"Shuang'er, Se Se, you two go back first. I've prepared a Taiyi Soul - Restoring Elixir for each of you in the room. Go back and look for it carefully. Don't miss it."
"Xiao Ning'er, how did you get such precious elixirs?"
Zhao Shuning slapped her forehead. She almost forgot that in order to hide her identity as an alchemist before, she had always ground the elixirs and put them in their food.
When they advanced, they stupidly thought it was the effect of the medicinal herbs' refining.
"Uh, this elixir was something I picked up at the First Height before. Maybe it was accidentally dropped by a disciple of some big family. Are you going or not? If you're late and someone else takes it, don't blame me."
Shuang'er, Se Se and the others discussed it briefly and immediately turned back. Since A Shui and A Yue hadn't reached the second rank either, they also went back to get the elixirs.
Now, the only one left beside Zhao Shuning was the young miss, Kong Shishuang.
Zhao Shuning turned around and winked at the little fox not far away.
The little fox understood, walked forward, rubbed against Kong Shishuang with its body, and then turned its head in another direction.
"Kong Shishuang, the little fox has something to tell you. It should have found some incredible spiritual herb. Hurry up and go with it."
Kong Shishuang replied blankly, "Oh, okay. Then Zhao Shuning, be careful by yourself here."
"Okay."
After sending the five of them away, Zhao Shuning focused on observing the situation below.
Obviously, all the second - year students who hadn't joined any faction were under siege.
Behind them was the Undercurrent River. Once they fell in, the substances in the Undercurrent River would completely corrode their bodies within an hour.
There was no time to lose. With her good memory, Zhao Shuning quickly found the small path. Before long, she successfully entered the small cave.
Fortunately, the five of them didn't follow. Such a steep mountain path and such a closed and dark cave could only be reached by a third - rank spiritual pharmacist.
As soon as Zhao Shuning entered the cave, she immediately started to set up a formation.
The sound of the fight above became more and more intense. Her hands kept flipping, forming seals, flipping again, and forming seals again.
After a series of operations, Zhao Shuning was obviously a bit exhausted.
But fortunately, although her spiritual power was only at the third rank, her willpower was extremely tenacious.
At this moment, there were already sounds of seriously - injured people roaring above.
Zhao Shuning lifted her hands forcefully, using all her strength. Finally, under the cliff and beside the cave, she wove a large transparent net.
Immediately afterwards, Wu Long also exerted all his strength. Using all his cultivation as a spiritual pharmacist, he launched his final attack.
Since the Duanlong Faction was really too powerful and had a large number of people, when they joined forces to deal with that small group of second - year students whose ranks were not very high, they were finally affected by the fluctuations of spiritual power.
Their bodies suddenly fell, and then one by one, they fell into the big net.
Zhao Shuning was quick - witted and quickly pulled those people into the cave.
Before setting up the formation, Zhao Shuning had already changed her clothes and covered her face so that she wouldn't be recognized.
Those people were pulled into the cave by a powerful force. After seeing Zhao Shuning make a gesture to be quiet, they all held their breaths tacitly.
Before long, they heard a series of footsteps from above, along with voices.
"Boss, we can't see those people. They should have fallen into the Undercurrent River."
"They all say there are monsters in the Undercurrent River that eat people. Now it seems to be true. Otherwise, why can't we even see their bones?"
After a while, another voice slowly said, "After the trial is over and we return to the Misty Rain Tower, you should know what to say, right?"
"Don't worry, boss. We're used to this."
There was a burst of loud laughter from above.
The second - year students in the cave, however, looked ashen - faced, clenching their fists, full of anger and unwillingness.
As mentioned before, the cave was very dark, and Zhao Shuning was standing inside, so no one could see her clearly. The gesture to be quiet was also made by the spiritual seal in her hand.
After hearing that the group of people above had finally walked away, everyone in the cave, including Du She, knelt down in the direction where Zhao Shuning was.
"Thank you, senior, for saving our lives."
Zhao Shuning looked at these second - year students in front of her. The total number should be no less than twenty. Besides Du She's small team, there were also other unrelated people who had been implicated.
Twenty people! How could Wu Long be so indifferent to twenty lives?
Zhao Shuning didn't say a word, and they just kept kneeling.
After a long time, a voice like a young girl came from inside the cave.
"Do you know why I saved you?"
Everyone shook their heads. Normally, a powerful person like the senior shouldn't have paid attention to them.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Senior, you should be an alchemist?"
"Du She, you should also know what kind of person I am. Do you admit to the evil things you've done or not?"
Du She had been silent since before.
He had lived alone since childhood. No one had ever given him a helping hand, not even his own parents. In their eyes, there was only the benefit he brought to the family.
The stronger he became, the happier they were.
It was the first time for him to be at a dead end and be rescued like today.
Du She's voice was a bit distant and hoarse. "Senior, I don't think I've done anything wrong."
"Did you kill the Lotus Green - Silk Cat?"
"No."
This answer surprised Zhao Shuning. That night, she clearly saw that the little fox's mother had died outside their camp.
"Do you know what will happen if you deceive me?"
"Senior, Du She knows you've been kind to me and will never lie. The Lotus Green - Silk Cat was a spiritual beast that came down from the Second Height. Before I found it, it was already covered in wounds. The wounds on it were caused by the people of the Tianyuan Sparrow, not me."
Thinking about it carefully, Du She's words made sense.
For the Lotus Green - Silk Cat, a few second - rank people couldn't cause it much harm.
"Have you ever hunted spiritual beasts before?"
"I - "
"Hmm?" The young girl's voice rose an octave. Du She felt that when he heard such a voice, he couldn't even come up with a single word to defend himself.
"I was an accomplice, but I've never personally killed any spiritual beast."