As the distance to the exit gate grew closer, the gathered cultivators became increasingly dense. The air was filled with a special atmosphere mixing urgency, greed, and tension. Many bore injuries, their eyes sharp as eagles, vigilantly scanning their surroundings—especially those teams with abundant harvests and bulging storage bags became the focus of countless hidden glances.
The five-member Qingxu Temple squad similarly dared not be careless. Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun positioned themselves at front and rear, protecting Xiaoqi, Shi Jian, and Chen Feng in the middle, maintaining a defensive formation as they slowly approached that massive gate of light suspended in midair, emitting stable spatial fluctuations.
However, on a relatively open gravel beach less than a hundred zhang from the gate of light, a sudden change occurred!
A burst of mournful screams and panicked cries for help suddenly came from ahead, accompanied by a teeth-aching "rustling" sound. The crowd instantly became agitated, their forward momentum halting.
"What's happening?"
"Something's happened ahead!"
"It's those black vines! They've appeared again!"
Exclamations rose from all sides. Xiaoqi and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw four or five disciples wearing the attire of a certain small sect being tightly entangled by dozens of wildly dancing black vines like living creatures on the necessary path to the gate of light!
Those vines were about arm-thick, completely pitch-black as ink, their surfaces covered with strange twisted patterns, emitting a cold, filthy aura with strong corrosive intent. They wound around the cultivators' bodies like venomous snakes, their sharp thorns easily tearing through protective spiritual light, deeply piercing into flesh and blood. Even more terrifying, the vines seemed to be draining the blood essence and spiritual power of the trapped ones. Those disciples visibly withered and weakened, emitting desperate wails, while the vines' color became even deeper, their dancing even more frenzied.
Seeing this, the surrounding cultivators didn't step forward to rescue but instead retreated in fear, afraid of being affected by these strange vines.
"It's the Spirit-Eroding Demon Vine!" Mu Qingfeng's expression darkened as he recognized the origin of this thing. "These contain demonic energy, extremely troublesome. They can erode spiritual power, devour life force, and are incredibly tough—ordinary spells and weapons can't harm them! Once entangled, escape is extremely difficult!"
Liu Yun's brows were also tightly knit: "Troublesome. These things block the path—how do we get through?"
Shi Jian clenched his fists, watching those fellow cultivators rapidly losing their lives, a trace of unwillingness in his eyes, but he didn't dare rashly step forward.
Xiaoqi's gaze was fixed on those wildly dancing black vines, his pupils slightly contracted. Amidst that cold, filthy aura, he clearly sensed a familiar, heart-palpitating fluctuation—demonic energy! Though far inferior to that pure trace remaining in the cave's stone chamber, its essence was from the same source, full of corrosive and destructive characteristics!
Almost involuntarily, the "Basic Purification Technique" surfaced in his mind. This incomplete technique obtained from the secret realm cave, suspected to be related to his family—wasn't its core the two words "purification"? Especially for this type of yin-evil, demonic energy!
A thought like lightning flashed through his mind—perhaps he could try!
"Eldest Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, let me try!" Xiaoqi stepped forward, his tone carrying an unprecedented determination.
Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun were both startled, looking at him in confusion. Shi Jian and Chen Feng also cast puzzled gazes.
"Xiaoqi, don't be impulsive! Those are Spirit-Eroding Demon Vines—dangerous!" Liu Yun hastily tried to stop him.
"I have a method, perhaps I can counter them!" Xiaoqi didn't have time to explain in detail. The situation was critical—those trapped disciples were about to be completely drained. He took a deep breath, no longer hesitating, his hands quickly forming a simple hand seal before his chest that contained some profound principle—precisely the opening form of the "Basic Purification Technique"!
He silently circulated the technique, guiding the spiritual power within his body that had been refined by the purification technique and become exceptionally pure and peaceful, along specific routes, gathering between his hands.
At first, nothing unusual happened. Some surrounding cultivators who noticed his actions even revealed mocking expressions, thinking this kid at the fifth layer of Qi Refining was overestimating himself.
But in the next moment, something happened that left everyone dumbfounded!
A soft, pure white light, like the first ray of dawn born from darkness, quietly lit up at the center of the hand seal Xiaoqi had formed. That light wasn't blinding, yet carried an indescribable warmth, holiness, and peaceful atmosphere, as if it could dispel all filth and darkness in the world.
As Xiaoqi poured more spiritual power into it, that point of white light rapidly expanded, transforming into a soft and stable white beam, like a searchlight, precisely shining toward those wildly dancing Spirit-Eroding Demon Vines!
"Sizzle—sizzle sizzle—!"
Like a red-hot iron meeting ice and snow! Where the white light shone, those originally incredibly tough black vines that even magical artifacts couldn't easily cut through encountered their natural nemesis, emitting heart-palpitating sounds as if being burned and corroded!
The cold, filthy aura on the vine surfaces rapidly dissipated like boiling water poured on snow, and their pitch-black color visibly became ashen and dim! They twisted and convulsed wildly, as if enduring tremendous pain, their binding force instantly decreasing!
"It's working!" Xiaoqi was overjoyed in his heart, putting even more effort into activating the purification technique, making the white beam even more solid and bright.
Those disciples who were originally waiting to die in despair felt the terrifying binding force draining their life force suddenly loosen. Though still weak, the instinct for survival made them burst out with their final strength, struggling desperately!
"Crack!" "Puff!"
Several crisp sounds rang out as several demon vines that had been illuminated by the white light longest directly snapped from the middle and withered, turning to ash!
"Quick! Help them break free!" Mu Qingfeng was the first to react. Though his heart was shocked beyond measure, his movements weren't slow. His green steel sword left its sheath, sword light flashing as he precisely cut through several vines that had already been weakened and become fragile.
Liu Yun, Shi Jian, and Chen Feng also immediately took action, their sword lights and fist shadows dancing, cutting or driving away the remaining demon vines whose power had greatly decreased under the purifying white light.
In the blink of an eye, those trapped disciples were rescued, collapsing to the ground. Though their vital energy was greatly damaged, their lives were at least saved. The gazes they directed at Xiaoqi were filled with gratitude from surviving calamity and disbelief.
At this moment, the entire gravel beach fell into a deathly silence.
All cultivators who had witnessed the scene just now, whether rogue cultivators or sect disciples, widened their eyes, looking at that Qingxu Temple youth who had withdrawn his hand seal and was slightly pale and panting as if seeing a monster.
That... what technique was that?!
It could so easily counter and purify the Spirit-Eroding Demon Vine that even Foundation Establishment stage cultivators found troublesome?!
That pure white light, that aura of dispelling filth and bringing life... simply unheard of!
"Purification power... he possesses purification power!" A knowledgeable cultivator cried out in shock, his voice filled with astonishment.
"When did Qingxu Temple have such a miraculous inheritance?"
"Who is this kid? Only fifth layer of Qi Refining, right? And yet..."
Discussions rose like a tide, countless gazes focusing on Xiaoqi—some shocked, some curious, some greedy, and some deeply wary.
Mu Qingfeng and Liu Yun quickly positioned themselves in front of Xiaoqi, blocking those probing gazes. The shock in their hearts was no less than others', but even more, they felt wild joy and a protective urge. Xiaoqi actually possessed such a miraculous ability! This was definitely a blessing for Qingxu Temple! But it would also inevitably attract covetousness!
"Go!" Mu Qingfeng made an immediate decision, calling out in a low voice, protecting Xiaoqi as he and Liu Yun and the others unhesitatingly rushed toward the exit gate of light that was within reach.
This time, no one dared to block their way. The scene of purifying the demon vines just now had formed an invisible deterrence.
Under his senior martial brother and sister's protection, Xiaoqi took one last look back at that gravel beach where he had purified the remaining withered vines, waves surging in his heart. He hadn't expected the "Basic Purification Technique's" first public display to have such an effect.
Whether this ability was a blessing or a curse, perhaps only after leaving this secret realm would it truly become clear.