MoXiao followed the spirit of the sacred sword until it reached the back part of the palace. The spirit disappeared as it hit the steep rock. MoXiao was a bit confused since he was only using his mortal eyes.
Then he slowly thought about cloaking magic taught to all Tangmen disciples. Reaching out his hand on the steep rocks he closed his eyes and chanted out a spell to break the barrier.
As he expected, the steep rocks were only a mere diversion. A large tunnel revealed itself in front of him. Without hesitation, he went inside and ran into the darkness.
LanRong who was almost blind because of the darkness called out MoXiao loudly. Her hands and feet were chained which made her immobile. The clanking of chains and LanRong's voice echoed inside the tunnel and reached out to MoXiao.
"LanRong! Where are you?! Please clank the chains more so that I can locate you!"
"Alright!"
The chains suppressed LanRong's divine prowess so her energy was drained due to exhaustion and hunger. She never felt hunger and exhaustiom before but now, she must clank the chains in order for MoXiao to find her or else…
The tunnel was pitch black and because of it, MoXiao thought that there maybe some trap set somewhere.
'In case LanRong and I wouldn't make it alive here, I'd better use my divine prowess for his highness Wei to locate us.'
Concentrating his mind, MoXiao slowly conjured his divine weapon and afterwards revealed his divine prowess. The divine aura reached up to BeiYin and Wei Yue but… It also had reached Cao XiuCai who was behaving indifferently at the palace. As he saw where the aura was coming from, he raised a brow and gave Bian Hui an eye.
"He already found her Hui Su… What do we do?"
"Let me face him my Emperor… I thirst for immortal blood right now."
"Alright. I give you my permission."
Bian Hui fled into the night turning into a giant vulture heading where MoXiao displayed his prowess. The clanking of the chains grew more louder. LanRong's voice was already near.
As LanRong saw the faint light coming from MoXiao's divine prowess, tears fell from her eyes. She even cried more as MoXiao set her free from the chains and picked her up. Her clothes were almost tore into shreds and ragged due to the dirt.
"Forgive me MoXiao… I never should've tried to impress you… I—"
"No LanRong… It's me whose at fault. I never should've turned away even for a second knowing that I may lose you in a blink."
"MoXiao… MoXiao… I am sorry."
She cried like never before. LanRong felt guilty putting MoXiao in such a state. She thought that she had made him worry and now, they are stuck inside this long and winding tunnel without hope of ever going back.
"I promise… We'll go outside safely. I promise LanRong."
MoXiao rushed running through the winding pathways without even looking back until, they caught a glimpse of the entrance's light yet… There was someone standing blocking the entrance.
"You! Why are you here? Are you with us?"
"It's my lucky day. I never knew his highness trapped two immortals."
"Move aside or I'll never spare you any mercy."
"Hah. Alright. Show me no mercy…"
The lady slowly drew her weapon from her side. Her weapon was shining so MoXiao assumed that she was an immortal because she possessed a divine weapon but it occurred to him…
'If she's an immortal, why isn't she fighting me with her divine prowess… Isn't this… No… That divine weapon…'
"What's the matter? Afraid fighting a lady?"
"No. But may I ask you... That divine weapon you're holding isn't yours right? You stole it."
"So what if I stole it? Why do you care?"
"All I know is that the divine weapon and the master that it serves cannot be separated… Only death can separate the two… Don't tell me…"
"Yes. I've killed and hunted immortals. Haha. Satisfied now? If I may, I will have both of your heads. You'll never make it out this tunnel alive."
The lady sheathed her weapon and pointed it to MoXiao. MoXiao made sure that LanRong is safe so he lured out the enemy outside the tunnel executing successive attacks.
"LanRong... Run outside and go back to the palace. Find her highness BeiYin and his highness Wei Yue!"
"Yes!"
MoXiao's poleaxe and Bian Hui's hammer collided with force making the night sky glow everytime their weapon meets each other. It was as if colorful strokes of lightning trace the sky whenever their weapons clash. Booming sound could also be heard during their clash which made the civilians of Shui Guo worry.
————————
Returning from below the sword pool, Wei Yue carried a scroll with him given to him by the guardian.
'This scroll is the answer to what my grandmother was looking for and also… The cure for the Waves of the Nether.'
Wei Yue looked up at the night sky and saw traces of lightning that came with rumbling sounds. He focused more and saw that the lightning was no ordinary lightning. It was MoXiao and a veiled lady lighting up the night sky with their clashes.
"No… MoXiao! No! Don't use too much of your prowess!"
Wei Yue hurriedly ran heading for the interior of the palace to find BeiYin but unexpectedly ran to LanRong who was in a bad shape with torn clothing, messy hair and dirty face.
"LanRong! Where have you been?"
"Your highness!"
LanRong cried and fell on her knees. She doesn't have the strength to stand up anymore. She's hungry as ever and her clothes looked like she's made into a beggar.
"Come. I'll take you to a safe place."
Without another word, Wei Yue carried her on his back no matter how smelly and dirty he'd get. LanRong felt guilty making the Emperor carry her on his back and wanted to retort and walk instead.
"Your highness. I am smelly and dirty please let me walk on my own."
"You have been missing for a day and MoXiao wants to see you in a perfect condition. I cannot risk your health or else MoXiao would get very angry at me."
With teary eyes, LanRong wiped her tears with her dirty hand and nodded her head. "Enn."
——————
As the hammer and the poleaxe met for the last time, MoXiao and Bian Hui panthed short of breath. Their battle lasted for half an hour nonstop which made their endurance decreased due to the time that they had allotted and effort that they made.
"Tell me… What happened with the absolute divine law where mortals that murder immortals would be put into trial?"
"Heh. The ones that I serve are immortals too. The higher ones. Do you think they'd stand their faithful servant be trampled by a feeble law? Of course they'd give me special treatment. They'd give the White Snake Order their blessing."
"High Immortals?! How… How preposterous! You're lying!"
"Does this look like I'm lying?"
Bian Hui raised her left hand and MoXiao's eyes grew. There, marked on the back of her hand was the mark especially endowed to the ones who have the same rank of his mother in the ninth heaven.
"What? Afraid now? This mark makes me more powerful than you. If I have your head now and that girl from behind you, I'll be the most powerful warrior in the order of the White Snake!"
MoXiao gritted his teeth and gripped his divine weapon tightly.
"You're just a phony trying to be the best around everyone else. Let me see… What if I trim your wings before you can even use them?"
"W—What?"
A large boom filled the night sky as MoXiao's weapon turned from golden into obsidian. It's tip was painted in crimson like fresh blood. The night sky turned from black into deep red.
Wei Yue had already turned in LanRong to the maidservants and gasped as he saw the night sky.
"No Moxiao! Stop!"