"That is… a human?"
The sharp-eyed Ju Fufu noticed that on the bodies of those Miasmic Devourers, there were traces of humans embedded within them, jammed into their bloated flesh like pustules.
Judging from the remaining scraps of clothing, those unfortunate humans were most likely employees of Porcelumex.
Among them, Arden even spotted a familiar figure.
"Ms. Laurent? Sigh~~ this is what happens when you don't listen to advice."
Arden shook his head and sighed.
If Ms. Laurent had listened to Arden back then and allowed Yunkui Summit to thoroughly inspect the large Porcelume mine, they might have detected the Exaltists' movements in advance and stopped the disaster before it happened. She wouldn't have ended up dying so miserably.
"People who don't listen—even if they don't die, they still bring calamity!"
Of course, now wasn't the time to mock the dead. Arden and the other two needed to eliminate these Miasmic Devourers, then push deeper into the large Porcelume mine to uncover the source of the crisis—or even resolve it directly.
Technically, reaching this point already meant they could withdraw or wait for reinforcements. But judging by Yixuan and Ju Fufu's expressions, neither of them had any intention of stopping here.
It was obvious that the Ethereals had been deliberately lured here, slaughtered, and converted into ether and miasma to increase both the ether concentration and the scale of corruption around the mine.
Arden was ninety-nine percent certain this wasn't the end goal, but rather preparation for something far more dangerous—some kind of act or ritual.
He also agreed with Yixuan and Ju Fufu about pressing onward. At this moment, every second mattered. There was no time to wait for reinforcements—they had to stop things before the worst happened.
"Arden, Fufu—we're going in!"
Miasmic Devourers weren't a match for Yixuan, but dealing with more than ten at once while still conserving strength for whatever lay ahead meant she needed the support of her two disciples.
"Yes!"
"Rawr~!"
The master and disciples worked together with seamless coordination. The three of them together could unleash combat power that surpassed the level of a Void Hunter.
Yixuan took the main offensive role.
Ju Fufu focused on breaking through.
Arden handled support and secondary offense.
"Celestial Talisman Arts: Might, Haste, Vigor!"
Arden first applied a buff to Ju Fufu, greatly boosting her attack, defense, and breakthrough efficiency.
"Fufu, go!"
"Leave it to me… Tiger Seven Forms!Rawr~~!"
Ju Fufu charged straight into the meatball, smashing through it in the shortest possible time.
"O, Heavens, with thy brilliance and grace—shield thine body!"
With Arden's incantation, a layer of golden light enveloped Yixuan's entire body, forming a shield and outlining her Shifu's graceful curves.
Of course, this spell wasn't meant to show off her figure—it was a powerful buff that boosted all attributes.
"Obliterate—form and spirit!"
Facing the staggered Miasmic Devourers, Yixuan unleashed her ultimate move without hesitation.
Golden talismans instantly filled the air!
Boom!
With sonic wings of light upon her back, Yixuan descended from the sky. A single strike beyond Void Hunter level instantly obliterated five Miasmic Devourers.
"Hoo…"
After landing, Yixuan steadied her breathing.
"Continue!"
Inside the dim mine, Arden, Yixuan, and Ju Fufu sat cross-legged side by side, eyes closed. After taking recovery pills, the three were regulating their breath.
Although eliminating more than ten Miasmic Devourers hadn't taken long, the energy consumption was significant.
After careful consideration, Arden took out the pills he had prepared in advance and suggested that Yixuan and Ju Fufu recover sufficiently before continuing deeper.
Yixuan and Ju Fufu readily agreed. Sharpening the blade before chopping wood—both understood that principle well.
KIIIIIEEEEEEEEKKKK!!!!!!
Not far away in the mine tunnel near the entrance, a massive swarm of Ethereals roared furiously, trying to rush over, only to be blocked by a layer of golden barrier.
The Miasmic Devourers had been eliminated by the trio, but the incoming Ethereals showed no sign of stopping. Without obstruction, they surged madly into the Porcelume mine's interior.
To avoid being drowned by Ethereals, Arden could only cast a Golden Light Talisman, temporarily blocking them outside.
Once they had recovered enough, the three pressed on.
In a corner of the mine, they spotted a human figure.
It was Yi Jing.
His condition was terrible—nearly half his body had already crystallized into Ethereal form, and he was on the verge of fully transforming.
"You… came…"
Hearing the movement, Yi Jing struggled to turn his head. "Letting you see me… in such a sorry state… cough cough cough!"
"Junior Brother, you…"
Yixuan crouched down in front of him, examined him briefly, then shook her head in regret.
There was no saving him.
"Speak. What exactly did you do?"
Arden showed little sympathy as he demanded an answer.
"It was Bü Lu… that guy was an Exaltists priest. He wanted… he wanted…!"
Hearing Arden's question, Yi Jing suddenly became agitated—then, in the next moment, he burst into mad laughter.
"Ahahahahahaha! I am the Grandmaster of Yunkui Summit! Yixuan is mine, Yunkui Summit is mine, the entirety of New Eridu… is all mine!!!"
Corroded by miasma, Yi Jing had completely lost his sanity and fallen into madness.
"Sigh~~ knowing this would happen, why do it in the first place?"
Arden sighed. Drawing his sword, he handed it to Yixuan. "Shifu, after all, he was once of the same sect. You should be the one to end his suffering."
With a grim expression, Yixuan accepted the sword.
Pshhk!
Yi Jing's wretched life came to an end.
At this point, among Yunkui Summit's thirteenth-generation disciples, only Yixuan remained.
I hope in your next life you won't stand against me—if there is a next life.
Without mourning Yi Jing's death, the three proceeded into the deepest section of the large Porcelume mine.
Some Porcelumex equipment could still be seen, but it was now completely covered in miasma, having lost its original function.
"Mm…"
The extremely high ether concentration and omnipresent miasma caused Ju Fufu to let out a pained sound.
"Hold on—it'll be over soon."
With one hand, Arden gently patted Ju Fufu's head and tiger ears to comfort her. With the other, he took out a talisman and pressed it to the back of her head, reducing the effects of ether and miasma.
"Winds, arise!"
Whooo—
The raging wind Arden summoned dispersed the purple haze inside the mine, finally revealing the full scene before them.
Miasma carpeted the ground. Around the cavern, spherical masses of condensed corruption floated in midair, dripping down like asphalt.
Filth. Ominous. Evil.
That was the impression the scene left on Arden.
And at the very center of that miasma and dread stood Bü Lu, clad in Exaltists robes, surrounded by dozens of cultists.
"You arrived just in time…"
Bü Lu gazed at the trio with fanatical eyes. "The show… is about to begin!"
"O Creator, refine me!"
Bü Lu shouted loudly.
""O Creator, refine me!""
The cultists echoed in unison.
Gurgle… gurgle…!
In the next instant, miasma poured down from above, converging into streams of corruption that engulfed Bü Lu and the cultists, forming an enormous sphere—like an upgraded version of a Miasmic Devourer.
"Pierce through gold—obey!"
Arden tried to interrupt it, but the golden blade plunged into the corrupt flesh sphere without causing the slightest ripple.
Very soon, a Miasmic Devourer far larger than any ordinary specimen took shape.
It extended its tentacles and smashed down with overwhelming force.
Boom~!
Arden Xu, Yixuan, and Ju Fufu scattered to evade.
They all knew—
The real battle had finally begun.
===BREAK===
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