Chapter 77: The Seventy‑Seventh Chapter: A Plot

Just as Jiang Yu steadied her falling speed and landed safely, bang bang bang, more people fell down with her.

She reacted swiftly, tossing the two tokens into her storage bag.

"It's you! But just now you weren't with us." One of them steadied himself and immediately stared at the sword‑picking Jiang Yu.

It was Qi Haohao; she hadn't expected to meet her here.

"Just hiding." Jiang Yu scanned the dozen‑plus who fell in, almost half of whom were in the mid‑Foundation Establishment stage, each eyeing a circle of artifacts.

The handle‑less spiritual sword she held, barely used, was immediately tossed into the bag, replaced by the sword she habitually trains with.

She then turned, leapt, and rushed straight toward the elixir furnace she had just spotted, soaring after it.

Just as when she obtained the Star‑shifting Talisman, she used worldly lightness skill.

"Wait, what if there's a counter‑strike seal…" As soon as Qi Haohao finished speaking, she saw Jiang Yu pocket the elixir furnace and fly toward the next target.

Beside her, Young Master Hong was not to be outdone; he swooped forward, snatching for the artifact in the drilled hole: "Junior Sister Qi, don't waste time; the quick hand gets it, the slow hand gets nothing."

Swish swish swish, more than a dozen people including Min Wu rose in succession with their swords, ready to fly faster and snatch more treasures.

But as soon as they took off, a void‑seal restriction knocked them down.

Qi Haohao couldn't help feeling relieved she was a step slower; she mimicked Jiang Yu's style, switching to lightness to soar upward.

She never imagined that just after she seized a lamp‑shaped artifact, someone attacked from behind.

Jiang Yu was no exception; after choosing the elixir furnace she also grabbed two light shields to snatch artifacts—what she got didn't matter, leaving quickly was the only way to stay safe.

But she also didn't expect anyone to launch an attack right at the start of the loot scramble.

The moment the spiritual sword blocked the opponent's strike, she saw that only she, Qi Haohao, Young Master Hong, and two other seemingly rogue cultivators at the Foundation stage were being hit.

Clang, bang

Those two Foundation cultivators were apparently too poor; they only had their spell blades left for combat.

On the other side, the fallen Qi and Hong were utterly shocked: "Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Xing, why did you…?"

"What else could it be? It's just because there are two fewer people fighting for the treasure."

"I don't want the opportunity I earned to be snatched away by the Qi and Hong families." Senior Brother Xing spoke calmly, but his sword grew harsher with each swing.

Young Master Hong was sliced to the surface by a sword, blood splattering his face; amid the surrounding attackers, he could barely resist.

He had already exhausted the offensive‑defensive treasure on his body fighting two masked men earlier, and now relied entirely on Qi Haohao's defensive support: "You all are actually in league with Min Wu, aren't you?"

"Stealing opportunities—you're all descendants of the Yunwu Immortal Sect."

"Shut up, don't anger them." Before Qi Haohao finished speaking, the defensive light shield she had raised was shattered by continuous sword flashes with a few crack sounds.

She hurriedly reactivated the protective violet bell on her body; this artifact required some time and spiritual energy to activate, so she transmitted to Young Master Hong: "Protective spell for a few breaths."

Clearly, Senior Brother Xing understood that battle opportunities are fleeting; he gave her no chance to raise defense again, and thickened and intensified everyone's sword qi to slash, blocking their attacks.

The ice spear talismans in Young Master Hong's hand and Qi Haohao's violet bell failed to take effect before being knocked down.

On Jiang Yu's side, she was being attacked by Min Wu and another person; confined to an area only a few hundred zhang across, everyone opted for a swift close‑quarters fight, which gave Jiang Yu some room to maneuver.

She deftly weaved between the two swords' tips, gradually moving toward the stone gate.

"Fellow cultivator, advancing in Foundation Establishment is a cause for joy; not traveling south and ending up here is truly regrettable," Min Wu lamented for Jiang Yu.

The whole plan today was to lure Qi and Hong into this death trap, and the sudden drop into this underground treasure spot turned out to be an unexpected delight.

"Considering the slight friendship we once had, I can give you a chance to end yourself…" Min Wu's words were cut off before he could finish.

The Jiang Yu opposite flashed past the sword behind her and suddenly lunged at him; Min Wu dodged urgently.

Seizing the brief flash, Jiang Yu zipped toward the incoming cavern's stone gate, brandished the token, and the gate slowly rose open.

"There's an exit. Who exactly are you?" Min Wu and his teammates naturally demanded to block.

"Qi Haohao, you dare!" Senior Brother Xing's shout instantly distracted Min Wu, and as he slashed Jiang Yu he glanced sideways at the battle.

Qi Haohao was seen holding a Nascent Soul Sword Qi Talisman in one hand and clutching Jiang Yu's half‑bent sword with the other: "If you don't stop, we'll all perish together."

This cramped spot couldn't withstand even a single Nascent Soul Sword Talisman.

Jiang Yu seized the moment, splitting the two incoming swords, channeling her entire spiritual energy to burst through the stone gate.

"Hey fellow cultivator, don't leave, lend us a hand, and we'll repay you richly." Young Master Hong shouted, but felt a sharp pain in his chest as a weapon pierced his back, spraying blood.

It turned out to be Senior Brother Chen's hidden weapon, a death‑stealing flying dagger; he had been standing aside, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

At this moment his squad had eliminated two rogue cultivators and again compressed Qi Haohao's breathing space with a dozen others.

Qi Haohao would not willingly die together; she ignored the fallen Young Master Hong's life or death, and at the instant Jiang Yu emerged, she crushed a teleportation talisman.

Coincidentally, the instant she shattered the talisman, it instantly hurled the emerging Jiang Yu into the tunnel's bottom, causing Jiang Yu and the token to drift away from the stone gate, unable to control its descent.

After a stunned pause, Min Wu's group surged from beneath the gate, then saw a child with dragon horns and a person sitting back‑to‑back.

"A transformed Dragon King?" they hesitated to approach.

Jiang Yu leapt, steadied, and drew a Seventh‑Level Sword Talisman, ready to strike.

The length here, at least longer than the space beyond the gate, meant releasing a lethal artifact wouldn't harm herself.

Ao Ze transmitted to Thus: Xuantang Xingjun: "I see recently deceased cultivators inside; their souls have just left their bodies."

"There's also one on the brink of death; Xuantang Elder, do you want to use it?"

Thus: Xuantang Xingjun: "I, an old man, need a Foundation‑stage mortal body for what? To let others kill me?"

At that moment, Qi Haohao also prepared to release a Nascent Soul Sword Qi Talisman.

Unexpectedly, Thus: Xuantang Xingjun raised his hand, a point fixing her body, and transmitted that Jiang Yu could not use those sword talismans here.

"We can't let them keep chasing us to kill," Jiang Yu thought, realizing she couldn't duel them alone.

She finished speaking, and at that instant Thus: Xuantang Xingjun sent a soul force toward the right‑wall lantern; flames erupted from both walls of the passage, blocking the pursuers.

Those dozen‑plus Foundation cultivators sprinting into the passage, whether shielding with protective spiritual light or using water techniques, were unaffected by the fire's half‑strength.

They could neither advance nor retreat, yet they weren't instantly incinerated.

"Senior, let's go." Jiang Yu, having obtained what she wanted, did not wish to stay; too many variables.

Qi Haohao was on the side, frantic beyond belief, yet she could not move or speak; she also really wanted to leave.

Thus: Xuantang Xingjun turned and faced the people in the passage before him: "Among you, who knows the fate of the Xun family?"

Min Wu and the others were momentarily at a loss, straining to hold back the raging fire, yet they did not dare to answer.

Only Senior Brother Xing, upon seeing his face, shouted in shock: "Ancestor?! You are the Xuantang Ancestor, I am a direct branch of the Xun family's main house disciple."