When the nightmare saw them coming, she dropped the body to the ground causing the blood to spill everywhere. This angered the cultivators even more and they didn't hesitate anymore, attacking with all they had.
The history indeed repeated itself and the Nightmare turned golden again. She instantly moved without worrying about the Spirit Arts that were aimed at her and started piercing with her sharp legs, jumping left and right killing one person with each jump.
This time Nightmare didn't stop at the first exchange but chased everyone killing one cultivator after another. Those who survived the first assault started to run towards the exit. They couldn't fight something they didn't understand so the only option was to escape.
"Retreat!" Scarface cried being the first to chicken out. With a few long leaps, he was the first one to reach the opening. He jumped through the edge looked back at the nightmare checking her position.
"Uff, I somehow made it alive…" Scarface sighed in relief that he survived and looked forward towards the exit.
To his surprise, he saw three people hidden there, but at the same moment, he heard a swoosh and a dagger passed through his ribs with a sucking sound. The blade went straight through his heart and before he could scream another blade cut his throat.
The darkness started to engulf him, and the last image he saw was a beauty with a black hair and crystal blue eyes with her finger on her mouth as if saying "Shhhhhh".
This time, Xuefeng witnessed the whole scene, but after killing some beast earlier today and seeing a lot of blood, he somehow didn't feel dizzy.
'Did I already get used to seeing blood and killing?' He thought as he gripped Black Flames Slayer tighter in his hand. He didn't want to become a cold killer, but he guessed a trait like that was a normal occurrence in this world.
"More are coming, we can't let them leave. Prepare yourself." Xiao Wen patted Xuefeng shoulder waking him up from his thoughts. The passage was quite wide so they had to split it into three parts to cover it.
Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to prepare as the surviving cultivators were already coming in their direction. There were about fifteen who remained alive and they were all grouped together. He will have to face a few cultivators at the same time.
The moment he saw the first person in his section jump through the edge he swung his sword sending a crescent ray of Black Flames at him. This was the trick he learned by accident when he tested the sword back in his courtyard for the first time.
"Boom!" The first unlucky person was blown away back into the lair, towards the Nightmare who was chasing the survivors. She jumped into the air, catching the man with her fangs and ripping his body in half with a few head movements.
The cultivators were shocked that someone was attacking them from the passage but still proceed forward. It was still better to fight for their lives with other humans instead of becoming prey to the Nightmare.
"Everyone there are people in the passage blocking us from running away, let's break through them or we will end as a Nightmare dinner!" One of the strongest men who remained shouted to others with courage and jumped forward while others followed.
They saw three people, one young man and two beauties blocking their advance with their weapons drawn. They turned on their Spirit Armours and attacked.
Xuefeng second opponent was the same courageous man who encouraged others. With a huge axe and green defensive armour, that caused him to look like a turtle, he dashed at Xuefeng swinging with his weapon. He didn't waste time asking questions about why he was being stopped and fought.
Without any choice, Xuefeng had to respond. He dodged the first strike on instinct before landing a cut on the man unguarded side. Under normal circumstances, a strike like that would be a valid option, but during a battle where the life was on the line, the opponent could make use of it.
The Blade hit the barrier on the man side, creating multiple cracks all around the armour, but just as Xuefeng wanted to pull it back, the man blocked the sword with his hand immobilising it. Black Flames intensified, burning his hand, but he acted as he doesn't care and cut with his axe towards Xuefeng neck.
Xuefeng's upper body momentarily covered tightly with Lightning Qi armour and the axe was blown away instantly while electric current passed through the man body, paralyzing him. Xuefeng then used all his strength and pulled the sword away cutting his arm away in the process.
Without wasting time, Xuefeng slashed once more severing the paralyzed man head from his neck. If he didn't have a trump card like Lightning armour, that axe strike could potentially end his life.
'I need to be more careful. Those cultivators are too sneaky.' He thought in his mind as he looked at the second person who was coming. It didn't quite get to him that he actually killed a person right now. His mind at the moment treated those who tried to harm him as enemies, be it Spirit Beasts or other cultivators.
The whole fight with the axeman lasted for a few seconds but he couldn't relax as another person was coming.
"Please let me go, I have a pregnant wife with two small kids at home. If I die here my whole family will have no one to support them. Please, let me leave." The young man who followed behind the axeman and witnessed the whole fight where Xuefeng killed him, lost his will to resist. He dropped his sword on the ground and begged for his life.
Seeing the begging man and all the dead cultivators in the passage, the survivors who just arrived also started to drop their weapons and beg for mercy. They were normal hunters who tried to make a living in this cruel world and sustain their families. When they realised that Xuefeng group was too strong, begging for mercy was their only choice.
Xuefeng and Wuying had a hesitation written on their faces as even Wuying wasn't used to killing innocent. She also didn't understand to a full extent, why they had to block the information about Nightmare from spreading.
Seeing the hesitation on Xuefeng face, the young man tried his chances once again "Please, my wife is called Hao Ai, I have two sweet kids, we live in the Phoenix City. I didn't see her in a month, cause I was earning money so I can buy her something nice to wear, look I have money in the bracelet…ughh."
"Puh!" The man suddenly stopped talking cause he couldn't breathe. The blood filled his throat and he spat a mouthful of blood.
"Drip" The time slowed down for him as he looked down. He saw his chest impaled by a sharp leg with the blood dripping from it on the bracelet he tried to show.
When the Nightmare pulled the leg out, the man dropped to the ground lifeless, with a shock on his face. The Nightmare head peaked through the edge and instantly assaulted the defenceless cultivators. As they were left without a weapon and protection they died one by one.
When there were only Xuefeng group left alive, Xiao Wen finally moved.
"You want to get fed, then I will fill you up." She said before she appeared in a blink of an eye near the Nightmare and sent it flying with one flaming fist. Even though she absorbed the damage, the explosive impact still crushed her into the wall on the other side of the chamber.
"Let's take care of this beast." She said before jumping into the lair.
Xuefeng and Wuying looked at each other and understood Xiao Wen stance. She could save those cultivators but decided to take care of the problem with the help of the Nightmare.
"Let's go…" Wuying approached Xuefeng and grabbed his hand. She knew he wanted to help those people as she did, but they couldn't change anything anymore.
Xuefeng looked at the young man body with a hole in his chest. He crouched down and picked the Storage Bracelet from his hand.
"Hao Ai, I will remember," Xuefeng muttered before letting Wuying pull him out of the passage.