"Whether it is or not, we'll know if we go in and take a look," Ye Qingcheng proposed to investigate further.
"Absolutely not!" Ye Qingyi immediately rejected Ye Qingcheng's immature idea. "So far, we haven't seen any elders or responsible figures from those sects appear. The situation is unclear, we must be extremely cautious."
"Someone's coming," Ye Bufan shouted, and the group quickly found a place to hide.
Following that, Elder Lin Houdao of the Scarlet Sword Sect suddenly appeared, accompanied by several disciples of the Scarlet Sword Sect. They rushed towards the pavilion in a panic, pursued by Ding Yi, the Sect Master of the Flying Scorpion Sect.
"Ding Yi, you've broken the rules. Aren't you afraid that the righteous path will collectively attack your Flying Scorpion Sect?" Lin Houdao roared behind him.
"Once inside the ancient cultivation ruins, life and death are uncertain. Who will know it was me?" Ding Yi sneered sinisterly. "If you're waiting for Yan Se to save you, you're dreaming. He's already been held back by the Black and White Twin Fiends."
"You all go quickly!" Lin Houdao yelled at his disciples behind him. He turned around, and a golden axe appeared in his hand. It suddenly grew dozens of feet tall and smashed down towards Ding Yi.
Ding Yi's true qi erupted, and in an instant, a flying chain appeared in his hands, its head shaped like a scorpion's tail hook.
The flying chain rapidly coiled, forming a giant iron shield that blocked Lin Houdao's axe. Immediately after, Ding Yi leaped up, the iron chain swiftly wrapping around Lin Houdao's axe, binding it tightly.
"Buzz—"
The energies of the iron chain and the golden axe intertwined. Ding Yi's true qi gradually suppressed Lin Houdao. Lin Houdao's expression changed drastically. The golden axe flew into the air, and Lin Houdao quickly formed hand seals. Ding Yi also moved, the other end of the iron chain wrapped around the axe and struck Lin Houdao's chest heavily.
"Pfft—" The moment Lin Houdao completed his hand seal, he was struck by a palm. The golden axe fell straight down, its blade aimed directly at Ding Yi's head.
The part of Ding Yi's iron chain entangled with the golden axe coiled in the air. With a sudden upward pull, the golden axe was yanked into the sky.
"I'm returning your axe!" Ding Yi roared, and the golden axe shot directly towards Lin Houdao.
Seeing this, Lin Houdao conjured a qi shield in front of him and reached out to control the golden axe. However, the golden axe suddenly broke free from the flying chain's control. As Lin Houdao received the golden axe, the scorpion's tail of the flying chain stabbed towards him.
"Pfft—"
Lin Houdao's qi shield was instantly shattered. He was sent flying back several meters, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Elder Lin!" The disciples of the Scarlet Sword Sect ran back again. Several of them rushed to Lin Houdao's side, while others stood in front of him.
"Why did you come back? You should have left," Lin Houdao urged anxiously.
"Disciples of the Scarlet Sword Sect are not cowards. We live together and die together!" shouted the leading disciple of the Scarlet Sword Sect, followed by the other disciples.
"Clap—clap, clap—"
"Such touching sect loyalty," Ding Yi said mockingly, applauding. "Since that's the case, I'll grant your wish and send you all to hell to rekindle your sect loyalty."
With that, Ding Yi's true qi at the late stage of Foundation Establishment erupted from his body.
Each link of the flying chain detached, becoming a weapon of its own. The disciples of the Scarlet Sword Sect stood firm, fearless of death, and each unleashed their ultimate techniques.
"Die!"
Ding Yi roared, and the iron chains flew towards the disciples.
Ye Bufan was about to intervene and save them when the entire space suddenly trembled again. An energy descended from the sky and appeared before the Scarlet Sword Sect disciples, blocking Ding Yi's attack.
Immediately, the flying sword in the hand of a white skeleton by the pavilion was controlled by a mysterious force and flew towards Ding Yi.
Ding Yi felt unprecedented pressure and turned to flee. The iron chains lined up in front of the flying sword, striking against them with clangs, knocking each one away.
However, the flying sword did not intend to kill Ding Yi. It passed through Ding Yi's shoulder and finally pierced into a towering tree in front of him.
Ding Yi gasped for air. Ye Bufan and Ye Qingyi exchanged glances. It seemed that the spirit of the Scarlet Sword Sect had deeply moved the spirits of the Taiyi Divine Sect's deceased disciples, for their sect had also perished in a similar manner.
"Damn it!" Ding Yi cursed, completely bewildered by what had just happened.
Just as Ding Yi was about to resume his attack on Lin Houdao and the Scarlet Sword Sect disciples, a sharp shout echoed throughout the space.
"Retreat!"
The voice exploded in Ding Yi's ears. Ding Yi was stunned. The ancient cultivation ruins were actually protecting the people of the Scarlet Sword Sect? What was going on?
Ding Yi, unwillingly, turned and left. Only Lin Houdao and the disciples of the Scarlet Sword Sect remained.
"Master, are you alright?" the disciple standing beside Lin Houdao asked about his condition.
"I'm fine. I'll recover after some rest," Lin Houdao said, waving his hand.
"Once you enter the secret realm, there won't be time for you to rest," Ye Bufan's voice sounded. Lin Houdao and the disciples of the Scarlet Sword Sect turned their heads towards Ye Bufan.
"Ye Bufan! What are you doing here?" Lin Houdao asked, clutching his chest with one hand, his face extremely pale.
"This is a Heart Protection Pill I refined. It can protect your meridians and help you recover."
Ye Bufan extended his right hand, and a pill appeared in it. Lin Houdao looked at the pill and was about to reach for it when he hesitated.
"What? Are you afraid I'll harm you?" Ye Bufan chuckled. "If you don't want it, I'll take it back."
"I want it!" Lin Houdao extended his hand and swallowed the pill. He immediately felt a cool sensation spreading throughout his meridians. After circulating his qi for a while, Lin Houdao's complexion visibly improved.
"Thank you!" Lin Houdao said.
"You're welcome. I'm helping you on account of Senior Song Mingqin," Ye Bufan replied.
"When did you get in?" Lin Houdao asked.
"Not long ago," Ye Bufan said.
Lin Houdao nodded and then asked, "Have you encountered any demonic beasts since you entered?"
Ye Bufan shook his head and said, "Only encountered a Clawed Eagle."
"That's good," Lin Houdao said. "When we first entered, we encountered a Titan Giant Ape, and it led us to a waterfall behind it. There was a Marrow Washing Pool there. Upon reaching it, the Titan Giant Ape disappeared, and a One-Horned Crocodile emerged from the water. After a tough battle, we killed the One-Horned Crocodile, and beneath the Marrow Washing Pool, we discovered a very large deposit of top-grade spirit ore."