It was truly bizarre. So many people had vanished inexplicably, and even the two Mortal Immortal realm experts couldn't offer any explanation. No one was unafraid.
"Thank you, Senior Qi Hei, for protecting us from this calamity."
Over a dozen human cultivators clasped their hands in gratitude, believing their safety was due to the dark-faced man.
"What exactly happened?"
Yu Xiaohuan's delicate face was pale, but no one could answer her question.
Her large, dark eyes flickered with fear, and her body trembled slightly, filled with a profound sense of helplessness.
Ning Wenjing was the most composed. She hugged Yu Xiaohuan, gently comforting her and telling her not to be afraid.
Afterward.
Ning Wenjing approached Ji Mo and asked, "Big Liar, what exactly happened?"
She believed Ji Mo must know the reason and had protected everyone.
Ji Mo scratched his head, his eyes still heavy with sleep. "I was sleeping soundly. I think I heard some strange singing, very hypnotic. I'm not sure what happened."
"Hmph, I knew you were lying to me."
Ning Wenjing huffed, convinced Ji Mo was unwilling to tell the truth.
Given that the human cultivators who stayed with him were unharmed, while the missing ones were all from the demon race and demon beasts, how could he claim ignorance? It was a lie to fool a ghost.
If she didn't know Ji Mo wasn't a sinister person, Ning Wenjing would have suspected him of secretly dealing with Lang Jing, as the majority of the missing demons were werewolves from the Lang family. The Yu family had only lost a few demons and a dozen or so demon beasts.
The entire camp was on high alert. Everyone stared intently at their surroundings, guarding against any potential danger.
Lang Jing, on the other hand, was the most pathetic. He had an old werewolf guard him closely and had his family's werewolves surround him.
He deeply regretted his past foolishness, his infatuation that led him to accompany Yu Xiaohuan to this dreadful place.
They said even the most resolute maiden could be won over by persistent pursuit. Lang Jing had been incredibly attentive and flattering to Yu Xiaohuan during this time, and she had indeed developed some affection for him.
However, now she was greatly disappointed. In a moment of danger, Lang Jing only cared about himself and showed no intention of protecting her, leaving Yu Xiaohuan feeling disheartened.
At this moment, besides the white-haired old woman who had been guarding her closely, there was only Ning Wenjing and Ji Mo, whom Ning Wenjing had forcibly pulled over.
Yu Xiaohuan was very curious. After such a terrifying incident, why was Ning Wenjing so calm, and why did the dark-faced youth also appear at ease, showing no panic at all?
With Ji Mo by her side, Ning Wenjing felt an immense sense of security, unafraid even if the sky were to fall.
As for Ji Hanhan, seeing that Ning Wenjing, a young lady, wasn't panicking, he knew he couldn't falter either, hence his composed demeanor.
Even the white-haired old woman looked at Ning Wenjing with newfound respect. Indeed, she was a descendant of the Ning clan, possessing great courage.
As for Ji Mo, the old woman saw his sleepy eyes and yawning, assuming he was a simpleton who hadn't grasped the gravity of the situation.
Yu Xiaohuan asked, "Second Grandma, even you don't know what happened?"
The white-haired old woman looked embarrassed. She only knew she had been affected, inexplicably falling into a deep sleep until she heard the strange noises in the sky, which woke her.
The old werewolf had the same experience.
Only now did the arrogance dissipate from her. She finally personally experienced the dangers of the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield ruins and understood how laughable her previous boasts of safety had been.
"A powerful demonic beast attacked."
Ning Wenjing spoke, as she had inadvertently discovered wisps of blood mist floating in the air when she went to find Ji Mo. That was the blood of a demonic beast.
She was certain that Ji Mo had killed the attacking demonic beast and saved everyone.
But this big liar was too good at pretending. Despite saving everyone, he acted as if he knew nothing. This personality of concealing merits and fame was both infuriating and endearing!
"A demonic beast so powerful that even I couldn't sense any movement must be at least at the fourth level of the Mortal Immortal realm, or even higher!"
The white-haired old woman's face turned ashen with fear. "Then aren't we like fish on a chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered?"
"It shouldn't be that powerful, otherwise, it wouldn't have resorted to a sneak attack. That demonic beast likely used some sonic wave divine ability to hypnotize us before launching its attack."
Ning Wenjing speculated.
After all, Ji Mo had just mentioned hearing a strange, hypnotic song, which was clearly the attack method of that demonic beast.
Hearing Ning Wenjing's explanation, Yu Xiaohuan and the white-haired old woman's expressions relaxed slightly.
Yu Xiaohuan praised, "Jingjing, you're amazing, you know so much. You must help me with my search for the longevity pills. I'm begging you, sister."
"Xiaohuan, I can't help you with that. You'd be better off asking him."
Ning Wenjing nodded towards the yawning Ji Mo. With Ji Mo's alchemy skills, making some longevity pills would be trivial. Why bother searching everywhere like a headless fly?
Yu Xiaohuan glanced at Ji Mo, thinking Ning Wenjing was deliberately shirking responsibility. She sighed with disappointment.
The entire camp was on edge, guarding against unknown dangers.
But the danger did not materialize.
It wasn't until the sky brightened and daytime arrived that everyone's tension gradually subsided.
The old werewolf detected a strong scent of blood. A few miles away, amidst a pile of rocks, they found the personnel who had gone missing the previous night.
Whether they were werewolves or demon beasts, they had all become mummified corpses. Their internal blood had been completely drained, and much of their flesh had been gnawed away, exposing bare white bones.
Yu Xiaohuan had never witnessed such a scene and nearly vomited on the spot.
Some of the fainter-hearted also felt their legs go weak and their vision darken, including Lang Jing.
"Little Huan sister, this place is too dangerous. Let's go back."
Lang Jing began to retreat, not wanting to stay a moment longer.
"No, the area ahead is where the longevity pills were found. I can't give up now."
Yu Xiaohuan was unwilling to concede. According to the information she had bought at a high price, the location where the top-grade longevity pills were unearthed was not far away, and she couldn't abandon the quest halfway.
For her mother, she was willing to risk her life.
"It's a Six-Winged Demon Bat. The one that attacked us last night was likely a Six-Winged Demon Bat."
Ning Wenjing examined the claw marks left on the corpses and deduced the species of the culprit.
The Ning clan had survived in the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield ruins for ten thousand years, naturally possessing thorough knowledge of the various creatures within. Ning Wenjing had learned this knowledge since childhood and knew a great deal.
"Six-Winged Demon Bat, a first-level Mortal Immortal realm demonic beast. Its specialty is sonic wave attacks. As long as one isn't hypnotized by its sonic waves, killing it is not difficult at all."
The white-haired old woman said calmly, her face regaining its confidence.
So it was this creature. As long as they were vigilant, there was nothing to fear.
After the old woman's explanation, everyone's fear dissipated.
The unknown was the most terrifying. Now that they knew the opponent's capabilities, there was naturally nothing to be afraid of.
"Little Huan sister, rest assured, I will accompany you through mountains of blades and seas of fire. We will go and search for the pills now. No matter what dangers lie on the path, your brother will always protect you."
Lang Jing patted his chest, putting on a show of being willing to go through fire and water for Yu Xiaohuan.
"Heh, a man's words are a liar's ghost. Lies come out so easily, without even batting an eye."
Ji Mo looked at Lang Jing with disdain, finding the man utterly embarrassing to manhood.
Ning Wenjing shot Ji Mo a glare and huffed, "Big Liar, you have self-awareness!"
Ji Mo felt wronged. He was as honest as gold, a truthful young gentleman. How had he ever lied to anyone?
Yu Xiaohuan led the group onward. Since their directions were the same, Ji Mo and Ning Wenjing also traveled with them.