After reuniting with Third Senior Sister Liu Yun, Tang Xiao Qi felt much more at ease. The two traveled together upstream along the stream, their pace much faster than when Xiao Qi was alone, yet their vigilance never relaxed. Liu Yun was experienced and seasoned, often able to foresee and avoid potential troubles, allowing Xiao Qi to learn many skills for surviving in the wild and assessing dangers.
The scenery on both banks of the stream grew increasingly rugged, with more jagged strange rocks and steep slopes. The spiritual energy permeating the air remained rich, but occasionally mixed with a faint, elusive, unpleasant sweet‑fishy scent, hinting that this area might harbor different dangers.
After walking for roughly one shichen, Liu Yun, walking slightly ahead, suddenly raised her hand, signaling Xiao Qi to stop. She listened intently for a moment, her brows slightly furrowing: 'There's movement ahead, seems like… fighting sounds, and shouts.'
Xiao Qi focused his hearing and indeed, from a densely overgrown hollow ahead that nearly blocked the stream, faintly came the clang of weapons clashing, the muffled explosions of spells detonating, and several urgent, angry‑sounding human voices—it seemed exactly the accent of Qingxu Temple disciples!
'They're fellow disciples!' Xiao Qi whispered.
Liu Yun's gaze sharpened: 'Let's go check, be careful, the situation is unclear.'
The two immediately restrained their auras and, using the cover of rocks and shrubs on the bank, crept silently toward the source of the sound. After crossing a low earthen slope, the sight before them startled both.
Deep in the hollow, within a strange forested area covered with dark‑purple vines bearing sharp thorns, four Qingxu Temple disciples were locked in a desperate struggle. They were surrounded by masses of wildly thrashing poisonous vines; those vines were like living things, incredibly tough, ordinary blades hardly harmed them. Even more terrifying, the thorns on the vines shimmered with a faint glow, clearly carrying potent venom. One disciple's movements had already slowed, his arm grazed by a vine, the surrounding skin turning an abnormal bluish‑black—clearly deeply poisoned.
The other three were in slightly better shape, but they too were hard‑pressed, sword‑lights and spells constantly blasting at the vines, only temporarily pushing them back, unable to completely sever them, instead provoking more vine attacks. They tried to break out, but the vines interwove into a dense, impenetrable net, firmly trapping them in place—the situation was precarious.
'It's Poison‑thorn Vines! Trouble!' Liu Yun recognized those vines at a glance, her expression grave. 'These things are extremely troublesome, their regeneration ability is strong, their venom fierce—Qi Refining disciples can hardly handle them. Looking at their state, they won't last long.'
She gripped the long sword in her hand, clearly weighing whether to intervene. Helping out was only right, but these Poison‑thorn Vines were quite tricky; even with her Qi Refining seventh‑layer cultivation, wanting to quickly resolve the situation and ensure everyone's safety wasn't easy—she might well plunge herself and Xiao Qi into danger too.
Xiao Qi watched those few struggling bitterly, especially the poisoned disciple's increasingly pale face, and felt anxious. He suddenly remembered that when he saved those nearly‑dead spirit herbs in the abandoned herb garden, the purifying power radiating from his pendant seemed extraordinarily effective against Yin‑evil, filthy things. The Poison‑thorn Vines' venom, in essence, was also a kind of Yin‑evil energy, right?
A thought flashed through his mind. He couldn't reveal the pendant's secret, but perhaps he could try to do something covertly.
He tugged at Liu Yun's sleeve, whispering: 'Third Senior Sister, I have an idea. Are these poisonous vines afraid of fire or of utmost Yang, utmost rigid energy? I… I've gained some insight practicing the Fire Control Technique earlier—maybe I can try using fire to disrupt them, create an opportunity for the senior brothers and sisters inside?'
He deliberately attributed the pendant's ability to his own practiced 'Fire Control Technique'—though far‑fetched, in this urgent moment he couldn't care anymore.
Hearing this, Liu Yun glanced at Xiao Qi somewhat surprised. She knew Xiao Qi had some talent in alchemy and fire control, but never expected he'd dare try in such a situation. However, there seemed no better plan now—treat a dead horse as if it were alive.
'Can give it a try, but be extremely careful, don't get entangled by the vines! I'll cover you from the front!' Liu Yun decided immediately.
The two no longer concealed themselves. Liu Yun shouted crisply, her figure turning into flowing light, her sword like a roaming dragon, directly charging toward the densest area of vines. Sharp sword‑energy instantly attracted most of the vines' attention, creating space for Xiao Qi.
Xiao Qi quickly circled to the flank, finding a relatively safe spot where he could still see the trapped fellow disciples. He pretended to form hand‑seals, as if gathering fire‑element spells, while in reality his mind sank into the pendant on his chest, carefully guiding out a trace of extremely faint purifying power.
This power was formless and intangible; were he not connected to it heart‑and‑mind, it would be almost undetectable. He controlled this thread of power, like a gentle breeze brushing over water, quietly spreading toward those wildly thrashing Poison‑thorn Vines, especially those entwined outermost and attacking most fiercely.
A miracle occurred!
When that barely noticeable purifying power touched the vines, the faint glow shimmering on the vines dimmed noticeably; their thrashing speed and force showed an extremely slight sluggishness—the heart‑palpitating venom seemed neutralized, weakened a little by some force!
Though the change was subtle, for the trapped disciples in desperate straits, their senses highly concentrated, it was like dawn in the dark night!
'Hey? These damned vines seem slower?' one disciple blocking with his sword cried out in delight.
'The venom… the venom doesn't seem as fierce? My spiritual power circulation is smoother!' another disciple also noticed the anomaly.
Though still unable to easily sever the vines, the sudden reduction in pressure gave them hope! The four spirits greatly boosted, they immediately seized this fleeting opportunity, erupting with stronger power—sword‑lights and spells together launched a fierce assault on that side of vines held back by Liu Yun and secretly weakened by Xiao Qi!
'Crack!''Thud!'
This time, originally extremely tough vines were actually cut through several by their combined strength! The encirclement was instantly torn open a gap!
'Go quickly!' Seeing this, Liu Yun shouted loudly, sword‑light surging, forcibly repelling the vines trying to close again.
Those four disciples dared not delay; supporting their poisoned companion, they scrambled yet swiftly rushed out from the gap, running headlong without looking back toward the safe area where Xiao Qi and Liu Yun were.
Only after completely escaping the Poison‑thorn Vines' attack range did they collapse sitting on the ground, panting heavily, faces still carrying post‑disaster palpitations.
Liu Yun also retreated back, warily glancing at that gradually calming poisonous vine forest, confirming none pursued, then sighed in relief.
Among those four disciples, the leader—a Qi Refining seventh‑layer disciple—struggled to stand, solemnly cupping his fists toward Liu Yun and Xiao Qi: 'Many thanks, Senior Sister Liu, and this junior brother for rescuing us! Without you two, we'd likely have fallen to these poisonous vines today!' He looked at Xiao Qi, eyes holding gratitude and a trace of curiosity. 'Just now… was it junior brother's fire‑technique disrupting the vines? Truly marvelous!'
Xiao Qi's heart jumped, but he kept composure on his face, vaguely saying: 'Senior Brother praises too much, just luck, a trivial trick—seems to have a little restraint against such Yin‑evil things.'
Liu Yun glanced at Xiao Qi, not probing further, instead asking those disciples: 'What happened? How did you provoke this Poison‑thorn Vine forest?'
The leading disciple smiled wryly: 'After we teleported in and gathered not long, we noticed a rather good spirit herb in this hollow, wanted to approach and pick it—never expected stepping right into this vine's lair… Ah, greed brings trouble!'
Everyone chatted a while, exchanged names. Xiao Qi also learned this team belonged to the Pill‑Cauldron Hall, skilled in alchemy, but not adept at combat.
Liu Yun examined the poisoned disciple's injury, finding the venom indeed wasn't as fierce as imagined—seemed suppressed by some power. She meaningfully glanced at Xiao Qi, then took out her own spare antidote pill for that disciple to take; the injury soon stabilized.
After resting a moment, these two accidentally‑met teams decided to temporarily separate. The Pill‑Cauldron Hall disciples needed to find a place to heal thoroughly, while Liu Yun and Xiao Qi continued searching for Senior Brother and others.
At parting, the Pill‑Cauldron Hall disciples sincerely thanked them again. Xiao Qi watched their departing backs, sighed inwardly, quietly touching the pendant on his chest.
This ingenious rescue of fellow disciples was thrilling but safe—helping others without exposing his greatest secret, further verifying the pendant's purifying power's wonderful uses: killing multiple birds with one stone. He exchanged a look with Third Senior Sister, continuing on the journey to find their companions.