Chapter 78

Chapter 78

The surrounding light dimmed, indicating the descent of night.

The mystic realm was even more perilous at night.

The Demon Sealing Mystic Realm had its own day and night cycle. During the day, the light was relatively bright, allowing one to see clearly up to a few hundred feet away. However, when night fell, the entire realm was plunged into darkness. Demonic auras ran rampant on the ground, spreading an aura of death. It was the most active time for malevolent entities.

After Yi Xuan, Qi Jiake, and Nie Shenxuan discussed, they gathered the disciples from the three sects and organized them into teams according to their respective sects. These teams patrolled the holy ground day and night, ready to sound the alarm at the first sign of danger.

The rest took advantage of the time to meditate and rest, ensuring they were in top condition for the upcoming battles.

The next morning, as the sky began to lighten, the demonic auras around them seemed to have lessened.

As the three sects' patrol teams patrolled the holy ground, they instinctively glanced beyond it and suddenly noticed varying shapes and sizes—tall, short, fat, and thin—emerging from the demonic miasma. Upon closer inspection—

"It's demons!"

This sudden cry caught the attention of everyone within the holy ground. They all gathered at the formation, and upon seeing the situation outside, they couldn't help but gasp in shock.

As the dawn approached, the demonic aura dissipated, revealing the secrets that had been concealed in the darkness.

Outside the purified land, an immense horde of demons had somehow gathered. Though they were not high-ranking demons, their sheer number encircled the area in layers, sending shivers down the spines of those within.

Seemingly aware that the "prey" inside the purified land had detected their presence, the demons let out synchronized excited howls, relentlessly attacking the protective barrier.

Nie Shenxuan and Qi Jiake wore grim expressions.

"Why haven't we heard any commotion with so many demons gathered here?" Nie Shenxuan asked.

Aside from high-ranking demons, unevolved mid- to low-level demons lacked intelligence and acted solely on instinct. When they assembled in large numbers, their ecstatic howls would create noticeable disturbances. However, the previous night had been dark and quiet, and they hadn't sensed the arrival of this massive group.

Fortunately, Nie Shenxuan had set up another Earth Rank defensive array the day before, ensuring that these demons wouldn't breach it.

Yet, the sight of such a dense pack amassed outside was still unsettling.

"Could there be another high-ranking demon manipulating them from behind the scenes?" Qi Jiake asked, his face contorted with concern.

Yi Xuan, observing the demons outside the purified land, took charge without hesitation, organizing a team to hunt down the demons.

These were Demonic Spirit Beads that had come to them, sparing them the trouble of searching for them.

Qi Jiake and Nie Shenxuan looked at him with subtle expressions. "Fellow Daoist Yi, aren't you afraid that this group of fiends might be under the command of a high-ranking one? What if they encounter a high-ranking fiend?"

It had only been one night, and their injuries had yet to fully heal; they would likely need another two days of rest. During this period, they wouldn't be able to lend a hand. They'd have to send the junior disciples from each sect out, but in case a situation like yesterday's arose, they wouldn't be able to intervene promptly.

"Retreat if we meet them," Yi Xuan said calmly. In his second senior brother's mind, it was nothing more than a minor issue. If they couldn't win, they should just withdraw. After all, with the array formation in place, they wouldn't die.

Even if they sustained some injuries, it wasn't a big deal. How could one avoid getting hurt during an expedition? If there were no injuries, then what was the point of the trial?

Understanding the meaning behind Yi Xuan's expression, Qi Jiake and Nie Shenxuan suddenly lost the desire to speak with him.

In the end, the three sects still dispatched their disciples to confront the fiends. After all, they were still in the midst of the trial, and Demonic Spirit Beads were never too many. A group of them had come to them, so why not kill them while they had the chance?

The distribution of the Demonic Spirit Beads was simple and fair: whoever killed them would claim them.

Wen Qiao ventured out once again as part of the first batch.

The seniors of Crimson Heaven Sect, worried about a recurrence of yesterday's events, stayed close by her side. When she punched out a fiend with each blow, they guarded her left and right, protecting her from sneak attacks from behind or the sides.

Wen Qiao thus unleashed her full potential, needing only to charge forward and eliminate the demons.

The disciples of Crimson Heaven Sect were like sharp blades piercing deep into the demonic horde, hunting and collecting Devil Spirit Beads with perfect synchronization.

Compared to them, the Unity Sect and Qixing Sect seemed rather disoriented, lacking in coordination. They could only hover uneasily outside the purified zone, unable to penetrate the demonic ranks and thus, slaying few demons.

Qi Jiake and Nie Shenxuan wore grim expressions. It was truly infuriating to see such disparity. They didn't expect to match the fighting frenzy of the Crimson Heaven Sect disciples, but they at least hoped to display some competence – even falling short against their junior female disciple in the Origin Pulse Realm.

After several hours of relentless slaughter, they retreated back into the purified area when their Essence Souls were nearly depleted.

The returning cultivators bore various injuries, prompting the alchemists to rush over and treat their respective sect's disciples.

Ning Yuzhou supported Wen Qiao's arm, carefully cleansing the wound oozing with black blood. With a frown, he said, "When we return, I'll forge a few sets of spell clothes for you."

Wen Qiao smiled warmly at him.

After treating her wound, Ning Yuzhou fed her a spirit pill.

The pill tasted sweet, bearing the flavor of moon bees' royal jelly. Without asking, he knew it was a detoxification pill crafted from royal jelly itself.

Beside him, Sheng Yunshen looked at Ning Yuzhou and asked, "Junior Brother Ning, your little junior sister is poisoned. Aren't you going to dispel the poison for her?" Are you not applying that green ointment?

Ning Yuzhou replied, "It's already been taken care of."

With that said, he ignored Sheng Yunshen and moved on to treat the next injured disciple, inevitably hearing the wails and howls of agony as expected.

Confused, Sheng Yunshen wondered why others would scream in pain after being poisoned, while Little Junior Sister remained quiet, without even showing any signs of distress. Could it be...

Wen Qiao whispered sneakily, "Senior Brother Sheng, I have detoxification pills, but they're quite rare. My husband only refined a few batches, so there aren't enough to go around. Next time, I'll give you one."

The detoxification pills refined with royal jelly were incredibly effective, even against demonic poison. However, there were simply too few of them. After all, the amount of royal jelly that a colony of Moon Bees could produce was limited. It wouldn't be enough for his own use, let alone to distribute generously.

In any case, the ointment made from the Thousand-Year Heart-Eating Grass could also detoxify one just as well.

Sheng Yunshen: "...Junior Sister, thank you."

Tears welled up in Sheng Yunshen's heart. Could he blame his junior brother for not giving him the detoxification pills? Who could blame Ning Shidi for not revealing them initially? There were too many people and too few resources; it would have been better not to offer them at all.

But the thought of the excruciating pain when applying that green ointment brought tears to this man's eyes.

When Ning Yuzhou finished treating the injured, Sheng Yunshen spoke eagerly, "Junior Brother Ning, you should still hasten to refine that green spirit herb into an antidote pill. Otherwise, we won't be able to hold on."

Thinking about the six days remaining in the trial and the countless potential injuries, he couldn't help but feel like crying.

Ning Yuzhou replied calmly, "I'll do my best."

Just then, Ning Yuzhou was called away by Nie Shenxuan. The two of them went to the formation enveloping the sacred ground, examining together how to reinforce it further until even experts at the Yuan Zong realm would find it unbreakable.

Seeing this, Sheng Yunshen couldn't help recalling how Uncle-Master Fei Yubai had summoned Ning Yuzhou earlier. How could there be any time left for him to refine pills?

So let the pain persist.

For half a day, nearly everyone took turns venturing out to exterminate the malevolent spirits until none were left outside.

"Hey, no high-ranking malevolent spirits?" Qi Jiake was greatly surprised.

Nie Shenxuan and Yi Xuan also frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

After some contemplation, the trio couldn't pinpoint the exact cause but intuitively felt it was related to the high-ranking malevolent spirits within the mystic realm. Recalling why the Qixing Sect and the Unity Sect disciples had come to this place yesterday...

"Could it be that these high-ranking demons are fattening us up like sheep, only to slaughter us all at once?" Qi Jiake was reluctant to accept this possibility.

Nie Shenxuan scratched his head. "Why do I feel like they're nurturing us like parasites, to feed off us eventually?"

Yi Xuan had no desire to engage in this conversation with the two of them.

***

Ning Yuzhou and Wen Qiao were also discussing the matter.

"Niao'zhuo, next time we venture out, throw this at the area with the most demons," Ning Yuzhou said, handing her a bead.

"What is this?" Wen Qiao asked, examining the object in her hand, puzzled.

It was slightly smaller than an infant's fist, smooth on the surface, and containing an ominous hue within. The chilling aura it exuded made one instinctively dislike it.

Ning Yuzhou smiled gently at her. "It's a small creation I've forged using a demonic spirit pearl. When the time comes, help me test its effects."

Upon hearing this, Wen Qiao didn't ask any further questions.

Ning Yuzhou, witnessing this, couldn't help but caress her head and then her face, feeling exceptionally content.

In this world, only his Ah Chuo trusted him wholeheartedly, never questioning any of his decisions.

Wen Qiao glanced at him and took out two plump, crimson spirit fruits, offering one to him. "Husband, would you like one?"

Ning Yuzhou took it and took a bite. The rich fruit aroma intertwined with spiritual energy burst onto his taste buds, making it easily addictive. This type of spirit fruit, called Jade Dragon Fruit, was gentle in nature and could be consumed by cultivators of any attribute. It was Wen Qiao's favorite, and she often found herself reaching for one impulsively.

Though Jade Dragon Fruits were not abundant, Wen Qiao never hoarded them. She always shared them with him, and the young couple often sat together, enjoying these delectable fruits.

Upon witnessing this scene, those around them felt as if their eyes were deceiving them. Even Sheng Yunshen, being acutely aware, refrained from approaching to avoid becoming the unwitting target of the couple's combined assault.

No sooner had they finished the spirit fruits when they heard a patrol team sounding the alarm: "Senior Brother Yi, it seems another demonic presence has emerged."

Whether meditating or resting, all rose to their feet and gathered before the sacred ground, observing the situation outside its boundaries.

In the distance, demonic auras spread, obscuring the view, yet the commotion carried clearly. The ground trembled as if countless fiends were in hot pursuit of something, charging this way.

Soon, they figured out what was going on.

Amidst the swirling demonic aura, a swarm of dark figures emerged, clearly in pursuit of a group of cultivators.

"A Senior Brother Feng and the others," a Crimson Heaven Sect disciple exclaimed with delight.

"Ah, there are also people from Purple Sun Sect and Talisman Cauldron Sect," someone observed, surprised.

Seeing the cultivators racing towards the sanctuary, Yi Xuan promptly instructed his companions to activate the defensive formation, allowing the fleeing cultivators entry.

Feng Rujian carried an injured Crimson Heaven Sect disciple in one hand. Upon seeing Yi Xuan and the others, he exclaimed with joy, "Senior Brother Yi, you're here too! That's great."

Yi Xuan examined Feng Rujian's junior disciples and was relieved to find that none were missing, despite some injuries that didn't seem overly severe.

Thus, the scattered disciples of the Crimson Heaven Sect were finally reunited.

Compared to the Crimson Heaven Sect's intact group, the disciples from other sects had either been eliminated early or had lost their combat ability due to injuries – their situation was nothing short of dire.

Breathless, Fu Rui of the Talisman Cauldron Sect gasped, "There are... advanced demons..."

"We're aware," Qi Jiake and Nie Shenxuan said in unison.

Fu Rui stared at them, dumbfounded.

The duo patted him consolingly and asked, "Did you also encounter a high-level demonic creature that chased you here?"

"No," Fu Rui replied.

The two exchanged a look, speechless.

Continuing on, Fu Rui said, "We previously met Mu Ziming from the Qingyun Sect. We heard that they encountered a high-level demonic creature there, which trapped them in a small sanctuary. Eventually, the demonic creature broke through the sanctuary's protective barrier. Except for Mu Ziming, all the other disciples activated their tokens to leave the mystic realm. Only Mu Ziming managed to escape. Later on..."

Eventually, Mu Ziming managed to shake off the high-level devil and, upon encountering someone from the Fu Ding Sect, learned about the existence of such devils. Fu Rui then invited him to join their group.

Little did they know that shortly after, they stumbled upon a pack of devils in battle. In the chaos, they fell into a trap and were scattered.

With only a few junior disciples from the Fu Ding Sect by his side, Fu Rui eventually escaped the trap. They then crossed paths with Feng Rujian's group. After exchanging information, they discovered that high-level devils had emerged within the mystic realm. Thus, they decided to unite their forces.

Subsequently, they encountered a group of Purple Sun Sect members being pursued by a horde of devils.

Due to the overwhelming number of devils chasing the Purple Sun Sect, escape was impossible. They were inexplicably drawn into the situation and ended up fleeing alongside the Purple Sun Sect members towards this location.

After listening to the disciple from the Talisman Furnace Sect's harrowing tale of escape, Nie Shenxuan gave them a sympathetic look.

Qi Jiake reacted, startled. "Did Qingyun Sect get eliminated early?"

"Nah, there's still Mu Ziming, right?" Nie Shenxuan replied. Mu Ziming was astute and wouldn't have left without a backup plan. As long as one person remained, Qingyun Sect wasn't considered eliminated.

Finally catching his breath, Fu Rui took out a spirit pill and swallowed it. "When I last saw Fellow Daoist Mu, he was battling a high-level demonic creature and was injured. With only him left, his condition might not be too good. It's hard to say if he'll be eliminated or not." Glancing at the Crimson Heaven Sect disciples, he added with a hint of schadenfreude, "The Crimson Heaven Sect disciples might not be able to exchange for spirit pills from Qingyun Sect this time."

In previous joint sect missions, the Crimson Heaven Sect's disciples had always obtained the most resources. They often traded items they deemed unnecessary for spirit pills with Qingyun Sect.

Over time, everyone had grown accustomed to this pattern. If they wanted any resources, they would seek out the battle-crazed Crimson Heaven Sect disciples, who were sure to make the trade.

Hearing this, strange expressions appeared on Qi Jiake and Nie Shenxuan's faces.

Perceptive, Fu Rui found their reactions puzzling. "What's going on with you two?"

"Oh, nothing much," Nie Shenxuan said. "The Crimson Heaven Sect won't need to exchange for spirit pills with them this time because my Junior Brother Ning is an alchemist."

Fu Rui: "…When did you get a Junior Brother Ning?"

"I've just gotten to know him. My Junior Brother Ning Xian is an exceptional person. Not only is he skilled in alchemy, but he also knows formations. Listening to his words has been highly enlightening for me, making me feel as though I've wasted my previous years living like a dog. If you were to meet him, you'd surely share the same sentiment. However, it's regrettable that I have no intention of introducing him to you. After all, those who study talismans have always looked down on us formation mages."

Fu Rui: "..."