"Life-Devouring Thunder Formation, activate!"

BOOM!

"What is that soun—GYAAAA!"

"…GYAAAA!"

"With this Life-Devouring Thunder Formation, which can kill even advanced Nascent Soul stage cultivators, those two brats should be dead by now, or at best, paralyzed. You three, go check on those kids. If they’re alive, break their cultivation immediately so they can’t resist when we take them out of this alternate realm. Also, grab that demon’s storage ring while you're at it."

"Yes, elder!"

Ruan Xiaoyue’s body was scorched and paralyzed by the sneak attack from the group of cultivators, whom she recognized as members of the Great Thunder Sect by their robes. She never expected that sect to hunt her down into the alternate realm, let alone find her in such a vast place.

She watched as three of the sect’s cultivators approached her and Long Linglu, intending to destroy their cultivation, just as she had overheard. Ruan Xiaoyue, despite her paralysis, forced her body to move, struggling with all her might. Slowly, her paralysis began to lessen.

As she regained more mobility, Ruan Xiaoyue willed her limbs—her legs, arms, and head—to move more freely. When the three cultivators finally reached her, one of them knelt to examine her, preparing to destroy her cultivation with a hand movement.

Summoning all her strength, Ruan Xiaoyue managed to grab the cultivator’s hands and crushed them.

"Why are you—gaaahkk! My hands! Y-you two! H-help me!"

"You brat! Let him go!"

The two Foundation-Building cultivators rained punches and kicks on Ruan Xiaoyue, trying to free their companion, but their blows felt like mere pinches to her. Taking advantage of their distraction, she continued to push her body to the limit, and finally, her paralysis was completely gone.

Ruan Xiaoyue stood up, much to the shock of the three cultivators. As they stood there stunned, she released one of the man’s crushed hands and used her free hand to shove another’s head into the first one’s, smashing their skulls together with a resounding crack.

BAM!

"A m-monster!"

"Silence."

Without missing a beat, Ruan Xiaoyue leaped high into the air, still holding the cultivator whose hands she had crushed. She hurled him with all her might toward the rest of the Great Thunder Sect group, who were gathered nearby.

"Everyone, dodge!"

BAM!

The impact of the flying body killed five or six of the cultivators who hadn’t moved in time, their bodies mangled by the force of the throw. Seeing the group in disarray, Ruan Xiaoyue took the chance to check on Long Linglu, who was still lying on the ground after being struck by the lightning.

"Long Linglu, are you still alive?"

"Ugh… Of course, I’m alive! Just wait a bit, Ruan Xiaoyue. My body’s still a little paralyzed. I can’t move yet. Damn humans, attacking us while we were asleep!"

"Brat! Everyone, don’t panic! We must regroup so we can reactivate the formation! You six, advance and buy us time! We need to activate the Life-Devouring Thunder Formation again! Hurry!"

"Y-yes, Outer Sect Elder!"

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Long Linglu sensed danger as the Great Thunder Sect cultivators began regrouping, pooling their qi to summon an enormous bolt of lightning above their heads. Unable to move freely, Long Linglu called out to Ruan Xiaoyue.

"Ruan Xiaoyue! Stop their formation before they strike us again!"

"Got it!"

As Ruan Xiaoyue charged toward the cultivators, six of them unleashed lightning techniques, rushing at her to buy their elder time to activate the formation. Unfazed by their attacks, which barely affected her, she quickly decapitated all six.

Ignoring the headless bodies spraying blood onto her tattered black robes, Ruan Xiaoyue sprinted toward the main group, led by the Great Thunder Sect elder. Closing the distance, she unleashed a powerful punch, using a technique she had learned from her master.

"All disciples, dodge!"

"Too late. My punch has a wide range. Die!"

THUUUMP!

"Nyam, nyam… Ruan Xiaoyue, your punch is terrifying! I’m pretty sure there were over forty people in that group, but your attack scattered their bodies so badly they’re unrecognizable! Hahaha! Those humans deserved it. How dare they ambush us with such low cultivation! Nyam, nyam... Too bad my body was still paralyzed; otherwise, I would’ve helped slaughter them too for revenge!"

"Shut up, Long Linglu. You’re too loud. Let’s get out of here. We need to head to the ruins. I don’t want us getting ambushed again like this. Fortunately, we’re in the alternate realm, which suppressed their cultivation to the Foundation-Building stage. If they had all been at the Nascent Soul level, we’d be dead. So stop bragging."

"Mm, yeah, yeah, you’re always so serious! Now I can’t enjoy looking at those mangled corpses anymore! Fine, let’s go. Follow me, I’ll show you the way."

"Hey! Wait a minute! Give me one of those fruits; don’t eat it all yourself. I haven’t had breakfast."

"Here, take the fruit. Hurry up and eat it, so we can get moving!"

Grabbing a few fruits from Long Linglu, Ruan Xiaoyue quickly ate them before asking Long Linglu to lead the way. After running for six hours, she finally saw Long Linglu stop at a large, partially buried structure, which she assumed was the ruins she had mentioned.

The ruins looked ancient, overgrown with moss and unrecognizable green plants. Intrigued, she approached the structure, studying its walls, which were covered in strange characters she couldn’t read.

Since she couldn’t decipher the writing, she ignored it and searched the perimeter for an entrance. After running around and even jumping to different parts, she found that the entrance was hidden beneath a collapsed pillar. She descended through the doorway and noticed fresh bloodstains on the stairs leading down.

Ruan Xiaoyue touched the blood, confirming that it was fresh. This made her certain that Sister Xue was inside, hiding and injured. However, instead of continuing down, she turned back to find Long Linglu.

After leaving the entrance, she eventually spotted Long Linglu standing far from the ruins, trembling. Confused, she approached her and asked,

"Long Linglu, why have you been standing here shaking like this? What’s going on?"

"R-Ruan Xiaoyue, let’s go back! My dragon instincts have been screaming danger ever since we arrived here! The aura wasn’t this terrifying the first time I came here! And seeing so many of my former demon allies dead without a scratch only makes it scarier! Let’s leave, I’m really afraid!"

"I’ve been feeling a heightened sense of danger ever since we arrived too, even worse than when we first entered the alternate realm. But I didn’t expect you to be this scared. It seems your dragon instincts are sharp."

"Since you trust my instincts, let’s go back. I’m really terrified. The danger here feels even worse than when I sensed my father’s wrath after one of our dragon clan members died. So, let’s just leave!"

Ruan Xiaoyue didn’t want to leave the ruins. After seeing the fresh bloodstains, she was certain that Sister Xue was inside, wounded and hiding. But seeing Long Linglu so frightened, she decided to hold off on entering.

"I don’t want to leave these ruins because I’m sure Sister Xue is in there, bleeding. I really want to save her, but seeing how scared you are, it’s probably best if I don’t push myself."

"Yeah, let’s just go home. Forget about Xue; I doubt she’s still alive with that terrifying aura inside these ruins."

"Alright, let’s go back. I can’t keep putting us in danger just to save Sister Xue, who might not even be alive. I’ll ask Master for help in saving her, even though it’s embarrassing to request her aid for something that’s supposed to be my problem."

"Yes, exactly. You can ask for Master’s help; after all, you’re her disciple. So, Ruan Xiaoyue, let’s just head ba—"

"You two cannot leave."

As Ruan Xiaoyue listened to Long Linglu, a man's voice suddenly echoed in her ear. Before she could ask Long Linglu whose voice it was, the trees around them morphed rapidly into a vast, dimly lit space, illuminated only by scattered torches.

Confused by the sudden change, Ruan Xiaoyue wanted to ask Long Linglu, who knew more, but she was startled when she saw Long Linglu sitting weakly, staring at something. Out of curiosity, she followed Long Linglu's gaze and saw a coffin beside which stood a man with a transparent body, and behind him, Sister Xue lay motionless on the ground.