Xie Zhaolin's mind spun as she searched for a way to break through the crisis.
Force her way through?
Impossible.
The cave entrance had already been sealed tight by the roots. Charging straight in would only get her tangled up. Even if she somehow broke through, the effort would drain too much energy, and facing the plant's true body afterward would be hopeless.
This beast plant was at least at peak third rank, maybe even touching the threshold of fourth rank. It wasn't something she could take lightly.
What about her beast souls?
She had five of them, fierce and unafraid of death. But the strongest among them was only at peak second rank. Against the main body of a third-rank beast plant, they wouldn't even scratch its defenses. Sending them in would just mean throwing their lives away.
The only real chance lay in striking its core body directly. The problem was, how to even get close?
Her gaze drifted to Jiu Jiu, who was standing nearby, throwing out talismans and spells to temporarily slow the spread of the roots. This girl's body seemed stuffed with treasures, and she knew the cave inside and out. If Jiu Jiu took the lead while she drew the plant's attention as bait, maybe there'd be a slim chance of survival.
But the thought died the instant it appeared.
Trusting her back and her life to someone this secretive, someone whose motives were so unclear?
Not a chance.
That was riskier than facing the beast plant head-on.
She'd rather face danger alone than stake her life on another's goodwill, especially when that other was someone like Jiu Jiu, who clearly had her own agenda. If she couldn't attack the core, then there was only one path left—retreat.
They had to get out before the roots covered the entire Silent Hall. Sure, she might miss whatever opportunities lay deeper in the cave, but that was better than getting trapped here and dying. Her mind locked onto the best path of retreat—the Hundred Blades Soul Locking Bridge they'd crossed earlier.
The blades on that bridge targeted Primordial Souls. Against roots that relied on physical binds and energy strikes, the bridge might serve as natural restraint. If she could make it onto the bridge, then with her soul strength and movement arts, she'd have a real chance of shaking the pursuit.
"Go!"
In a flash, Xie Zhaolin made her choice. With a sharp shout, she ignored the wildly spreading roots and shot off like a streak of light, racing back toward the passage they'd entered through. Her target was the main hall exit.
Jiu Jiu froze for half a breath, then quickly followed, scattering glowing blue powder and talismans behind her as she ran.
Everywhere the ice-blue dust landed, it burst into clouds of freezing mist. Roots that touched it instantly frosted over, their spread visibly slowing for a few breaths.
"Benefactor, wait for me!" Jiu Jiu cried, her voice trembling with panic as she scrambled after her, still hurling her tricks to buy time.
Together, they shot out of the ruined side hall and burst into the vast, silent main hall.
But the sight that greeted them made Xie Zhaolin's heart sink.
The dark red roots had already poured in like a tide, crawling along the walls, the floor, even the ceiling, spreading even faster now. At this rate, the entire main hall would be sealed within a few dozen breaths.
They had to move faster.
Xie Zhaolin pushed her Misty Step to the limit, her divine sense locked at full alert as she dodged the probing roots and dashed straight for the massive stone door she remembered.
Jiu Jiu trailed about three zhang behind, still desperately tossing out ice-blue powders and talismans. Somehow, her efforts really did slow the roots down just enough to give Xie Zhaolin precious breathing room.
The exit was in sight.
Just beyond that stone door lay the short passage leading to the rift's edge and the Hundred Blades Soul Locking Bridge.
Hope burned bright.
But just as Xie Zhaolin reached the circle of nine giant bronze pillars at the hall's center, disaster struck without warning. There was no ripple of energy, no killing intent, no sign at all. Suddenly, a strange force slammed into her back. It was so subtle that her body protection never even triggered. It felt like a gentle push, yet it was irresistible.
"What?!"
Alarms screamed in her heart, louder than ever before, but her body couldn't respond in time.
Thud!
Like a kite with its string cut, she was shoved off her feet, flying straight into the center of the bronze pillars—right onto a huge, intricate formation carved into the blood-red stone floor.
The moment she landed, the formation flared.
Buzz!
The main hall shook violently.
The nine bronze pillars blazed to life, their surfaces flooding with eerie dark light. Ancient runes swirled frantically across their surfaces as if awakening from death.
The formation carved into the floor ignited, its blood-red crystal glowing like fire. A terrifying suction, twined with warping spatial power, locked down on her instantly. The world spun madly. Space itself twisted, tearing at her body and Primordial Soul alike. She had no strength to resist. Before she could even cry out—
Whoosh!
Her figure vanished, swallowed by the formation's blood-red glow, as if she'd never existed at all.
The light in the pillars slowly faded. The runes stilled. The formation sank back into silence. The main hall was once more deathly quiet. Only the red roots still rustled faintly as they spread outward, hissing softly through the air.
Then Jiu Jiu stopped. She stood ten zhang from the circle of pillars, her face stripped of its earlier panic. Calm replaced fear, and in her eyes burned a barely contained excitement. She looked at the spot where Xie Zhaolin had disappeared, her lips curling into a slow, meaningful smile.
The roots stopped their frenzied spread.
They shrank back, pulling into the side hall, into the hidden chamber, until every trace of them was gone. Even the ferocious Corrupt Marrow Demon Flower had dissolved into motes of light, vanishing without a trace.
The hall returned to silence and emptiness. Only the faint metallic sweetness in the air hinted that what had just happened wasn't a dream.
Leisurely, Jiu Jiu strolled forward until she stood before the nine bronze pillars.