Chapter Fifty-Four: The Hidden Passage Beneath the Hall

Unable to hear the telepathic conversation between Yu Youwei and the little white bear, in Ning Baixia’s eyes, she simply seemed dazed. He couldn’t help but ask with concern, “Are you hurt?” His arm remained firmly around her waist as his other hand pressed against her palm, channeling a surge of scorching magical power into her, checking her condition.

She looked up at the sound of his voice, meeting those deep, obsidian eyes, and for a brief moment, Yu Youwei was lost in them.

It was easy to read the concern in Ning Baixia’s gaze—and to know it was not the concern a man would have for a sister-in-law alone. Being held by him brought more peace than being in Ning Mofei’s arms ever had. Even though their faces were strikingly similar, the light in Ning Baixia’s eyes was something that fool could never possess. Through the thin fabric of their clothes, she could feel the strength and tautness of his body—a stark contrast to Mofei’s softer build.

“Third Brother, it’s a good thing you were here, or I’d be gone by now.” She gently pushed Ning Baixia away, leaving his embrace without a trace of reluctance. Priceless treasures are easy to find; a devoted heart is not. After all she had experienced in her previous life, if she could choose again between Ning Baixia and Ning Mofei, she would still choose Ning Mofei. The fool might not understand love, but at least she would never have to fear her feelings going unanswered.

Ning Baixia’s eyes dimmed, and he returned to his usual frosty demeanor, saying curtly, “Let’s go.”

The little white bear proved remarkably efficient; in this short span, it had already coaxed the Crimson Flame Sword to burst from its confines and merge with Qinglin, transforming into a bracelet that now encircled Yu Youwei’s wrist. Without revealing her thoughts, she pressed a drop of her essence blood onto the Crimson Flame Sword. In a flash of crimson light, she felt as if her blood was now linked to the sword. Then, a wild and unruly voice echoed in her mind: “The name’s Crimson Flame. Don’t bother me when you have nothing to do. Don’t bother me even if you do.” She was left speechless—were all spirit beasts and blood-bound artifacts this arrogant these days?

At the instant the Crimson Flame Sword broke free, the altar collapsed with a thunderous crash. The passage they’d entered by was also destroyed, and the ground shook violently, splitting open to reveal a fissure from which water began to flow silently. Skull-shaped objects floated up, glowing with a ghostly green phosphorescence that lit the entire cavern in a spectral light.

The black shamans kneeling around the altar all spat blood and dropped lifeless to the ground, easily slaughtered by the cultivators from Jiangning Prefecture. The black shaman priest atop the altar spewed a jet of blood and vanished suddenly.

Ning Baixia and Yu Youwei were closest, but neither saw how the priest disappeared. They only noticed a dark tunnel revealed between the fallen skulls, and neither saw the little white bear darting into it.

“There’s a tunnel!” Yu Youwei also spotted the passage and leaned in to look. A cold, damp wind carrying the scent of death wafted up from the depths, sending a chill through her. The cavern suddenly filled with the howling of wind, as if ten thousand ghosts were wailing, and she felt her skin crawl. The little thunder eagle landed at her neck, evidently frightened.

“Let’s move!” Instinct told her they shouldn’t linger in this eerie cavern, and the original way back was even more dangerous. Ning Baixia, ever forceful, grabbed Yu Youwei and pulled her into the tunnel. The siblings Xiang Cunxu and Xiang Bingfeng followed, the rest close behind.

“The tunnel is about to collapse. We need to hurry,” called Ning Ninth Lord from the rear.

Water quickly rose above their heads, but Ning Baixia pressed on unfazed, dragging Yu Youwei along like a fish swimming toward the eastern gate. Behind them, Xiang Bingfeng’s jealous gaze fixed on his hand holding Yu Youwei’s.

The tunnel twisted downward as icy water surged in, roaring and echoing through the silence. Soon, it flooded over the party, filling the entire passage. The roaring subsided, replaced by a profound silence and cold that seemed to swallow them whole, their powers suppressed—no matter how strong, everyone was reduced to the initial stage of Qi Refining.

Dark undercurrents spun into shadowy holes, and Ning Baixia deftly steered Yu Youwei clear of them. At first, she thought he was simply being cautious—until, glancing back, she saw a figure twenty meters behind. Just as this person rounded a corner, they were wordlessly swallowed by one of the black holes. She felt her blood run cold.

The water temperature slowly rose, and as the frequency of those strange voids decreased, Ning Baixia quickened his pace, his expression growing even more grave. Yu Youwei realized they were nearing a magma lake, and even he was unsure if they would make it through.

“Woe is me! Lord Bear is about to become the first divine beast boiled alive! Bah, what rotten luck!” The little white bear’s agitated voice suddenly rang out. Ning Baixia started violently, nearly unleashing a deadly blow, but Yu Youwei quickly stopped him with a hand on his wrist. “Did I hear that right? That black shaman is a divine beast!” His icy façade cracked again, and he excitedly sent a message to Yu Youwei through their spiritual connection.

“You’re hearing things,” Yu Youwei replied calmly.

A massive fissure yawned before them, billowing red light and scorching heat. The dark water from the tunnel poured into the glow and evaporated at once. The black shaman priest who’d rushed ahead was nowhere to be seen—only a stalagmite stood at the edge of the rift, and the cowardly little white bear clung desperately to its tip.

Ning Baixia and Yu Youwei were swept from the tunnel by the current and simultaneously drew their swords, stabbing into the stalagmite. Hearing a cracking sound at its base and seeing the terrifying red glow, they shouted in unison, “Everyone stay in the tunnel, don’t come out! This stalagmite is about to break—pull us back in, quickly!”

With a clang, Xiang Cunxu, just swept to the tunnel mouth by the current, slashed his blade at the left wall. The blade slipped off, failing to penetrate, and a strange black hole appeared behind him without warning. His arm was swallowed, and in a desperate move, he severed it himself, but was still swept by the water into the red light.

Hot on his heels, Xiang Bingfeng produced a horn-shaped artifact and clung to the tunnel ceiling like a bat. Though she had the chance to save her brother, she selfishly watched him be swept away.

The base of the stalagmite groaned and cracked ominously. Yu Youwei had no time to rejoice over Xiang Cunxu’s rescue, only terror as the stalagmite began to tip.

“It’s over—Lord Bear is doomed, and I’ll die hungry!” wailed the little white bear in despair.

Ning Baixia shuddered in fright. His grip loosened, and he was swept into the red light by the current. The instant the red glow swallowed him, fire clouds surged beneath his feet, lifting him back to the stalagmite’s side, but with their powers so heavily suppressed, even this left his magic nearly spent.

“If you have the energy to whine, put it toward finding a way out. And one more thing—if anyone besides Mofei or Third Brother learns you can talk, I’ll turn you into roasted suckling pig. Skinned, nobody could tell if you were a bear cub or a piglet,” Yu Youwei threatened, exasperated. It was a warning to both the little white bear and Ning Baixia.

For no reason, Ning Baixia felt a chill run through him, but, for once, managed a joke: “Such a pitiful divine beast—perhaps the most exceptional of its kind.”

“Your sister! Everyone bullies Lord Bear,” the little white bear grumbled resentfully, but dared not speak again.