Dustless Island ranked fifth among the Nine Mansions, and its invitation was hard for ordinary people to refuse.

“Sorry, not interested.”

Xu Taiping shook his head and walked away.

The matter of forming alliances had actually started before entering the Immortal Gourd Cave. The major sects of the Nine Mansions had their eyes on a few young cultivators, and with the support of their respective sects, they each tried to recruit other cultivators entering the cave to strengthen themselves and reduce obstacles on their path.

If it weren’t for other matters to attend to, Xu Taiping wouldn’t mind joining one side, as it would save time and effort.

Murong Song’s face turned a bit ugly after being flatly rejected by Xu Taiping.

“Kid, are you refusing a toast only to drink a forfeit?”

“Forget it, everyone has their own ambitions.”

Murong Song extended his hand to stop a few impulsive youths behind him.

“But remember, if you run into trouble when you leave here, no one will save you.”

His tone carried a hint of threat, directed at Xu Taiping and the onlookers.

“Boom!…”

At that moment, a rumbling thunder sounded overhead.

The sky suddenly darkened, and the world was plunged into darkness.

In the dilapidated hall behind them, the long-dried oil lamps suddenly ignited, casting an eerie and terrifying light on the broken statues inside.

Instantly, a commotion erupted in front of Phoenix Perch Hall.

Some even tried to open teleportation scrolls to escape from the Immortal Gourd Cave, but after opening three scrolls in a row, there was no response.

Panic spread among the people.

“Do not panic, everyone follow me into the hall. Our elders from Dustless Island said that no matter what happens in the Immortal Gourd Cave, the five outermost halls are the safest!”

In the chaos, the voice of Murong Song, the young master of Dustless Island, rang out, calming the terrified young cultivators.

Hearing this, the previously panicked crowd all gathered towards the dilapidated hall.

Except for Xu Taiping.

Not only did he not approach Phoenix Perch Hall, but he also took a few steps back with a hint of fear in his eyes.

“Could this be what Fairy Lingyue mentioned, the Blood Moon Tide that occurs periodically in the fragments of the Immortal-Demonic Battlefield?”

As Xu Taiping thought this, he looked up at the sky.

Sure enough, he saw a blood-red full moon hanging in the pitch-black sky.

The so-called Demonic Qi Tide refers to the phenomenon where accumulated demonic energy in the secret realm fragments is released periodically.

The interval could be hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years.

The harm caused by the Demonic Qi Tide first erodes the minds of monsters and even cultivators, driving them mad. Secondly, it awakens some fierce beasts slumbering underground.

Just like those Fairy Lingyue had warned her to watch out for.

Xu Taiping stayed away from the dilapidated hall because beneath Phoenix Perch Hall, a wild beast raised by the demon clan was suppressed.

Not only Phoenix Perch Hall, but the other four halls also had wild beasts suppressed beneath them.

Such wild beasts cannot be completely eradicated, only suppressed underground.

Most of the time, the master of the secret realm can sense the impending Demonic Qi Tide and would close the secret realm for a hundred years or so until the demonic energy dissipates before reopening it.

Thus, the harm caused is usually not significant.

“As the guardian of this secret realm, did Jade Green Scholar not sense the arrival of the Blood Moon Tide?”

Xu Taiping placed his hand on the hilt of his blade, silently retreating behind a collapsed stone pillar in front of the hall, while beginning to doubt Jade Green Scholar.

“Why are you not letting us in?”

“What right do you have to keep us out?”

“This is revenge, revenge for my brother and me not joining you earlier!”

A commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance of the hall.

Through the dim light inside the hall, Xu Taiping saw a pair of siblings being blocked outside by Murong Song and his group.

Upon closer inspection, the siblings were the same ones who had previously misunderstood Xu Taiping.

The one arguing with Murong Song was the brother who had cursed Xu Taiping earlier.

“Boom!”

Amidst the argument, a giant palm shadow suddenly struck out from the hall entrance, sending the burly youth flying.

“Swish!”

The girl beside him swiftly drew the long blade from her waist and slashed at the palm shadow heading towards her brother, shattering it with a single strike.

To Xu Taiping’s surprise, the seemingly delicate girl possessed an incredibly resolute blade intent, shattering the palm shadow with one strike.

Her brother also quickly got up, drew a long blade from his waist, and without a word, slashed towards the hall entrance.

The siblings wielded their long blades, and for a moment, their momentum did not lose to Murong Song and his group inside the hall.

Just as their blade momentum was about to overpower Murong Song’s palm force, Murong Song suddenly freed a hand and lightly patted a short sword at his waist.

With a “zing,” the short sword transformed into a stream of light, shooting towards the siblings.

“Bang!”

With just one strike, the siblings’ blade momentum collapsed, and their protective True Qi shattered.

At this life-and-death moment, the brother suddenly pushed the girl aside, his eyes red, and slashed at the flying sword.

“Crack!”

The long blade in his hand shattered almost instantly.

“Boom!”

But at that moment, the girl, who had been pushed aside, suddenly lit up with runic light, and with a loud shout, she slashed at the flying sword.

With a “bang,” Murong Song’s flying sword was sent flying by the girl’s strike.

However, more than the power of the girl’s strike, Xu Taiping was intrigued by her stance—one foot on the ground, both hands holding the blade, the blade and body forming a straight line.

This stance was identical to the Cicada’s Cry form of Duan Tianya’s Demonic Severing Blade.

But apart from the stance, the strike had no other resemblance to Cicada’s Cry; it was more like an imitation in form but not in essence.

“Could this girl be from the Heavenly Blade Sect?”

Xu Taiping wondered silently.