Inside the tightly sealed dungeon gates, Yan Shouyi and the others exchanged bewildered glances.
"So we've locked ourselves in?" Long Feicheng said awkwardly. "We shouldn't have run in here. There was so much open space outside."
Wang Jíwǎng snorted. "The wind outside was strong and unpredictable. How could you guarantee you could outrun He Zhijing's poison gas? Coming into the dungeon is much safer."
Yan Shouyi consoled them, "He Zhijing's poison gas is too terrifying. I'm not sure if everyone could withstand it, so I could only resort to the most conservative method… Is everyone alright? No injuries?"
The group checked themselves, and fortunately, no one was hurt.
Zhao Yiyao circled the dungeon gate several times before concluding, "The dungeon door has excellent sealing. He Zhijing's poison gas hasn't leaked in, but the gas outside is likely to linger for quite some time."
He Xiping sighed, "He Zhijing is a descendant of the Zhuyou technique, a shamanistic physician. I only knew he was skilled in poisons, but I never expected this fellow to have cultivated his own body into a giant poison sac… Though, thinking about it, it makes sense. If He Zhijing himself didn't have high resistance to poison, he probably would have died from his own concoctions long ago."
"It's good that everyone is safe."
Yan Shouyi sat by the entrance, contemplating their next move. With just their current group, if they encountered Kang Jinlong and his men inside the dungeon, it would undoubtedly lead to their demise. However, with the door locked and poison gas raging outside, they couldn't leave anytime soon. Simply waiting in place was not an option either. Therefore, he decided they had to venture deeper into the dungeon, but they needed to be prepared for anything.
"Yan Shouyi, what's our plan?" Luo Ning asked.
Yan Shouyi said gravely, "Agong, He Xiping, Zhao Yiyao, the three of you will stay here."
Zhao Yiyao was immediately displeased. "Why?"
Agong and He Xiping were more composed. Their personalities were steadier, and they trusted that Yan Shouyi wouldn't make rash decisions.
Yan Shouyi explained, "We're trapped in the dungeon now, but we can't do nothing. The three of you have special abilities, so there are two tasks you must accomplish."
Upon hearing that she still had missions, Zhao Yiyao’s expression improved slightly. She didn't want Yan Shouyi to treat her as an incapable vase, hiding her behind him during danger.
"Agong, Zhao Yiyao, you can control the paper figures and Huang Sipi. You should be able to find a way for them to escape the dungeon, right?"
Agong nodded. "My paper figures are fine."
"Huang Sipi can too," Zhao Yiyao said.
"Excellent," Yan Shouyi continued. "We must inform the Old Celestial Master about the situation in the dungeon. So, Agong, dispatch your paper figures to deliver the message, and have other paper figures and Huang Sipi cooperate to find the true bodies of Lu Kui and Jiang Cheng'an!"
Agong immediately understood Yan Shouyi's intention. He asked, "You want us to deal with Lu Kui and Jiang Cheng'an?"
Yan Shouyi nodded. "Can you do it?"
Zhao Yiyao immediately replied, "I can! Huang Sipi's sense of smell is very keen; it's definitely capable of finding their true bodies!"
Agong's eyes narrowed. "If their true bodies aren't strong, my paper figures are enough to kill them."
"You can rest assured about that!" He Xiping explained. "Lu Kui and Jiang Cheng'an's true bodies are very weak, just like Chu Liang. If their true bodies were powerful, they wouldn't be hiding and afraid to show themselves!"
"That makes sense," Wang Jíwǎng nodded.
"You two will need to divide your attention to control the paper figures and Huang Sipi. You'll need someone to guard you. Old He isn't skilled in combat, so I'm leaving him by your side," Yan Shouyi asked He Xiping, "Old He, what are your thoughts?"
He Xiping shook his head. "Combat is indeed not my forte, but I'm confident I can protect these two."
"Then it's settled."
Although they might not be a match for Kang Jinlong's group, if they could find a way to eliminate Lu Kui and Jiang Cheng'an, it would still significantly lighten their burden.
"The rest of you, are you planning to go further into the dungeon?" Agong asked with a frown.
Yan Shouyi sighed. "Of course. But don't worry too much about us. I have a feeling that the forces the Old Celestial Master stationed in the dungeon aren't just these. The successor of the Nuo Ghost Opera must have high-level experts protecting them. Once you succeed in dealing with Lu Kui and Jiang Cheng'an, we might stand a chance!"
"Understood! We'll take care of those two!" Zhao Yiyao declared confidently.
After some discussion, Yan Shouyi led the others deeper into the dungeon.
Agong also wore a serious expression and said to Zhao Yiyao, "The sooner we find Lu Kui and Jiang Cheng'an, the safer Brother Yan and the others will be. So, let's begin."
Zhao Yiyao immediately summoned Huang Sipi.
The yin energy that Huang Sipi transformed into passed through the thick dungeon gate and materialized outside. Huang Sipi, about the size of a yellow dog, was unaffected by the poison gas. This was because it was already a spirit, and He Zhijing's poison gas only affected living beings.
After summoning Huang Sipi, Zhao Yiyao sat on the ground, formed mudras with her hands, closed her eyes, and recited an incantation. Then, she suddenly opened her eyes, and her human pupils had become identical to Huang Sipi's.
Simultaneously, Huang Sipi outside the dungeon shivered. Its usual demeanor was replaced by more human-like movements and expressions. Zhao Yiyao had connected her consciousness with Huang Sipi, remotely controlling its body. Whatever Huang Sipi saw and heard, she saw and heard.
Huang Sipi walked to the edge of the dungeon, patted the door, and said, "The poison gas outside hasn't dissipated, as expected. All the corpses have been corroded, and Chen Tang is dead for sure! By the way, Agong, this dungeon door is so perfectly sealed that not even poison gas can get in. How will your paper figures get out?"
He Xiping was startled; he had the same question. If Agong's paper figures couldn't get out, wouldn't their entire plan be in vain?
Agong smiled slightly and explained, "When we were dealing with Chen Tang and He Zhijing earlier, I was worried something might go wrong, so I made preparations. Outside, there are all paper figures I placed beforehand!"
As he finished speaking, Agong formed hand seals. At the same time, from the pile of corpses and the woods outside the dungeon, seven bizarre paper figures suddenly emerged! These paper figures had no thickness. Viewed from the front, they looked lifelike, but from the side, they were almost invisible. They carried various weapons like swords, spears, and staffs. One of the paper figures even had wings on its back!
Huang Sipi exclaimed in surprise, "Agong, you've improved! You can control seven paper figures at once now?"
"I can control more," one of the paper figures replied with a smile to Huang Sipi.
Huang Sipi gave a thumbs-up. The paper figure with wings flew up and said to Huang Sipi, "Leave the search to you. My paper figures will stay by your side!"
"Go ahead, I'll find those two scoundrels!" Huang Sipi sniffed the air, its gaze quickly locking onto the southwest.