424: Chapter 424 Massacre of the City

"Thank you, Pavilion Master Dongfang, for coming to my rescue. If you hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid today I..."

Fairy Yu Chan leaned against the rock wall, her breath ragged and dried blood clinging to the corner of her mouth. She was interrupted before she could finish.

"Don't say another word, young lady. Focus on healing your injuries first."

As Dongfang Li spoke, her gaze suddenly shifted toward those two members of the Yao Race. Her eyes, which had held concern, instantly froze over, revealing a cold, piercing glint.

"Leave the rest to us."

Only then did Fairy Yu Chan take the offered Medicinal Pill and swallow it.

The pill melted instantly, a cool stream of Spiritual Qi spreading through her limbs and bones. It calmed her turbulent breath and eased the sharp pain in her chest.

Chen Xuan stepped forward slowly, his white robes as pure as snow. His calm gaze fell upon the One-Horned Demonic Rhinoceros and the Green-Eyed Fox Demon; his expression didn't flicker in the slightest.

While Chen Xuan and his companion sized up the two demons, the One-Horned Demonic Rhinoceros and the Green-Eyed Fox Demon were also observing them in secret.

Their pupils constricted and their noses twitched as they recognized the two before them—the very targets their master had repeatedly warned them to avoid.

The two demons exchanged a look and nodded in unison.

In the next instant, two bursts of Demonic Power erupted.

An earthy yellow halo shimmered around the One-Horned Demonic Rhinoceros, while the Green-Eyed Fox Demon was enveloped in a green mist. Both unleashed their full Demonic Power and fled in separate directions without a moment's hesitation.

One crashed into the mountain wall, sprinting away as it crushed the rock beneath its feet, while the other skimmed the ground, vanishing like a fading afterimage.

"This..."

The misty Spiritual Qi surrounding Dongfang Li stagnated slightly. She hung in mid-air, completely stunned.

She had already prepared her killing move, never expecting them to flee without a fight.

Even Chen Xuan's brow twitched almost imperceptibly, a rare flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

The Yao Race were usually bloodthirsty and brutal, acting without restraint. To see them fleeing in terror the moment they met, without even leaving a single parting threat, was truly a first—like a young bride boarding her sedan chair.

Fairy Yu Chan clutched her ample chest, her brow furrowed in confusion.

She had fought these two demons for half a day and knew how fierce they were. To see them now, acting like startled birds, was truly bizarre.

"Damn it..."

Snapping out of it, Dongfang Li was furious, but she could only watch as the two demonic shadows retreated further away. She had wanted to teach those beasts a lesson to avenge Fairy Yu Chan, but she hadn't expected them to flee so decisively.

On second thought, she was filled with doubt.

Though her strength wasn't weak, it was far from enough to make Mahayana Stage great demons flee in terror. Why would those beasts go to such lengths?

Could it be...

Her heart stirred, and she couldn't help but turn to look at the Man in White Robes beside her.

Sensing her gaze, Chen Xuan gave a slight wave of his hand. "It has nothing to do with me. Let's check on Fairy Yu Chan's injuries first."

"I'm fine now,"

Fairy Yu Chan shook her head, her expression grave. "We should leave this place as soon as possible, lest those two demons return."

I actually hope those beasts return.

Dongfang Li thought to herself, but she nodded and said, "Very well. The nearest place is Black Wind Valley. I'll take you there to recuperate."

The three traveled through the twilight. Just as they arrived outside Black Wind Valley, they sensed ripples of turbulent Spiritual Qi coming from the city—sometimes faint as a thread, sometimes as violent as a tidal wave, making the very air tremble.

"Is there a battle going on in the city?"

Fairy Yu Chan's face was pale from her unhealed injuries, and her voice was a bit soft.

Dongfang Li's brow furrowed, her misty Spiritual Qi circulating quietly as she went on guard. "We'll know once we enter."

The three quickened their pace and entered the city. The sight before them made them freeze instantly—it was no exaggeration to call it a living hell of rats.

The houses on both sides of the street had long been leveled. Among the ruins lay the mangled corpses of countless Sand-Devouring Rats. Some were sliced in half, their organs spilling out; others were ground into powder by violent force, leaving bloody smears on the gray stone path.

Some were so badly mangled that not even a complete body could be found, only twisted limbs.

Dark red blood snaked along the street's grooves, pooling in foul-smelling puddles in the hollows. Even though the three were accustomed to death, they couldn't help but feel a sense of oppression.

"Who could have done this?"

Dongfang Li covered her nose and mouth, her brow tightly knit. "To strike with such ruthless decisiveness, showing no mercy at all!"

"The Spiritual Qi fluctuations are coming from deep within the city." Chen Xuan's gaze swept the area. Before he finished speaking, he had already vanished into a white blur, leading the way.

Dongfang Li and Fairy Yu Chan didn't dare linger and quickly followed. In just a few moments, the three arrived outside the courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion.

Two figures were holding Sharp Weapons, dealing the finishing blows to the last few fleeing Sand-Devouring Rats.

One was dressed in gray robes with a sinister face; a scar ran from his temple to his jaw, adding to his ferocity. The other wore black and had an incredibly broad build, with shoulders like an iron tower.

He was empty-handed, but with a wave, he unleashed a surge of powerful Spiritual Qi that ground a Sand-Devouring Rat to powder.

He then took out a soul-fixing crystal and pocketed it.

"Stop!"

Dongfang Li barked, shooting toward the two like an arrow. Her gaze was cold as frost. "Don't you know these Sand-Devouring Rats are transformed Cultivators? Why would you commit such an inhumane act!"

Hearing this, the Gray-robed Cultivator glanced at the three. Instead of stopping, he sneered and wiped the blood from his blade with his sleeve. "Transformed Cultivators? In that case, we've done them a favor, helping them escape this hideous form and the suffering of demonization."

The Black-clothed Cultivator toyed with the soul-fixing crystal in his hand, a greedy smile on his face. "It doesn't matter if they were Cultivators. We only know that these soul-fixing crystals contain pure Soul Power and are great for Cultivation. You don't get an opportunity like this every day."

"What faction do you belong to? How dare you carry out a massacre here!"

Dongfang Li's misty Spiritual Qi surged like a tide, and the phantom of a Carp Leaping Wave Beast faintly appeared behind her. She was clearly enraged.

"Oh?"

The Gray-robed Cultivator raised an eyebrow, his gaze scanning the three before settling on Dongfang Li's face. "Are you three planning to act all righteous just to play the fisherman and snatch the soul-fixing crystals from our hands?"

"Since when has Tiangong Pavilion become so overbearing?"

The Black-clothed Cultivator chimed in. "I've long heard of Pavilion Master Dongfang's fame—graceful and exceptionally powerful. How about this: thirty thousand miles to the north, there's a town called Spirit Devouring Cave. There are even more Sand-Devouring Rats there, and the soul-fixing crystals are purer. We'll leave that place to you as a token of our respect, how about it?"

Dongfang Li's eyes darkened completely. Her misty Spiritual Qi instantly condensed into a lifelike Carp Leaping Wave Beast.

With a flick of its long tail, dozens of water columns as thick as barrels condensed, resembling silver dragons. They crashed toward the two with the force of a thunderbolt.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

The Gray-robed Cultivator's expression changed. Not daring to be careless, he drew his long saber. Sword Qi crisscrossed around him, forming a pale gold sword curtain that barely blocked the Daoist Magic.

The water columns slammed into the sword curtain, producing a piercing metallic screech and sending spray flying everywhere.