Chapter 71: Ye Zi, Save Me! Part 1

Wang Ya clearly saw Zhang Qingshui’s Azure Dragon Vine wrapped around Zhang Min, carrying him upward. Wang Ya’s palms flipped rapidly as she formed seals and struck toward the Azure Dragon Vine. The vine erupted in brilliant green light under her bombardment, emitting a ring of light that firmly enveloped Zhang Min. Though it swayed unsteadily from Wang Ya’s attacks, it still slowly rose.

A voice came from above: “It’s Wang Ya! She’s down there!”

Wang Ya truly found the Zhang Family people annoying! They had tracked her here so quickly. She had wanted to slap Zhang Min to death, but after several consecutive strikes failed to do so, there was no need to waste more time on him. Because she saw the experts above descending like dumplings being dropped, all heading straight for her!

What plummeted from above was not only people but also all sorts of chaotic things. In just one glance, she spotted pythons, spiders, giant rats, giant centipedes, half-human-tall monkey-like monsters, giant bats, and more—some clinging to the cliff walls as they chased downward, others flying through the air to attack.

Gunfire, sword gleams, talisman lights, and hand grenade explosions accompanied various bursts of radiance overhead, resembling fireworks. The air filled with the stench of blood, and bloody rain mixed with fluids from the beasts splattered everywhere. Screams rang out incessantly; people occasionally plummeted while shrieking in agony. The lucky ones crashed onto the layer where Wang Ya stood and could still gasp for breath, while the unlucky ones smashed dead onto the ground or tumbled into the pitch-black abyss. Their heart-wrenching wails echoed for a long time as they fell, the lingering sound chilling to the bone, with no one knowing just how deep that abyss truly was!

Old Tang and Zhang Qingshui were quickly entangled by the falling snakes, insects, and beasts.

After rescuing Zhang Min, Zhang Qingshui saw a man rush to his side and shout, “Fourth Uncle! Withdraw quickly, everyone withdraw, hurry!” She handed the gravely injured Zhang Min to her Fourth Uncle and charged toward Wang Ya. Seeing him frozen in place, she urgently urged, “What are you standing there for? Go, if we don’t leave now, we’ll all die here!” With that, seeing Wang Ya already rushing out of sight, she ignored the Zhang Family people and hurried after Wang Ya.

Old Tang swung his Tang Dao, slashing at the beasts as he dashed toward Wang Ya, who was sprinting along the edge of the Black Abyss. He shouted loudly, “Wang Ya, go!”

Wang Ya completely ignored Old Tang’s shouts. She rapidly dashed around the edge of the Black Abyss and soon spotted a platform protruding from the ground out over the cliff, connected to a bronze pillar. A ding seemingly used for sacrifices sat upon that platform.

The Sacrificial Altar!

Wang Ya circulated her demonic aura and leaped into the air, flying toward the Sacrificial Altar while shouting, “Old Tang, cover me! I’ll get you out alive.” Ignoring the dozen or so people surging after her, she charged straight for the altar.

Old Tang gripped his Tang Dao and stepped onto the stone stairs leading to the Sacrificial Altar. He turned to face the pursuers and summoned his paper effigies. But in the instant he turned, he saw several people leap over him toward Wang Ya on the altar. Knowing these were experts from the Xuanmen Sects, Old Tang didn’t care if he could block them all. He swung his Tang Dao and chased after them, his paper effigies pursuing those few as well.

Wang Ya landed on the platform, which was less than ten square meters. The vast platform held only a three-legged cauldron.

The cauldron was cast with images of all sorts of demons, ghosts, and monsters, inscribed with three ancient seal script characters: “Youming Cauldron.” Wang Ya’s mind recalled the record from the Dragon-Seeking Formation-Breaking Art about Youming Valley: “Youming Cauldron summons Youming. Use the Yellow Springs Other Shore Flower as the guide, feed it blood, perform blood sacrifice on the cauldron, and the Yin Spirit Scroll opens Youming.” Facing the horde of experts charging from behind, she didn’t even turn her head. Without hesitation, she took out the Yin Spirit Scroll and unfurled it into the blank space atop the cauldron—which matched the scroll’s size perfectly—embedding it into the bronze cauldron. The moment she pressed the Yin Spirit Scroll in place, a massive force from a figure struck from behind. Wang Ya couldn’t dodge and was struck in the back by a palm through her backpack. The palm force pierced the pack, penetrating her back and shaking her so violently that she spat out a mist of blood onto the Yin Spirit Scroll in front of her. She staggered crookedly into the bronze cauldron, nearly unable to catch her breath. The human-skin Yin Spirit Scroll immediately activated, glowing with runes as if merging with the ancient cauldron. The entire cauldron blazed with blood light.

A dazzlingly vibrant Yellow Springs Other Shore Flower slowly rose from the cauldron. Wang Ya smelled demonic aura identical to her own emanating from this flower—the exact same as the demonic aura on her body.

Old Tang rushed to the ancient cauldron’s side and swung his Tang Dao at the old Taoist who was raising his palm for another strike at Wang Ya. At the same time, his paper effigy arrived like a sharp sword before the old Taoist.

Zhang Qingshui also arrived. Standing at the base of the stairs, she watched the Yellow Springs Other Shore Flower rise from the ancient cauldron and cried out, “Oh no!” She rushed toward Wang Ya at top speed. Just as the flower’s radiance was about to envelop her, she reached out, wiped the blood from Wang Ya’s lips, coating her hand, and swiftly smeared the blood on her forehead.