Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Witnessing this, the elders and the Sect Leader no longer hesitated.

The Sect Leader unleashed his formidable Mountain and River Seal, while the elders, without reservation, brandished their innate weapons, resolved to fight the enemy to the death.

A long whip tore through the air, imbued with gale-force winds and crackling lightning, striking towards the demon. Yet, this full-powered assault was effortlessly caught by a single hand, its immense force instantly dissolving into nothingness.

The demon's doppelganger met the gaze of the elder wielding the whip. A chill ran down the elder's spine, but before he could react, the demon was already upon him.

"No!" the elder cried out in alarm. In the blink of an eye, he was sent hurtling backward by the demon's blow.

Several other elders rushed forward to assist, but the chasm between their power and the demon's was immense; none were a match. Swiftly, they were all overcome, one by one.

The sky reverberated with the explosive roars of colliding spells.

The sound was deafening.

The demon seized one of the elders, its grip tightening around his throat. The elder desperately tried to break free using his divine abilities, but under the demon's ironclad hold, even puppet techniques proved useless.

This demon had possessed the body of an Outer Elder, and having founded the sect centuries ago, its influence permeated the very essence of their techniques.

It naturally possessed the secret arts to neutralize their sect's spells.

The demon's lips curled into a sneer as it exerted force. The elder it held withered rapidly, shriveling into a skeletal figure with sunken eyes, his life force draining away. In mere moments, he lost all vitality.

From the instant the elder was seized to his complete desiccation and death, the entire process unfolded in a few blinks of an eye.

An eerie silence descended upon the battlefield. All eyes turned to the demon, their faces etched with terror.

With a sharp "crack," the demon released its grip. The elder's lifeless corpse plummeted from the sky, hitting the ground with a thud and crumbling into a pile of brittle bones.

Perhaps it was the shock, but suddenly, a disciple among the sect members shrieked, "Run!" All the disciples brought by the Sect Leader instantly lost their composure.

Panic spread like wildfire, engulfing the entire battlefield with terrifying speed.

Amidst the surging chaos, only a handful of inner disciples and the personal disciples of the elders managed to retain their composure.

The Sect Leader channeled his cultivation into his voice, "Stay calm! Unite and defeat the demon! Otherwise, none of us here will escape with our lives!"

His words echoed in every disciple's ear. Some regained their senses, but others, seizing the opportunity while the main force engaged the demon and it paid no heed to them, the "small fry," quietly slipped away.

You Nan, too, took advantage of this moment, leading the messenger away from the battlefield.

His eyes glimmered with unshed tears as he fled, his ears straining to catch the sounds from behind—the incessant screams and cries.

You Nan stumbled back to the village. Before he even reached it, he saw all the villagers standing at the entrance, their eyes filled with worry as they watched him.

Upon his return, their faces lit up with joy. Believing the battle won, they emerged from the Little Immortal's protective barrier, eager to help You Nan rest.

"Don't come out! Get back inside!"

You Nan screamed in terror.

Suddenly, something caught his peripheral vision—a dark, shadowy form flashed past, appearing with lightning speed before the villagers who had rushed out.

It was unmistakably an evil spirit!

And after its appearance, more and more evil spirits began to emerge.

The villagers were aghast, utterly bewildered as to where these evil spirits had come from, especially since the Little Immortal had supposedly vanquished them all before.

Without time to ponder, they hastily retreated into the village. You Nan even shoved the messenger in his arms towards a young man, "Quick, take him inside!"

The young man seemed on the verge of speaking, but seeing You Nan's frantic expression, he swallowed his words and, without a backward glance, pulled the elderly villagers beside him as he ran back.

You Nan gathered his qi, forming hand seals—techniques the Little Immortal had taught him.

He roared, "Go!" A golden light pierced directly through the evil spirit's body, saving an innocent villager.

You Nan immediately turned, swiftly adjusting his stance to confront the evil spirits swarming from all directions.

But their numbers were simply overwhelming. You Nan, already injured and his cultivation weakened, continued to fight outside the protective barrier.

By the time all the villagers had re-entered the barrier's embrace, he was nearly spent.

You Nan had been clawed multiple times by the evil spirits. Their malevolent aura had already infiltrated his body, consuming his spiritual energy.

Frowning deeply, You Nan knew he was no match for them now.

He blinked wearily, his gaze once again drawn towards Daxing Mountain.

His last thought before losing consciousness was, *I wonder if the Little Immortal is alright right now.*

Then, darkness enveloped You Nan, and he collapsed.

But before his body could strike the ground, a powerful arm caught him mid-air.

The arm's owner exerted a gentle force, cradling him securely against his broad chest.

The villagers, witnessing You Nan's imminent demise at the hands of the evil spirits, were filled with fury and despair, their eyes red-rimmed with hatred at their helplessness.

But then, a stranger suddenly appeared, shielding You Nan and, with just a glance, effortlessly suppressing all the surrounding evil spirits.

Then, with a gentle wave of his hand, the evil spirits, one after another, self-destructed right before the villagers' astonished eyes.

The villagers stood dumbfounded, staring blankly at the mysterious immortal who had appeared.

The village chief breathed a sigh of relief at the sight, but as he clearly saw the man's face, his heart skipped a beat—a strange sense of familiarity washed over him.

As if he had met this person before.

Yet, this was clearly their first encounter.

If they had indeed met, he would have recognized him the moment he appeared.

Several others shared the same peculiar feeling as the village chief.

"Don't stare at the Immortal Elder like that. You might anger him."

A woman quickly tugged at her husband's sleeve, reminding him to be more mindful.

Her husband looked dazed, "I feel like he's incredibly familiar."

Curious, the woman lowered her voice and asked, "Could it be that you've met this Immortal Elder before?"

The husband remained silent.

As if sensing his gaze, the man's eyes turned towards them.

That single glance, like a flash of insight, made the woman's husband tremble.

He remembered!

He finally understood why the man looked so familiar!

This was none other than the deity their villages had originally worshipped!

The deity had manifested!

Although the previous wooden statue was severely damaged, the deity's facial contours and general features were still faintly discernible.

Realizing this, the carpenter was thrilled. Overjoyed, he wanted to share the good news with his wife, but though his lips moved, no sound emerged.

He couldn't utter a single word about the divine.

His wife looked beyond the protective barrier and saw the newly arrived man charging into the nearby battlefield, turning the tide. He reinforced the sect's side, using his formidable strength to force the demon to retreat.

It was just a bit strange that he never put You Nan down, fighting with him still in his arms.

The woman and the villagers speculated that perhaps You Nan and the man knew each other and shared a deep connection.

As she pondered this, she suddenly felt a gentle nudge from her husband. She quickly snapped back to attention and looked at him, waiting for him to say something.

But she waited and waited. Her husband's lips moved, yet she heard nothing.

Puzzled, she asked, "What is it, husband?"

The carpenter tried again to say, "He is the deity," but he simply couldn't get the words out.

So he had to give up. He knew it was because the deity didn't want too many people to know.

The man did his best to suppress the joy and excitement in his heart, feigning calmness as he spoke. This time, avoiding any words related to the divine, he finally managed to speak.

"It's nothing, it's just that he's truly amazing," he praised sincerely.

The woman nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Yes, even all those cultivators couldn't defeat the demon, he's the only one who can stand against it."

Chen Mingting engaged the demon, drawing all its attention and attacks.

The Sect Leader and elders had already led the disciples to a safe location.

"All injured disciples, come to me for healing!"

"Monitor the situation. When the demon is severely wounded and can no longer sustain itself, we will charge in to assist that fellow Daoist!"

Hearing the voices of the Sect Leader and elders, the chaotic disciples finally found their anchor. Even those who had fled earlier returned from the forest.

Though they were afraid and had run, they knew that if the demon wasn't eliminated quickly, they would all perish.

Some looked up at the unfamiliar, yet incredibly powerful, Daoist in the sky.

"Sect Leader, is this Daoist also at the Divine Transformation stage? And he seems very close to that young friend..."

The Sect Leader softly but sternly interjected, "Silence."

His tone was serious. "Do not discuss anything about him!"

The elder hadn't expected the Sect Leader to be so firm. His heart tightened, but he glanced suspiciously at the two figures locked in fierce combat in the sky and could only suppress his doubts. "Understood."

After the surrounding disciples and elders dispersed, the Sect Leader gazed intently at the battle in the sky.

This suddenly appearing stranger was more powerful than the demon, his energy purer. The demon already showed signs of being at a disadvantage.

Unlike the others, the Sect Leader possessed information from the Sect Leader's Token. The moment he saw the other, he had already guessed his identity.

Now, he was finally certain.

This was the deity who, centuries ago, had resisted several Great Demon Lords, exhausted himself and fell into a deep slumber, only to have their ancestors and the demon seize the opportunity to usurp the worldly worship meant for him.

Thinking of this, the Sect Leader felt a strong palpitation in his heart.

He quickly lowered his head, clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and hurriedly offered an apology.

But his heart was filled with newfound hope. With the deity's help, perhaps all of them could survive.

After his apology, the Sect Leader remained silent for a long time. He looked up at the battle in the sky.

He never thought that in his lifetime, he would witness the day the deity returned to the mortal world.