Retirement begins with summoning Yuan Tiangang

Emerging from the quiet room, the passageway seemed to become even more secluded and winding.

The faint, decaying smell in the air seemed to have thickened; it was no longer pure stillness, but rather carried a hint of... indescribable restlessness.

It was as if countless tiny insects were wriggling and whispering in unseen places.

Yingqi gripped the white token in his arms tightly. The token was slightly warm and emitted a warning signal.

Something seems off about this cave.

"Everyone be alert."

Shangguan Yunque, who was walking in front, slowed his pace slightly, his peach blossom eyes narrowing as he scanned the seemingly unchanging rock walls around him.

"This cave... seems to be waking up."

Wake up? The cave will awaken again?

Shadow Eight felt a sudden jolt and instinctively moved closer to Shadow Seven.

Captain Zhao and the other three elite members of the Bad Guys also gripped their weapons tightly, their auras heavy and focused.

They've all lived on the edge, possessing a beast-like instinct for danger.

At this moment, my intuition is frantically sending out warning signals.

Fortunately, with Shangguan Yunque present, everyone felt somewhat reassured.

Although this effeminate star lord behaves strangely, he is truly powerful and intelligent.

Following the vague guidance of the token and Shangguan Yunque's deductions, they chose a relatively circuitous path that seemed to avoid some dangerous energy nodes and retreated towards the outer edge of the cave.

Along the way, they encountered many cultivators who were running back in a panic.

Most of these people were dressed in blood, their expressions were terrified, and some were even missing limbs. They were being supported by their companions, muttering words like "monster," "alive," and "eat people." When they saw Shangguan Yunque and his group, they looked at them as if they had seen a lifeline, wanting to come closer but not daring to.

From their fragmented cries and curses, Yingqi and the others pieced together some information: something terrible seemed to have happened deep inside the cave!

In some previously silent passages and stone chambers, strange things suddenly appeared—stone statues covered in bone spurs and moving as fast as ghosts;

There are vine monsters that can spew corrosive poisonous mist and hide in the shadows;

There were even cultivators who went mad, killing anyone they saw, their eyes bloodshot, their strength astonishing... What's even more terrifying is that the life force of a dead cultivator would be drained in a very short time, leaving them as a shriveled sac!

Panic spread like a plague among the surviving monks.

Forget treasure hunting and opportunities, they've all turned into a life-or-death struggle! It's said that the deeper you go, the more gruesome your death will be.

"There's definitely something fishy going on."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yunque showed no surprise, merely pursing his lips.

"That old scoundrel Xuanjizi, he's still restless even in death. This cave is probably bait."

"Bait?" Shadow Eight asked, puzzled.

"A bait to lure us into our deaths."

Shangguan Yunque patiently explained, "Absorbing blood and qi to nourish the remnant soul or some other evil stuff... it's an old trick. I just didn't expect that a dignified ninth-level Celestial Realm cultivator, a proper rogue cultivator, would resort to such underhanded tactics."

Just then, from around the corner of the passageway ahead, the sounds of fierce fighting and screams suddenly came!

"Quick! Block them!"

"Ah—! Help…"

The sound stopped abruptly.

Shangguan Yunque raised an eyebrow, continued walking, and turned the corner.

In the relatively wide passageway ahead, there were more than a dozen corpses lying haphazardly, their deaths gruesome, most of them mangled and bloodied, or dried up and desiccated.

There were still seven or eight people struggling to hold on in the arena. They were being attacked by five statues, each about two people tall, made entirely of grayish-white stone, with eerie red light flashing at their joints!

These stone statues move stiffly yet possess immense strength; their fists can create deep craters in the rock face, and sharp bone spikes shoot out from their bodies with lightning speed!

The group being besieged was none other than the Rift Mountain Sect!

However, their numbers had dwindled to less than half, leaving only seven or eight men, including the bearded giant whose slap mark on his face had not yet completely faded. They were all injured and looked utterly disheveled.

The burly man with a bushy beard brandished his broken giant axe, roaring repeatedly, but he could only barely block one stone statue, and his body suffered several more wounds.

Upon seeing Shangguan Yunque and his group appear, the people from the Rift Mountain Sect were initially startled, but then their faces lit up with elation.

"Fellow Daoist! Help..." the burly man with a bushy beard roared urgently.

Before he could finish speaking, a stone statue suddenly turned around, its scarlet eyes locking onto the newly appeared Shangguan Yunque and his group. With a flick of its arm, three bone spikes shot out in a triangular formation!

Its speed was so great that it produced a piercing shriek!

"Watch out!" Shadow Seven exclaimed.

Shangguan Yunque didn't even lift his eyelids, casually flicking the pink silk handkerchief in his hand.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

With three soft sounds, three bone spikes, powerful enough to pierce through metal, seemed to have struck an invisible wall of bronze and iron. They stopped eerily three feet away from Shangguan Yunque's face, then shattered inch by inch, turning into dust and scattering away.

The stone statue seemed to pause for a moment.

"You ugly thing, how dare you extend your claws towards this Star Lord?"

Shangguan Yunque's voice was still charming, but for the first time, her peach blossom eyes revealed a cold killing intent without any disguise.

He didn't move, but simply snapped his fingers lightly towards the five stone statues.

"Snapped!"

The crisp snap of fingers echoed through the passageway.

The next moment, all five stone statues froze!

The red light flashing on their bodies suddenly went out, and a series of cracking sounds came from their joints, as if their internal structure had been completely destroyed and shattered by some invisible force in an instant!

"Splash..."

The five stone statues, like overturned building blocks, scattered into a pile of lifeless rubble, rolling all over the ground.

Quiet.

A deathly silence.

The people from the Rift Mountain Sect stared wide-eyed at the pile of rubble, then at the gleaming silver figure who had merely snapped his fingers without even moving a muscle, their minds completely blank.

The stone monsters that had just inflicted heavy casualties on them and made them struggle to survive... are they... gone just like that?

The burly man's face twitched, and his eyes as he looked at Shangguan Yunque were filled with boundless fear and lingering dread.

He recalled how he had dared to challenge this person before... It was like an old man hanging himself, tired of living!

Shangguan Yunque didn't even glance at the people from the Rift Mountain Sect. Instead, he looked deeper into the passageway, where more crimson lights were faintly appearing in the darkness, accompanied by a teeth-grinding grinding sound.

"This is never going to end." He frowned, seemingly a little annoyed.

"Shadow Seven, can the token sense the nearest, relatively safe exit?"

Yingqi quickly focused his mind on communicating with the token.

The token was slightly warm, transmitting a more blurred 3D path diagram, with one branch shimmering with a faint green light.

"Yes! About three hundred feet to the left, there's a fork in the road marked 'Life Gate,' which might lead to the outside world!"

"Lead the way," Shangguan Yunque said simply.

"yes!"

The Bad Guys immediately turned around, with Shadow Seven leading the way, holding the token.

The people from the Rift Mountain Sect suddenly realized what was happening and, disregarding their pride, hurriedly followed, staying close behind, afraid of being left behind.

The burly man with the bushy beard hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and shouted, "Thank you... thank you so much for saving me, fellow Daoist!"

Shangguan Yunque didn't even turn his head, he just waved his hand, meaning to hurry up and follow, and stop talking nonsense.

The group moved quickly under Shadow Seven's guidance.

In the darkness behind them, the crimson light and the scraping sound grew closer, mixed with the dying screams of other cultivators and the roars of monsters, sending chills down their spines.

Along the way, they encountered several more groups of fleeing cultivators, including rogue cultivators and people from other small forces.

Seeing that the leader of the Bad Guys team was that terrifying silver-armored "demon" (Shangguan Yunque), and that he seemed to have a way out, these people didn't care about anything else and joined in one after another, and the team grew bigger and bigger like a snowball.

Shangguan Yunque neither confirmed nor denied this, but urged Yingqi to speed up.

Soon, they arrived at the fork in the road marked by the token, the "Gate of Life".

It was a narrow passage that sloped upwards, allowing only two people to walk side by side, and the entrance was sealed by a faint, water-like barrier of light.

"This is it!" Shadow Seven pointed to the light screen.

"The token indicates that this is a relatively secure exit restriction, but its strength is not high. It can be opened by brute force or with token access."

"Get out of the way." Shangguan Yunque stepped forward, about to make a move.

suddenly!

"BOOM—!!!"

The entire cave shook violently! The tremor didn't originate from beneath our feet, but rather from the very core of the cave!

An indescribable, terrifying will, a mixture of overwhelming resentment, boundless greed, and a hint of... eerie joy, swept across every inch of space like a storm!

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines, as if they were being coiled by a cold, venomous snake, making it difficult to breathe. Those with lower cultivation levels turned deathly pale and their legs went weak.

"Hehehe...They're here...They're all here...Fresh...blood and energy..."

A broken, hoarse, and dry sound, like the friction between two broken stones, resounded directly in everyone's mind!

It was filled with nauseating desire!

"Not good!" Shangguan Yunque's expression changed slightly.

"That thing... has fully awakened! And it has locked onto all living people!"

Without further hesitation, he pointed his fingers like a sword, and a burst of silver light surged from his fingertips as he slashed fiercely at the barrier of light!

"Sizzle—!"

Like a piece of cloth being torn apart, a large gash was forcibly ripped open in the light curtain!

"Get out of here!" Shangguan Yunque shouted sternly.

The crowd, already terrified, dared not linger and rushed toward the opening!

However, just as most people were about to rush out of the cave—

"Want to leave? Stay... and become the first nourishment for my return to the world!"

The hoarse voice carried a mocking and cruel tone.

"boom!"

The wide passageway they had come through, along with the surrounding rock walls, suddenly exploded open!

Countless thick, jet-black vines, their surfaces glistening with dark red sap, surged forth like living creatures!

It instantly blocked the narrow passageway and surged towards the crowd that had not yet rushed out!

The vines are also covered with tiny, suction cup-like mouthparts, which reveal layers of sharp teeth when they open!

Even more terrifying is that as the vines sway, they emit a strong, cloying, and putrid odor that makes people dizzy and causes their internal energy to stagnate!

"It's the Bloodthirsty Vine! Watch out for the poisonous fog!" someone shouted in terror.

The few rogue cultivators at the forefront didn't have time to react before they were entangled by the vines. Amidst screams, their bodies withered away at a visible speed!

The body's vital energy and blood are being devoured!

The situation is completely out of control!

Cries, screams, the whistling of vines tearing through the air, and the eerie howls that were everywhere intertwined to create a hellish symphony!

"Damn it!"

Shangguan Yunque's eyes turned completely cold. His usual laziness and playfulness disappeared, replaced by a cold sharpness that belonged to a top predator.

"Zhao Kui! Lead them to protect the cave entrance and clear away the scattered vines! Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight, retreat!"

He gave the order at an extremely fast pace.

Captain Zhao immediately responded, leading three elite members of the Bad Guys to form a small battle formation, guarding the entrance to the narrow passage, their swords flashing as they slashed at the scattered vines and branches trying to break through.

Shadow Seven and Shadow Eight also suppressed their fear, gripped their short daggers tightly, and guarded the flanks of Captain Zhao and the others, dealing with any who managed to escape.

Shangguan Yunque, on the other hand, faced alone the hundreds of thick, bloodthirsty demonic vines that surged forth like a black tide!

He took a deep breath, and the bright silver soft armor on his body suddenly burst out with a dazzling silver-white light!

An even more powerful and terrifying pressure than when it was used in the stone hall and square erupted, like a dormant volcano suddenly bursting into the sky!

Celestial Realm Triple Stage! Unleashing Full Power!

He no longer hid it, nor did he play around.

At this moment, Shangguan Yunque was like a silver-armored god of war descending to earth. His true energy was even slightly red, adding to his eerie appearance. But in his peach blossom eyes, there was only pure, soul-chilling killing intent!

"A bunch of rotten tree roots, how dare you block this Star Lord's path?"

He let out a sharp cry (even at this moment, his voice still carried a unique lingering tone), and his ten fingers danced rapidly like butterflies flitting among flowers. Countless silver threads, as thin as cow's hair, yet shimmering with a deadly cold light, shot out from his fingertips, cuffs, and even strands of hair!

Heavenly Skill Star's Ultimate Technique!

The silver threads moved so fast that they intertwined in the air into a nearly invisible net that covered almost half of the passageway!

Once those ferocious bloodthirsty vines crashed into the net, they were immediately as if they had sunk into the thickest glue. Their movements suddenly slowed down, and their incredibly tough vines were cut and constricted by the silver threads, making a "hissing" sound like a hot knife cutting butter, with dark red sap splattering everywhere!

But this is not over yet!

Shangguan Yunque slammed his hands together!

"receive!"

The silver net suddenly tightened!

Like the sharpest noose!

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

A series of teeth-grinding cracking sounds rang out!

The dozens of thick demonic vines at the forefront were forcibly twisted into countless pieces!

Juice gushed out from the fracture, and the broken surface was as smooth as a mirror!

One move, clear the area in front!

The people from the Rift Mountain Sect and the other cultivators who followed behind were all dumbfounded!

Is this...is this even human? Those terrifying demonic vines that left them helpless and meant certain death upon contact were treated like harvesting leeks by this person?

However, the demonic vines seemed endless, with more immediately following behind, surging forward even more frantically!

Moreover, even more new magical vines are emerging from the shattered rock walls from all directions!

The hoarse voice was laughing wildly, seemingly enjoying the carnage.

Shangguan Yunque frowned slightly.

There are too many demonic vines, and that thing deep inside this cave is constantly draining the life force of the dead to strengthen itself; dragging this out will only make things more troublesome.

"I don't have time to play with you guys."

He snorted coldly, flipped his wrist, and a small, exquisite metal object, as beautiful as a peacock feather, appeared in his palm, gleaming with a faint blue light.

"Try this—The Peacock Flies Southeast!"

With a flick of his jade finger, the peacock feather transformed into a beam of blue light that shot into the densest part of the demonic vines, and then exploded with a bang!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only countless fine, hair-like blue light needles shooting forward in a fan shape!

Each of the light needles contains extremely cold and vicious corrosive true energy, and seems to have a special restraint on qi and blood!

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss—!"

The blue needle pierced the demonic vines, and the vines immediately withered, rotted, and turned into black water at an alarming speed, as if they had been doused with concentrated sulfuric acid!

Moreover, this withering spreads rapidly along the vines like a plague!

In the blink of an eye, another large patch of demonic vines in front of them was cleared away!

Even the demonic vines behind it seemed to fear the power of the blue light needles, and their attack slowed down.

"Go!" Shangguan Yunque seized the opportunity, his figure flickered, and he returned to the entrance of the narrow passage. The silver threads danced again, clearing away the remaining vines near the cave entrance.

"Quickly! Go inside!" Captain Zhao urged the crowd, who were already stunned.

The survivors, as if waking from a dream, scrambled and stumbled into the narrow upward passage.

Shangguan Yunque covered the rear, casually setting up several silver silk barriers to temporarily block the pursuers before finally slipping inside.

The passage was narrow and steep, and everyone struggled to climb upwards.

Behind them, the hoarse roar and the sound of vines hitting the rock wall grew farther and farther away, but that terrifying will that made their hearts tremble seemed to be branded deep in their souls.

After climbing for an unknown amount of time, light finally appeared ahead—the daylight from outside!

And... fresh air, with the smell of sand!

"We're out! We're out!"

The ecstasy of surviving the ordeal filled everyone's hearts.

However, when the last person (Shangguan Yunque) stepped out of the passage and stood once again under the scorching sun of Tiannan Desert, everyone was stunned. Then, an even deeper chill ran from the soles of their feet to the top of their heads.

The place they came out of was not near the stone gate they had entered through before.

Instead, it was an unfamiliar cave entrance located halfway up a desolate rocky mountain.

More importantly, on the vast Gobi Desert below the mountain, a scene even more tragic and desperate than the one inside the cave was unfolding!