Singing with a Sword

The following is the main text of the novel "{?$article_title?}" ({?$jieqi_title?}) provided by {?$jieqi_sitename?}. Please enjoy! This valley is very large, with steep cliffs on all sides. Looking up, you can only see a corner of the sky, indicating that the valley is very deep. However, no matter how deep it is, it has an end, so Yiran Xiao and the others are not worried about not being able to get out. If they really can't find a way out, they will just climb out step by step. There will always be a day when they see the sun again.

In the past few days, apart from Old Mo resting on a stretcher and the esteemed Di Bai, the rest of the group had been searching for a way out. There were exactly eight of them, divided into four groups, searching in four different directions. Yi Ranxiao and Meng Da were in one group, chatting as they searched. Ever since Yi Ranxiao displayed his astonishing fighting prowess, Meng Da had developed a strong interest in him.

"Brother Yi, which sect do you belong to?"

Yi Ranxiao had no intention of hiding his identity. Moreover, since that battle, Yi Ranxiao and Meng Da had become even closer, so he replied directly, "From the sect."

Meng Da was immediately stunned and murmured, "From a sect?" Yi Ranxiao nodded, and Meng Da said again, "I was wondering how you were so amazing, Brother Yi! So you're from a sect! Tsk tsk, extraordinary indeed!"

Yi Ranxiao smiled helplessly. His own strength had little to do with his status as a disciple of a sect. However, he would not tell Meng Da about the location system.

Meng Da was thinking about other things. This Yi Ranxiao was not only outstanding in strength, but also a disciple of a sect. He was kind-hearted and handsome. He and my little sister were a match made in heaven!

Thinking of this, Meng Da looked at Yi Ranxiao as if she were prey, with a smile on his face. This made Yi Ranxiao subconsciously shudder. Damn it, there's something wrong with Meng Da's eyes and expression!

"Brother Meng, I'm straight!"

Meng Da was taken aback and speechless. He explained, "Well, brother, you've misunderstood me. I have a younger sister at home, hehe... hehe, you know what I mean."

Looking at Meng Da's shifty-eyed appearance, especially his sleazy mustache, Yi Ranxiao thought to herself, "Your sister must be very ugly, that's why you're trying to 'get away with it' from me. I won't fall for your tricks!"

"Well... well, actually, I've had a betrothal since I was little, so... so you know..." Yi Ranxiao said with a smile.

Meng Da clicked his tongue in regret, "What a pity, what a pity."

The two continued searching for an exit, and as they walked, they came to the edge of a small lake. They then searched along the lake in the opposite direction.

As Yiran Xiao gazed at the statue in the center of the lake, a series of questions resurfaced in her mind: Why is there a statue of the Daoist Zhunti here? And why does the Hezhi Divine Monkey live in this valley? As for this valley, it is also shrouded in mystery. Firstly, it is located in the desert, and secondly, why are there rare ancient giants in the valley?

Could this valley be a remnant from ancient times?

After thinking it over and over without finding a solution, Yi Ranxiao casually muttered to herself, "Little monkey, do you know why there's a statue of Zhunti Daoist here?"

The little monkey, who had been dozing on Yiranxiao's shoulder, opened its eyes upon hearing this. After thinking for a while, it jumped off Yiranxiao's shoulder, sat cross-legged on the ground, and put its hands together, looking just like a Buddhist disciple.

Seeing this, Yi Ranxiao was both amused and exasperated. Was the little monkey trying to convey something to her? "Little monkey, are you saying that this statue is neither Zhunti Daoist nor a Daoist, but rather a disciple of Buddhism?"

The little monkey's eyes darted around, it shook its head, then nodded, and finally shook its head again. Yi Ranxiao chuckled wryly; no matter how clever he was, he couldn't fathom the monkey's mind, so he stopped discussing the topic and continued searching for an exit.

After a long while, still finding nothing, Yi Ranxiao sighed, "I wonder where the other way out of this valley is." Hearing this, the little stone monkey squeaked, pointing at the lake with its mouth open as if it wanted to say something important. Yi Ranxiao couldn't understand monkey language, but this little monkey could understand human language.

Yi Ranxiao asked, "Little monkey, do you want to go down for a bath?" The little monkey shook his head. Yi Ranxiao guessed again, "Do you want to catch fish in the water to eat?" The little monkey shook his head again. Then he thought about it seriously for a while. Then he made a motion to go into the water. Then he made a breathing face and stretched out his hands as if swimming. After swimming for a while, he made a popping motion out of the water. Then his face was full of surprise.

Yi Ranxiao suddenly realized and said, "You mean, this small lake is another exit from this valley!" The little monkey nodded happily with its big eyes wide open, and Yi Ranxiao finally understood what it meant.

Yi Ranxiao slapped his forehead, wondering why he hadn't thought of this. In any desperate situation where land routes are blocked, there will almost always be water routes available!

"Little monkey, you're so clever!" Yi Ranxiao patted the little monkey's head, then called out to Meng Da across the lake, "Brother Meng, the exit should be this little lake!"

……

……

Ever since Xue Wuyai witnessed Meng Da's execution of the demon and Yi Ranxiao's beheading, he had become greedy. Buying the swords from them or obtaining them through peaceful trade was virtually impossible! Therefore, he had no choice but to steal them!

Xue Wuyai's injuries have fully healed, and his cultivation at the Night Mirror level has been completely restored! That's right, he is a super strong Night Mirror expert!

Yi Ranxiao and the seven mercenaries were nothing but ants in his eyes! As long as he made a move, he could easily seize the Demon-Slaying Executioner and the Decapitation Executioner!

While Xiao and Mengda were still searching outside, Xue Wuyai found an excuse to go find them. However, before that, he let Di Bai enter his storage magic treasure, so that he wouldn't have to be distracted by protecting Di Bai.

To be honest, Xue Wuyai did not truly submit to this emperor. In the eyes of cultivators, the emperor of the mortal world meant nothing, but Xue Wuyai wanted to use this emperor, so he worked for him.

Xue Wuyai looked into the distance and spotted the two people by the lake, so he rushed over.

……

……

"Right, why didn't I think of the waterway?" Meng Da slapped his forehead. Yi Ranxiao said, "Let's hurry back and inform everyone. Oh? Master Xue, what brings you here?"

It was Xue Wuyai who arrived. He walked over slowly, smiled at them, and said, "Oh, I've naturally come to see you." Meng Da asked naturally, "May I ask what brings Master Xue to see us?"

Xue Wuyai stared at the two men for a long time with his slightly reddened eyes. Then, he grinned, revealing a sharp fang, and said in a strange voice, "I would like to borrow your swords."

Meng Da and Yi Ranxiao exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes. "Master Xue, why are you lending us your swords?"

"Hehe, that sword and saber are indeed rare treasures. It would be a waste for you to use them. So, you might as well give them to me so that I can maximize their power."

Meng Da and Yi Ranxiao were taken aback; the other party's meaning was quite clear!

"Master Xue, a gentleman does not take what others cherish, I think you know that too! If Master Xue is willing, after we leave the White Desert, I will find an even more precious treasure to give you, how about that?"

Yi Ranxiao knew that the opponent was too powerful, so she would not make a move unless absolutely necessary.

Xue Wuyai laughed, "Heh heh, I'm not a three-year-old. You think you can fool me? Hmph, why waste so much breath on you? If you don't hand over your swords, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Yi Ranxiao suddenly grabbed Meng Da and jumped into the small lake behind them!

Xue Wuyai was stunned for a moment, then immediately ran to the shore. He really wanted to jump in and grab the two people, but his true form was a bat, and bats are afraid of water! Especially their blood bat clan! If he went into the water, his fighting power would be almost gone, and he might be outmaneuvered by the other party!

So he hesitated, but then a thought struck him, and he shouted at the lake, "If you two don't come up, I'll kill all those mercenaries!"

But underwater.

Yi Ranxiao put the little monkey directly into his storage bag, so he could swim without any worries.

"Brother Yi, you're really clever! You figured out instantly that bats are afraid of water," Meng Da praised as he swam. Yi Ranxiao was also secretly glad that he had come up with such a good idea in that extremely dangerous moment. "Hehe, I was just lucky to have thought of this."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Brother Meng, there must be an underground river in this water. As long as we swim along the underground river, we will definitely be able to leave this valley!"

Meng Da nodded, excitedly saying, "Yes, we've been trapped in this valley for so long, we can finally get out!"

Just then, Xue Wuyai's voice pierced their ears like a sharp sword: "If you two don't come up, I'll kill all those mercenaries!"

How could I have forgotten about Lao Mo and the others! Yi Ranxiao slapped her forehead, realizing this was a mistake made in her haste!

Without a word, Meng Da immediately changed direction and prepared to swim back to shore, but Yi Ranxiao grabbed him, saying, "Meng Da, don't be impulsive! If you go out, you'll definitely be killed by Xue Wuyai!"

Meng Da said anxiously, "But what will happen to Lao Mo and the others if we don't go ashore?" Yi Ranxiao was also very anxious, his mind racing, but he still couldn't come up with a good solution. However, he was very rational. He knew that if Meng Da and he went ashore, Lao Mo and the others would still be killed by Xue Wuyai! Then he and Meng Da would also be killed! But if he and Meng Da didn't go ashore, at least they could save two lives!

So, after some deliberation, Yi Ranxiao said, "Brother Meng, let's... let's go!"

Upon hearing this, Meng Da glared angrily at Yi Ranxiao and rebuked, "Brother Yi, how could you let Xue Wuyai kill Lao Mo and the others? How could you abandon your brothers? Oh, right, you and Lao Mo and the others have no real relationship, you're not brothers! Fine, I'll go back alone! I can't abandon my brothers!"