Chapter Thirty-One: Cooperation

Yaoye, Zhao Mu, and Peng Lei arrived at the place they had agreed upon with the Flame Dance Academy. They saw that the people from Flame Dance Academy were still resting nearby, not even bothering to post a guard. Peng Lei let out a cold snort and strode toward the members of the Martial Arts Academy.

“Brother Li, we’re here! How’s your recovery coming along?”

Li Qin stood up and cupped his hands to Peng Lei and the others. “Brother Peng, you’ve kept us waiting! We weren’t injured to begin with, so our energy is mostly restored.”

“My apologies, Brother Li. On our way back, we stumbled upon something major—something crucial to this mission. That’s why we were delayed. I hope you won’t hold it against us! Since this mission is a joint effort between our three academies, I wouldn’t dare claim all the credit. That’s why I hurried here to find you, Brother Li!”

Li Qin looked at Peng Lei with curiosity, eager to know what exactly they had discovered. “Brother Peng, your sense of camaraderie is admirable. Could you share with us what important clue you’ve found?”

Peng Lei was delighted—he’d taken the bait. “Brother Li, you may not know this, but this incident involves not only the demon clan; the fiends are also involved. We discovered that fiends and demons have captured a large number of civilians and are holding them temporarily in a cave. This cave is not far from the demonic aura emanating from the Myriad Demons’ Lair. The entrance is guarded by a fiend at the initial stage of Spirit Communion. If our two academies join forces, this mission will be within our grasp!”

Li Qin felt a faint sense of something amiss, but couldn’t quite put his finger on it. After considering for a moment, he made up his mind. “May I ask if Brother Peng has a plan in mind?”

“This is what I’m thinking: let’s join forces to ambush the powerful guard at the cave entrance. After that, we’ll enter the cave together and rescue the civilians. Then, combining the strength of our two academies, we’ll venture deep into the Myriad Demons’ Lair to uncover the truth. What do you think, Brother Li?”

Li Qin pondered for a moment, concluding that Peng Lei and his group harbored no ulterior motives. Besides, his curiosity about the demon and fiend clans’ intentions was piqued. “Very well! Let’s do as you suggest—I agree to your plan.”

Peng Lei nodded. “Then there’s no time to lose. Shall we set out immediately?”

“Agreed! The sooner we finish, the sooner we can report back. This place is so oppressive, I don’t want to stay another moment.” With that, Li Qin called to his companions and walked over to Peng Lei and the others.

The two academies’ teams arrived outside the cave. Peng Lei motioned for everyone to conceal themselves. “Brother Li, now it’s up to the two of us.”

Li Qin nodded at Peng Lei. Peng Lei crept carefully to the cave entrance and tossed a stone a short distance away. As soon as it hit the ground, a black-robed fiend rushed out, looking around warily. Just ahead, a squirrel was seen hopping away.

The black-robed figure let out a gentle sigh of relief. “This is a crucial moment. There must be no mishaps, or I won’t be able to answer to the young lord.” He relaxed, but suddenly heard the sound of something slicing through the air from behind. Quickly dodging to the side, he was still caught off guard and wounded. It was Peng Lei who had struck.

Seeing Peng Lei make the first move, Li Qin also launched his attack on the black-robed fiend. Facing simultaneous attacks from two opponents of equal strength, and caught off guard, the fiend barely lasted a few moves before being slain.

Watching the black-robed fiend collapse, Li Qin was filled with a sense of accomplishment. “Brother Peng, there’s no time to waste! Let’s storm the cave—I’m eager to know what the fiends are up to here.”

“Indeed! That’s exactly my thought. Let’s move quickly!” Peng Lei and Li Qin signaled to their hidden companions, who promptly gathered before Peng Lei. After a brief discussion, they decided Peng Lei would lead, with Yaoye and Zhao Mu bringing up the rear. Peng Lei led them deep into the cave.

No sooner had they entered than they were met by the sound of heart-wrenching screams. Peng Lei frowned and quickened his pace, extending his spiritual senses toward the source of the cries. “Everyone halt—there are sentries up ahead!”

Peng Lei stopped the group. “I’ll take care of the sentries—you all wait here.” He moved to a fork in the passage, quietly dispatched the demon sentry, and slipped into the branching tunnel...