Chapter 618: Chapter 618 You’re Itching for a Beating Again
These True Demons were extremely intelligent. Numbering in the hundreds and thousands, they swarmed the teams attempting to advance, who were quickly defeated.
In just fifteen minutes, the teams that had been standing there were all but wiped out. The sickening stench of blood and viscera, mixed with the churned earth, filled the air and was utterly suffocating.
The True Demons weaved between the corpses, greedily feasting on their spoils. In mere moments, the bodies on the ground dissolved into wisps of black vapor as the demons fed.
Quite a few teams knew to work together. After expending considerable effort to disperse the leading demon and the True Demons behind it, they struck decisively, slaying over a dozen True Demons in one fell swoop.
A True Demon’s wings tore apart, and its body crashed heavily to the ground, quickly turning to ash. Streaks of black vapor rapidly dispersed into the air, only to be absorbed by the other True Demons fighting nearby.
This consumption of their own kind only served to increase the attack power of the other members of the Demon Clan.
In contrast, those who had just won their skirmish now faced the retaliation of the Demon Clan, who were massing in droves.
In an unnoticed corner, strands of black vapor silently sank into the ground, undetected. They swirled about as if tracking something before stealthily moving beneath the rock where the small group was hiding. Before anyone could notice, the vapor had already drilled into Ye Qingchen’s body.
The process was extremely subtle, causing almost no ripple at all.
Ye Qingchen felt something amiss, and a look of shock crossed his face.
The third floor is far more dangerous than the other two; I have to be extremely cautious with everything I do. The leading demon seems much stronger than the True Demons we encountered on the second floor.
Seeing Ye Qingchen staring intently at the lead creature, Zhu Liang couldn’t help but explain, "That’s a Greater Demon, with strength comparable to hundreds or even thousands of True Demons. The one in the lead seems to be in the early stage of a Greater Demon; its wings condensed only recently, but it’s not to be underestimated! But creatures like that usually command from the rear. They shouldn’t come to the front. So why is it leading so many True Demons and making such a huge commotion?"
Zhu Liang’s gaze grew somber. He couldn’t figure out what these creatures were planning. On one side is the formidable Greater Demon, and on the other, my junior brother. He’s still injured. If we don’t reunite with Junior Sister and the others soon, things could get complicated.
"Junior Brother, you’re still injured, so let’s not rush to hunt demons," Zhu Liang said. "Junior Sister left me a messaging aura earlier. How about we follow it and find them?"
"That’s right, Young Master! Your injuries haven’t fully healed," Xiao Xiao added anxiously. "Let’s go find your Senior Brother and Senior Sister first. They might have a way to help you!"
Ever since assessing the situation, her gaze had remained fixed on Ye Qingchen. She was tense and alert, ready to fight at a moment’s notice. The Young Master is my everything! I will not allow what happened before to ever happen again. No one will hurt him in front of me! The latent injuries he sustained from Wang Ziping haven’t healed yet. If we run into an enemy now, who knows what could happen.
Ye Qingchen met Xiao Xiao’s worried gaze, raised a hand to pat her head, and comforted her softly. "I know what happened before scared you, so don’t worry. This third floor is extremely dangerous. Even Senior Brother and Senior Sister will have a hard time here, so I’m not about to throw my life away."
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Senior Brother, let’s do as you said and regroup first," Ye Qingchen replied decisively to Zhu Liang. "As for this area... we need to be careful. Let’s try to stay hidden and not get involved. Those other teams are enough to keep them occupied!"
Anyone who made it to the third floor is no weakling. I’m not foolish enough to charge in headfirst. Besides, there’s this strange stone egg. I have a feeling it’s connected to this place in some way. I can’t make any rash moves until I figure things out.
The three made their decision, exchanging silent nods. They then crept along the edge of the rocks, heading for another sheltered spot on the other side.
Zhu Liang didn’t waste time. He focused on the messaging sigil he had received, and an exquisite little Formation materialized in his palm. With the sigil at its center, the Formation began to spin rapidly, transforming into fine, silvery threads that tugged them forward.
Zhu Liang nodded to the two behind him, and the three of them followed the thread’s lead, quietly hurrying in the opposite direction of the battlefield.
After the group left, the lead Greater Demon’s sharp gaze fell upon the rock where they had been hiding. It narrowed its eyes, sniffed the air, then turned and continued to lead its troops forward.
Zhu Liang’s group moved quickly. On the way, they encountered one or two stray True Demons, which they killed without hesitation.
After about half an hour of following the path, they found Li Nian’er and Cheng Lu in a secluded area, slaying demons to accumulate points.
The wings on the back of the demon they were fighting were shrunken and looked somewhat immature, shimmering with faint black light. It must have transformed not long ago, yet its strength was already approaching that of a Greater Demon.
Li Nian’er and Cheng Lu looked slightly disheveled as they pinned it down from the left and right in mid-air.
Frustrated by the prolonged fight, the demon shot its two sharp claws forward, aiming straight for Li Nian’er’s back. The claws, wreathed in fierce Demonic Qi, were as powerful as a medium-grade treasured artifact. A blow that powerful would have severely injured Li Nian’er.
But who would have expected it? Li Nian’er leaped aside, dodging the attack. Her Longsword shot out at a tricky angle and pierced the demon right in the chest.
Something on the Longsword seemed to be corroding the demon’s body. The flesh around the wound uncontrollably dissolved into countless wisps of black vapor.
The demon’s black pupils were filled with unwilling fury, but in the next instant, it turned to ash.
Cheng Lu and Li Nian’er exchanged a smile, gracefully sheathed their swords, and landed steadily on the ground.
Seeing the others nearby, Cheng Lu leaped over and clapped Ye Qingchen affectionately on the shoulder. "Junior Brother, when you sent the distress signal, Junior Sister and I were scouting the area. We got tied up with a demon and couldn’t get away, so we had no choice but to let Senior Brother Zhu head over first!"
Then he shot Xiao Xiao a mysterious look and whispered conspiratorially in Ye Qingchen’s ear, "Besides, we couldn’t bear to interrupt you two lovebirds."
The words made Ye Qingchen’s face flush instantly. "Senior Brother, it’s not like that!"
"Then what was it?" Li Nian’er’s gaze drifted over to Xiao Xiao as she teased Ye Qingchen without reservation. "Kid, your footwork is as good as mine. You could have escaped on your own easily. Why would you use the rescue Token I gave you unless you were playing hero to save the damsel in distress?"
It was obvious to everyone what was going on.
"Senior Sister, it’s not what you think! I only see Xiao Xiao as a little sister..." Ye Qingchen blurted out frantically, not noticing the dark glint that flashed in Xiao Xiao’s eyes.
On the contrary, Cheng Lu’s eyes lit up. He stared intently at Xiao Xiao and declared, "Junior Brother’s sister is my sister too! Don’t you worry, little sister, your Senior Brother Cheng Lu will protect you!"
Ye Qingchen was left speechless.
Cheng Lu’s words made Xiao Xiao’s pretty face flush with embarrassment.
Li Nian’er shot Cheng Lu a glare. "Cheng Lu, it looks like you’re itching for a beating again!"
