On the other side, the old gentleman brought Shi Yi to the back door of the immortal cultivation sect.
"Didn't we come to find Mu Anxiao?" Shi Yi asked, pointing at the door with a look of confusion. "Why are we here?"
However, the old gentleman paid no attention to Shi Yi, but walked directly through the back door, ignoring the prostrate Pia on the ground, and led Shi Yi to the stables.
Feng Qishi, unable to muster any strength, looked at the old gentleman and called out, "Master."
"Follow me," the old gentleman said.
Feng Qishi shook his head. "I'm not going with you. I want to find Mu the idiot. But..." He paused, suddenly realizing his own condition, and glanced at Shi Yi. "Shi Yi, how about you go check on Mu the idiot?"
Shi Yi gave the old gentleman a helpless look and raised his right hand, saying, "I can't move."
Upon seeing this, Feng Qishi hurried to say, "Master, could you go and see how Mu the idiot is? She ran out in a hurry just now, and I'm worried something might have happened to her."
"Something has already happened," Shi Yi said.
Feng Qishi's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
"I said something has already happened. Mu Anxiao just shattered the宣战雾粉, and the demonic barrier was instantly removed. The sky cleared up, but... she was surrounded by black energy. I was about to go save her when your master pulled me away," Shi Yi explained in detail.
Hearing this, Feng Qishi immediately shifted his gaze to the old gentleman's face. "Master, Mu the idiot, she won't be in too much trouble, will she?"
"She will be in some trouble, but not too much. I, on the other hand, only want to save you," the old gentleman said, waving his sleeve towards Feng Qishi.
Feng Qishi was stunned. Just as he was about to speak, he tilted his head and fainted.
Shi Yi looked at Feng Qishi with surprise and asked, "What did you do?"
"This is also part of Mu Anxiao's growth. Neither of you is allowed to interfere," the old gentleman said, pulling Shi Yi to stand before Feng Qishi, leaving behind a note, and taking them away from there.
Deep within the forest, Mu Anxiao's hands and feet were gradually entwined by black energy. She forced herself to open her eyes and looked at everything before her, saying, "You've come."
Then, a familiar voice reached her ears.
"By attempting to disrupt the demonic essence of the barrier like this, you are harming our allies. I will kill you."
Mu Anxiao swallowed and said, "I know you."
"Stop trying to build a connection with me here."
The moment the voice finished, Mu Anxiao was swept up by the black energy and tossed into the air.
At the same time, the black energy spread out. Xu Lanyan watched Mu Anxiao being thrown into the air with a look of astonishment and cried out, "Not good."
"Don't go," the female rat demon said, grabbing Xu Lanyan's arm.
Xu Lanyan's body stiffened. "Let go of me."
"They're here," the female rat demon said, looking up at the figures gradually appearing.
Xu Lanyan followed the female rat demon's gaze upwards and exclaimed in shock, "These are the demon lords."
"Yes, they have surrounded Mu Anxiao," the female rat demon said, turning to look at Xu Lanyan. "If you go now, you won't be able to save her, and you'll be in danger yourself. Believe me."
"Then I..."
"When I let go, that's when you go," the female rat demon interrupted.
Xu Lanyan was stunned for a moment and then agreed, "Alright."
Above, the demon lords completely surrounded Mu Anxiao. Her hands and feet were tightly bound by the black energy.
"If you want to kill me, then kill me," she said, looking at the first black-clothed demon lord before her, her voice hoarse.
"It's you," the first black-clothed demon lord recognized Mu Anxiao at a glance.
"It is," Mu Anxiao replied.
"No," the first black-clothed demon lord floated in front of Mu Anxiao and asked, "Why did you shatter that宣战雾粉?"
"To remove the demonic barrier, but... it contained Pia's demonic essence. If I hadn't done this, we would have been trapped here," Mu Anxiao said, narrowing her eyes slightly.
The first black-clothed demon lord asked, "Where is Pia?"
"After taking the brown pill you gave him, he fainted. If I had known, I would have had him help resolve this first before giving it to him," Mu Anxiao said calmly.
The first black-clothed demon lord chuckled. "You recognized my voice just now."
"Yes, I did. Otherwise, I wouldn't have dared to ask you to kill me," Mu Anxiao confessed honestly.
"How did you know I wouldn't kill you?" the first black-clothed demon lord asked again.
"Simply because I haven't harmed Pia."
"You're smart," the first black-clothed demon lord said, pointing to the surrounding black energy. The black energy around Mu Anxiao instantly began to dissipate.
Seeing this, Mu Anxiao quickly said, "No, if you do this, I'll fall..." Before she could finish, the black energy completely dispersed, and her body plummeted downwards.
The first black-clothed demon lord was startled. He looked down at Mu Anxiao falling, his eyes widened. Just as he was about to dive down to save her, Xu Lanyan quickly broke free from the female rat demon's grasp, jumped up, and caught Mu Anxiao.
"Are you alright?" he asked, pulling Mu Anxiao's arm as they slowly landed.
Mu Anxiao let out a sigh of relief, unable to speak for a while.
Xu Lanyan released his hand, bent down, and waved his hand in front of Mu Anxiao's face, asking, "Are you alright?"
Mu Anxiao swallowed and said, "You scared me to death." Then, she looked up at Xu Lanyan and asked, "Hey, what did you say?"
Seeing that Mu Anxiao was unharmed, Xu Lanyan chuckled. "Nothing. You seem fine now."
Mu Anxiao said nothing, her gaze falling on the demon lords who had descended behind Xu Lanyan.
The first black-clothed demon lord asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Mu Anxiao shook her head.
Following that, the second black-clothed demon lord turned his attention to Xu Lanyan. "Are you an immortal?"
"I am a demon," Xu Lanyan said righteously, turning around.
"What kind of demon are you?" the third black-clothed demon lord asked.
Xu Lanyan's eyes were firm, fearful that they would see through him. "I am a rat demon."
"Oh." The two of them nodded in unison.
Mu Anxiao turned to Xu Lanyan and said, "Alright, you have no business here anymore."
"I..."
Just as Xu Lanyan uttered one word, Mu Anxiao said, "I'll take you to find Pia."
The first black-clothed demon lord nodded and said, "Very well, let's go."
"Are we just letting him go?" the fourth black-clothed demon lord asked, pointing at Xu Lanyan.
The first black-clothed demon lord glanced at Xu Lanyan and said, "Do not mention seeing us, or we will find you again."
"I won't," Xu Lanyan shook his head and looked at Mu Anxiao. "Be careful yourself."
"Don't worry, I'll be alright," Mu Anxiao said, taking the lead.
They did not trouble Xu Lanyan further and followed Mu Anxiao.
After they had completely walked away, Xu Lanyan turned to the female rat demon, who had stood up, and said, "Actually, the demon lords are not as terrifying as we thought."