Song Rongdao had fought his way through, killing at least fifty two-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats.
He was a veteran Golden Core cultivator. Even though he hadn't entered the Pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm for so many years due to his injuries, his Spirit Power had become increasingly pure and profound, and his immortal arts had become more and more masterful.
However, fighting here made him feel extremely awkward, as if he couldn't exert his strength.
One of his extremely powerful arts was ineffective against the enemies here.
These Dark Spirit Demon Bats were also Demonic Beasts that were extremely adept at sound wave attacks. In an instant, Song Rongdao lost a valuable offensive trump card.
Fortunately, he had refined that "Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp." It actually contained a Fire Spirit Vein, making its power incredibly wondrous.
The opponent's group of two-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats was proficient in several combined attack techniques, their power no less than that of a Golden Core cultivator's attack.
But it was not easy for them to deal with him either.
Song Rongdao also knew the drawbacks of sound wave attacks, so they didn't affect him too much. This, in turn, allowed Song Rongdao to kill quite a few two-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats.
If one were to compare, among these tunnels, it was Song Rongdao who had killed the most Dark Spirit Demon Bats.
However, he had never seen the opponent's other attack methods, such as spitting out black threads with no regard for their own lives to impede the flow of Spirit Power.
Fortunately, he was as vigilant as Xing Ming. Seeing the opponent's strange flight patterns, he also used ranged arts to attack the spit-out black threads. Although he was still affected in the end, he could generally cope.
As a result, that four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat became even more frenzied, attacking him with all its might.
Although their realms were similar, the Dark Spirit Demon Bat was, after all, an Ancient Ferocious Beast. Its ferocity was definitely ranked among the highest of all the Demonic Beasts Song Rongdao had ever seen.
However, at their level of cultivation, and with the "Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp" to aid him, it was even more difficult for the bat to kill him.
Relying on its own combat strength, the four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat still forced Song Rongdao to fight while retreating, looking for a good opportunity to escape.
But at the same time, it was also wary of the seven-colored ancient lamp magical treasure and did not dare to get too close to its opponent.
When Song Rongdao reached this point, his keen senses gave him an extremely bad feeling about the tunnel ahead. At this moment, the opponent's attacks became more and more intense, like towering waves in a tsunami, determined to force him into that tunnel.
Faced with this life-and-death crisis, Song Rongdao gritted his teeth and began to use his Demonic Origin Power to resolve the issue of his somewhat stagnant and obstructed Spirit Power.
He wanted to, in one breath, suddenly unleash the strongest power of the Earth Fire Ore Vein in the "Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp" to instantly deal with the last thirty or so two-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats on the other side.
Then, he would go all out to kill that four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat. So, he was looking for the best opportunity.
With his current control over the "Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp," he could only trigger one and a half times its strongest power, and he himself would suffer from severe erosion by the earth fire as a result.
His five viscera and six bowels would feel as if they were being churned and seared in boiling oil. This was because he lacked the control art for the "Seven-Colored Glazed Lamp" and could only forcibly activate it.
After activation, his strength would drop to less than sixty percent of its usual level after about thirteen breaths. Therefore, he really only had one chance.
If he didn't succeed, then only perdition awaited him.
Just as the two sides engaged in their final battle, Song Rongdao's Divine Sense also discovered the arrival of Li Yan and the others, and he couldn't help but be greatly alarmed.
He saw their faces clearly; they were the few cultivators who had appeared in the plaza.
Although he saw the newcomers clearly, Song Rongdao did not recognize Xing Ming's face.
Firstly, he had been hiding from the "Falling Star Valley," living in a remote border area for many years.
Secondly, Xing Ming had been in hiding for many years, concealing his identity. Even now that he was the Sect Master, he rarely went out, and not many people knew him.
Otherwise, if Song Rongdao had seen Xing Ming now, he would have immediately guessed their intentions.
But now he was thinking about whether or not to join forces with these cultivators to deal with these Demonic Beasts. He still thought Li Yan was being pursued by the large black mass of Dark Spirit Demon Bats behind him.
As for Meng Zhiyuan, who was severely injured and being dragged by a barely visible rope of Spirit Power by Li Yan, Song Rongdao, who was in the midst of a fierce battle, could not perceive everything in an instant.
Suddenly, a four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat leading over a hundred two-winged ones, in an instant, bypassed the human cultivator and charged viciously at him.
A black mass instantly filled Song Rongdao's Divine Sense.
"This... this... this isn't right!
"Those few people were clearly fleeing in panic into a tunnel from the Dark Spirit Demon Bats before.
"How are the two sides so harmonious now? Could it be that they are really the masters of this place?"
Song Rongdao thought to himself, but then he no longer had the spare energy to think. Amidst a cacophony of shrieks, the killing intent instantly rushed before his eyes...
"Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist..., I just wandered in here by mistake..."
"Twice by mistake?"
The four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat that Meng Zhiyuan called "Old Fifth" said with a fierce light in its eyes.
Although it still hadn't figured out why its Big Brother on the other side was with two human cultivators, seeing its own Third Brother fly past them, it refocused its attention on Song Rongdao and did not use its Divine Sense to carefully inspect Li Yan and the others.
Immediately, sharp shrieks and the sound of exploding arts erupted, echoing through the tunnel...
Li Yan and Xing Ming flew rapidly through the tunnel. Meng Zhiyuan was quite familiar with this place.
He knew which forks in the tunnels could lead to the final three tunnels, so he quickly found one person—Feng Moru.
He was currently being forced deeper into the tunnel by two four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats leading a group of two-winged ones, and was already in imminent danger.
Even though his ten flying swords moved vertically and horizontally with extreme sharpness, one of the opposing four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats was at the peak of the third rank.
If the opponent hadn't just wanted to force him deeper into the tunnel, Feng Moru's sword formation would have been greatly restricted in such a narrow space, and he would likely have perished long ago.
Even so, Feng Moru had already lost a leg and an arm, and looked like a man of blood.
But a Sword Cultivator was a Sword Cultivator, with a tenacious will and an indomitable spirit. This was also why the opponent, despite having two beings comparable to Golden Core cultivators, was unwilling to fight him head-on.
The terrifying power a lucid Golden Core cultivator could erupt with could potentially injure them as well.
So, it was better to force him into the final tunnel.
As Feng Moru began to fight for his life, although the opponent was intentionally holding back and there were two third-rank Demonic Beasts nearby, those two-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats were unable to use their strange formation to get close to him.
Often, upon entering a ten-zhang radius of his sword formation, they would be shredded and sent flying by the crisscrossing, sharp sword qi.
But under the protection of the two four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats, it was also very difficult for Feng Moru to kill any more of these two-winged ones.
Feng Moru could only retreat continuously. Anyone could see that he had reached the line between life and death.
When Xing Ming and Li Yan saw the two four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats here, their expressions changed. Xuan Caijun might have already met with misfortune.
Although Li Yan and the others had already searched the final three tunnels, there was a time difference. It was uncertain if Xuan Caijun had been forced into a tunnel by the opponent before his search. At this moment, they had no time to think, how could they dare to delay?
Without needing Li Yan to speak, Meng Zhiyuan, seeing his junior sister and brother appear here, had already guessed that among the incoming enemies, someone had likely met a bad end.
Otherwise, his second brother would not have come to assist his fourth junior sister.
Second Brother was also equivalent to a Pseudo-Nascent Soul realm cultivator, so he had gone to deal with the cultivator with the highest cultivation here.
Seeing the Daoist opposite him covered in blood and heavily injured, Meng Zhiyuan felt extremely pleased.
Because along the way, he had also seen many dead two-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats on the ground, and his heart was also wracked with waves of sharp pain.
Under the cold gazes of Li Yan and Xing Ming, although he still hadn't fully vented his anger, he still spoke up to stop them.
By the time Xing Ming brought the blood-soaked Feng Moru over, his aura had become extremely chaotic. It was a symptom of consuming a large amount of medicinal pills without having time to refine them.
Xing Ming no longer cared that they were in a dangerous place and immediately began to bandage Feng Moru's wounds and use his own power to help clear the pill poison in his body.
Meanwhile, Li Yan at the side stared coldly at Meng Zhiyuan, who was bound by the Spirit Power rope.
"Fellow Daoist Meng, ask your clansmen, where is my other companion?"
The two four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats had already seen Meng Zhiyuan being captured by the other party, but after Meng Zhiyuan immediately sent a voice transmission, they could only suppress their violent urges.
Although Li Yan's voice was not loud, everyone heard it clearly.
One of the four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bats snorted coldly.
"Dead. His Golden Core was absorbed, his body was eaten!"
His words fell on the ears of Xing Ming, who was still treating Feng Moru's wounds on the side, and his body shook violently.
Although he had expected it, he still found it somewhat unbelievable that a powerful cultivator, a top-tier existence in the Golden Core realm, had perished just like that.
For a moment, he didn't even know how he would explain this to the "Six Plates Hall" when he returned. Although Xuan Caijun had only acted after receiving his treasure, Xuan Caijun was the second strongest expert in the "Six Plates Hall." This loss was too great. It would take a great deal of effort to make the "Six Plates Hall" believe it.
"The Golden Core was absorbed. Fellow Daoist Meng, can you return his Golden Core?"
Li Yan looked at Meng Zhiyuan and said calmly.
As long as the Golden Core was still there, he had not truly perished. Meng Zhiyuan's aura was weak, and he gently shook his head at Li Yan.
"This... this is something Fellow Daoist didn't ask about in detail before... The power at the end of the three... three tunnels is not something we can control. If... if we could control it, do you think you would have been able to escape then?
"Any Golden Core and Essence Blood that is absorbed... can never be retrieved by anyone, not even if Fellow Daoist Zhang were a Nascent Soul cultivator!
"As for the... the specific reason, if Fellow Daoist Zhang wishes to hear it now, I... can explain it slowly!"
Meng Zhiyuan had not yet recovered from his serious injuries. He had been barely holding on before, but after this period of rapid travel, he felt increasingly dizzy and exhausted.
This left Li Yan helpless for a moment. He certainly did not dare to enter those three tunnels.
The only thing he could determine now was that those powers could not leave the three tunnels, which was why they could still be alive.
This created a situation where whatever the other party said, went. Unless he searched their soul.
However, the other party was a peak third-rank Demonic Beast. Even if it was seriously injured, none of the three of them had a Divine Sense stronger than it.
This made soul-searching impossible.
Li Yan glanced at Xing Ming. Killing intent flashed in Xing Ming's eyes. He looked around, but immediately suppressed it.
He had just personally experienced the terror of that final tunnel. He knew that none of them could enter to investigate. Whoever went in would instantly lose themselves.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, although your side has lost a person now, I... I have done my best. We were enemies before, and now... with this result, Fellow Daoist... Fellow Daoist won't go back on his word, right?
"According to our agreement, can we now send you out?"
Meng Zhiyuan said very weakly. That magical treasure of the opponent's was too powerful; his soul was not lightly injured.
A soul injury was not a physical one. It would take more than a hundred years to fully recover from this.
Mainly, resources were scarce here, and the medicinal pills that could be used were too few. So, he still hoped to get some good healing pills from the other four cultivators.
However, he didn't hold out much hope for pills that could heal the soul.
While Golden Core cultivators might have many magical treasures and spirit stones, and wouldn't lack common medicinal pills, pills and liquids for healing the soul and Divine Sense were things that even a Nascent Soul cultivator might not be able to produce. They were too rare, too precious.
Everything would probably have to rely on his own slow cultivation to recover.
After thinking for a moment, Li Yan, of course, did not want to stay in this strange and bizarre tunnel any longer.
As for Xuan Caijun's matter, he was also helpless. He was the one with the most profound cultivation here, yet unexpectedly, he was the one who perished.
In fact, this was also related to Xuan Caijun's proud and reserved character. He wanted to rely on his own strength to quickly get rid of his opponent and find a way out, which ironically made him the fastest one to fight his way through the tunnels.
By the time he realized something was wrong, he had already lost consciousness in an instant.
The path of cultivation was just like that. It wasn't that because you were stronger than others, you would live longer than them. Everything was without a fixed number.
"No problem. Fellow Daoist Meng, please send someone to get that seven-colored lamp magical treasure and go to the exit. At that time, we will exchange the item for the person, and this transaction will be complete!"
On the side, Feng Moru, after being bandaged and treated, stood up, though he was a little weak.
Cultivators were cultivators; the loss of a leg and an arm did not affect their movements too much.
And after returning this time, he could also regrow his limbs through some secret arts or high-quality treasures. It would just take a considerable amount of time to recover.
Feng Moru could already circulate his power and fly on his own. At the same time, he had also learned some of the truth from Xing Ming's simple explanation.
Hearing that there were three tunnels here that could kill even Nascent Soul cultivators, he had long forgotten the pain of his injuries, only feeling cold sweat constantly breaking out on his back, a chill piercing his body.
At the same time, he was extremely shocked that Li Yan could capture a four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat that was much stronger than himself.
Especially since that four-winged Dark Spirit Demon Bat was probably the strongest one here. Even if he and Xuan Caijun had surrounded it, they couldn't say for sure that they could capture it.
'Could it be that this Elder Zhang's true strength has long surpassed that of an ordinary Pseudo-Nascent Soul cultivator?'
Feng Moru thought to himself, and soon he thought of some of the legends about Zhang Ming.
'He should be a Poison Cultivator. By using poison, it is possible to capture the opponent.'
But at the same time, he also thought that the Dark Spirit Demon Bat was not only an Ancient Ferocious Beast but also an ancient, highly venomous Demonic Beast. Its own body was a highly venomous Demonic Beast; wanting to poison it would be incredibly difficult.
However, besides this, he really couldn't find any other explanation. After all, the opponent's true realm was initial-stage Golden Core; this was something he could completely confirm.
Soon, both sides temporarily suppressed their hatred. Meng Zhiyuan guided Li Yan through one tunnel after another, flying forward.
Behind them was a vast and mighty procession of Dark Spirit Demon Bats.
Li Yan and his group were extremely vigilant about the large group of Dark Spirit Demon Bats following behind them, so both sides maintained a certain distance.
Meng Zhiyuan's Divine Sense was firmly locked on the front, watching them like a tiger watching its prey, to prevent Li Yan and his group from going back on their word and killing his Eldest Senior Brother as they left.