"Du Bo, we will not make things difficult for you. Leave Du You here, and you may depart on your own. Farewell." With that said, a streak of dark tunneling light flashed deep within the cave, as if the figure had vanished without a trace.
Hearing the other party honor their promise, Du Bo exhaled softly in relief. Yet, he dared not be careless, tilting an ear cautiously to listen for any noises outside. Other than a faint breathing sound, there was nothing else to be heard.
It appears they truly have left!
Du Bo’s heart eased, his gaze shifting to the two Shell Kings he had bound with his Xuan Guang. He took a deep breath, his chest swelling with uneasy labored breaths. With a loud "Hey!", the Yin and Yang Shell Kings were dragged before him. Both hands struck simultaneously on their sturdy shells, and before they could hit the ground, he sent out another streak of Xuan Guang, wrapping them up and flinging them far away.
After finishing, he seemed utterly drained, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he struggled to suppress the surging Qi in his veins. A blue light suddenly rose, lifting him out of the cave.
The Shell Kings’ shells were extraordinarily tough. Though those two strikes had merely caused temporary shock to their insides, they would recover soon and return. Du Bo’s True Essence was already largely depleted; he knew his only option was to use this fleeting chance to take Du You and leave as quickly as possible.
Flying out from the cave entrance, Du Bo spotted Du You lying on the ground from afar. Taken aback, he hurried over to check carefully. Upon closer inspection, he found Du You covered head-to-toe in True Dew and filth, looking disheveled but unharmed. His heart settled slightly, and he thought to himself, "They still dared not thoroughly offend the Du Family."
With a casual motion, he released Du You’s sealed Qi Veins. Just as he was about to take him away, Du You suddenly woke up. Seeing it was Du Bo, he immediately shouted, "Uncle Bo, quick! It’s Zhang Yan! Zhang Yan seized the Xuanzhu and even took my Dharma Treasures... Uncle Bo, hurry and retrieve them for me!"
Du Bo’s expression changed sharply, countless thoughts flashing through his mind. A foreboding feeling surged within him, and he spoke gravely, "Nephew, hold your words—everything will be dealt with after we leave this place."
He was just about to initiate his flying escape when a voice loud and clear rang out, "Master Du, why rush to leave? Why not obediently stay instead?"
The cave, once lit with Spirit Light, suddenly dimmed. Du Bo looked up to see a pitch-black inkstone, dark as ink, hovering above. At first, it was only palm-sized, but in the blink of an eye, it expanded to a ten-zhang radius, descending with an oppressive force that threatened to crush all beneath it.
"Soul-Stirring Inkstone!"
Du Bo’s eyes twitched uncontrollably. He knew Du You had brought some family treasure on this trip, but he hadn’t expected it to be *this* Dharma Treasure!
Its origins were far from simple. The inkstone was forged by a Hua Dan Cultivator named Du De from the Du Family. Once it struck a cultivator, it would immediately shake their Divine Soul, lock their True Essence, and imprison their physical body, leaving them completely immobilized—only to be smashed to death.
Its appearance left no doubt that the opposing party intended to end his life here.
Finally, it dawned on him that everything earlier had all been Zhang Yan’s elaborate trap. A flood of panic and fury overwhelmed him.
But now, Du Bo was not only drained of True Essence but had also expended most of his Xuan Guang. While he did not fear Zhang Yan, he was apprehensive about the Xuan Guang Stage Practitioner lurking in the shadows. If they attacked, Du Bo knew he had no chance of holding his own at this moment. Escaping from the cave was now his sole option; only upon returning to the Du Family could further plans be made!
With this in mind, he flicked his fingers, sending out a speck of white light—it was an "Evil Extinguishing Jade Pendant" gifted by the family, capable of temporarily halting any Dharma Treasure.
The jade pendant shot forward and collided with the treasure inkstone. The Soul-Stirring Inkstone paused slightly as though being supported by something, but only a moment later, the overwhelming force shattered it with a resounding "crack," continuing its fierce descent unimpeded.
This brief delay, however, bought Du Bo just enough time. Seizing the opening, a blue tunneling light enveloped him and Du You, whisking them away toward the cave’s exit.
Hidden within the cave walls, Luo Xiao grew anxious. Though the Soul-Stirring Inkstone was immensely powerful, its maneuverability was overly cumbersome. With her current strength, she could barely control it fully; unable to recapture it in time, she called out urgently, "Daoist Zhang, you mustn’t let them escape!"
As the two prepared to fly out of the cave, a streak of green light shot toward their backs. Du Bo felt an icy chill run along his spine and silently cursed inwardly. Summoning all his strength, he twisted his body slightly, narrowly avoiding the vital point.