Chapter 80: Greatly Shocked

Li Ji, twenty‑one years old.

She comes from the Dual Polarity Sect and is a disciple of the Grand Elder of that sect. In the previous sect‑wide tournament, she placed eleventh.

Zhai Qingye was slightly startled when Li Ji appeared; he immediately looked toward Yuan Yao, but the floating house cages in midair blocked his view.

It must be her.

Zhai Qingye was certain in his heart.

"Who was the 'bait' you just mentioned?!" Yan Lao realized that battling the black mist was pointless, as it would endlessly restore itself. The only plan now is to locate the true form of the Nightmare Beast to end this completely.

Zhai Qingye heard this and showed slight hesitation.

Xiao Lingwei, after hearing it, questioned: "Could it be that your faction, in order to find the Nightmare Beast, forces innocent civilians to serve as the so‑called 'bait'?"

Facing Xiao Lingwei's accusation, Yan Lao's expression grew dark and ugly; his eyes widened in anger as he shouted, "Xiao Lingwei, stop spouting nonsense! There are many in this world who sacrifice themselves for righteousness, for sects and the people! Not everyone is as selfish, narrow‑minded as your Carefree Sect!"

"Then why don't you become the 'bait'?" Xiao Lingwei sneered.

Yan Lao was choked, then coldly said, "I will not argue with an immature junior like you!"

Xiao Lingwei only thought him utterly hypocritical.

And at that moment—

A huge sound echoed from afar.

Following the sound, they saw one of the house cages gradually dissipate, and the four people inside materialized in midair.

Xiao Lingwei and Ying Wuji, through those four, saw Yuan Yao, pale‑faced and bleeding from all seven orifices.

Their expressions changed abruptly.

"Yao Yao!"

The two shouted almost simultaneously.

They darted forward at once, and at that moment the floating house cages began to move, all converging toward Yuan Yao.

Before they could arrive, all the house cages piled together densely, encircling Yuan Yao at the center.

"Yao Yao—" Ying Wuji's handsome face showed worry; he swiftly swung his long sword at the dense cluster of house cages!

Boom!

A violent blast rang out, only a massive spiritual energy wave surged.

Xiao Lingwei also brandished her long whip, striking at the house cages.

In an instant, both were forced back several steps by the powerful impact.

Not far away, Zhai Qingye squinted slightly, "The 'bait' has already appeared."

Yan Lao and the others, hearing this, instantly focused on the center shrouded by countless house cages.

Ying Wuji and Xiao Lingwei repeatedly attacked the house cages, yet could not break the sturdy spiritual energy cage.

At this moment, the black mist battling Yan Lao and the others suddenly swelled, surging toward the nearest Dual Polarity Sect elder.

The Dual Polarity Sect elder was startled, quickly gathering spiritual energy to resist, but what he did not expect—

The black mist instantly passed through his body.

"Elder Fang!" Li Ji exclaimed upon seeing this.

The Dual Polarity Sect's Elder Fang went rigid, his eyes instantly losing their light; his mouth slightly open, his whole body frozen.

Zhai Qingye, seeing this, altered his gaze slightly and immediately warned, "It's a second Nightmare! Don't let it steal the dream."

The moment his words ended, the black mist surged toward Zhai Qingye.

At that instant, in Zhai Qingye's eyes, the black mist was like an earth‑shaking tsunami, countless strands of spiritual energy surrounding him like a celestial net.

He instantly focused his mind, raised his hand, and muttered incantations.

"Control!"

In an instant, his spiritual energy swiftly enveloped him, repelling the opponent's spiritual intrusion!

Although Yan Lao does not specialize in spiritual energy, his cultivation in the late Spirit Transformation Realm ensures his spiritual energy is not weak, so he could also perceive that formidable, materialized spiritual power.

Startled, he quickly employed his spiritual energy to aid Zhai Qingye.

The others also realized that only spiritual energy could truly fend off the black mist's assault.

Immediately, each person unleashed spiritual energy to grapple with the black mist.

At this point—

Xiao Lingwei and Ying Wuji were burning with anxiety, hoping to quickly break the house cages and rescue Yuan Yao.

What they didn't expect was that the spiritual energy of those house cages instantly linked together, forming an indestructible barrier!

Whether they attacked with force or with spiritual energy, they could not shake this spiritual energy barrier.

"How did Yao Yao end up here?!" Xiao Lingwei, recalling Yuan Yao's earlier state, felt a sudden heaviness in her heart. What made her more uneasy was that Yuan Yao was now trapped at the very center of danger!

The worst part was that she could not now call upon the Master.

"Second Senior Sister, don't worry," Ying Wuji's eyes dimmed slightly as he said, "Yuan Yao has a life‑saving talisman given by the Master."

"Life‑saving talisman?" Xiao Lingwei was startled, then asked eagerly, "Really?"

Ying Wuji nodded.

"She has seven life‑saving talismans on her."

The first talisman was already used during the Wuduan Mijing.

Among the remaining seven, if the first six cannot fend off the opponent's attacks, then when the final talisman shatters, the Master can cross space and appear here instantly.

No matter how far.

And…

The Master's life is Yuan Yao's ninth life‑saving talisman.

Xiao Lingwei, after hearing this, remained deeply worried; the thought of Yuan Yao bleeding from all seven orifices made her chest ache.

Xiao Lingwei took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the bone‑jointed long whip, "If I find out who brought Yao Yao to such a dangerous place, I'll skin him!"

She paused, her eyes sharp as she stared at the clustered house cages, and coldly said, "We can't let it have it easy."

It refers to the Nightmare Beast.

Ying Wuji's gaze deepened, then she met Xiao Lingwei's eyes, and they silently launched an attack on the mental‑force barrier.

Clang—

Snap—

At the same time.

Terrorful mental force invaded Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness; she felt as if she were being torn apart, pain unbearable.

She clenched her teeth, and blood slowly seeped from the corner of her mouth.

Blood oozed from her ears, eyes, and nose.

"Ah—"

Just as that terrifying mental force was about to devour her soul, the seventh protective talisman activated.

With a "Boom," a powerful force swiftly reflected the Nightmare Beast's mental force, crushing it heavily!

The Nightmare Beast seemed to emit a mournful wail, instinctively trying to retreat from Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness.

And as it rolled and crawled, trying to exit Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness—

A sudden mutation occurred!

Yuan Yao suddenly opened her eyes; her mental force instantly counter‑attacked the Nightmare Beast's mental force, ravenously devouring it.

Within the sea‑of‑consciousness space.

Yuan Yao's white mental force devoured the Nightmare Beast's black mental force.

The black mental force struggled, resisted.

Then it was suppressed by the white mental force, gnawed, and gradually eroded away.

At that moment, the Nightmare Beast hidden somewhere, its skull‑eye sockets flashed red, its eyes cold, sticky, dangerous, and angry.

A hint of disbelief also mixed in.

No human or creature has ever "eaten" its mental force and turned it to their own!

She is the first!