Just as Xiao Qi felt utterly hopeless, closing her eyes in despair as she quietly waited for that blood-stained, terrifyingly gaping maw—radiating a heavy stench of blood—to lunge directly at her.
"Beast, how dare you!"
Suddenly, accompanied by an angry shout, a figure dashed down from mid-air like a phantom.
Moving with lightning speed and with breathtaking swiftness, the figure raised the sharp longsword in their hand and thrust it without hesitation straight into the Vicious Flood Dragon's open jaws.
In an instant, the blade flashed with a cold light, carrying an unmatched, fierce momentum as it plunged directly into the creature's mouth.
The Vicious Flood Dragon let out a howl of agony, its massive body shaking violently.
Yet the mysterious figure did not stop; with a flick of the wrist, the longsword rapidly stirred within the creature's body, churning up a spray of crimson blood and mangled flesh.
The Vicious Flood Dragon struggled frantically, its body twisting unceasingly as if trying to break free from some restraint.
Suddenly, it let out a violent cough from the depths of its throat, and with a surge of formidable force, blasted both the mysterious person and the sword right out of its mouth.
Seizing the moment, the Vicious Flood Dragon turned and fled at top speed deep into the cave.
"Vile beast, where do you think you're going!" The figure followed closely on its heels, clinging to it like a shadow.
Meanwhile, Xiao Qi remained dazed, completely unable to comprehend what had just happened.
Yet at that very moment, she suddenly felt a chill on her hands and feet, and immediately afterward, the bindings on her body unraveled of their own accord.
A crisp, youthful voice reached Xiao Qi's ears: "Silly girl, stop staring and run for your life!"
Only then did Xiao Qi snap back to her senses. Following the voice, she saw a handsome youth with rosy lips and fair skin, looking somewhat mature, standing before her. The youth's eyes were clear and bright, revealing a steadfast and resolute spirit.
Filled with gratitude, Xiao Qi said, "Thank you!"
The youth said nothing more, plunging into the cave in pursuit of the figure who had just gone ahead.
After Xiao Qi ran desperately outward for a few dozen steps, she suddenly halted. Looking back, her heart remained unable to let go of the benefactor who had saved her life. Hesitating for a moment, driven by a powerful surge of curiosity, she turned back and crept near the cave entrance.
Looking around for a place to conceal herself, she finally discovered a massive boulder beside the cave entrance. Quietly hiding behind it, she cautiously poked her head out to peer inside.
Being nothing more than an ordinary mortal, how could she possibly see the full situation within?
She could only vaguely hear the sounds of battle echoing from inside, one after another in rapid succession; the sword lights unleashed during the fierce combat flickered in and out of sight like wisps of smoke.
Suddenly, a gruff voice rang out from within.
"Ha, you want to kill me? Keep dreaming! Just stay here and wait to die slowly in the Immortal-Binding Array. Once you're dead, this immortal will come back and devour you to deepen my cultivation! Hahaha!"
Immediately following this, a deafening crash sounded, as loud as a thunderbolt from a clear sky.
Then came the sound of crashing rocks and splitting mountains from within, as countless shattered stones sprayed outward like a shower of rain. Amidst these flying debris, a dark shadow charged out at breakneck speed.
Startled out of her wits by this sudden turn of events, Xiao Qi hastily pulled her head back in panic, terrified of being struck by the flying stones.
Yet the stones did not stop their assault. Like raindrops in a tempest, they pelted the boulder where Xiao Qi was hiding with a relentless clatter.
Every impact produced a crisp sound that made Xiao Qi's heart race, leaving her too terrified to even draw a full breath. Pressing her hands tightly over her ears and closing her eyes, she prayed silently for this nightmare to end as quickly as possible.
After a long while, the attacks finally ceased. Xiao Qi slowly poked her head out to find that the entrance of the demon cave was now piled high with a massive quantity of stones, completely sealing the opening.
"Hey! Is anyone in there?"
After long hesitation, Xiao Qi called out timidly.
Time ticked away second by second while Xiao Qi remained hidden behind the boulder. Finally, the storm-like fury of the assault gradually subsided.
Cautiously sticking her head out, she saw that the previously open entrance of the demon cave was now tightly and completely plugged with countless large and small stones.
Xiao Qi's heart was filled with doubt and unease, yet her curiosity refused to be suppressed.
After a long struggle and hesitation, she finally mustered her courage and called out into the cave with a trembling voice: "Hello... is anyone in there?"
Her voice echoed through the silent valley, but no response came. Xiao Qi could not help swallowing hard as her tension escalated.
Just as she was considering turning away, a voice finally emerged from within:
"Is that the little girl who was offered as a sacrifice? Can... can you come inside?"
Hearing that familiar voice, Xiao Qi felt a surge of joy, immediately recognizing it as belonging to the youth who had cut her ropes just moments before.
"The entrance is blocked up, I... let me see!"
Xiao Qi began groping cautiously across the pile of stones. She tried to find a passage leading into the cave, but the mountain of rocks before her left her completely at a loss.
Just as she was about to give up, a miracle occurred—a rock suddenly rolled down from the side of the cave entrance.
Xiao Qi's eyes brightened as she hurried forward to inspect it. She discovered that this stone seemed to have opened up a narrow crevice; although not wide, it was just enough for her to attempt squeezing through. Being small and slender, Xiao Qi decided to take the risk.
Wriggling her body with utmost care, she avoided rubbing against the surrounding stones as much as possible. Every step was fraught with tension and caution, lest a single careless move cause the stones to tumble or scratch her body again.
After a grueling effort, Xiao Qi finally managed to drill her way into the cave. Although the space was cramped, she breathed a sigh of relief—at least she was now close to where the youth was. Next, she needed to proceed with even greater care to ensure her safety and locate the youth's exact position.
"Where... where are you?" Xiao Qi called out with utmost anxiety.
"We are over here."
Following the direction of the voice, Xiao Qi saw a faint gleam flickering in the darkness, as if guiding her forward.
Taking a deep breath, Xiao Qi walked cautiously toward the light. Every step was full of the unknown and danger, but she felt no fear, knowing the people ahead might need her help.
As Xiao Qi drew closer, the area of light expanded. Finally, she saw the scene before her.
Amidst the jagged boulders sat two figures—none other than the youth and the Daoist Priest who had previously fought the Flood Dragon!
The Daoist Priest sat cross-legged on the ground, his face as pale as paper, looking severely injured. The youth stood beside him holding a smooth, round bead, and the light emanated entirely from this luminous orb.
Xiao Qi stared in disbelief at everything before her. Her heart was filled with questions: clearly possessing such formidable powers, why were they trapped here unable to escape?
Plagued by questions, Xiao Qi hurried over to the two of them and asked with concern, "Are you injured? Why didn't you come out?"
The youth raised his head, a trace of helplessness and bitterness flashing in his eyes. He shook his head slightly and said, "We are in no grave danger, but this array is far too profound; it is hard to break for the moment..."
"Then how can I help you?"
Xiao Qi knitted her brows, knowing that to rescue them, she first had to find a way to break the array. Yet how could an ordinary, weak woman possibly help them!