"Is Third Senior Brother in trouble?"
Su Luo's brows furrowed. Had Third Senior Brother been captured by Brahma?
"Senior Brother, after the spirit ship lost control, we were scattered, and we haven't seen Third Senior Brother's trace," said several disciples who had stayed behind on the spirit ship with Lu Jixing. This made everyone even more worried.
Just then, a rustling sound came from a window in the first-floor lobby.
A green vine squeezed through the gap in the window.
The crowd immediately became alert, but saw the vine nimbly lift the window and climb along the ground, wriggling with extreme flexibility. It also had a few leaves and a flower bud.
"What is this thing!"
A disciple, worried it was a man-eating flower, was about to draw his sword to cut it, when the flower bud quickly opened, and a pleasant female voice came from within: "Miss Su, I am Hua Xiangrong. I have something to tell you."
"Wait! Don't attack."
Su Luo immediately stopped them and said in a deep voice, "Hua Xiangrong, what do you want to say? Are you planning some trick again?"
The section of vine stopped moving. The bright red flower seemed to come alive, and Hua Xiangrong's slightly apologetic voice came through: "Miss Su, although I was the one who designed to abduct you, it was not my intention. Xiao Lang is controlled by the Young Master, and I had to obey his orders. I apologize for any offense."
Even if this reason were true, Su Luo would not trust Hua Xiangrong.
She said coldly, "Being forced to do evil is no different from actively harming others, Hua Xiangrong. You don't need to make excuses. Was my Third Senior Brother captured by you?"
After a moment of silence, Hua Xiangrong said, "That's right. Lu Jixing is currently in the Young Master's hands. I am here to tell you this. If you want him to live, you must come with me immediately. But others cannot follow, or you will face the consequences."
Everyone's hearts sank. It turned out their Third Senior Brother had really been kidnapped by the demonic sect.
Chu Tianshu's eyes flashed with killing intent. He drew his sword and pointed it at the green vine, roaring, "You demoness, if you dare to harm a single hair on Third Brother's head, I will chase you to the ends of the earth and never let you go!"
"If you keep wasting time, Lu Jixing will die. Don't blame me," Hua Xiangrong said, not elaborating further.
"Second Senior Brother, don't be impulsive!"
Su Luo shook her head at Chu Tianshu. After a moment of thought, she said, "Alright, Hua Xiangrong, I'll go with you."
How could Li Tianjue let Su Luo venture into danger?
As soon as he grabbed her slender arm to stop her, Su Luo gave him a suggestive look and transmitted her voice: "Whether it's a trap or not, I have to go and see. Senior Brother, don't worry about me. I will be careful and I will definitely bring Third Senior Brother back safely."
"Believe me, Senior Brother."
After Su Luo said this, Li Tianjue let go.
"Luoluo, I know you have many tricks, but you must be careful and don't make me worry," he also transmitted, urging her.
"Okay." Su Luo smiled and nodded.
Soon, holding a torch, she opened the inn door and went out.
Without the burning flames, the black mist on the street began to spread again, but it was much fainter than before.
Su Luo waved goodbye to Li Tianjue and the others standing at the inn entrance, telling them to go back. She then followed the wriggling green vine towards a certain direction in the town.
The green vine seemed to be infinitely long. After Su Luo walked for a while, she entered the black mist again.
The road ahead began to be rugged, clearly indicating they had left the town. However, there were no mutated poisonous corpses attacking her in the black mist. Su Luo found it a bit strange, but remained composed, quietly following the green vine.
Suddenly, a ball of fire appeared ahead.
Hua Xiangrong, holding a torch, stood in the black mist in a white dress.
The eerie environment set off her delicate and beautiful features. Her long skirt was as white as snow, fluttering like clouds, and her waist-length hair danced in the wind, making her look like an Asura from hell, exquisitely beautiful yet full of danger.
The green vine suddenly retracted behind her and disappeared. Hua Xiangrong said faintly, "Miss Su, you've finally come."
"Where is my Third Senior Brother?" Su Luo asked.
Hua Xiangrong's lips curved into a charming smile. "I am ordered by the Young Master to demand that you hand over the divine artifact, the Lotus Glass Lamp. Otherwise, your Third Senior Brother Lu Jixing will surely die."
Su Luo was not surprised. She took out the Lotus Glass Lamp from her storage ring and held it in her hand, saying, "The Glass Lamp is in my hand. Where is Brahma? Let him come out. You can have this divine artifact, but you must first let me confirm that Third Senior Brother is safe."
As soon as she finished speaking, Brahma's voice echoed from the darkness.
"Su Luo, I am here, Young Master."
Brahma appeared. He walked out of the black mist with his hands behind his back, followed by a red-haired man holding a torch. He stopped about twenty feet in front of Su Luo and said coldly, "Su Luo, how did you get this Lotus Glass Lamp?"
Su Luo did not answer but asked, "Where is my Third Senior Brother?"
Brahma reached out, took the torch from Bai Gu Tian Mo, and threw it backward.
The torchlight traced a parabolic arc, cutting through the black mist, but it did not fall to the ground, continuing to descend into the darkness.
Su Luo then noticed that behind Brahma, there was actually a deep pit!
The depth of the pit was unknown. It was surrounded by jagged cracks, and the bottom was shrouded in black mist, its depth unfathomable. On the edge of the pit, a green vine was hanging, and below it was Lu Jixing.
"Third Senior Brother!" Su Luo's eyes widened, and she exclaimed.
Lu Jixing was bound and hanging at the edge of the deep pit, covered in wounds, and could fall at any moment. He urged her, "Junior Sister, hurry and go. Don't worry about me. Hurry!"
As he spoke, he glanced at the dark abyss below, as if it were the entrance to hell, and couldn't help but shiver.
Could this be the tomb of the ancients?
What Su Luo had been worried about finally happened. She knew there was danger below and said with a stern face, "Brahma! Let go of my Third Senior Brother, and I will give you the Lotus Glass Lamp."
"Do you still have the right to bargain now?"
Brahma looked at Su Luo, who was alone, and a killing intent arose in his eyes. He said smugly, "I, this Young Master, want to threaten you and make you watch as I discipline your Senior Brother. What can you do?! Now, throw the Lotus Glass Lamp over immediately, or else..."
He shot a beam of spiritual light towards Lu Jixing.
At the edge of the pit, Lu Jixing twisted his body to dodge, but he couldn't escape at all.
The green vine swayed, and a mass of blood bloomed from his abdomen, creating a bloody hole on the spot. Seeing this, Su Luo's hatred surged, and she ignited the Lotus Glass Lamp and charged towards Brahma.
Brahma, having tasted the power of this divine artifact, did not dare to enter the light and quickly dodged away.
Bai Gu Tian Mo, standing beside him, intervened, trying to knock the divine artifact from Su Luo's hand. He unleashed streaks of crimson blood-red light, his violent power seeming to tear even the darkness, enveloping Su Luo.
Su Luo retreated rapidly, her eyes seeing through the weakness in Bai Gu Tian Mo's attack.
Unfortunately, her cultivation was far inferior to Bai Gu Tian Mo's. Even though she knew his weakness, she couldn't counterattack.
"Seize the divine artifact for this Young Master!" Brahma commanded.
Bai Gu Tian Mo did not dare to get close either. He attacked from a distance, shooting blood-red beams like flying stars towards Su Luo. Su Luo dodged them. The red light landed on the ground, exploding with flying debris, and cracks quickly opened up.
Countless black mists gushed out from the cracks, shaking and rumbling. The ground suddenly collapsed.
Su Luo's expression changed. Brahma and the others also felt a terrifying tremor that instantly spread for a hundred feet around them. Caught off guard, no one could control their movements and they all fell.