The Blue Sky Alliance members were in much more miserable condition. They hadn’t received special training and naturally didn’t understand what unbreakable will meant. They had originally gathered for profit, so now being besieged to this extent, they naturally developed thoughts of retreat.

At such a critical moment, having developed the intention to retreat meant their fighting spirit scattered. Combined with all three sides fighting with bloodshot eyes, the Blue Sky Alliance had already suffered more than half casualties, with only Madam Liao and two trusted aides beside her barely able to maintain resistance.

Under the light, Qin Yining’s bloodstained appearance was also seen by those closest to her.

The Dragon Soar Army leader roared loudly, “Everyone be careful! His Majesty’s decree is to capture Princess Zhongshun alive! Don’t kill her or we brothers won’t be able to answer for it!”

“Yes!” The men responded in unison.

Jingzhe and the others had already killed with bloodshot eyes. Seeing Qin Yining injured, they became even more desperate, risking their lives fiercely to fight a way out for her.

These people had always lived licking blood from knife edges. Back when they accidentally injured an official’s son, if Qin Yining hadn’t devised a strategy using Li Qitian’s suspicions about the treasure’s whereabouts to add a hypnotically hidden secret to the Silver-Masked Scouts, forcing Li Qitian to preserve all their lives, not to mention Jingzhe – even the others might have been captured and tortured countless times already.

Although they were master and servants with Qin Yining, she had shown protective kindness to all the scouts, and to Jingzhe especially, she had shown life-saving grace.

Now with enemies numerous and allies few, enemies strong and allies weak, they had momentarily let their guard down and allowed Qin Yining to be injured, but they couldn’t watch her lose her life.

They would rather die themselves!

Thinking the same as Jingzhe, Cao Yuqing, Xiao Xue, Xiao Man, and Da Han all burst forth with intense fighting spirit, gritting their teeth and fighting desperately.

Especially Cao Yuqing.

Her deep love for Qin Huaiyuan made her believe he wasn’t made of wood and stone – he couldn’t be completely unaware. His arranging for her to personally protect Qin Yining by her side was because he trusted she would wholeheartedly protect his only daughter. If something happened to Qin Yining under her watch, Cao Yuqing felt she could only apologize with death and would never again have the face to see Qin Huaiyuan!

She could die, and she could never see Qin Huaiyuan again, but she couldn’t bear to see that man heartbroken.

Qin Huaiyuan had few children – only this one daughter, who had also gone through hardships before returning to his side. Cao Yuqing deeply understood Qin Yining’s importance in Qin Huaiyuan’s heart and knew how much he loved this daughter.

Not to mention Qin Huaiyuan – even she herself couldn’t bear it! The daughter had barely returned home and enjoyed a few days of affection before encountering all these troubles. If they truly lost this child, Cao Yuqing simply didn’t dare imagine how heartbroken that man would be.

Her life had long been worthless anyway – how could she be willing to live ignobly while watching Qin Yining suffer?

Cao Yuqing fought desperately, finally managing to reach Qin Yining’s side and grasping her arm to protect her behind herself.

“Don’t be afraid – Aunt Cao will protect you!”

Qin Yining’s vision blackened from pain. Blood loss made her lips deathly pale and her whole body cold, but she still gritted her teeth and persisted, nodding. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not afraid. They won’t kill me – whoever can leave should hurry and go!”

“What foolish talk! If we abandon you to them, what use are we!”

“Princess, we subordinates vow to protect the Princess to the death!” Jingzhe and the others also roared.

Seeing this, the Dragon Soar Army men couldn’t help but laugh loudly, mocking: “You can only show off your might for now. Hurry up and make the most of your time putting on an act. If you want to say farewells, say them quickly. Soon you’ll be dead souls under our blades – let’s see how you people will still clamor then!”

This single provocative statement caused the resting Dragon Soar Army at the cave entrance to join in wild laughter.

The laughter of so many men echoed in the limited space of the underground cave, making people’s eardrums buzz and hearts tremble, creating tremendous psychological pressure and fear.

The Dragon Soar Army were troops personally trained by Ji Zeyu. With Ji Zeyu’s abilities rivaling Pang Xiao’s, one could imagine the Dragon Soar Army’s combat capabilities were no less than the Huben Army.

Not only in individual combat ability and techniques, but even in psychological warfare tactics, these men had reached perfection.

Under the opponents’ absolute martial advantage, combined with psychological tactics, even though Qin Yining wasn’t afraid of death and viewed everything with detachment, she couldn’t help but feel a chill in her heart.

Perhaps she truly couldn’t escape this time.

Qin Yining sighed softly.

But she was no longer afraid.

Life and death were determined by fate – being afraid was useless. Better to maintain a clear mind to assess the situation and still seek a thread of survival, otherwise wouldn’t she just be offering her neck for slaughter?

Just at this moment, sudden changes occurred!

Several muffled groans suddenly came from the cave entrance.

The front two Dragon Soar Army teams were distracted and looked back, only to see a team of gray-clothed people wielding sharp blades, killing the Dragon Soar Army soldiers at the entrance before charging toward the main Dragon Soar Army force!

Qin Yining was delighted to see this, and the icy cold temperature throughout her body seemed about to warm up. Could it be Pang Xiao?

Ji Yun, Cao Yuqing, Jingzhe and the others felt their pressure suddenly reduce and gradually retreated back to Qin Yining’s side.

As the gray-clothed people suddenly attacked, catching the Dragon Soar Army completely off guard, a familiar lean figure could be seen carrying a lantern, rushing toward Qin Yining under the gray-clothed people’s escort.

“Second Master Lu?”

The newcomer was actually Lu Heng, the legitimate son of the Lu family who she had deceived with a fake map and who was reportedly buried and missing when the earth dragon turned over!

“Are you alright?” Lu Heng quickly approached, his face full of worry. “You’re injured?”

Qin Yining’s body swayed somewhat. Only by mutually supporting each other with the injured Ji Yun and Cao Yuqing did she avoid falling. She shook her head. “I’m fine. How are you here?”

“It’s a long story. I only just learned you were trapped here and immediately brought people. There are His Majesty’s people outside the cave entrance, but I’ve already subdued them. Quickly follow me out. Whatever we need to discuss, let’s talk on the surface!”

Qin Yining nodded wearily. “Good, call Bingtang and let’s…”

Before she could finish speaking, Qin Yining suddenly heard a rumbling, muffled sound mixed with the crisp clatter of falling stone fragments hitting the ground.

The ground beneath their feet was trembling with muffled vibrations!

All fighting came to an abrupt halt. Everyone looked at each other in terror, gazing around fearfully.

After a brief silence, an even louder thunder-like rumbling sound and earth-shaking tremors suddenly sent everyone in the cave tumbling in all directions.

“Oh no! The earth dragon is turning over!”

“Run quickly, run quickly!”

…

Roars of fury echoed right beside her ears. Qin Yining didn’t know who was grasping her arm and running wildly, nor who supported her when she was about to fall.

The wound on her back burned with pain – the sticky, moist, warm sensation was her blood.

Already mentally unclear from blood loss, under the violent earth tremors, Qin Yining became even more unable to support herself. The terrified screams of the crowd and the sound of the earth fracturing as the earth dragon turned over seemed to grow more and more distant, leaving only sharp tinnitus and gradually dimming consciousness.

In her final moments of consciousness, Qin Yining saw Cao Yuqing tightly gripping her hand.

“Aunt Cao, you go, leave quickly. Don’t worry about me anymore.”

This was the last sentence Qin Yining spoke before losing consciousness.