Volume 1 Volume 5 Chapter 133

Volume 5 Chapter 133: The Trouble of Demon Beasts (Part 3)

"Someone is coming."

Looking into the distance, Xu Qingfan said slowly.

Maybe they had faced too many dangers recently, so Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong felt a bit anxious. When they heard Xu Qingfan’s words, their bodies immediately tensed, and Spirit Qi gathered within them, ready to fight back at any moment.

Seeing the worried expressions on Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong’s faces, Xu Qingfan shook his head and softly said, "Don’t worry, the ones coming are friends, not foes."

Hearing Xu Qingfan say this, Dongfang Qingling and Xu Xiurong were a little surprised, but after a moment, they sensed the presence of the newcomers—about ten people, and they felt so familiar.

After about half a cup of tea’s time, more than ten figures gradually appeared at the edge of the sky, rapidly growing larger in the eyes of the group. In an instant, they were less than a hundred yards away from the four. As they looked closer, they realized it was Li Yuhan, Lv Qingshang, and others who had escaped from the valley two months ago!

Originally, Xu Qingfan and the others were worried they might run into a pack of demon beasts and end up dead, but now, looking at it, all twelve people who left were back safe and sound, clearly they had escaped danger.

It’s just that it’s unclear why Li Yuhan brought these people back; if it was to rescue Xu Qingfan and the others, he should have at least brought some strong fighters from "Ronghua Mountain" after two months, which would have given enough time to report back.

Deep down, Xu Qingfan felt a strange sense of unease.

"Junior Brother Xu! Junior Brother Jin!"

"Martial Uncle Xu! Martial Uncle Jin!"

"Martial Sister Xu!"

From afar, Lv Qingshang, Li Yuhan, Lv Ziqing, and others called out happily, their voices filled with relief.

Xu Qingfan exchanged glances with Jin Qinghan and Dongfang Qingling, only to find their faces were as serious as his, clearly indicating that Li Yuhan and the others had returned looking worn and disheveled, without bringing any reinforcements, showing something must have gone wrong.

After the three nodded to each other, they quickly went to meet the surprised Xu Xiurong.

"Junior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Jin, it is truly wonderful to see you both."

Lv Qingshang looked at Xu Qingfan and the others with surprise on his face, but his eyes couldn’t hide the weariness and a bit of deep panic.

With Lv Qingshang’s carefree nature, it is not easy to make him panic, unless something truly shocking happens.

"Junior Li Yuhan, I greet you, dear Martial Uncles."

Li Yuhan flew forward to Xu Qingfan and the others, bowing respectfully.

Normally, although Li Yuhan is a third-generation disciple of Jiuhua, he holds a higher position than most second-generation disciples. However, whenever he meets them, he always shows the proper respect. This time, though, Li Yuhan’s tone was hurried, and his eyes, like Lv Qingshang’s, were filled with clear panic, showing that something significant had indeed occurred.

Meanwhile, Lv Ziqing and Shang Nianyao flew to Xu Xiurong, their faces full of concern as they asked many questions. Among the remaining twelve people, five were cultivators from the "Mercy Cloud Temple" team, and they looked anxious as they clearly wanted to know about Bo Guangyan and Bo Hui’ safety, but they held back their questions, as if something was more important than the safety of Bo Guangyan and Bo Hui.

"Disciple Li, what has happened? Why have you returned so soon? Did you encounter a group of demon beasts?"

After returning the greeting, Xu Qingfan quickly asked.

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s question, Li Yuhan could no longer hide the panic on his face and hurriedly told Xu Qingfan everything he had seen and heard after they left the Blood Valley.

It turned out that with Jin Qinghan’s help, after Li Yuhan and the others escaped the Blood Valley, they waited for an hour but still did not see Xu Qingfan and Jin Qinghan appear, so they decided to hurry back to the location of "Ronghua Mountain."

However, just as Xu Qingfan and the others had guessed, halfway there, Li Yuhan and his group encountered countless Southern Wasteland demon beasts heading towards the direction of North Iceland. These Southern Wasteland demon beasts seemed to have something urgent to do, so although they noticed Li Yuhan and the others, they did not pay much attention and sent a squad of more than twenty Earth-level demon beasts to attack Li Yuhan and his group. Fortunately, Li Yuhan led everyone skillfully, and after dodging for over ten days, they finally escaped from the pursuit of that demon beast squad.

After encountering the overwhelming group of demon beasts, Li Yuhan and his companions felt even more panicked and quickly flew towards "Ronghua Mountain," eager to report what they had seen and heard during their mission to the leaders and masters of the Righteous Alliance.

However, when Li Yuhan and his group finally arrived near "Ronghua Mountain," they were stunned by the scene before them.

If the group of demon beasts they encountered earlier could be described as overwhelming, then the demon beasts near "Ronghua Mountain" could only be described as endless. Roughly estimated, their numbers were several times that of the demon beasts encountered earlier. When Li Yuhan and his companions arrived, they saw the demon beasts attacking "Ronghua Mountain." Despite the countless protective formations and traps around "Ronghua Mountain," it still looked shaky, as if it could be broken at any moment.

Li Yuhan and his companions wanted to join the people at "Ronghua Mountain," but unfortunately, the demon beasts had completely surrounded it, leaving them no chance to sneak in. Several times they were spotted by patrolling demon beasts, leading to another chase where they narrowly escaped.

In desperation, Li Yuhan ultimately made a quick decision to return to the Blood Valley swiftly. Firstly, he wanted to ensure the safety of Xu Qingfan and the others. Secondly, if Xu Qingfan and his group managed to defeat the mysterious opponent and the "Beast Madness cultivator" in the Blood Valley, their strength would not only increase significantly but they would also gain one or two more leaders.

After Li Yuhan slowly recounted the entire situation, Xu Qingfan’s expression grew heavier. He had already thought of various scenarios and responses to the sudden arrival of the Southern Wasteland demon beasts in bustling Middle-earth, but even the worst-case scenario Xu Qingfan imagined was not as dire as what Li Yuhan described.

The number of demon beasts is incredibly high. Besides the group that Dongfang Qingling and Li Yuhan saw, there are even more demon beasts attacking "Ronghua Mountain"!

More importantly, Xu Qingfan understands better than anyone else that although "Ronghua Mountain" seems well-protected with countless defenses and traps, it is actually very weak inside. Many of the key Condensed Core Stage cultivators have been sent out by the Righteous Alliance on missions, and the masters, who are the last support and strongest backing of the Righteous Alliance, are currently missing. This means that the main base of the Righteous Alliance could be destroyed at any moment by countless demon beasts.

According to what Li Yuhan said, this invasion of the thriving Middle-earth by the beast horde is not just a single wave, and the teams sent out on missions are likely to be defeated one by one by the demon beast groups rampaging through various places in the thriving Middle-earth.

By the time "Ronghua Mountain" is breached and each team is wiped out, what will be left of the Righteous Alliance? They can’t let those masters handle everything personally, can they?

More importantly, inside "Ronghua Mountain," Xu Qingfan’s three disciples and many familiar Jiuhua disciples and Righteous Alliance cultivators are still there. Once "Ronghua Mountain" is breached…

The consequences are beyond what Xu Qingfan can imagine.

※※※※

After hearing Li Yuhan’s words, Dongfang Qingling and Jin Qinghan turned pale. After a long time, Dongfang Qingling forced a smile and said, "There are still more than ten masters of our righteous path in ‘Ronghua Mountain.’ Even if those demon beasts keep attacking, it shouldn’t cause any major problems."

After hearing Dongfang Qingling’s words, although everyone’s faces still showed worry, they felt a little calmer.

Xu Qingfan did not want to break everyone’s hopes, but he needed to make them see the truth. After hesitating for a moment, he shook his head and smiled sadly, saying, "There is something that all my taoist friends must know: five months ago, all the masters left ‘Ronghua Mountain’ and have not returned since."

"What?"

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone felt a shock, and their faces became even paler and more desperate.

At that moment in ‘Ronghua Mountain’, who did not care about someone they valued being trapped there? Xu Qingfan believed that if ‘Ronghua Mountain’ was attacked, more than half of the people present would surely lose their minds in an instant.

But this despair was not what Xu Qingfan needed.

Looking around at the seemingly hopeless crowd, Xu Qingfan noticed that although Li Yuhan and Dongfang Qingling were pale, they did not share the same despair as the others; instead, they showed signs of thoughtfulness. Meanwhile, Jin Qinghan and Lv Qingshang looked at him with hope and trust, which brought Xu Qingfan some comfort.

Feeling a spark of inspiration, Xu Qingfan turned to Dongfang Qingling and Li Yuhan and asked, "Junior Martial Sister Dongfang and Nephew Li, do you have any ideas? Please share them."

After exchanging glances, Li Yuhan and Dongfang Qingling both signaled for each other to speak first, but in the end, it was Dongfang Qingling who spoke up first, "The situation is not entirely hopeless. Although many demon beasts are trapped in ‘Ronghua Mountain’, there are four great formations set by the masters, along with countless other formations created by skilled practitioners. Even though there are many strong demon beasts, breaking through will not be easy or quick, so we still have time and opportunities."

Li Yuhan nodded and added, "Also, the masters suddenly left ‘Ronghua Mountain’ for an important reason, but they would never abandon the Righteous Alliance. I believe that once they know about the situation at ‘Ronghua Mountain’, they will hurry back. As long as we can find them and explain the current situation, it won’t be impossible to defeat all the demon beasts with their help."

Lv Ziqing nodded slightly. After hearing Dongfang Qingling’s words, his expression finally calmed down a bit, and he hesitantly asked, "So, what my two Taoist friends mean is that our chance lies in finding the masters before the demon beasts break through ‘Ronghua Mountain’?"

Seeing the people’s despair lessen, Xu Qingfan shook his head and slowly said, "Not only that, during this time, we have more to do. First, we need to contact the people in ‘Ronghua Mountain’ and let them know we are looking for the masters and organizing help for them. Meanwhile, they must do their best to hold off the attacks of the demon beasts, and we need to know how long they can last to set the tone for our actions."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan turned his gaze to the remaining five monks from ‘Mercy Cloud Temple’, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Masters, as I know, there is a technique in ‘Mercy Cloud Temple’ called ‘Buddha Appearance’. No matter the distance, it can send one’s Original Soul to any corner of the world. Is this true?"

One monk, leading the group of ‘Mercy Cloud Temple’, was slightly taken aback but nodded in response, "Indeed, but the ‘Buddha Appearance’ technique is one of our highest teachings. We are too weak to use it. If Martial Brother Bo Guangyan were still here, he could use it by himself."

After speaking, the monk could no longer hold back his anxiety and asked, "Venerable Diyang, do you know where Martial Brother Bo Guangyan is now?"

A look of sadness crossed Xu Qingfan’s face as he slowly replied, "Please follow me."

As he said this, Xu Qingfan led everyone to a hidden cave.

In the depths of the cave, Bo Guangyan sat in a daze, his expression blank. No matter how his five younger brothers called him, he did not respond. Seeing the sorrow on the faces of the five ‘Mercy Cloud Temple’ monks and the blank look on Bo Guangyan’s face, everyone felt a deep sadness in their hearts.

Xu Qingfan comforted them, saying, "Master Bo Guangyan’s mind has just been trapped and hurt. Once we break the siege of ‘Ronghua Mountain’, I will surely seek help from the masters. With their abilities, they will surely be able to restore Master Bo Guangyan."

Hearing Xu Qingfan’s comfort, the five monks from the "Mercy Cloud Temple" finally showed some calmness on their faces.

Then, Xu Qingfan furrowed his brow and asked, "But is there truly no way for the ‘Buddha Appearance’ method?"

The first monk hesitated for a moment, glanced at the other four monks, who all showed a look of determination on their faces and nodded at him.

Seeing his companions’ reactions, the monk’s earlier sadness quickly faded, and he turned to Xu Qingfan and said, "There is a way, but it requires the five of us to work together. However, if we do that, we can place the Venerable One’s Original Soul into ‘Ronghua Mountain,’ but the duration of the ‘Buddha Appearance’ will be very short, and more importantly, we will be left weak for several days after using it."

In fact, although the five are joining forces, it would still be very difficult to perform a Buddhist technique much greater than their abilities. They would have to sacrifice a portion of their lifespans to use the "Buddha Appearance." If they tried to maintain it for too long, they might even perish due to exhaustion of their lifespans.

Just to avoid worrying others, they did not explain this matter.

Upon hearing the monks’ words, Xu Qingfan’s face lit up with joy, and he bowed to the five monks, thanking them, "I will rely on you masters shortly."

"Venerable Diyang, you are too kind."

The five monks quickly returned the gesture.

After Xu Qingfan finished bowing, he led everyone out of the narrow cave and said, "Once we make contact with the people in ‘Ronghua Mountain,’ we must do our best to reach out to all the masters, as well as to the small teams scattered across the Shenzhou Continent. Having more people means more strength, and it will help preserve the power of our Righteous Alliance as much as possible."

As he spoke, Xu Qingfan turned to Li Yuhan beside him and asked, "Do you know the tasks and locations of the teams sent by the Righteous Alliance?"

"I do." Li Yuhan nodded in response.

Each person’s position brings a different perspective and approach. Although Xu Qingfan is only the leader of a small team within the Righteous Alliance, he is also the future Sect Master of Jiuhua and must take responsibility for its future.

Even though the Righteous Alliance is called the righteous path, it is possible to abandon or sacrifice Jiuhua to accomplish certain goals. Therefore, being in the middle ranks of the Righteous Alliance, Xu Qingfan has always gathered information about its actions and situations over the years—what movements are being made, who is in each team, and what tasks they have—since all this will be useful one day. The person responsible for gathering this information is Li Yuhan.

This time, the information Xu Qingfan had collected over the years was finally useful.

Hearing Li Yuhan’s affirmative answer, a look of relief crossed Xu Qingfan’s face, and he said, "After a while, you will tell the Taoist friends where each team might be. Everyone will split up to gather the scattered strength of the Righteous Alliance and help find the masters and other small teams. This way, we will move much faster."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, everyone nodded in agreement, their faces showing admiration.

Looking at the people around him, who seemed filled with hope, Xu Qingfan smiled faintly to himself. To him, this attack by the demon beasts from the Southern Wasteland was not just about rescue; it was crucial to understand why they suddenly attacked the prosperous Middle-earth. These demon beasts had been trapped in the Southern Wasteland for over ten thousand years, so there must be a reason for their sudden gathering. Also, upon arriving in Middle-earth, why did they surround "Ronghua Mountain," and what was the reason for the demon beast group that Dongfang Qingling and Li Yuhan encountered heading to North Iceland?

If Xu Qingfan could understand these reasons clearly, the whole event of the demon beast attack would surely become much simpler. However, figuring out these reasons would take a lot of time, and at the beginning, he had no clues. Xu Qingfan could only hope that he could unite the power of the Righteous Alliance outside "Ronghua Mountain" and find the masters by himself.

While Xu Qingfan was deep in thought, Li Yuhan had already noted down the possible locations of each small team on pieces of green slips and handed them to others.

Seeing that everyone’s tasks had been assigned, Xu Qingfan said to the five monks from "Mercy Cloud Temple," "Masters, you may begin."

The five monks from "Mercy Cloud Temple" slightly nodded, then sat down around Xu Qingfan in a star shape. After closing their eyes to meditate for a moment, they began to chant various Buddhist sounds.

Amidst the sounds of chanting, a swastika-shaped shadow formed above the heads of the six people, bathing them in golden light.

Xu Qingfan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him and involuntarily closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he sensed that the world before him had changed dramatically.

Before him was still the blood-colored valley, but suddenly there appeared some shadows. Looking closely, they were indeed the scenery of "Ronghua Mountain" and the people there, who were bustling about amid the noisy scene. Many were exhausted, falling to the ground, their faces pale.

Gradually, these shadows began to become clearer, as if they truly existed. However, the blood-colored valley in front of Xu Qingfan still remained, making it feel as though he existed in two different worlds at the same time, which felt incredibly strange.

As the scenery of "Ronghua Mountain" became clearer, the busy members of the Righteous Alliance in front of Xu Qingfan could not help but gasp in surprise, staring at Xu Qingfan, who had suddenly appeared before them.

"Please, dear Taoist friends, call your sect leaders here; I have important matters to discuss."

Xu Qingfan called out loudly, but no sound came from him. However, his meaning clearly entered everyone’s hearts.

Many who had seen Xu Qingfan before recognized his identity. Although they did not know why Xu Qingfan had suddenly appeared, they hurriedly ran into the distance to find their sect leaders, following Xu Qingfan’s wishes.

Feeling his body, which was both real and unreal, and looking at the completely different but overlapping two worlds before him, Xu Qingfan felt anxious but could not help but marvel. This "Buddha Appearance" is truly wondrous, deserving to be one of the highest teachings of the "Mercy Cloud Temple."

Just as Xu Qingfan was marveling, more than twenty people quickly arrived. They were the sect leaders who had stayed on "Ronghua Mountain." Zhang Hualing from Jiuhua also had stopped his retreat to suppress the dark thoughts in his heart and joined the group. To Xu Qingfan’s delight, his three disciples, Ting’er, Zhang Ningmei, and Bai Yu, were also following behind the masters.