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âRooaaarrrâŚâ
A low, bestial roar echoed through the rock layers, rumbling into the hall.
Everyone’s expression turned grim. The beast tide had come without warning, and it surged with ferocious momentum. Less than half an hour after the cultivators outside sent their cries for help, the entire mountain was already overrun with rampaging beastsâlarge and small, strong and weak, flying and runningâall swarming in, trampling over the mountain where the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat dock was located, and continuing eastward in a frenzy.
âCould it be the Cold Tide again?â
Zhao Xiqiao referred to the Cold Tide that had previously passed through the passageway between the two realms. It had hit Sky Rift Valley, then spread a hundred miles eastward, devastating vegetation and triggering a massive migration of demonic beasts, wreaking havoc for thousands of miles. The elders present had experienced it firsthand and still shuddered at the memory.
Yu Ci and Yan Hao had gone to question some of the fleeing cultivators about the situation outside and helped settle them down. Now, only the elders, Zhou Hu, and Zhao Xiqiao remained in the hall.
When Zhao spoke, the elders didnât bother replyingâonly Zhou Hu responded:
âProbably not. From what Daoist Yu mentioned, it seems more like a powerful demon recklessly unleashed its power and caused chaos. Itâs likely temporary. The problem is, the environmentâs a mess now, and we donât know how long the aftermath will last.â
Everyone understood that the real danger wasnât the beast tide itself, but what came after. With the environment upended and the sudden concentration of living creatures, all sorts of fierce beasts and monstrous birds would instinctively re-establish territories, leading to savage conflict.
These territorial battles were usually most intense in the first few days. Stimulated by the bloodshed, many of these beasts would lose their senses and start slaughtering indiscriminately. Worse still, hidden among them were demonic entities with a sharp sense for life force. Even hiding deep within the mountain might not be enough to avoid detection.
The next two or three days were going to be tough.
âIf only we had a message-sending flying sword formation⌠Maybe the experts of the Rifting Earth Sect could come help in time,â Zhao Xiqiao said with a sigh.
But it was wishful thinking. The message-sending flying sword formation was one of the most complex formations in this world. It could cover an area of several miles. There was no way the people at this dock could set up something that large.
Besides, Zhao wouldn’t have said this if Yu Ci were present.
Not because he had any grudge against Yu Ciâeveryone knew he had only been stationed here under the pretense of patrolling, when in reality, he had come seeking medical treatment from the elder. In truth, he was here to recuperate. Sure, the young man had some skill, but at best, he was at the middle stage of Divine Connectivity. No one expected him to be like the Void Stepping cultivators, holding down the fort and turning this dock into an impenetrable fortress.
âSighâŚâ
Zhao Xiqiao let out a long, heavy sigh. But before the echo faded, a dull “thump” sounded from deep within the mountain, followed by a chilling scream.
âDemon!â
Zhao Xiqiao jumped to his feet.
Zhou Hu, while not as jumpy, also stood immediately and moved to protect the elder.
Chaos had erupted in the lower level of the mountain. The clashing of Qi roared through the tunnels, mixed with muffled groans.
A low, guttural growl reverberated throughout the cavernâlike a beast snarling from deep in its throatâshaking the very stone with thunderous resonance.
Zhou Hu glanced at the elder. The old man had weathered many storms. His lips tightened, and he slowly forced out a sentence: âWhen the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain whole?â
Having heard the elderâs stance, Zhou Hu nodded and led the elder swiftly downward. Zhao Xiqiao stomped his foot, then followed.
Things below were in chaos, but all the fighters were down there. If they could stabilize the situation quickly, the crisis might be manageable. But if the invading creature picked them off one by one, their deaths would be meaningless.
Upon reaching the lower level, the sounds of battle became more intense. The clash of Qi and shouting of cultivators could now be clearly heard. A well-trained man like Zhou Hu immediately recognized the patternâit was Yan Hao directing the newly arrived cultivators to lure the invading demon toward the warehouse. The warehouse was more spacious and wouldn’t constrain them like the sleeping quarters.
The three of them were familiar with the terrain. Taking a side path, they got to the warehouse ahead of the group and joined the other cultivators. Their numbers brought a small sense of relief. But before Yan Hao could explain the situation, one of the new cultivators shouted:
âItâs back!â
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a dark shadow leapt from the thick rock wall, bringing with it a wave of foul-smelling wind that filled the warehouse. Fortunately, they had been warned, so most had scattered. Still, one unlucky fellow was clipped by the ten-foot-long shadow and was sent flying with a groan.
The shadow burst up from the ground but didnât pause. It shot upward into the rocky ceiling and merged into the stone, vanishing without a trace. Though it was only a glimpse, Zhao Xiqiao shrieked:
âEarth Soul Fiend!â
Smack!
He gave himself a resounding slap. âD*mn my jinxing mouth!â
The elder and Zhou Hu looked grim. No matter how strong or weak it was, the Earth Soul Fiend held the advantage in this cavern of rock and stoneâit was its ideal battleground.
Luckily, the cultivators in the warehouse didnât panic. One of them, who had a keen sense for the movement within the rock layers, helped direct everyone into a loose defensive circle with the elder, Zhou Hu, and Zhao Xiqiao at its center. Yan Hao finally had a chance to explain.
He and Yu Ci had been helping the new arrivals settle in when they encountered this Earth Soul Fiend and another earth-burrowing demon fighting in the mountainâs depths. They were mid-battle when they caught the scent of humans and went berserk. The second demon was killed in the chaos. But the Earth Soul Fiend was slippery, diving through the stone to escape. They had no choice but to lure it to the warehouse where they had more room to maneuver.
Even as they spoke, the Earth Soul Fiend remained hidden, lurking in the dark and biding its time. Its ominous aura drifted through the cavern, heightening the tension.
Zhao Xiqiao suddenly realized someone was missing. âWhereâs Brother Yu?â
Yan Hao looked hesitant, his face a little strange. Just as Zhaoâs expression changedââDonât tell me he was killedâah!â
A gust of fetid wind surged again. The Earth Soul Fiend launched another surprise attack, faster than a spirit in flight. This strike was even more sudden than the last. The keen-sensed cultivator only had time to shout before the shadow pounced.
The demon had intelligenceâit knew who posed the greatest threat.
Those closest to the centerâlike the elder and Zhao Xiqiaoâwere its prime targets. The Earth Soul Fiend shot up right past Zhao, brushing his robes. Zhao froze, his mind blank. Fortunately, Zhou Hu yanked him aside. His legs had gone weak, and he slumped halfway down.
In that moment of panic, Zhao saw it clearly. Just as the Earth Soul Fiend lunged forward, a swirl of mistâlike smoke caught in the windâsnaked its way through the gaps between cultivators. It moved swiftly, silently, and suddenly appeared between the demon and its target.
Thenâimpact.
Space seemed to distort in that instant. A flash of sword lightâfleeting yet absolute.
Zhao Xiqiao stopped breathing. He wasnât the only one. Everyone in the warehouse held their breath as the sword light burst forth.
A chilling fog seemed to fill the air, floating with countless icy shards.
One breath would freeze the organs.
They all heard a faint hissing, followed by a dull “thud”. The Earth Soul Fiendâs target stood there, stunned.
The demon, meanwhile, was flung backward with greater force. It crashed into the stone wall and slid down, limp and lifeless.
In the dim light, everyone saw the massive splash of blood staining the wallâthen Yu Ci stood up from the demonâs corpse.
The icy tension in the air vanished.
The cultivators erupted into wild cheers and whoops. The warehouse rang with relief.
âThat move againâŚâ
Yan Haoâs teeth chattered. He could still feel the lingering cold from the sword Qi brushing his face. He looked toward the sleeping quarters, where the other demon had also been slain in a single stroke by Yu Ci.
Two demons. Two swords. Two kills.
Yan Hao knew that delivering such a strike wasnât as easy as Yu Ci made it seem. But it was clean, decisive, and overwhelming. Only by witnessing it firsthand could one truly understand the devastating might and ruthless killing intent it held.
Yu Ci now stood over the Earth Soul Fiendâs corpse, watching its final twitches. He looked ready to strike again at any moment. For some reason, Yan Hao couldnât bring himself to meet his gaze. That familiar silhouette suddenly seemed to emit a blinding cold radiance.
âNo wonder the elder said his innate Qi is too heavyâŚâ
As he muttered to himself, he faintly heard Elder Zhu murmuring too:
âHeavenly Escape Killing Sword⌠Could it truly be fate?â
âHuh?â
Zhao Xiqiao was the first to recover. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to Yu Ciânot to check on him, but to gawk at the Earth Soul Fiendâs corpse. The longer he looked, the more excited he got. He even started rubbing his hands together eagerly.
âBrother Yu, if this demon has a Rotwind blood treasure, please sell it to me!â
Yu Ci let out a long breath and finally glanced at him, chuckling. âIt was a group effort. I canât claim it alone.â
âWhy would Immortal Yu say such a thing?â
A loud voice rang outâit was the cultivator who had helped everyone track the demonâs movements. He was short but stout, with a booming voice that vibrated through the chamber. âIf not for your unmatched sword, Immortal Yu, slaying both the mountain fiend and Earth Soul Fiend, how many of us wouldâve survived? If anyone dares say this wasnât your achievement, I, Feng Chao, wonât stand for it!â
Yu Ci gave him a glance and nodded. During their earlier interactions, heâd already noticed that although Feng Chao appeared brash and forthright, he had a sharp mind. Otherwise, he wouldnât have taken charge so quickly during the chaos.
As a disciple of the Rifting Earth Sect, and having slain two demons in a row, Yu Ciâwith Feng Chaoâs vocal supportâwould have no trouble keeping this group of cultivators in check, regardless of their backgrounds.
Outside, the roars of beasts and screeches of birds continued. Inside the warehouse, the Earth Soul Fiend lay still in a pool of blood. Yu Ci inhaled the bloody scent and walked back slowly, frowning.
The warehouse had fallen silent again. He didnât think much of it and said casually, âClean up the body. Donât want to attract more demons.â
With that, several people exhaled in relief, and the tense atmosphere loosened. Zhao Xiqiao stepped forward to help, and Feng Chao called over two others to assist.
Only now did Yu Ci notice that the others were acting a little strangely. But it wasnât the time to dwell on it. He turned to the elder and the rest.
âLetâs not sleep separately tonight. Everyone stay in the warehouse, just in case.â
âMm-hmmâŚâ
Elder Zhu murmured in agreement, though his bulging eyes remained fixed on Yu Ci.