Chapter 203: Unexpected Incident

The young girl's words clearly startled the Moon-Holding Sect disciples. Based on their experience over the past two days, any high-tier demonic beast trapped by their Grandmaster's circular artifact could not escape its restraints for a considerable time. Had this beast broken free so quickly?

Although filled with doubt, they dared not disregard the young girl's warning. They immediately became extremely vigilant, and the red and blue light beams from their hands intensified. In a blink of an eye, over a dozen new blood holes appeared on the Ink Dragon's body, its crimson blood staining a large section of the swamp below.

This, of course, further enraged the dragon. It opened its mouth, letting out a continuous, piercing hiss that made the entire underground world hum.

A strange tearing sound, a "hiss," echoed through the air! When everyone regained their composure and looked again, their faces paled instantly.

The circular artifact remained motionless in mid-air, but the Ink Dragon beast that had been caught inside had vanished. All that remained was a tattered black scaled skin, dangling and swaying from the artifact. The demonic beast had escaped by shedding its skin!

Not only were the Moon-Holding Sect disciples astonished, but even the young girl herself was utterly shocked by what she saw!

Her earlier warning to her disciples to be careful wasn't because she had anticipated the dragon's shedding.

Rather, the Ink Dragon's struggle was too powerful, and her magical energy was simply insufficient to continue restraining it. The beast should have realized the Vermillion Bird Ring's restraint was weakening. So why would it perform such a drastic action that would severely deplete its essence? Could it be...?!

The young girl's heart lurched. A terrible possibility dawned on her, and her face instantly turned ashen. She frantically searched for the Ink Dragon, eager to confirm her dreadful suspicion!

"There!"

A sharp-eyed Moon-Holding Sect disciple was the first to spot the demonic beast, now completely transformed, swimming along the ceiling of the underground cavern. Its appearance was drastically different from before.

Its jet-black body had become snow-white and scaleless. Its length had increased from three or four *zhang* to five or six *zhang*, and it had grown considerably thicker. Only faint, almost imperceptible scars remained where it had been injured. Most astonishingly, inch-long, dark, pointed horns had emerged from its triangular snake head, subtly gleaming, and a pair of incredibly sharp white claws had appeared on its belly. This demonic beast had transformed from a snake into a *jiao*, a flood dragon, matching the creatures of legend.

The Moon-Holding Sect members were naturally stunned and bewildered by the Ink Dragon's new form. But before they could react, the young girl, who stood at the forefront, issued an order with a grim expression that left them utterly bewildered.

"Everyone, retreat immediately! The Ink Dragon has evolved to its second stage! Its power is now comparable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator. All of us combined would be no match for it. Flee this place at once; I can hold it off for a short while."

With that, she summoned the Vermillion Bird Ring back to her front, adopting a fully defensive stance.

The disciples behind her hesitated. While the so-called Ink Dragon had indeed shed its skin and drastically changed its appearance, they had just inflicted severe injuries upon it. It was difficult for them to believe that the demonic beast's power could have increased so dramatically in such a short time.

Yet, that brief moment of hesitation would be enough for some to regret it for the rest of their lives! For the white Ink Dragon suddenly moved, surging like lightning above the Moon-Holding Sect disciples. Then, it opened its maw, unleashing an unending stream of purple liquid.

"Dodge quickly! Do not engage it!"

The young girl cried out anxiously, her face etched with worry. Simultaneously, the Vermillion Bird Ring rapidly expanded several times its size, flying forward to intercept the majority of the purple liquid.

Upon hearing her warning, some quick-witted disciples either swiftly retreated into the bluestone passage they had entered through or immediately moved forward a few steps to take cover within the circular artifact's protective radius. However, the remaining five or six disciples, overly confident in the power of their own artifacts, not only refused to hide but instead released one or two gleaming objects to shield their heads, clearly intending to confront the attack directly!

"Fools!"

Seeing disciples disregard her warning, the young girl's face flashed with green light, revealing her vexation. However, limited by her magical energy, she couldn't expand the artifact's protective range any further. She could only abandon them to their fate!

And indeed, what happened next proved the young girl right. The purple liquid that bypassed the circular artifact surged ferociously onto the heads of those disciples. Their artifacts, which clearly weren't ordinary items, merely flashed a few times, then emitted wisps of green smoke before vanishing in the onslaught of the purple liquid, completely dissolved.

The Moon-Holding Sect disciples could only utter a single gasp before they vanished without a trace under the purple liquid's impact. Where they had stood, only a several-foot-deep hole, dissolved by the corrosive fluid, remained, leaving the faces of the surviving Moon-Holding Sect members deathly pale.

Seeing the disciples eliminated, the Ink Dragon's ferocity slightly subsided. It finally ceased its spitting attack, instead fixing its gaze on the young girl with cold, calculating eyes. It seemed to clearly understand that this Grandmaster of the Moon-Holding Sect was its true formidable adversary.

"Why are you all standing there gawking? Get out, now! This beast just transformed from a snake into a *jiao*; its inner fluid must be running low, so it won't spray easily again!" The young girl ignored the Ink Dragon's menacing gaze, instead, with a frigid expression, she commanded in a cold tone.

Then, she muttered spitefully to herself, "It's just a petty snake that barely reached the second tier, yet it dares to be so arrogant in front of me. If I had recovered my full magical power, I would have dragged you back to guard my cave by now!"

Aside from the young girl's reluctant expression, the other Moon-Holding Sect disciples, having witnessed the horrifying fate of their peers, dared not linger for another moment. They immediately surged into the passage and then frantically fled outwards.

Shortly after, the roars of the demonic beast, the young girl's sharp cries, and the booming sounds of battle echoed from behind them. These disciples scrambled and stumbled down the steps, their hearts filled with dread.

Their Grandmaster had made it clear that she could only hold it off for a short while. If they lingered and were then

caught, a single spray of that dreadful purple liquid would be enough to kill them, and there was nowhere to hide in the narrow passage. Wouldn't that be an unjust end!

At this moment, the young girl, drenched in sweat, flew deftly through the air, continuously skirmishing with the Ink Dragon. She wielded the Vermillion Bird Ring artifact with incredible skill, provoking constant roars of fury from the beast, but for now, it couldn't touch the agile girl.

The young girl was clearly not exerting her full power. She was controlling the Vermillion Bird Ring with one hand, while in her other, she held a red fire spirit stone, continuously absorbing spiritual energy to restore her magical power.

After some time, the young girl decided it was opportune. She put away the fire spirit stone and retrieved a shimmering golden talisman.

Without a word, she seized the opportunity while the Ink Dragon's attention was completely fixed on the Vermillion Bird Ring. With a flick of her hand, the talisman transformed into a golden beam that shot towards the beast. As it reached its target, the golden light suddenly split into countless slender golden threads, instantly binding the beast securely, rendering it completely immobile. This infuriated the beast, causing it to unleash another volley of furious roars.

Seeing this, a flicker of mockery crossed the young girl's eyes. Then, with a reluctant glance at the golden chest suspended within the white jade pavilion, she gritted her teeth and descended towards the passage entrance. She knew very well that this mid-tier Golden Silk Talisman couldn't restrain the beast for long, and it was best to leave this place as soon as possible. As for the treasures in the golden chest, she would have to devise a plan to acquire them another time!

As the young girl landed and prepared to step into the bluestone passage, a deafening thunderous roar erupted from within it. The sound grew louder and closer, causing her to hesitate, her raised foot hovering uncertainly above the entrance.

A dazzling azure divine light suddenly appeared within the passage. Like a surging tide, it swept through, and wherever it went, the bluestone of the passage seemed to come alive, frantically squeezing inward. In the blink of an eye, the several-foot-high passage sealed completely, leaving no trace of an opening. Witnessing this, the young girl recoiled several steps in terror, as if she had seen a ghost, and gasped:

"Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Restriction!"

Her face turned ashen, and she stared blankly at the vanished passage entrance, her usual confident expression instantly disappearing without a trace.

Just then, in the air behind the young girl, the golden threads binding the Ink Dragon began to snap inch by inch. The demonic beast was moments away from breaking free. When the young girl recovered her senses and turned to witness this, her heart plummeted as if into a bottomless abyss.

In the stone hall outside the passage, about a dozen Moon-Holding Sect disciples were intently staring at a white-robed woman. This woman was the very same arrogant girl who had called herself one of the "Moon-Holding Twin Beauties," but at this moment, her face was pale, and she appeared utterly bewildered!

"Junior Sister Zhao, what exactly did you do just now? How did the passage entrance vanish after you threw in that strange talisman? Were you trying to harm Grandmaster Nangong?" The male and female Moon-Holding Sect disciples demanded sharply, their faces etched with panic.

This was no laughing matter! If their Grandmaster truly couldn't emerge because of this, they would face severe consequences. Upon returning, they would, at best, have their cultivation utterly crippled and be expelled from the sect; at worst, their lives would be forfeit, perhaps even forced into a painful disembodiment. They understood perfectly what the loss of a Core Formation cultivator meant to a sect, hence their growing panic.

"I didn't do anything! I just placed a mid-low tier 'Lesser Five Elements Talisman' at the entrance, intending to activate it to give that demonic beast some trouble if it tried to pursue us!" the white-robed girl stammered, flustered.

She knew very well that with such a calamity, even her most powerful connections would be useless! The thought of the dreadful consequences if the young girl couldn't escape sent a chill through her.

"Enough with the useless chatter! Let's try to break through the passage and rescue Grandmaster Nangong!" an older male disciple snapped impatiently.

That remark immediately galvanized the Moon-Holding Sect disciples. They hastily deployed a myriad of colorful artifacts, continuously smashing them down where the passage entrance should have been, attempting to break through the restriction and rescue the young girl.

Several hours later, in the underground world dozens of feet below, the young girl stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the sudden appearance of another person. With one hand, this individual controlled seven golden blades attacking the Ink Dragon, while with the other, they deployed a black iron shield, positioning it in front of them both to block the Ink Dragon's spitting attacks.

This person was none other than the 'little fellow' from Yellow Maple Valley, whom she had met once and found subtly interesting. After she had spent several hours flying and dodging the Ink Dragon's attacks, on the verge of exhausting her magical energy, this person had suddenly appeared from nowhere, rescuing her from certain peril.

While barely fending off the Ink Dragon's assault, Han Li glanced at the young girl's astonished face and inwardly let out a bitter laugh.

Han Li had originally been idly observing the Moon-Holding Sect's grand battle against the Ink Dragon, and even after the Ink Dragon transformed and advanced, he felt no panic, only profound astonishment. However, when the young girl attempted to retreat and the bluestone passage entrance suddenly vanished, Han Li could no longer remain still.

The disappearance of the passage entrance meant that regardless of whether the young girl or the demonic beast won, he wouldn't be able to leave this place alive! This realization filled Han Li with panic.

At this moment, the newly freed Ink Dragon resumed its battle with the young girl. It was clear that the Moon-Holding Sect's Grandmaster was at a distinct disadvantage.

Even as she relentlessly propelled the circular artifact to attack the Ink Dragon, the demonic beast, having shed its old skin, now possessed incredibly strong defenses. Whether the artifact spewed fierce flames to immolate the dragon or directly struck it, it could not inflict significant harm. At most, it would leave some scorched or bruised marks, which only further enraged the beast. Its pursuit of the young girl became even more frantic, forcing her into desperate situations multiple times.

However, the sheer number of mid-tier talismans the Moon-Holding Sect Grandmaster carried was eye-opening for Han Li. He witnessed a series of rare talismans, including "Earth Evasion Talisman," "Water Prison Talisman," and "Fire Bird Talisman."

Whenever the young girl was on the verge of being overwhelmed and injured by the beast, she would deploy a talisman, which instantly produced a miraculous effect, turning peril into safety. Unfortunately, she evidently lacked any high-damage talismans, so she could only barely manage to protect herself each time.

Injuring the Ink Dragon with talismans was clearly impossible!

As Han Li watched the young girl being forced into a desperate situation by the Ink Dragon, his internal struggle intensified!

If the passage had been intact earlier, Han Li naturally wouldn't have concerned himself with the Moon-Holding Sect Grandmaster's fate. But now that the passage had inexplicably vanished, turning this place into a death trap, Han Li's perspective had drastically changed.

After all, he had personally heard the Moon-Holding Sect Grandmaster identify the "Lesser Five Elements Sumeru Restriction," indicating she was intimately familiar with the enchantment that had sealed the passage. Thus, his hope of escaping the underground now rested entirely on her, as he knew nothing about such restrictions. This young "expert" absolutely could not die now!

However, Han Li did not act rashly, fearing the young girl might still possess hidden trump cards. He waited until she was utterly exhausted, most of her talismans depleted, and despair was clear on her face, with no options left. Only then did he suddenly intervene to rescue her.

The young girl was both greatly surprised and delighted by Han Li's sudden appearance, but she also felt a touch of annoyance. She could clearly discern Han Li's reasoning for letting her contend with the Ink Dragon for so long before finally intervening.

Regardless, confronting the fiercely raging Ink Dragon was the immediate priority. So, after a brief respite, the young girl silently activated her artifact and launched into the attack.

The moment Han Li engaged the Ink Dragon, he secretly cursed his luck. While watching the young girl fight this beast earlier, he hadn't perceived anything particularly formidable about it. But now, fighting it himself, he truly understood the dragon's terrifying power!

His "golden blades," as soon as they approached the Ink Dragon, were casually swatted away by its two claws and tail, sending them flying back dozens of feet, utterly powerless to resist.

Even when Han Li relied on numbers, sending several golden blades simultaneously, perhaps one or two would miraculously strike the Ink Dragon. Yet, beyond leaving a faint white scratch, there was absolutely no other effect, which left Han Li utterly speechless.

Furthermore, Han Li dared not be careless in the slightest against the Ink Dragon's attacks. Not only did he avoid its claws and tail, but he also blocked every single drop of its occasionally sprayed black water with his iron shield.

Even so, this artifact, which had saved Han Li multiple times, was now pitted and corroded by the seemingly innocuous black water. He truly didn't know how much longer it could last.

If the black water possessed such terrible power, then the even more malicious purple liquid must be utterly monstrous! It was no wonder the Moon-Holding Sect disciples perished so swiftly, their artifacts proving completely useless.

The longer Han Li fought the Ink Dragon, the more alarmed he became. He relied almost entirely on his movement technique to evade the demonic beast's relentless onslaught, as his golden blades couldn't hinder the opponent in the slightest.

No wonder the young girl had ordered all her disciples to evacuate this place! Aside from himself, with his exceptional movement technique, Han Li could barely name any other Qi Condensation disciples who could possibly contend with this demonic beast for any length of time.

Just then, the young girl's Vermillion Bird Ring arrived, instantly alleviating much of Han Li's pressure. After all, this circular artifact could still inflict some pain on the Ink Dragon, making it somewhat wary.

"Little fellow, you've been hiding there all this time, why didn't you intervene sooner? If you had, perhaps I would have had a chance to severely wound this beast!" the young girl demanded angrily, even as she continued to control her artifact to attack.

"I was afraid you'd kill me for my treasures!" Han Li replied with blunt honesty, instantly leaving the young girl speechless.

Han Li understood perfectly well that despite her youthful appearance, this woman's true age was likely enough for her to be his grandmother and then some. Therefore, it was better to play fewer mind games. It was best to be direct and state their intentions clearly to ensure genuine cooperation against the enemy without hindrance.

As for her identity as a Core Formation expert and the disparity in their seniority, Han Li simply feigned ignorance and let it pass. In any case, with her current diminished power, she couldn't harm him. Han Li felt no fear towards the young girl, whose magical energy was severely depleted.

"Little fellow, you're so young, yet your mind is already so complex. Aren't you afraid you won't live long?" the young girl grumbled sullenly after a moment of frustration.

Han Li chuckled softly but offered no rebuttal, thinking to himself, "If my mind were less sharp, I'd probably have died many times over by now. What 'future' would there be to speak of?"

Seeing Han Li remain silent and allow her remark, the young girl's anger somewhat diminished, and she began to consider strategies for confronting their foe.

"Do you have any method to severely wound this Ink Dragon? If so, speak up now!" the young girl finally asked, unable to contain herself, seeing that even after a short while of their combined efforts, the Ink Dragon was still chasing them relentlessly, leaving them no room to retaliate.

"Yes, I do, but it requires trapping the beast for a short period, preventing it from moving!" Han Li replied hastily, blocking another of the Ink Dragon's sprays with his iron shield while continuously leaping to increase the distance between them.

"Good! I'll expend my last bit of magical energy to trap it for a moment longer; I hope that's sufficient for you! But is your method reliable?" The young girl's eyes lit up at his reply. Closely following the Ink Dragon that was pursuing Han Li, she viciously slammed the Vermillion Bird Ring onto its head before eagerly asking.

"I possess a powerful talisman artifact whose immense power can absolutely breach this dragon's defenses!" Han Li declared with confidence. He doubted the demonic beast could withstand the full force of his Golden Light Brick Talisman artifact.

"A talisman artifact?"

The young girl's heart lifted at his words. She had never imagined that this young man from Yellow Maple Valley could possess such a rare item. While she herself owned one or two talisman artifacts, none were as powerful as her Vermillion Bird Ring. Given his confidence, it had to be a talisman artifact of pure destructive force—a truly rare treasure!

Understanding that Han Li's method was viable, the young girl immediately paused in mid-air. She then chanted the incantation that had previously restrained the beast, firmly ensnaring the Ink Dragon with the Vermillion Bird Ring once more, causing it to thrash furiously in shock and rage.

Seizing this opportune moment, Han Li swiftly raised his Flying Shield in front of him, then with a reverse swing of his arm, retrieved the Golden Light Brick Talisman artifact and sat down cross-legged!