"That is the key to imprisoning two hundred and fifty demon souls," the black-robed Yin Chai said, looking at the vine spirit with astonishment, wondering about the moves the spirit had used against him. His eyes widened, "You are a vine spirit."
"Oh dear, you figured it out," the vine spirit chuckled, retracting its withered leaves. As it opened the brocade pouch, wisps of demonic energy began to drift out.
The vine spirit gave an insidious smile, turned, and vanished straight through the stone wall.
The Yin Chai, enduring the burning sensation on his body, spread his arms and shouted, "You all go quickly."
The black-robed Yin Chai was startled. Just as he was about to step forward, the Yin Chai turned his head and shouted again, "Don't come any closer."
"I have to save you," the black-robed Yin Chai said, slowly raising his hand.
The Yin Chai urgently looked back at the gas that was gradually transforming into a demon, shouting, "Go quickly, go quickly."
"You..."
"Sir, this fellow had a plan from the start. This is a trap. Don't come any closer," the Yin Chai called out urgently, as the black demonic energy slowly seeped into his body.
The black-robed Yin Chai began to cast a spell.
Throughout his life, the boy had only watched mortals and monsters unrelated to him depart from the mortal world. He had never witnessed such a scene.
"Why is this happening? Just a moment ago, he was talking to us, and now this. Why is everything so sudden?" The boy's body froze without him realizing it. He looked at the Yin Chai being tormented by demonic energy and at the anxious back of the black-robed Yin Chai, unable to intervene. He cried.
The young man, unable to tend to the boy's emotions, quickly moved behind the black-robed Yin Chai, shielding him from the demonic energy.
The next second, the Yin Chai urgently shouted, "Go quickly."
The black-robed Yin Chai abruptly retracted his outstretched hand, turned, and looked at the young man who was helping him block the demonic energy, saying, "You should go." Only loneliness remained in his eyes.
"Mm," the young man agreed, quickly withdrawing his hand. He turned to look at the boy's expression and was momentarily stunned.
The black-robed Yin Chai, ignoring everything else, ran forward, bent down, and scooped up the boy. Turning to the stunned young man, he shouted, "Don't be dazed, go quickly."
Hearing this, the young man snapped back to reality. He glanced back at the Yin Chai's retreating figure, then sped up to catch up with the black-robed Yin Chai.
The monsters also fled.
After they had completely departed, the Yin Chai, using the last vestiges of strength in his body, clenched his fists. "This place cannot exist anymore. You demon souls, die!" he declared. As he spoke, his tightly clenched hands suddenly opened. Then, as he tilted his face upwards, streams of black light gradually flew out of his body. The demon souls, transformed into demonic energy, were instantly released from his body and fell to the ground one by one.
Outside the cave, the boy was set down by the black-robed Yin Chai and sat on the ground.
"Are those demon souls alright?" the young man asked, stopping breathlessly in front of the black-robed Yin Chai.
The black-robed Yin Chai looked down at the boy, who had not yet emerged from his shadow, and said, "As long as there is no key, the cells where those demon souls are imprisoned will not be damaged."
"Did he die?" the boy asked, head bowed.
"He did not die," the black-robed Yin Chai replied, his voice hoarse as he looked down.
Hearing this, the boy's face lit up with hope. He looked up at the black-robed Yin Chai, "He didn't die, so why isn't he out yet?" He glanced towards the cave entrance.
Immediately after, a violent collapsing sound echoed from within the cave.
The boy jumped, his shoulders involuntarily hunching upwards.
The young man rushed to the cave entrance, peered inside, then ran past the cells where the demon souls were imprisoned and stopped before the stone that sealed the entrance. "What did he do?" he asked.
"He used his final spell to perish along with those demon souls," a demon soul from a nearby cell said.
Upon hearing this, the young man turned to the demon soul who had spoken and asked, "Do you know the origin of those demon souls?"
"We don't know, but the fact that they could band together to destroy a Yin Chai suggests that their souls have been corrupted by demonic influence!" the demon soul replied.
The young man repeated, "Demonic influence," then turned to the demon soul and asked, "Are you all alright?"
The demon soul was surprised that the young man cared about them. Feeling a warmth in his heart, he smiled and said, "We're fine. This cell door protected us." As he spoke, he glanced at the other demon souls.
The young man nodded in reassurance, then turned and walked out of the cave.
Outside the cave, the boy stared blankly at a certain spot, saying nothing.
Meanwhile, the paper bearing the Yin Chai's blood seal in the black-robed Yin Chai's hand gradually disappeared.
"Wasn't he a Yin Chai? Why did he die?" the Leopard-patterned Monster Number One asked, confused.
Upon hearing this, the black-robed Yin Chai turned to the Leopard-patterned Monster Number One, who was clutching his wound, and asked, "Are you in league with that vine spirit?"
The Leopard-patterned Monster Number One was taken aback and said, "How could I possibly be?"
"No, you stay right here. If you run, I will scatter your souls to the winds," the black-robed Yin Chai said. He looked down at the boy who had stood up and said, "If I die, you will inherit my position." With that, he handed the paper in his hand to the boy.
The boy looked up at the black-robed Yin Chai, who appeared ready to face death, and said, "The vine spirit is very cunning. Only Mu An Xiao can deal with him. If you go, you'll just be going to your death." Tears welled up in his eyes, "The Yin Chai just left, and if you leave too, what will happen?" He began to cry.
The young man stopped at the cave entrance, looking at the boy's crying expression, then raised his gaze to the black-robed Yin Chai's retreating back. "It's too late," he said, walking up behind the black-robed Yin Chai. "The entrance inside the cave is sealed by stones. The demon souls can't get out, and we can't get in."
"Then the vine spirit can't get out either," the Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two exclaimed excitedly.
The Big-headed Monster Number Three glared at the suddenly excited Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two and remained silent.
The young man glanced at the Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two and said, "What? Do you want to end up like the vine spirit?"
Hearing this, the Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two chuckled sheepishly, "I wouldn't dare. I was just asking. Besides," his eyes darkened, "my methods of wrongdoing have never been that cruel. I don't know what the vine spirit was thinking."
The young man said nothing.
The Leopard-patterned Monster Number One nudged the Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two with his elbow and said, "You should say less. The more you talk, the more trouble there is."
"Alright, boss," the Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two replied listlessly.
The Leopard-patterned Monster Number One's expression stiffened, and he said, "Are you very unhappy with me?"
"Mm," the Spotted Leopard Monster Number Two responded in a low voice.
The Leopard-patterned Monster Number One snorted coldly, "In that case, then be unhappy to your heart's content." Search on Baidu for "An Xiao Feng Qi Shi Jie Zhong Wen Xue" for the latest chapters, free to read.