13: Chapter 13: You even broke through to a higher level in the middle of battle?

The mine tunnel was very deep.

Xiao Ran walked down the narrow passage, holding a ball of Devilish Qi for illumination.

The further he went, the stronger the smell of blood became.

Dragged bloodstains began to appear on the ground, along with scattered rubble—clearly, an intense fight had occurred here.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a light appeared ahead.

Xiao Ran extinguished the Devilish Qi, held his breath, and quietly crept forward.

The light was coming from a branching cave.

He pressed himself against the edge of the cave entrance and looked inside.

The cave wasn't large, about three zhang square.

A bonfire was lit in the center of the cave, its flames illuminating the entire space.

Tie Shan lay beside the bonfire, covered in blood and unconscious. However, his chest was still rising and falling; he should still be alive.

Opposite Tie Shan sat a figure.

No, it wasn't a person.

The creature had a wolf's head and a human body, covered entirely in grayish-black fur.

At this moment, it had its back to the entrance, holding a piece of bloody raw meat and biting into it greedily.

The Yao Race.

And judging by its Aura... Foundation Establishment Late Stage, close to Golden Core.

Xiao Ran's pupils constricted.

No wonder Tie Shan was no match for it.

For a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Body Cultivator to face a Yao who was at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage and on the verge of a Breakthrough to Golden Core, being able to hold out until now was already impressive.

What now?

Fight it head-on?

He was at the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage; against a Foundation Establishment Late Stage Yao, he wasn't sure if his chances of winning were high.

Call for help? There wasn't enough time.

Retreat?

Then Tie Shan would definitely die.

While he was hesitating, the wolf demon suddenly stopped chewing and its nose twitched.

"Hmm? The scent of a human..."

The wolf demon turned its head, revealing a pair of crimson eyes.

It saw Xiao Ran.

"Another one here to die."

The wolf demon grinned, exposing a mouthful of fangs: "Just as well, that one just now wasn't enough to eat."

It stood up, over two meters tall, with muscles bulging.

Xiao Ran took a deep breath, knowing he couldn't avoid this.

Then... fight!

He stepped into the cave, a black vortex emerging in his palm: "Release my man, and I can spare your life."

"Spare my life?"

"A mere Foundation Establishment Mid Stage human dares to talk such big talk? Just as well, I haven't eaten a devil cultivator yet; I hear their flesh and blood are very nourishing..."

The wolf demon looked as if it had heard the world's funniest joke.

Before it finished speaking, it had already pounced!

Its speed was startlingly fast!

Xiao Ran only saw a gray shadow flash by, and the wolf claws were already at his face!

"Ghost Shadow Step!"

Xiao Ran shouted lowly, his body flickering, leaving three afterimages in place.

The wolf claws shredded the afterimages, and the wolf demon was stunned.

Now!

Xiao Ran appeared at the wolf demon's side, his right hand's vortex fully activated as he struck toward the wolf demon's abdomen!

"Essence Devouring Art!"

A terrifying suction force exploded!

The wolf demon gave a muffled groan, feeling the demonic energy in its body surge uncontrollably toward the opponent's palm.

It was shocked and retreated violently, but a large chunk of flesh and blood had already been sucked away from its abdomen.

"You... what kind of Cultivation Technique is this?"

The wolf demon was both shocked and enraged.

"The technique that will take your life."

Xiao Ran sneered; it turned out the strength of the Yao Race was only so-so!

So what else was there to say?

Xiao Ran decisively lunged forward.

This time, he no longer held back.

The Guixu Body operated at full power, a black vortex manifesting behind him, frantically devouring the surrounding Devilish Qi and the demonic energy leaking from the wolf demon.

The wolf demon became more alarmed as the fight went on.

This devil cultivator in front of it clearly had a lower Realm, but his Cultivation Technique was lethally bizarre.

With every clash, it would lose a portion of its demonic energy, while the opponent fought more and more courageously.

If they kept fighting like this...

It would die!

"Roar!!!"

"Unacceptable!"

The wolf demon roared, its fur standing on end and its Aura skyrocketing!

It was going to risk everything!

Xiao Ran's expression changed.

He could feel the wolf demon's Aura instantly break through to the Golden Core Early Stage!

Even if it was only temporary, Golden Core was Golden Core, fundamentally different from Foundation Establishment!

"Damn, I played it too far..."

"I, a freaking Genius, haven't even broken through in the middle of a battle, yet you, a lowly wolf demon, actually managed to break through."

Xiao Ran gritted his teeth and complained, his mind racing to think of a countermeasure.

Fighting head-on definitely wouldn't work.

Run? He couldn't run fast while carrying Tie Shan.

Call for help? Zhao Ying was at the cave entrance, but for a Foundation Establishment cultivator, coming in would just be suicide.

What to do?

At this critical moment, a clear shout suddenly came from outside the cave: "Vile creature, die!"

A sword light pierced through the air, aimed directly at the wolf demon's back!

The wolf demon was startled and hastily turned to block.

Clang!!!

The sword light was shattered by the wolf claws, but the wolf demon was also forced back three steps.

At the cave entrance, Li Changsheng stood with his sword, his moon-white Daoist robes fluttering in the firelight.

Behind him followed two Dao Palace Disciples.

"You again?"

"I let you escape last time, and now you've come to seek death again?"

Xiao Ran was stunned, but his tongue remained sharp.

"Heh, if you hadn't had reinforcements last time, who knows who would have run!"

"I sensed demonic energy nearby and came to check it out."

"I didn't expect the Devil Son to be here too. Fine, once I've dealt with this vile creature, I'll take your head!"

Li Changsheng said coldly, his Aura not weakening in the slightest.

However, the two did not immediately fight each other; the priority now was to deal with the wolf demon.

After Li Changsheng spoke, he charged directly at the wolf demon without another word.

Xiao Ran stayed behind him, his mouth twitching.

This idiot... he's addicted to acting, isn't he?

But it was just as well.

Two against one, the chances of winning were much higher.

"Brat from the Dao Palace, who asked for your help?"

"This creature is mine!"

Xiao Ran shouted angrily and also lunged forward.

The two fought their own battles, but in reality, they formed a tacit cooperation.

Li Changsheng's swordsmanship was exquisite, pinning the enemy down from the front, while Xiao Ran's Cultivation Technique was bizarre, launching sneak attacks from the side.

The wolf demon was beaten back repeatedly, roaring incessantly.

To be beaten like this by two Foundation Establishment Mid Stage humans while at the Golden Core Stage was simply a disgrace.

"You... aren't you sworn enemies? Why is your cooperation so good?"

The wolf demon was shocked and furious.

"None of your business!"

Xiao Ran and Li Changsheng spoke in unison.

Then the two glanced at each other, snorted simultaneously, and turned back to continue the fight.

The wolf demon was going crazy.

These two humans clearly looked like they wanted to kill each other, but when they fought, they were like comrades who had cooperated for years.

One used sword light to block its retreat, and the other used Devilish Qi to cut off its path of life, leaving it with no power to fight back.

Finally, after taking a sword strike from Li Changsheng and having thirty percent of its demonic energy sucked away by Xiao Ran, the wolf demon could no longer hold on.

"I'll remember you two!"

The wolf demon glared at them venomously, transformed into a gray light, and fled toward the depths of the cave.

Xiao Ran wanted to give chase, but looking at the unconscious Tie Shan, he stopped.

"What are you doing?"

"We clearly could have kept it here just now, yet you didn't pursue."

Li Changsheng sheathed his sword and snorted.

"Don't you understand the principle of not cornering a desperate foe?"

Xiao Ran sneered, taking a confrontational stance against Li Changsheng.

"You still dare to be stubborn."

"Since the Yao has escaped, it's now three of us against one of you. You won't escape today."

Li Changsheng smiled disdainfully, his sword tip pointing directly at Xiao Ran.

"Then just try it."

Xiao Ran shouted coldly, seemingly not caring about the three of them at all.

At that moment, a rumbling sound came from outside the cave.

Followed by a series of footsteps.

"Saint, people from the Blood Fiend Sect have arrived. This is no place to linger."

"Consider yourself lucky. Let's go!"

Li Changsheng couldn't wait for an excuse to leave.

After speaking, he took his two Disciples and turned to walk toward the depths of the mine.

From beginning to end, the two didn't give each other a second look.

Once Li Changsheng was far away, Xiao Ran walked to Tie Shan's side to check his injuries.

They were severe, but fortunately, they were mostly flesh wounds and hadn't damaged his foundation.

He fed Tie Shan a healing Medicinal Pill and then used Devilish Qi to lift him toward the cave entrance.

Halfway there, Zhao Ying was leading a group of people inside.

"Junior Martial Uncle! Are you alright?!"

Seeing Xiao Ran emerge, Zhao Ying breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine."

"Take him back to heal and have Domestic Manager Liu Qingqing look after him."

Xiao Ran handed Tie Shan over to Zhao Ying.

"Then, Junior Martial Uncle, you..."

"I'm going to the Ghost Crying Cave to take a look."

"Since the Yao appeared here, the Ghost Crying Cave... is very likely their lair."

Xiao Ran looked toward the southwest and decided to go in; he felt that inside was the key to completing his mission.

"Junior Martial Uncle, it's too dangerous!"

"Even if it's dangerous, I have to go."

"Alright, take Tie Shan back. The rest of you, follow me."

Xiao Ran issued the order, sending Zhao Ying away and leading the people from the Blood Fiend Sect deeper into the cave.

The group turned into a streak of black light and disappeared into the night.