The patch of ground directly overhead suddenly collapsed, a massive, dense weight pressing down on Ji Changkong, jarring him abruptly out of that marvelous state.

Focusing his vision, he saw the area imprisoning the experts from Blood Rain Mountain had sunk a full ten zhang into the earth. The stone slabs that had originally stood above their heads were now widely separated from those people. Moreover, the sinking of the land had caused shifts in the surface topography, diverting every single sharp sword that had been aimed squarely at their skulls.

The violent tremors emanating from the deep earth were palpable, to some degree, to any high-level Celestial Master. Lan Lin and Luo Hongxue, hidden deep within the dense woods, remained cautiously vigilant for any interference. The sudden chaos in the subterranean elemental energy immediately put them on high alert, prompting them to organize personnel to investigate below ground.

The subterranean setup had originally been devised by Zheng Jieshi, the Island Master of Sunset Glow Island. With Zheng Jieshi absent, few could navigate the underground passage unimpeded. Sensing the descent of several Earth Element Celestial Masters, Ji Changkong rapidly ascended from the depths beneath.

Meanwhile, on the surface, Huangfu Tong and her group patiently continued their drawn-out negotiations with Liu Yunhaifeng.

Liu Yunhaifeng was in no hurry. In his view, the Dark King and Zheng Jieshi could return at any moment. Once those few Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters arrived, Huangfu Tong and her party would be helpless. Zheng Jieshi could certainly utilize his power to whisk away all those imprisoned underground once more.

Receiving a subtle signal from Li Hentian, Huangfu Tong used the pretext of consulting her companions to move over to where Li Hentian and Mu Luo stood. From Li Hentian, she learned of Ji Changkong’s movements. Hope flared in Huangfu Tong’s heart, and she, too, settled into patience.

Thus, the two parties continued their tedious back-and-forth regarding the terms of release, neither impatient nor agitated, never quite touching the main issue, and neither losing control of their emotions.

They were all waiting. Liu Yunhaifeng waited for the arrival of the Dark King and Zheng Jieshi; Huangfu Tong waited for news of Ji Changkong from the depths of the dense woods.

A dragon’s roar suddenly split the air, echoing from the heart of the dense forest. The cry was vibrant and rhythmic, resonating throughout the entire world. Both the guards like Luo Hongxue deep in the woods, and the party of Liu Yunhaifeng and Huangfu Tong engaged in their stalling tactics, heard that piercing sound.

The difference was stark: Liu Yunhaifeng’s face was a mask of horror, while Huangfu Tong’s eyes shone with wild ecstasy!

“Liu Yunhaifeng, you deserve death!” The surprise in Huangfu Tong’s eyes vanished instantly, and she abruptly struck out, streaks of scorching fire light shooting toward Liu Yunhaifeng like a rainbow.

In the clear blue sky, it seemed as if meteors streaked across the heavens, dazzling in their splendor.

Liu Yunhaifeng barely hesitated. The instant the roar sounded from the dense woods, he bolted toward it. Behind him, beams of light, like chasing meteors, pursued him relentlessly.

“Go in!” Li Hentian commanded softly, rushing toward the depths of the woods.

Mu Luo, Gui Die, Gui Hai, and the other Ghost Sect masters followed without question, shadows flitting through the dense foliage of the forest. Due to their incredible speed, dark, eerie shadows flashed across the ground, lending the woods an added chill of grim menace.

Liao Zhenshu, Murong Tuo, Chen Yihui, and the others paused briefly before also taking flight like great birds toward the forest.

Deep in the woods.

Luo Hongxue and Lan Lin were slightly flustered, directing the Celestial Masters who could venture underground to survey the situation below. Liu Yunhaifeng suddenly streaked in from outside, shouting in panic, “Help me!”

Luo Hongxue and Lan Lin looked up and immediately noticed the long, trailing tails behind Liu Yunhaifeng. These two, not having any secret schemes against him, moved to intercept Huangfu Tong’s attack on his behalf.

“Li Hentian, Huangfu Tong, get over here! Someone is tampering with the underground prison! Attack, kill everyone below!” Upon seeing the immediate danger pass, Liu Yunhaifeng’s face darkened, his eyes wild, as he roared into the forest depths.

The experts of Flowing Cloud Sand standing on the stone slabs obeyed only Liu Yunhaifeng’s command. Hearing this, they acted without thought, collectively applying force to the slabs and driving the massive stones deeper into the earth.

However, they soon realized something was amiss.

Based on the original distance between the slabs and the prisoners below, their combined downward force should have reached the bottom instantly. Yet, at this moment, they discovered the distance between the slabs and the floor of the pit seemed much greater; their collective push did not meet the sensation of solid, unyielding ground.

“Ugh… someone… there’s someone underground…”

An Earth Element Celestial Master, his face smeared with blood, emerged halfway from the ground beneath Liu Yunhaifeng’s feet, his expression one of sheer terror, blood spittle bubbling from his mouth as he spoke.

“Ah…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the Earth Element Celestial Master suddenly screamed in terror. He thrashed his arms wildly, seemingly trying to claw his way out of the earth’s depths, but his body was slowly being dragged back down.

Anyone could see: someone underground had him firmly grasped, pulling him deeper!

“Ji Changkong!” Luo Hongxue shouted excitedly, preparing to strike. But before he could launch an attack, the body of the Flowing Cloud Sand Celestial Master suddenly vanished into the depths.

That patch of ground remained as smooth as glass, without the slightest crack.

The despair and helplessness on the man’s face, just before his head disappeared beneath the surface, were indelibly imprinted on the minds of all the onlookers.

“Go! Li Hentian is here! If we don’t leave now, none of us will escape!” Lan Lin shrieked, yelling to the Celestial Masters who had come with her from Lanrou Garden.

Luo Hongxue, who had been intent on finding a way to descend and exchange blood with Ji Changkong, suddenly recognized the imminent danger upon hearing Lan Lin’s cry. He gave the ground below one lingering, reluctant glance, sighed heavily, and left with Lan Lin and Liu Yunhaifeng.

Centered around this patch of dense forest, figures shot skyward, flying off in all directions.

Celestial Masters who had reached the Seven Star Heaven realm held an absolute advantage in escape, something Celestial Masters below that level could hardly match.

When a person is desperately trying to save their own life, they often unleash astonishing potential—Earth Evasion, Water Evasion, forcibly drawing power from severed limbs… they employed every method available to flee the woods as quickly as possible.

However, those who could escape easily were few. For those unable to break the void and soar, the arrival of Li Hentian’s party was nothing short of a nightmare.

Deep within the woods, a slaughter was underway—blood sprayed, and wretched cries filled the air.

Soon, the enemy forces who had not managed to escape were wiped out completely under the combined efforts of several Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters. Even the tender green leaves of the trees turned dark red, and the thick smell of blood caused some women to frown deeply.

Crack, crack, crack!

The massive stone slabs that were supposed to have ended the lives of those imprisoned below suddenly began to shatter into small pieces. Streams of blood-soaked figures emerged from the broken fragments.

Ji Changkong, his head covered in dust, pushed the slab off himself, looked up with a wry smile, and called out, “A little help, please, move these broken rocks away.”

Chen Yihui, Bai Tuhai, and the Ghost Sect masters worked together and swiftly cleared the stone slabs, which had been sunken more than halfway into the earth.

Dozens of zhang below, He Haoran, Baili Da, and others were lying unconscious in a vast stone chamber.

“Where are He Yunfei and Zhao Chuanjiang?” Huangfu Tong scanned the area below, her expression shifting slightly.

He Yunfei and Zhao Chuanjiang were the Eight Trigrams Celestial Masters backing the He family and Flowing Cloud Sand, and they were well-acquainted with Huangfu Tong. Finding these two was a major objective for Huangfu Tong’s group, yet they were absent from the scene.

“He Yunfei and Zhao Chuanjiang are both at the Eight Trigrams Celestial realm; even if afflicted by Celestial God’s Drunkenness, they would wake up first. Those two… they must have woken up long ago. If they adamantly refused to cooperate with Liu Yunhaifeng’s faction, they might have already met a terrible end…” Liao Zhenshu, the Sect Master of Moon Splendor Sect, sighed lightly, lamenting the situation.

“Changkong, we truly owe you for this time,” Chen Yihui said gratefully.

Shaking his head, Ji Changkong helped the still-unconscious He Haoran up. “This was what I was meant to do anyway. Everyone, examine them and see if we can rouse them.”

“It’s not Celestial God’s Drunkenness; this is a slow-acting poison refined by the Ten Thousand Poisons Gate,” Li Hentian stated decisively after casually helping one person up and examining their eyelids.

“As long as it’s not Celestial God’s Drunkenness, it’s manageable. Leave the matter of detoxification to our Huangfu family.” Huangfu Tong declared. As the royal house of Water Cloud Garden and one of the foremost Celestial Master families in the realm, the Huangfu family possessed rare and miraculous antidotes. Her words indicated her confidence in reviving everyone.

Li Hentian nodded and said to Ji Changkong, “Changkong, let’s go up first. Leave the rest underground for the Huangfu family to handle.”

Many family members who had descended to survey the situation understood the implication and wisely emerged from the underground, yielding the space to the Huangfu family.

Detoxification processes often carry certain taboos; the methods employed by the Huangfu family likely required privacy, as sometimes a cure demands not just medicine but also special secret techniques, which often need to be strictly guarded.

“Changkong, you don’t need to worry about things down here. With Huangfu Tong and the others here, and the Blood Rain Mountain experts rescued, the aftermath doesn’t require your attention. Come with me to Tianshan,” Li Hentian said softly after ascending.

“What for?” Ji Changkong asked.

“The Grand Void Secret Record you possess is only the first volume, correct? It only contains the cultivation methods for realms from One Yuan Heaven up to Seven Star Heaven?”

A sharp light flashed in his eyes. “Old Li, what are you suggesting?”

“The second volume of the Grand Void Secret Record is in Tianshan. I’m taking you there to claim the latter half that belongs to you.” Li Hentian replied.