At the mention of this, the Flower Demon grew smug again. "I stole that Array from the hypocrite who injured me. He may be a scoundrel, but his things are quite useful."
Lu Sangjiu was about to ask more when Li Qiancheng's voice echoed from outside. "Fiend, release my junior sisters at once!"
The Flower Demon immediately whipped her head around and snorted coldly toward the cave entrance. "If you've got the guts, come in yourself!"
Seeing the Flower Demon's fearless demeanor, Lu Sangjiu couldn't help but ask, "My Eldest Senior Brother is very powerful. Can this barrier of yours really stop him?"
"It can't." A corner of the Flower Demon's lips curled up. "But I never planned to stop him anyway."
With that, she walked over and hauled Lu Sangjiu and Ye Zhiyao to their feet. "Let's go, my little hostages."
When Lu Sangjiu saw the Flower Demon leading them deeper inside, she instantly guessed the demon's intentions.
"...You want to use my Eldest Senior Brother to clear the path for you?"
The Flower Demon faltered, her gaze sharpening as she stared at Lu Sangjiu. "You know about this place? Who in the world are you?!"
Lu Sangjiu blinked innocently. "I don't. It's just that my Divine Sense is quite strong, so I can feel the numerous barriers in here. Since you've only been staying out here, I figured you couldn't get inside yourself."
The Flower Demon finally breathed a sigh of relief, then snorted. "You're a clever one."
"Then you must have also guessed that this isn't my lair. Judging by all the powerful barriers, it was most likely left behind by some Great Power."
'Thanks for the compliment.'
The Flower Demon sighed. "A pity, really. I'm not strong enough to get in."
"Now that I've finally run into someone who looks decently powerful, wouldn't it be a waste not to make use of him?"
'Besides, people from the Seven Emotions Sect are here now. I probably don't have much time left. This is my last chance... Even if it fails, I can't stay. If I do, I'll probably die here.'
As she spoke, the Flower Demon walked up to three cave entrances and stopped.
Looking down at Lu Sangjiu, a trace of pity flickered in the Flower Demon's eyes. "I don't like to take lives, but things have already come to this for me. It's rare to encounter an opportunity like this, and I must seize it."
Lu Sangjiu suddenly had a very bad feeling. "...Wait, what are you doing?"
The Flower Demon smiled faintly. "What happens next is up to fate."
"Hold on, we can talk this out—AH!"
Before Lu Sangjiu could finish speaking, the Flower Demon threw her into the cave entrance on the left!
At the same time, the still-unconscious Ye Zhiyao was thrown into the entrance on the right.
Lu Sangjiu: "..."
'How depressing. Couldn't we have talked about this first? I wanted to switch with Ye Zhiyao! Failing that, even being thrown in with her would have been fine!'
'Even though I'm the one who set up the traps here, it's been too long. To be honest, with a three-choice trap like this, I can't remember which path is completely safe anymore.'
'The Flower Demon chose the two side paths without hesitation. She must have already explored the middle one herself and likely went through hell to get out alive, so she didn't dare risk it again.'
'Now, by throwing us in, she can have Li Qiancheng and the others come to the rescue, forcing them to clear the path for her. Meanwhile, she can lie in wait for the perfect opportunity and reap all the rewards.'
'By separating us, she leaves our companions worried and distracted, making it even easier for her to find an opening.'
'It's just... the Flower Demon might have overestimated the bonds of our fellowship.'
'Even though I don't remember which entrance is the correct one, I'm sure that with the Heavenly Dao's blessing on Ye Zhiyao, her path is definitely the safe one.'
'And when the time comes, Qin Yu will most likely be the one to rescue Ye Zhiyao. Faced with a great opportunity, it would be a miracle if those two gave a damn whether Li Qiancheng and I lived or died.'
Just as Lu Sangjiu was lamenting her wretched fate, her body hit the ground with a THUD.
"HISS..." She sucked in a sharp breath from the pain but had no time to wallow in it.
The first thing she did was flip over and sit up. Lu Sangjiu chanted a spell and tapped a finger on the ropes binding her. The vines, once rich with demonic power, instantly withered, losing their luster and moisture.
The next moment, with just a light tug, the vines crumbled to pieces on the ground.
'This was a small spell I created a long time ago. I couldn't risk using it in front of the Flower Demon, and besides, she's at the Golden Core Stage. There was no need for a direct confrontation.'
Having broken free of the vines, Lu Sangjiu stood up and surveyed her surroundings.
It was a square stone chamber, completely pitch-black. The way she had come in had vanished, making it impossible to turn back.
'I remember setting up a Space Array here. You can get in from the outside, but you have to find a different way out. It's impossible to leave the way you came.'
'The place looked safe for now, but knowing myself, it was definitely not as peaceful as it seemed.'
'Li Qiancheng will probably be in here soon,' she thought. 'I might as well sit and wait for him so we can proceed together.'
'My memory might not be perfect, but it's still better than letting Li Qiancheng blunder around on his own, right?'
'Besides, my cultivation is too low right now. If I wander around by myself, I'll probably be the first Cultivator in history to die in her own legacy-tomb.'
Lu Sangjiu didn't have to wait long. She soon heard a sound and immediately stood up. "Eldest Seni—"
Lu Sangjiu's words caught in her throat, and the smile on her face froze. She stared at Qin Yu, who was now standing before her, her expression one of utter disbelief.
"...Senior Brother Qin? What are you doing here?"
'This isn't how it's supposed to go! Isn't Li Qiancheng supposed to rescue me? Why is it Qin Yu?'
Qin Yu's expression changed the moment he saw her. "Damn it... She dared to trick me!"
With a flick of his sleeve, he turned to leave, but he immediately slammed headfirst into the wall.
He had been in such a hurry that the impact was solid. The resounding THUD made even Lu Sangjiu's forehead ache in sympathy.
"Er..." Watching Qin Yu barely manage to steady himself, Lu Sangjiu offered a helpful reminder. "This entrance is one-way. If you want to leave, you'll have to find another path."
Qin Yu whirled around, furious. "Why didn't you say so sooner!"
His attitude was atrocious, but Lu Sangjiu just wanted to laugh.
A large, comical lump was already forming on his forehead from the impact.
Perhaps because of that, even though Qin Yu was being hostile and irrational, Lu Sangjiu didn't feel angry at all.
Instead, she looked at him as if he were a complete idiot and said with magnanimous condescension, "You're right, you're right. It's all my fault for not saying anything. It's definitely not because you're an imbecile."
"After all, even after seeing me sitting here so obediently, who could possibly have guessed that if I could just go back the way I came, I wouldn't still be sitting here?"
Qin Yu: "..."
His face turned ashen with rage at Lu Sangjiu's biting sarcasm. "Lu Sangjiu, Li Qiancheng isn't here to protect you now. Do you believe I won't rip that mouth right off your face?"