34: Chapter 34 Each Has Their Own Fate

Five days passed in a flash.

At Desolate Ridge, near the nest.

Wu Li squatted on a withered branch, his body enveloped in a faint silver halo, the lingering remnants of the Lingzhi's medicinal power.

Five days ago, Wu Li had consumed the silver-white Lingzhi in three portions; every time he refined it, his Sea of Consciousness would violently vibrate.

His Demon Soul grew stronger under the nourishment of the Lingzhi, and the enhancement of his Demon Soul, in turn, drove the circulation of his Demon Power.

The Blood Eye Pagoda Sutra ran frantically within his body, and blood-colored scriptures emerged from beneath his feathers, circling his body and refining the Lingzhi's medicinal power into his body without leaving a drop behind.

His cultivation at the First Stage Late Stage climbed further under the push of the medicinal power; although he failed to break through to the Second Stage, that threshold was already close at hand, as if he could cross it with just one more step.

"It's about time to leave."

Wu Li stood up from the withered branch, opened his beak, and let out a low crow caw.

"Caw~"

The sound was not loud, but it quickly spread across the entire Desolate Ridge.

A moment later, the sound of flapping wings rang out from all directions.

Heida, Heier, Heisan, Bai Chi, and Black Feather—the five Qi Ling Realm crows—flew over first, followed by hundreds of ordinary crows that had not yet gained intelligence.

A black mass covered the morning light, circled above Desolate Ridge, and then landed in unison on the withered branches below Wu Li.

"Old Ancestor."

Black Feather's voice was hoarse and respectful.

Wu Li tilted his head, his gaze sweeping across the Crow Flock, finally landing in the east.

"You all carry these things and follow me."

Wu Li gathered his belongings, wrapped them in human robes, and then had Black Feather and the other crows that had opened their intelligence carry them.

"Yes."

"Let's go."

"Great King, wait!"

Just then, the soil below Desolate Ridge suddenly loosened, and a grayish-brown head poked out from the ground.

It was the Gray Rat Demon.

Its grayish-brown fur was covered in mud, looking wretched; its pair of small eyes darted around, looking everywhere.

Seeing that Wu Li was about to leave with the Crow Flock, it hurriedly crawled out of the ground, scrambled to the bottom of the withered tree where Wu Li was, lifted its head, and shouted in a shrill voice: "Crow Great King, Crow Great King, wait! Wait!"

"Hm?"

Wu Li's wings paused; he lowered his head, his gaze falling on the Gray Rat Demon.

An invisible pressure descended upon the Gray Rat Demon like a mountain.

The Gray Rat Demon's body trembled violently, its four claws went soft, and it almost collapsed to the ground.

It could clearly feel that the aura on Wu Li's body was far stronger than that of Jiu Tian or the Cold Python back then.

First Stage Late Stage!

The Gray Rat Demon's Adam's apple rolled, and it swallowed a mouthful of saliva; its small eyes were full of fear, but more so of obsequiousness.

It bent its waist, its posture humble to the extreme, and its voice was shrill and hurried: "Crow Great King, you are leaving, right? Can you take this little one along? This little one is willing to serve by your side, to work like a horse or ox, and will never have two hearts!"

Wu Li tilted his head, his bean-sized black pupils staring at the Gray Rat Demon, a glimmer of interest flashing in his eyes.

This Gray Rat Demon was one of the Three Great Demon Generals under the Earth Lizard Ancestor; the Vulture Demon and the Python Demon were both dead, and only it had survived.

It wasn't because it was strong, but because it was cowardly enough, smart enough, and knew when to hide and when to run.

"Take you with me?"

Wu Li's voice was hoarse and calm, "Now that I am leaving, the entire Wanhui Mountain will be yours; you don't want that?"

The Gray Rat Demon's eyes rolled, and it hurriedly said.

"Crow Great King is wise!"

"Although this little one is a small demon, this little one also knows."

"So many Human Race Cultivators have died here, and subsequently, Human Race Sects will definitely come to investigate; by then, if Crow Great King leaves, this little one, being at the First Stage Middle Stage, would be the Yao Beast with the highest cultivation in the mountain and would definitely be killed by the Human Race Cultivators."

Speaking of this, a trace of fear flashed in the Gray Rat Demon's small eyes.

"This little one does not want to die, Crow Great King."

"I beg you to take this little one along; this little one is willing to work like a horse or ox, to dig holes and scout paths for the Great King, and is willing to do anything!"

Wu Li stared at the Gray Rat Demon for a long time.

This rat was actually quite interesting.

Cowardly, but smart; it knew its own worth, and it knew what should and should not be done; it just so happened that his subordinates lacked someone useful; taking it along wasn't impossible.

"If you want to follow me, that's fine; it depends on your own ability; if you can keep up, consider it your Luck."

After saying this, Wu Li withdrew his gaze, spread his wings, and flew east.

A trace of ecstasy flashed in the Gray Rat Demon's eyes; it hurriedly used its four claws and immediately burrowed into the ground.

On the outskirts of Wanhui Mountain.

The Disciples of the Yunshan Sect had surrounded the entire mountain range, making it impenetrable.

Over a hundred Disciples were scattered at the foot of the mountain, wearing cyan-gray robes, holding Magical Artifacts, their eyes vigilantly scanning the mountain forest.

Leading the team was the Outer Sect Elder Sun Boyuan, who was at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage; he had graying hair and a refined appearance, and he was currently standing on a high slope, his hands behind his back, his gaze fixed deeply on the depths of Wanhui Mountain.

"Elder Sun, no abnormalities have been found in the mountain."

A Disciple ran forward and reported with cupped fists.

Sun Boyuan nodded without speaking.

The Sect Master had told him to only observe and not enter, and he dared not disobey, but waiting here idly was not a solution.

Just then, a noisy crow cawing came from the eastern sky.

"Caw~~ Caw-caw~~"

Sun Boyuan raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound.

On the eastern horizon, a black mass of dark clouds was drifting toward them.

Only when it got closer did they realize that it was not dark clouds, but a large flock of crows.

A black mass that covered the morning light, with at least a hundred of them.

"There's a situation!"

A Disciple shouted sharply, and the Magical Artifact in his hand flashed with light.

The other Disciples also became vigilant, some forming hand seals, some raising swords, their eyes fixed on the Crow Flock.

The number of crows was very large, consisting of three layers; Wu Li flew at the very top, followed by Black Feather and the other crows, while the middle and lower layers were ordinary crows, which could conceal their figures.

"No need to act rashly."

Sun Boyuan raised his hand, signaling everyone not to be impatient.

He narrowed his eyes and stared at the Crow Flock for a long time, but did not find anything unusual.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a flock of ordinary crows."

Sun Boyuan waved his hand and withdrew his gaze.

The Crow Flock flew over the heads of the Yunshan Sect Disciples, a black mass blocking the sunlight for a moment.

Sun Boyuan withdrew his gaze and was about to turn around when his footsteps suddenly paused.

His brows knitted tightly, and his gaze pierced toward the ground like a knife.

There was Demonic Qi underground.

Not just one or two, but a dense, large group, moving rapidly.

"There are Yao Beasts underground!"

Sun Boyuan let out a sharp shout, his right hand forming a seal, and he slapped the ground with his palm.

The spiritual power of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage poured into the earth like a tide; the Earth-element technique was activated instantly, and the ground began to roll violently, like a pot of boiling water.

"Rumble!"

The earth cracked, soil flew, and cracks spread to the surroundings like a spider web.

From the cracks, countless grayish-brown figures swarmed out—rats, dense masses of rats, thousands of them, like a grayish-brown torrent, gushing out from underground, fleeing in all directions.

"Squeak squeak squeak!!"

"Squeak squeak!!"

"Ah!"

A Disciple was unable to dodge in time, was submerged by the rat swarm, and fell to the ground with a scream.

The other Disciples retreated one after another, casting techniques simultaneously—fireballs, ice spikes, wind blades, gold needles—smashing toward the rat swarm in an overwhelming manner; the rat swarm suffered heavy casualties, flesh and blood flying everywhere, but there were too many of them, wave after wave, and they could not be killed off.

"Don't panic! Form a formation!"

Sun Boyuan shouted sharply, clapping his hands repeatedly, and earth walls rose from the ground, dividing and surrounding the rat swarm.

In the sky, the Crow Flock had already flown far away.

Black Feather flew to Wu Li's side, looked back at the chaotic battlefield behind him, and said in a low voice: "Old Ancestor, that Rat Demon seems to have been discovered."

Wu Li didn't even turn his head, his bean-sized black pupils staring straight ahead, his voice hoarse and calm.

"Each has their own fate, no need to worry about it."

Black Feather nodded, said no more, flapped his wings, and followed closely behind Wu Li.

The Crow Flock continued to fly east, and the sounds of fighting behind them grew farther and farther away, gradually disappearing into the morning breeze.