Rescue Operation (Part 2)

The silver-armored guards were rapidly approaching the water dungeon.

Inside the dungeon, the final blade fell. Amidst the patter of dripping water, only Tiao Tiao's heavy breathing remained. He was drenched in cold sweat, his teeth clenched tightly, trying to suppress the excruciating pain in his throat.

Su Baiwei's tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed, her willpower instantly crumbling as a wave of dizziness washed over her. Her body softened and she collapsed onto the dirty ground.

"Miss!" Mu Jin rushed over with a crying voice.

Su Baiwei closed her eyes, breathing weakly: "Ginseng... slices..." Mu Jin quickly took out a small cloth bag and quickly stuffed a thin piece of ginseng slices into her pale lips.

Su Baiwei pressed a ginseng slice under her tongue, a slightly bitter taste mixed with a hint of cool saliva spreading in her mouth, barely clinging to a glimmer of clarity. Mu Jin took out another slice and was about to feed it to Tiao Tiao.

"No..." Su Baiwei's voice was as light as a mosquito.

Tiao Tiao struggled to open her eyelids, and with difficulty, she forced a smile at the corner of her lips: "Stingy..."

"The evil qi hasn't been cleared yet, so how can we replenish it?" Mu Jin had already deftly put away the ginseng slices and quickly applied the golden wound medicine to the deep wound on his right arm, where the bone was visible. The bandage was wrapped around it, and it quickly became soaked with dark red, outlining the indentation where the flesh was missing.

Su Baiwei nodded weakly. After swallowing a few mouthfuls of the medicinal saliva, she finally regained some strength in her limbs. She struggled to her feet and reached out to help Tiao Tiao: "Let's go!"

As her fingertips touched his arm, a chill penetrated her palm. It wasn't the warmth of a living person, but rather the chill of a frozen corpse in a cellar. Her heart ached, her fingertips trembling slightly. She avoided the wound and pressed his weight against her shoulders.

Mu Jin also felt the biting cold, and was anxious and angry: "Chi Lian is a pervert!" The two of them worked together to lift him up.

Tiao Tiao's body felt as heavy as if it were filled with lead. The three of them stumbled and stumbled forward.

The door opened with a click.

Lan Tu and Uncle Li turned around at the sound. Lan Tu caught a glimpse of the dent where Tiao Tiao's right arm was bandaged, and with a sore throat, she squatted down in front of him, "I'll carry him!"

"No." Su Baiwei panted, steadying her weak legs. "If we encounter a strong enemy... you... are the only fighting force."

"Okay!" Lan Tu stood up in response.

Uncle Li saw Su Baiwei's face was as pale as paper, and without saying a word, he reached out to take Tiaotiao's side and said, "Let me help."

"Be careful with the wound..." Su Baiwei's breathing was unstable.

Lan Tu Bingpo Sword waved, blue light flashed, and it rushed into the dark corridor first.

As the four of them rushed out of the corner, they were met by a sharp gust of wind. A silver figure flashed by, it was none other than the silver-armored guards who had been ordered to investigate.

The guard's eyes swept over Tiao Tiao who was being supported and the miserable appearance of everyone else. His face changed drastically and his right hand reached for the leather bag at his waist.

"He... is going to send a signal..." Tiao Tiao used up his last bit of strength to issue a warning, but his voice was lost in the wind.

The Ice Soul Sword was unsheathed, and a blue light like a streak of light pierced the opponent's throat. The guard was forced to withdraw his hand and quickly evade.

clang!

The long sword was unsheathed, a cold flash flashed, and it instantly clashed with Lan Tu. The sharp sound of weapons clashing exploded in the narrow corridor.

"Go!" Lan Tu shouted, and the sword was as powerful as a storm, tightly entangling the opponent.

Uncle Li instinctively raised his foot, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Su Baiwei rooted to the spot. His heart tightened, and he paused. Mu Jin saw that the young lady didn't move, not even a step away, and looked at her anxiously.

Tiaotiao lowered his eyes and caught a glimpse of Su Baiwei's hand hanging at her side. Her slightly trembling fingertips were gripping two gleaming silver needles. His heart suddenly sank.

Lan Tu and the guard's swords clashed violently once more. As the two were thrown apart by the impact, Su Baiwei's eyes flashed fiercely, and she channeled all her remaining strength into her wrist, which she flipped and swung.

Whoosh——

A slight sound of breaking through the air was heard, and two silver lights accurately penetrated the guards' eyes.

"Ah—!" A shrill howl tore through the air. The guard's hands froze in mid-air, clawing at the air in vain, tears of blood streaming down his face.

Mu Jin gasped, staggered back half a step, and looked at Su Baiwei with eyes full of shock, and a hint of strangeness and horror that she had never felt before.

Tiao Tiao raised her eyes with difficulty, and saw the pain and struggle surging in Su Baiwei's eyes, and her heart was gripped.

Su Baiwei stared blankly at the still-trembling hand, the image of her acupuncture treatment overlapping with the present moment. She closed her eyes, swallowed the bitter taste in her throat, and bit her tongue hard, the sharp pain bringing a moment of clarity.

The blinded guard slashed wildly with his sword. Lan Tu danced the Ice Soul Sword into an impenetrable blue light curtain, the sound of clinking incessantly blocking all the sword winds and energy coming from behind.

"Ice and snow!" Lan Tu shouted, and the blue light on the sword suddenly increased. The biting cold air gushed out, and the ice crystals spread with a crackling sound. In the blink of an eye, the frantic guard was frozen into an ice sculpture waving a sword.

"Let's go!" Lan Tu sheathed his sword, turned around and rushed forward.

"There's movement over there! Follow me!" Ding Kui roared, and dense footsteps approached from the entrance.

Everyone's face turned pale and their hearts sank to the bottom of the valley.

Lan Tu was extremely anxious. Judging from the momentum, it was definitely not a small group. How could she, alone, protect four people who were almost powerless?

"Go back...to the water dungeon..." Tiao Tiao's voice was as thin as a thread.

Lan Tu's pupils suddenly constricted. Walking into a trap? But as her eyes met the faint yet resolute glint in Tiao Tiao's, trust instantly overwhelmed her doubts.

Su Baiwei pursed her lips tightly, glanced towards the water dungeon, and nodded slightly in just a moment.

Mu Jin and Uncle Li's faces were filled with disbelief.

"Let's go!" Lan Tu made a quick decision, leaning over and carrying Tiao Tiao onto her back. The cold body pressed against her spine, sending a shiver through her. She steadied Tiao Tiao on her back and turned, sprinting towards the water dungeon.

Su Baiwei, supported by Uncle Li and Mu Jin, gritted her teeth and stumbled to keep up. Uncle Li was surprised, but he knew there was no other way, so he had to keep up.

Lan Tu, carrying Tiao Tiao on her back, was the first to slip into the water dungeon. Mu Jin and Li Bo practically half-dragged, half-carried, the unsteady Su Baiwei inside.

As the last figure disappeared into the door, Lan Tu immediately closed the door, inserted the key into the keyhole and turned it.

Click! The iron door was locked.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

There was a heavy banging sound outside the door.

"Quick! Report to the hall master!" Ding Kui's roar came muffled through the iron gate.

Tiao Tiao raised his arm with difficulty and pointed at the source of the "tick-tick" sound deep in the dungeon: "Water... might be... a way out..."

The four of them were shocked.

Lan Tu moved and was about to fly towards the sound of water.

"Slow down!" Su Baiwei's voice was covered with weak gasps. She frowned, trying to suppress the dizziness that came over her. "Can you swim?"

The four nodded.

Su Baiwei looked at Lan Tu: "Is it okay to carry him on your back?"

"Leave it to me!" Lan Tu adjusted Tiao Tiao on her back to be as stable as possible.

"Hibiscus...bandage." Su Baiwei's voice was weak.

Mu Jin immediately pulled out a long bandage and quickly tied Tiao Tiao to Lan Tu's back, wrapped it around several times, and tied a knot.

"Uncle Li...you are the best swimmer, you will be the last one to leave..." Cold sweat oozed from Su Baiwei's forehead. "Mujin...follow me closely." After she said that, she swayed slightly and dug her fingernails into her palms to steady herself.

"Okay!" Uncle Li and Mu Jin responded in unison.

Lan Tu's eyes flashed, the blue light of the Bingpo Sword surged, and a sharp sword energy slashed towards the stone wall.

boom!

The rock wall shook violently, and broken rocks fell down, leaving only a deep crack.

The banging sound outside the door became more and more violent, as if hitting everyone's heart.

Lan Tu panted slightly, gritted his teeth and concentrated all his internal strength. The Ice Soul Sword burst out with dazzling brilliance again, and slashed down with even more fierce force.

Boom!

The rock wall cracked, creating a gap. The accumulated water rushed in, carrying debris with it. The water level rose rapidly. The water quickly flooded over ankles, knees, waists... The five people were lifted by the buoyancy and floated in the icy water.

Seeing that the water was about to fill the stone chamber, Lan Tu shouted, "Hold your breath!"

Tiaotiao lay on her back, mustering his remaining willpower and taking a deep breath. Lantu, carrying him on her back, dived first into the surging water.

Su Baiwei, Mu Jin and Li Bo followed closely behind, their figures sinking into the water.

Outside the door, Ding Kui and others stared in astonishment at the water flowing out of the crack in the door and quickly flooding over the soles of their boots.

The water finally filled the stone chamber, and the inflow gradually subsided.

Lan Tu, carrying Tiao Tiao on her back, was the first to swim out of the gap. Su Baiwei gritted her teeth and followed, with Mu Jin close behind. Uncle Li steadied himself as soon as he entered the water, turning like a swimming fish, and looking warily into the darkness behind him.

They hadn't swum far when an undercurrent suddenly swept in. The five of them were caught in a swirling vortex, swept along by the surging torrent in darkness and suffocation.

Lan Tu channeled all her internal energy into her back, forming a resilient barrier of energy to protect the semi-conscious Tiao Tiao. Her movements became heavy and sluggish. Su Baiwei, exhausted, gave up struggling, letting the swift current carry her. Mu Jin, anxious, paddled desperately to get closer, but was repeatedly pushed away by the current. Li Bo, the last of the group, used his experienced swimming skills to try to adjust his direction in the rapids.

The darkness and the rapids devoured their sense of direction, the biting cold water devoured their body temperature, and the suffocating feeling of lack of oxygen rapidly intensified. At the last moment when everyone's chest was about to explode -

boom!

Suddenly, a hole opened up in front of them, and the violent torrent swept the five people out of the waterway and crashed into the deep pool below.

Crash!

Lantu was the first to break out of the water, carrying Tiaotiao on her back, and called out urgently, "Tiaotiao!"

Tiao Tiao turned his face to the side, coughed violently and spat out a large mouthful of water, his breath was weak: "Not...dead..." As soon as he finished speaking, his head tilted and he fainted.

Hibiscus was the second to emerge from the water, greedily breathing in the air. A waning gibbous moon came into view, and she was overjoyed: "It's out!" Then she looked around the water, but saw no familiar face. She exclaimed, "Miss!"

Crash!

Water splashed, and Li Bo floated to the surface carrying the unconscious Su Baiwei.

In the Holy Fire Hall, the fierce battle continues.

Hongmao's long rainbow sword gleamed as brightly as ever, but his arm trembled with each swing. Daben's thunder sword's momentum was fierce, its slashes stirring with wind and thunder, yet his heavy breathing couldn't hide the veins bulging on his forehead. Doudou's Yuhua sword flashed green, its tip's trajectory stagnant. Sally's Ziyun sword was swift as lightning, her composure replaced by a deep sense of fatigue.

Strength was rapidly fading, his jaws already cracked. The wave of medicine men seemed endless. Four figures stood back to back, struggling to hold on amidst the surging black tide.

call out--

A shrill scream tore through the night sky. Immediately afterwards, a dazzling golden flame exploded in the pitch-black night.

The four men in the fierce battle raised their heads simultaneously. Seeing the yellow flames clearly, the corners of their bloodstained faces, almost succumbing to exhaustion, suddenly lifted at the same moment. It's done!

The fatigue in Hongmao's eyes faded away, and a sharp light flashed: "Four swords combined!"

"Changhong Sword!" The red flames surged.

"Purple Cloud Sword!" Purple light broke through the air.

"Yuhua Sword!" Green light flowed.

"Thunder Sword!" The golden snake danced wildly.

Four figures, squeezing out their last bit of strength, stomped the ground hard, and soared into the sky. Four powerful sword energies converged, transforming into a dazzling torrent, fiercely slamming into the tide of medicine men below.

Boom!!!

The earth trembled, and a violent wave of air swept across like a tidal wave. Layers of medicine men were blown away, and the dense formation was torn open with a huge gap.

"Go!" Rainbow Cat's clear whistle broke through the air.

Four figures took advantage of the aftermath of the air wave, swept across the debris on the ground, and shot towards the outskirts of the Holy Fire Hall, disappearing in the billowing smoke and dust.

Ghost Pass.

Dada's whirlwind sword pointed diagonally downward, its tip locked onto the anxious bell-ringing guard. His mechanisms exhausted, he was just about to gather his strength for a final stand.

Suddenly, the bright golden flame in the night sky caught my eye.

Dada's tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, a relieved smile playing on his lips. He stopped looking down, sheathed his Whirlwind Sword, and with a tap of his toes, he slipped silently into the night.