My Five Bigshot Seniors: I am The Most Coddled Junior!-Chapter 498 - 178

The cave looks quite ordinary from the outside, and the entrance is rather small, but once inside, you realize it’s actually quite spacious.

After taking just a couple of steps, Nan Hua, who was walking behind Yue Zhao, suddenly spoke.

"Don’t move, there’s an array!" His voice was very low, but it was still loud enough for Gu Qingqing and the others to hear.

Si Lin and the others immediately stopped in sync, with Nan Hua moving to the front of Yue Zhao to study the array, while the rest patiently waited.

The array they encountered wasn’t complex, and Nan Hua quickly understood its principles. To avoid alerting those inside, he opted not to destroy the array but planned to navigate it from within.

"Stay close to me," he said, turning back to Si Lin and the others behind him. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Their coordination was impeccable, and they all nodded in agreement. Mu Chen even took the initiative to assist Chi Lan Ting, who had the lowest cultivation present, to prevent any mishaps in the array.

Seeing no issues, Nan Hua turned back and began to alter his step technique.

They twisted and turned, navigating through the array with ease.

In front of them now appeared a brightly lit corridor, along with two guards stationed outside of the array.

Both guards were at the Golden Immortal Realm. As they saw Nan Hua and his group, they were startled and instinctively reached for their weapons, only to see a green light flash before them. Moments later, their lives were extinguished forever.

The one who acted was Nan Hua, at the front. His cultivation far surpassed the two guards, and with a flick of his Glazed Frost Flower Fan, he ended their lives instantly.

After dealing with the guards, Si Lin and the others exchanged a quick glance, confirmed their formation, and continued advancing deeper inside.

According to what Chi Lan Ting had mentioned earlier, the interior of this cave was akin to a dungeon, containing many individuals who had been kidnapped by human traffickers using various methods. Given the presence of numerous guards inside, Gu Qingqing and the others proceeded with extreme caution.

After walking through the corridor, they reached a fork, each path seemingly identical, which was when Chi Lan Ting became crucial.

Chi Lan Ting glanced around and directly pointed to the path they faced.

"It’s this one." Having witnessed Gu Qingqing and the others in action, he had gained some understanding of their cultivation. At this moment, he appeared very enthusiastic, his eyes filled with hope when looking at them, clearly confident in their abilities.

Si Lin led the group straight into the chosen path. Everyone moved lightly, and soon enough, they saw a bright light further ahead, indicating they were nearing their destination.

Before reaching the exit, Si Lin signaled them to stop, and the group following him, including Yue Zhao, halted uniformly and silently, looking towards Si Lin.

Without explanation, Si Lin drew out his Dragon Capturing Sword, holding it as they approached the exit.

The guards positioned at the exit were casually chatting when one glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw someone approaching from the passage. About to speak, he found no voice came out, as pain blossomed in his chest. Looking down, he saw a wound staining his clothes red before collapsing unwillingly to the ground.

His companion didn’t fare any better; before even glimpsing Si Lin’s shadow, his forehead was pierced by Sword Qi, and he fell over.

Yue Zhao and the others followed Si Lin out of the passage.

In front of them lay what indeed appeared to be a dungeon, as Chi Lan Ting had described, lined with iron-barred cells, each holding people—some were children about five or six years old, others up to seven or eight, some were adolescents around fifteen or sixteen, and there were women in their twenties.

These people sat on the ground, their eyes vacant, clothes tattered, in poor spirits. Some bore injuries similar to those Chi Lan Ting had, appearing pitifully miserable.

The noise of the guards falling had caught the attention of those inside. The children looked over first, eyes widening, mouths agape in astonishment at the sight of Gu Qingqing and her group.

They had been confined here for a long time, their only other encounter besides the guards being those who came to trade them. But clearly, Gu Qingqing and her group weren’t those people.

Si Lin resolving the guards indicated they were not allies of them. Additionally, Gu Qingqing’s group’s striking appearance was captivating to the children.

One youth recognized Chi Lan Ting among them, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Chi Lan, how... how did you come back?" The youth’s voice was hoarse, his legs seemingly injured, struggling to move himself to the door as he inquired.

"I came back, of course, to rescue you. You’ll be saved soon!" Chi Lan Ting recognized the youth, glanced at Si Lin and his group, and joyfully reassured him.

By now, Chi Lan Ting had complete faith in Gu Qingqing’s group to rescue these people, which is why he spoke so confidently to the youth.

Upon hearing this, not only the youth but also others began to react. Initially pleased, they glanced at Si Lin’s group, doubting their impressive appearance matched the great cultivation needed to defeat their captors, their hopes dimming into apathy.

"Chi Lan, you should leave quickly. It’s unsafe here. If those people discover the guards are dead, they’ll soon come for you!" The youth, seemingly kind-hearted, glanced at Si Lin’s group and urged Chi Lan Ting.

To him, Chi Lan Ting’s escape was lucky enough; no need to return to such a dreadful place.

"Don’t worry, Young Master Yue will definitely save you!" If it were before, Chi Lan Ting may have agreed with the youth, thinking Gu Qingqing’s group couldn’t rescue them. But now, believing firmly in their capability, he refused to leave as the youth suggested.

The youth wanted to continue speaking, but Si Lin’s group had already positioned themselves outside the individual rooms. Each door was locked, only keys held by a steward here could release them.

Both Si Lin and Jun Wu were proficient in Artifact Refining. Despite the intimidating locks, to them, they were ineffective.

The Dragon Capturing Sword moved briefly, and the lock before Si Lin fell to the ground. Yue Zhao tapped the lock, infused it with immortal power, unlocking it to fall silently.

Nan Hua extended a hand to touch the lock cylinder, instantly unlocking it from within. Meanwhile, Mu Chen poured three drops of liquid from a bottle onto a lock, melting it away. Gu Qingqing grasped both ends of a lock, yanking it apart robustly.

All locks fell to the ground, doors opened, and Si Lin glanced at the children inside, suppressing the fury in his eyes, speaking softly.

"Wait here for a moment. Once I give the word, you can leave," Si Lin addressed the room.

He didn’t rush them out; given how many were children with limited mobility, moving slowly, or older ones appearing malnourished or injured.

With human traffickers still a threat, escaping blindly could lead to disaster. Better they wait until the traffickers were entirely dealt with before leaving safely.

Just then, they heard footsteps—judging by the sound, several were approaching, and likely of considerable cultivation.

Si Lin signaled with his eyes, and Gu Qingqing’s group swiftly positioned themselves at the passage entrance.

Nan Hua stood at the front, his hands skillfully crafting an array in the air. Shortly, a golden array materialized and was cast toward the passage, vanishing instantly, only to reappear upon contact.

The approaching group, caught off guard, directly fell into the array.