Chapter 488

That group of people had just been thrown in, and unsurprisingly, they were startled by the surrounding environment.

Bu Fan also jumped in surprise, but upon seeing Heng Xian above, he couldn't help laughing as he ran up: "Master Xian, truly, where in life do we not meet again?"

The words were refined, but coming from his mouth, they felt weird.

Heng Xian sighed and said: "Who says otherwise? Damn it, within the seas there are true friends; at the ends of the earth they are as close as neighbors!"

Upon hearing that, Dao Ye also sighed with a line Heng Xian once composed: "We are all wanderers lost in the world; why must we have known each other before to meet?"

Bu Fan gave him a surprised look: "Eh? Who is this old guy? He's so ugly, yet speaks in a refined, sour way—kinda interesting!"

Upon hearing that, Dao Ye exploded in rage: "Damn your grandma, you blind dog-eyed fool, my looks are suave and unrestrained—how could you, a fat‑eared pighead three, possibly understand?"

Take a look at yourself—pig mouth, donkey nose, big pancake face, sesame‑seed eyes, grinning wide like a damn big horse‑monkey, and you dare to call Dao Ye handsome?

Bu Fan stared for a moment, then grew angry: "I am stalwart and heroic, a rare fine man—women scream at the sight of me; how could you, an old butt‑eye, possibly understand?"

"Heng Xian, don't hold me back—no matter who shows up today, it won't help; I'm going to fuck him!" Dao Ye rolled up his sleeves, ready to fight.

"Holy shit! I'll kill you today!" Bu Fan also tightened his belt.

Heng Xian rubbed his forehead: "You two are both graceful and outstanding; why quarrel over such a trivial matter? It's not worth it!"

"That makes some sense, but it's useless!"

"Exactly!"

The two paid no attention, about to grapple, when a shout came from above: "The huge stone has loosened—everyone down there, pitch in!"

Seeing that, Dao Ye and Bu Fan gave up their solo fight and quickly grabbed the handles of the battering ram.

Down below, a group of newcomers adapted to the surroundings and also ran up to help!

Sure enough! The huge stone above faintly felt as if it had loosened a bit!

But after a short while, it still couldn't be knocked open.

Heng Xian, while exerting force, asked Bu Fan: "How did you guys get in here?"

Bu Fan wiped his forehead: "After you left, we were again taken by those people to participate in the second and third stages; in the end only 131 remained, and I and these people were the top ten, all assigned down here!"

Heng Xian nodded: "Looks like it's not a good thing; things aren't developing as we expected."

"Who says otherwise!" Bu Fan cursed.

At that moment, inside the main hall of the outer courtyard.

A group of elders and matriarchs from the Gongsun Family, along with Gongsun Lier and Ye Zimei, were facing an ancient painting.

In the painting, a vast lava world showed a group of men standing on scorching lava stones, embracing a cold‑iron battering ram, desperately striking the huge stone above.

This is exactly the scene where Heng Xian and the others are located.

Misty vapor hovered over the painting's surface, profound and unfathomable.

"The demon stone has loosened!"

A group exchanged glances, unable to hide their delight.

The eldest and most cultivated elder of the Gongsun Family, Gongsun Shou, frowned and said: "I always feel that this Gu Xiao Yi is somehow different!"

"How so?" the people behind him asked.

Gongsun Shou, holding his beard, said: "This demon stone is the final gate‑stone of the Ancient Demon Realm; our Gongsun Family has silently shaken it for hundreds of years. Although we have already broken open more than half of it in recent years, to fully loosen the demon stone still requires a great deal of time—but ever since Gu Xiao Yi arrived, the demon stone has loosened quickly!"

Gongsun Lier asked: "Does the patriarch mean… that the loosening of the demon stone is his merit?"

Everyone also turned their gaze to Gongsun Shou.

Gongsun Shou's eyes shifted, and he said in a deep voice: "Not entirely, but there must be some connection; this person possesses an ability to restrain the demon race—it seems… he himself counters demons!"

"He himself counters demons?"

Just a few words left the surrounding people dazed and light‑headed.

The demon race is the most troublesome existence in the whole cultivation world; let alone the ancient demons in the depths of the wasteland realm, even the demons of the upper realm are as numerous as spring bamboo shoots—kill them and more appear. Even though cultivators have techniques that can counter the demon race, those are limited.

The claim "he himself counters demons" is truly profound!

Gongsun Shou nodded: "It must be his physique; this kid really is a talent!"

Gongsun Lier looked again at the painting, or perhaps at Heng Xian.

In the lava world.

Heng Xian inexplicably sneezed.

Dao Ye and Bu Fan both asked: "What's up? Did you catch a cold?"

"Go to hell, you two geezers!" Heng Xian pointed at the lava: "In this damned place, how weak would my body have to be to catch a cold?"

Dao Ye rubbed his chin: "A cold?"

Bu Fan chuckled, leaned close to Heng Xian and said: "Tell me the truth—have you heard anything about where they are?"

Heng Xian shook his head: "I've been thrown in here the moment I arrived; I've had no chance to inquire!"

Bu Fan frowned: "I did ask around, but there's no trace of them inside the inner city!"

"So you mean they're not in the inner city?" Heng Xian asked.

Bu Fan nodded: "Exactly! Not only them, but not a single person from the Flower Pavilion is to be seen either! In other words… they very likely were taken away by the Flower Pavilion people, and we've been wasting our efforts!"

Heng Xian chuckled lightly: "Don't worry, they're still in the city!"

Bu Fan wondered: "How do you know?"

"Mountain folk have their own tricks!" Heng Xian said.

The Heavenly Hexagram calculated that I would be drawn here; of course it couldn't be just a day‑trip!

This shows that the disciples of the Twelve Sects are still alive, only we don't know exactly where they're held.

Bu Fan said: "Then I can relax—we need to find a way out, my beloved… I fear she can't endure this, we must rescue them as soon as possible!"

"Your beloved?" Heng Xian wondered.

Bu Fan shifted uncomfortably: "A female disciple of the Donghuang Palace, called Xiao Hua, gorgeous as hell!"

Heng Xian curiously scratched his nose: "How far have you two gotten?"

Sun Bufan said with a dejected look: "I held her hand and she didn't resist; I wanted to kiss her, but she was shy, so she told me to rinse my mouth first, and then his senior brother caught us—what a pity..."

Heng Xian imagined the scene, then scratched his nose again.

Dao Ye couldn't help but say: "With those thick lips of yours, you fat bastard, still want to kiss someone? You'd probably cover half their face—I don't believe it!"

"Damn it!" Sun Bufan flew into a rage, lifting his leg to kick over.

Just then, the above suddenly shook violently, as if a huge stone were about to slide down.

The people above shouted with joy: "Everyone, put in more effort—the huge stone is about to break!"

"Ha!"

The crowd gritted their teeth and shouted angrily.

Heng Xian had no strength in his hands, yet pretended to be straining, looking at Dao Ye: "Is there any way to dig a path for us to escape?"

Dao Ye glanced around, eyes wide: "Are you crazy? How am I supposed to dig in this damned place?"

Heng Xian cursed: "Are you really just here purely to grave‑rob?"

"Grave‑rob?" Dao Ye pondered the meaning of the phrase, then said: "Of course!"

"Boom—"

Just then, a violent tremor came from above; the ground and lava heaved and tossed, as if the whole space were about to collapse.

The crowd fell into chaos.

Heng Xian, too distracted to ask questions, lifted his head in the panic.

Only see the topmost boulder shatter into countless fragments, faintly revealing a strange pit; inside the pit first came a gloom, then a face appeared.

Eyes like autumn water, curved lashes, cherry‑small mouth—indescribably beautiful.

But this face is as big as a building!

(End of chapter)