Chu Xinxin lunged forward, trying to hug Nan Guangyu.

But wouldn't that be sending Ying Zhaoti's head to his death?

Meng Ji quickly grabbed her by the back of her collar and threw her towards the divine herb: "Qingwu, pick the divine herb and take the goddess up first!"

"And you?" Qingwu asked.

"I'll cover the rear, let's go! Something's wrong with Yingzhao!"

As soon as Meng Ji finished speaking, Ying Zhao stopped struggling, and her pure white wings faintly shimmered with black light.

"Nobody's leaving!" Yingzhao suddenly spoke in a hoarse voice, as if his throat had been ruined by smoke, which was very unpleasant to listen to.

Meng Ji looked closely and saw that Ying Zhao's eyes were filled with black mist, that was...

"Oh no! He's been corrupted by demonic energy!"

Meng Ji took two steps back: "Forget about the divine herb, run!"

After saying that, he turned around and rushed towards the cave entrance.

Qingwu followed closely behind.

Chu Xinxin ran over to help Nan Guangyu up.

Meng Ji was furious when he saw this, but he couldn't just ignore the goddess. If the goddess was gone, he would lose everything he wanted. So he had no choice but to dodge Ying Zhao's attack and go back to grab Chu Xinxin.

"Are you out of your mind?! Even if you bring him back, he won't live long!"

Chu Xinxin didn't even glance at Meng Ji, and said, "You guys go first, I have my own way of getting him out of here."

Meng Ji: "Goddess!"

"Mengji, hurry, I can't hold out much longer!" Qingwu shouted from the other end.

In a moment of desperation, Meng Ji simply swung Nan Guangyu aside, picked up Chu Xinxin, and ran.

Nan Guangyu was thrown right next to the divine herb.

He coughed twice, sat up against the rock, and watched with great interest as Meng Ji, Qing Wu, and Ying Zhao fought.

Despite carrying Chu Xinxin, Meng Ji's fighting strength was not affected, and he became even stronger as the fight progressed.

They were actually holding back their strength just now?

Nan Guangyu smiled and, out of Chu Xinxin's sight, slightly raised his hand, wisps of black mist emanating from his fingertips. Ying Zhao immediately became even more agitated, as if he had taken a powerful tonic, and his attacks became increasingly fierce.

Meng Ji had no choice but to put Chu Xinxin aside and focus on dealing with the situation.

This is the time!

Suddenly, billowing demonic energy erupted from the southeast direction of the valley, rushing towards the group.

Qingwu and Chu Xinxin were standing in the southeast direction!

The demonic energy transformed into tentacles, which first entangled Qingwu, who was closest to it.

The touch was icy cold and slippery, like the most venomous and vicious snake.

Qingwu was terrified. She took her sword and cut it in half, then turned and fled.

But how can we outrun those demonic energies...?

Looking ahead at Meng Ji, who was reaching out to the goddess, Qingwu recalled how Meng Ji had tried to abandon her to save the goddess in the cave. An evil thought arose in her heart.

She reached out and grabbed Chu Xinxin's sleeve, pulling her back forcefully. Chu Xinxin couldn't dodge in time and stumbled backward, instantly engulfed by demonic energy...

From Mengji's perspective, the demonic energy in the entire valley paused for a moment, then surged and churned as if it had caught the most beautiful prey.

"goddess!"

Meng Ji pushed Qing Wu aside in an attempt to save Chu Xinxin, but was stopped by Ying Zhao.

When the demonic energy dissipated, Chu Xinxin had also disappeared without a trace.

Yingzhao lost control of her magic and was about to speak when she collapsed to the side, exhausted.

Meng Ji could no longer hold back and slapped Qing Wu across the face: "Do you want to die?!"

Qingwu covered her face, her eyes wide with disbelief: "You hit me?!"

"Let me tell you, you'd better pray that the goddess is safe and sound, or I'll be the first to make you pay!"

Meng Ji's expression was grim, as if he wished he could tear Qing Wu to pieces!

"Mengji, I came here to help you find the Yaoqing Grass!" Qingwu trembled with anger. "My years of relationship with you are less important than that pretty vase?!"

Meng Ji didn't hear the second half of the sentence. After Qing Wu finished saying "Yao Qing Grass", his gaze shifted to the center of the valley.

The spot where the Yaoqing Grass originally grew was now empty, while Nan Guangyu, who should have been dead, looked at them with a smile in his eyes.

Meng Ji stepped forward and grabbed his collar: "Hand it over!"

"What?" Nan Guangyu said lazily.

"You know perfectly well why I'm asking!"

"Then you can look anywhere, whatever you find is yours."

Meng Ji then searched Nan Guangyu's entire body, but found nothing.

Since there isn't...

"Then you should just die!"

Meng Ji pulled out another short sword from his robes, and just as he was about to slash Nan Guangyu's neck, Chu Xinxin's chief guard, Xie Zhi, suddenly appeared at the cave entrance—

"Goddess...where is the Goddess?!"

Nan Guangyu's smile grew even brighter: "It seems that Lord Mengji's wish cannot be granted."

Meng Ji slowly put the short sword back into his pocket, said with his eyes "Consider yourself lucky," and then turned around.

Little did he know, he was the one who was lucky.

The moment the head guard entered, not only did he sheathe his short sword, but the demonic energy at Nan Guangyu's fingertips also vanished.

Meng Ji recounted the entire incident to the head guard in detail.

"That's how it is, Captain, what brings you here?"

"The goddess instructed us to come here to meet her; she left marks along the way."

Upon hearing this, Meng Ji's brow twitched slightly, and he asked, "Why has the goddess come here?"

"She said she was going to help you find something and give you a surprise."

Although the goddess had disappeared, the head guard still finished speaking as instructed by the goddess.

Meng Ji suddenly felt a pang of unease and began to genuinely worry about Chu Xinxin.

Later, the head guard had Nan Guangyu and Yingzhao carried back, and he himself hurriedly went with the priest to report.

The priest was furious and immediately mobilized his troops to rush to the border with the demons. A great battle was about to break out!

At the same time, the entry and exit and patrols in the capital city became more stringent.

Of course, the targets of this strictness do not include the little white rabbit, who has no divine power whatsoever.

The little white rabbit, with its long ears drooping, hopped and skipped out of the city gate in broad daylight, right in front of the guards on duty.

It ran into the abyss and stopped in a secluded place.

Then, a dazzling golden light flashed, and the little white rabbit transformed into a man wearing a purple robe.

The man had a bewitching and beautiful face, with captivating eyes. His beautiful and amorous phoenix eyes drooped slightly at the corners, making even the most beautiful flowers in the abyss pale in comparison.

His lips curled into a half-smile, his demeanor both righteous and wicked, truly possessing unparalleled charm.

The man slowly released his grip, revealing the mysteriously missing Yaoqing Grass in his palm!

The man looked at the Yaoqing Grass, a slight, cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

This Yaoqing grass looks ordinary, no different from the roadside weeds.

"With such an ordinary appearance, can she really make it?"

Yao Qingcao seemed to understand his words, and her leaves trembled as if in protest.

The man's eyes turned cold, and he pinched a handful of Yaoqing grass leaves with his fingernails, leaving a deep pinch mark on the leaves.

Yao Qingcao dared not act rashly and immediately became as quiet as if she were dead.

The man snorted, stuffed the Yaoqing Grass into his sleeve, and then transformed into a cloud of black mist, quickly rushing into the depths of the abyss.