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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 beasts—large and small, strong and weak, flying and running—all swarming in, trampling over the mountain where the Mountain-Moving Cloud Boat dock was located, and continuing eastward in a frenzy.
“Could it be the Cold Tide again?”
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 didn’t bother replying—only Zhou Hu responded:
“Probably not. From what Daoist Yu mentioned, it seems more like a powerful demon recklessly unleashed its power and caused chaos. It’s likely temporary. The problem is, the environment’s a mess now, and we don’t know how long the aftermath will last.”
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.
“If only we had a message-sending flying sword formation… Maybe the experts of the Rifting Earth Sect could come help in time,” 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 Ci—everyone 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.
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.
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 cavern—like a beast snarling from deep in its throat—shaking 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: “When the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain whole?”
Having heard the elder’s 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 pattern—it 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:
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 didn’t 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:
He gave himself a resounding slap. “D*mn my jinxing mouth!”
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 stone—it was its ideal battleground.
Luckily, the cultivators in the warehouse didn’t 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 mountain’s 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. “Where’s Brother Yu?”
Yan Hao looked hesitant, his face a little strange. Just as Zhao’s expression changed—“Don’t tell me he was killed—ah!”
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 intelligence—it knew who posed the greatest threat.
Those closest to the center—like the elder and Zhao Xiqiao—were 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 mist—like smoke caught in the wind—snaked its way through the gaps between cultivators. It moved swiftly, silently, and suddenly appeared between the demon and its target.
Space seemed to distort in that instant. A flash of sword light—fleeting yet absolute.
Zhao Xiqiao stopped breathing. He wasn’t 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 Fiend’s 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 wall—then Yu Ci stood up from the demon’s corpse.
The icy tension in the air vanished.
The cultivators erupted into wild cheers and whoops. The warehouse rang with relief.
Yan Hao’s 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 wasn’t 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 Fiend’s corpse, watching its final twitches. He looked ready to strike again at any moment. For some reason, Yan Hao couldn’t bring himself to meet his gaze. That familiar silhouette suddenly seemed to emit a blinding cold radiance.
“No wonder the elder said his innate Qi is too heavy…”
As he muttered to himself, he faintly heard Elder Zhu murmuring too:
“Heavenly Escape Killing Sword… Could it truly be fate?”
Zhao Xiqiao was the first to recover. He scrambled to his feet and rushed to Yu Ci—not to check on him, but to gawk at the Earth Soul Fiend’s corpse. The longer he looked, the more excited he got. He even started rubbing his hands together eagerly.
“Brother Yu, if this demon has a Rotwind blood treasure, please sell it to me!”
Yu Ci let out a long breath and finally glanced at him, chuckling. “It was a group effort. I can’t claim it alone.”
“Why would Immortal Yu say such a thing?”
A loud voice rang out—it was the cultivator who had helped everyone track the demon’s movements. He was short but stout, with a booming voice that vibrated through the chamber. “If not for your unmatched sword, Immortal Yu, slaying both the mountain fiend and Earth Soul Fiend, how many of us would’ve survived? If anyone dares say this wasn’t your achievement, I, Feng Chao, won’t stand for it!”
Yu Ci gave him a glance and nodded. During their earlier interactions, he’d already noticed that although Feng Chao appeared brash and forthright, he had a sharp mind. Otherwise, he wouldn’t 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 Ci—with Feng Chao’s vocal support—would 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 didn’t think much of it and said casually, “Clean up the body. Don’t want to attract more demons.”
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 wasn’t the time to dwell on it. He turned to the elder and the rest.
“Let’s not sleep separately tonight. Everyone stay in the warehouse, just in case.”
Elder Zhu murmured in agreement, though his bulging eyes remained fixed on Yu Ci.