The entire area within several kilometers started shaking as the claw was pulled back into the hole it had come out from, but the shaking didn't stop with its disappearance, instead getting stronger by the second.
Hao Xuan jumped out of the severed claw, keeping well away from the putrid blood that was spewing out of it.
He hurriedly bent over the dark pit that was widening by the second and pushed over some of the nearby dead bodies of summoned monsters. Only then did the shaking decrease in magnitude.
He didn't even have time to catch his breath when with the sound of flapping wings sounded above him Dai Zhi appeared.
"Who are you?" he asked while pointing his right sword towards Hao Xuan.
Hao Xuan gave him one look and turned away. He was still covered with blood and mud which made him hard to identify. He summoned the normal mask and covered his face before pretending to take something out of his pocket and threw it towards Dai Zhi.
Dai Zhi didn't catch it but stabbed it with one of the swords. But when he saw what it was, his expression became doubtful.
"You are the second guardian?" he asked skeptically. Hao Xuan had thrown him his identity token.
Hao Xuan extended his hand and the token flew back into his palm. He still didn't look at Dai Zhi, afraid that his own killing intent would be too obvious right now since he wasn't in complete control of his body.
Instead, he looked towards the pit at the end of the roach camp.
"Did the people down there leave yet?" he asked gesturing with his chin.
Dai Zhi's brow was still locked in a tight furrow but he didn't bother repeating himself.
"No, what people?"
Hao Xuan turned his head halfway, just enough to see Dai Zhi's face.
"The prisoners I rescued. Your 'sister' is with them as well."
There was no reaction whatsoever from him, it was like the person in question had nothing to do with him.
Dai Zhi gazed back at Hao Xuan for a few seconds before looking away.
The wizards were gone. Most of the roaches were dead and those that survived had scurried away in the commotion. Only the humans chained to the metal platform were still there.
Helplessly crying for help on the other end of the chasm that now separated them from the reinforcements.
Dai Zhi flew towards the chained humans and with a couple of swings of his swords, freed them. He was about to go towards the pit when with the sound of hurried footsteps outwalked a group of poorly dressed humans, injured and bloody as hell.
They looked more like mortal prisoners of war than cultivators right now. At the forefront were Fulke, Ceni and the others.
The first thing Ceni saw was Dai Zhi, hovering up in the air some distance away. Her expression turned cold but then her gaze naturally turned towards Hao Xuan as if attracted by some unknown force, and the coldness washed away instantly, replaced by a warm smile.
Hao Xuan was too far to notice this but Dai Zhi saw it stark with clarity, his eyes glimmering with a strange light.
He flew over to them and with a kind smile, gave a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad you guys are safe. Looks like we made it in time."
"Lord Dai Zhi!" someone recognized him and shouted his name, alerting all the others as well.
"He came to rescue us!"
"No wonder! That was him fighting all along!"
"Long live Lord Dai Zhi!"
"Long live Lord Dai Zhi!"
"Long live Lord Dai Zhi!"
Without a care in the world the 'rescued' cultivators started chanting his name, which in turn made Dai Zhi quite happy. If not for the urgent situation, he would let them continue for as long as they wished, but now wasn't the time.
"Everyone, we must hurry and leave this place. You are hurt and enemy reinforcements might be arriving any second. Help those that are wounded and make your way over there. Our people will help you cross," he pointed towards Nel and Aer's group in the distance.
"Thank you senior brother!" many of them came forward and thanked him from the bottom of their hearts, forgetting who it was that rescued them in the first place.
Ceni and Fulke's group separated from the rest and made their way towards Hao Xuan, who was leaning over the hole.
Hearing the sound of footsteps he turned around and saw Fulke, Hazel, and the rest, his gaze lingering for a second longer than it should on Ceni before moving on.
"Where's Henrik?" he asked looking towards Fulke.
Fulke patted Hao Xuan's shoulder with a smile.
"Closeby. He was worried about you so sent me personally."
Hao Xuan nodded and started explaining with a somber expression, "Good thing you're here then. We need all the help we can get. I fed those things some scraps but they'll be coming up soon. We need to bury this whole place and seal it!"