At midnight, Ju Yan and the others slept on the ground by the lake. Due to Tu Yue and Qu Biyao's presence, no one went to rest in the space. Some were meditating and cultivating, while others closed their eyes to rest. Ju Yan lay on a lounge chair taken from the space. The secret realm had no stars or moon; the entire sky was pitch black. Only a few bonfires burned on the ground. The firelight reflected on Ju Yan's face, and Zhao Yangzi was mesmerized.
During the day, there was a sun in the sky. Now that the sun had set, the temperature dropped sharply, and a cold air quickly enveloped them. They had been in this secret realm for a long time, always resting in the space, never expecting the secret realm at night to be so cold.
Zhao Xiangzi watched her brother silently gaze at the Venerable One, feeling dejected. Following his gaze, she saw Ju Yan seem to feel the cold. She immediately got up and set up a formation to block out the cold air. The bonfires had not been extinguished, and the firelight brought warmth. Although the cultivation of everyone present was not low, they were still a little unaccustomed to the sudden drop in temperature.
Ju Yan's lounge chair was placed by the bonfire. The firelight dispelled the low temperature, and the timely formation made her feel a sense of novelty. This was the first time so many people had genuinely camped outdoors. When they first arrived on the island, they were too preoccupied with fear and survival to feel much joy. Now, with the sky as their blanket and the earth as their mat, it truly felt like a bit of unrestrained freedom and relaxation.
Qu Biyao also lay by another bonfire, her blanket taken from her own spirit ring. Suddenly, her face turned embarrassed as her stomach felt uncomfortable. The roasted meat at dinner was too delicious, and she had eaten a lot. She awkwardly got up to go relieve herself outside.
"Yaoyao, where are you going?" Tu Yue asked from the other side, looking surprised.
"I~ I need to change..." Qu Biyao had just confirmed her feelings with her cousin, and now speaking of changing clothes in front of the man she liked made her feel shy and hesitant.
"Hehe, what's there to be shy about? Cousin will accompany you." Tu Yue was worried. The forest outside was pitch black, and he didn't know what dangers lurked there. How could he let his cousin go alone?
As the two whispered, those who were not asleep all took notice. Ju Yan thought of the strange beasts in the secret realm and wondered if they would come out to forage at night. She still reminded them:
"You two be careful. This secret realm has strange beasts that are good at disguise and are extremely fast. I don't know if they will appear at night."
"Strange beasts?" Tu Yue exclaimed. They had only arrived yesterday, and the secret realm during the day was peaceful, with birdsong and fragrant flowers, and abundant spiritual plants. He thought this secret realm was not dangerous.
"Yes, these strange beasts usually hide in the mist of the clouds. Before, there was a barrier in the secret realm. Now that the barrier has disappeared, they might come down to the ground to forage," Feng Chu, who was also awake, added.
"Alright, I will be careful." Tu Yue, having been reminded, said no more. He supported Qu Biyao and led her out of the formation barrier.
"Venerable One, should we eliminate these strange beasts before leaving the secret realm?" Feng Chu, since his cultivation increased, felt his bones itching to test his skills against these beasts.
"No, everything exists for a reason. These strange beasts are spiritual creatures born and bred in this secret realm. Eliminating them will have adverse effects. Before, we were afraid that the demon stones would generate many demonic creatures after being in this secret realm for a long time. Now that this hidden danger is gone, there's no need to bother with them. The previous barrier was also a form of self-protection for the secret realm's laws. Now that the barrier has disappeared and the demon stones have been taken away, a balance has been achieved," the Dragon God's voice echoed. He held Huohuo, who had transformed into a little white fox, in his arms. The Dragon God affectionately stroked the sleeping little white fox. This little cotton-padded jacket had a draft. However, it knew it had angered him during the day, so it transformed into a little fox at night to appease him.
"Yes, Uncle Dragon!" Feng Chu did not insist and went to rest with his eyes closed.
Ju Yan also nodded in agreement.
"Ah~~" Qu Biyao's voice echoed in the dark night. Ju Yan was startled and quickly rushed towards the direction of the sound.
Zhao Yangzi and Feng Chu followed closely behind.
"Second brother, you stay put," Zhao Yangzi's departing voice called out. The formation had to be maintained, and there would still be unknown dangers in the dark.
"Everyone, stay put. The three of them are enough to handle it." Uncle Dragon saw Ji Wuye, with his bruised handsome face, also wanting to fly over. He spoke to stop him.
Upon hearing Uncle Dragon's voice, the others relented. Ayou, Wangyou, Chi Zhu, and others sat down dejectedly. They also wanted to stretch their muscles and test how their immortal spiritual energy would fare.
Little Bai lazily flipped over and fell asleep again. She was about to give birth to nine tails soon, and her body's energy needed to be gathered, so her waking hours were becoming fewer and fewer. Divine beasts advanced their cultivation in their sleep. This was also Little Bai's most dangerous time, and she couldn't be without someone by her side. This was also why Ji Wuye didn't rush out immediately.
Ju Yan, along with the other two, flew to the scene. Qu Biyao was fighting more than ten strange beasts. Tu Yue was already injured, with a deep gash on his back that exposed the bone.
Zhao Yangzi and Feng Chu leaped into the fray. Ju Yan went to Tu Yue's side.
"What happened? How badly are you hurt?"
"I was ambushed! These beasts are indeed extremely fast!" Tu Yue's lips trembled with pain. He had been careless. By the time he noticed them, one of the beasts had already pounced on Yaoyao, and it was too late to dodge. He had no choice but to roll away with his cousin, but he was still scratched.
"Your internal organs are not injured. Take this pill, and you'll be fine soon!" Ju Yan examined the wound. Tu Yue had suffered a superficial injury. These strange beasts carried a trace of demonic energy. The scratch was agonizingly painful. Ordinary people, if left untreated, would die of pain.
Ju Yan supported Tu Yue and called out to Qu Biyao.
"Miss Qu, quickly, let's return to the camp first. Feng Chu and the others can handle them!"
"Okay!" After killing a strange beast, Qu Biyao hurried over and supported Tu Yue.
"Cousin, are you alright? I'm sorry, I caused you to be harmed!" Qu Biyao held back tears. If her cousin hadn't bravely lunged forward, the beast would have definitely ripped her throat. She hadn't expected these strange beasts to be so powerful. She had clearly used her divine sense to scan the area and found no danger.
"Don't say foolish things. It's cousin who failed to protect you and put you in danger." Tu Yue endured the pain and wiped away Qu Biyao's tears. He never thought that his cousin, who had never shed tears since childhood, would cry for him.
"Alright, Miss Qu, don't worry. Your cousin took a pill and will be fine soon," Ju Yan said helplessly, feeling like a third wheel again. She didn't want to be a nuisance.
Upon returning to the camp, everyone crowded around, asking with concern:
"What happened? Are you injured?"
"What attacked you?"
.......
After Ju Yan explained the situation, she shooed everyone away, leaving space for the young couple. Tu Yue's injury was considered minor compared to Uncle Zhu's.
A moment later, Zhao Yangzi and Feng Chu returned. The two had fought against more than a dozen strange beasts, but they returned without a single strand of hair out of place.
"Uncle Dragon, Venerable One, these strange beasts are acting strangely! They seem to have become stronger, and their demonic energy is more potent than before!" Feng Chu said first.
"Is that so?" Ju Yan exclaimed in surprise.
"Then it's troublesome. We must eliminate them. It seems these strange beasts can cultivate using demonic energy and also use demonic energy to advance!" The Dragon God pondered for a moment and said.
Before leaving, they must clean up the strange beasts infected by demonic energy, otherwise, one day when they leave the secret realm, they will be a huge threat to the outside world!