Chapter 84: Yuan Yao Appears

The skull's eyes showed fear; it could clearly feel a strong threat emanating from the phantom before it.

It wanted to escape!

Qian Jue Shan's face was expressionless; he raised his long sword and struck!

In an instant, the skull shattered!

At the same time, the true form of the Nightmare Beast hiding in the dark let out a shrill scream; with a crack, its skull instantly split open a fissure.

And the people originally sealed by psychic power also regained their freedom as the Nightmare Beast suffered heavy injuries.

The people did not know that the Nightmare Beast's clone had been slain, so upon suddenly gaining freedom, they inevitably felt some doubt.

Their gaze involuntarily fell upon the place where the Nightmare Beast last departed—

those dozens of cages stacked together.

Suddenly, a commotion came from the cages.

The people immediately gripped their weapons tightly.

Suddenly, a cage was broken open, and the person inside appeared.

Seeing this, the people thought it was the person inside suddenly breaking the cage; immediately after, a second cage was also broken open!

Then.

The third cage was broken!

The fourth cage was broken!

…

The people were stunned.

Only Zhai Qingye's face showed an expression unlike anyone else's, his eyes filled with disbelief.

He knew who was breaking these cages!

It was her!

Powerful psychic undulations rippled out from the cages.

More and more townsfolk and disciples were rescued.

But they were now so weak they could barely support their own bodies, just as they were about to fall down.

"Catch them quickly!" Zong Rao called out.

Before his voice faded, many people darted forward, catching those who were weak or already unconscious and steadily laying them on the ground.

As the cages dwindled, the people gradually saw the figure trapped at the center—a girl in white robes stained with blood, her face marked with many dried bloodstains.

She closed her eyes, her lips devoid of color, as if fallen into slumber.

At her feet lay a huge, multicolored longsword.

Besides her, two unconscious people lay there—a young man and a little girl about six or seven years old.

"Yao Yao!" Xiao Lingwei's heart tightened upon seeing Yuan Yao, and she immediately rushed toward her.

But Xue Jin reached out and grabbed her.

"Wait." Xue Jin said calmly.

Not only could he tell, but more than half of those present could see that it was Yao Yao who broke these psychic cages.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Lingwei also calmed a little, her eyes filled with pity as she stared at Yuan Yao's blood‑stained face.

She could hardly imagine what suffering Yao Yao had endured.

Ying Wuji's face remained calm, showing no trace of emotion.

The disciples of the Carefree Sect were all worried about their junior sister.

Yan Lao narrowed his eyes, his gaze sharp as he stared at the impudent little girl who had previously offended him without knowing her place.

He really hadn't expected that this little girl's psychic power would be so strong!

Yan Lao's face darkened; he thought, in consideration of her saving so many people, he would not hold her previous actions against her.

And when the last cage was broken open, Cang Li's figure appeared.

Cang Li was not weak like the others; on the contrary, he was lively and energetic.

The person who shared his cage also had a decent mental state.

As soon as Cang Li emerged, he saw everyone staring at him; he blinked, then grinned and waved his hand carelessly.

The people: "……"

Cang Li suddenly realized something and turned to look.

A sight that made his blood freeze appeared before his eyes—a face almost covered in blood suddenly loomed into view!

At the same time, the eyes on that face snapped open abruptly, as if trying to devour him. This sudden change terrified Cang Li, making his whole body tremble; he involuntarily let out a shrill scream: "Ghost!"

Before he could even recognize Yuan Yao's face, a hand grabbed his ear and yanked it hard, making him grit his teeth in pain.

He turned his head and saw a face even more terrifying than a ghost—"Second… Second Senior Sister!"

At that moment, a pair of icy, blood‑stained hands wrapped around his neck.

Cang Li trembled all over; he lifted his gaze and instantly recognized the opponent's face.

He saw his own junior sister, her face smeared with blood, making a ghastly expression, her bloody mouth wide open, as if she wanted to swallow him like a ghoul.

Cang Li's mouth twitched. "Yuan Yao, are you stupid?"

Upon hearing that, his ear and neck both flared with pain.

"Eh… eh… don't choke me…" Cang Li's face turned red from being choked.

Yuan Yao withdrew her hands and gave an annoyed cold snort.

"Who told you to call me a ghost?!"

Cang Li coughed as he said, "Cough… you really look like a ghost!"

Xiao Lingwei patted Cang Li on the back of the head, "Hurry up and let Yao Yao take a look at the injury!"

Hearing this, Cang Li's expression was reluctant, but his body honestly pulled Yuan Yao's wrist over to feel her pulse.

Cang Li's complexion shifted.

He looked at Yuan Yao in disbelief.

At this moment, Yuan Yao was having Xiao Lingwei carefully wipe the bloodstains from her face.

Cang Li said strangely, "You're not injured at all! Moreover, why is your pulse getting stronger and stronger?"

At the same time, Ying Wuji and Xue Jin also arrived here.

"Eldest Senior Brother is missing." Ying Wuji's face was solemn, he spoke extremely quickly; originally he thought Eldest Senior Brother was still left trapped in the house cages, but those house cages have all been broken open, yet there is still no trace of Eldest Senior Brother.

Then there are only two possibilities.

One: Eldest Senior Brother has been hidden by the Nightmare Beast; two: Eldest Senior Brother has been swallowed by the Nightmare Beast.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's gaze quickly swept the surroundings; she did not see Eldest Senior Brother's figure, and even Senior Sister Zong Yu'er and Senior Brother Ao Su had lost their traces.

Her heart sank suddenly.

Besides them, Heaven Learning Peak's Senior Brother Cui, Senior Brother Meng, Senior Sister Wenren, Senior Sister Lan, and Instructor Luo are also missing.

Xiao Lingwei and Cang Li, upon hearing this, instantly had their faces turn solemn.

They exchanged a glance, then hurried to the Carefree Sect's group and explained the matter to Zong Xiao.

Zong Xiao naturally knew they were missing.

She remained calm on the surface: "Only by finding the Nightmare Beast's true form can we possibly know whether they... are alive or dead."

When she said the last four words, her tone became hoarse and heavy.

Because among the missing are not only her Heaven Learning Peak's disciples, but also her only daughter—Zong Yu'er.

"How can we find the Nightmare Beast's true form?" Cang Li gazed at this hazy space, as if it had no end.

Suddenly, Yuan Yao spoke.

"I know where it is."

Upon hearing this, everyone present turned to look.