14: Strange changes occur in the fairy garden; a demonic shadow pursues the soul.

Leaving the Hundred Herb Pill Pavilion, the four sped along the White Jade Corridor toward the depths of the Immortal Palace. The surrounding scenery was still breathtaking—exotic grasses, marvelous flowers, and immortal springs flowing—but the peace and tranquility had been completely shattered.

Piercing howls continuously came from behind, drawing closer like maggots attached to bone. The originally pure Immortal Spiritual Qi in the air became murky, mixed with the chilling Devilish Qi that made hearts tremble, spreading like a plague. The vibrant Immortal Plants lining the corridor began to wither and decay at a visible speed; petals fell, leaves turned to black ash, emitting a putrid stench.

"The Devilish Qi's erosion is accelerating!" Frost covered Su Wanqing's cold, beautiful face. She could clearly feel the surrounding life force draining away.

"Look over there!" Gongsun Yu exclaimed, pointing at an Immortal Herb Garden outside the corridor. The soil in the garden, which had originally grown Spirit Medicine, had turned a foul black. The individual Spirit Medicine plants were twisted and deformed, covered in sticky dark shadows that writhed like living things, emitting an ominous aura.

"Demonization..." Qu Feiyan's charming eyes were solemn. "This demonic source can not only erode living beings but also pollute Immortal Plants and the earth!"

Lin Xuan fully deployed his Divine Sense, wary of his surroundings. The System was still in a semi-malfunction state, only providing extremely vague Crisis Warnings. He noticed that the demonized plants and land were continuously emitting wisps of Devilish Qi into the air, slowly increasing the surrounding Devilish Qi concentration.

"We must leave this area quickly, or find a way to curb the Devilish Qi!" Lin Xuan said in a deep voice, increasing his speed again.

However, trouble quickly came knocking.

"Hiss—"

Accompanied by a grating friction sound, the withered vines on both sides of the corridor suddenly wrapped around them like resurrected poisonous snakes! These vines were covered in sticky black Devilish Qi, moved as fast as lightning, and possessed the characteristic of corroding Spiritual Power!

"Be careful!" Su Wanqing cried out, brandishing her Ice Sword. The Moonlight Sword Aura swept out like a bolt of silk, slicing and freezing all the attacking Demonized Vines. The severed vines writhed on the ground like living things, oozing foul-smelling black fluid.

At the same time, the ground shook, and several skeletons clad in tattered armor crawled out of the black soil. Ghostly Green Flames flickered in their eye sockets. Wielding rusted swords and blades, they let out silent roars and lunged toward the four. These Skeleton Guards also seemed to have been eroded by Devilish Qi, making their movements more violent and their strength considerably greater.

"They are the original guards of the Immortal Palace, and they've been demonized!" Qu Feiyan's jade hands flashed, sending out Crimson Lotus Seals that slammed into the skeletons, shattering their bones. However, the Ghostly Green Flames were exceptionally stubborn, and the shattered bones showed a tendency to reassemble under the entanglement of Black Qi!

Gongsun Yu dared not be slow either. The thunder light silver ring flew out of her hand, transforming into two interwoven bolts of lightning that darted through the horde of skeletons. The extremely potent and pure Thunder Power seemed to have an extra suppressive effect on these demonized creatures; the movements of the struck skeletons clearly slowed, and their ghostly flames wavered.

Lin Xuan, meanwhile, charged directly into the skeleton horde like a humanoid Tyrannosaurus. The Nine Revolutions Golden Body Art was circulating to its maximum, turning his fists, feet, elbows, and knees into weapons! Every strike contained the immense force capable of collapsing mountains and splitting stones, instantly smashing the skeletons to pieces. His extremely Yang Qi and Blood further scorched the clinging Devilish Qi, making sizzling sounds and preventing regeneration.

The four fought as they retreated. The strength of these Demonized Vines and skeletons was roughly at the Middle to Late Stage of Foundation Establishment. Although numerous, they couldn't pose a fatal threat. The real danger came from the ubiquitous Devilish Qi that constantly eroded their minds, and the piercing howl that was drawing closer from behind, seemingly gathering countless Vengeful Spirits.

"There's a palace ahead!" Su Wanqing cleared the demonized skeletons in front of them with a sweep of her sword, pointing to the end of the corridor. Standing there was a more magnificent hall, its doors tightly shut. Above the doorway were three ancient characters: "Scripture Pavilion." Unlike the surrounding areas, this Scripture Pavilion seemed to be enveloped in a faint, gentle Golden Light, blocking the spreading Devilish Qi outside and forming a relatively safe Sanctuary.

"There's a Restriction protecting it!" Gongsun Yu said, delighted.

"Hurry and go in!" Lin Xuan decided instantly. The four worked together to repel another wave of Demonized Creature attack and quickly rushed toward the Scripture Pavilion.

As they approached the Scripture Pavilion, the layer of Golden Light did not block them; instead, it rippled like water, allowing them to pass through smoothly.

The moment they stepped into the Scripture Pavilion, the irritating howls and dense Devilish Qi from outside seemed to be isolated. A faint Scholarly Aura and an atmosphere of peace and tranquility enveloped them, allowing the four to slightly relax their strained nerves.

The interior of the Scripture Pavilion was vast. Rows of bookshelves, made of unknown material, were neatly arranged, holding countless Jade Slips, books, and scrolls, all emitting a hazy Spiritual Glow. Although most were covered in thick dust, showing the passage of time, they were relatively well preserved.

"Finally, we have a safe place." Gongsun Yu let out a long breath and sat on the ground without caring for appearances.

Qu Feiyan curiously examined the surrounding bookshelves, a hint of eagerness flashing in her charming eyes. The Immortal Palace's Scripture Pavilion—any Cultivation Technique Classical Text here was likely extraordinary.

Su Wanqing walked to the window and looked outside. The Golden Light outside the Scripture Pavilion was like an inverted bowl, keeping the Devilish Qi out. Beyond the Golden Light, Devilish Qi swirled, creating a dark, chaotic scene. Countless twisted Demonic Shadows flickered in the darkness, letting out greedy roars.

"This Restriction... I wonder how long it can hold." She said worriedly.

Lin Xuan did not rush to look through the classical texts. He walked to the center of the Scripture Pavilion, where a small Altar stood. On the Altar was a Token, neither gold nor jade, inscribed with an ancient character: "Suppress." The source of the Golden Light enveloping the Scripture Pavilion was this very Token.

He tried to make contact with the Token using his Divine Sense.

[demon suppression token (Fragment): Treasure guarding the Misty Immortal Palace (Fragment). Can release Purifying Golden Light to resist Devilish Qi erosion. Energy remaining: 17%. Warning: Energy is being continuously consumed and cannot be replenished.]

Only 17% energy left! And it was still being consumed! The Scripture Pavilion was not absolutely safe; it was only a temporary Refuge!

Lin Xuan conveyed this news to the other three.

The recently relaxed atmosphere instantly became tense again.

"We must quickly find a way to leave the Immortal Palace, or... find a way to replenish the demon suppression token's Energy, or completely resolve the demonic source!" Lin Xuan's gaze swept over the countless bookshelves. "Hopefully, the classical texts here can give us some clues."

Time became urgent like never before. Outside the Scripture Pavilion, Demonic Shadows gathered thickly, and the howls drew closer, seeming ready to break through the increasingly weak Golden Light at any moment.