The Lingxiao Ruyi was thrown out, its spiritual Qi exploding with a roar.
Mo Tiange wiped her face, looking at the fallen Demonic Cultivator as she let out a sigh of relief.
These mindless Demonic Cultivators were both easy and difficult to deal with. The easy part was that as long as they could be restrained for a moment, she and Nie Wushang, with their quick reactions, could disable them. The difficult part was that if they failed to restrain them, their power would surge dramatically, and the might of their demonic Qi was extremely potent. They often had no choice but to evade, falling into a passive position.
"The fifth," Nie Wushang said, tightening her gloves.
Jin Shi and the others had personally witnessed one being devoured by that monster. Their three groups had now killed five, making six in total. So, if the others hadn't been eaten yet, there should still be two people left.
Without exception, all five of these individuals had lost their minds. The remaining two were likely in grave danger as well.
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange couldn't help but sigh. Fifteen people, six already dead, two missing. Of their remaining seven, Jin Shi's trio couldn't hold out much longer without pill support. Yong Ruyu and Qiu Chengruo were also questionable; their cultivation was slightly weaker. The situation was far from optimistic.
"Let's go." After tidying up and shaking off the chaotic thoughts, Mo Tiange turned her head and said.
"Mm." Nie Wushang followed.
Just after walking out of a fork in the path, Mo Tiange looked up and froze.
Nie Wushang, following behind, almost bumped into her, puzzled. "What's..." Before she could finish asking, she too froze the next moment.
From the left fork in the path, a person emerged—a blue-robed swordsman with a sword on his back. He was the only other Righteous Path cultivator besides them and Yong Ruyu and Qiu Chengruo, the blue-robed swordsman.
The reason for their surprise was that this person appeared without the slightest hint of presence, so much so that they only noticed his arrival the moment they saw him, rather than detecting him earlier with their Divine Sense.
The man walked forward a bit more before stopping in front of them. His sharp gaze swept over them, and he cupped his hands in greeting. "Fellow Daoists, you are..."
"He hasn't turned into a puppet!" Nie Wushang exclaimed in a low voice, her tone filled with delight. They had searched for over half a day, and together with the other two groups, they had encountered five cultivators, every single one transformed into puppets that could only be killed. Now, suddenly encountering a normal person was truly a joyous thing.
Mo Tiange felt the same. Her gaze flickered, confirming she saw no puppet on this cultivator. She raised her hand in return salute, a smile on her face. "This Fellow Daoist, I am Qin Wei. This is my friend Tian Can. May I ask how you are addressed?"
"Qin Wei? Tian Can?" A flicker of doubt passed through the blue-robed swordsman's eyes, but he quickly replied, "I am Jian Xin."
"So it's Fellow Daoist Jian Xin. A pleasure." Mo Tiange offered a polite remark, then immediately continued without giving him time to respond. "May I ask, Fellow Daoist Jian Xin, since entering this secret land, have you noticed anything abnormal?"
Hearing this, the cultivator who called himself Jian Xin looked at them warily before saying, "What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist?"
"It means, don't you think this secret land is abnormal, not at all like an Ancient Secret Land?" Nie Wushang, impatient to drag it out, asked directly.
"..." Jian Xin looked at them for a long moment before finally speaking. "Indeed. So it seems the two Fellow Daoists wish to cooperate with me?"
Talking with smart people was simple. Mo Tiange nodded with a smile. "Exactly. Since Fellow Daoist has also discovered this place is abnormal, you should know what kind of peril we face. This matter is no longer like a trial where one can act alone. Relying on a single person, it's very difficult to find a way out."
This Jian Xin had previously rejected Yong Ruyu and Qiu Chengruo's proposal, suggesting he preferred to act alone. But from another perspective, such a person was undoubtedly skilled, bold, and highly independent.
Jian Xin didn't answer immediately. His gaze rested on them, as if pondering. Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang didn't say more either. When independent people were thinking things through, they generally didn't like others persuading them. Being too pushy would backfire.
"Alright."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange was taken aback, blinking. "Fellow Daoist Jian Xin, don't you want to consider it a bit longer?"
Jian Xin shook his head lightly, his gaze sweeping over the two of them. "Cooperation is imperative. What need is there for further consideration? Fellow Daoists, please tell me, what abnormalities have you discovered?"
His straightforwardness pleased Mo Tiange. She said, "From your words, it seems you already know how serious this matter is?"
Jian Xin's gaze shifted, sharp as lightning, pausing on her for a moment before he said calmly, "I encountered that strange, formless presence."
No further explanation was needed. Since he had encountered that monster, if he was smart, he could roughly guess the predicament they were in.
"Fellow Daoist, what about your puppet?" Mo Tiange asked. "Do you still have it with you?"
Jian Xin said, "I discarded it long ago. That object is undoubtedly sinister."
"Oh?" His utterly calm tone surprised Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang. Although they had long suspected the thing was strange, before discovering the puppet's secret, they hadn't been so certain.
Jian Xin's gaze lingered on them for a moment longer before he still said calmly, "The two Fellow Daoists appear quite young. Perhaps your experience is still insufficient. When you've lived over two hundred years and seen more things, you'll understand that sometimes danger is an intuition. Under such intuition, one can make a decision without needing to be completely certain."
Hearing these words, both Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang felt a jolt in their hearts. This Jian Xin was truly not to be underestimated. Seeing at a glance that they were not old was one thing, but the insight that followed was even more important. This person had undoubtedly weathered many storms, reaching a certain level in both mental state and strength.
Realizing this, Mo Tiange felt both joy and worry. Joy because with such strength, he would be a valuable addition as a companion. Worry because she hoped he harbored no ill intentions.
"So that's how it is. It seems our experience is indeed lacking."
Jian Xin nodded, not wasting further words, and said straightforwardly, "Alright, time is short. Tell me what you've discovered. After sharing information, perhaps we can find a way to deal with this."
Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang naturally had no objections. The three of them briefly and concisely exchanged their respective discoveries. In the end, all three fell into a heavy, thoughtful silence.
What Jian Xin had discovered was simple. Having entered many secret lands, he sensed something was wrong the moment he entered this cavern. Then, unable to find an exit no matter what, he realized they had fallen into a trap.
But this simple discovery was crucial. Unable to find an exit—this Jian Xin, who seemed far more experienced than them, actually couldn't find an exit either. Did that mean they could only be like turtles in a jar, waiting helplessly for death?
Thinking of this, Mo Tiange gritted her teeth and made a decision. If it truly came to that, she would take Nie Wushang and hide in the Void Heaven Realm. At worst, they could endure for decades, waiting for the other party to abandon this place, then slowly find their way out.
But this was the worst of the worst plans. Not to mention her reluctance to rely on the Void Heaven Realm, doing so wouldn't completely solve the problem. This was, after all, City Lord Mei's territory. Dragging things out like this, if their mental states were affected and they couldn't advance, and City Lord Mei truly advanced to late-stage Nascent Soul...
"Alright, let's analyze this," Jian Xin spoke first. "With you are five others. Adding me, that makes a total of eight still alive. You said you've killed six. That means there's still one person whose whereabouts are unknown."
"Correct," Mo Tiange nodded. "Does Fellow Daoist Jian Xin have any suggestions?"
Jian Xin's tone remained flat, as if discussing something trivial. "I think the remaining person should still be alive."
"Oh?" Mo Tiange was surprised. "Why are you so certain, Fellow Daoist?"
"Because I remember everyone's situation before entering the secret land."
Hearing this, Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang were startled. This Jian Xin was actually so meticulous...
Jian Xin continued, "Among our fifteen people, besides you two and me, there was one other person who didn't wear a puppet. That person was a Demonic Cultivator at the mid-stage of Core Formation. He didn't seem particularly remarkable, but I noticed he had a pair of unusual hands."
"What about his hands?"
Jian Xin remained expressionless. "His hands were wrapped in black cloth, impervious even to Divine Sense. But I noticed that when he raised his hand, a silvery-white luster would show." He glanced at the two of them. "If I'm not mistaken, those are a pair of False Hands, and moreover, they've been refined into Magical Treasures."
Mo Tiange was shocked. Nie Wushang had already exclaimed, "He refined his own hands into Magical Treasures?"
"Correct. And a pair of them at that." Jian Xin's tone was still calm. "This cultivation method is similar to that of demon beasts. If I'm not mistaken, he should also be practicing body-refining techniques. That is to say, his body will be much tougher than other cultivators'. The reason human cultivators are stronger than Demon Beasts is because we know how to refine pills, take medicine, and use Magical Treasures. Demon Beasts, however, are naturally tough-bodied, capable of splitting mountains and cracking stones. If a person is a human cultivator yet possesses the strengths of a demon beast, then he is certainly no ordinary hand."
"..." Mo Tiange thought for a moment. "Then let's find him first. Since he's so formidable, if we cooperate, our strength will increase significantly."
Jian Xin nodded. That was precisely the meaning he wished to convey by saying so much.
Nie Wushang only said one sentence: "I have no objections."
With the three in agreement, Mo Tiange sent a sound transmission talisman to the other two teams. After explaining the situation, she stated they couldn't return to regroup for the next half-hour. They determined a general direction and urged everyone to be careful and vigilant.
"This way." After setting off again, Jian Xin expressed his opinion once more.
Mo Tiange looked. There were four or five forks ahead. He had chosen the second path on the right. She asked, "Why?"
Jian Xin said calmly, "When I came, I could confirm there was no one on the two left paths. Taking this path, we can use our Divine Sense to check these three paths for anyone."
"..." The strength Jian Xin had displayed had already won over Mo Tiange and Nie Wushang. Thinking it over now, they followed his suggestion and stepped onto the second path on the right.