With a thunderous roar, the earth shook as if a dragon was turning over.
"That thing is coming out." Qi Mo Fei shot into the sky, transforming into a golden dragon. He raged through the clouds and mist, his battle intent facing the threat.
Chao Yang Zi was startled. The formation of the Gui Che had been reinforced by several of them, and someone must have assisted the Gui Che. He thought of Dong Fang Tai Yi, who had suddenly disappeared. He suspected Dong Fang Tai Yi had released the Gui Che.
"Brother Wu Ye, help me. I want to lift Sister into the sky." Xiao Bai watched the rolling rocks, realizing the foot of the mountain was no longer safe.
"Alright, Hu Hu. How do you want me to do it?" Ji Wu Ye nodded in agreement.
"Brother Wu Ye, use your sword to cut out the platform where Sister is sitting, along the barrier. I will cast a spell to make Sister float in the air."
"Alright, Hu Hu. Move aside a little." Ji Wu Ye instructed Xiao Bai to step back and signaled for everyone else to move further away.
Ji Wu Ye was confident in his ability to cut through rocks. At his cultivation level, moving mountains and filling seas was not a problem. The crucial part was to control his sword energy so it wouldn't touch the barrier and affect the people within.
Ji Wu Ye flew into the air and circled the barrier. His sword light was dazzling. Xiao Bai cooperated perfectly, casting a spell to make a room-sized platform slowly rise. As it floated in mid-air, everyone saw that the platform was supported by cone-shaped rocks beneath it.
Chao Yang Zi and Ji Wu Ye now stood guard around the platform with their swords. Xiao Bai transformed into her Nine-Tailed Fox true form. Her true form had grown significantly, standing five meters tall, with nine massive, alluring tails stretching out behind her!
The Golden Dragon also flew nearby. Their eyes were all fixed in one direction: the forbidden area of the Tai Yi Sect.
In the back mountains of the sect, dark mist billowed behind the peaks, and the stomping footsteps of fierce beasts could be heard. With every step, the ground trembled, causing the pavilions and towers of the Tai Yi Sect to vibrate and collapse. Distantly, disciples in purple robes could be seen scurrying about in panic!
Yun Ya and Yun Yi had secretly left when the Sect Master and Fairy Ye Ju were locked in battle. Both were deeply disappointed with their sect, their beliefs of hundreds of years crumbling in an instant. They didn't know where to go. They returned to their cave dwellings to pack their belongings, intending to travel, but before they could descend the mountain, a sudden situation arose. They heard the sounds of commotion from afar.
"This is bad! A monster has appeared in the back mountains. As soon as it emerged, it devoured many senior disciples. Junior Brother, senior disciples, run quickly!"
A disciple in purple robes shouted in panic. If he hadn't flown fast, he would have been devoured too. Everyone who heard the shout ran down the mountain in a frenzy. Those who knew the truth about the back mountains fled even faster. The appearance of that thing was catastrophic; the entire sect's disciples wouldn't be enough to satisfy it.
Yun Ya grabbed the disciple. He recognized him as a disciple of his Uncle Yun Guan. He hurriedly asked, "What happened? Where are you coming from?"
"Senior Brother Yun Ya, run quickly! Our sect is finished! The Sect Master has become a demon, and he released a monster that devours anyone it sees. Its cultivation is growing visibly, and our senior brothers are powerless to resist."
"Is this true?" Yun Ya asked incredulously.
"Senior Brother, listen, that monster is coming. Let's run! Our sect has become a demonic lair. Earlier today, people attacked the mountain gate from below. The sect disciples who were supposed to gather at the gate to resist the enemy received orders from the Sect Master to assemble at the forbidden area in the back mountains. Then, the monster in the forbidden area broke through the formation and devoured all the sect disciples. Woo... woo woo woo...."
The young disciple broke down crying, recalling the hellish scene. If he hadn't been lazy and had arrived late when the order was given, hiding to witness this scene, he would have met the same fate. He also saw the Sect Master appear suddenly just as the monster broke through the formation. The Sect Master stood by and watched his fellow disciples being eaten, and he understood everything!
Yun Yi, hearing this, urgently tugged at Yun Ya: "Senior Brother, hurry, let's escape too!"
The commotion in the back mountains grew louder, and even their cave dwelling felt the tremors.
"What does that monster look like?" Yun Ya was still unwilling to give up, grabbing the young disciple and pressing him for details.
"Oh no, Senior Brother, please let me go! If I had truly seen the monster, I wouldn't have escaped either. I only saw from a distance that it looked like a giant bird, no, no, like many birds... Senior Brother, take care, I must leave now." The junior disciple wiped his tears, impatiently shook off Yun Ya's hand, stepped onto his flying artifact, and quickly fled.
Yun Ya no longer stopped him. His master had always forbidden him and Yun Yi from venturing into the forbidden area of the back mountains. Yun He, another disciple, was responsible for escorting new disciples to the back mountains. Yun Ya and Yun Yi had focused solely on their cultivation, often entering seclusion, and knew very little about the sect.
The two of them immediately decided to leave the sect, prioritizing their own lives.
In the back mountains, Dong Fang Tai Yi's expression was manic. His beloved pet was finally emerging. Yun Guan stood beside him, his previous injuries having mostly healed.
"Sect Master, this fierce beast has grown powerful. Will it be uncontrollable?"
"No. Only by consuming those with innate constitutions will they obey me. Go and capture Yun Ya and Yun Yi. The time has come to use them."
After calming down slightly, Dong Fang Tai Yi instructed Yun Guan. He had placed puppet蛊 (gu) on these two. Their innate constitutions possessed incredibly pure souls. The Gui Che, which favored eating infants, did so because of their clean souls. Moreover, the innate spiritual body was even more potent. It was the soul of someone who had reincarnated as a virtuous person for ten lifetimes, carrying the light of merit – a great tonic! With this Gui Che consuming the innate constitutions, it would recover to its peak while also being controlled by him. This was truly perfect.
"Yes!" Yun Guan hesitated for a moment before flashing away without hesitation.
Meanwhile, the missing Feng Chu was dragging the unconscious Ming Feng. Their fight had led them further and further away, eventually reaching the Tai Yi Sect in the mountains. Now, he was forced into a corner by the constantly shaking rocks and collapsing buildings. The surroundings were desolate, with shattered remnants everywhere!
Turning around, he saw Yun Ya and Yun Yi flying in the distance. Just as he was about to greet them, he saw a person in golden-purple robes holding an axe flying directly towards them.
It was a narrow encounter indeed. Wasn't that an old acquaintance injured by Chen Mu?
He saw the person intercept Yun Ya and Yun Yi from afar. They seemed to exchange words from a distance. As the three passed each other, Yun Ya and Yun Yi were unexpectedly ambushed from behind, knocked out by two axe blows, and taken away.
Feng Chu was startled. That fellow was truly insidious! He even harmed his own sect members. Just as he was about to step forward, he hesitated. At this moment, they were fighting amongst themselves, and it was better for him to stay out of it. However, seeing him tie up the two and fly directly towards the forbidden area of the Tai Yi Sect, Feng Chu could no longer stand by. He decided to rendezvous with the Venerable Master and the others.
He could no longer afford to be concerned about anything else. He casually tossed Ming Feng into a corner and hurried down the mountain. He had initially thought Ming Feng was pure-hearted and possessed great talent, developing a fondness for him. But now, he had a feeling that Yun Guan, who had captured people and headed straight for the back mountains, was up to no good.