284: Found

Having decided on a direction, the group immediately used the cover of dusk to rush toward the Back Mountain, following the path Zhao Xu had pointed out. Ye Hao left a message talisman for Li Pingan, briefly informing him of their objective.

Ye Hao raised his hand and retrieved several emerald-green Talismans from his Storage Space.

These were several Spirit Talismans used for escape, treasures he had exchanged for an immortal peach when he previously visited the Tianque Sect.

As long as a powerhouse at the Peak of the Void Refining Realm didn't personally intercept them, activating this Talisman would allow them to instantly escape danger.

The danger encountered earlier in Pingquan Village, as well as the complications involving the third Demon Suppressing Tower, had taught Ye Hao a lesson. He had specifically prepared Spirit Talismans this time to prevent Cultivators from setting up Barriers to trap and kill them again.

He lightly tossed the Talismans. The papers, flickering with blue light, drifted down in front of Yun Xuanxuan and the other Half-Demons. He then instructed them in a deep voice: “This is the Space Shattering Divine Migration Talisman. If you encounter misfortune or an opponent you cannot defeat, activate this Talisman immediately to escape.”

“Young Master Ye, you mustn't!” several Half-Demons quickly waved their hands, their tone filled with apprehension. “Such treasures are too precious. We came here already prepared to die.”

Yun Xuanxuan also gently shook her head and softly advised, “Young Master, you should keep these Talismans for yourself.”

Ye Hao suddenly hardened his tone, his voice stern: “No matter how precious the Talismans are, can they compare to your lives?”

“Stop wasting time! Let's hurry and set off!”

Seeing his resolute attitude, everyone reluctantly accepted the Talismans, their eyes filled with heartfelt gratitude toward Ye Hao.

Just as Zhao Xu had said, the Back Mountain was shrouded in dense clouds and fog. The vast white mist was thick and viscous, wrapping around their bodies, suppressing even their Spiritual Sense, making it difficult to extend.

A moment later!

Two sharp sounds of air being torn suddenly struck from the mist ahead!

“Who dares trespass into the Back Mountain Forbidden Ground?!”

The voices belonged to two Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators. Their aura was concentrated and profound, clearly indicating they were guards of the Back Mountain carefully selected by the Chusheng Sect. Their eyes were sharp as eagles, locking firmly onto Ye Hao's group.

At Ye Hao's signal, Zhao Xu's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward, putting on a perfectly natural smile: “It's me, Inner Sect Disciple Zhao Xu! I have been ordered by the Elder to come to the Back Mountain to assist with Alchemy!”

In fact, when he returned to the Sect, Zhao Xu had already noticed something strange: no one within the Sect seemed to know that he had defected and run away.

Ye Hao pondered for a moment and understood the key: that Third Elder was too preoccupied after returning to the Sect, focused solely on planning his escape route. Why would he bother with the defection of a mere Golden Core Stage Disciple?

The guard on the left scrutinized Zhao Xu, then snorted coldly: “Junior Brother Zhao? Why haven't I heard that the Elder issued such an order?”

Ye Hao's eyes narrowed slightly. The opponent did not refute the mention of “Alchemy,” confirming that the place where the demon transformation pill was being refined was indeed hidden within the Back Mountain Secret Realm.

He stepped forward, his tone solemn: “This is a Secret Order just issued by the Old Ancestor.”

As he spoke, he raised a finger and pointed at Yun Xuanxuan and the others beside him, saying coldly, “These are the test subjects to be used for the Medicinal Pills. If you delay the Old Ancestor's grand Alchemy plan, can you Bear the consequences?”

Hearing this, the two Patrolling Disciples glanced over Yun Xuanxuan and the other Half-Demons. They were indeed “Half-human, Half-demon beings,” like livestock.

After a moment of silence, they ultimately dared not disobey the Old Ancestor's Secret Order, and slowly moved aside to clear the path.

The moment they stepped into the Secret Realm, a stench so strong it was sickening rushed into their nostrils.

It was a strange mixture of fresh blood, burnt medicinal fragrance, and the stench of decaying corpses, as if countless living beings had undergone extreme suffering and death there.

The rock walls on both sides of the Passage were bare. After walking only a few dozen feet, their vision suddenly widened, and a huge natural grotto appeared before them. Inside the grotto, the scene was horrifying.

The ground was covered with incomplete remains. Half of the bodies were humanoid, while the other half retained characteristics of Demonic Beasts.

Some had furry beast claws but maintained the outline of human arms; some had heads growing sharp beast horns; and even worse, some bodies were severed at the waist, their internal organs mixed with fragments of Demon Cores, congealing into purplish-black blood clots.

“These... are all innocent people killed for the refinement of the demon transformation pill!”

A Half-Demon with fox ears spoke with a trembling voice, “Chusheng Sect! A bunch of beasts devoid of conscience!”

Yun Xuanxuan's expression was even colder than frost.

Those of them who had been turned into Half-Demons by the Chusheng Sect, though already suffering a tragic fate, were actually fortunate compared to the remains before them. Those less lucky kin had long since turned into dry bones beside the Pill Furnace.

Just as everyone was roused to murderous intent by the horrific sight, a terrifying surge of Demonic Qi suddenly erupted from the depths of the grotto!

That Demonic Qi was definitely not something ordinary Demon Cultivators could possess. It was violent like a tidal wave, carrying a pressure that transcended all things, like an invisible giant hand fiercely gripping everyone's heart.

Ye Hao stiffened all over, subconsciously circulating his Spiritual Power to protect himself. His expression was extremely grave.

This aura was much stronger than the pressure Chu Haotian exerted. Looking around, perhaps only his Revered Master could ignore it with composure.

“Strange, why is the Demonic Qi so powerful?” Yun Xuanxuan frowned tightly.

“This aura... it feels like it was forcibly nurtured and refined, full of violence and instability.”

Ye Hao pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded, his gaze sharply fixed on the source of the Demonic Qi: “This Demonic Qi must be related to the demon transformation pill. The Chusheng Sect Ancestor is probably not refining ordinary demon transformation pills. The Great Demon used merely as a medicinal primer must be of a high Realm.”

He turned to look at the group, his tone serious: “No matter what we encounter next, we must be careful. Remember not to act rashly; we must first figure out the opponent's background.”

Everyone nodded and followed closely behind Ye Hao, sneaking toward the direction where the Demonic Qi was most concentrated.

The light deep inside the grotto grew dimmer, with only a strange dark red glow faintly visible ahead, accompanied by a dull rumbling sound, like a giant drum beating in their chests, making them uneasy.

After passing through a narrow Passage, the scene before them opened up again!

This was a massive circular plaza. In the center of the plaza stood a bronze elixir furnace about ten feet high. A dark red glow flowed around the furnace body, and the terrifying Demonic Qi continuously emanated from within the Pill Furnace.

In front of the Pill Furnace, a middle-aged Daoist Nun wearing a gray Daoist Robe was meditating cross-legged in mid-air. Her eyes were tightly closed, her hands forming complex Magic Seals, and she muttered incantations. Faint golden Spiritual Power coiled around her, intertwining with the Demonic Qi emanating from the Pill Furnace, forming a strange Light Barrier that enveloped the entire plaza.

This scene!

Seeing this, everyone instantly understood—this Daoist Nun was the culprit responsible for refining the demon transformation pill!

“Stinking bitch, die for me!”

A Half-Demon with Bear-like arms had already been blinded by rage. Seeing the Daoist Nun meditating with closed eyes, seemingly defenseless, his Demonic Power surged throughout his body. His arms swelled several times in size, covered in a thick layer of black-brown fur, and with a whistling sound that tore the air, he fiercely slapped toward the back of the Daoist Nun's heart!

“You court death!”

A cold reprimand suddenly rang out. The middle-aged Daoist Nun, still meditating cross-legged in mid-air, did not open her eyes. Her index and middle fingers of her right hand stood together like a sword, and she lightly pointed backward. A stream of Spiritual Power, condensed to the extreme, shot out, moving at incredible speed, and instantly collided with the Half-Demon's Bear-like arm.

“Pfft—”

There was no earth-shattering collision sound, only the crisp snap of flesh being torn.

That arm, powered by Demonic Power sufficient to split mountains and rocks, was like paper before the golden Spiritual Power. It was instantly pierced, leaving a bloody hole, and the Spiritual Power surged wildly through the wound into the body, shattering the Meridians inch by inch.

The Half-Demon screamed miserably, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He smashed heavily onto the hard stone ground of the plaza, spitting out a large mouthful of dark, black blood.

His aura immediately weakened; he had clearly suffered severe injuries.

Only now!

Did the Daoist Nun slowly open her eyes. Golden light swirled within her pupils. When her gaze swept over Ye Hao and the others, she frowned tightly, her expression somewhat serious.