"Hah… hah – " Sun Yi panted, catching his breath and his chest violently heaved up and down, as he faced 'himself'.

Gong Xian was glaring at his opponent who, not only wore the same face as his but also wore the same expressionless expression. Kang Ce was holding his breath in order not to appear weak as he eyed his 'self', being vigilant in case his opponent would try an underhanded trick.

Sun Yi, noticing Gong Xian and Kang Ce were not speaking, had to speak again. "How do you think we should end them?" he asked. "They are very familiar with our techniques. Even though they don't have qi, but it's not as if we can carelessly use it, either, or we'll exhaust ourselves. They are too tough!" he exhaled a breath. "Do we really have to exchange opponents in order to solve this predicament?" he glanced at Gong Xian and Kang Ce.

"Not really." Gong Xian said. Suddenly, a smile broke in his iceberg face as he smirked at his opponent. "I've finally wounded him." he told them.

Kang Ce's eyes widened when he turned and saw that there's really a wound on the shoulder of Gong Xian��s opponent. "How did you do it?!" he asked as he sharply turned and raised his sword to defend himself when his opponent raised its claw to scratch him.

"Hit hard." Gong Xian answered as he moved again to attack while, this time, his opponent defended itself and tried to retreat. However, no matter how much it imitates Gong Xian, it can't imitate Gong Xian's speed. And so, Gong Xian caught it by its head and raised his sword to behead it. However, 'Gong Xian' raised its claw to defend!

CLANG! The sound of the blades clashing against each other echoed in the darkness as Gong Xian's sword and 'Gong Xian's claws met. Another round of fighting began for them.

Meanwhile, Sun Yi's eyes narrowed as his lips curled up while he stared at his opponent. 'Sun Yi' suddenly felt a chill ran down its spine as if a prey being stared at by its predator. Its instinct told it to run, and so it ran. However, like Gong Xian, 'Sun Yi' isn't a match with Sun Yi's speed, and so it was caught like a mouse being caught by a cat!

It subconsciously raised it claws. Sun Yi dodged and bent his body back, but his legs aren't idle as he raised a leg and kicked 'Sun Yi' by its side!

CRACK! The sound of the bones breaking echoed on their end as Sun Yi have broken 'Sun Yi's ribs. 'Sun Yi' rolled on the floor and groaned as it clutched its side. It turned its head to glare at Sun Yi, only for its eyes to see a flash. Before it could react to what happened, it saw its body from neck down as its head rolled on the floor until it stopped as Sun Yi stepped on its head.

"AH – " before it could breathe a breath, Sun Yi stomped hard on its head.

CRRRUNCH. 'Sun Yi's head didn't turn into a minced meat soaked in unspeakable fluids, but instead it turned into a deflated flesh like a balloon.

"What the hell are we doing all this time…?" Sun Yi muttered as he leaned on the pillar and watched Kang Ce and Gong Xian finally killing their opponents.

"Hah… HAH – " Kang Ce panted as he collapsed on the floor while holding his sword. Meanwhile, the usually sleepy and cold Gong Xian was grinning while looking down on the dead 'Gong Xian'.

It seemed like he wasn't disturbed by killing 'himself'. He is too competitive, even against himself.

"What now?" Kang Ce asked as he pulled himself up from the floor with the help of his sword.

"Find the cave, and the spring." Gong Xian answered.

"Yes – " Sun Yi was about to answer when his ear suddenly caught something. "Wait." He called.

"What?" Kang Ce asked as he sheathed his sword.

"Footsteps." Gong Xian who also heard it answered.

"What footsteps – " Kang Ce said when he paused as he finally heard the running footsteps when their owners neared them. "What the – " he muttered and his eyes widened when he saw Xi Ming and Xi Xing running towards them. "It's the Shanliangde Sect." he said.

Gong Xian and Sun Yi turned. "Shixiong – " Gong Xian called when Sun Yi raised his hand to stop him.

"Something's not right." Sun Yi said.

"Of course there's something wrong!" Kang Ce said as he unsheathed his sword. "They are running. Obviously away from something that's chasing them – mm!" his eyes widened when he felt his mouth was forced shut.

"What – " Sun Yi spoke when his voice suddenly was gone as if he was muted.

Gong Xian noticed the change and his brows knitted. Since he isn't talkative, he doesn't find it a problem to be muted. However, that obstructs them from communicating.

Xi Ming felt Xi Xing tugging his sleeve and he turned. He saw Xi Xing pointing somewhere and he followed his hand with his eyes, only to feel a pleasant surprise when he saw Gong Xian along with Sun Yi and Kang Ce.

He opened his mouth to speak when he remembered they lost their voice, and so he raised his hand to wave at them, at the same time signaling them to look around them when he saw something was bulging in the pillar near Kang Ce. At the same time, the monster chasing behind him and Xi Xing was gone.

Kang Ce immediately turned just in time to see the bulge in the pillar was getting bigger. He immediately leapt away, just in time for the monster in the pillar fell on the floor. However, the monster suddenly changed its coat from the pillar's design to the floor's design to camouflage itself before it disappeared. It was obviously lurking to jump at them to kill them.

Their eyes widened as they immediately leapt away from the monster in fear they'll be pulled by it with their feet.