Having reached the periphery of the Higanbana Sea, the hallucinogenic fragrance of the flowers was not nearly as stifling as it had been in the depths. The fresh air allowed the group’s minds to clear, pulling them back from the brink of insanity.
Lin Xiao, in particular, seemed to recover his composure instantly. He snapped his folding fan open with a flourish, gently waving it as if to fan away the lingering scent of death. The disheveled panic he had shown earlier was gone, replaced by his usual veneer of scholarly elegance.
"Why don't the three of us join forces to execute one of them first?" Lin Xiao proposed with a smile, his eyes darting between the skeletons. "We can leave the other one to Senior Wang Laoxie. After all, he is a mid-stage Golden Core expert. Surely, that is manageable?"
"Hmph." Wang Laoxie spat on the ground. "You youngsters certainly know how to scheme. How is this old bag of bones supposed to handle a skeleton with late-stage Golden Core power? You’re trying to send me to my grave early!"
"Senior, there is no need to be so modest. You merely need to entangle him for a few breaths," Lin Xiao pressed, his tone dripping with false politeness. "Once we dismantle our target, we shall come to your aid immediately. Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Liu Yue and Fairy Luo should be arriving momentarily. Once they join the fray, these bone-bags will crumble."
"What you say makes sense..." Wang Laoxie rubbed his chin, feigning hesitation. "But it is still far too dangerous. perhaps we should wait for those two to arrive before we make our move?"
"Senior Wang, you may wish to stall for time, but I assure you, our skeletal friends disagree," Xiao Yifeng interjected, his voice cold and dripping with the arrogance of his 'Wuchen' persona. "Furthermore, the commotion has likely attracted other Golden Core entities. If we delay, we will all be buried here."
As if to validate Xiao Yifeng’s sneer, the two towering skeletons shrieked and charged, wielding their rusted, tattered magical artifacts with terrifying momentum.
Xiao Yifeng tightened his grip on Su Miaoqing's waist with one arm, while his other hand summoned a sharp intake of spiritual energy. He moved in sync with Lin Xiao and Mo Shuiyao, targeting the skeleton on the left.
Behind them, Wang Laoxie cursed vividly under his breath. With no other option, he gritted his teeth and engaged the remaining late-stage Golden Core skeleton, looking for all the world like a man being sent to the executioner's block.
The trio encircled their target, unleashing a barrage of attacks. However, Mo Shuiyao and Lin Xiao soon found themselves growing irritated. To them, it appeared that 'Wuchen' was merely going through the motions. He stayed on the periphery, seemingly focused entirely on shielding the unconscious Su Miaoqing, contributing only the occasional, symbolic sword aura to the fight.
This bastard, Mo Shuiyao thought, her eyes narrowing. He pushes us to fight, yet he saves his own strength to protect his woman!
Little did they know, Xiao Yifeng was internally straining to the limit. He was maintaining a fragile disguise; simulating the spiritual pressure of a Golden Core cultivator required an immense expenditure of energy. He physically could not attack with the same frequency as a true Golden Core expert without exposing his true cultivation base. Thus, playing the role of the "overprotective lover" was his only tactical option.
Despite their internal grievances, it had to be said that Mo Shuiyao and Lin Xiao justified their status as true disciples of the Chanmian Pavilion and Biyan City.
In his past life, Xiao Yifeng had dealt with them extensively. He knew well that while their morals were questionable, their combat prowess and intellect were top-tier. As enemies, they were a headache; as temporary allies, they were surprisingly reliable.
Both wielded Middle Grade Immortal Artifacts that surged with destructive power. Combined with Xiao Yifeng’s calculated, tricky sword strikes that targeted the skeleton's joints, the three of them managed to suppress the late-stage Golden Core monster.
Meanwhile, a cacophony of screams erupted from the other side of the battlefield.
"Help! It's killing me! Old bones can't take this!"
Wang Laoxie was running circles around his opponent, wailing like a banshee. To an untrained eye, he looked moments away from death. But to Xiao Yifeng and the others, the act was transparent—the old fox was dodging with fluid ease, clearly hoarding his strength while putting on a performance worthy of an opera house.
Fortunately, the stalemate did not last long.
The sound of rushing wind heralded the arrival of reinforcements. Luo Yun and Liu Yue burst from the flower sea, dragging the exhausted Daoist Lingyun with them.
Seeing the chaotic battlefield, Liu Yue reacted with pragmatic efficiency. He unceremoniously tossed the Daoist Lingyun onto the dirt like a sack of potatoes and slapped a defensive formation down around him to prevent stray attacks.
"Hang on!" Liu Yue roared, charging toward the screaming Wang Laoxie to relieve the pressure.
Luo Yun, her robes fluttering like butterfly wings, flew toward Xiao Yifeng’s group. She plucked the strings of her瑶qin (Jade Zither), sending invisible blades of sound slamming into the skeleton, instantly tipping the scales.
The two skeletons, sensing their imminent destruction, unhinged their jaws and let out a piercing, ultrasonic screech.
Crack... Snap...
The sound echoed across the Higanbana Sea. Immediately, the ground trembled as multiple powerful auras erupted from the mist. More Golden Core skeletons were waking up.
Xiao Yifeng’s expression darkened. "We’re out of time. Their reinforcements are coming. If we drag this out, we’ll be swarmed."
He glared at his temporary allies. "Stop holding back! Use your trump cards!"
Mo Shuiyao and Lin Xiao nearly choked on their own breath, rolling their eyes in unison. Who exactly is the one holding back here? You have the audacity to lecture us while you cuddle your beauty?
Xiao Yifeng ignored their judgment. He couldn't afford to be stingy. With a thought, he ignited a high-level talisman from his inventory.
Boom!
A massive torrent of fire erupted—a Golden Core-level Blazing Flame Talisman.
Lin Ziyin, believing her son had only just reached Foundation Establishment, had stocked him with talismans meant to protect Su Miaoqing. Naturally, they were all fire-attribute to match Su Miaoqing’s constitution, and they packed a punch far above Xiao Yifeng’s current level.
With the explosive firepower of the talisman and the combined assault of Luo Yun and Liu Yue, the tide turned decisively. These skeletons, while possessing the energy fluctuations of the late Golden Core stage, lacked the intelligence and varied techniques of living cultivators. They were brute force instruments.
Under the bombardment, the two guardians shattered into dust just as the shadows of new enemies began to emerge from the fog.
Swifter than a striking viper, Mo Shuiyao darted forward, snatching the tattered magical artifact dropped by their skeleton. Simultaneously, Wang Laoxie performed a sleight of hand, pocketing the loot from Liu Yue’s kill before the honest man could even blink.
"Go!"
Seeing the new wave of skeletons closing in, Xiao Yifeng didn't hesitate. He tightened his grip on Su Miaoqing and transformed into a streak of sword-light, fleeing the Higanbana Sea.
As the old saying went: Better a fellow Daoist die than this poor priest.
"You shameless—!" The others cursed internally, abandoning their dignity to sprint after him.
For a split second, Daoist Lingyun was left sitting alone in his defensive circle, blinking in confusion. Fortunately, Liu Yue was a man of honor. He doubled back, gritted his teeth, and hauled the old Daoist over his shoulder, narrowly dodging a bone spear as he escaped.
The group sprinted until their lungs burned, putting significant distance between themselves and the flower sea. Only when the oppressive red mist faded did they dare to look back.
To their surprise, the pursuing skeletons had stopped.
Standing at the very edge of the Higanbana Sea, the skeletal army stared blankly at them. It seemed an invisible barrier prevented them from leaving the flowers. As the group watched, the skeletons collapsed into piles of bone, their animation magic fading the moment they stepped down from "guard duty."
Xiao Yifeng watched them fall, a sudden, grim realization striking him.
Those skeletons... they were not originally guardians of this place. They were likely cultivators who had fled to the edge, only to die here. Now, their remains were cursed to hunt the next generation of intruders.
He looked at the new piles of bone forming at the boundary. I wonder if the next group to enter the Immortal Abode will feel 'delighted' to see their predecessors waiting for them?
Safe for the moment, the adrenaline faded, leaving them exhausted.
Xiao Yifeng gently shook Su Miaoqing. "Wake up."
Su Miaoqing’s eyelashes fluttered. Upon realizing she was still tightly wrapped in 'Wuchen's' embrace, her face flushed a deep crimson. She quickly disentangled herself, adjusting her robes with a shy, lowered gaze. She remained silent, her mood seemingly somber, lost in thoughts she wasn't ready to share.
Nearby, Liu Yue roused Daoist Lingyun. The old man, realizing he had survived the impossible, looked at Liu Yue with teary eyes, ready to swear a blood oath of brotherhood on the spot. Liu Yue simply waved him off, his attention already shifting to the path ahead.
The group turned their gaze away from the flowers and froze.
Stretching out before them was a massive, ominous river.
It was impossibly wide, the far bank completely obscured by a thick, gray fog that blocked all spiritual sense. The water itself was a nauseating, bloody yellow, churning sluggishly like thickened bile. It teemed with venomous water snakes and corpse-eating insects, while a foul, fishy stench assaulted their nostrils, making them gag.
But the smell was not the worst part.
Countless tormented souls bobbed in the yellow current, wailing in silent agony. Pale, bloated faces drifted just beneath the surface, staring up with hollow eyes. Occasionally, the water would surge, washing bleached human bones onto the muddy banks.
This was the legendary barrier of the Underworld—the Yellow Springs.