109: eerie shadows in the mine, emotions surging beneath the surface.

Leaving the West City District, Lin Xuan and Qu Feiyan headed directly for the abandoned mine pit in the South City District marked by the System. As they drew closer, the surroundings became increasingly desolate. The air was filled with a faint smell of sulfur and metallic rust, and the Spiritual Qi grew thin and chaotic.

The mine pit entrance was like a giant, hideous wound leading underground. A chilling wind constantly seeped out from the dark opening, and faint, hollow echoes could be heard from deep within. Scattered nearby were rusty mine carts and tools; no one was in sight, and silence reigned.

"The spatial fluctuations here are indeed abnormal, and... there's an uncomfortable aura." Qu Feiyan shed her previous jealousy, her charming eyes vigilantly scanning the mine pit entrance. As a Golden Core Cultivator, her spiritual perception sensed potential danger.

Lin Xuan nodded slightly. The System scan showed that the spatial structure deep within the mine pit was extremely unstable, with faint energy remnants related to the Guixu Cult. "Be careful, stay close to me," he whispered, stepping into the mine pit first.

Inside the mine pit, it was dark and damp, with intricate, branching passages. Faint traces of excavation remained on the rock walls. The deeper they went, the colder the air became, and the uncomfortable aura grew more pronounced.

With their Divine Sense extended, they cautiously explored deeper. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a more open cavern appeared ahead. In the center of the cavern, a remnant of a Formation was etched into the ground. It had long ceased to operate, but its structure was unusually complex and eerie. The Formation's lines were an ominous dark red, and scattered around it were several decayed skeletons, whose clothing did not belong to miners.

"It's the remains of a Blood Sacrifice Teleportation Formation!" Qu Feiyan, with her extraordinary insight, recognized it at a glance, a flicker of disgust in her charming eyes. "And judging by the patterns and residual aura, it's definitely not a Righteous Path method; it's very similar to the Guixu Cult's style."

Lin Xuan squatted down, carefully examining the Formation remains and the skeletons. The System was working at full capacity to analyze the Formation's structure and residual energy.

[Analysis complete. Confirmed to be a directional short-range Blood Sacrifice Teleportation Formation. Energy source: living beings' essence blood and Souls. Target coordinates point to... untraceable, shielded by high-level spatial interference. Residual energy is 92% homologous to the Guixu Cult's Devilish Qi encountered in the Thunder Emperor Palace.]

[Warning! Weak life signs (non-human) and spatial rift fluctuations detected deep within!]

It was indeed related to the Guixu Cult! What was their purpose in establishing a Blood Sacrifice Teleportation Formation here? Those skeletons were probably the innocent victims sacrificed.

"Let's go inside and see." Lin Xuan stood up, his gaze fixed on the even darker passage deeper within the cavern.

They continued deeper. The passage gradually sloped downwards, and the temperature dropped even further. Black ice crystals even began to condense on the rock walls. The chilling aura almost solidified, constantly trying to erode their protective spiritual light.

Suddenly, a faint "click" sound came from ahead, as if something was crawling.

"Be careful!" Lin Xuan growled. Although the frost silence sword had been given to Su Wanqing, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and a condensed crimson-gold sword aura already flickered at his fingertips.

The next moment, several dark figures pounced from the corner of the passage like specters! They were actually several Puppets, completely black, pieced together from some unknown metal and bones! Eerie green Soul flames flickered in their eye sockets, their arms transformed into sharp blades, slashing with a piercing whoosh! Their aura had clearly reached the False Core Realm!

"They're Demonic Puppets!" Qu Feiyan cried out, and a blood lotus instantly bloomed before her. Streaks of blood-red threads coiled around the Demonic Puppets like spiritual snakes, attempting to hinder their movements.

Lin Xuan's sword-fingers continuously struck, and the crimson-gold sword aura precisely hit the Demonic Puppets' joints and Soul flame cores! However, these Demonic Puppets were made of extremely hard material; the sword aura striking them produced a clang of metal, leaving only shallow white marks, and the eerie green Soul flames were tenacious, slowly reforming after being dispersed!

"Their cores are strange; ordinary attacks aren't very effective!" Lin Xuan frowned slightly. These Demonic Puppets were clearly guards placed here by the Guixu Cult.

"Let me try!" Qu Feiyan's charming eyes turned cold, and she formed hand seals, her body erupting with a brilliant blood-red light! The enchanting blood lotus suddenly spun, emitting strands of seductive sounds, like countless whispers directly attacking the Demonic Puppets' Soul flames!

This was her unique secret technique—the Soul-Bewitching Demonic Sound, specialized in attacking the Divine Soul!

Indeed, the Demonic Puppets' movements instantly became sluggish, and the eerie green Soul flames in their eye sockets flickered violently, as if subjected to immense interference!

"Good opportunity!" Lin Xuan seized the chance, subtly drawing upon the power of the chapter of the blazing sun fragment within him, mixed with the vast magical power of his Late Golden Core Stage, and unleashed a punch! The supremely Yang and rigid Fist Intent, like a blazing sun, instantly enveloped one of the Demonic Puppets!

"Sizzle!"

Under the dual effect of the Yang Fist Intent and the Soul-Bewitching Demonic Sound, that Demonic Puppet, as if encountering its nemesis, its hard body began to melt, and its Soul flame let out a mournful shriek before completely extinguishing!

Working in perfect coordination, they quickly dealt with all the Demonic Puppets.

"It seems the Guixu Cult has been operating here for a long time, not only setting up Blood Sacrifice Formations but also leaving behind such guards." Qu Feiyan panted slightly, her gaze towards Lin Xuan filled with a hint of admiration and reliance. The battle just now made her feel Lin Xuan's strength and reliability once again.

Lin Xuan nodded, his expression solemn: "The more this is the case, the more it indicates that important secrets are hidden here. Let's continue."

Passing through the area guarded by the Demonic Puppets, the space ahead suddenly opened up into a massive underground cavern. In the center of the cavern, a spatial rift, about a zhang long, constantly twisting and flickering with gray light, hung in mid-air like an ugly scar! Around the rift, more human skeletons were scattered, along with some shattered Magical Artifact fragments. Dense Death Qi and spatial turbulence continuously seeped out from the rift, filling the entire cavern with ominous danger.

And directly below that spatial rift, a more complex, dark-red Formation, not yet fully activated, was etched into the ground. At the core of the Formation, a black, tumor-like object, constantly pulsating and emitting dense Devilish Qi, was placed!

"Is that... the source of 'Void' power infection?!" Lin Xuan's pupils constricted. The System was frantically warning him that the energy contained in the tumor-like object was highly similar to the 'Void' power perceived in the sin-slaying broken sword!

The Guixu Cult actually wants to cultivate or draw upon the power of the 'Void' here, using a spatial rift and a Blood Sacrifice Formation?!

They must be stopped!

Just as Lin Xuan was about to destroy the source of infection and the Formation, another anomaly occurred!

The spatial rift violently fluctuated, and a massive bone hand, composed entirely of pale bones and wreathed in dense Death Qi, suddenly reached out from the rift! It brought with it the terrifying pressure of the Nascent Soul Stage, savagely grabbing towards Lin Xuan and Qu Feiyan! Before the bone hand even arrived, the chilling, bone-piercing killing intent almost froze their Souls!

Crisis descended instantly!

"Careful!" Without thinking, Lin Xuan pulled Qu Feiyan behind him. His Late Golden Core Stage magical power erupted without reservation, crimson-gold vital Qi surged skyward, and the Vast Sea Asura Golden Body was pushed to its limit, preparing to withstand this terrifying blow!

Qu Feiyan was protected behind him, looking at his tall and straight back, standing firm like a pine tree, unhesitatingly shielding her. Feeling the scorching, masculine aura emanating from him, the softest part of her heart was deeply touched. All this time, she had navigated with charm and protected herself with ruthlessness; when had anyone ever protected her with such disregard for themselves? Even a demonic woman's heart was made of flesh.

At this moment, allKung Fu hidden dangers and Sect grievances seemed unimportant. She looked at Lin Xuan's back, her charming eyes glistening with tears, and actually stretched out her arms, tightly embracing his sturdy waist from behind, pressing her cheek against his broad back, and whispered, "If we die, we die together!"

Feeling the soft touch from behind and the resolute reliance, Lin Xuan's heart trembled, and a surge of heroic spirit and responsibility arose within him. He laughed heartily: "Don't worry, we're not dying yet!"

Facing the terrifying bone hand, a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. He did not choose to clash head-on but instead forcefully activated the thunder source crystal marrow, which he had recently refined and had some sensitivity to spatial power (though dormant, its Origin still existed), forcefully interfering with the spatial rift!

At the same time, he pointed his fingers like a sword, drawing upon the Thunder Emperor's undying Battle Intent sealed within the sin-slaying broken sword, mixing it with all his own power, transforming it into an invisible, formless sword of will that specifically countered evil, and fiercely slashed towards the pale bone hand and the entity behind the rift!

"Roar—!"

An angry roar came from behind the rift. The bone hand was struck by the sword of will, its movement abruptly paused, and some of the Death Qi on its surface dissipated! Seizing this opportunity, Lin Xuan wrapped his arm around Qu Feiyan's waist and retreated rapidly!

"Boom!"

The bone hand missed, slamming heavily onto the ground, leaving a bottomless giant pit!

"This place is not suitable for prolonged stay! Destroy that source of infection first!" Lin Xuan made a decisive decision, and a crimson-gold sword aura imbued with the power of the blazing sun shot out, directly aiming for the pulsating black tumor!

However, the tumor seemed to have sentience; a demonic light flashed on its surface, and it actually shifted several feet out of thin air, dodging the vital point! The sword aura only grazed it, shaving off a small piece of tissue, and Devilish Qi overflowed!

"Screech—!" The tumor let out a sharp shriek, and the entity behind the spatial rift became even more enraged!

"Go!" Lin Xuan knew it couldn't be completely destroyed, so he didn't hesitate. He took Qu Feiyan and transformed into a streak of lightning, rapidly fleeing along the path they came!

Behind them, the pale bone hand waved frantically, causing most of the underground cavern to collapse, and angry roars echoed in the mine pit for a long time... It wasn't until they rushed out of the mine pit and saw the daylight again that they both sighed in relief. Qu Feiyan was still tightly embracing Lin Xuan, seemingly not yet recovered from the recent danger and emotional stir.

Lin Xuan felt her reliance and gently patted her hand: "It's alright now."

Qu Feiyan slowly released her grip, her pretty face slightly red, but she pretended to be calm as she tidied her dress, giving him a charming glance: "This time... consider it a favor I owe you, Big Sister." But the affection in her eyes was more genuine than ever before.

Lin Xuan looked at her rare display of shyness, his heart also stirred. He gazed at the mine pit entrance, which had returned to dead silence, his expression solemn. The Guixu Cult's scheme was far deeper than imagined, and within Tianshu City, undercurrents had probably long been surging.

"Let's return to the inn and plan our next steps," he said gravely. Their subsequent actions had to be even more cautious.