The path ahead seemed endless, and the water level kept rising. Everyone flew close to the cave ceiling, as if they would be submerged by the black water at any moment.
They didn't know what the consequences of being submerged would be.
But their instincts told them it was not a good choice.
Yet, to keep flying and waiting was not the best choice either!
Therefore, a change was necessary. When pushed to the limit, change brings progress.
Mo Qi thought of the Dragon-Subduing Pearl.
He could only try it now.
He summoned the Dragon-Subduing Pearl. A beam of red light shot out, and to his surprise, a miracle occurred.
The water level of the black water below stopped rising. It was as if it had solidified, not only ceasing its ascent but also becoming still, without even a ripple.
The group breathed a sigh of relief and continued to fly forward.
Mo Qi, holding the Dragon-Subduing Pearl, pressed onward. The black shadows that had appeared earlier flashed by rapidly, as if fearing the light, and retreated into the distance, occasionally letting out sharp cries.
"What are those?" Mo Qi asked.
"They are Yin Spirits. After their souls are molded into a core, they become Yin Spirits. They possess more consciousness than Yin Souls, and their intelligence has returned to what it was when they were alive. They have no physical bodies, only a form that resembles wind more than anything else," Linghu Xiaoxian explained. "They are more aggressive than Yin Souls and more prone to possession. However, after possession, there is always the problem of the body rejecting the spirit. Before long, the body will rot and become foul-smelling. Therefore, in the cultivation world, no matter how badly one's body is damaged, they hope to repair their original body rather than abandon it and hope to possess someone else."
"I see," Mo Qi said, suddenly enlightened. He thought of Zhen Zhen and wondered if her soul could also be molded into a core. "Then how is the soul molded into a core?"
"It's better you don't know," Linghu Xiaoxian shook her head. "That is a method used by Yin Spirit Masters to control Yin Spirits, and it is extremely sinister."
"Of course, there are also Yin Spirits who break free from their restraints and are not controlled by Yin Spirit Masters, but they are extremely rare and possess very high cultivation!" Linghu Xiaoxian continued. "The ones we've encountered should all be controlled and have average cultivation."
The other three couldn't help but feel a chill run down their spines. If so, where was the controller?
Suddenly, Pang Qing, who was flying at the very back, let out a pig-like scream. Because the light of the Dragon-Subduing Pearl barely reached him, the Yin Spirits had bypassed him and attacked from behind.
Black energy struck him from time to time, hitting his leg, then his shoulder, then his waist. He dodged left and right, unable to defend himself, and was quickly riddled with wounds.
"Why? Why are you targeting me too?" Pang Qing roared in anger, while desperately waving his hands to maintain his spiritual energy.
Seeing this, Mo Qi, fearing that the light would not reach Xiao Bai and Linghu Xiaoxian, deliberately retreated to a position parallel to Xiao Bai. He also had Linghu Xiaoxian move one position forward, so that both of them were beside him.
This way, Pang Qing was even less illuminated, and the Yin Spirits attacked him more ferociously.
Pang Qing shed tears as he fought back and cursed.
At this moment, a human face suddenly appeared in front of them, the face of a young girl. Although it was just a phantom, it was exceptionally stunning. Her eyes, eyebrows, lips, and nose were all exquisitely delicate, coming together to form a near-perfect visage!
"It's her, she must be controlling the Yin Spirits," Linghu Xiaoxian said.
Without a word, Mo Qi summoned the Qiankun Circle and hurled it fiercely at the face.
The Qiankun Circle emitted a white light. Before it even touched the enchanting face, it began to dissipate, gradually blurring.
Mo Qi thought it had disappeared, but as they continued to fly forward, her shadow reappeared not far ahead.
At this moment, a smile flickered across her face.
Mo Qi summoned the Qiankun Circle again and hurled it fiercely.
However, before the Qiankun Circle's light could reach her, she dissipated on her own again.
Suddenly, Xiao Bai let out a series of giggles.
Her eyes turned crimson, and sharp claws suddenly grew from her hands. She lunged fiercely at Mo Qi.
What was happening?
Mo Qi was bewildered.
"Quick, dodge!" Linghu Xiaoxian immediately screamed. "She's possessed by a Yin Spirit."
Mo Qi was shocked. Due to the close proximity, he couldn't dodge in his haste.
He had no choice but to activate his Heavenly Eye divine ability, augmented with Earth Arrow spiritual energy. A red light shot out and struck Xiao Bai's attacking hand.
Mo Qi felt a pang of regret.
There was no other way. For self-preservation, he had to cripple her!
With a loud bang, the red light struck Xiao Bai's palm, sending sparks flying as the light exploded.
However, her palm and claws were unharmed. They continued to rush towards Mo Qi with fierce momentum.
Mo Qi was greatly alarmed. Although the attack hadn't injured her, it had at least momentarily halted her assault.
Mo Qi used this brief moment to execute the Golden Light Shrinking Ground Technique, quickly escaping.
At this time, the black water on the ground had also silently disappeared.
Mo Qi landed on the ground, watching as the opponent, with bared teeth and claws, lunged at him again. He felt somewhat helpless.
If he used his full strength, he might injure Xiao Bai!
If he only fled, he could protect himself, but Xiao Bai would perish.
This Yin Spirit could possess Xiao Bai, so it was likely not an ordinary Yin Spirit.
Didn't Linghu Xiaoxian just say that these were common Yin Spirits with average cultivation?
What was going on?
"It's Yin Spirit controlling Yin Spirit! This Yin Spirit is more powerful than we imagined," Linghu Xiaoxian said.
Mo Qi raised his hands, and five shadowy claws suddenly erupted from his palms, instantly wrapping around Xiao Bai's attacking hand and extending further, coiling around her body several times.
Simultaneously, Mo Qi used the Golden Light Shrinking Ground Technique to dodge to the side, evading a palm thrust that Xiao Bai continued to push forward.
Then, with lightning speed, he circled her body.
Thus, the phantom claws bound her tightly.
"Soul Suppressing Technique!"
Mo Qi suddenly looked at Xiao Bai's crimson eyes, and a circle of red light flashed within them.
A refreshing force flowed into Xiao Bai's heart. At first, she struggled violently, thrashing left and right, even causing Mo Qi to stumble several times and nearly fall.
She appeared very agitated.
Gradually, she calmed down, her agitation slowly subsiding. It was as if a dark power was being suppressed.
Mo Qi continued to channel the Soul Suppressing Technique, allowing her mind to gradually regain clarity.
Xiao Bai collapsed onto the ground with a thud.
A phantom figure detached from her body and floated towards Linghu Xiaoxian.
Linghu Xiaoxian was already on guard. She muttered incantations, her words unintelligible.
A red light ignited from the back of her head, like a rising red sun. The sun emitted brilliant radiance, silently casting countless threads of light in all directions.
It exuded a power that penetrated everything.
A humanoid phantom figure rammed against the outer edge a few times, then gave up and moved to another location.
Xiao Bai stood up somewhat dazed. In a moment, she understood what had happened.
Pang Qing, standing on the ground, suddenly began to stomp his feet, waving his hands as if to drive something away, anger in his eyes.
It seemed he too felt the Yin Spirit trying to possess him.
Mo Qi and the now-standing Xiao Bai crossed their arms and watched quietly.
A complex expression flickered in Linghu Xiaoxian's eyes, as if she were caught in a struggle of extreme pain.
Pang Qing's body trembled violently a few times, and his eyes suddenly turned crimson.
"Now!"
Mo Qi slapped his storage bag, and four formation flags shot out, landing in the four corners in different directions, becoming invisible.
He formed a hand seal and pointed. The four formation flags lit up again before disappearing.
A faint halo then appeared in the air.
Pang Qing looked annoyed. He flew up and crashed into the halo. The light intensified, and a barrier of light repelled him.
He tried to crash into another direction, but was repelled again. After several attempts, he gave up.
He stared at Mo Qi and spoke in a sweet, feminine voice: "You've trapped me, but what can you do? I can't get out of this formation, and you can't get in."
Mo Qi suddenly shot an arrow of energy into the formation. With a hiss, it pierced his right shoulder, causing him to grimace in pain.
"Don't think I'm truly helpless," Mo Qi said coldly.
As he spoke, he continuously fired more arrow energy, a continuous stream of it directed at the formation.
Pang Qing dodged repeatedly, darting left and right, left and right, in a sorry state.
As he dodged, he shouted: "You're striking so hard, aren't you afraid of hurting your friend? If I die, he won't live either."
Mo Qi's hands did not falter. At the same time, he smiled cheerfully, "My friend has always hated evil and feared no sacrifice, dedicating his life to subduing demons and protecting the common people. I will fulfill his wish. If he has a spirit in heaven, he will surely be grateful to me."
He continuously unleashed arrow energy, as if he wanted to riddle Pang Qing with holes.
The Yin Spirit finally realized that these two were not friends at all, but likely sworn enemies.
After being hit a few times, she floated away from Pang Qing's body.
Without the hindrance of Pang Qing's body, she easily broke through the barrier, revealing a graceful phantom figure in the air. Her figure was curvaceous, and being a phantom, it displayed her perfect physique even more vividly.
Mo Qi stared, his eyes wide, as if looking at an unclothed maiden. Blood gushed from his nose.
The phantom figure sensed the abnormality. She looked down and suddenly realized what was happening, feeling both shy and angry. "You scoundrel, you won't let even a Yin Spirit off."
As she spoke, her form gradually dissipated, vanishing into the air like light smoke.
Before she completely vanished, an unreadable smile appeared on her face: "I will remember you. We will meet again."
Mo Qi felt a chill run down his spine. He turned to Linghu Xiaoxian, as if deceiving himself, "She's talking to you."
Linghu Xiaoxian said dismissively, "Whoever she's talking to, they know it in their hearts."
Mo Qi felt even more uneasy. For the first time, he felt such strong repulsion towards a beautiful face!
Linghu Xiaoxian added disdainfully, "Hurry and wipe your nosebleed. I'm afraid you'll bleed to death."
Mo Qi wiped his nosebleed and gave an embarrassed smile. "The weather is too dry."
Fortunately, after the face dissipated, the surrounding Yin Spirits vanished, and the space was no longer so dark. Everyone's spirits lifted.