Wu Li took in the sight of her fighting back tears, and for a moment, he was stunned.
A complex emotion seemed to flash quickly through the depths of his eyes.
Was he... too fierce just now?
"Hey." Chai Xiaomi raised her fist and lightly punched his shoulder. "I'm asking you a question, why are you ignoring me?"
Fine, fine, he thought she was too stupid, so he didn't even want to talk to her anymore, right?
Wu Li had a severe intolerance for stupidity, she could see that now.
Her heart sank heavily. She dejectedly lowered her eyelashes and tried to pull her hand back.
Suddenly, her loose fist was entirely enveloped by a hand with long, slender fingers.
The young man stared straight at her, his voice tinged with a rare, barely noticeable urgency:
"I'm not ignoring you."
"A barrier has been set up for miles around this place as the center. There's no way to fly out. Forcing our way out will only result in crashing into the barrier's inner wall and suffering a worse fall." He softened his tone and patiently explained to her.
Chai Xiaomi's face grew solemn. "Then... is there any other way?"
The demonic beast below had clearly been enraged, struggling and roaring.
The nine-tailed demonic beast still had one tail unstaked, causing its demonic aura to surge furiously. The eight staked giant tails suddenly tensed, breaking the restriction in an instant, and the eight arrows snapped simultaneously.
It raised its head and let out a roar that shook the mountains, the visible sound waves shattering the surrounding boulders.
A thick, violent mass of dark red demonic aura gathered at the tip of its tail, surging madly beneath its fur like boiling magma!
It was about to pour out!
"There is a way."
Wu Li's gaze did not fall on the roaring demonic beast below, but instead focused intently on her face. He paused, a hint of hesitation in his tone:
"But... could you close your eyes first?"
This was his only request.
She trembled even looking directly at the demonic beast; if she saw him summoning Gu, she would probably be terrified out of her wits.
For some reason, this thought made his chest feel tight. An inexplicable mix of frustration and powerlessness welled up within him, even mingled with a trace of unfamiliar hostility.
When had he become so overly cautious?
In the past, dealing with such an obstructive demonic beast by using the most ruthless Gu magic to torture it inch by inch until its life force was extinguished was what he was best at, and what he would not hesitate to do.
Even if they groveled on the ground, whining and begging for mercy, he had never felt the slightest bit of pity.
Chai Xiaomi was taken aback. What kind of strange request was this?
But she still nodded cooperatively and closed her eyes. "I've closed them."
Wu Li tilted his head and studied her for a moment, feeling that her eyelashes were still trembling restlessly, letting in tiny slivers of light.
He simply stopped betting on her self-discipline. With a slight movement of his fingertips, a red shadow silently slid out of his sleeve.
Chai Xiaomi only felt a cold, slippery sensation on her face. A long, sticky object was slowly slithering across her face. Without thinking, she knew it was that annoying big fat snake.
Finally, the snake's body loosely coiled around her eyes like a bizarre blindfold, completely blocking out all light.
She was speechless for a moment. "...You don't trust my character?"
Wu Li: "Mm."
A simple and clear word.
Not very damaging, but highly insulting.
The young man slowly stood up, shifting his gaze to Little Eight, who was peeking.
Little Eight shuddered in fright, quickly shutting his eyes tightly and even clenching his little fists.
His heart pounded like a drum: Daddy... is really good-looking, but also really scary!
He had once heard the Toad Demon say that all the daddies in the world were very fierce.
It was true indeed!
Amidst the biting demonic aura.
A tall, slender figure leisurely landed in front of the nine-tailed demonic beast.
Compared to the beast's frenzied state, he appeared excessively calm.
His demeanor was languid, the upward tilt of his eyes revealing an undisguised mockery, as if he were admiring the incompetent roaring of a trapped beast.
The nine-tailed demonic beast was enraged by this silent contempt and actually spat out human words: "Arrogant brat! If you have real skills, show them!"
"I originally wanted to let you howl a bit more. Since you're in a hurry to die, I'll grant your wish."
Wu Li bit his thumb and knelt on one knee.
Without hesitation, he pressed his dripping blood fiercely into the soil beneath his feet.
Black evil energy surged out from around him like a tide.
Only those heterochromatic eyes shone with a dazzling, unearthly light amidst the churning black mist.
His silver fish earring was whipped up by the violent air currents, a cold streak of light flashing past his sharp jawline. His dark hair danced wildly behind him. On the young man's expressionless face, a cold, bloodthirsty smile slowly curled up, radiating an awe-inspiring wickedness.
He slowly parted his lips and uttered words in the Miao language:
"By my decree: Shadows of the Nine Underworlds, let a hundred insects open the abyss, obey my blood pact, and take the earth as your flesh—Arise!"
Bizarre black totems instantly spread across the young man's neck and arms.
His lifeblood seemed to possess a life of its own, meandering along the parched earth and drawing a massive, ancient, and sinister blood-red array.
In the deepest depths underground, ancient insect eggs that had slumbered for an unknown number of years were activated.
Rumble—!
In an instant, the earth churned like a living creature. A tide of insects surged out from the cracking fissures, as if transforming into a giant maw ready to devour people.
The earth was no longer just earth; it had become the fiercest Gu in the palm of the young man's hand.
Chai Xiaomi didn't know what was happening; she could only feel the rock beneath her shaking violently.
She steadied herself and tightly hugged Little Eight in her arms.
At the same time.
In a hidden cave not far behind the nine-tailed demonic beast.
A small body was hidden beneath the shadows, and a deep, weather-beaten voice sounded: "To think it's the Earth Vein Gu..."
As the person spoke, they were still chewing on something with relish.
Shortly after, a cleanly gnawed apple core rolled out of the cave entrance with a clatter.
"I couldn't tell. He's not old, yet he's mastered such a sinister Gu art."
The voice chuckled softly, carrying a hint of amusement. "Then this old man will just have to add some fuel to the fire."
The tremors deep in the mountain forest were felt even by those outside the barrier.
"What happened inside?" Yan Xingxiao instantly gripped his saber hilt tightly, staring at the invisible barrier ahead.
Jiang Zhiyu blankly raised his eyes, a bit of confusion in his heart: "This aura..." Why is it a little familiar?
The situation was urgent, not allowing him to think so much.
Xiaomi, Wu Li, and the ghost infant were all inside.
They needed to find a way to break this barrier as soon as possible.
Jiang Zhiyu quickly composed himself, spiritual light already flowing at his fingertips: "I can draw four barrier-breaking talismans, but they need to be activated simultaneously by holding them at the north, south, east, and west points of the barrier. Right now, we are short one person."
"I'll do it!"
Everyone turned around to see Zhu Yu's chubby body running over hurriedly, panting heavily.
She had waited left and right at the inn, unable to wait for the play to end, and guessed that something had happened.
Jiang Zhiyu reminded them: "When holding the talisman and chanting the spell, you will suffer a backlash from the barrier's power. I wonder if everyone can withstand it?"
Song Yueyao scoffed lightly, an undeniable gallantry between her brows: "Cut the crap. Since Xiaomi and Wu Li call me 'Sister,' I naturally have to protect them. What's there that I can't withstand?"
Yan Xingxiao quickly spoke up, "If Miss Song can hold her ground, then I certainly can too! Besides, Miss Chai is Lady Yue's savior. I would risk my very life to help her. When you roam the martial world, it all comes down to one word: loyalty!"
Zhu Yu wiped the sweat from his brow, his round face bearing an honest yet resolute smile. "I have even less of a reason to back down. My sister and my 'parents' are all still inside."
