one could find Yu Zhibai. Tunnel collapses weren't surprising, as they were dug in a hurry and had weak structural integrity. Many people were buried under the collapsed tunnels.

"Brother Han, I'll leave them to you. Take them to the surface for me; this place is too dangerous," Liu Wuxie said. He planned to press on with Ruan Ying, letting Lu Liang, Han Feizi, Jiang Le, and Shen Rong leave this place first.

"Okay!" Han Feizi nodded.

Many tunnels had collapsed, and it was dangerous for them to stay behind. While supreme-grade spirit stones were precious, survival came first.

Lu Liang supported Jiang Le while Han Feizi supported Shen Rong. With an Earth Profound Realm cultivator escorting them, any fool who dared to obstruct them would be killed.

Luan Tianzhi and the others were focused on blocking people from entering, and they couldn't stop those inside from escaping.

Once they returned to the surface, they quickly regrouped with Liu Feng and the others. They found a quiet place to lay Jiang Le and Shen Rong down so they could recover.

"Lu Liang, where's Big Brother Liu?" Gu Yu asked.

"He went to save Yu Zhibai, and I believe he'll be back soon," Lu Liang said as he sat beside him. He was also injured, and he began nursing his injuries.

Han Feizi kept watch around, wary of any sneak attacks.

"Master, Jiang Nan has located the collapsed section," Ruan Ying said, sharing the information she had just received. "But the chances of survival look slim..."

Jiang Nan was one step ahead of Liu Wuxie and reported the situation to Ruan Ying. The likelihood of Yu Zhibai surviving was low. After being buried for so long, anyone in that situation would've suffocated to death.

"No, I believe my Second Senior Brother won't die that easily," Liu Wuxie said, his voice choked with emotion. His words tumbled out as he activated his movement technique and shot through the tunnels like a meteor.

He caught up with Jiang Nan five minutes later, but the path ahead had been completely blocked with large boulders falling from above, burying the cultivators digging below.

"Dig!" Liu Wuxie ordered.

The three dug without pause, Liu Wuxie hurling massive stones aside with his bare hands.

"Second Senior Brother, we're here to save you! You can't die here!" Liu Wuxie roared, hoping his senior brother could hear him.

It didn't take long before Jiang Nan and Ruan Ying's hands were covered in blood, and they cleared a large section in just a few minutes.

But the tunnel stretched far, and no one could say exactly where Yu Zhibai was buried. Digging in the wrong place would cost them time they couldn't afford. If only Yu Zhibai could give a signal to guide them.

"Senior Brother, if you can hear me, give me a sign!" The tunnel stretched too wide, and Liu Wuxie couldn't tell where to dig next. He climbed onto a boulder and shouted, hoping for a response.

As time passed, it didn't take long before Jiang Nan and Ruan Ying were gasping from exhaustion.

THUD...

THUD-THUD...

THUD-THUD-THUD...

They heard faint echoes of someone tapping on a boulder beneath the rubble.

"Second Senior Brother, is that you?" Liu Wuxie cried out.

THUD-THUD-THUD...

This time, there were three taps in response.

"This is great! Senior brother, hang in there! I'm coming to save you!" Liu Wuxie shouted.

Once they locked in on the direction, the three focused their strength and dug carefully to avoid causing another collapse that might injure Yu Zhibai.

As they dug deeper, they gradually cleared the collapsed tunnel, and before long, a blood-covered corpse emerged.

Liu Wuxie's heart clenched at the sight of the corpse, but he exhaled in relief when he saw it wasn't Yu Zhibai. Without hesitation, he kept digging.