The girl in the room was terrified at first, having hidden in a corner upon seeing the two of them. But when Bai Qianluo spoke of rescuing them, and observing that they looked like ordinary people with extraordinary bearing, they immediately pleaded for help.
"Young sirs, please save us, that monster is so frightening!"
The pleas for help echoed from the room, and Bai Qianluo and Xie Yun could see the fear of the so-called monster in the maidens' faces. However, they couldn't confront the creature just yet; saving the girls was the priority.
Despite their reluctance for a direct confrontation, it was unavoidable. Just as they were about to open the door and lead the girls away, the eerie cry of an infant, growing louder as it approached, filled the air. Upon hearing this sound, the girls who had stood up immediately sank back down, retreating to their corners.
"It's the monster, it's here!"
One of the girls warned Xie Yun in a trembling voice. Bai Qianluo and Xie Yun exchanged a look, their eyes communicating their readiness for battle in perfect understanding.
When the monster appeared, Bai Qianluo and Xie Yun couldn't help but be shocked. It was a creature with the head of a snake and the body of a human, and it had nine snake heads. Bai Qianluo didn't know what kind of monster it was, but Xie Yun, having grown up in the Xie family, had read many books on demons and spirits since childhood. Therefore, the moment he saw the creature, he knew it was the legendary Nine Infants.
"It's the Nine Infants!" Xie Yun warned. This Nine Infants seemed to have cultivated for a long time, and its cultivation was undoubtedly far superior to theirs. He knew that a frontal assault would lead to their certain defeat.
However, before they could make a move, the Nine Infants showed no intention of prolonging the encounter. It appeared agitated and unwilling to fight further. Without much exchange, Xie Yun and Bai Qianluo found themselves trapped.
The Nine Infants initially intended to imprison them in the dungeon, but a peculiar infant-like laughter echoed, and it suddenly turned back, taking Bai Qianluo away.
Xie Yun, severely injured, was naturally no match for it.
Although Bai Qianluo was less injured, her cultivation had always been below Xie Yun's. She could only temporarily fend off the attack with the sword energy of her Qingluo Sword. But she was clearly outmatched just now, and the Qingluo Sword's aura was extremely weak. Bai Qianluo knew she wouldn't last much longer.
Seeing Bai Qianluo taken away, Xie Yun was enraged. This anger agitated his wounds, causing his blood to surge, and he spat out a mouthful of blood before losing consciousness.
Qin Jiujiu had no idea where she was. She had run fast just now! After running for a while and believing she had put enough distance between herself and danger, she suddenly heard the cries of an infant from above.
The cries were incredibly eerie. Qin Jiujiu felt that if this were a horror movie soundtrack, it would be the pinnacle of horror music. She was far away, yet the cries sent shivers down her spine, filling her with dread, as if a ghost were following her.
Although not a complete coward, she dared not face such a monster. She could only hope for good luck, to not encounter the Nine Infants. She felt that seeing it would surely scare her to death on the spot.
Since the Nine Infants had entered from the entrance, she had run further into the dungeon. At this moment, Qin Jiujiu felt compelled to exclaim, "This dungeon is truly vast."
After all, she had walked for a long time to reach the dungeon where Tian Wu was imprisoned, and now she had run for so long in a panic, yet it seemed she hadn't reached the end. As she walked, the dungeon appeared empty; at least she hadn't seen or heard any other creatures.
In the darkness, the only sounds were her own heartbeat and breathing.
Qin Jiujiu decided to rest for a while before heading back. If she continued running, she didn't know when she would be able to return.
But just as she was about to sit down, she heard a familiar voice from the darkness. It was Xie Yun! Although his voice was not as loud and strong as usual, Qin Jiujiu could still recognize the voice of the male lead.
Despite this, she cautiously walked towards the dungeon from which the voice came. As she reached the doorway, she saw a figure dressed in dark blue. She remembered that the male lead was wearing blue clothes today.
The dungeon had no barrier, not even a lock. It was likely that the Nine Infants were confident Xie Yun couldn't escape, and thus hadn't taken any precautions.
Qin Jiujiu skipped into the dungeon and crouched down to check on the male lead. He seemed to be in great discomfort, his face flushed, likely from a fever. Qin Jiujiu had prepared many medicines in her Qiankun bag, but now she had nothing.
"Luò'er… Luò'er…"
Qin Jiujiu had heard Xie Yun muttering something earlier, and now that she was closer, she could hear him clearly. Bai Qianluo was not here, and Xie Yun was severely injured. She had already guessed that Bai Qianluo had been captured by the Nine Infants. This Nine Infants was probably a lecherous monster, judging by the number of brides it had taken.
However, seeing Xie Yun's furrowed brow and the name "Luò'er" that he kept calling, Qin Jiujiu felt her OTP shipping senses tingling. But amidst her joy, she still had to attend to important matters.
The way Xie Yun addressed the female lead was undoubtedly something he had thought of countless times in his heart before saying it aloud. Even though he acted like a straightforward man on the surface, calling her "Miss Bai" in front of Bai Qianluo, she couldn't imagine what feelings he harbored for the female lead in private.
After indulging in her shipping fantasies, Qin Jiujiu decided it was best to wake the male lead first.
"Brother Xie, wake up quickly!"
Xie Yun finally stirred from his stupor. He had been unconscious for half a day, and during this time, he had no idea what had happened to Bai Qianluo.
Qin Jiujiu recounted everything that had happened, and Xie Yun briefly explained his encounter with Bai Qianluo to Qin Jiujiu. Now, the three of them were in this underwater palace, and Xie Jing's whereabouts were unknown.
Xie Yun had already sent him a message earlier, but now all of Xie Yun's magical artifacts had been confiscated by the monster, and without his communication device, he couldn't contact Xie Jing.
Except for Qin Jiujiu, no one knew Xie Jing's current strength.
In Xie Yun's opinion, it was better that Xie Jing wasn't involved. Because, in his view, Xie Jing was no different from Qin Jiujiu; if he entered this place, he would not only be no match for the Nine Infants but would also be in danger.
Only Qin Jiujiu silently prayed that the villain would come to save the protagonist, and by extension, herself. Besides Xie Jing, who else could save them now? However, she couldn't reveal her true thoughts to Xie Yun and could only listen silently to his analysis.
"Then Brother Xie, since this Nine Infants is so powerful, how can we defeat him?"
Besides Xie Jing, who else could save them? Moreover, at this moment, only the four of them knew the truth about this underwater place.
Xie Yun was also in a state of panic. Honestly, he had no ideas at the moment. The only thing to do now was to find Bai Qianluo first. The three of them would stick together, and he would definitely do his utmost to protect the safety of the two girls, even at the cost of his own life!
Qin Jiujiu watched Xie Yun's face transform from helplessness to determination. She knew the protagonist was likely preparing to sacrifice himself to protect their safety. While touched, Qin Jiujiu also knew that there must be a turning point in this matter.
How could the protagonist die so easily?
She wasn't too worried about them; her main concern was her own role as an expendable cannon fodder and how to survive. And the best way to ensure her survival was to rely on the protagonist. She decided she must stay close to Xie Yun; he, the chosen one, was her only hope for survival.
She helped Xie Yun slowly towards the dungeon door. Bai Qianluo must still be in the place where the girls were previously held.
Bai Qianluo had been imprisoned for half a day. Xie Yun was severely injured. Although the Nine Infants seemed unlikely to harm him further for the moment, the longer they were trapped here, the more dangerous it would become.
The Nine Infants had captured her and locked her up with the other girls, placing a barrier at the entrance. It was likely that Bai Qianluo and Xie Yun's intrusion earlier had made the monster wary.
She was also injured. Although she had rested for half a day, she couldn't break through the barrier by herself. The other girls also seemed unwilling to engage with her. Bai Qianluo had ample reason to suspect that the Nine Infants had set its sights on her as well.
At this moment, not knowing Xie Yun's condition, Bai Qianluo found it difficult to remain calm. She scanned the room. There was nothing unusual about this room, and she estimated there was no other way out. Unable to find a way out, Bai Qianluo simply sat down. There was only one path forward: to wait.
She remembered that Xie Yun had previously sent a message to Xie Jing. Although he would definitely not be Xie Yun's match, at present, this was their only hope.
Just as she closed her eyes and pondered these matters in her heart, a knock sounded at the door. The barrier had been broken, but it wasn't the monster. The monster would certainly not knock. Who could it be?
Although Bai Qianluo knew it wouldn't be the monster, she was still uncertain. So, she cautiously moved to the door, gripping her Qingluo Sword, and opened it. The girls in the room also held their breath, fearing the monster had returned.