The core disciples from smaller sects who managed to enter the secret realm were all elite talents carefully nurtured by their respective organizations. Though they lacked experience, they were not fools. Upon hearing the words "Dichen Sect" and "beast tide," they all fell silent, opting to trust the seemingly gentle and reliable Liu Qing as they hastily formed a temporary team.
Li Li sat on a high branch, expressionless, watching Liu Qing soothe the crowd. Her gaze unexpectedly met a pair of sharp, piercing eyes from below.
"My Senior Sister has kindly offered you help. Aren't you going to come down, fellow Daoist?" Lou Fengyin channeled his spiritual power into a blade of wind, cleanly severing the branch Li Li was hiding on and exposing her to everyone present.
Li Li gave a light chuckle and leapt down from the tree. "I have no desire to become a backup for your Senior Sister, who might just keep me around to distract the demonic beasts while she makes her own escape."
Lou Fengyin’s expression turned icy, and the Jiangjue sword in his hand began to hum. Liu Qing stepped forward to press a hand on his arm, then turned to Li Li with a good-natured smile. "Fellow Daoist, why would you say such a thing? I remember you—you are a disciple of the Hehuan Sect. Although our two sects had some friction earlier, the disciples at fault have already been disciplined by the sect. One shouldn't generalize, surely?"
There had been many sects waiting outside the gate at the time. Reminded by Liu Qing, the other disciples from the smaller sects all recognized Li Li and began to cast looks of disdain in her direction.
"It was that one disciple who said those offensive things, not these two fellow Daoists. How can you still be so relentless?"
"As expected of a demon-aligned sect; they truly measure the stature of a gentleman with the mind of a villain. This fellow Daoist is kindly trying to save us, yet you think of her this way."
"She probably thinks that way herself. Fellow Daoist, don't let her follow us, or we won't even know how we died."
As soon as these words were spoken, a chorus of agreement followed.
Liu Qing masked the smile in her eyes and furrowed her brow, motioning for everyone to quiet down. "Since we have met, we will not stand by and watch you die. My Junior Brother’s cultivation is already nearing the Void Refinement stage, so there is no need for everyone to worry..."
"Wonderful. Then I’ll trouble you to protect us." Before Liu Qing could finish, Li Li accepted with a cheerful smile, her face free of any gloom. Seeing the others weren't moving, she even urged them on, "Why aren't we moving yet? If we don't leave now, it will be too late."
Liu Qing’s words died in her throat. Her expression darkened, but she forced a smile and instructed Lou Fengyin to lead the way.
Lou Fengyin shifted his gaze away from Li Li, his brow furrowed deeply. The female cultivator from the Hehuan Sect gave him an odd feeling—a sense of familiarity, yet it was as fleeting as the wind, impossible to grasp or trace to its source.
The others followed closely behind the two, privately whispering to themselves, "How can there be such shameless people in the world?"
Li Li walked at the very back. Their group consisted of eleven people, and they moved with extreme caution. The youngest, a girl at the Foundation Establishment stage, struggled to keep up with the pace. Li Li reached out to steady her. The girl looked at her in surprise and whispered a thank you. "I am Chi Wanglan of the Chi family in Dongyu City." She bit her lip and, as if having made up her mind, sent a sound transmission: "Fellow Daoist, I believe you."
Li Li arched an eyebrow at her. She hadn't realized there was a member of the Chi family here. The Chi family was arguably the number one cultivation family in the Qintian Realm, every member gifted with extraordinary talent. The last person to ascend had been of the Chi family's direct lineage.
Seeing Li Li remain silent, Chi Wanglan continued urgently via sound transmission:
"Dongyu City is close to the Dichen Sect’s territory. Rumor in the sect is that the third direct disciple of the Second Peak, Liu Qing, is kind-hearted and a rare soul, but my family has warned me never to get too close to her. You shouldn't judge by appearances alone. Her Junior Brother listens to her every word; it’s possible she would abandon those of us she deems insignificant when things get dangerous."
Hearing this, Li Li glanced at Lou Fengyin. A surge of resentment roiled within her. Anyone with eyes could see that Liu Qing was far from the virtuous person she appeared to be. Yet, the entire Dichen Sect was blind, and Lou Fengyin, the very target of her conquest, followed her around like a dog.
"Don't worry. She won't lay a hand on you."
Because I will kill her before she gets the chance.
Li Li looked at Chi Wanglan. The girl had a pure, harmless appearance. Being warned by elders and raised with such care, she must be a valued direct descendant.
Valuable. Worth befriending.
Chi Wanglan didn't quite understand Li Li's words, and just as she was about to speak again, Li Li interrupted.
"At the very least, we can rely on their protection until the beast tide arrives. Our Hehuan Sect identification badges can signal for rescue. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you."
Chi Wanglan breathed a sigh of relief, leaning on Li Li with a hint of dependence. "What is your name, fellow Daoist?"
Li Li moved away discreetly; she wasn't used to anyone being so close. "Li Zhi," she replied softly.
Liu Qing, who had been observing Li Li from the front, saw someone growing close to this unlikable demon-sect member. Her expression didn't change, but her words were carefully calculated to sow discord. "The two fellow Daoists have low cultivation levels. Perhaps we should slow down? We cannot leave them behind, even if the beast tide comes."
Sure enough, the others began to glare at them, but before any snide remarks could be voiced, they were cut short by a sudden onset of black mist.
The black mist appeared without warning, sweeping over them and blanketing the area. It was laced with pure, foul qi, which drained the cultivators' spiritual energy in the blink of an eye.
A deep, rumbling sound echoed from the horizon, growing louder and closer with every passing second. The beast tide had begun, catching everyone entirely off guard. In the distance, the faint screams of cultivators and the roars of demonic beasts could be heard.
The body’s instinctive fear took hold. The cultivators panicked, calling out to Lou Fengyin, their pale faces standing out starkly in the black fog.
In the darkness, however, Li Li curled her lips into a smile. The hunt was about to begin.
Lou Fengyin stood before Liu Qing with his sword drawn. Liu Qing shouted at the frantic cultivators, "Climb the trees! Do not use your spiritual energy; the foul qi will drain your cultivation!"
As she spoke, the beasts arrived. Compared to the creatures of the modern age, these ancient demonic beasts were far more massive, their demonic aura far more potent. The foul qi exhaled with every breath was suffocating.
Since the end of the ancient era, foul qi had appeared in the world. No one knew how it was formed or how to eradicate it. It was pervasive; if mortals or beasts inhaled it, they would lose their minds, while cultivators would grow weak and risk death if they absorbed too much.
Only the Ghost Cultivators of the White Bone Tomb and the Demon Race could move safely through the foul qi.
But there were no Ghost Cultivators or members of the Demon Race here. They could only wait like lambs to the slaughter, watching in terror as the dark, massive army of beasts closed in. They clung to the treetops, hoping to escape unscathed, forgetting that beasts with wings were far more ferocious.
The smaller Electric Lynx were the first to attack. They were agile and numerous; Lou Fengyin’s sword could not keep up with them.
Liu Qing, hiding behind him, felt a cold glint in her eyes. She channeled her spiritual energy directly toward the cultivators in the trees, but her hand was suddenly seized by a slender, fair-skinned hand.
Li Li was staring at her with a wry smile.