The man outside the cave seethed with rage, bellowing, "Girl, are you going to stand up for someone? Have you considered whether it's worth it? As far as I can tell, you don't even know this person. Why go out of your way to make enemies over a stranger?"
Zhang Ruoxi gave a soft snort. "I don't know if it's worth it or not. All I know is I can't stand by and watch. When I can't stand by and watch, I act."
"Utterly unreasonable!" The man outside was furious, his anger rising like a volcano on the verge of eruption. This was truly a string of wretched luck—where had this little minx come from, so eager to meddle in other people's business, and at a time when lives were on the line?
Under normal circumstances, he might have had the patience to argue with Zhang Ruoxi a few more times, but right now he had no such leisure.
Just then, Yang Kai suddenly raised his eyes and glanced at the man at the cave entrance, remarking casually, "The wind outside is getting stronger. If you don't find shelter elsewhere soon, it may be too late."
The man stared at Yang Kai, his eyes brimming with venomous hatred. Then he spun around and shot forward at full speed, vanishing in the blink of an eye—no time even to leave behind a parting threat.
He knew that if he continued to tangle with Zhang Ruoxi, he would miss the optimal window. There was no guarantee he could even secure a spot here, and if that happened, he would surely die in the howling winds. Leaving now might still offer a slim chance of survival.
It was a gamble he had no choice but to take.
"Young lady, I cannot thank you enough for saving my life today. I will never forget this kindness, and I will repay you handsomely someday!" The young man huddled in the deepest recesses of the cave bowed repeatedly toward Zhang Ruoxi, his gratitude plainly written on his face.
If Zhang Ruoxi hadn't stood up for him just now, he would certainly have been thrown out of the cave to fend for himself. He was profoundly grateful to her.
Zhang Ruoxi waved a hand and smiled gently. "It's nothing."
That smile seemed to illuminate the entire cave. The young man stared, transfixed, a look of sheer admiration on his face.
Noticing his expression, Zhang Ruoxi blushed slightly, inwardly annoyed.
Elder Ban coughed lightly and said with a bitter smile, "Miss, your benevolence does you credit, and this old man admires you for it. But... it won't make any difference."
"What do you mean?" Zhang Ruoxi turned to him, confused.
Elder Ban sighed. "When the windstorm arrives, this shelter becomes something every cultivator fights over. You can drive one person away—do you think you can drive away all of them?"
His words had barely faded when several sharp whooshing sounds suddenly came from outside.
Moments later, several figures streaked from the strange fog like rainbow arcs, arriving directly at the cave entrance.
These newcomers were clearly seeking shelter from the wind as well. Upon glancing inside and seeing the cave already packed with people, their expressions darkened.
But they had apparently anticipated this situation. Without a moment's hesitation or a single wasted word, they each unleashed their Artifacts and launched ferocious attacks simultaneously against the cultivators standing at the cave's outermost edge.
Flashes of light erupted and spiritual energy went haywire, punctuated by two agonized screams.
Two of the cultivators at the very edge had no time to react before they were blasted apart on the spot. Blood sprayed outward, and the acrid stench of it filled the air in an instant.
Among the newcomers, one laughed heartily and kicked casually, sending the two corpses tumbling out of the cave. He roared, "Any of you who don't want to die, make room for us right now!"
As his voice fell, the attackers intensified their assault, hammering the cultivators at the outermost edge until they cried out in misery.
Zhang Ruoxi watched in stunned disbelief, finally understanding why the cave entrance was littered with so many skeletons.
Those skeletons hadn't died from the gale after all—they had died at the hands of others. Every time a windstorm descended, this cave erupted into countless battles, and lives were lost here. Over years upon years of this, it was no exaggeration to call this place a cultivator's graveyard.
If the situation at this cave was like this, then the other caves were likely no different.
This was no simple sparring match—it was a genuine fight to the death. Because everyone knew that if they couldn't secure a spot inside the cave, they would inevitably perish in the gale. So they showed no mercy, every strike aimed to kill.
The entrance devolved into utter chaos, sand and stone flying through the air.
The battle there had not yet concluded when several more figures came hurtling in from outside, launching savage attacks without a word.
The fight descended into complete bedlam. Screams of the dying rang out intermittently, the ground stained crimson with blood. Severed limbs and mangled corpses littered the cave entrance, and the thick reek of blood was enough to make one retch.
The strong survived and the weak perished. In this chaos, those who emerged alive were all formidable powerhouses—those even slightly lacking in strength had no right to cling to life.
These powerful fighters surged past the entrance, pushing inward with savage ferocity, trying to force their way toward the deeper recesses of the cave.
Only by reaching the cave's interior could one truly be safe. Those who remained at the edges would merely become targets for the next wave of newcomers.
In short order, the entire cave descended into complete pandemonium.