Chapter 44: The Suddenly Appearing Demon Clan

Bai Zizai’s pupils shrank violently, and the long blade in his hand trembled involuntarily.

Staring fixedly at the man before him, who had a crimson tail swaying behind him, he squeezed out a raspy voice from his throat: "The demon race... How is this possible... You are clearly sealed in the Northern Wasteland..."

"Hmph, a frog at the bottom of a well."

The red-tailed man smiled with utter disdain, a beam of blood-red light suddenly bursting from his fingertips.

The beam was as fast as lightning; before Bai Zizai could even react, his chest was pierced through by a bowl-sized bloody hole.

"You..." Bai Zizai looked down at his hollow chest, an expression of sheer disbelief still frozen on his face.

His body wobbled for a moment, then crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a flurry of dust.

Mu Bai struggled to prop up his upper body. The backlash from the Hidden Dragon Pill made the meridians throughout his body feel as though they were being scorched by raging fire. Enduring the excruciating pain, he looked up at the mysterious demon: "What... exactly..."

With great interest, the red-tailed man squatted down and grabbed Mu Bai’s wrist. As a wisp of demonic energy probed into Mu Bai’s body, the man's eyes suddenly lit up: "Truly a rare 'Mystic Spirit Physique' among the human race! I've struck gold this time!"

"Let... go..." Mu Bai tried to resist, but the overwhelming weakness caused by the pill's backlash left him without even the strength to raise his arm.

The red-tailed man sneered, raised a hand, and struck out a beam of red light. Mu Bai instantly passed out.

"The Spirit Path Trial is imminent; you'll serve nicely as a sacrifice..." the red-tailed man muttered to himself, grabbing Mu Bai as he prepared to leave. Suddenly, his ears twitched slightly, and he turned to look into the distance—the faint sound of hurried footsteps was approaching.

"They move fast." He let out a cold snort, his figure flickering as he dissolved into a streak of blood-red shadow, vanishing deep into the dense forest.

...

"Senior Brother Mu Bai!"

When Ye Xiao, holding the unconscious Mu Xue, arrived along with Zhuge Lingyun and Du Mao, all they saw was a scene of utter devastation.

Bai Zizai’s corpse lay sprawled not far away, the horrifying bloody hole in his chest still oozing fresh blood. Meanwhile, Mu Bai’s long spear lay broken into two pieces, resting desolately in a pool of blood.

"How could this..." Ye Xiao’s legs went weak, and he collapsed heavily to his knees. In his arms, Mu Xue slowly regained consciousness. Upon seeing the scene before her, she let out a heart-wrenching cry: "Brother—!"

Du Mao’s face was livid as he inspected the surroundings: "There are no signs of a struggle; Bai Zizai was killed with a single blow... This is definitely beyond the capability of an ordinary cultivator."

Zhuge Lingyun squatted down, his fingertips lightly touching a trace of reddish residue left on the ground. The residue writhed eerily, as if it possessed a life of its own.

His brows furrowed deeply: "Demonic energy..."

"The demon race?" Du Mao drew in a sharp breath. "Weren't they sealed in the Northern Wasteland?"

Ye Xiao snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot: "Sir, do you mean..."

Zhuge Lingyun stood up, his expression graver than ever before: "A faction of the demon race has broken through the seal, and furthermore..." He looked off in a certain direction, speaking in an icy tone, "Their target is very likely the Spirit Path Trial."

Mu Xue grasped Ye Xiao’s sleeve, her tears soaking his lapel: "Brother Ye Xiao, I beg you... Save my brother..."

Ye Xiao clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

If it weren't for saving him, Senior Brother Mu Bai would never have...

He took a deep breath, his voice hoarse yet resolute: "I will bring Senior Brother Mu Bai back, no matter what."

Zhuge Lingyun put away his folding fan and said in a deep voice, "There is no time to lose; we must head straight to the Spirit Path Trial. Since the demon race has taken Mu Bai, they must have a grand scheme in mind."

Du Mao hoisted Mu Xue onto his back and looked at Ye Xiao with concern: "Your injuries..."

"It's nothing." Ye Xiao wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a raging fire igniting in his eyes. "Until I bring Senior Brother Mu Bai back, I will not fall."

However, a sudden thought struck him. He looked toward Zhuge Lingyun and asked, "Sir, isn't there still some time before the Spirit Path Trial begins?"

Zhuge Lingyun said solemnly, "Indeed, there is still some time before the Spirit Path Trial officially commences, but one can enter ahead of schedule!"

He extended his hand, made a few calculations with his fingers, and his expression turned somewhat unsightly.

"In three days, entry into the Spirit Path will be possible!"

"In other words, we only have three days! But why would the demon race head to the Spirit Path Trial? Could it be that the Epiphany chance there is useful to them as well?"

Zhuge Lingyun explained, "You do not know this, but back in the day, a supreme powerhouse captured a mighty demon alive and suppressed them within the Spirit Path. Otherwise, how do you think the ferocious beasts within the Spirit Path Trial came to be?"

Du Mao’s countenance changed drastically as well!

"You mean... they are going to release that detained demon powerhouse?"

Zhuge Lingyun nodded. This was precisely what worried him the most!

Once that entity broke free, the entire Southern Frontier would likely be plunged into a living hell and reduced to ashes!

Most crucially, since a demon had surfaced here, what about other regions?

This thought alone caused a massive headache.

"Let's move! We'll head back first and discuss the rest!"

...

Meanwhile, inside a gloomy, secluded cavern.

Mu Bai was chained to the rock wall by heavy iron shackles, standing before three towering figures.

Aside from the red-tailed man who had captured him, there was also a woman with deer antlers and a tall man whose entire body was covered in scales.

The deer-antlered woman lightly stroked Mu Bai’s pale cheek, taking a deep, intoxicated breath: "What a pure Mystic Spirit Physique... There could be nothing more fitting than using his blood to open the altar."

The scaly man spoke in a muffled, rumbling voice: "The Spirit Path Trial opens in three days. Those old human bastards will surely tighten their guard."

The red-tailed man sneered: "What is there to fear? Haven't we lurked in the shadows for all these years precisely for this moment? As long as we break the seal and release that lord, then we..."

"Shut your mouth!" the deer-antlered woman suddenly snapped harshly. "The walls have ears; our grand plan allows for no mistakes!"

The three exchanged glances and tacitly fell silent. Casting one final glance at the unconscious Mu Bai, the red-tailed man grinned hideously: "Enjoy your final moments, human boy..."

The cavern returned to silence, broken only by the steady dripping of water.

Mu Bai’s fingers twitched almost imperceptibly, and a faint thread of profound Qi quietly circulated beneath his shackles.