Under Ling Feng's guidance, the group successfully navigated an eight trigrams array and reached the second illusory cave.
"It doesn't seem that difficult, follow me!" Kiana said dismissively, having expected the eight trigrams array to be more challenging.
However, Kiana, fearing trouble, followed Ling Feng's direction towards the southwest.
Ling Feng, who was using his divine sense to observe the eight trigrams array, turned to find Kiana stepping into a death gate.
"Holy crap! That's a death gate!"
Rumble!
As soon as he spoke, the ground beneath them began to collapse.
"Ah ah ah, Ling Feng, what do we do!" Kiana exclaimed, her anxiety growing as the abyss drew nearer.
"What do we do? Run! Follow me!" Ling Feng scooped up Kiana and dashed towards the life gate, not waiting for her consent, fearing she might cause more trouble.
Mei and the others quickly followed Ling Feng.
The collapse stopped only when they stepped into the life gate, but Ling Feng didn't halt, continuing to run.
After passing through another eight trigrams illusion, Ling Feng stopped, seeing no more such arrays, and set Kiana down from his shoulder.
"Eight trigrams arrays are too terrifying," Kiana shuddered, now having a phobia of them.
"Ling Feng, look, there's a golden sword over there," Mei pointed to a golden sword floating in the center of the cave.
"A golden sword, could it be the legendary Xuanyuan Sword? So this maze was meant to protect this sword." Fu Hua's voice echoed through the communicator, her surprise evident. Their communication channel had been open, and she had witnessed everything through the cameras. While Ling Feng's knowledge of ancient arrays surprised her, the Xuanyuan Sword was the priority. However, she recalled the inscription on the stone tablet about sealing evil, and the Xuanyuan Sword being a weapon against Honkai.
"But... the inscription on the stone tablet clearly stated it was to seal evil. Isn't the Xuanyuan Sword a weapon against Honkai?" Sha Wu added.
"There seem to be three stone statues of red kites around the Xuanyuan Sword. Could they be the guides?" Kiana, unable to sit still, made a move as if to roll up her sleeves. "Why bother with so many questions? Since this is the Xuanyuan Sword Jizi has been looking for, let's just grab it!"
"Kiana, don't be reckless. The Xuanyuan Sword is floating in mid-air; you can't touch it," Ling Feng pulled back Kiana, who was eagerly rushing forward, and asked Mei to keep an eye on her.
Ling Feng surveyed the surroundings. In three corners, he saw red orbs containing Honkai energy. The three red kite statues in the center were likely connected. The Xuanyuan Sword undoubtedly had a protective barrier, and there must be a way to break it.
"Follow me."
As they entered the vast space, over a dozen small Honkai beasts descended from above. Knight-class Honkai beasts, Temple-class Honkai beasts, Honkai Emperors...
"More Honkai beasts? Let's finish this quickly!"
After a fierce battle, Ling Feng and the others successfully obtained the three red orbs and placed them into the beaks of the red kite statues in the center.
Swish!
Three beams of red light shot towards the Xuanyuan Sword's protective barrier, which gradually dissipated. The Xuanyuan Sword slowly descended.
Clang clang clang.
At this moment, Jizi suddenly appeared and grasped the hilt of the Xuanyuan Sword.
"Qi Men Dun Jia." Ling Feng stated calmly, recognizing Jizi's appearance as a manifestation of the Qi Men Dun Jia technique, specifically "Yi Xing Huan Dou," which essentially involved spatial displacement.
"Jizi, where have you been? You had us worried sick," Kiana and Mei exclaimed with relief upon seeing Jizi.
"She's not Jizi right now. Get away!"
"What?"
Before Kiana could react to Ling Feng's warning, Mei, with quick reflexes, pushed Kiana aside just as a sword energy grazed them. Kiana stared in confusion as a rift several meters long appeared on the ground where they had just stood.
"Protect yourselves. I'll awaken Jizi." Ling Feng's gaze sharpened. He swung his spear, bent his right leg slightly, and with a 'bang,' he instantly appeared before Jizi, sweeping his spear.
Clang!
Jizi blocked the attack with her sword, but the powerful force sent her staggering back several steps.
"Roar~" Jizi let out a ferocious roar.
"Insignificant remnants, how dare you be insolent before me!"
Swish!
Ling Feng moved with blinding speed, his spear a blur, overwhelming "Jizi" with relentless attacks. It wasn't that Jizi was weak; an A-rank Valkyrie could withstand bullets. The weakness lay in the remnant soul possessing Jizi's body.
Clang!
A Honkai energy shockwave erupted from "Jizi." Ling Feng remained steadfast, unmoving like a rock.
Clang!
The Xuanyuan Sword glowed brightly, and a red crystal enveloped "Jizi." Simultaneously, three beams of red, blue, and purple light descended from the Xuanyuan Sword, coalescing into Jizi's form.
"Xuanyuan Three Souls?" Ling Feng's eyes widened slightly as he observed the three forms of Jizi, each emanating red, blue, and purple energy. These were the fire, ice, and lightning elemental energies possessed by the Xuanyuan Sword.
"You want to gang up on me?"
"Sorry, it's me ganging up on you three!"
Suddenly, the Xuanyuan Three Souls surrounded Ling Feng, attacking him simultaneously with their elemental energies. Thunder, ice, and raging fire.
"Be careful!" Mei cried out anxiously.
"I'm just going to slide tackle." Ling Feng executed an extremely low slide tackle, evading the combined elemental attack.
*Pffft!*
A black spear suddenly pierced the chest of the Xuanyuan Fire Soul. The Xuanyuan Fire Soul, seemingly receiving an order, quickly retreated, while the Xuanyuan Ice Soul and Lightning Soul charged towards Ling Feng.
Seeing this, Ling Feng's lips curved into a subtle smile. He stood motionless, appearing bewildered. The two Xuanyuan Souls swung the Xuanyuan Sword, aiming to cleave him in two.
"Hoo..." Ling Feng exhaled calmly, appearing unperturbed by the approaching Xuanyuan Sword.
"Tai Chi... Eight Trigrams... Fist." A Tai Chi Eight Trigrams array subtly materialized beneath Ling Feng's feet. With an almost uncanny agility, Ling Feng dodged the two Xuanyuan Swords, then grabbed the wrists of the two Xuanyuan Souls and slammed them to the ground.
"Here you go." Ling Feng snatched the energy Xuanyuan Swords from the Xuanyuan Souls and unleashed two strikes. The swords then flew like flying swords, pursuing the Xuanyuan Fire Soul and piercing its body. The Xuanyuan Three Souls slowly dissipated into the heavens and earth.
"Holy sh*t!!!" Kiana, Mei, and Bronya stared, dumbfounded.
*Crack!*
At this moment, the red crystal encasing "Jizi" shattered, and with a flash of light, her Valkyrie Armor: Crimson Blaze transformed into a black and red evening gown. Black lace concealed Jizi's prominent assets, a blood-red skirt covered the essentials, and a black butterfly ornament adorned her back. Her fair, slender legs were covered by black fabric, but the glimpses of white through the torn material were even more captivating against the dark backdrop.
"S-rank Scarlet Rose?"
"Holy crap, are you cheating!?" Ling Feng exclaimed in shock. The aura Jizi now exuded was on an entirely different level.
"Ling Feng! Jizi's Honkai energy levels have increased by several units," Bronya stated with a grave expression, looking at the readings on her tablet.
'Does she even need to check? I can see it with my own eyes! Her presence alone is overwhelming! Jizi is stunningly beautiful now, like a vibrant, alluring rose, but roses have thorns!'
Jizi opened her beautiful eyes, a potent red light emanating from them. Furthermore, what radiated from Jizi was not just terrifying Honkai energy, but an extreme, sorrowful obsession. It was this extreme sorrowful obsession that had taken control of Jizi's body.
"It seems I need to bring out some real skills." Ling Feng clenched his right fist, and the fearsome sword Fen Ji, forged from blood and souls, unleashed a bloody radiance, its lava-like blade exuding a chilling malevolence.
*Swish!*
*Clang!*
Instantly, Ling Feng and "Jizi" vanished from their positions. The cave echoed with the clash of metal and explosions of fire.
"What's happening now!" Kiana cried out anxiously. They could no longer see the battlefield, as the raging flames formed a wall of mist, threatening to engulf the entire cave.
"Unclear, but according to data analysis, Ling Feng and Jizi are currently in a stalemate," Bronya reported with a complex expression, her gaze fixed on the tablet.
After an indeterminate amount of time, the sounds of metal clashing and explosions suddenly ceased. The cave fell silent, as if a loud sound system had been abruptly turned off.
"What's the situation now... Who won?" Mei worriedly asked.
"Look, there's a dark figure in the flames," someone pointed out. Everyone tensed, ready for battle, to prevent any unexpected occurrences.
Amidst the inferno, Ling Feng emerged from the fire, carrying a unconscious Jizi, looking like a triumphant hero.
"Hoo." A collective sigh of relief swept through the group. They had been on edge.
"Ling Feng, did you defeat Aunt Jizi?" Kiana asked excitedly.
Ling Feng shook his head and replied, "No. Jizi suddenly fainted during our intense battle."
"What happened? Why did Jizi attack us?!" In response to Kiana's confusion, Ling Feng explained, "Jizi was possessed and controlled by the obsession attached to the Xuanyuan Sword."
"Obsession? Possession?"
"Ah!" Bronya suddenly gasped. "Bronya has observed that Major Jizi's vital signs are extremely weak. We must leave here for treatment immediately, or her life cannot last more than a day."
Ling Feng nodded and addressed Kiana and the others. "In any case, let's leave here quickly. We'll discuss everything else after Jizi regains consciousness."
Just as they were about to depart, their communication device crackled to life.
"This is bad."
"What is it?" As the acting commander, Ling Feng had assumed command from Jizi, and he could detect the urgency in Theresa's voice.
"According to recent satellite data, a large number of Anti-Entropy forces have been detected in your vicinity."
"Anti-Entropy forces?"
"Yes. Their target is likely the Xuanyuan Sword you possess. Leave Jiuyou immediately. I will bring reinforcements in two hours. Hold on!"
The communication ended, and Ling Feng said sternly, "Let's get out of here first. We'll retrace our steps."
The group hastily navigated through the illusionary maze and returned to its entrance.
"Careful!" Feeling locked on, Ling Feng grabbed Kiana and Bronya and pulled them back. Explosive missiles struck the path they had just traversed. Not far from them, a young girl with pink hair stood behind a dozen tactical mechs. The pink-haired girl let out a boisterous laugh.
"Trash Valkyries, don't run! You're already surrounded."
"I am Himeko, in charge of this operation. Now, stop wasting my time and hand over the Xuanyuan Sword obediently." Her arrogant demeanor suggested she had them cornered.
"Who are you calling trash, you arrogant brat!" Kiana retorted, unable to tolerate the girl's attitude.
"Wait, Kiana, calm down. We are indeed surrounded." Mei restrained the impulsive Kiana, pointing to the mechs stationed along the cliff edges around them.
"Alright, alright. So, little girl named Himeko, if we hand over the Xuanyuan Sword, will you let us leave?"
"As you can see, we have an injured comrade. To us, a broken sword is far less important than a friend's life."
Himeko let out a mocking laugh. "Hahahaha... Who told you I would let you go if you handed over the sword."
"How dare you call me a brat! You trash Valkyries, I won't let any of you go."
Suddenly, Kiana's lips curved into a smile as if she had received a message.
"No, it's *we* who won't let *you* go."
*Boom boom boom!!!*
"How is this possible?!" The sight before Himeko filled her with shock and terror. The tactical mechs that had surrounded Ling Feng and his group exploded into scrap metal without any warning. The situation had flipped faster than turning a page, from heaven to hell in an instant. Himeko panicked and tried to flee. Kiana's eyes narrowed, and she sprinted forward, performing an aerial somersault and landing perfectly in front of Himeko. Kiana smiled at Himeko, a smile that, for Himeko, was that of a demon. When Ling Feng and the others caught up, Kiana had tied Himeko up with a rope and was carrying her like a small chick.
"Let's go. We'll use her as a bargaining chip later," Ling Feng said.
"Yes! By the way, Ling Feng, how did you deal with those mechs?"
"A secret." Kiana's earlier verbal exchange with Himeko had actually been prompted by Ling Feng whispering instructions to her. He had used his divine sense to scan the mechs for weak points, then employed a technique called "Sword Transformation into Myriad Forms" to pierce their vulnerabilities from a distance.