Qing Xia stood in place, her brow furrowing tighter and tighter. Suddenly, she took an arrow-swift step forward, used her blade to deflect both long spears, and stood alone between the two men. Her dark hair flew askew, disheveled, as she shouted sternly: “Hongtian Water Prison has collapsed, the Nanjiang Poison Division has come to cause trouble, and Qi’an is most likely involved in this matter too. Penglai’s Ministry of Works is in imminent danger. If it falls into the hands of those with ulterior motives, it will certainly cause a great catastrophe. You’re still making trouble here—both of you stop immediately!”

Chu Li snorted angrily, his spear force like a dragon, instantly circling around Qing Xia to strike fiercely at Qin Zhiyan’s heart. Qin Zhiyan’s lips curved in a cold smile, his expression indifferent, yet his eyes carried bone-chilling killing intent. His silver spear flashed, the shaft immediately blocking Chu Li’s spear tip.

Qing Xia flew into a rage. The exhaustion from these days of life-and-death struggles rose to her mind. She had never been a weak woman who mourned spring and grieved autumn, nor would she cry and wail like ordinary women at this moment. She thought darkly: Since you want to fight, I’ll clear the field and let you fight to your heart’s content.

With this thought, she strode to a corner of the stone cave. There, a palm-sized beast with pure white fur, black nose, and green eyes was standing on the unconscious Chu Zheng on the ground—it was none other than Da Huang. This little creature was opportunistic. Earlier, seeing the danger here, it had found a place to hide. Now seeing the crisis had passed, it had slipped out. But it found the outside was already flowing with blood. Though small, it was very clean and afraid the pooled blood on the ground would dirty its white fur, so it had been standing motionless on Chu Zheng’s chest. Seeing Qing Xia walking toward it, it immediately cried out excitedly, appearing very animated.

Qing Xia grabbed it by the neck, turned around, and walked past the two men fiercely fighting in the center, heading outside.

Just then, Da Huang, who had been excitedly calling out in Qing Xia’s arms, suddenly stood up straight, raised its long ears, and looked toward the machinery. A trace of alertness immediately rose in Qing Xia’s mind. A flash of inspiration struck her brain, and suddenly her heart shook violently. She stopped in her tracks, her phoenix eyes sweeping rapidly around the stone chamber, finally fixing on the dusty stone floor that looked perfectly ordinary.

There, only Chu Zheng lay alone—nothing else.

Qing Xia’s brow furrowed tightly. Suddenly, she drew the dagger from her waist, strode forward swiftly, her form rising from the ground, qi waves slashing horizontally with mountain-splitting force. Three willow-leaf throwing knives flew together toward the machinery’s core!

The sound of breaking air thundered, dust flew, wood chips shattered, and a purple-clothed woman standing against the wind appeared, perched high on the Tianji Lock. Her robes fluttered in the wind, her ink-black hair dancing wildly. A pair of seductive eyes smiled faintly at the three people as she laughed charmingly: “Worthy of being Zhuang Dianru’s daughter—you discovered me so quickly.”

“Ousi witch?” Chu Li said coldly, not expecting this witch to be completely unharmed after taking Zhu Qinghe’s palm strike. It now seemed her earlier feigned death was just waiting for an opportunity. The few had just experienced consecutive great battles and finally saw Zhu Qinghe reclose the Tianji Lock, so subconsciously thought there were no problems. They hadn’t expected to nearly let this witch exploit a gap.

Qing Xia was furious. Falling into Ousi Lanya’s hands repeatedly was indeed enough to anger her. Seeing Ousi Lanya completely unharmed now, with only her face slightly paler than usual, she realized the woman had been playing dead all along. Her hatred for this woman’s deep schemes intensified. Though she didn’t know whether she understood how to unlock the Tianji Lock, she couldn’t be careless.

Chu Li was quite disgusted with this bewitching woman. How could he let her continue talking nonsense and delay time? Without speaking, he took an arrow-swift step up the machinery, his form agile. Just as his long spear was about to strike down, he saw a cold smile flash in Ousi Lanya’s eyes. Her lips curved, and she firmly held a green-clothed woman in her hands, pushing her toward Chu Li’s blade.

Qing Xia saw the woman’s face clearly and was greatly alarmed, suddenly crying out: “No!”

Hearing this, Chu Li’s form suddenly twisted in mid-air like a great eagle, abruptly rolling over. His blade swept horizontally, brushing past the woman’s cheek. Several strands of dark hair fell slowly to the ground along the blade’s edge, floating gracefully and beautifully.

Ousi Lanya pursed her lips lightly and said charmingly: “Drawing swords and spears upon meeting—how rude.”

After speaking, she flicked her long sleeve, and a green qi light immediately shot toward Chu Li. Qin Zhiyan rose gracefully, his hands immediately scattering spear light like waves. Several strong winds suddenly arose, instantly dispersing Ousi Lanya’s myriad poison insects.

Ousi Lanya pouted angrily: “Does Prince Xuan look down on Lanya’s gifts? Everyone outside says Prince Xuan of Great Qin is merciful and compassionate—how can he not even spare a few little insects? So heartless.” While speaking, she continuously released poison insects, endless varieties in countless patterns. No one knew how many insects she had in her arms.

Qing Xia and the others were immediately trapped by Ousi Lanya’s poison insects. Looking up, they saw Ousi Lanya’s delicate hands moving up and down on the machinery. Penglai Valley Master Tan Suning in water-green robes lay softly at her feet, her eyes full of tears like water. She paid no attention to the people in the field, but looked over everyone with gentle sadness toward the distant Chu Zheng.

At this moment, a clear whistle suddenly rang out. A fire-red figure flew toward Qing Xia as the fire phoenix’s huge wings flapped violently, continuously driving away the poison insects gathering around Qing Xia. With the pressure greatly reduced, Qing Xia turned to charge toward Ousi Lanya.

Seeing Ousi Lanya smiling silently, continuously releasing poison insects to harass Qing Xia while chanting under her breath and manipulating the machinery with her hands, Qing Xia knew that if she didn’t stop her now, all today’s efforts would turn to ash. She immediately disregarded the poisonous insects around her, her form rushing forward swiftly, diving down at Ousi Lanya from above. Her daggers struck out together, whistling forth with overwhelming blade lights and sword shadows, thunderously chopping down!

Cold intent filled Ousi Lanya’s eyes as her lips curved in a slight cold smile. Suddenly, instead of using any poison techniques, she actually leaped up to meet Qing Xia’s blade, showing no evasion or fear. Qing Xia was greatly surprised but no longer hesitated. Just as she was about to strike down this witch’s head, she saw Ousi Lanya raise an eyebrow, stretch out her arm and throw something, then smile charmingly at Qing Xia, saying softly: “Shall we die together?”

Qing Xia turned to look and saw a red-furred fierce beast with its bloody maw wide open, standing remotely in the center of the stone chamber. Pungent stench poured from its mouth as its huge claws struck Qin Zhiyan’s chest with one palm. Qin Zhiyan’s clothes were stained with blood, his steps staggering, yet he still stood before this never-before-seen fierce beast, blocking its momentum toward Qing Xia’s direction.

In a flash of lightning, the man sharp as ice and snow leaped into the air, his long spear fiercely piercing the beast’s throat. The monster roared shrilly, claws and fangs bared, its huge flesh palm striking heavily against Qin Zhiyan. The man twisted in mid-air, his figure thrown in a curved arc through the air, immediately falling toward the beast’s gaping ferocious maw.

In that instant, everything seemed to stop, time frozen in that moment. Qing Xia looked at the smugly sinister cold smile on Ousi Lanya’s seductive face, then at the Tianji Divine Lock that was about to be opened. Her eyes instantly seemed to spew mountain fire. She cried out miserably to the sky, her voice shrill, shaking the stone chamber’s ceiling and walls with a rustling sound as countless dust particles suddenly fell.

A shrill roar of agony rang out in the air. A spray of blood flew skyward as the fierce beast that had opened its great maw waiting for food instantly fell to the ground, its body split in two along its upper and lower jaws. The cut was sharp and smooth—those hard steel-like armor and iron-like bones had been split in half like tofu, falling in a pool of blood in the chaotic mess.

Qing Xia gripped the black war blade that Xi Linyu had dropped earlier, her entire body stained with blood, dark hair flying, standing beside Qin Zhiyan like a rakshasa, her eyes sharp as ice and snow.

Qin Zhiyan, who had provided rear guard for her and been ambushed by the fierce beast, now had a pale face with his old ailment recurring, making his face appear even more deathly white.

Chu Li swept his silver spear horizontally, forcing back the surrounding myriad poison insects. His face was handsome and his bearing magnificent. With one spear strike, countless blood spatters flew up. Those Nanjiang poison insects, intimidated by his威慑, no longer dared approach to attack. Even so, he was still severely wounded, his waist bleeding profusely, flesh mangled. Hearing the sound, he turned around abruptly to see Qing Xia and Qin Zhiyan supporting each other as they stood together. Suddenly, it was as if myriad insects were biting at his heart simultaneously, his liver and gall splitting, brow tightly furrowed, his mind and body exhausted.

Just then, heaven and earth turned, all things grieved. Silver radiance filled the sky, instantly releasing enormous brilliance that permeated heaven and earth. That brilliance was simply not energy possessed in the human world, seeming capable of piercing through stone walls that had been silent for who knows how long, filled with shocking, heaven-shaking power.

The three exchanged glances, all seeing great panic and fear in each other’s eyes. After maneuvering for so long, had this super-era terrifying weapon, the Tianji Lock that suppressed the rolling waters of hell’s Yellow Springs, finally been opened?

“Hehe, when the Divine Lock opens, chaos rises—now there’s a good show to watch. Little girl, you’re quite blessed to have two such excellent men competing jealously over you. I’m so envious! But this place is about to flood, so big sister won’t play with you anymore. Let’s meet again when fate allows!”

Ousi Lanya said charmingly. After speaking, she winked seductively and in an instant disappeared at the end of the tunnel.

Qing Xia was furious and was about to chase after her when Qin Zhiyan suddenly grabbed her arm. Looking back, she saw Qin Zhiyan’s entire body soft and powerless, his face pale, swaying as if about to collapse. His health had never been good, and tonight he had been repeatedly severely injured, yet had been forcing himself to fight enemies alongside her. Now seeing the Tianji Lock had been opened, he could finally endure no longer.