In a pitch-black space, one couldn't even see one's own fingers.
It was as if all connections between heaven and earth had been severed. There wasn't even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual power.
"Where, where is this place?"
"Let us out!
Bastards! "
Thousands of people were crying out in alarm. Their sharp voices were somewhat ear-piercing, and they even sounded like they were crying.
"Shi Tou, Shi Tou, are you there?"
A coquettish voice echoed in the darkness. Yu Luocha looked around in panic. The loss of spiritual power made her feel uneasy, and her beautiful eyes were somewhat blurred.
Only when a pair of strong hands held her shoulder from the side did her expression ease a little. "I'm here, I'm right beside you."
Being held in Qin Shi's arms, she felt much more at ease. She murmured softly, "What is this place?"
"A spatial barrier."
Qin Shi replied in a heavy tone in the darkness.
He had heard Jade In The Book mention spatial barriers. They were a kind of barrier that had the same effect as spatial rings, and had the power of a Mount Sumeru in a mustard seed.
Earlier, when the Xuan Group and the people of the Bai family had launched martial arts against the Silver Elephant, he had guessed that this was a spatial barrier when he saw the colorful lights in the sky disappear.
But what made him curious was that constructing a spatial barrier required a very large amount of spiritual power and resources. Only then could one tear open a spatial crack and establish an independent domain within it.
Why did the Fiend race spend so much effort to build a spatial barrier?
More and more doubts flashed through Qin Shi's mind, but he still couldn't figure it out. His mind was in a mess, and his brows furrowed even more tightly.
He could feel that this time, it was definitely not going to be good. It was very likely to be the most serious end of his life.
"I hope I can get through this."
He smiled bitterly in his heart. Fortunately, although this spatial barrier could block the spiritual power of heaven and earth, it couldn't block the production of spiritual power.
Realizing this, a faint golden light radiated from the center of Qin Shi's eyes, and a dark purple spiritual fire jumped out of his sea of consciousness, illuminating the surroundings.
"Quick, look, there's light."
The sudden flash of light made the people around him feel as though they were grasping at straws. They swarmed toward the Dark Fire like a swarm of locusts.
The moment the light appeared, Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing jumped to Qin Shi's side. Although they did not have any spiritual energy, their physical bodies were still very strong.
"Brother Qin Shi, what exactly is going on?" Standing beside Qin Shi, Nangong Bing asked with a frown.
"The Fiends set us up," Qin Shi said in a low voice.
Upon hearing Qin Shi's answer, both Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing's faces turned ashen as they clenched their fists so hard that creaking sounds could be heard. "Those Fiends!"
In addition to anger, one could easily sense a lot of helplessness in their voices.
It was no wonder, as the leaders of two sides, the thousands of disciples under them had risked their lives to charge into the Fog Shadow Mountain because they trusted them, but now they were in such a predicament, how were they going to explain it to the people below them?
Looking at the two of them, Qin Shi also smiled bitterly. Who could have predicted such a situation in advance?
However, Qin Shi knew that now was not the time to worry about it. He needed to figure out the Fiends' goal and find a way to resist them. Therefore, after pondering for a moment, he said to the two of them, "Leaders, there's something I still don't understand. Can I ask you?"
The two of them looked at each other and sighed bitterly. Nangong Bing said, "Brother Shi, Brother Qin, if there's anything you want to ask, just ask. Now that we're in such a predicament, there's nothing we can't say."
"Alright, I still don't understand. Where did the two of you hear about the Holy Spirit Flower blooming?" Qin Shi nodded and asked bluntly.
Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing couldn't help but frown and look at each other hesitantly.
After a moment of silence, Xuan Yun spoke first, "I heard it from a Fiend woman in a desolate forest. She seemed to have a conflict with the Fiends."
"What?"
Hearing Xuan Yun's words, Nangong Bing's frown deepened. She asked, "Is that woman called Blue Mountain Cat?"
"How did you know?" Xuan Yun was surprised.
Nangong Bing lowered her eyes. After a long silence, she let out a long sigh and said, "I also heard about the Holy Spirit Flower blooming from her!"
Looking at the two of them, Qin Shi and Yu Luocha looked at each other at the same time. They could see a hint of helplessness in each other's eyes.
Qin Shi looked at Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing and shook his head. With a bitter smile, he said, "Hehe, it seems that my guess was right. Both of you have been used by this Blue Mountain Cat. The Fiends must have lured you to the Misty Shadow Mountain on purpose."
Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing suddenly understood. So it was all a trap?
"Why would they do that?"
However, they couldn't understand why the Fiends would lure them to the Misty Shadow Mountain.
Although the Xuan Group and the Bai Family had occupied a large area in the Desolate Forest, they had never had any conflicts with the Fiends.
Seeing the doubt in their eyes, Qin Shi also shook his head and said, "I don't know. But as Silver Elephant said, we'll know the truth tonight."
"Now, we should think about how to deal with the Fiends. In any case, no matter what their goal is, it's all the same to us." Qin Shi lowered his head and pondered for a moment, then shouted at the two of them.
The two of them nodded in agreement. No matter what the Fiends' goal was, it wouldn't be good for them. Now, they had to think about how to deal with them. After all, no one wanted to die here.
After reaching an agreement, Nangong Bing rolled up his long robe. Immediately, she raised her head and said to Qin Shi, "Brother Shi Qin, tell us what you think. Our Hundred Clan will listen to you!"
Hearing this, Qin Shi was surprised. He quickly waved his hand and said, "Brother Nangong, I can't do that. I'm still young, and I'm not as experienced as you …"
"Brother Shi, don't shirk your responsibility. Nangong is right, you have a lot of ideas here. I'll leave the Xuan Group to you as well. Whether we can leave this place alive or not depends on you."
Unexpectedly, Xuan Yun didn't oppose Qin Shi this time. Instead, he trusted Qin Shi very much and handed the Xuan Group over to him.
After interacting with him for a few times, Qin Shi's calmness and composure were something that even some old monsters didn't have. Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing knew that now wasn't the time to cause trouble. The most important thing now was to find a way to leave.
Qin Shi had already shown them his clear thinking in the previous few questions.
Moreover, there was one more point, which was also the most important point. In this spatial barrier, no one could use their spiritual power. Only Qin Shi could use his spiritual power. This was also the most important reason why the two of them chose to obey Qin Shi.
After obtaining their approval, Qin Shi fell silent. He really wasn't interested in being the commander. If it was only him and Yu Luocha, he would still have some confidence in escaping. However, there were more than four thousand people, and his hands and feet would be tied.
But in the end, after hesitating for a moment, he nodded and agreed, "Alright, I won't shirk my responsibility. No matter what the Fiend's goal is, we can't just let them be."
"They'll definitely break the spatial ward tonight. We'll play it by ear then. For now, I'd like you to calm your subordinates down first. Don't let them panic. Otherwise, we'll collapse without putting up a fight, and the Fiends will reap the benefits."
"Alright, we'll listen to Brother Shi!"
Xuan Yun and Nangong Bing agreed straightforwardly. Then, they looked at each other and began to gather their disciples.
Looking at Qin Shi's flawless analysis and arrangements, Yu Luocha quietly watched from the side. At this moment, her opinion of Qin Shi had completely changed. Not everyone had the courage to maintain a calm and clear mind in such a desperate situation.
At least, the moment she lost her spiritual power, even she was somewhat shaken.
Feeling the scorching gaze in his arms, Qin Shi leaned his head down and chuckled, "Why are you looking at me like that?
Don't tell me that you've fallen in love with me? "
"Pervert!"
Being openly teased by Qin Shi, Yu Luocha's ice-cold face blushed. She turned her head and rolled her eyes at Qin Shi.
Time ticked by.
Qin Shi and Yu Luocha sat in a corner of the spatial barrier, their minds spinning rapidly as they imagined all kinds of possibilities that night.
Looking at Qin Shi's distinct face under the serene fire, Yu Luocha bit her cherry lips and hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth to speak, "Shi Tou, I'm afraid that the plot this time is not as simple as you think. If an accident really happens, can you promise me one thing?"
Hearing her words, Qin Shi stopped thinking and looked at Yu Luocha with narrowed eyes. He saw that Yu Luocha's pretty face was filled with gentleness and solemnity.
Under that gentleness, there was a trace of imperceptible sadness, but Qin Shi still caught it. He was surprised and said, "What is it?
Tell me, I'll definitely promise you. "
Yu Luocha's body trembled, and a hint of struggle appeared on her pretty face. As she struggled, her black hair gently fell. In the end, she pursed her cherry lips and said, "If something goes wrong, you must protect Xi 'er. The Fiend won't let her off!"
"Hmm?"
Qin Shi's eyebrows furrowed as he said, "How can that be?
No matter what, Xi 'er is the daughter of the former high chieftain of the Fiend race. "
Yu Luocha clenched her fists so hard that they turned somewhat pale. She shook her head at Qin Shi with a bitter smile and said, "That's exactly why the Azure Condor won't let her off."
"The Azure Condor?"
Yu Luocha nodded. "Yeah, the current high chieftain of the Fiend race."
Qin Shi suddenly felt that something was wrong, especially the gentle and sad look on Yu Luocha's face. He couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"
"If possible, I really don't want to talk about that part of the past ever again."
Yu Luocha bit her cherry lips with her white teeth, causing a faint trace of blood to flow out. However, she knew that it would be too late if she didn't say it now. In the end, she let out a long sigh and said, "I'm afraid we'll have to talk about it thirty years ago..."
"Thirty years ago?"
Qin Shi's expression flickered as he asked in surprise, "You mean the great battle when the Holy Spirit Flower bloomed?"
"Yeah."
Yu Luocha raised her head. Her eyes were a little unfocused, and her charming face seemed to be lost in her memories. After a long time, she said faintly, "Actually, Snake-Horn Dragon and I can be considered as sworn siblings …"
"What?!"
Qin Shi's mouth fell open in disbelief as he asked, "Did you just say that you and Snake-Horn Dragon are siblings?"
"Yeah, not just me and him, but Hua Ling as well. The three of us have known each other for decades. Hua Ling is the eldest, Snake-Horn Dragon is the second, and I'm the youngest..."
"Even Hua Ling?!"
Heavens! This piece of information was so valuable that Qin Shi couldn't digest it for a long time.
Hua Ling, Snake-Horn Dragon, and Yu Luocha. One of them was the Crimson Flame Tribe's most powerful cultivator, who had broken the Desolate Ward with brute force. One was the former high chieftain of the Fiend Race, and the last was one of the three most powerful cultivators of the Desolate Forest.
But most importantly, the three of them were siblings?!
This was too exaggerated. Qin Shi smacked his lips. Then, he suddenly thought of something and asked in surprise, "You're Snake-Horn Dragon's younger sister? Doesn't that mean Xi 'er is your niece?"
Yu Luocha nodded without denying it. "That's right. I knew Xi 'er was my niece from the moment I found out she was his daughter. I just didn't dare to acknowledge her..."
"Damn, how could that work?"
"No wonder you didn't feel cold towards Xi 'er. Is there such a thing in love?"
Qin Shi swallowed with difficulty. Then, he squinted his eyes and said, "No, doesn't that mean Xi 'er calls me Brother Stone... so you're my aunt?"
"Can't you be a little more serious?"
Yu Luocha, whose eyes were filled with sadness, was stunned by Qin Shi's words. After a long while, she rolled her eyes at him.
"Uh, fine. Aunt it is. You're not my real aunt anyway. This is better for us to improve our relationship, isn't it?"
Qin Shi scratched his head awkwardly. His voice became softer and softer as he spoke. He felt that if he continued, Yu Luocha might kill him.
Because of this, he hurriedly stopped talking about this. He crossed his fingers in front of his chest and asked, "And then?
What happened to you guys 30 years ago? "
"Don't ask. I don't want to talk about it. You just need to know that the three of us had a very unpleasant fight. Second Brother died protecting the Holy Spirit Flower, and Eldest Sister broke through the boundary of the Barren Forest in a rage. She never returned, and I was the only one left."
As Yu Luocha spoke softly, a sparkling light flashed in her cold eyes. She's crying?
Looking at Yu Luocha's tear-streaked face, Qin Shi's heartstrings rippled. He felt an inexplicable pain in his heart for this girl before him.
He really didn't ask any further, but he knew that no matter what happened, this girl must have suffered extremely serious psychological trauma thirty years ago. It was very likely that it was because of this that she had been isolated in this desolate forest for a whole thirty years.
"Qing Diao is a person who holds grudges and will do anything to achieve his goals. Hua Ling took away the Holy Spirit Flower 30 years ago and caused him to lose his position as the clan leader. He remembers all of this on Second Brother. Now that Second Brother is gone, he definitely won't let Xi 'er go... Xi' er is in danger." Yu Luocha tried to stop crying and raised her head to look at Qin Shi with gentle eyes.