In the nick of time, the jade pendant on Zhu Yao's neck emitted a white light, and Yu Yan flew out from inside, summoning his spiritual sword and attacked towards the mystic beast.
Zhu Yao's body relaxed, the pressure was completely dispersed, only then did she regain her breathing.
"A Demigod stage practitioner!" The old man's expression changed, and was filled with utter disbelief. "Impossible. How could a Demigod stage practitioner appear here? Just who the hell are you?"
"Your grandma!" Zhu Yao once again raised her own sword.
"You…" The old man was extremely furious, his face had turned pale. He took a deep breath, as though he was trying to suppress his own anger. Only after a moment did he laugh coldly. "Little girly, don't be too complacent. Do you really believe that with a Demigod- tage practitioner here, you're able to beat me? All of you shall die here."
"What do you mean?" She suddenly had a bad premonition.
The old man snorted coldly. "Who do you think this ruin belong to?"
Zhu Yao was instantly stunned.
The old man began to laugh even more arrogantly. "It was simply a coincidence for this old man to obtain this Wood Spirit, however, because of someone's plot, I died. And then, it just happened that my soul was absorbed into this mustard seed dimensional space that fell from the Higher Realm. And by fate and coincidence, I then dwelled in this ruin. That sealed mystic beast is the owner of this place."
"What did you say?" Zhu Yao's heart tightened.
"That's a mystic beast that came from the Higher Realm. Do you think a mere Demigod stage practitioner from the cultivation world can go against a divine beast that came from the Higher Realm?"
Master…
Zhu Yao raised her head towards the sky, yet, she was unable to see the figures of her master or the mystic beast, she was only able to see occasional black and white specks of light flashing past. She could not help but feel a little flustered. In the cultivation world, a demonic beast required to reach the eleventh rank, comparable to a late Demigod stage practitioner, and experience the Ascension Lightning Tribulation, before being able to ascend to the Divine Realm. If this mystic beast came from the Higher Realm, then it was at least an eleventh rank mystic beast. However, in usual situations, she would never believe that her master would lose, however, currently, her master only had a part of his divine sense, he was basically unable to use his full strength.
"Hahaha..." The old man laughed very complacently. "Little girly, when up against this mystic beast, you people have completely no chance of victory."
Zhu Yao's heart tightened, and stared at that gloating old man, flames of fury began to rise within her. Haaah, this hot temper of mine!
She did not care what she was holding onto with her hand, and simply threw it towards him with a swing of her hand. With a 'Dong' sound, it landed right on target.
With a 'bu' sound, the old man smashed onto the ground.
"I don't have any chance at victory against that thing, however, I have all I need to deal with you."
When Zhu Yao got angry, she forgot all of the Arts and Techniques she had. Raising her fists, she began to pummel them at the old man's face. "This is what you get for being a big mouth! This is what you get for speaking nonsense!"
The old man seemed to have never expected that she would be so unclassy and directly use her fists either, and he basically had completely no way to retaliate. In just a few moments, his head were all filled with buns from her bashing.
"Aiyo, aiya, I'm dying, I'm dying, I'm dying! Stop!"
"Only your sister would stop, you're already dead. I don't mind if you were to die even more thoroughly." Zhu Yao began to bash with even more force, and neither did she forget to step on his butt with her feet, strongly grinding them a few times. You damn gay old man!
"Little girly, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts… How can you do this to an old man… Aiyo, gentler, gentler!"
"Speak. How can we seal that mystic beast again?"
"I don't know that either."
"So you're not telling?" She continued her bashing, her target, was his face!
"Aiyo, little girly, young lady, gentler! I'm dying, I'm dying!"
"So are you going to speak?"
"I… I really don't know!"
Continue bashing…
"Even if you beat me to death, I wouldn't know either."
"Then why is it that, earlier, when we entered, it did not break out of the seal?"
"This… I don't know either." The old man felt like crying. "After I was trapped in these ruins, I regretted. Because, no one could get past that formation on the door. I had waited for several tens of thousands of years, and there were countless people who had arrived outside the door. Yet, all of them were eaten by that mystic beast. You people were the first to enter here."
Zhu Yao recalled Xiao Yi's protagonist cheat, and determined that what this old man said was not false. Could it really be that only he could enter this place? Zhu Yao picked the chest that the old man dropped at the side.
The Wood Spirit was still staying inside obediently.
"Little sapling, I'm bringing you out of here. Are you willing to follow me?"
"Chick~" The Wood Spirit in the chest raised its branches, doing a cheering action.
At that moment, Zhu Yao found some comfort. Picking up the sword on the ground, she raised her head and looked towards the sky. If they were unable to beat it, then she would flee with her master. She had already found the thing she needed anyway.
As to something like reputation… What's that? Can it be eaten?
Zhu Yao took a big step forward, yet, suddenly, a golden light shone at the side. Turning her head to look, Xiao Yi's body was currently emitting out a golden-coloured light. A golden-coloured layer suddenly floated out of his body, slowly forming into the shape of a sword.
The colour of that sword was actually extremely unusual. It was dyed entirely in red, just like fresh, flowing blood.
"Metal Spirit!" The old man who had just crawled up, looked at that sword with a shocked expression. "This… This is the Metal Spirit! But… Why is it red?"
That's the Metal Spirit? Zhu Yao had always known that Xiao Yi managed to comprehend his Sword Intent because of his possession of the Metal Spirit. However, only now did she know that the Metal Spirit was actually sword-shaped as well. But, clearly, Xiao Yi was still unconscious, so why would the Metal Spirit appear by itself? And it did not seem to be very friendly.
The light emitting out from the Metal Spirit became even brighter, and its colour was still that unusual red. It was formed by the spiritualization of spiritual energy in the first place, so it should have been the purest and cleanest existence in the world. However, it's current state, forget about purity, it looked as though it was demonized.
"Chick?" The little sapling seemed to have been infected by that red aura as well, and it's initial white and tender branches were slowly dyed in red, even its green leaves were beginning to change in colour. After shaking for a moment, it actually floated up, and flew towards the Metal Spirit.
That Metal Spirit was calling out to it!
"Little sapling!" Zhu Yao called out, however, the Wood Spirit did not have a single reaction. As though it had been mesmerized, it continued to float towards the Metal Spirit.
In a panic, Zhu Yao kept the Wood Spirit within her own divine sense, isolating it from the outside world.
Only then did the redness on the Wood Spirit's body begin to fade, returning to its initial color. Because of this short moment, it seemed to have tired itself out excessively, the entire sapling curled, slowly shrinking into a ball.
Zhu Yao's instincts were telling her, there was something wrong with that Metal Spirit.
The Metal Spirit which had lost its guiding target, became even more violent, and began to take in a large amount of metal spiritual energy from the surroundings. In an instant, stones and sand flew, the surrounding air began to surge, and even the sky began to sway.
"Not good, the formation here has been broken." The old man's figure began to fade for a bit.
Amidst this, a bang was heard. A mystic beast fell from the sky, and it's gigantic figure was covered entirely in blood. Immediately after, a white figure flew down as well, his clothes were as white as snow, and was not tainted in the least.
"Master." Zhu Yao instantly heaved a sigh of relief, and could not help but step forward and praise him.
Yu Yan coldly said. "Leave this place."
Zhu Yao's sprinting steps paused, and after a careful look did she realize that her master's presence was very unstable, and even his figure had begun to fade.
"Master…" He was injured.
While that demonic beast had stood up once again, it's entire body emitted out an even stronger pressure than before, roaring as it charged towards Yu Yan. As though it had been utterly angered, it's pair of bloody-red eyes stared straight at him.
Just as it was about to pounce over, the sky and ground suddenly shook. Earlier, what Zhu Yao saw was a barren land in front of her, and when the scenery changed again, they were actually still standing in the ruins.
The palace was collapsing at the speed visible to the naked eyes, and a ray of golden light surged upwards, breaking through the ceiling and rushed straight towards the sky. The metal spiritual energy from all directions drew towards that pillar of light.
The mystic beast seemed to have caught itself within that pillar of light, and was unable to stand steadily. Hence, it could only jump to and fro, leaving the radius of the pillar of light.
"Metal Spirit?" Raising his head to look at the pillar of light which suddenly appeared, Yu Yan began to frown deeply.
He formed a hand-seal with a single hand, yet, he did not attack, rather, he summoned a flying sword. He still did not turn his head back, and simply said this with a tone that was filled with sternness he had never used till then. "Fly out of this place with this sword. This sword will protect you until you reach the entrance of the secret realm."
"Master?"
"The metal spiritual energy particles have gone berserk, I'm afraid this entire Secret Realm might even sink under them." Yu Yan said. "Remember to fly out with all of your strength, do not hesitate!"
"Then what about you, master?" Clearly, he was already injured.
Yu Yan finally turned around, stretching his hand, he stroked her head, carrying that face which was still as cold as ever. "Hurry and leave. I'm just a thread of divine sense. Even if I disappear, there wouldn't be a problem."
"How could you be fine?" Are you taking me as a three-year-old child? One's divine sense originated from the real body, and was a part of one's soul. If one's soul was missing, how could the real body be fine? "If master isn't going, I'm not going either."
"Be obedient." Yu Yan's expression sank. "Master will wait for you at Jade Forest Peak."
"Lies! I'm not a child, you know!"
It looked as though Yu Yan was about to say something, however, the mystic beast had already charged out of the metal spiritual energy's grasp, persistently pouncing towards Yu Yan.
The hell, this damn hateful little animal.
"Hurry and leave!" Yu Yan waved his hand, and Zhu Yao had already been sent dozens of meters away, as he turned around and took it on.
That spiritual sword that had been summoned by Yu Yan, stopped right before Zhu Yao.
Zhu Yao tightly clenched her fists. She was basically unable to help at all, however, she was unable to leave behind her master and go off alone.
There must be another way.
After looking around the surroundings, she realized, that old man whose head had turned Buddha-like after being bashed by her, was carrying Xiao Yi and sneakily moving towards a pillar on the right.
"Damn gay old man." Zhu Yao picked up a rock, and threw towards him. With a 'pa' sound, she struck on target.
"Aiyo!" The old man cried out. "Little girly, I have already given you the Wood Spirit, what else do you want?"
"Why are you being so sneaky for?"
The old man's expression changed, yet, it instantly returned to normal. "Hoho, little girly, you have misunderstood me. I was simply afraid that this kid would get injured, so I pulled him out."
Zhu Yao did not believe in the slightest, and coldly stared at him. Hugging her fist, she strongly cracked it, emitting out a crackle. Are you telling or not?
The old man swallowed his saliva, and only then did he answer honestly. "Uh… Little girly. Look, that berserk Metal Spirit doesn't seem it will stop anytime soon, and instead, will charge right out of the secret realm. When that time comes, the secret realm will collapse. If, by then, the Metal Spirit still doesn't stop, there might be a possibility that it will implicate the entire cultivation world. I see that Demigod stage practitioner has a high cultivation level, if he were to make a gamble with his full strength, he might be able to stop it…"
Zhu Yao ruthlessly stared at him.
The old man's shrunk his neck. "Uh… I'm saying that under this pillar, incidentally, there's a teleportation formation. Although it's unusable now, if this Secret Realm collapses, or when the disturbance of the metal spiritual energy reaches its peak, the natural laws of this place might slacken for a moment, and when that time comes, we can be automatically transferred out of here."