Li Fei stared blankly at the shattered remains of the guest room, utterly speechless. Not only had the outer wall been smashed, but the walls connecting three adjacent rooms were also cracked. Would this inn hold up? Could it withstand this? Would it suddenly collapse?
Should she ignore Elder Dongyang's warning and go outside?
Peering through the broken wall, Li Fei saw flames engulfing the city, monstrous creatures dancing wildly in the sky, and the ground soaked in blood—human and demon mixed together, corpses of both strewn about.
She had never witnessed such a horrifying scene before—it was truly shocking.
A sharp gust of wind suddenly rushed overhead. Li Fei jerked back just as a massive black claw grazed the tip of her nose, sharper than a blade. The slicing wind even severed a lock of her hair.
She retreated several steps as piercing, infant-like wails echoed outside. A monstrous head—larger than the wall—forced its way through the cracked opening, its eyes blood-red, its sharp beak reeking of foul breath. It was a massive ferocious beast—a Gu Diao.
If this thing broke in, the inn would surely collapse! Li Fei summoned her flying sword and thrust it through the beast's eye. The Gu Diao shrieked and yanked its head back. She couldn’t stay in this room any longer, but she couldn’t go far either. With the wall breached, if any more creatures got inside, everyone in the inn would be doomed!
Transforming into a wisp of green smoke, she darted out and unleashed the Golden Water Dragon's Roar. Golden mist instantly enveloped the broken wall. This Immortal Technique had been taught to her by Ri Yan. Every time she saw Lei Xiuyuan use it, she thought it looked incredibly majestic. Unfortunately, lacking a Metal spiritual root, her version wasn’t as sharp or dazzling—the golden glow was noticeably dimmer.
The one-eyed Gu Diao, enraged, flapped its wings and charged again. Li Fei focused, forming hand seals as an orange glow surrounded her—the Earthen Guardian, a technique she had painstakingly practiced for days. Immediately after, several boulders taller than a person materialized and exploded. The Gu Diao was blasted into tattered shreds without so much as a whimper, crashing heavily to the ground.
Just as Li Fei let out a relieved breath, another gust of wind rushed behind her. She barely had time to react before half her body was clamped in a gaping, blood-stained maw—the stench overwhelming, nauseating.
The bite landed on the Earthen Guardian’s defense. With several cracks, the beast’s fangs shattered, and it howled in pain, quickly releasing her. Yet another Gu Diao.
Her Earthen Guardian couldn’t be maintained for long. After the earlier magical combat and the Gu Diao’s bite, the orange glow had dimmed significantly, on the verge of dissipating. She erected multiple Earth Barriers and was about to summon more boulders when another gust of wind shattered the barriers instantly. Transforming into green smoke again, she barely dodged as four or five Gu Diao lunged at her.
Why were they all targeting her?! Li Fei rode the clouds to evade the swarm, but suddenly, another Gu Diao ambushed her from behind. A sharp pain shot through her arm as an irresistible force yanked her into the air, dragging her by the arm at terrifying speed.Her offensive Immortal Techniques were not as sharp and formidable as Lei Xiuyuan's, and at this moment, attacking spells were of little use. She forcibly summoned the Earthen Guardian, only to feel an intense heat behind her. Countless fiery serpents roared forth, instantly entangling and crushing the shrieking, swirling Gu Diao. Seizing the chance to escape, Li Fei swiftly rode the clouds to evade. Flames surged like mountains, tongues of fire lashing out in all directions—the entire pack of Ferocious Beasts was reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye.
Such an overwhelming Fire-type Celestial Spell—only one person she knew could wield it.
Li Fei turned around. Through the bright flames, Ji Tongzhou stood frowning at her from the opposite side. His gaze was indescribable—no one had ever looked at her like that before. He rushed through the fire toward her but suddenly halted, hovering motionless in midair.
What now? Should she greet him? Li Fei hesitated. The next moment, a torn piece of Talisman Paper slipped from her sleeve. She hurriedly caught it—this was the one Chongyi Zhenren had given them earlier. The Gu Diao had clawed her arm, and the talisman had long been shredded.
The Illusion Spell had dissipated.
She looked down at herself—her village girl attire had transformed into the No Moon Court's Disciple Uniform. When she glanced back at Ji Tongzhou, he remained frowning, his deep eyes unreadable as he stared fixedly at her.
An overwhelming awkwardness washed over Li Fei. She couldn’t greet Ji Tongzhou as casually as before, nor could she treat him as a stranger. What should she do? Just stare blankly at each other?
After a long silence, Ji Tongzhou suddenly turned and flew away without saying a word.
Li Fei hovered in the air, stunned, unsure whether to feel lost or relieved. Was their friendship completely over? Would they become even more distant than strangers? In truth, even strangers would be easier to face than this unbearable tension between them...
A drizzling spring rain poured down a few feet above the rooftops, and the raging flames in the city gradually dimmed. A vast Spiritual Qi Net was erected over the town, forcing the Demonic Beasts outside to retreat in waves, while those trapped inside were slowly exterminated by the Celestials.
Li Fei hovered outside the torn wall of the inn, watching, when suddenly Lei Xiuyuan approached on his cloud. His Illusion Spell had also been broken—his pristine white Disciple Uniform was now splattered with demon blood. Seeing the inn in such a state, his brows furrowed. He flew to her side and asked quietly, "Are you alright?"
Li Fei shook her head. After a moment’s thought, she added, "I just ran into Ji Tongzhou."
Lei Xiuyuan gave no response, pulling her into the inn and pressing her down to sit. "Stay here," he said. "Don’t move."
He hovered outside on his cloud, reinforcing the shattered wall with a Golden Water Dragon's Roar. The golden mist flared brilliantly, and any stray Demonic Beasts that recklessly charged toward them were swiftly slain with a single strike. Though the sky teemed with flying demons, none seemed particularly formidable. Perhaps, as Qing Yue Elder had said, this was only the beginning—the truly powerful Demonic Beasts wouldn’t attack in such swarms.
By dawn, the city was finally cleared of demons. The ground was littered with demon corpses and blood, piled like mountains. The townsfolk’s wails of grief had softened into quiet sobs. Despite the cultivators’ efforts, some mortal casualties were inevitable. Never before had so many Demonic Beasts launched a sudden night assault, devouring humans in such numbers.Over a dozen elders had returned to the inn, only to find it in shambles and the city in utter disarray. Dongyang Zhenren couldn't help but frown and sigh, "Why would monstrous creatures attack the city during their migration at night? Unheard of. Given this situation, major Immortal sects must station people in towns along the creatures' path. Otherwise, entire populations could be wiped out during these migrations."
One elder pondered and said, "This is a grave matter. I shall return to our sect to report this to the four sect leaders for further deliberation."
The other elders agreed unanimously, and the elder immediately departed on a cloud. Another elder nearby whispered, "Last night was exceptional. We withdrew our Invisibility Spell, and the other Immortals in the city must have already noticed us. Reapplying the spell now would only make us look more suspicious. We need a plausible excuse. Fortunately, the two senior Celestials never showed themselves. Now that we carry important items, utmost caution is necessary."
The elders began discussing possible excuses. Meanwhile, Lei Xiuyuan noticed the bloodstains on Li Fei's arm and took her hand, rolling up her sleeve to examine the wound.
"Just a minor injury. It's already healed," Li Fei said with a smile.
Lei Xiuyuan wrapped his arms around her. After a long pause, he murmured, "Next time there's danger, remember to call for me."
Li Fei pouted slightly. "We've both broken through the third bottleneck. Why are you allowed to go out and slay demons while I'm stuck inside?"
Lei Xiuyuan chuckled softly. "Comparing yourself to me?"
Was he looking down on her? Li Fei stomped on his foot. "Watch out. One day I'll beat you so hard you'll be picking your teeth off the ground."
Lei Xiuyuan ruffled her hair. Suddenly, a gust of wind howled outside the walls, and several figures landed before them—two elders from the Fire Lotus Sect, followed by an elder and a youth, none other than Wuzheng Zi from Star Rectitude Hall and Ji Tongzhou.
Li Fei felt awkward seeing Ji Tongzhou again, but he didn't even glance her way, standing aloof as if he didn't know either of them.
"Who would have thought No Moon Court would send so many elders to Duanming City? We failed to notice earlier and were remiss in our courtesy. We hope you won't take offense," said a female elder from the Fire Lotus Sect, stepping forward to bow.
Though her tone was polite, her words carried a sharp edge, alluding to their earlier use of the Invisibility Spell and Illusion spell to conceal their identities. No Moon Court dispatching over a dozen elders was no small matter. With strange phenomena beginning to appear in the world, any movement from major sects like theirs could cause a stir. And since this place was close to the Fire Lotus Sect, they were naturally more vigilant than others.
Wuzheng Zi also stepped forward to bow but remained silent. With the Fire Lotus Sect taking the lead, he saw no need to question them and risk straining the relationship between Star Rectitude Hall and No Moon Court.
Guangwei Zhenren smiled and said, "Our apologies for the abruptness. Recently, strange phenomena have been occurring. The barrier at White Edge Cliff, our Trial Grounds in the heart of the Central Land, seems unstable. Coupled with the migration of monstrous creatures across the land, the four sect leaders sent us to investigate. We initially didn’t wish to disturb the other Immortals, but last night's circumstances were exceptional. Today, we must make amends."The members of the Fire Lotus Sect saw that he spoke with such authority. The White Edge Cliff was a rather high-level Trial Grounds, and if there were issues with the Barrier, it naturally required many elders to repair it. Moreover, the dozen or so elders had brought along two disciples, likely intending to take advantage of the Demon migration to hunt Monstrous creatures and refine Mystical Treasures for their disciples. If there truly were any unusual movements, it shouldn’t involve the younger disciples. Thinking this, the expressions of the two elders immediately softened, and they smiled, saying, “Last night, we were fortunate to have your assistance. With just us, we might still be fighting now, and the casualties in Duanming City would have been far worse.”
The elders exchanged polite words for a moment, and the atmosphere instantly became harmonious again.
Guangwei Zhenren noticed that the young disciple behind Wuzheng Zi was about the same age as Lei Xiuyuan and had already broken through the third Bottleneck. He praised, “Master Wuzheng, I never expected to meet you here. Your disciple is truly talented and promising. Last night, I saw him single-handedly slay countless Monstrous creatures—his Immortal Technique was exquisitely refined.”
Wuzheng Zi smiled modestly. “Master Guangwei, you flatter me. Your esteemed disciple is the one who is truly exceptional. Recently, with the Demon migration, I had some free time and brought my disciple out to hunt Monstrous creatures and refine Mystical Treasures, while also letting him relax. Meeting by chance, it would have been fitting to accompany you all, but since you have urgent matters at hand, I won’t impose. We’ll have a proper reunion another time.”
With that, he took his leave. Ji Tongzhou bowed in farewell and followed silently without a word.
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