C10 Rescue

Clang!

Huah Yunfei instinctively raised his sword to block in front of him. With a resounding crash, the blade slammed heavily against his chest, sending him staggering backward from the immense force.

Regaining his footing, Huah Yunfei felt a surge of warm blood well up in his chest. He coughed violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

With a furrowed brow, he peered into the darkness ahead.

"You all must be quite skilled to have found this place! It looks like the useless ones outside have been taken care of by you."

A silhouette emerged from the shadows. Although Huah Yunfei and his companions couldn't make out the person's face, Huah Yunfei recognized the voice with crystal clarity.

It was the horse-faced swordsman he had encountered at the entrance earlier.

Upon seeing Huah Yunfei wounded, Xie Feiyu quickly stepped forward to shield him.

"Heh! At the Golden Core stage. Unfortunately, still not quite strong enough!"

The horse-faced swordsman immediately discerned Xie Feiyu's level of cultivation, but he was clearly unimpressed by her Golden Core stage. It was evident that his own cultivation was at least at the Golden Core stage, and undoubtedly superior to Xie Feiyu's.

Xie Feiyu's brow creased slightly. She was unaware of the horse-faced swordsman's exact level of cultivation, but his words made it clear that he was more powerful than she was. Coupled with the toll of the previous brutal fight, her energy was significantly depleted, putting her at an even greater disadvantage.

"Enough with the idle chatter! Let's get on with it!" Xie Feiyu, realizing there was no turning back, called out into the cave. Her long sword danced in her hand, creating a flourish as she lunged into the darkness ahead.

"Miss, be careful!" Xie Yu was utterly spent. Her strength was no match for the horse-faced swordsman, and her injuries left her powerless.

She cautiously called out a warning to Xie Feiyu, who was already engaged in a fierce clash with the horse-faced man in the darkness.

Their Spirit Weapons collided, sparking flashes of light that intermittently revealed the visage of the horse-faced swordsman.

The horse-faced swordsman wielded his blade divinely, with a swiftness and ferocity that were unparalleled. Xie Feiyu had only crossed swords with him twice before he began to feel the strain.

Xie Yu was beside herself with worry. She rushed over to Huah Yunfei and asked, "How are you doing?"

"I'm alright, much better now," Huah Yunfei replied, having taken a moment to catch his breath and recover from his earlier setback.

Upon hearing this, Xie Yu pressed him urgently, "Then what are you waiting for? Go and help my lady!"

Huah Yunfei rolled his eyes, silently noting his own injuries. Yet, he knew Xie Yu was correct; he too had observed that Xie Feiyu was outmatched by the horse-faced adversary.

Huah Yunfei realized there was only one thing he could do: find a way to break the Spirit Weapon in the horse-faced man's grasp. That was the only chance for Xie Feiyu to gain the upper hand.

Even as he recuperated, Huah Yunfei hadn't lost sight of this objective. In the midst of their skirmish, he had pinpointed the flaw in the horse-faced swordsman's Spirit Weapon.

The Spirit Weapon was far superior to those wielded by others they had encountered. Huah Yunfei was unable to shatter it in a single blow.

It was then that Huah Yunfei acknowledged his own limitations; his skills were not yet refined enough. If only he possessed Xie Feiyu's prowess, he could easily disable the horse-faced man's Spirit Weapon with one decisive strike.

"I'm coming to assist you!" Huah Yunfei bellowed, propelling himself off the ground and soaring towards the horse-faced man from above.

The horse-faced man sneered at Huah Yunfei's approach, his blade whirling in his hand. With a swift motion, he repelled Xie Feiyu and charged at Huah Yunfei.

Huah Yunfei's brow furrowed, his gaze fixed on the vulnerability of the long blade in his opponent's hand.

With a resounding clang, Huah Yunfei flipped back, his arm, still clutching his sword, trembling ever so slightly.

A single blow had inflicted immense pain on Huah Yunfei, causing fresh blood to trickle from the corner of his mouth once more.

Seeing the situation unfold, Huah Yunfei didn't rush to engage in combat again. Instead, he tore off a strip of his garment and wrapped it tightly around his long sword to ensure it wouldn't slip from his grasp during their next exchange. Once he had secured his weapon, he took a deep breath and surged forward to continue the fight.

The horse-faced swordsman was steadily driving Xie Feiyu back. Her face was ashen, and anxiety was etched into her features as she faced the formidable foe, a sense of despair washing over her.

"Kid, you're clueless about your own mortality! To think you'd dare to show up again! If I were you, I'd drop that woman and run for my life right now!" The horse-faced swordsman, upon seeing Huah Yunfei charge at him once more, sneered and suggested what he believed to be the smartest course of action.

Huah Yunfei regarded the horse-faced swordsman with scorn as he once again directed his long sword toward the man's saber.

The clash resulted in a thunderous noise, and Huah Yunfei was repelled yet again. He straightened up, wiping the fresh blood from his lips, and retorted with a sneer, "Such vile acts are reserved for your kind. To expect me, Huah Yunfei, to betray my friends? You'll have to wait for another lifetime!"

"Hmph! So noble and faithful. Well, today I'll grant you both your wish and let you share a grave here in Ghost Cry Cave!" The horse-faced swordsman scoffed, his blade surging with Spiritual Energy as he viciously struck at Xie Feiyu.

Xie Feiyu quickly retreated, but the chilling aura of the blade still reached her, wounding her in the process.

She coughed up blood and stumbled backward. The horse-faced swordsman, seizing the opportunity, pursued her relentlessly with his saber in hand.

Despite Huah Yunfei's composed facade, he was secretly thrilled. During the last exchange, the horse-faced swordsman's saber had developed a fine crack, a detail that went unnoticed in the dimly lit cave.

With Xie Feiyu in peril, Huah Yunfei fought to contain his injuries and advanced, sword at the ready. He channeled every ounce of his Spiritual Energy into the long sword, preparing for the decisive strike.

With a snap, the horse-faced assassin's expression seized up in surprise. His long blade had snapped in two, with the larger portion flying off and embedding itself in the stone wall at the cave's apex.

"His Spirit Weapon is broken; let's finish him off!" Huah Yunfei declared to Xie Feiyu without a moment's hesitation.

Xie Feiyu nodded, quickly regaining his composure, and together with Huah Yunfei, they charged at the horse-faced assassin.

The assassin's swordsmanship had been formidable, but now, without his long blade, his skill was rendered useless.

Disarmed, the horse-faced assassin quickly found himself overpowered by Huah Yunfei and Xie Feiyu.

Worn out from the relentless defense, his only fate was sealed.

The battle came to an end when Huah Yunfei's sword thrust through the assassin's chest.

"Phew!" Xie Feiyu exhaled, his energy spent, and leaned wearily against the cave wall to rest.

Huah Yunfei, equally drained, had no time to rest. He needed to ascertain one crucial fact: whether his father was in the Ghost Cry Cave.

"Dad!" Huah Yunfei called out, venturing deeper into the cave.

"Yunfei, Dad's here," came Hua Tiancheng's reassuring response from within the depths.

Hearing his son's voice, Hua Tiancheng's tense nerves finally eased. He hadn't imagined that his son would manage to find him here, let alone rescue him.

In that moment, Hua Tiancheng truly recognized that Huah Yunfei had grown up; he was no longer the frivolous young man preoccupied with indulgence.

Having located Hua Tiancheng, Huah Yunfei freed him and they both exited the Ghost Cry Cave.

Despite their exhaustion from the intense battle, concern that the assailants might have accomplices spurred them to leave quickly.

"These people are from the Heavenly Knife Alliance," Xie Feiyu revealed on their way out, handing a token to Huah Yunfei.

Huah Yunfei examined the token, his brow furrowed. He was familiar with the Heavenly Knife Alliance, yet he had never crossed paths with them before.

"What's the connection between these individuals and the Golden Stone Token? Why are they intent on preventing me from obtaining it?" Huah Yunfei pondered, baffled by the opposition, especially since he had no ties whatsoever to the Heavenly Blade Alliance.

Hearing his confusion, Xie Feiyu apologized, "It seems they're targeting me. I'm afraid I've dragged you into this."

"Regardless, it's over now! The more they try to stop me from becoming the Golden Stone Token of Wu County, the more determined I am to thwart their plans! Using my family to threaten me is utterly despicable!" Huah Yunfei exclaimed in anger.

In that moment, aside from his resolve to secure the Golden Stone Token in Wu County, his curiosity about Xie Feiyu, who was by his side, grew. It was clear that the situation was more complex than it seemed, given that a simple participation in the Golden Stone Token selection could entangle him with the Heavenly Blade Alliance.

Upon returning to Buried City, Huah Yunfei and Xie Feiyu went their separate ways for the time being. Back at home, Huah Yunfei's mind was preoccupied with a matter of great importance.

He needed to quickly absorb the eight high-grade Thunder Attribute Spirit Stones he had acquired at the auction to enhance his cultivation level.

With Xie Feiyu's assistance, he had managed to navigate through the recent troubles, but he was uncertain about future challenges. Strengthening his own abilities was paramount.

The eight high-grade Thunder Attribute Spirit Stones were exceedingly rare and valuable, offering significant aid to Huah Yunfei's training. After three days of absorption, his cultivation had advanced to the second level of Foundation Establishment—a modest but swift improvement.

After bidding farewell to his family and explaining his intentions, Huah Yunfei set out for the Endless Depository to find Xie Feiyu.

Xie Feiyu had been waiting for him for quite some time. Upon his arrival, she made an immediate decision, "Let's head to Wu County right away! The selection for the Golden Stone Token is fast approaching, and we cannot afford to miss it."

"Could you explain how the Golden Stone Token selection process works, Miss Feiyu?" Huah Yunfei inquired, his knowledge of the Golden Stone Token still limited despite the brief information Xie Feiyu had previously shared.

Confronted with Huah Yunfei's question, Xie Feiyu responded with ease, "The specifics of the assessment can vary, but if you're well-versed in Spirit Stones, there's no need to overthink it."

Huah Yunfei nodded in understanding, refrained from further inquiry, and embarked on his journey to Wu County.