"An improved version of corpse-dissolving powder, originally used to deal with..." Before Liu Hanyan could finish speaking, the ground suddenly shook violently.

"This is bad!" Mo Zhizhou's expression changed drastically. "It's summoning something!"

A rumbling sound came from deep within the cave, as if some enormous creature was awakening.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Corruption Demon merged into one and pounced on Rong Jiaojiao, who was closest to it!

"Master!" Zi Ling activated her lightning barrier, but it was directly pierced by the Corrosive Demon Spirit. The rotting flesh was about to touch Rong Jiaojiao's face—

Rong Jiaojiao teleported to the top of the Corruption Demon Spirit's head and slammed down the Demon-Suppressing Stele, which was composed of three seals.

The black, blue, and red runes on the Demon-Suppressing Stele complement each other.

"boom--!"

The three-colored demon-suppressing stele slammed heavily onto the head of the corrupting demon spirit. Black, blue, and red runes moved like living things, instantly spreading across the demon spirit's body.

The demon let out a heart-wrenching howl, its body emitting billowing black smoke as if branded with a hot iron.

Liu Hanyan was shocked: "What is this? How is Fellow Daoist Rong so powerful?"

"Nine Dragons Demon-Suppressing Stele!" Mo Bai replied, his Demon-Subduing Brush transforming into a small seal with nine dragon characters, which he then tossed toward the Demon-Suppressing Stele.

Rong Jiaojiao's hands formed and changed seals continuously. The Demon-Suppressing Stele with the golden seal shone brightly with four colors, actually pressing the Corrosive Demon Spirit three inches into the ground!

"Now's the time!" Qi Lan shouted, his longsword, its blade gleaming with a chilling frost, piercing straight into the demon spirit's heart. Wherever it passed, ice crystals condensed, temporarily freezing the demon spirit's ever-regenerating, rotting flesh.

The Night Owl's mechanical arm transformed again, and three sharp spikes gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light sprang out from the front, piercing the demon spirit's back.

The icy energy injected into the spikes combined with Qi Lan's frost sword energy, causing a layer of ice to quickly form on the demon spirit's body.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Rong Jiaojiao scattered a large number of spirit fire talismans and flame talismans to burn the corrosive demon spirit.

With everyone working together, the Corrupting Demon Spirit was about to be burned away.

Just as everyone was about to breathe a sigh of relief, a crisp "crack" sound suddenly came from deep within the cave.

"What is that?" Liu Hanyan asked in horror.

Everyone turned around in horror, only to see a three-zhang-wide crack appear in the rock wall at the end of the cave, and a giant eye covered in blood vessels suddenly opened in the darkness!

"Another demon spirit!" Zi Ling screamed, her fur standing on end. "An even stronger demon spirit than this one."

The giant eye swung, locking onto the group. In an instant, the entire cave erupted with flesh and blood, the walls of flesh writhed wildly, and countless rotting flesh tentacles burst forth!

"Form a circular array!" Qi Lan plunged his sword into the ground, and the cyan sword array transformed into a hemispherical light shield.

Mo Zhizhou's golden compass also raised a barrier, and the first tentacles that attacked crashed into the light shield, splashing up a foul-smelling slime.

Mo Zhizhou's golden compass suddenly shattered on its own, and he spat out a mouthful of blood: "This demonic spirit has already reached the peak of the Celestial Master realm..."

Because of the emergence of a new demon spirit, everyone relaxed their suppression of the Corruption Demon Spirit.

The Corrosive Demon Spirit suddenly exploded, and the shockwave caused cracks to appear in the sword formation.

Rong Jiaojiao's Demon-Suppressing Stele trembled and vibrated, its four-colored runes flickering in and out.

“Our escape route is blocked.” Night Owl’s mechanical arm probed behind us. “The passage we came through is overgrown with flesh and blood.”

A scarlet maw split open beneath the giant eye, emitting a deafening roar.

The sound wave, carrying a foul stench, rushed towards them. Liu Hanyan's silver needle box exploded with a "bang," and dozens of poisoned silver needles melted into molten iron in mid-air!

Rong Jiaojiao transmitted her voice to Ziling: "Go find the magic rune nodes on the cave ceiling!"

Without waiting for a response, she leaped toward the giant eye, the Demon-Suppressing Stele spinning in her palm into a four-colored halo.

"Are you crazy?!" Qi Lan tried to stop him but was entangled in the left leg by the tentacles.

The rotting flesh spread upwards along the protective aura, and Night Owl decisively swung his knife to cut off half of his trouser leg.

The giant eye's pupils contracted, shooting out beams of blood-red light.

Rong Jiaojiao teleported and dodged in mid-air, blood glistening on her hair, and deep pits were corroded into the rock wall behind her.

The Demon-Suppressing Stele flew out of his hand, but was struck down by tentacles that suddenly attacked him halfway through the flight!

Zi Ling transformed into lightning and shot up the dome along the tentacles.

Only then did everyone notice that the cave ceiling was covered with glowing, blood-red patterns that flickered with the giant eye's breathing.

Zi Ling bit the brightest node of the magic pattern, and her whole body burst out with dazzling lightning.

The entire cave shook violently, and the fleshy walls withered at a visible rate.

The giant eye let out a painful roar, and black pus and blood seeped from its pupil.

"The core has been destroyed!" Mo Zhizhou shouted excitedly, "Attack its eyes now!"

Qi Lan's sword suddenly shone brightly with azure light, and ancient inscriptions appeared on its blade. He bit his tongue and spat blood onto the sword: "Azure Sky Demon Slayer - Slash!" The sword energy transformed into a ten-zhang azure dragon, shattering all tentacles in its path.

A golden talisman appeared in Mo Bai's hand. He threw the talisman at the giant eye and formed a complex hand seal: "Heaven and Earth Profound Ancestor, Root of All Qi—Golden Light Divine Mantra, Open!"

The golden talisman shone like the blazing sun, causing the giant eye to emit billowing black smoke.

The owl's mechanical arm suddenly disintegrated, and hundreds of hidden weapons formed a metal storm that shot into the giant eye's pupil.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Liu Hanyan threw out three Glazed Pills, which exploded into a sea of ​​dark blue fire at her eyelids.

With everyone working together, the giant eye finally exploded with a "bang".

The cave convulsed as if it were alive, and its fleshy walls began to crumble.

Zi Ling quickly darted back onto Rong Jiaojiao's shoulder.

"Go!" Mo Zhizhou threw out the last few earth-遁符 (earth-遁符, a type of talisman) which landed on the group.

The moment the group disappeared, the entire cave collapsed completely.

In the darkness of night, a flash of light appeared on the desolate sand dunes, revealing the figures of Rong Jiaojiao and the others.

Qi Lan appeared and immediately knelt on one knee, the corroded area on his left leg turning a horrifying bluish-purple.

Liu Hanyan hurriedly used acupuncture to seal his meridians, then suddenly stared at his wound and exclaimed, "The demonic seed is moving towards his heart!"

Zi Ling jumped off Rong Jiaojiao's shoulder and bit Qi Lan's leg, sucking out the demonic seed that was still rising upwards.

Liu Hanyan immediately used a purification talisman to cleanse Qi Lan's legs.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when they saw his wound return to its normal color.

Zi Ling radiated a soft purple light, and Liu Hanyan asked in confusion, "Is Zi Ling digesting the demonic seed?"

Rong Jiaojiao nodded: "It can convert demon seeds into power for absorption."

Liu Hanyan said with genuine joy, "It's so good to have it, otherwise I definitely wouldn't be able to control this demonic seed from parasitizing Senior Qi's body."

Rong Jiaojiao returned the golden seal to Mo Bai, turned around and looked down into the ground, asking everyone, "Do you think this is the source?"

Mo Bai asked Mo Zhizhou, "Old Zhou, why haven't we discovered the source of the oasis's groundwater? Where did the water in the ponds come from?"

Mo Zhizhou shook his head and said, "There is very likely a place here that connects to an underground water source."

"Another possibility is that there used to be a water spirit pearl here, but it has been corrupted by demonic energy, so a normal water source cannot be found."

"The demonic spirit used the blood and evil energy here to modify the groundwater, and may even have devoured the Water Spirit Orb, causing the entire oasis's water source to disappear."