Just as Ye Huohuo was about to give her answer, Zuo Qingya suddenly raised his hand, pulling the two behind him. "Careful!" he warned, while with his other hand, he waved in front of him, conjuring a golden barrier.
Before his words had even finished, a mass of black energy appeared and shot down from the sky like lightning.
The black energy struck the barrier like bullets hitting bulletproof glass. However, unlike bulletproof glass which could withstand bullets with only minor damage, perhaps a small white dot, this black energy was different. Upon impact, the spot it hit on the barrier shattered, creating a hole. From this hole, countless fine cracks spread outwards, resembling glass that had been struck by a heavy object. In the blink of an eye, the barrier was reduced to fragments that scattered to the ground, eventually dissolving into specks of golden light that vanished into the air.
Zuo Qingya's barrier had clearly not completely blocked the black energy. A portion of it managed to pierce through the opened hole and struck an acupuncture point on Zuo Qingya's chest.
Although the barrier had deflected most of the black energy, this partial hit sent him staggering backward. Even with Ye Huohuo and Lu Yao pushing from behind, it was no use. The trio was forced back several steps by the relentless force of the black energy.
Zuo Qingya couldn't suppress a mouthful of blood, which sprayed out, speckling his white robe with crimson. It was like red plum blossoms after a snowfall, blooming amidst the vast whiteness – a sight that was breathtakingly beautiful.
"Little Uncle-Master!" Ye Huohuo and Lu Yao exclaimed in unison.
Zuo Qingya's face was pale, his teeth clenched tightly. He had lost consciousness.
Neither of them had expected Zuo Qingya, with his cultivation, to be knocked unconscious in a single move. Even though it was a surprise attack, it was truly incredible.
Lu Yao supported Zuo Qingya from behind, while Ye Huohuo instantly moved to shield him, her gaze fixed intently on the direction from which the black energy had come, her entire being on high alert like a rooster puffing up its feathers. If Zuo Qingya, with his power, was rendered unconscious by this blow, Ye Huohuo or Lu Yao would have been killed instantly.
Knowing the opponent's strength, Ye Huohuo maintained her guard while glancing back worriedly at Zuo Qingya. "You just focus on unblocking his acupoints and restoring his circulation. I'll handle any further threats."
Lu Yao looked at Ye Huohuo with concern. "Can you do it?" The enemy was hidden, while they were exposed. Furthermore, the opponent's strength far surpassed hers. Zuo Qingya hadn't even managed one move, and Ye Huohuo was essentially a mantis trying to stop a chariot. But she had no better option. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Be careful. I'll be as quick as I can, and then I'll help you."
Without further ado, Lu Yao quickly pressed several major acupoints on Zuo Qingya, then placed a palm on his back, continuously channeling spiritual energy into his body to help clear his blocked meridians.
Ye Huohuo vigilantly scanned their surroundings, preventing any surprise attacks, while occasionally glancing at Zuo Qingya and Lu Yao from the corner of her eye. Clearing acupoints with spiritual energy required absolute focus; even the slightest mistake could cause both of them to suffer qi deviation.
Lu Yao seemed to be sitting on steam, white mist radiating from her entire body. The beads of sweat that formed on her forehead evaporated as soon as they appeared. She was completely immersed in her task, and any distraction would cause her to lose focus. Both she and Zuo Qingya were at risk of qi deviation.
For cultivators like them, qi deviation could result in the complete loss of spiritual power, rendering them ordinary people, or in severe cases, the bursting of blood vessels and instant death.
Ye Huohuo dared not be negligent. She walked slowly in a circle around them, every cell in her body like a radar, constantly on guard against attacks from the shadows.
Suddenly, she sensed a faint sound from above and to her left. Without a second thought, she unleashed the lightning talisman she had drawn earlier. A single lightning talisman could only be used once. She had used one before, attacking Li Ke for self-preservation, and with a single strike, it had stunned a thousand-year-old green-striped snake, demonstrating its immense power.
However, this talisman now only contained a sliver of residual spiritual energy, a far cry from its previous potency. Yet, this was Ye Huohuo's strongest attack at the moment.
A flash of golden light instantly disappeared, but it had struck nothing. Even this last attack had missed. A sense of unprecedented despair and chill crept into Ye Huohuo's heart.
Each time she faced a life-or-death situation, though she was afraid, the peril was only hers to bear. At worst, she could sacrifice her own life. But here and now, if she died, the two behind her would have no chance of survival. This fear was far greater than any she had experienced before.
She had to find a way to survive, not just survive but also defeat the powerful enemy hidden in the darkness. This was an impossible task.
Was this her only option?
It seemed that without unlocking her seal, she had no other choice. If she unlocked it, she believed she could contend with Miaofeng. But doing so would inevitably cause her body to be unable to withstand the clash of immense spiritual energy, leading to her own blood vessels bursting and death.
Or, she had another path: abandon the two behind her and flee, perhaps saving her own life.
But the thought of fleeing vanished from her mind in an instant. Ye Huohuo was never one to abandon her companions and flee for her own life. Moreover, one of these two was her idol, whom she had admired since childhood, and the other was an opponent she could consider a friend.
Just now, a moment of hesitation had caused her to lose the initiative, nearly leading to the deaths of herself and Lu Yao. This time, she could not hesitate. The remaining spiritual energy within her coalesced and surged towards the seal above her head.
At that moment, a large mass of black energy suddenly descended from the sky, enveloping her. She was so close, so close to breaking the seal, but at this crucial juncture, the enemy seemed to have calculated the timing and launched their attack.
Ye Huohuo could choose to dodge, but if she did, Lu Yao and Zuo Qingya behind her would surely die. She gritted her teeth, thinking that this night, she had walked the edge of death more times than she could count. This time, it truly seemed like the end.
With no time to think, she gathered the spiritual energy she had just condensed, intended to break the seal, and focused it on the tip of her right index finger. She then lightly pointed it towards the encroaching black energy.
This seemingly gentle point was in fact Ye Huohuo's full effort. A golden light began to expand from her fingertip, transforming in an instant into a large golden net that enveloped the black energy. Strangely, although the net had wide meshes, the black energy could not escape through them.
However, the black energy was not to be outdone. It struggled and thrashed within the net, and finally, with a sharp cry, the golden light net was shattered. Ye Huohuo also spat out a mouthful of blood, her legs giving out. She knelt on one knee before Lu Yao and the others, her entire body trembling, yet she refused to retreat.
The black energy at this moment also transformed into a person – Miaofeng!
She was still wearing the same white trench coat, which wrapped around her slender frame. Her face was even more sallow than before, but her eyes were remarkably bright, and her lips were much redder.
Ye Huohuo was certain that Miaofeng had not secretly applied lipstick. The only possibility she could think of was that after the two attacks, Miaofeng was now in a state of terminal lucidity.
Ye Huohuo glanced sideways at Lu Yao behind her. She was still working to clear Zuo Qingya's blood circulation, and Zuo Qingya's formerly deathly pale face now showed a hint of color, which brought Ye Huohuo some comfort.
One hand supporting her on the ground, she tried several times to stand, but her trembling legs no longer obeyed her. Finally, she coughed up a large mouthful of blood and still couldn't stand. Her vision darkened, and she swayed precariously.
"Stop struggling. You're already at the end of your rope. You can't even stand, and you think you can attack me again? But you're not simple. After being in that state, you could still unleash that golden net technique. If not for that move, the three of you would be dead by now," Miaofeng said calmly. To her, killing three people was as trivial as killing three chickens.
"I don't understand. You have only a few days left to live, why are you still pursuing us relentlessly? Shouldn't you be taking Li Ke and leaving quickly before we found you, arranging for him to hibernate in the ice cave and await your next reincarnation as a human?" Ye Huohuo stubbornly wiped the blood from the corner of her lips with the back of her hand.
"Why should I tell you about my business! You just need to know that all of you are going to die!" Miaofeng said, raising her hand and sending a mass of black energy towards Ye Huohuo.
Ye Huohuo had intended to buy some time by speaking, but Miaofeng saw through her ploy and gave her no opportunity. The moment she acted, it was a killing blow…