Chapter 802 Rescue

The faint groans were as weak as a candle flickering in the wind, mingling with the lingering damp chill of the underworld, barely reaching their ears.

Medusa, Little Fairy Doctor, and Qinglin, who were scattered around investigating the strange situation, all tensed up upon hearing the sound. They immediately composed themselves, their eyes filled with vigilance, and their dormant fighting spirit deepened. They all turned their heads in the direction from which the groan came.

Upon hearing this faint sound, Xiao Ling raised an eyebrow slightly, a faint smile curving his lips. He murmured to himself, "As expected, we're about to find the location of Yao Ming. In that case, the rest of the plan can proceed as planned."

Immediately, Xiao Ling focused his mind, and a wisp of his extremely refined spiritual perception suddenly condensed into a line, precisely scanning the direction from which the groan came. Upon investigation, there was no unusual activity around him, and the faint cry for help from before had fallen silent, without a trace of echo.

Although there was no follow-up sound to corroborate it, Xiao Ling was able to pinpoint the location of the source of the sound precisely based on the faint aura carried by that faint sound.

While the methods used to conceal their presence and isolate themselves from movement were ingenious, making their traces extremely well hidden, they ultimately could not escape the ultimate soul perception of a Dou Sheng powerhouse like Xiao Ling.

Immediately, Xiao Ling's gaze slowly moved downwards. The bottom of the Yellow Springs was open and unobstructed. If there was truly a place to hide people, it would only be the layer of silt under the sand and stones. Without further hesitation, he slightly lowered his arm, and a thick layer of battle qi suddenly condensed in his palm. He then fiercely grabbed downwards!
"Crash-!"

The immense battle aura coalesced into a dark palm print over ten feet wide, which crashed down with the force of tearing through the air currents. The hard, luminous sand and gravel were forcibly torn into a deep, giant palm-shaped pit. Gravel tumbled down, and as the silt churned, a dark iron chain, several feet thick and hundreds of feet long, suddenly burst forth from the ground. The chain was mottled with ancient runes and gleamed with a chilling light, completely exposed to the group's sight.

The moment the chain was forcibly pulled out, the surrounding silt surged violently, and sand and stones flew everywhere, creating a tremendous commotion. Little Fairy Doctor, Medusa, and Qinglin, who were on guard and surveying the surroundings, were startled by the sound. They immediately concealed themselves, their fighting spirit slightly condensed beneath their feet, and they rushed towards Xiao Ling's side like arrows. In an instant, they gathered beside him, their eyes all falling on the giant chain that had suddenly appeared.

Xiao Ling gazed at the massive, jet-black chain, a knowing smile playing on his lips. He then flicked his fingers, channeling his powerful battle qi into an invisible force that coiled around the chain. With a steady pull, he slowly dragged the chain upwards. As the chain moved, it stirred up large amounts of silt and sand, causing the surrounding ground to tremble violently, accompanied by a continuous rumbling sound.

Immediately afterwards, three equally thick giant chains burst forth from the surrounding silt and shot into the sky. The chains were also wrapped with obscure runes, exuding a chilling aura. One end was deeply embedded in the steep rock walls of the surrounding mountains. As the rocks crumbled and fragments fell, the four giant chains, which were intertwined, remained completely still, exuding a powerful force that suppressed all things.

However, none of the four paid attention to the mountain where the iron chains were anchored. Instead, they all looked along the chains to the other end, where they saw a large mass of dark, ink-like silt lying heavily on the sand and stones at the center where the four giant chains intersected, giving it a somewhat eerie appearance.

Gazing at the dark sludge, Xiao Ling's eyes were resolute, and he already knew in his heart that this was the hiding place of the person who had cried for help earlier, and also the place where Yao Ming was hiding.

"Is that... the place where the distress call came from earlier?" Qinglin's eyes were fixed on the direction of that clump of mud. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her tone carried a hint of uncertainty, yet also a sense of certainty.

At this moment, her eyes had already turned completely emerald green, and the three petal patterns in her eyes slowly rotated. Her Azure Serpent Three-Flower Pupils were fully activated, and she was using the power of her pupil technique to investigate the strange phenomena deep in the mud.

"Furthermore, I can sense a strong aura of serpentine magical beasts in the direction of the mud. I can clearly identify it as belonging to the Nine Netherworld Python clan. This bloodline fluctuation is absolutely extremely pure!"

As soon as Qinglin finished speaking, Medusa frowned slightly and echoed her words, her beautiful face showing a hint of seriousness.

"Indeed, I also sensed a wisp of the bloodline fluctuations of a snake-like magical beast. The aura of the Nine Netherworld Python clan was extremely distinct, and its bloodline was purer than I could have imagined. It must hold a rather extraordinary position within the Nine Netherworld Python clan."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling smiled faintly and said calmly, "We'll find out who he is later when we go up and investigate. Judging from his weak and feeble state when he called for help earlier, even if he has ulterior motives, he certainly won't pose any threat to us. There's no need to worry too much."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Ling raised his palm and waved it lightly. A condensed and unassuming fighting spirit surged from his palm, carrying wisps of spatial silver light, and swept straight towards the dark mud.

With a soft "bang," the clump of silt was violently shattered by an invisible force, sending blackish-brown scum flying and rolling down onto the surrounding sand and gravel.

As the silt completely dissipated, the thing that had been covered by it was completely exposed to the four people. It was a figure curled up on the ground!

However, the man's appearance was extremely horrifying. His skin and flesh were so withered that they clung tightly to his bones, and his skeletal frame was clearly visible. He looked like a withered skeleton, devoid of any vitality, as if he had long since lost his life.

When the four of them fixed their gazes on the emaciated figure, the first thing they noticed was the aura emanating from him. The aura was so weak that it was almost ethereal, so faint that it was nearly nonexistent. There was no fluctuation of power in his body, and his life force was as waning as a candle in the wind, as if he would completely dissipate at any moment.

However, none of them were people with shallow eyesight. Even though this person's aura was extremely weak, they could still see through that frail appearance and perceive a faint, yet awe-inspiring, holy might hidden deep within his body.

The holy might was restrained yet profound, carrying a pressure that surpassed all races. The three women had only ever felt this unique sensation from Xiao Ling and Yao Chen, the two Dou Sheng.

Therefore, it can be concluded that even though this person is currently withered and on the verge of death, in his prime, his strength must have been extremely extraordinary. He was definitely a genuine and formidable Dou Sheng powerhouse.

As soon as this thought crossed their minds, Little Fairy Doctor, Medusa, and Qinglin all felt a sense of doubt.

They had already determined that this person was a Battle Saint of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, but they really couldn't understand why such a top expert would be sealed in the deepest part of the Nine Netherworld Yellow Springs, suffering the torment of being covered in mud and having his life force exhausted.

The three women pondered to themselves, could it be that he had violated the ironclad rules of the clan, or had an irreconcilable conflict with the clan's higher-ups, which led to his being imprisoned and left to fend for himself?

"Let's go and negotiate with this man, see if we can get any useful information out of him." Xiao Ling said calmly, then called to the three women behind him. As soon as he finished speaking, his figure moved like a light stream of light, his fighting spirit rippled slightly, wrapped in a faint silvery light of space, and he drifted towards the emaciated figure.

Seeing this, Medusa, Little Fairy Doctor, and Qinglin immediately leaped up and followed closely behind. The sand and stones beneath their feet trembled slightly as they quickly caught up with Xiao Ling's trail. Their fighting spirit remained condensed and unreleased, maintaining full vigilance.

The group landed steadily, and as soon as they stopped in front of the withered figure, the latter's dark eyes, sunken in their sockets, suddenly snapped open. His turbid gaze surged with extreme madness as he scanned the group of four, but in an instant, he precisely locked onto Xiao Ling, whose aura was the strongest and who was firmly in the first position.

"Your Excellency, save me! Save me! If you can save me, I will make the entire Nine Netherworld Python Clan serve you as their master!"

The next second, a hoarse, broken roar burst forth from his cracked lips, echoing loudly in the desolate and empty depths of the Yellow Springs. It was as sharp as the wailing of a vengeful ghost, carrying the bone-chilling cold from the depths of the Yellow Springs, piercing straight to the heart and chilling to the bone.

Seeing the person in front of them clutching at the last straw like a drowning person, their expression both anxious and frantic, the group couldn't help but exchange glances, a hint of understanding flashing in their eyes.

The doubts in the hearts of Little Fairy Doctor, Medusa, and Qinglin grew even stronger. It was obvious that this person must have been imprisoned here for a long time to end up in this situation.

They wondered to themselves what kind of cruel torture this person had endured to make a dignified Dou Sheng powerhouse so emaciated, with his mind completely shattered, reduced to such a desperate attempt to survive.

"Calm down first, calm yourself down, and then talk to us." Xiao Ling looked down at him, her tone completely flat, each word icy.
“I am not a kind-hearted person and have no patience to deal with a madman like you. If you refuse to cooperate, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You should be able to sense that I have enough power to decide your life or death.”

Upon hearing this, the gaunt man's heart sank. An invisible pressure emanated from Xiao Ling, pressing down so heavily that he could hardly breathe. The surging madness and urgency he had felt earlier were instantly extinguished.

His agitated emotions calmed down slightly, but his chest heaved violently, and his withered mouth gasped for breath, each breath accompanied by a dry, rattling sound, as he tried his best to calm his turbulent and unsettled mind.

The withered figure gasped for breath for a long time, until the rise and fall of its chest gradually subsided. Finally, it suppressed its remaining agitation and spoke first, introducing itself. Its voice was hoarse, like rough sand scraping against glass, extremely grating.
"I apologize in advance for my previous offense. As for my identity, I am Yao Ming, the patriarch of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan."

"Demon Night..."

Upon hearing this unfamiliar name, Medusa and Little Fairy Doctor frowned slightly, and Qing Lin's eyes flickered. All three women showed a thoughtful expression, subconsciously searching their minds for information related to this name. However, after searching through all their knowledge and experience, they still couldn't find any clues. Clearly, they had never heard of this person before.

After a moment's hesitation, Qinglin spoke first, her voice tinged with uncertainty and doubt.

"Yao Ming? Who is that? According to the information I have, the current patriarch of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan should be that Dou Sheng powerhouse Yao Xiaotian, right?"

"That bastard! That son of a bitch! He's the one who used his wicked schemes to seize my position as clan leader and then sealed me away at the bottom of the Netherworld!"

Upon hearing the name Yao Xiaotian, Yao Ming's sunken eyes instantly surged with bloodlust, his previously dim pupils turning fiery red. A boundless resentment erupted from his weakened aura, his hoarse roar filled with bone-chilling hatred.
"Ah—! This beast! He made me suffer here for hundreds of years, enduring the torment of the cold and gloom, day and night being gnawed at by the chilling air of the Yellow Springs! If I ever see the light of day again, I, Yao Ming, will grind him to dust and make him wish he were never born!"

The mad roar reverberated through the depths of the underworld, carrying with it centuries of pent-up resentment and malevolence. It caused the surrounding sand and stones to tremble slightly, and even the four giant chains that suppressed him hummed faintly. His madman-like appearance made one's heart sink.

Seeing Yao Ming's furious, almost crazed expression, Xiao Ling frowned slightly, and his aura turned colder. Yao Ming keenly sensed this slight change in Xiao Ling's emotions, and his heart tightened. He dared not vent his anger any longer, and he gritted his teeth to suppress the endless hatred surging in his heart, forcibly suppressing his emotions that were on the verge of spiraling out of control. He even deliberately slowed the rise and fall of his chest.

Seeing that he had calmed down, Xiao Ling slowly spoke.

"I never imagined that the Nine Netherworld Python Clan would have such a hidden secret. Please tell us the whole story in detail, and we can discuss the rest after you've finished speaking."

Upon hearing this, Yao Ming slowly nodded, and with his chapped lips moving, he slowly recounted the secrets of that year.

At that time, he was the patriarch of the Nine Netherworld Python Clan, holding the power of the clan and possessing profound cultivation. He was the clan's recognized pillar. However, the clan's Grand Elder had already colluded with Yao Xiaotian. The two secretly plotted a vicious scheme, taking advantage of his seclusion to break through his cultivation level and when his defenses were at their weakest, to launch a sudden attack.

They not only joined forces to severely injure him, but also forcibly suppressed and sealed him in the deepest part of the Nine Netherworlds, allowing the cold and gloomy Yellow Springs to gnaw at his body and soul day and night. Yao Xiaotian then took over his position as clan leader, claiming that he had died in seclusion, thus completely covering up this conspiracy for hundreds of years.

After listening to Yao Ming's tearful accusation, Medusa, Little Fairy Doctor, and Qing Lin all nodded in understanding, their faces full of emotion.

The most callous thing in the world is the struggle for power. Even blood relatives can turn against each other. I never expected that the Nine Netherworld Python Clan would hide such an unbelievable and sordid secret. In order to seize the position of clan leader, they would frame their own clan and kill each other to this extent.

Yao Ming took in the expressions of the three goddesses, then turned his gaze to Xiao Ling. His deep-set eyes were filled with urgency and humility, almost pleading, and his voice was hoarse yet earnest.

"Your Excellency, you now know my plight! In my prime, I was a two-star Dou Sheng, and suppressing Yao Xiaotian was merely a trivial matter! If you are willing to rescue me, I, Yao Ming, will serve you as my master for life. From this day forward, the entire Nine Netherworld Python Clan will obey your commands, follow your lead, and have no disloyalty whatsoever!" (End of Chapter)