The scope of attack is somewhat broad.

Western Niuhe Continent, deep underground.

A sarira, emitting a faint golden glow, hung from the ceiling, illuminating this rather small space.

The surrounding walls were a mix of dirt and stone. They were not reinforced by spells but rather propped up by staffs and other items.

After all, those pursuing them were Tribulation Crossing cultivators; even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy would likely be detected.

The glowing sarira hanging overhead wasn't there because the fleeing trio needed light, but because the sarira possessed the ability to isolate and mask their auras. It was hung up solely for this miraculous utility.

At this moment, Wukong had lost his usual spirit. With a calm expression that looked as if he had been dead for quite some time, he lay against a dirt wall that would have crumbled without the physical props, given the lack of magical reinforcement.

Bright Buddha also looked somewhat weary, though his mental state was slightly better, and he didn't seem too dissatisfied with their current predicament.

At the very least, he was still alive and not in chains.

Donggua's condition, without a doubt, was the worst.

The left side of her abdomen had been pierced through, and her clothes were tattered and ruined. Blood had dyed her luxurious outfit red. It wasn't that her spatial ring only contained this one set of clothes, but rather that the other garments were even less serviceable than the one she was wearing.

If she were to change again, she would have to ask Wukong for a monk's robe.

Donggua's face was deathly pale. The wound on her abdomen still carried the remnant energy of a Buddhist cultivator's attack, hindering her recovery.

Among the fleeing trio, her cultivation base was the lowest. She ran the slowest and was the easiest to spot with a sweep of divine sense.

To use Wukong's words—she shone like the sun.

Once a Tribulation Crossing cultivator detected them, the result would be an immediate, wide-range bombardment capable of moving mountains and filling seas.

With Bright Buddha's assistance, Wukong could grit his teeth and withstand such attacks.

As for Donggua, even with Bright Buddha's help, she would likely be sent happily on her way to meet the Demon Lord.

The disparity in cultivation was simply too great. A casual strike from a Tribulation Crossing cultivator could end her life, even if she wasn't the primary target.

Thus, throughout their escape, Donggua had consistently been the most obvious target and the sandbag least capable of taking a hit.

If Wukong's state was one of mental exhaustion from constantly escaping death, then Donggua was living the thrill of being half-dead and barely dragged back to the living.

Every time Donggua survived a pursuit, she felt it was due to sheer, explosive luck.

At the same time, Donggua gained a clearer understanding of the power of a Tribulation Crossing cultivator—as long as you weren't completely dead, you didn't actually have to die.

Just as Donggua would take a hit, feel her head spin, and think she was about to die for good, she would open her eyes to see Bright Buddha's face wearing a gentle smile.

It was as if he were saying: Your date of death isn't today. You're a clever girl, guess which day it is?

For a moment, Donggua didn't know whether to be furious or grateful.

Bright Buddha had, in all honesty, saved her life several times these past days.

Of course, as for why she was being saved...

If asked, the answer was simply not to pry.

Perhaps because Donggua's half-dead, miserable state had become so frequent, Wukong no longer targeted her with snide remarks.

After all, she was already this miserable, and even Bright Buddha had shaken his head several times.

She might really die next time, so there was no point in targeting her further.

In this deep underground cavern, within the hollow illuminated only by the faint light of the sarira, only the sound of the three breathing was clearly audible.

Naturally, the most ragged breathing among them belonged to Donggua.

Having stayed underground for so long, the two people and one demon could no longer judge exactly how much time had passed.

It just felt like a very, very long time...

The silence of the moment also seemed to have lasted for an eternity.

Suddenly, Wukong's expression turned serious. He hurriedly propped himself up and took out a jade token that emitted a faint light.

This jade token was something Daoist Yuyang had gone to great lengths to deliver to Wukong for the purpose of sending messages.

Once this thing lit up, it meant—time to run again!

Bright Buddha opened his eyes, his movements extremely practiced. He raised a hand to snatch the sarira from the ceiling, then swept his hand to wrap Donggua in energy, charging straight toward the surface with her.

Since their tracks could only be hidden deep underground or within mountains, the Buddhist sect would always seal off the earth and the surrounding perimeter first.

Therefore, to escape, they had to fly openly and brazenly, then find a way to break out.

Fortunately, Daoist Yuyang's intelligence was always timely, and he always managed to lend a hand at critical moments, which was the only reason they had managed to flee until now.

Wukong followed close behind, his figure breaking through the earth ahead with the help of Bright Buddha's spiritual energy.

Donggua endured the pain without making a sound, simply calculating in her heart—is this the time I finally don't make it?

Light suddenly flared.

However, their rapid escape came to an abrupt halt.

Donggua didn't open her eyes, but her heart sank—if they weren't even trying to run, the situation must be catastrophic.

Opening her eyes would likely reveal an inescapable net of heaven and earth.

Today was probably the day she truly died.

Donggua struggled to open her eyes. She didn't see an inescapable net, nor did she see Buddhist Tribulation Crossing cultivators surrounding them to kill.

Instead, she saw a person she hated to the bone standing in the distance, waving hello with a smile on his face.

Ignoring her injuries, Donggua stared ferociously at the man standing there with a calm and breezy expression. She roared, her voice filled with extreme rage:

Cui Hao! I'm going to damn well kill you! Kill you!

Wukong was originally stunned, but hearing this, he looked back at the fierce-looking Donggua, then looked sideways at the person ahead.

The person standing in front of them wasn't Cui Hao at all; it was clearly Chu Xingchen.

Wukong glanced obscurely at Bright Buddha. Soon, Bright Buddha gave a slight nod—this was the real Chu Xingchen.

So the situation was clear: Chu Xingchen had cast an illusion solely on Donggua.

Wukong was naturally dissatisfied, but he still prioritized the bigger picture. He took a deep breath and played along:

Cui Hao, what are you doing here?

Chu Xingchen stepped forward, glancing at Donggua, who was disregarding her condition to continue cursing her own disciple, Cui Hao.

The frequency of her speech had almost no gaps, effectively utilizing the cultivator's advantage of not needing to pause for breath.

Her phrasing was almost entirely unique without repetition. There was no elegance in her words, only the purest output of rage.

Once her mouth opened, it seemed it would never stop.

clearly, Donggua had rehearsed this speech in her heart countless times.

Chu Xingchen looked at Donggua again. Despite being heavily injured and having a face described as deathly pale just moments ago, she now had a flush of red on her cheeks.

They say making a girl blush is a man's greatest skill.

Thinking of it that way, Cui Hao's skill was indeed considerable.

To make a demoness like this unable to forget him, and listening to her communication, she clearly wanted to be inseparable in life and death, eager to pour her heart and lungs out to him.

Chu Xingchen raised his hand slightly and pointed at Donggua, who had never stopped her verbal barrage, signaling Bright Buddha.

Understanding the situation, Bright Buddha tapped his finger and sealed Donggua's mouth.

Although Donggua was forcibly silenced, her glaring eyes seemed as if they could still speak.

Seeing this, Chu Xingchen felt compelled to reply:

I heard all your blessings. You spoke very well, but you are not allowed to say them again next time.

I traveled thousands of miles, leaving behind the good life at home, specifically running to this broken place to see if you were doing well, yet you don't appreciate the sentiment at all.

Truly, you don't know the meaning of gratitude.

Hearing this, Donggua started squirming frantically again.

However, Chu Xingchen did not speak up for his disciple this time.

The reason was simple.

Wukong's increasingly resentful expression meant...

That the attack range of his previous remark had been a bit too wide.