Bai Ying decisively abandoned the idea of luring the Nascent Soul stage cultivator into the Seven Deadly Souls Annihilation Array, and instead dragged the chain directly into the entrance of the ancient ruins.
"boom!"
With a deafening roar, Bai Ying unleashed the Kongtong Seal. This celestial artifact emitted a dazzling azure light, forcefully severing the chains binding her ankles. The broken chains twisted as if alive, emitting a mournful shriek, before finally dissipating into black smoke.
Bai Ying staggered into the cave entrance and immediately felt an ancient pressure a hundred times stronger than the outside world rushing towards her.
Although she felt better than last time, the oppression originating from the level of life still made it difficult for her to breathe, and every step she took felt like carrying a heavy burden.
This pressure was far beyond what a cultivator from the lower realm could possess; it was at least left behind by a True Immortal from the upper realm.
"Damn it..." A trickle of blood escaped from the corner of Bai Ying's mouth as she was secretly alarmed. With unknown deadly dangers ahead and pursuers behind, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and venture deeper into the cave.
Yan Jiuyou and Mo Qianjiu followed closely behind and rushed into the cave entrance. The two of them changed their expressions instantly.
"What...what kind of place is this?" Mo Qianjiu's face turned deathly pale, and his whole body trembled like a leaf. His Nascent Soul stage cultivation was utterly useless here, and he could be crushed at any moment.
Every breath felt like swallowing a razor blade; my internal organs were protesting against this terrifying pressure.
Even Yan Jiuyou, who was in the Void Refinement stage, had a solemn expression and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
His dark green eyes contracted sharply, and his withered fingers trembled involuntarily.
As an ancient monster who had lived for four thousand years, he immediately assessed the level of danger here. Even he could perish here if he was not careful.
"Little girl!" Yan Jiuyou shouted, his voice lacking its previous composure. "You think you can survive by escaping inside? Come out obediently, hand over your magic weapon, and I might spare your life!"
Bai Ying sneered upon hearing this, and continued walking without turning her head: "Old poisoner, do you take me for a three-year-old child?" Her voice sounded intermittent under the pressure, but it was full of determination.
As they ventured deeper, the cave's interior grew increasingly eerie. The rock walls were covered in incomprehensible ancient runes, radiating a faint golden light. Occasionally, fragments of broken magical artifacts could be seen on the ground, each exuding a chilling aura. An indescribable, ancient Daoist charm permeated the air, as if recounting the glory of a forgotten era.
Bai Ying gasped for breath, veins bulging on her forehead. At first, she could barely fly, but as she went deeper, even walking became extremely difficult.
My legs felt as heavy as lead, and every step I took required all my strength.
Even more terrifying, she discovered that once she went deeper inside, she couldn't use any magical artifacts to alleviate the pain. Any magical treasures she used would only attract a stronger backlash of pressure, as if she were provoking that mysterious immortal whose existence was unknown.
Suddenly, a fork in the road appeared ahead.
The left passage was dark and deep, with the faint sound of flowing water; the right passage, however, glowed with an eerie red light, and the temperature was noticeably higher. Bai Ying hesitated for a moment, then chose the left passage. Just as she turned around, she caught a glimpse of a line of small characters, almost worn away by time, on the rock wall:
"At the end of the path to immortality, life and death are determined by fate."
These eight words sent a jolt through her, but the pursuers behind her were getting closer and closer, so she could only grit her teeth and keep going. Yan Jiuyou behind her seemed to have also noticed the anomaly in the area, and his pursuit speed slowed down noticeably, but he still kept up relentlessly.
Mo Qianjiu was already unable to take another step forward. He slumped to the ground, panting heavily.
The oppressive force within the cave grew stronger, blurring Bai Ying's vision and filling her ears with a ringing sound. She felt like an ant trespassing into the territory of giants. But the instinct for survival drove her forward; even if she had to crawl, she would continue...
"Little girl, do you think you can escape?" Yan Jiuyou's voice came from behind, trembling noticeably. "Hand over the dragon scale artifact, and I swear on my Dao heart that I will never harm you!"
Yan Jiuyou has lowered his demands. Initially, he wanted all of Bai Ying's magical artifacts, but now he only wants the dragon scale.
Bai Ying's lips curled into a mocking smile. An oath of Dao heart? This old demon probably doesn't even have a Dao heart. She knew all too well the true colors of these evil cultivators.
"You old fool..." she managed to utter, "If you've got the guts... come in and take it..."
Before she could finish speaking, she suddenly groaned and her knee slammed heavily onto the ground.
The pressure was so intense that even standing up was a luxury.
But her eyes became even clearer.
The jade pendant emitted a soft blue light within her consciousness as it was repaired, and a continuous stream of life force surged into her limbs and bones.
This was her last resort.
Even more fortunately, she had previously consumed the red fruit to temper her body, resulting in a transformative strengthening of her entire meridians and bones. Otherwise, the current pressure alone would have been enough to cause an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator to explode and die.
A furious roar of resentment came from behind.
Bai Ying didn't need to turn around to know that Yan Jiuyou had finally reached his limit. That old demon probably never dreamed that he, a powerful cultivator at the Void Refinement stage, would be forced into a dilemma by a mere Nascent Soul junior.
"I'll wait right here!" Yan Jiuyou's voice was laced with ferocity. "Let's see how long you can hold out!"
However, to his surprise, even he found it extremely difficult to go any further, but Bai Ying continued to walk in until she reached the next turn and disappeared from his sight.
Bai Ying completely ignored him, her attention focused entirely on the increasingly narrow passageway in front of her.
The runes on the rock face grew denser, some even beginning to rearrange themselves automatically. An ancient and mysterious power permeated the air.
As she rounded the last bend, Bai Ying's pupils suddenly contracted.
A huge bronze gate suddenly appeared ahead, with nine lifelike dragon reliefs coiled on it.
Each dragon's eyes were inlaid with dazzling gems, emitting a faint glow in the darkness.
Most shockingly, the seemingly chaotic patterns on the door automatically combined into a line of words in her eyes:
"Blood ties are the key, and the Daoist heart is the guide."
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