With this, the situation for both sides was reversed once again. Gong Chenying and her group now faced wave after wave of attacks, and many demonic cultivators had even begun directing their magical treasures from above to attack Li Yan below.
There were also desperate demonic cultivators who leaped down directly. This gave Li Yan down below a start, as he watched several of them charge at him with the intent of mutual destruction.
Li Yan could only continuously adjust his direction while lifting Wei Zhongran, which made his Spirit Power consumption even more terrifying.
On several occasions, either an enemy's attack would arrive instantly, or a demonic cultivator would throw their life away to press down on them, determined to sink into the abyss with the two of them.
Fortunately, the attacks here were completely without aim; most of them relied on luck.
The demonic cultivators that Li Yan dodged were unable to launch a second wave of attacks as they whistled past him.
Although their physical bodies were strong, their cultivation levels were not much higher than Zhao Min's, a Pseudo-Core cultivator.
If Zhao Min couldn't stabilize her body to ascend, they couldn't either. Only now did these demonic cultivators realize just how powerful the cultivator who was still steadily climbing while holding another person was.
"He's a Golden Core!"
"We request the Lords to come down! This person is a Golden Core!"
Many Demon Lords were already shouting upwards in frustration...
The abyss below seemed on the verge of complete collapse, and the suction force was, contrary to expectation, growing stronger.
Once the demonic cultivators missed Li Yan and plunged downwards, any attacks they launched upwards in their frustration were often completely neutralized by the powerful suction from below before the attacks could even travel half a zhang.
Therefore, Li Yan only needed to guard against attacks from above.
Zhao Min was still sinking and had already clashed with the demonic cultivators Li Yan had missed. But it was usually just a brief contact before they separated. The arts cast by both sides, unless they were very close, only served to waste their energy.
Without absolute strength to control one's body, the further one fell into the abyss, the harder it was for the demonic cultivators to intentionally get close to Zhao Min.
Li Yan's Divine Sense was constantly fixed on the area below. Seeing Zhao Min clash with demonic cultivators several times, her descent quickening as she fell further and further away, he began to grow anxious.
He had unleashed his full power by completely activating "The Five Elements Return to Primordial Genesis," which was how he had managed to accelerate his ascent while lifting Wei Zhongran. But now, with the interference from the demonic cultivators above, he was being hindered.
Moreover, he had to consume a drop of "Rongsun" every two breaths or so, as his Spirit Power was being drained in an instant.
The group of Demonic Soldiers above, seeing that their magical treasures not only failed to hit Li Yan but were instead instantly swept away, were no longer willing to rashly use them to attack.
They could only engage in hit-and-run tactics with the human cultivators at the widening edge of the Devil's Cliff Crevice, waiting for Li Yan's arrival to deliver a fatal blow.
Gong Chenying and the others also did their best to clear out a space for Li Yan, knowing that this was the only way the two of them might be able to get up.
Even mortals understood the principle that a flurry of random punches could beat a master. If Li Yan and the other were to be bombarded by a chaotic mess of magical treasures the moment they neared the cliff edge, the outcome was easy to imagine.
Watching Wei Zhongran's figure grow larger, Gong Chenying and the others, though still anxious about Zhao Min, no longer went down recklessly. They had to hold a section of the cliff.
Around them, cultivators from the Ten-Pace Courtyard, the Malevolent Spirit Sect, and other unknown sects were also desperately holding back the low-level demon cultivators.
In just about six breaths, Li Yan had lifted Wei Zhongran up, but his condition during this process was worrying.
Li Yan would have a noticeable pause every two breaths, and his aura would fluctuate between strong and weak, making him extremely unstable.
Although Gong Chenying's face was calm, she felt that something was wrong. Looking at Zhao Min, who was still sinking, she was tempted to go down several times.
But with Lin Daqiao already heavily injured, and with waves of attacks crashing down on them, if she left her second senior brother and Lin Daqiao behind, the chances of their small team being wiped out were high.
Moreover, the area Li Yan was aiming for was right where they were. Although there were many other Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators also blocking attacks nearby, they were mostly focused on self-preservation, constantly moving and fighting.
And in the few breaths that the demonic cultivators launched their attack, before everyone's astonished eyes, Li Yan had already lifted Wei Zhongran to the edge of the Devil's Cliff Crevice.
Looking at the demonic cultivators who could never come back up once they threw themselves into the abyss, any cultivator who noticed this scene now understood Li Yan's strength.
Several Demon Lords with ashen faces were charging this way, but they were being held back by the Golden Core cultivators of Windy Cool Mountain. Li Wuyi was also about to reach the expanded edge of the collapsed cliff.
In just the last few breaths, he had already killed one Demon Lord and heavily injured two others, but they had succeeded in their goal of delaying him. He was then immediately entangled by more demonic cultivators who had arrived.
Seeing Li Yan now lifting their unconscious master, a look of gratitude appeared in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by worry for Zhao Min.
The white light from the book scroll in his hand shone brightly once again. Several torn-looking pages flew out from the jade slip, instantly enveloping the two demonic cultivators opposite him. At the same time, a stream of blood began to flow from the corner of his mouth.
Li Wuyi had begun to self-detonate a portion of his Natal Magical Treasure's power. He was going to save Zhao Min.
The demonic cultivators also had their eyes on Li Yan's target area. They were an army; entanglement and blockade were their strengths.
But today, that kid's movement skill had far surpassed their reaction speed, appearing so abruptly in the abyss.
The attacks were like a torrential downpour, forcing Gong Chenying and the group of Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators to dodge back and forth, unable to stay in one place to receive Li Yan and the other.
Similarly, just as Li Yan was approaching the edge of the Devil's Cliff Crevice, the scene he least wanted to see occurred.
The demonic cultivators' magical treasures and immortal arts rained down on his position like a dense storm, without any regard for their own lives. No matter how fast Li Yan's movement skill was, at such a close distance, he couldn't dodge them all.
The Spirit Power shield around him flashed wildly, causing his body to sink again and again, while the immense suction from below tore at him relentlessly.
The rate of Li Yan's Spirit Power consumption reached a level that even a Golden Core cultivator couldn't bear. He had to swallow three drops of "Rongsun" in an instant, but faced with the overwhelming attacks, he just couldn't get up.
The veins on Li Yan's forehead bulged, and his eyes were bloodshot. If this continued, even with a heaven-defying item like "Rongsun," he wouldn't be able to withstand such consumption.
Above, Wei Chituo and Lin Daqiao were covered in blood, roaring continuously, but they couldn't free their hands to help.
Gong Chenying had transformed her long halberd into a flood dragon that danced wildly, pouring out all her magical power as she engaged in close-quarters combat with the surrounding demonic cultivators.
Amidst the continuous "bang, bang, bang" sounds, life and death were often decided in a single clash. Either the opponent was killed, or a jet of blood would shoot from Gong Chenying's body, or she would cough up a large mouthful of blood.
Several Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators tried to use their magical treasures to grab Li Yan, but the moment the treasures entered the abyss, they were sent flying chaotically. In doing so, several of them were struck by the desperate demonic cultivators.
Their physical bodies were torn apart in an instant, their Daos dissipating as their bodies perished.
Seven or eight sword cultivators from the Ten-Pace Courtyard stood at the cliff's edge, unleashing a rain of swords without sparing their Spirit Power, but this only managed to reduce the number of enemies attacking Li Yan below.
With a whirl of her jade hands, Mei Hongyu's face turned cold. A pillar of wind formed in front of her, trapping two foreign cultivators and preventing them from having the spare attention to attack below the cliff.
Dealing with two foreign cultivators at once, let alone killing them, just trapping them was already her limit.
In the distance, tragic screams and roars echoed endlessly from various battle groups. More cultivators from both sides were desperately trying to stop their opponents from approaching this area, or desperately trying to approach Li Yan's position themselves.
The moment Li Yan approached the edge of the Devil's Cliff Crevice was when the low- and mid-rank cultivators from both sides had their eyes turn red with killing intent.
Down below, Li Yan now had to not only dodge immortal arts and magical treasures but also the constantly falling corpses from both friend and foe.
In his Divine Sense, Li Yan even saw a corpse hit Zhao Min, causing her to suddenly drop another dozen zhang. She was now nearly eighty zhang away from him.
Li Yan's eyes were crimson. He regretted his oversight; he hadn't prepared a Spirit-Storing Pouch on his person at all times.
Although those things were incredibly expensive, Li Yan could have afforded one with his wealth. But he hadn't had a chance to visit a market since returning from the Sea of the Northern Abyss.
As for looting one, among the Golden Core cultivators he had fought, only Teng Wuji had one, but he didn't know where his master had put it.
Even if he saw it, he probably wouldn't be able to remove the Divine Sense Imprint Wei Zhongran had left on it.
Later, even Golden Core cultivators like the beautiful woman in the green gauze and her male companion didn't have a Spirit-Storing Pouch, which showed how precious the item was.
The "Earthen Patch" was a secret of the Five Immortal Sects. Ping Tu had warned him a thousand times not to reveal it in front of others. If it were only him, Zhao Min, and Wei Zhongran here now, Li Yan would use it without hesitation.
But there were Nascent Soul and Spirit Transformation cultivators present. For Li Yan to do so wouldn't be saving people, but committing suicide.
A heaven-defying item like this was simply not something that should appear in the Mortal Realm. The difference between it and a Spirit-Storing Pouch could be seen at a glance. At that time, even a behemoth like the Malevolent Spirit Sect wouldn't be able to withstand the consequences, and it would bring disaster upon the entire sect.
He had held back the urge when he passed by Zhao Min just now, but now it seemed all his efforts were about to be in vain.
Just as Li Yan was hesitating whether to burn his bridges and pull Wei Zhongran into the "Earthen Patch" space, which would free up his hands to cast cultivation manuals, a gentle force suddenly came from above his head. It instantly enveloped his surroundings, isolating him from all attacks. Then, a familiar voice entered Li Yan's ears.
"Little Friend Li Yan, quick, come up quickly."
Li Yan was overjoyed to hear this. It was Zuo Qiudan's voice. Li Yan felt the pressure around him instantly lessen, including the endless suction from below his feet. This was Zuo Qiudan using his own magical power to isolate everything in the vicinity as much as possible.
Without any more hesitation, Li Yan shouted and tossed Wei Zhongran's body upwards.
Only then did he have a chance to sweep his Divine Sense upwards. Zuo Qiudan was standing on the cliff in a green robe.
However, his back was a mess of blood, and large drops of it were dripping continuously from the hem of his green robe. Clearly, he had also fought his way here and had been seriously injured.
It had to be said that Zuo Qiudan's strength was far greater than other Golden Core cultivators of the same rank.
After Wei Zhongran's quiet disappearance, he had lost a familiar person to team up with. He then decided not to follow the Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators and instead chose to fight the enemy in the area where the Jingtu Sect was located.
But not long after the fight began, the Devil's Cliff Crevice underwent a drastic change. When he heard Wei Zhongran's voice, he immediately understood.
It turned out that this friend of his had used some method to cause what looked like the collapse of the entire Devil's Cliff Crevice and was now likely on the run.
After a sweep with his Divine Sense, he felt that Wei Zhongran could escape completely. The newly emerged suction from below shouldn't affect Wei Zhongran too much, and it certainly couldn't catch up to his escape speed.
So, he temporarily gave up on the idea of going to help.
But then, a giant palm suddenly appeared. In addition, from the Spirit Transformation cultivators on both sides downwards, they began to either command attacks or order the protection of Wei Zhongran like madmen.
This caused the area where Zuo Qiudan was to instantly plunge into an even more intense battle.
Zuo Qiudan knew that Wei Zhongran's situation was now dire!