Chapter 54

"Qiuwo...” Yuan Ming was overjoyed in his heart, but the sound that came out was completely distorted.

Another long silence followed, and the voice sounded again in Yuan Ming’s mind.

"You were... already poisoned, now... the corpse paralysis has entered your body, the two toxins are interacting, making it hard for you to survive."

The voice still echoed only in his mind. It was only at this moment that Yuan Ming noticed the voice belonged to a woman, with a rather ethereal and pleasant tone.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming wanted to speak but could no longer make a sound.

"I can... save you, but... after that, you will help me... do something." The voice sounded again, seeming a bit more coherent than before.

It felt as if the other party was making an effort to learn how to speak and gradually becoming familiar with it.

"Uh uh..." Yuan Ming nodded while responding vaguely.

"Now, do as I... say. Focus your mind... into the sea of consciousness... try to... communicate with your... soul power."

Listening to the voice, Yuan Ming felt as if it had a magical quality. He focused his mind as instructed, sinking it into the sea of consciousness, gradually becoming calm in the midst of chaos.

"Communicate your soul power... with your body... stimulate... your magical power, move it downward... first to your waist, then... to your thighs... calves, until it concentrates... in your big toe..."

Yuan Ming followed the instructions, surprisingly smoothly. As the toxins continued to move downward, his upper body quickly regained movement, and the numbness in his lower body began to subside.

Along with this, his right foot started to swell rapidly, more than doubling in size. An indescribable pain hit him, almost causing his mind to collapse.

"Maintain your focus... the toxins will counteract... if you fail at the last moment..." The pleasant voice timely reminded Yuan Ming, helping him to regain his composure.

"Then, what next?" Yuan Ming was able to speak again.

Sweat beads the size of peas rolled down his forehead, the intense pain almost causing him to faint.

"Use a sharp object to pierce the bottom of your foot... at the Yongquan point, force the toxic blood out... of your body..."

Hearing this, Yuan Ming immediately used the tip of the Green Fish Sword to pierce the Yongquan point on his right foot. In the next moment, blood gushed out from his foot, the stench almost overpowering the smell of the corpse pit.

But as a large amount of toxic blood flowed out, the discomfort quickly diminished.

Until all the toxic blood was drained, Yuan Ming's foot returned to its original size, but the wound did not heal, and the pain was like being pricked by needles, constantly stimulating him.

Yuan Ming struggled to free himself from the corpse pit and hurriedly thanked, "Thank you for saving my life."

"Blood pool... come this way." The voice sounded again.

Following the direction in his memory, Yuan Ming limped forward, feeling his way toward the blood pool.

"Stop."

Suddenly, the voice reminded him.

Yuan Ming immediately stopped, bent down, and touched the ground, realizing he had reached the edge of the blood pool. If he had taken another step, he would have fallen in.

"Pick up... what's on the ground."

Although puzzled, Yuan Ming squatted down and reached out to feel.

Upon touching it, he felt a slight coolness. When he picked it up, he found it was a thin, triangular metal plate with intricate engravings.

"Eight pieces... pick them all up... place them around the edge of the blood pool... bury them in the loose soil." The voice continued to direct.

Without hesitation, Yuan Ming buried all the triangular metal plates as instructed.

"Done."

"You can leave... this place." The ethereal voice said.

"Thank you." Yuan Ming thanked and began feeling his way to find the exit.

However, the cave was pitch black, and he had no lighting tools, nor did he know any spells like Fireball that could provide light. After much searching, he still couldn't find the exit.

The mysterious person, seemingly unable to bear it any longer, finally reminded him, "Your soul power is not weak... focus it on your eyes."

"Can it be used like that?" Yuan Ming was surprised.

"Having soul power... and not using it at all... is truly... foolish." The voice sighed.

Yuan Ming immediately followed the suggestion, focusing his soul power and directing his mind to his eyes, staring around.

"Focus your soul power, why are you... staring?" The ethereal voice scolded.

Yuan Ming blinked awkwardly, returning to his normal appearance, and carefully felt the sensation of soul power concentrated in his eyes.

Soon, he felt a slight coolness in his eyes, and the pitch-black vision gradually cleared, revealing the blurry outlines of the cave walls, the blood pool, and the rocks.

Although it was still very dark and hard to see clearly, it was no longer completely pitch black.

Yuan Ming looked around, trying to find the figure that had helped him, and to verify a certain guess in his mind, but he saw nothing.

"Leave quickly, don't wait until... you can't leave." The ethereal voice sounded in his mind, a reminder with a clear warning tone.

"Thank you."

Yuan Ming thanked and immediately felt his way along the cave wall, finding a hidden exit and running out.

Leaving the cave, the air's bloody and putrid smell immediately faded. Yuan Ming took a deep breath and limped along the passage, fleeing outward.

But before he had gone far, his vision suddenly went dark, followed by a strong dizziness and a sharp, needle-like pain in his forehead.

His vision was once again obscured by darkness, and the pain only gradually subsided after the soul power in his eyes dissipated.

"This soul power is useful, but unfortunately, it can't be used随意." Yuan Ming gritted his teeth, pinched his aching forehead, and continued down the passage.

After walking for a long time, a flicker of light appeared in the darkness ahead, accompanied by faint voices.

Yuan Ming guessed it was the disciples of Bila Cave. He didn't want to meet these people, but the passage had only one way, and he couldn't return to the cave of the Renxiao King, so he had to tough it out and head toward them.

"Who's there? Who's there?" A stern voice suddenly called out from ahead.

The noisy voices abruptly stopped.

"I, I am..." Yuan Ming hesitated, but after a moment of hesitation, he said, "I am a furred beast slave under Elder Huhuo."

As soon as he spoke, a whistling sound came from ahead, and a bright fireball rushed toward him, almost filling half the cave.

Unable to dodge, Yuan Ming could only draw the Green Fish Sword, take a step forward, and slash downward.

The fireball split in two and scattered to the sides.

Following the firelight, a green-lighted arrow shot toward him.

Yuan Ming staggered, barely managing to dodge the arrow with the Shadow Step, but lost his balance and fell to the side.

Laughter erupted from ahead.

"Brother Kuntu, it's just a furred beast slave, no need to be so cautious," someone laughed.

"What do you mean? We are in a dangerous place, better to be cautious. Better to kill by mistake than to let go," Kuntu's voice followed.

Hearing this, Yuan Ming suppressed his anger and didn't get up immediately, fearing another attack.

The firelight and footsteps gradually approached. He saw two tall figures walking in front, holding torches, and many others following behind.

The leader held the torch up to Yuan Ming's face, illuminating his somewhat pale face.

"Yuan Ming?" A doubtful voice sounded.

Chen Wan squeezed out from behind the two.

Hearing this, Kuntu also squeezed out from behind, his face darkening the moment he saw Yuan Ming.

"How are you still alive?" Kuntu said bluntly.

Yuan Ming didn't respond. Given the current situation, Kuntu wouldn't attack him, and he didn't want to provoke him.

"You... why are you here?" Chen Wan asked.

Yuan Ming hesitated for a moment and said, "I fell unexpectedly from above and landed in the lair of the Renxiao King. I barely managed to escape and found you here."

"You escaped from the lair of the Renxiao King?" Someone exclaimed.

"We've been wandering through these interconnected caves for a long time and couldn't find it, but you got lucky and fell right into it," someone laughed.

The others also chimed in, showing no fear at all.

"You'll die if you go looking for the Renxiao King," Yuan Ming said, turning to Chen Wan.

Chen Wan looked hesitant.

"A furred beast slave dares to spread fear and mislead people here?" Kuntu shouted angrily.

"Look at him, he's probably scared out of his wits. We have so many people, why should we fear the Renxiao King?" A tall, thin man in the Beast Taming Hall's disciple uniform laughed.

"Hehe, what courage can a mere beast slave have?" Another person mocked.

"Yuan Ming, do you remember how to find the lair of the Renxiao King?" Chen Wan asked.

Yuan Ming thought for a moment and shook his head.

"This kid probably didn't even see the Renxiao King and got scared like this, hahaha..." The crowd laughed again.

"If he saw the Renxiao King, how could he still be alive? What are you thinking!" Another person said.

"Hey, kid, don't be afraid. We've already cleared out those Renxiao. When we storm the lair and take the head of the Renxiao King, you'll get some credit too," a tall, muscular youth said.

"Don't waste time with him. He's causing confusion, kill him," Kuntu suggested.

"Right, right, this guy is useless, just kill him," Changchan agreed.

Bada, who had been hiding behind the crowd, didn't speak but kept his eyes on Yuan Ming, a fierce light in his eyes.