Xu Youqing was stunned.
She had personally witnessed Ji Mo follow a senior disciple into a cave, after which unbearable sounds had erupted from within.
The senior disciple and several familiar voices rang out, filled with terror and confusion, weak and helpless.
In stark contrast to this was Ji Mo's wild laughter.
Instantly.
A decadent image flooded Xu Youqing's mind.
Her face flushed, her heart pounded, and she spat, "Bah, shameless."
Although she was a fujoshi, she was still shocked by a few men engaging in such base acts. It was too depraved!
A moment later.
Ji Mo emerged from the cave, still unsatisfied, and cursed as he looked back, "Hmph, you lot, trying to mess with me? Overestimating yourselves. Don't let me see you again, or I'll deal with you every time I do."
With that, he quickly rushed deeper into the cave.
Just now, while teaching those Dragon Tiger Mountain disciples a lesson inside the cave, he had indeed discovered a great treasure.
They were several murals, recording astonishing information.
If they were true, it would be dire. Li Xuanji might be in danger, and he had to rescue her quickly.
Li Xuanji leaped into the abyss, falling continuously, her heart sinking to the bottom.
She discovered that countless laws intertwined around her, sealing the void, making it impossible for her to return.
Clearly, there was a powerful and unparalleled restriction here, allowing entry but not exit.
At this moment, she regretted her rash actions.
Roar...
In the darkness, roars echoed, and a foul, pungent odor assailed her nostrils, accompanied by an ancient, primal scent that made her heart palpitate.
"What kind of place is this? I feel immense danger."
A cultivator spoke, his voice trembling slightly.
He was the leader of a sect, a renowned figure, yet his scalp was tingling, and fear had taken root.
For great beings like them, at the Immortal God realm, who had touched upon the divine path, their Dao hearts were naturally incredibly strong.
Yet, they now felt a chill from the depths of their hearts, imagining the unimaginable terror this place must hold.
"What's there to fear? Peril and opportunity often coexist. This place might be a great fortune, perhaps hiding divine artifacts, or even better treasures!"
Some were blinded by greed, their voices filled with excitement.
The presence of chaotic energy proved this place was far from simple, and the radiant glow emanating from below grew increasingly dazzling, captivating their attention.
Li Xuanji spoke, offering a suggestion, "This place is perilous. Why don't we join forces, work together to find an exit, and devise a way to escape?"
She had no interest in treasure hunting now, only wishing to leave safely.
After all, there was a foolish man waiting for her to return.
"Palace Master Li, if you're afraid of death, leave on your own. Don't hinder me from finding treasures."
Someone flatly rejected Li Xuanji's suggestion, unwilling to leave at all.
If others could see this person's expression at that moment, they would surely notice something amiss, for strange red light flowed from his eyes, and his demeanor was clearly abnormal.
Plop.
The sound of falling into water echoed.
A gasp followed, "Eh, the bottom is all water, emanating a primal aura. Could it be a divine spring..."
But halfway through, the exclamation turned into terror.
"Heavens, it's not water, it's blood! This is a sea of blood."
Upon hearing this, the others frantically activated their divine senses, probing everything around them.
Crimson waves rippled, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Rolling tides surged, all a seductive blood-red, the smell of blood incredibly potent. It was indeed a sea of blood.
Li Xuanji and the others used their divine abilities, or summoned their magical treasures, to float on the surface of the sea, preventing themselves from falling into the blood.
The cultivator who had fallen into the sea found no immediate danger, calmed down, and excitedly said, "This sea of blood is incredibly ancient. I can clearly feel the primal aura. Perhaps it nurtures innate spiritual treasures!"
He could already see the nine-colored divine light flashing in the depths of the blood sea, with chaotic streams of light flowing, indicating something extraordinary.
Li Xuanji, with her innate sensitivity, felt deeply uneasy and warned, "Don't stay in the blood water, it's dangerous."
The other person was dismissive, even scoffing, "Li Xuanji, why are you so timid? This is not the bearing of a Palace Master."
With that, he plunged into the water, intending to dive down and search for treasures.
A few more people were tempted and eagerly jumped into the sea of blood.
The remaining individuals were cautious, not acting rashly, as they agreed with Li Xuanji's judgment.
The scarlet seawater churned, and a string of bubbles continuously emerged. The submerged individuals went silent.
Li Xuanji shouted several times but received no response. Her heart sank, realizing that these unfortunate souls were likely doomed.
"Fellow Daoists, this is a death trap. We should quickly find a way to escape."
The remaining few began to lose their nerve, no longer coveting treasures, only wishing to escape with their lives.
The ones who went into the sea vanished without a trace; how could they dare to linger?
Bang!
Waves splashed, and water columns shot into the sky.
"Jie jie..."
The sea of blood seemed to emit a chilling laughter, terrifying beyond words.
The surging waves suddenly gave rise to a dark shadow, exuding an incredibly violent aura, lunging towards one of the cultivators.
That person immediately activated his magical treasure for defense, but was still dragged into the sea by the dark shadow. After a scream, his aura vanished.
"Hiding your head and showing your tail, have the guts to reveal your true form and fight me head-on!"
Li Xuanji shouted, her entire body radiating brilliant light, her power reaching its peak. Dozens of starlight flickered, forming a halo that surrounded her.
The other cultivators also activated their combat forms, preparing for a desperate battle.
"Xuanji Star?"
An aged voice, filled with confusion, echoed from the depths of the blood sea.
Li Xuanji suddenly felt a chill run through her entire body, as if she were being stared at by a primal beast. Her heart almost stopped beating.
She was terrified, her face drained of color. What kind of terrifying existence was hidden within this blood sea? Just a glance from it had almost made her unable to bear it.
"You are not the Xuanji Star, merely a fragment of a star that attained sentience and took form."
The aged voice spoke again, laughing coldly, "If you were the complete Xuanji, perhaps you could exchange a few blows with me. But as a mere fragment, you can only become my nourishment."
Xuanji Star, in China, also had another name: the North Star.
The being in the blood sea, with its vast divine powers, had seen through Li Xuanji's true origin at a glance.
Li Xuanji was not a descendant of a deity, as rumored outside, nor was she a spirit artifact transformed, as Han Dongwu guessed. She was a fragment of a sentient North Star.
In the past, a great figure from China had carried the Big Dipper and other stars to battle the source of darkness. Ultimately, the person died, and the stars were destroyed.
Li Xuanji was a fragment of the North Star's core that had reformed into human shape.
This was also why she felt such a connection to Ji Mo, perhaps a kind of unspoken bond.
Li Xuanji frowned, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
Suddenly, a hidden memory awakened.
She stared fixedly at the blood sea and exclaimed, "As long as the sea of blood does not dry, the Styx will not die. It is you..."