But Xie Zhaolin was done with this fake act.
The threat outside was right on their doorstep, and she had no time or interest to keep playing along with Elder Chou's unspoken game.
"If you want to pretend you're weak and desperate to bait me into moving first, I'm absolutely not going to give you what you want."
Her cold smile deepened.
She didn't even bother looking at Elder Chou's pathetic performance anymore, nor did she care to touch that strange corpse. She simply turned away, her gaze settling on the shadowed part of the cavern to the left, the direction of the opening she'd mentioned earlier, the one with the faint airflow.
"Since the corpse's useless, there's no point wasting time." Her voice was calm, empty of emotion. "If there's a way out, we'll carve it out ourselves."
Before the last word faded, she moved. She ignored Elder Chou completely, didn't inspect the corpse again, and shot straight toward the third opening on the left.
The Jingxiao Ribbon spiraled around her in complete silence, trailing a streak of dark violet light under the faint blue glow of the cave moss.
Her sudden, unpredictable action made Elder Chou freeze mid performance. Shock and panic flashed in her eyes.
What's going on? Why isn't she following the script?
By her expectations, the two of them should still be probing each other, squeezing each other bit by bit. At the very least, Xie Zhaolin should've investigated the corpse again. How could she drop the whole thing without hesitation and rush toward that unknown passage with near zero hope?
This ruined her entire rhythm and plan.
"Wait!" Elder Chou blurted out before she could think, her voice carrying a clear hint of panic she couldn't hide.
She couldn't let Elder Mo walk off just like that. Staying alone in this creepy cave, stuck between the root giant that could break in any moment and that indecipherable corpse, was way too risky.
And if she went alone and really found a way out…
Xie Zhaolin ignored her completely.
She made her attitude clear. If they wanted to work together, they'd better show some sincerity. If not, then everyone would rely on themselves and walk their own road.
Seeing Xie Zhaolin about to vanish into the darkness of the left passage, Elder Chou's expression shifted rapidly before she made her decision.
A streak of light shot forward as her figure transformed into a beam of flight. She caught up just in time, reaching Xie Zhaolin's side the moment she crossed into the opening.
"No need to rush so much, Elder Mo." Elder Chou's voice was calm again, carrying a hint of gentle scolding that may or may not be real. "Since we're traveling together, we naturally move together. I was overthinking earlier. The corpse's indeed strange, better to leave it. For now, we should investigate this path carefully."
She didn't mention her earlier acting at all, as if nothing had happened, slipping smoothly into a cooperative mode.
Xie Zhaolin paused slightly and glanced at her, but she didn't comment. She'd already expected Elder Chou to follow. There was no point exposing her. Maintaining this fragile mutual use was necessary until they found a way out.
The two walked forward in tense silence, one leading and one following.
The passage was pitch black with only a faint flow of damp, earthy air brushing past. Even their divine sense was restricted, making it hard to scout far.
Neither spoke. Only their faint breaths and the soft rustle of robes filled the darkness. The pressure felt suffocating.
The tunnel twisted constantly, sometimes expanding into narrow natural stone chambers. The walls were coated with slick moss and weakly glowing fungi that barely lit the path.
They encountered no danger, but the quieter it was, the more the tension built.
This silence was strange.
Xie Zhaolin abruptly stopped and raised her arm, blocking Elder Chou.
"Something's there." Her voice was a cold whisper.
Elder Chou held her breath and peered ahead.
From around the bend came a faint rustling, like countless tiny legs scraping against stone. A sweet and metallic stench drifted through the air.
Xie Zhaolin tightened her grip on the Jingxiao Ribbon. She took a single silent step forward and peeked around the corner.
The entire ground was crawling with fist sized dark red centipede like beetles. Their shells were etched with twisted patterns, and thick corrosive slime dripped from their open mandibles with a sizzling sound.
Sensing fresh prey, the swarm grew restless and surged forward like a tide.
"It's Corrupted Blood Crawlers! Watch out for their venom and self detonation!" Elder Chou sent a hurried transmission, disgust and caution mixing in her tone.
Individually, these beasts weren't strong, but in a swarm they were a nightmare, especially since they could corrode spiritual energy and artifacts with ease.
Xie Zhaolin's eyes flashed coldly. Without hesitation, she flicked her wrist and sent the Jingxiao Ribbon streaking forward like a dark violet lightning bolt, its aura crackling with baleful qi as it tore into the swarm.
Splat splat.
The baleful qi melted the Crawlers like ice under scorching sunlight. Their screams echoed sharply through the tunnel.
But more crawled over their corpses, some detonating themselves as they approached, spraying foul venom that hissed against the ribbon's light and dimmed it.
"I'll clear the way! Cover the rear! Make it fast! Don't drag this out!" Xie Zhaolin barked, her figure flashing behind the Jingxiao Ribbon.
She needed to open a path before they were swallowed whole.
Elder Chou understood. She quickly formed a sequence of hand seals, and the array disc in her hand flared bright, raising barriers behind them to slow the horde.
She flicked her sleeve, sending a jade shuttle spinning out. It split into countless afterimages, skewering Crawlers crawling along the upper walls.
Their teamwork was unexpectedly smooth.
Xie Zhaolin tore through the front, Elder Chou cleaned up the sides and protected the back.
Light exploded through the tunnel as severed insects rained everywhere, filling the passage with a choking stench.
But the swarm seemed endless. Every time one wave died, another surged through the cramped passage, giving them almost no room to maneuver.
"This won't work! We're burning through too much spiritual energy!" Elder Chou's voice trembled with strain. Her illusions packed a punch but drained her quickly.
"There's light ahead! Move faster! Break through!" Xie Zhaolin felt the pressure too. Her baleful qi and spiritual energy were draining fast, but she finally saw a faint glow near the end of the passage, something different from fungus light or bone glimmer.
"Jingxiao! Break!" she shouted.
Baleful qi surged wildly into the ribbon, swelling it with dark violet radiance. It spun into a massive drill and slammed through the swarm, carving open a narrow path.
"Go!" She shot forward like lightning.
Elder Chou bit down hard, spat a mouthful of blood onto the array disc, and forced one last barrier into existence to stall the swarm.
Then she transformed into a streak of light and followed tightly behind Xie Zhaolin.
Together, they pushed their speed to the limit and sprinted toward that precious sliver of light.