"Watch out!" Mo Bai's pupils shrank sharply, and the blood-red broadsword flew out of his hand, but it was too late.

A pale, withered ghostly hand emerged from the crack, its five fingers like hooks, instantly gripping Rong Jiaojiao's shoulder.

The ghost's hand was wrapped in eerie black runes, and wherever it touched, Rong Jiaojiao's protective spiritual power dissipated as if melting away ice and snow.

"They're ghost cultivators!" the Fox Clan Elder roared, his staff blazing with scorching white foxfire. "They've actually joined forces with the demonic spirits!"

Rong Jiaojiao felt a chilling, bone-piercing force invade her meridians, causing her spiritual energy to stagnate and making it difficult for her to even activate the Twelve Yuan Chen Natal Array with her divine sense.

She gritted her teeth and slapped the ghost hand with her palm. Lightning exploded in her palm, but it was like a mud ox sinking into the sea, with no reaction whatsoever.

"Jiaojiao!" Jun Yuangui's eyes widened in fury, his sword energy transforming into a meteor as it pierced the crack, but the ghostly hand suddenly pulled—

Rong Jiaojiao's figure was like a kite with a broken string, forcibly dragged into the crack!

"No—!" Mo Bai's roar echoed through the valley, and ten thousand sword energies slashed wildly at the crack, but only cut away a piece of nothingness.

"Owner!"

Zi Ling quickly shrank, trying to catch up with Rong Jiaojiao.

The crack suddenly closed, blocking everything out, as if it had never existed.

There was a moment of deathly silence between heaven and earth.

At this moment, the evil cultivators and demonic spirits nearby tried to escape, but the crowd, realizing what was happening, turned red and transferred all their hatred to these evil cultivators and demonic spirits.

"Trying to escape?" Mo Bai's eyes were bloodshot, and his blood aura condensed into a tangible blood mist as he charged into the demon horde like a demon god descending to earth.

With a casual wave of his hand, several enormous crimson blades appeared in the air, cleaving demons in two wherever they passed, thick black blood falling like raindrops.

Jun Yuangui's longsword moved like a swimming dragon, each thrust carrying a sharp sword aura, pinning the fleeing evil cultivators to the spot.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes burned with fierce rage, and every movement was filled with extreme killing intent. "None of you will escape!"

Lin Xiaoman's golden chains danced in the air, coiling around the demon's neck like serpents.

She gritted her teeth, her spiritual power surging wildly, the runes on the chains shining brightly, and the bound demon spirit let out a shrill scream as its body gradually disintegrated and dissipated.

Qi Lan's sword flashed, and thousands of sword energies intertwined to form a net, completely enveloping the fleeing evil cultivators and demonic spirits.

His brows furrowed, and he said coldly, "Today is your death day!"

Each sword strike precisely pierced the enemy's vital points, giving them no chance to breathe.

Zi Ling's eyes were filled with tears, and bursts of lightning and fire shot out, burning large areas with each burst.

It was filled with hatred and vowed to kill all these evil cultivators and demonic spirits to avenge its master.

Leng Qianjue formed hand seals and chanted incantations. Countless golden talismans flew out from his sleeves and formed a huge array in the air.

The array shone brightly, trapping the surrounding demonic spirits. Then, the talismans unleashed powerful energy, blasting the demonic spirits into dust.

With a wave of his staff, the Great Elder of the Fox Clan sent nine phantoms burning with foxfire rushing toward the fleeing demon spirit.

The foxfire burned fiercely, and wherever it went, the demons were burned and howled in agony, turning into wisps of black smoke.

The White Tiger Clan Chief's eyes widened, his roar shook the heavens, and his enormous claws slammed into the ground, turning hordes of evil cultivators into bloody pulp.

The Silver Wolf Clan elder's silver eyes flashed with a ghostly light, and sonic waves continuously emanated from his mouth, shattering the bodies of one demon spirit after another.

Li Yun led the Li family cultivators to form a sword formation, their sword lights crisscrossing as they weaved through the demon spirits.

Wherever the sword formation passed, demons fell to the ground, lifeless.

The entire battlefield was in chaos, with screams, roars, and explosions all mixed together, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of blood and burning.

Despite the evil cultivators and demonic spirits' desperate resistance, they were powerless against the frenzied attacks of the crowd.

As time went by, fewer and fewer evil cultivators and demonic spirits remained on the battlefield, until only wreckage remained.

The crowd stopped and looked at the horrific scene before them, but their anger had not completely subsided.

Mo Bai wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes still fierce. "What demonic spirits, what ghost cultivators? You just wait, I will tear you to pieces!"

Jun Yuangui gripped his sword tightly and said in a deep voice, "No matter the cost, we must save Jiaojiao."

The blood-red broadsword, its blade clattering as it struck the ground, trembled violently. The voice, now deflated, said, "But where are we to find her?"

Lin Xiaoman's golden chains drooped limply, ending in emptiness.

Leng Qianjue's face turned deathly pale: "The Ghost Cultivator's 'Netherworld Rift Technique'... they can actually tear through space and kidnap people!"

Shen Wuchen clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white: "How could ghost cultivators appear in the human world and cooperate with evil spirits? What benefit do they gain from this?"

Elder Su Qingli of Youhuang Pavilion sighed, "Perhaps they are ghost cultivators who have defected from the Underworld."

Mo Bai and Jun Yuangui stared blankly at the chaotic blood pool, unable to recover.

Leng Qianjue trembled all over. [He'd lost his grand-disciple; how could his loyal grand-disciple live on?]

The fox elder looked at the grieving human cultivator and comforted him, saying, "Now is not the time to grieve. Finding the one who holds the seal is the most important thing."

He sighed inwardly, [I didn't even have time to learn the name of the one who held the seal!]

Shen Wuchen snapped out of his daze and looked at the other four seal holders: "Can you sense where Rong is using the Nine Dragon Seal?"

Mo Bai closed his eyes first, fully mobilizing the bloodline power connected to the Nine Dragon Seal within his body, veins bulging on his forehead.

A moment later, he suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes filled with resentment: "I can only sense a faint aura, flickering on and off, and I can't pinpoint its location at all!"

Jun Yuangui shook his head after sensing it: "The resonance between the Nine Dragon Seals is being interfered with by some kind of force, as if shrouded in a layer of black mist, which cannot be detected at all."

The golden runes on Lin Xiaoman's fingertips kept flashing. After trying a few times, she shook her head in despair: "No, that chilling aura is too strange and has blocked the sensory channels."

Qi Lanjian frowned and probed the depths of the Nine Dragon Seal with his divine sense. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, "I can only vaguely sense that the direction is to the west, but... it is too blurry to determine the exact location."

Shen Wuchen pondered for a moment, then his eyes gleamed with golden light as he asked, "The West... could it be a Western country?"

At this moment, Zi Ling's voice entered everyone's minds: "Master should have been teleported to the Sea of ​​Mist."

Jun Yuangui realized, "Right, Ziling is Jiaojiao's spirit pet. If Ziling is alright, Jiaojiao should be alright too. Let's go find him."

Elder Le Xu of Xuanji Sect pulled him back: "Don't be impulsive. Have you forgotten what Fellow Friend Rong said about the situation in the Fog Sea?"

The others tried to dissuade her, but Zi Ling leaped into the air and was about to chase after the misty sea before anyone could react.

Trapped by the fox elder's nine tails, he shouted, "Aren't you just throwing your life away if you go now? You should wait until everyone has come up with a rescue plan, and then lead the way for everyone. That's the right way for you to save your master."