Chapter 294: Chapter 294: Li Rao Captured
However, not long after leaving the cave, he saw Ye Chuxue lying on the ground nearby, on the verge of death.
Seeing her collapsed on the ground with a faint breath, Gu Qingyuan’s mind went blank. In an instant, he teleported over and swiftly swept her into his arms.
"Chuxue, what’s wrong?"
He anxiously turned her over, only to be horrified by her blood-soaked appearance.
Her face was covered in blood, her eyes were vacant—all of it screamed that Chuxue had suffered inhuman torture.
But what was even more terrifying was that her Dantian had been shattered, her years of Cultivation destroyed in an instant.
"How could this be?"
In that moment, Gu Qingyuan’s world came crashing down.
A dark aura flashed in the depths of his eyes. His arms around Ye Chuxue tightened, veins bulging on his skin.
"Who? Who dared to do this to you? I will tear them limb from limb!"
...
Back at the Song Family estate, Song Wanning’s clone had returned.
The clone and her true self were in the training room, both trying to comprehend a way to awaken the Dragon Vein.
The Song Family was prospering, and the entire Human Clan was focused on diligent Cultivation. For a time, the outside world was peaceful and harmonious.
After a long period of research with no breakthroughs, Song Wanning decided to go out for a walk.
However, she had not been out for long when she suddenly received a Communication Talisman.
Song Wanning raised an eyebrow and opened the Communication Talisman, hearing Li Rao’s voice.
"Master, I’ve discovered a monster skulking around the Song Family’s territory. Do you think you should send someone to investigate?"
Through the Communication Talisman, Li Rao’s voice was grave, as if she had encountered something very important.
And she was claiming to have found a monster, right in the Song Family’s territory...
Song Wanning’s expression darkened, and she immediately sent a reply asking for details.
But her Communication Talisman went unanswered, meeting only with silence.
She sent several more in succession, but each one vanished without a trace, as if Li Rao hadn’t been the one to send the message in the first place.
’Something’s wrong. Li Rao must be in trouble!’
Song Wanning’s heart sank. Li Rao was still young. Despite her improved aptitude, her Cultivation was still low. If she had been discovered by the monster, she was undoubtedly in grave danger.
She quickly took out Li Rao’s soul lamp and, following its guidance, rushed in her disciple’s direction.
Meanwhile, her clone remained in the training room, continuing to study ways to awaken the Dragon Vein.
Using a series of high-speed Transmission Arrays, Song Wanning followed the guidance and finally arrived in a large mountain range outside a city under the Song Family’s jurisdiction.
But upon reaching the mountains, the soul lamp suddenly pointed elsewhere.
Her movements paused for a fraction of a second, a dark glint flashing in her eyes. She immediately set off again in the indicated direction, not daring to stop for even a moment.
After days and nights of travel, Song Wanning found herself within the borders of the He Family’s territory.
It was a remote area, the site of one of the He Family’s abandoned mines.
Given her feud with the He Family, compounded by their collusion with the Feng Family, Song Wanning was on high alert.
Even in an abandoned mine, she remained vigilant, her eyes filled with caution.
The soul lamp only provided a general direction. Pinpointing Li Rao’s exact location would require a proper search. So, she leaped from her flying carpet and began scouring the abandoned mining site.
The area was filled with bare rock. The plants had withered, and there were almost no signs of life.
The He Family had mined the Spirit Vein here completely dry, leaving nothing behind and turning the area into a desolate wasteland.
It had never recovered and had been abandoned ever since.
Song Wanning soon arrived at the entrance to a mine. Staring into the pitch-black opening, she sent out a test Communication Talisman, then immediately released her Divine Sense to detect any fluctuations of Spiritual Power.
Just as she suspected, the Spiritual Power of the talisman flowed into the mine!
’Li Rao must be inside!’
Song Wanning’s expression shifted. She entered cautiously, her Longsword in hand, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
She had no idea what kind of monster Li Rao had been talking about.
It was always better to be cautious. She could not afford to let her guard down.
After cautiously making her way through the mine, Song Wanning came to a strange Spirit Spring Pool.
Above the Spirit Spring Pool, Li Rao’s small body was embedded in the wall.
Her hands and feet were pinned by thick nails, and her head hung low. She looked extremely weak.
In front of Li Rao, a bizarre-looking beast was raising its claw, its sharp talons aimed at her heart.
Song Wanning’s heart lurched, and her face instantly turned grim. Without a second thought, she slashed out with her sword.
At the same time, she shot into the air, rushing toward Li Rao.
"SKREEE—"
The monster let out a piercing shriek and, turning around, lunged at Song Wanning.
Only then did Song Wanning finally get a clear look at the thing.
The monster was pitch-black and only the size of a palm. At first glance, it looked like a small black hedgehog curled into a ball.
But its eyes were blood-red and had no pupils.
It didn’t even have a mouth or ears.
Its claws, however, were incredibly sharp. A single swipe shattered her blade of light into a fading afterimage.
Song Wanning’s focus sharpened, and she swung her sword again.
This time she didn’t hold back, attacking with her full power. The blade of light slammed into the monster, making it shriek in pain again. It leaped high into the air and hastily fled.
In a single breath, it had vanished. Not even Song Wanning’s Divine Sense could find a trace of it.
"Sister, what in the world is that monster? I’ve never seen anything like it."
The Golden Small Sword’s expression was grave, its eyes full of curiosity.
Not only was the monster’s appearance strange, but its movement technique was also first-class.
’Sister’s Divine Sense is so fast, yet it couldn’t keep up with it!’
"I’ve never seen it either."
Song Wanning shook her head. The creature was truly bizarre; she had never encountered it in either of her two lives.
’And just now, from the way it was acting... was it trying to rip out Li Rao’s heart?’
Song Wanning had a bad feeling about this. She flew forward, forcefully pulled out the nails pinning Li Rao, and flew down to the ground, holding her disciple.
Li Rao was still unconscious. Song Wanning frowned and fed her an Elixir Pill.
As the Elixir Pill took effect, Li Rao slowly regained consciousness. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw it was her master.
Then, suddenly remembering something, she exclaimed, "Master, run! There’s a monster!"
Her expression changed drastically. She frantically looked around, clutching her chest with one hand, her face a mask of terror.
"Don’t be afraid. The monster has fled for now. You’re safe."
Song Wanning patted Li Rao’s head and took her hand to inspect her injuries.
Li Rao was covered in claw marks. There were gashes of varying severity from her neck to her feet, with the worst of them on her arms.
All these claw marks emanated a dark aura, identical to the one from the monster.
"Master, you’re amazing!"
That monster was so powerful, yet her master could chase it away so easily. She was incredible.
She gazed at Song Wanning with utter adoration, her eyes nearly overflowing with reverence.
Countless people dreamed of becoming her master’s disciple.
’I must have accumulated good karma for eight lifetimes to be this lucky,’ she thought.
