133: Chapter 133 Brewing Catastrophe

The fleeing men in black were like two ghosts, fleeing frantically through the mountain forest.

They dared not stop, and they dared not even look back.

That golden flame behind them was branded into their Sea of Consciousness like a mark; the sensation of being scorched still churned within their bodies, making the circulation of their Qi sluggish.

"Damn it, who exactly is that brat?"

One of them gritted his teeth, his voice filled with resentment.

His robes were torn by branches, and several wounds burned by Alchemical Fire remained on his body, deep enough to see bone, yet eerily, no blood flowed out; only dark red mist churned at the wounds.

The other did not speak, only burying his head and sprinting wildly.

Red light flickered in his eyes, containing both fear and anger, but more than that, the humiliation of being injured by his prey.

The two fled southeast, passing through several peaks and crossing several valleys, finally stopping in a hidden valley.

The valley was not large, surrounded by mountains on three sides, with only a narrow passage leading to the outside.

A few simple stone houses were built in the valley, surrounded by a faint blood-colored mist, which was completely out of place with the desolate scenery outside.

This was a secret station of the Lingyuan Family in the Eastern Southern Wilderness, specifically used for the rest and dispatch of hunting teams.

"What happened?"

A low voice came from the stone house, and immediately after, a figure walked out from the central stone house.

It was a middle-aged man with a resolute face and a burly figure, his body surrounded by the aura of the Void Refining Early Stage.

Dark red light also shone in his eye sockets, but it was richer and deeper than that of the Soul Transformation Stage men in black.

Lin Tianbao, a younger clan brother of Patriarch Lin Tianyou, was responsible for commanding all hunting teams in the east.

The two men in black who had fled back stopped in front of him, knelt on one knee, lowered their heads, and did not dare to breathe loudly.

"We ran into a tough opponent." One of them said with difficulty.

Lin Tianbao frowned, and the dark red light in his eyes flickered a few times.

"What is the other party's background? How many people? What is their cultivation?" His voice was low and cold, carrying uncontrollable anger.

"Four... four people." The man in black's voice was even lower, "Three at the Soul Transformation Late Stage, one... one at the Nascent Soul Perfection."

The air in front of the stone house seemed to freeze.

Lin Tianbao thought he had misheard; his gaze stared fixedly at the two kneeling on the ground, his voice squeezed out from between his teeth:

"What did you say? Four people? Three at the Soul Transformation Late Stage, one at the Nascent Soul Perfection? And they wiped out four at the Soul Transformation Perfection?"

"Yes... yes." The man in black gritted his teeth.

"That brat at the Nascent Soul Perfection is strange; the Alchemical Fire he uses can suppress our Devilish Qi. Captain Six died at his hands, one... one strike and he was dead!"

Lin Tianbao fell silent.

He moved his gaze away from the two, looking toward the direction outside the valley, the dark red light in his eyes constantly churning.

Nascent Soul Perfection, Alchemical Fire, can suppress Devilish Qi.

He remembered what Venerable Lingyun had said: in this world, there are not many powers that can suppress Devilish Qi, but each one means trouble.

"Get up."

Lin Tianbao withdrew his gaze, his voice calmer.

"Go and summon the Third, Fifth, and Seventh teams back, and notify the First and Second teams at the eastern stronghold to come over as well."

The two men in black looked at each other, a flash of surprise in their eyes: "Lord Leopard, are you saying you want to..."

"Take revenge." Lin Tianbao interrupted him, the corner of his mouth curving into a cold arc.

"The people of the Sixth Team cannot die in vain. Those few who don't know life from death must pay the price."

His gaze landed on the distant mountain range covered in twilight, the dark red light in his eyes flaring up: "That brat who can suppress Devilish Qi, even more so, cannot be left alive."

During this period, the situation in the Southern Wilderness was deteriorating at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In just a few months, after the appearance of the Devilized Army, not only Medicine King Valley and Piaomiao Sect, but also Disciples from the seven top forces of the Southern Wilderness—including Qingyang Sect, Heavenly Sword Sect, Nanli Dynasty, and Xuanyuan Dynasty—had met with misfortune.

The seven major forces finally realized that a catastrophe capable of sweeping across the entire Southern Wilderness was brewing in those mountains in the east.

Medicine King Valley, under the Myriad Spirit Tree.

Dan Qingzi stood with his hands behind his back, his face as gloomy as iron.

He held a message Jade Slip in his hand; the news coming from the Jade Slip made his already heavy mood even more oppressive.

"Grand Elder, news has arrived from Piaomiao Sect. Their investigation team in the east was attacked by an unknown force. The leading Elder was seriously injured, and more than half of the accompanying Disciples were killed."

An Elder reported in a low voice, his tone full of heartache.

Dan Qingzi did not speak.

"Qingyang Sect also sent word that one of their strongholds on the eastern edge was uprooted. All the Disciples at the stronghold disappeared, and not even their bones were found." Another Elder added.

"Heavenly Sword Sect, Nanli Dynasty, and Xuanyuan Dynasty have all suffered similar losses."

Dan Qingzi stood under the Myriad Spirit Tree, his gaze looking toward the looming mountains in the east.

Over the past month, he had successively received messages from Shen Cihui. Each message gave him a deeper understanding of the east and increased the unease in his heart.

Those Devilized Cultivators, that strange blood-colored mist, that power capable of eroding Qi and corroding the mind, all made him feel uneasy.

"When will the Valley Master be able to return?" Dan Qingzi suddenly asked, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.

An Elder behind him hurriedly replied: "The Valley Master is already on his way back and is expected to arrive in the Southern Wilderness within half a month."

Dan Qingzi nodded slightly, feeling slightly relieved.

The Medicine King Valley Master, at the Peak of Tribulation Transcendence and an Advanced Heaven Rank Alchemist—with him here, Medicine King Valley would have a backbone.

"I hope it is not too late." Dan Qingzi muttered to himself, a trace of worry flashing in his cloudy eyes.

One month later.

Eastern Southern Wilderness, an unnamed mountain range, the sun was setting, the twilight like blood.

In the valley, the battle had just ended.

Seven or eight corpses of men in black lay scattered on the ground. The dark red mist around their bodies was slowly dissipating, revealing the pale-as-paper husks underneath.

The air was filled with a thick smell of blood and the scorching scent of remaining Alchemical Fire, adding a sense of grimness to this already desolate valley.

Zhou Tianchen stood in the center of the valley, the qiankun furnace hovering in front of him, the golden flame in the furnace mouth slowly receding.

His expression was more composed than a month ago, but his robes had several more damaged marks, the imprints left by many battles.

Beside him stood an old man in gray robes, his body surrounded by the aura of the Void Refining Perfection.

He was Yao Lingzi, an Executive Elder of Medicine King Valley, one of the teams sent by Dan Qingzi to support the east.

A month ago, after encountering the men in black for the first time, Shen Cihui had sent a message to Dan Qingzi.

Dan Qingzi reacted extremely quickly, immediately sending several teams to the east. Each team was led by an Executive Elder and equipped with a large number of Medicinal Pills and Magical Artifacts.

On the way east, Zhou Tianchen and his group of four happened to meet up with the team led by Yao Lingzi, so they traveled together.