He paused, a hint of worry in his eyes, and said, "If we force our way down the mountain now, we'll inevitably run into them. If we're unlucky enough to run into them, we'll likely face a fierce battle."
These words made everyone's expressions even more solemn.
Xu Yuehuai frowned in deep thought, her fingers unconsciously stroking her sleeve, her brows furrowed with weariness.
Qi Guze stood beside her, remaining silent, but a hint of murderous intent flickered in his deep eyes.
"It seems this battle is indeed unavoidable," Qi Guze finally spoke, his voice low and cold.
His gaze swept over the crowd, his tone exuding an unquestionable authority, "The exit is blocked. If we want to leave alive, we have no choice but to fight our way out."
Although his voice was not loud, it had a chillingly oppressive quality that moved everyone present.
Nangong Yu remained silent for a moment, then finally snorted coldly, "Since that's the case, then stop wasting words. Let's go down the mountain! If anyone dares to block our way, I'd like to see if their skills are as formidable as the legends say!"
Fu Ziyi gave a wry smile and couldn't help but tease, "Senior Brother Nangong, don't forget, you almost attacked Ying Ziping just now. If you cause another ruckus now, you might wear us all down before you even have to lift a finger."
Nangong Yu glared at him upon hearing this, but said nothing more.
Xu Yuehuai looked at them, sighed softly, and turned her gaze to Ying Ziping: "Since you are willing to escort us, then let's go. But let me make this clear beforehand: if you have any ulterior motives, you should understand the consequences."
Ying Ziping lowered his head, his expression complex, and said in a deep voice, "Miss Xu, rest assured, since I have promised to escort you, I will never go back on my word."
A gentle breeze began to stir in the woods, rustling the tattered leaves and producing a low, mournful sound.
The group resumed their journey down the mountain.
As night fell, the mountains and forests fell silent, save for the occasional low growl of a wild beast, which sent a chill down one's spine.
The surrounding trees cast dappled shadows in the dim moonlight, resembling twisted giants that sent chills down one's spine.
The group had already slowed their pace. Physical exhaustion, coupled with the news that the exit was blocked, had made everyone's mood extremely depressed.
Fu Ziyi pressed his wound with one hand and gritted his teeth, saying, "It's really hard to take one step at a time. This godforsaken place is driving me crazy."
Nangong Yu led the way, glanced back at him, and snorted coldly, "Stop complaining, Fu Ziyi. Just say you're not feeling well. Nobody's laughing at you."
Fu Ziyi chuckled, a mocking smile curving his lips.
"I'm not like some people who are so stubborn that they end up trembling with anger."
"Who are you talking about?" Nangong Yu stopped in his tracks, raised an eyebrow, and his eyes flashed with anger.
Xu Yuehuai walked behind the two and sighed softly when she heard the argument.
"Senior brothers, please stop arguing. The situation is complicated right now. Wouldn't it be better to save our strength to deal with the Ying family?"
Upon hearing this, Nangong Yu closed his eyes briefly, then finally let out a cold snort, suppressing his anger: "Junior Sister is right."
Fu Ziyi shrugged and said lazily, "Good to know."
The mood of everyone was already heavy, and now it was even more oppressive.
They hadn't walked far when the night grew darker, the moonlight was faint, and the path through the woods became increasingly difficult to discern.
Seeing a flat boulder ahead, Xu Yuehuai raised her hand and gestured, "It's already dark, let's rest for a bit, there's no rush."
After saying that, she leaned on the tree trunk beside her and slowly sat down on the rock, her face still somewhat pale.
The recent treatment had restored some of her strength, but she was still weak, and the fatigue between her brows was hard to hide.
Qi Guze then sat down next to her and looked around.
"Yue Huai is right. Traveling for too long will only make us more tired. Let's take advantage of the fact that this area is safe for the time being and rest for a while."
Fu Ziyi and Nangong Yu exchanged a glance. Although they were both full of dissatisfaction, they still silently sat down and began to close their eyes and regulate their breathing.
However, after the atmosphere calmed down for a while, the tree spirit suddenly started pacing restlessly.
The tree spirit's figure appeared thin and frail in the moonlight.
He paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "No...no...we can't delay any longer."
"Tree spirit, what are you doing?" Nangong Yu frowned at him, her tone revealing a hint of displeasure. "This place is already chaotic enough; don't make it worse."
The tree spirit looked up at him, its expression anxious and its tone revealing obvious urgency.
"I...I can't wait any longer! My people are still at the exit; they must be trapped too. I must go and save them!"
Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.
Fu Ziyi leaned against the tree and said with a sneer, "Aren't you afraid of being devoured alive before you even find your own kind?"
"Even your demon race is in chaos, so who can you save? You might even get yourself caught up in it."
The tree spirit was clearly dissatisfied with the two's attitude and stomped its foot in anger.
"You are heartless! My people are trapped inside, how can I stand idly by? If your own family members were in danger, could you remain indifferent?"
"this……"
Nangong Yu was speechless for a moment. His lips moved, but he ultimately did not refute her.
Xu Yuehuai frowned slightly as she looked at the tree spirit's anxious expression.
“Tree spirit, I understand how you feel, but you also know that the mountains and forests are full of dangers right now. If you rush in alone, you will only make the situation worse.”
"But I can't just sit here and wait to die!" The tree spirit's eyes reddened slightly, and his voice choked with emotion. "These are my people, my family! If I don't go to save them, I will never be able to forgive myself for the rest of my life."
"But you alone can't save them!"
"Do you think you're a savior? Everyone's struggling to survive right now, so what makes you think you can change the situation?"
The tree spirit lowered its head, clenched its fists, and trembled slightly.
Qi Guze remained silent, secretly pondering the Ying family's next plans.
Ying Ziping, who was standing to the side, also opened his eyes.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing."
Shangguan Xi yawned and stood up.
“There’s no point in arguing about this now. Since we have the same goal, why should you go alone? In my opinion, we should rest for a while and then set off. We can head north.”
On the way, Nangong Yu held a knife to Ying Ziping's neck, saying, "If you dare to play any tricks, we will never let you off."
"Heaven and earth bear witness, I only wanted to be a good person!" Ying Ziping cried out, feeling utterly wronged.
"Heaven and earth bear witness, I only wanted to be a good person!" Ying Ziping cried out, feeling utterly wronged.
Nangong Yu still refused to let him go, after all, this matter originated from the Ying family.
The sword at his neck felt cold and sharp. Faced with the threat of life and death, Ying Ziping decisively changed the subject, "Do you still want to save people? It will be too late if you wait any longer."
The tree spirit, despite its advanced age, knelt down and begged Xu Yuehuai for the sake of the little demon, "Please, you must save my companions. They haven't done anything heinous."
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