Xiong Hu Ling was still like a slumbering giant bear.
Their current location was the heart of the giant bear, and it was filled with people from the sect.
The two groups of rogue cultivators that the Fifth Elder had sent a voice transmission about earlier couldn’t possibly arrive here so quickly, simply because the fifth-tier magical beasts on the periphery alone would make it extremely difficult for rogue cultivators to move forward.
“Ji Yuan, where exactly is the area you were patrolling?” the First Elder said coldly.
Ji Yuan pointed a finger on the map. “It was right here. This place was previously burned bare by people from the Fire Cloud Sect, so there’s simply nowhere to hide now. I don’t know where that dark shadow darted out from either.”
The First Elder looked at the spot Ji Yuan was pointing to, and a chill suddenly appeared in his eyes.
This place was less than ten li away from him, completely within the range of his spiritual sense.
But he hadn’t felt any fluctuation of spiritual power just now…
That meant Chen Huaming had been killed in an instant!
And that person’s cultivation was above his own.
The First Elder took out his voice transmission token and sent a message to Xiao Hongyu, explaining everything that had just happened.
“Ji Yuan, go and bring back Chen Huaming’s body.” The First Elder’s voice was cold.
“Yes, First Elder.” Ji Yuan finished speaking crisply and decisively, then turned and left.
The First Elder stared at Ji Yuan’s retreating back, murderous intent flashing in his eyes.
There was something wrong with this Ji Yuan!
He had told him to bring back Chen Huaming’s body, and yet he showed not a trace of fear…
Could Ji Yuan be a traitor to the sect?
The First Elder gripped the voice transmission token. He hadn’t actually sent a message to the Sect Master just now, but Ji Yuan had seen him go through the motions of sending one.
If Ji Yuan really was a spy from another sect, he would certainly take the opportunity to warn that person.
The First Elder’s thoughts were entirely focused on Ji Yuan.
He completely failed to notice two people hiding not far from him.
The two of them had heard the entire conversation between the First Elder and Ji Yuan.
“Little Junior Sister, this Ji Yuan really knows how to put on an act. He was clearly the one who killed him, yet he’s not flustered at all.” Ning Shiyue transmitted her voice.
Feng Qingran shook her head. “Fifth Senior Sister, Ji Yuan has been possessed. The current Ji Yuan’s strength far exceeds the First Elder’s.”
“Possessed?! But he’s been right under our noses the whole time, and there haven’t been any strange phenomena that usually accompany possession?” Ning Shiyue was very puzzled.
Normally, after a possession is complete, time is needed to fuse with the body.
And possession is generally considered an act that defies the laws of heaven; when it happens, some celestial phenomena should also appear.
“Maybe it wasn’t a person who possessed Ji Yuan, but a demon…” Feng Qingran’s eyes turned cold, like almond blossoms in frost.
Demons are a uniquely advantaged existence. When they possess a cultivator, they only need to be more powerful than that cultivator.
Ning Shiyue’s eyes widened. “A demon! Little Junior Sister, are you sure you’re not talking about evil cultivators?”
Evil cultivators are also called evil demons, but they are different from true demons.
Cultivators still have a fighting chance against evil demons.
But when facing a true demon, the human race is utterly powerless.
To be precise, anyone below the Void God Realm cultivation level is simply waiting to die when facing the demon race.
But the number of people on the Nine Provinces Continent who can advance to the Void God Realm can be counted on one’s fingers…
“Fifth Senior Sister, I’m not entirely sure, but have you noticed the change in Ji Yuan’s pupils? Only ghosts and demons can turn a person’s pupils completely black. But Ji Yuan clearly doesn’t have any death aura…” Feng Qingran’s gaze flickered slightly.
Death aura cannot be hidden, but demonic aura can be.
In her previous life, the demon race only appeared a hundred years after her death, but in this life, it’s a full hundred years early.
Could the Demon Lord have done something?
Ning Shiyue’s expression turned serious. “Little Junior Sister, it’s too dangerous here. Let’s go back.”
Ning Shiyue was very puzzled as to why the demon race had suddenly appeared now.
They had ceased to exist ten thousand years ago.
According to ancient records, there was a person back then who, with their own strength, slaughtered all the demons across the entire Nine Provinces Continent.
After the demons were wiped out, that person suddenly vanished from the Nine Provinces Continent.
No one knows where they went, or even whether that person was male or female.
All that is known is that their strength was unparalleled, capable of tearing through space and time with their bare hands.
Ning Shiyue truly wanted the things inside the core area, but she didn’t dare risk Feng Qingran’s safety.
“Fifth Senior Sister, don’t worry. The demon race wouldn’t be interested in us; our cultivation is too weak. There are plenty of Nascent Soul cultivators here.” Feng Qingran comforted her.
Ning Shiyue still shook her head in disapproval.
Ah!—
A scream rang out.
Ning Shiyue spoke. “Little Junior Sister, was that Ji Yuan?”
Feng Qingran looked up and saw the distant figure of the First Elder disappear.
“Fifth Senior Sister, now!” Feng Qingran grabbed the still-unresponsive Ning Shiyue and broke through the boundary, entering the core area.
The two of them ran all the way.
Ning Shiyue: …
Little Junior Sister, why does she seem even more anxious than me?
Inside the core area, there were even fewer places to hide.
Everything was burned bare, with nowhere to conceal oneself.
Feng Qingran felt a bit helpless. These sect people were truly vicious; to get a rare beast, they actually burned the mountain and destroyed the forest.
“Little Junior Sister, I can’t… run… anymore!” Ning Shiyue gasped for breath.
Feng Qingran stopped and handed Ning Shiyue a spiritual fruit.
They couldn’t use spiritual power here, relying entirely on physical strength, so it was normal for Ning Shiyue to be struggling.
Ning Shiyue took the spiritual fruit, took a bite. It was sweet and fragrant in the mouth, and her strength recovered quite a bit. “Little Junior Sister, how do you manage to run for so long without getting tired?”
