Chapter 242: Protective Formation: Running for Their Lives
“You’re the one with the crazy thoughts. Get in!” Ye Jiuge gave Zi Shang’s rear a slap.
Since Zi Shang wanted her to take advantage of him, she would not disappoint. He grabbed onto Ye Jiuge’s naughty right hand, and his beautiful eyes narrowed. Was the wimp trying to rebel?
Ye Jiuge laughed and raised her left hand, seemingly to show that she could still take advantage of him with her other hand.
“You win!” Zi Shang released Ye Jiuge’s hand, turned, and started walking down the path.
Satisfied, Ye Jiuge followed.
The path was so narrow that only one person could pa.s.s at a time. The ground was paved with grey stones.
Zi Shang walked without a care. He did not think that the cave and pathway were worthy of his attention.
In contrast, Ye Jiuge was on high alert.
A few steps in, something cracked under her foot.
On both sides of the path, there were countless thin beams of light s.h.i.+ning toward them and raining down on them like arrows in a war.
Any ordinary person would have been pierced by the beams and died a horrible death.
But Zi Shang’s purple fog was not ordinary, and it securely deflected the light beams.
“Walk!” Zi Shang continued walking. Then came another thump.
Lumps of pink fog drifted into the path. The stench was pungent and piercing, but it was blocked by the purple fog.
They had only gone a short distance, but the path was already fraught with light sword beams and poison. If it weren’t for Zi Shang, Ye Jiuge would have difficulty making her way in alone.
They had finally gotten to the end of the path and were standing in the large cave with the 13 blood-colored pillars.
The pillars were not made of stone or metal. They were covered with carvings of poisonous snakes and ferocious beasts. In between each carving, lights glowed and flowed. This was the core of the protective formation.
If the pillars were destroyed, the protective formation would be eliminated.
Ye Jiuge tried to hit one with a Spiritual Light.
The pillar s.h.i.+mmered slightly and distributed the Spiritual Light’s power to the other 12 pillars.
The only way to destroy all 13 pillars was to increase the power of their attacks.
“There isn’t much time left. Let’s attack together,” Ye Jiuge said and took out the Lightning Snake Magical Whip from her waist.
She channeled Spiritual Power into the whip and was about to hit the pillars when Zi Shang grabbed by the collar and threw her backward.
What the h.e.l.l?
Ye Jiuge was puzzled and was about to start b*tching when a Teleportation Spell floated out from the center of the pillars.
A black shadow appeared. Swift as lightning, it landed where Ye Jiuge had previously been standing. With a wave, it launched an attack with so much force that the air became pressurized.
If Zi Shang had not pulled Ye Jiuge back in time, she would have most likely have been torn in two. Seeing that the attack had failed, the black shadow refracted and speared toward Zi Shang.
Zi Shang threw Ye Jiuge to one side. His right hand glowed until it was about to burst, then it turned into a long spear and thrust itself at the black shadow.
A sizeable explosive bang and streams of light shot out.
The black shadow was forced back by Zi Shang’s long spear. Then, with frightening speed, it came at Zi Shang again and started attacking him.
It was hard to tell who was who. Ye Jiuge could not even make out the shape of the black shadow.
During the heated battle, Zi Shang took a minute to duck out and throw a lump of purplish-black light at Ye Jiuge to cover her. He ordered curtly, “Get out of here!”
Ye Jiuge knew that she would not be much help even if she stayed. She left the forbidden grounds without a second thought, running in the direction of Hundred Flower Palace.
They had not been at Bloodcloud Peak very long, and Jun Yichen and the rest might not have found Ye Yunzhi yet. So, she had to go meet up with them.
As she ran, she could hear murmurs and unrest in the Bloodthirsty Sect. There were repeatedly hollering, “The enemy has attacked! The enemy has attacked!”
The disciples ran in the direction of the forbidden grounds, so the road to the Hundred Flower Palace was relatively empty, and Ye Jiuge successfully made her way in.
She was greeted by an attack by Jun Yichen’s Legendary Venomous Insect the moment she stepped into the palace.
Ye Jiuge called out in a hurry, “It’s me!”
“What are you doing here? Where is Ye Zi?” Half of Jun Yichen’s head peeked out from the cave wall, while the rest of his body was still hidden in the shadows.
“There is a trap at the formation’s core. Ye Zi told us to go ahead. Where are the others?” Ye Jiuge asked urgently.
“Inside.” Jun Yichen did not dare say much in such a situation, and he quickly led Ye Jiuge into the Hundred Flower Palace.
“Did you find Ye Yu’s elder sister?” Ye Jiuge asked as they rushed in.
“No. They caught a disciple and are interrogating him now. But the situation doesn’t look good.” Jun Yichen’s voice was somber.
Although he was keeping a lookout, he was vaguely aware of the situation inside because of his Legendary Venomous Insects. The Hundred Flower Palace was in disarray, and dozens of beautiful blood slaves were slumped on the ground.
Ye Yu’s eyes were bloodshot. He was choking a thin, small man, and screaming in anger, “It’s impossible! I don’t believe it!”
Luo Tian frowned and advised, “Calm down.”
The scene playing out in front of Ye Jiuge was a little unexpected, but now wasn’t the time for questions.
She quickly stepped forward and knocked the small, thin man unconscious. Then, she nudged Ye Yu. “There’s a change in plans. We will retreat now.”
Although Ye Yu’s emotions were hanging on by a thread, hearing Ye Jiuge’s words, he turned around and followed her. They left the place without question.
Jun Yichen had sent ten Legendary Venomous Insects ahead to scout the area.
The group walked behind him on alert, avoiding the Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples. Soon, they burst out of the chaotic Bloodcloud Peak.
“Oh no! They are about to activate the protective formation. Hurry!” Jun Yichen suddenly screamed.
Ye Jiuge turned and saw thick red smoke emerging from the midway up Bloodcloud Peak. It rolled down the mountain like a ma.s.sive tidal wave.
“Eat the medicinal pill, hurry!” Ye Jiuge worked quickly to swallow a Yin pill.
Jun Yichen and the rest ate the pills while running forward as fast as they could.
Although they were fast, the protective formation’s activation was even quicker. The Blood Mosquitoes were like ferocious tigers that had just escaped their cages. They formed into blood clouds and pounced on the group.
Once Ye Jiuge had swallowed the Yin pill, a layer of fat formed on the surface of her skin. Although the Blood Mosquitoes died the moment they touched it, they still surged forward relentlessly. Soon, a thick layer of the Blood Mosquitoes swarmed on each of their bodies.
In another instant, red armor also covered them. This armor helped to block the remaining Blood Mosquitoes.
“There they are!” The Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples on patrol finally found Ye Jiuge and the others.
As they ordered the poisonous snakes and insects to surround the intruders, the disciples also mounted countless vicious attacks.
A myriad of lights formed into a giant web, covering Ye Jiuge and her friends from above. At the same time, a large blood vine thicket suddenly shot up in the path in front of them, obstructing their escape.
“Charge!” Ye Jiuge hollered, whipping out the Lightning Snake Magical Whip and slicing it through the air toward the thicket.
The Lightning Snake Magical Whip exploded in a show of purple lights, transforming into a gigantic and savage python that roared as it surged forward.
The blood vine thicket was shredded instantly, raining bits and pieces of loose vines and branches.
Ye Jiuge channeled a spell, and the gigantic python turned and rushed forward again. Although it was unable to break past the giant web of lights, this move bought some time for Ye Jiuge and the rest.
Jun Yichen and the rest gritted their teeth and fought hard. Finally, they managed to escape before the giant web descended.
The Bloodthirsty Sect’s disciples had every intention of continuing their pursuit, but they were summoned back by the Bloodthirsty Patriarch. “Don’t bother chasing them. They are just negligible foot-soldiers.”
Ye Jiuge felt that this was a pity. She had initially intended to capture a few disciples to interrogate them.
She prudently led Jun Yichen and the others around in circles. After confirming that no one was chasing them, they finally went back to the Blood-clad Miao’s Sacred Land.