"Roar"

The deep roar penetrated the layers of rock, spreading fear among the people in the hall. The beast tide had arrived suddenly, with a momentum that was incredibly fierce. Less than half an hour after the cultivators outside called for help, the mountains and fields were overrun with rushing beasts - big and small, strong and weak, running and flying, swarming like bees. They quickly swept over the mountain where the Mountain Moving Cloud Boat Dock was located, continuing their stampede eastward.

"Could it be another cold tide?"

Zhao Xi Qiao was referring to the last cold tide that had passed through the Passage Between Two Realms. Upon reaching the Sky Rift Valley, it spread eastward for about a hundred miles, devastating the vegetation in its path. The resulting migration of demonic beasts caused havoc across tens of thousands of miles. Elder Chu and others had experienced it firsthand and were still traumatized.

Yu Ci and Yan Hao had gone to inquire about the situation outside from a few cultivators who had escaped, and had settled them down. At this moment, only Elder Chu, Zhou Hu, and Zhao Xi Qiao remained in the hall. When the latter spoke, Elder Chu didn't bother to respond. Only Zhou Hu shook his head and said:

"It shouldn't be. According to Yu, it seems more like a powerful demon causing chaos with its rampant power. It should be temporary, but the environment is complicated now, and we don't know how long the ensuing chaos will last."

Everyone understood that the most frightening thing here was not the beast tide, but the aftermath. Various predatory beasts, driven by their instincts due to the changing environment and sudden increase in living creatures, would re-establish their territories, leading to various conflicts and battles.

These battles had been most frequent in the past few days. Stimulated by the smell of blood, the predatory beasts would even lose their sanity and start killing indiscriminately. Not to mention the demons mixed in with them, extremely sensitive to the aura of living beings, they could sense them even if they were hidden within the mountains.

In other words, the next two or three days would be tough.

"It's a pity we don't have the Communication Flying Sword Array, or the experts from the Lichen Sect could come to our aid in time," Zhao Xi Qiao lamented.

He was stating the obvious. The Communication Flying Sword Array was one of the most complex array formations in this world. Once set up, it could cover an area of several miles, which was too much for the people at the dock to handle.

Moreover, when Yu Ci was present, he would never say such a thing.

It wasn't that he had any dissatisfaction with Yu Ci, but it was clear to anyone with eyes that Yu Ci was sent here under the guise of patrol and protection, but in reality, he was here to seek medical treatment from Elder Chu. Even if this young man did have some skills, his cultivation level was only at the middle stage of connecting with nature. No one expected him to be like those cultivators who could walk in the vacuum, able to turn the dock into an impregnable fortress just by being here.

"Ah!"

Zhao Xi Qiao sighed heavily. Before the echo of his sigh had faded, a loud noise echoed from within the mountain, followed by screams of terror.

"Demon!"

Zhao Xi Qiao jumped up, while Zhou Hu, though not as dramatic, also rose to his feet, positioning himself protectively in front of Elder Chu.

At this moment, chaos reigned in the lower levels of the mountain. The sounds of clashing energies echoed like a cacophony of metallic clinks and clanks, interspersed with the occasional stifled groan. Beyond that, a deep, rumbling growl resonated, akin to the roar of a ferocious beast echoing within the mountain's belly, shaking the air like thunder.

Zhou Hu turned his head to look at Elder Chu. The old man, weathered by storms of life, pursed his lips, forcing out his words, "When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken!"

Having confirmed Elder Chu's stance, Zhou Hu nodded, shielding the elder as they quickly descended. Behind them, Zhao Xi Qiao stomped his foot in frustration, but followed suit.

The situation below was chaotic, but aside from the three of them, all the combat power was focused there. If it could be quelled in time, the situation could still be stabilized. If the intruders broke through, however, the resulting death would be a bitter pill to swallow.

Upon reaching the lower level, the sounds and energy were even more intense. The clash of energy and the shouts of the cultivators were more distinguishable. Zhou Hu, a well-trained individual, immediately recognized the voice of Yan Hao, directing the newly-arrived cultivators to lure the invading Demons towards the warehouse, a larger space that wouldn’t restrict their movements like the residential area.

The trio was familiar with the layout of the dock. They took a shortcut and arrived at the warehouse ahead of the other cultivators, joining forces with them. Their combined strength brought a sigh of relief, but before Yan Hao could explain the situation, a shout rang out from the group of refugee cultivators:

"Another one is coming!"

As the words fell, a dark shadow sprang from the thick rocks, carrying with it a bloody wind that filled the entire warehouse. Fortunately, the warning allowed the cultivators to scatter, except for one unlucky soul who was brushed by the shadow's lengthy body and sent flying with a groan.

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The shadow surged from the ground, its form not slowing down as it crashed into the rocky ceiling above, before melting into it without resistance, disappearing without a trace. Upon seeing this shadow, even with just a fleeting glimpse, Zhao Xi Qiao screamed out:

"Earth Spirit Monster!"

Immediately, a slap resounded as he gave himself a firm smack, cursing his own loose tongue.

Elder Chu and Zhou Hu's faces turned pale. Regardless of the strength of this Earth Spirit Monster, they were in the belly of the mountain, surrounded by earth and stone – wasn’t this the most advantageous battlefield for an Earth Spirit Monster?

Fortunately, the cultivators in the warehouse maintained their composure. The cultivator who had alerted them earlier seemed to have a keen sense of what was behind the rock layers. Under his guidance, the cultivators loosely formed a circle, including Elder Chu and the others. Only then did Yan Hao have a chance to explain the situation.

Earlier, he and Yu Ci had gone to settle the group of cultivators, only to encounter this Earth Spirit Monster and another Demon capable of moving through the earth, charging into the mountain. The two Demons were in the midst of fighting when they detected the presence of humans, triggering their wild instincts and causing them to rampage. The other Demon was killed in the chaos, but this Earth Spirit Monster was far more elusive, darting through the rock layers. With no other choice, they had to fight while retreating, luring it into the warehouse where they had more room to maneuver.

In the midst of their conversation, the Earth Spirit Monster remained ominously hidden, lurking in the shadows unbeknownst to the people, poised yet dormant. Its sinister intent seeped through the darkness, permeating the air and tightening the atmosphere within the warehouse.

At this moment, Zhao Xi Qiao suddenly noticed a missing figure, "Where is Brother Yu?"

Yan Hao's expression turned peculiar, words stuck in his throat. Seeing this, Zhao Xi Qiao's face paled, "Could he have been killed?"

A foul wind filled their nostrils as the Earth Spirit Monster seized its opportunity, once again lunging from beneath the ground like a swift phantom. This ambush was even more abrupt than before. As the most perceptive among the cultivators was about to speak, a dark figure lunged at him.

Demons possess considerable intelligence, and it knew precisely which target posed the greatest threat to it!

As Elder Chu and others drew closer to the inner circle, the Earth Spirit Monster sprung up, brushing past Zhao Xi Qiao, who froze in terror, his mind a blank slate. It was Zhou Hu who yanked him to safety, as his legs were too weak to carry him, causing him to slump to the ground.

Despite this, he clearly saw a wave of mist, like wind-blown fog, swiftly circumventing the scattered cultivators. It appeared and disappeared intermittently, suddenly materializing in front of the Earth Spirit Monster's target without any hesitation, colliding head-on.

In an instant, the space seemed to distort, with only a flicker of sword light!

For some reason, Zhao Xi Qiao held his breath. Everyone in the warehouse held their breath as the sword light flashed, as if a layer of indescribable cold fog filled the air, with countless sharp ice particles floating in the air, chilling one's organs with every breath.

A series of faint hissing sounds reached their ears, followed by a dull thud. The Earth Spirit Monster's target stood dumbfounded as the monster itself was flung back at a higher speed, crashing into the thick cliff wall of the warehouse before sliding down limply.

In the dim light, everyone saw a large splatter of blood on the wall, and then Yu Ci slowly detaching himself from the monster, straightening up.

At this moment, the icy chill sealing their breaths abruptly dissipated, and the breaths held in the cultivators' throats turned into screams of release, filling the warehouse with a roar of joy.

"It's that move again."

Yan Hao gritted his teeth, his face still bearing the chill of the sword's energy. He looked towards the entrance of the warehouse, where another demon's corpse lay, almost identically slain by Yu Ci's technique.

Two demons, each felled by a single strike of the sword.

Yan Hao knew that executing such a sword strike might not be as effortless as Yu Ci made it seem, but it was undeniably swift and decisive. Only by witnessing such a sword strike could one comprehend its unstoppable power and the chilling, murderous intent it carried.

At this moment, Yu Ci was staring at the fallen Earth Spirit Monster, watching the demon twitch in its death throes, ready to strike again at any moment. For some reason, Yan Hao dared not look directly at his back, feeling that the familiar figure seemed to radiate a blinding cold light.

"No wonder Elder Chu said his Sha energy was too heavy."

As he muttered to himself, he also heard Elder Chu murmuring something:

"Could the Heaven Escape Killing Sword really be the work of fate?"

"Eh?"

At this point, Zhao Xi Qiao recovered the fastest. He got up from the ground, and after a brief moment of shock, he quickly rushed to Yu Ci's side. However, he wasn't looking at Yu Ci, but at the fallen Earth Spirit Monster. The more he examined it, the more excited he became, and he couldn't help but rub his hands together:

"Brother Yu, if there's another Wind Decay Blood Treasure in this demon, you must sell it to me."

Yu Ci was taking a long breath at this moment, and after releasing the stale air, he glanced at Zhao Xi Qiao and smiled, saying, "This was killed by everyone's combined efforts, I can't claim it for myself."

"Why would Immortal Elder Yu say such a thing?"

The person speaking loudly was the cultivator who had been continuously warning everyone about the Earth Spirit Monster. He was not tall, but he was extremely sturdy, and his voice was resonant. When he spoke, his voice shook the eardrums, "If it weren't for Immortal Elder's unparalleled sword, who could have killed the Mountain Monster and Earth Spirit Monster in succession? How many of us would have survived? If anyone says these two demons weren't the achievements of Immortal Elder Yu, I, Feng Zhao, will be the first to object!"

Yu Ci glanced back at him and nodded. When he first interacted with these people, he noticed that Feng Zhao seemed generous and spirited, but he also had a thoughtful side. Otherwise, he wouldn't have quickly become the temporary leader of these cultivators amidst the chaos.

However, as a disciple of the Lichen Sect, wielding the power of having slain two demons, coupled with Feng Zhao's active cooperation, it was beneficial in controlling those cultivators of complex identities and origins. Yu Ci didn't say more.

At this time, the roars and chirps outside the mountain continued. Inside the warehouse, the Earth Spirit Monster had stopped moving, and a pool of blood had spread. Smelling the stench of blood, Yu Ci walked back, his brows furrowed.

The warehouse suddenly fell silent, but Yu Ci didn't mind, saying, "Clean up the corpse, lest we attract more demons."

As soon as his words fell, many people exhaled, and the atmosphere became much more lively. Zhao Xi Qiao naturally started to work, and Feng Zhao also called two people to help. Only then did Yu Ci notice the odd behavior of these people, but now was not the time to be petty. He turned to Elder Chu and the others and said:

"We should not separate for the night. Let's make do in the warehouse to be prepared in case something happens."

"Mm-hmm."

Elder Chu casually agreed, but his bulging eyes were fixed on Yu Ci.

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