"Bang—!" Qian Qiu was sent flying by spiritual energy, barely managing to land and stabilize himself.
What was happening! How could this person's strength be so terrifying!
And those tail and ears, could he be the Demon Emperor!
His sword-wielding hand trembled from the impact of spiritual energy, and a trace of blood also flowed from his lips.
Lin Ze's temples throbbed, and killing intent brewed in his eyes: "Listen, I'll give you a warning..."
"Whether you or any other demonized person, you are not allowed to make her shed a single tear!"
Qian Qiu reached out, wiping the blood from his lips, and let out a deep chuckle.
"Although your strength is greater than mine, you won't be able to leave here safely!"
Suddenly, Lin Ze's expression stiffened, and he sharply looked at the two people behind him.
Jiu Zai smiled eerily. She slowly walked forward and stopped in front of Lin Ze: "Mind-reading, a good choice."
Wang Yu walked to Qian Qiu's side and helped him up: "If you can't make him a companion, then kill him."
Jiu Zai spread her hands, appearing casual: "I know."
Just before fighting Lin Ze, Qian Qiu had quietly connected his communication jade pendant.
His most important goal in fighting Lin Ze was to stall for time, waiting for the two of them to arrive.
"Little demon, why aren't you looking at me?" Jiu Zai laughed wildly.
"Oh right, you can read minds, so you must already know my abilities," Kuai Shu Ge
Lin Ze's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot, and he averted his gaze, not meeting her eyes.
Fighting Qian Qiu had already depleted more than half of his spiritual energy... and now...
"Hahahaha! It's useless even if you know!"
Wang Yu and Jiu Zai simultaneously attacked Lin Ze: "You can't escape!"
...
After an unknown amount of time, Jing Feng was covered in blood. He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction: "My hands are numb from killing."
Looking at Dong Ling, she was still smiling as she took down enemies one by one...
Jing Feng's mouth twitched as he watched. He retracted his earlier thought that she was unreliable...
The small Black Crow City was now littered with the corpses of cultivators.
"Young Master's city has been mostly destroyed..." Jiang Ye frowned, wondering how to tell the young master.
Zhong Zi looked around: "Have you seen the Su Family Head?"
Zhu Que, who was leading the surviving civilians to safety, blinked in confusion upon hearing this.
"That's right, we've searched the entire city and haven't seen him."
Just then, a woman stumbled over, her eyes red and tearful.
"Please! Save the Su Family Head and the child quickly!!!"
She suddenly knelt before them, tears streaming down her face in despair.
Jing Feng and the others gathered around, and the woman quickly recounted the events.
Jiang Ye looked troubled: "But we don't know where that crystal mine is! How can we find them?"
Jing Feng, standing beside him, also pondered. If even Miss Bai didn't know the location of the crystal mine, how could they?
"Let's search first, don't miss any corner."
But just as they were about to split up, the little girl returned!
She was walking towards them with her head down, her snow-white floral dress soaked in blood.
"Child!!!" The woman stood up and rushed to hug the little girl: "Child! My child!"
Jiang Ye and the others were confused: "What's going on? Why did she come back alone?"
Zhu Que smiled, trying not to frighten the little girl: "Can you tell us? Why did you come back by yourself?"
Unexpectedly, the little girl bit her lower lip, and tears welled up in her large, watery eyes.
"I want to grow up... I want to grow up right away..."
Her shoulders shook, and she appeared heartbroken.
The woman gently comforted the little girl, patting her back.
But suddenly, the little girl broke free from her mother's embrace and looked at Jing Feng with tears in her eyes: "I know..."
"I know where the crystal mine is..."
Jing Feng and the others exchanged glances, then turned to see the little girl walking away alone.
Jiang Ye sighed: "You all follow her. I'll stay with Zhu Que to search for the civilians."
Zhong Zi softened his voice and gently comforted the woman: "It's okay, we will protect her."
Zhu Que and Jiang Ye searched for surviving civilians, while the rest followed the little girl to the crystal mine.
Along the way, no matter how Jing Feng and the others questioned her, the little girl remained silent, her lips tightly sealed.
Until they arrived at a spirit grass garden, where spirit grasses were ruined everywhere, and a square passage had been opened on the ground.
"It's below," the little girl's body trembled, but she stepped into the passage step by step.
Jing Feng, who was the first to descend, widened his eyes: "This!"
A huge mine shaft appeared, its walls covered with patches of blue crystals.
There was no sign of any barrier, it seemed the barrier had been broken?
But a wooden stick caught Jing Feng's attention. He crouched down and picked it up: "Is this... the Su Family Head's?"
The little girl tugged at Jing Feng's sleeve and pointed to a cluster of crystals not far away.
His eyes instantly widened: "Su Family Head!"
Behind the crystals, the Su Family Head was lying on the ground, along with the man who had held the little girl hostage.
"How..."
Zhong Zi slowly approached, but his intended question was cut short. Even Dong Ling's smile vanished.
The Su Family Head's body was pierced with numerous bloody holes from a sword...
And his other, intact leg had been chopped off...
What was even more heartbreaking was that his face still bore a gentle smile.
The little girl suppressed her urge to cry and began to recount the events.
...
"It really is a crystal mine!" The man rejoiced. The Su Family Head beside him wore a worried expression.
The man rushed excitedly towards the mine but suddenly slammed into a barrier: "Old man, why is there still a barrier here?"
The Su Family Head looked at the little girl, who was held captive by the man, and gritted his teeth with his head bowed.
"You and I inject spiritual energy together, and it will be undone..."
The man sneered, tightening his grip on the sword against the little girl: "If you're planning any tricks, don't blame me for not showing mercy!"
Two streams of spiritual energy were slowly channeled into the barrier, and the barrier indeed disappeared.
The man was overjoyed, but in that split second of distraction, the Su Family Head dropped his wooden stick and rushed forward, snatching the little girl away.
Without the support of the wooden stick, the Su Family Head could not stand steadily, and they both fell heavily to the ground.
The Su Family Head's back was scraped raw, but he still tightly protected the little girl in his arms, ensuring she was not harmed in the slightest.
"You hide further away..." A gentle palm caressed the girl's head.
"You! I see you old geezers don't shed a tear until you see the coffin!" The man's face turned red with anger. He strode towards them with his sword.
The Su Family Head shakily stood up, his eyes firm: "Don't underestimate me just because I'm a cripple, I'm still a cultivator."
The two began to fight. Unexpectedly, the Su Family Head's strength was not weak, even slightly superior to the man's.
"Bang—!" The man's chest was hit with a powerful punch, and he retreated several steps, coughing up blood.
He couldn't defeat this lame old man? No! Impossible!
The man looked for an opening, and suddenly, he saw the little girl curled up in the corner.
He let out a sinister laugh and lunged towards the Su Family Head with his sword.
Suddenly, the man changed his trajectory! The cold sword lunged towards the little girl!
No! The Su Family Head spun around sharply, shielding the little girl with his body.
"Puchi—" The long sword pierced through the Su Family Head's body.
Blood dripped onto the girl's pure white dress, gradually staining it crimson...
"No... don't..." The girl, protected in his arms, cried.
So much blood... so much blood was flowing...
Yet the man did not stop, his sword piercing the Su Family Head's body again and again: "You damn cripple! You're disgusting!"
Saying that, he swung his sword and chopped off the Su Family Head's other, intact leg.
The Su Family Head let out a muffled groan, but he still smiled tenderly at the little girl in his arms: "Child... don't be scared... don't be scared..."
But suddenly, the man clutched his chest and knelt down with a pained expression.
It turned out that the punch from earlier, the Su Family Head had used a bit of finesse, precisely rupturing a blood vessel near his heart.
"Thump—" The man fell to the ground, convulsing, and gradually lost consciousness.
The little girl's lips trembled, and tears, like pearls from a broken string, streamed down uncontrollably.
"No... don't die, okay..."
The Su Family Head smiled gently and turned over, falling onto the open ground: "Child... I'm not going to die..."
"I'm just a little sleepy..."
The girl sobbed, using her small hands to cover the bloody holes, as if not wanting any more blood to flow out.
"Stop... stop flowing..."
The Su Family Head looked at her actions and raised a smile: "Hurry back... don't let your mother worry..."
The girl's small hands were soaked in blood, but she stubbornly continued to cover the wounds.
When she looked up again, the Su Family Head had already closed his eyes, but he was still smiling at her...