Huqi Mountain, the headquarters of the Demon Sect's Guiwang Zong, was shrouded in an atmosphere of killing intent. The originally powerful sect had suddenly lost more than half of its members, a devastating blow that would be felt by any powerful sect under the heavens. So many passionate disciples had marched out with high morale, but when they returned, only one person came back - Guiwang, covered in blood.

  The lingering shadow appears on the face and in the heart of every person in Huqi Mountain, no one knows who will be the next target of those cruel and ferocious demons.

  The Demon King returned and went into seclusion, no one dared to ask him anything. However, people didn't have to wait for long, as news came back one after another, and things gradually became clear. In this Southwest Great War, the three major factions of the Devil's Cult, Broken Sky and Wasteland, joined forces to resist the Beast Demons. Although it was unclear why the three major factions had formed a secret alliance or had other motives, perhaps only the Demon King knew the truth.

  The outcome of this great war can be said to have made the Demon Sect suffer its most painful defeat in a thousand years. The Ghost King Sect lost more than half of its manpower, not to mention that the Ten Thousand Poison Sect was severely injured in the internal strife within the sect. Later, the demon beasts invaded the Valley of Venomous Snakes, and the remaining high-ranking disciples were almost all killed or wounded. As for the Harmony Sect, which had always been lurking in the dark, it is unknown why they joined this great war with full force this time, but their outcome was also a complete defeat in front of the endless demon beasts.

  At this moment, the Gui Wang Zong is in a state of panic, but no matter what, their current situation is still much better than that of the Wan Du Men and He Huan Pai. Most of the high-ranking members of the Gui Wang Zong are still at Hu Qi Mountain, so their core strength has not been damaged. As for the Wan Du Men and He Huan Pai, after this battle, it's unclear whether anyone even managed to escape.

  On this day, after cultivating for many days, amidst the nervous and uneasy guesses of the disciples at the gate, the Ghost King reappeared in front of the Ghost King Sect's disciples. As for the recent great defeat he had just experienced, the Ghost King didn't mention it at all, but instead directly and straightforwardly issued multiple orders one after another. Very quickly, the entire Fox Qi Mountain began to stir up.

  Everyone began to pack up their belongings, preparing dry rations and clear water, because the last order from the Ghost King clearly stated one thing: at this moment, the demonic beasts were rampant in the Central Plains, and the Holy Sect was severely damaged. For the future of the Holy Sect, he had decided that the entire Ghost King Sect would head northwest together, entering the vast wilderness of a thousand miles, to the legendary birthplace of the Holy Sect - "Wilderness Sacred Temple".

  In the midst of a chaotic scene, the Ghost King walked expressionlessly with his hands behind his back towards the depths of the icy stone chamber in the mountains. The journey was thousands of miles long and the desolate wilderness was scorching hot, which didn't suit Bi Yao's current condition for traveling to the wilderness. Originally, according to the Ghost King's intentions, he wanted to entrust Xiao Bai to take care of Bi Yao, with the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox's thousand-year-old cultivation and the complex mechanisms of Huqi Mountain, it would naturally be absolutely safe. However, things had changed now. Since his return, somehow Xiao Bai had disappeared without a trace, he asked several people but no one knew her whereabouts.

  Thinking of this, the Ghost King's eyebrows slightly furrowed, and he unknowingly found himself already outside the Ice Stone Chamber where his daughter was. He let out a sigh and opened the door to walk in.

  Guile stood there silently, accompanying Biyao. He heard the movement behind him, but he didn't even move his head.

  The Demon King walked slowly, and stopped beside Gu Jian's body. He looked at his daughter who was quietly lying on the ice-cold stone platform. Her pale but beautiful face was as serene as ever, as if she also knew in her heart that the two men who cared about her most in this world were both by her side.

  Her expression is very calm, very composed, and very at ease!

  The Demon King gazed at Bi Yao for a long time, his eyes flickering with a rare warmth. After a while, he let out a soft sigh and said calmly, "Why don't you go tidy up your things?"

  Gu Lian didn't raise his head, nor did he directly answer him. Instead, he asked Gu Wang a question: "I've heard that the Barbaric Desert is vast and boundless, but isn't it either desolate and barren or endless dunes of sand? Isn't it extremely hot all year round?"

  The Demon King nodded and said, "Not bad, I once went to the Barbarian Holy Temple, and indeed the climate was like that back then."

  The demon's brow furrowed and said: "How can Bi Yao go? In her current... state, how can she endure this hardship?"

  The Demon King glanced at Gui Jie and said, "I never intended to take Yao'er to the Barbaric Lands anyway."

  The ghost's face moved, and he looked at the King of Ghosts. The King of Ghosts said: "The desolate and barren land is indeed not suitable for Yao'er. My original intention was to let her stay in Huqi Mountain, and after we leave, activate the mountain's mechanism to seal off the entrance, which would be very safe. However, as a precaution, someone should still come in at least once a month to check on things, lest something unexpected happens."

  The ghost stood up and said: "Do you want to leave someone behind? Who is it?"

  The Demon King said calmly, "I originally intended to entrust it to Little White. Her Tao is profound and she was very willing to rest well in this Fox Qi Mountain for a few years, but I don't know why, these days can't find her."

  The ghost's face changed slightly, and the Ghost King saw it in his eyes. His heart moved, and he said, "How do you know where she went?"

  The ghost slowly shook his head, remained silent for a moment, and said: "Let me take care of Biyao here."

  The Demon King gazed at him and said, "I have no worries about you taking care of Yao'er, I trust you, but now that the Holy Sect has suffered a heavy blow, I intend to revive its prestige. First and foremost, I need to stabilize the sect's members and unify the Holy Sect. Your talents are much needed by my side."

  The fierce gaze of the ghost king left Bi Yao for the first time, slowly moving to the ghost king's body, and suddenly said: "This time with the beast demon war, did all the disciples who followed you out die?"

  The Demon King's face changed, and his eyes shone brightly. This was the first time someone had dared to mention this matter in front of him, but he didn't get angry. He just looked deeply at Gui Jie, then slowly said: "They're all dead."

  He withdrew his gaze and refocused on Bi Yao, after a moment of silence, he said: "After this great war, although the Demon Sect was severely damaged, the Wan Du Men and He Huan Pai were completely annihilated. For our Ghost King Sect, which still has its strength intact, it can be said that it is a great opportunity to unify the Demon Sect. Currently, even if I weren't here, there wouldn't be any other power in the sect that could rival you." He calmly continued, "However, Bi Yao needs someone to take care of her here, so let me stay and take care of her."

  The Demon King looked at him for a while, nodded and said: "Since you say so, I won't force you. Yao'er will be entrusted to you for the time being, and I also believe that you can take good care of her. However, remember that the beast demon's strength is terrifying, and its senses are sharp. To prevent any accidents, it's best to seal the mountain gate and restrictions. Then, you can come in to check on her once every one or two months, and there won't be any problems."

  The demon king nodded slowly, which was equivalent to agreeing. The demon king's gaze looked at his daughter again, and after a moment, he let out a sigh of relief, turned around and walked away.

  Just as he was about to reach the door, a gloomy voice suddenly came from behind him: "Master..."

  The Demon King was taken aback, and it was somewhat unexpected. Gu Lie rarely took the initiative to greet him or speak to him. This time, he suddenly spoke up, but didn't know what it was about. He said: "What?"

  The demon's expression turned solemn for a moment before he suddenly asked, "Do you hate me?"

  The King of Ghosts stood with his back to him, motionless, without speaking, and his expression could not be seen.

  The demon slowly said: "Bixiao became like this all because of me. In your heart, don't you hate me?"

  His face was indifferent, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him, but the Ghost King remained silent. In the stone room, the two men stood back-to-back like this, and the atmosphere in the air seemed to stiffen.

  The faint smoke dissipated, drifting gently from the icy stone platform beneath Bi Yao's feet and dispersing into the air. After an unknown amount of time had passed, the sound of the stone door creaking open suddenly came from behind her. The Ghost King said nothing, silently walking out.

  "Rumble!……" The low, muffled sound echoed as the stone door closed once again. In the icy stone chamber, only Gui Li remained by Bi Yao's side. His face was wooden and he stared blankly at the woman in front of him.

  ※※※

  In the ancient and dense primeval forest, a terrible and pungent smell wafted through the air, like an ugly scar. The originally green trees were everywhere marked with the traces of beastly ravages. Huge trees lay horizontally and vertically on the ground, and countless animal carcasses were scattered all over the forest floor. The peaceful atmosphere in the entire forest had vanished without a trace.

  On the second day after finding that crazy demonic sect disciple, Xiao Yi Cai and Fa Xiang led a group of seven Orthodox Sect disciples, following increasingly obvious beast demon traces, gradually approaching the valley hidden deep in the mountains. Along the way, the forests they passed through were filled with the same scene they had seen earlier, although they didn't see any human corpses, this scene still moved people to sorrow.

  In the hearts of many people, it is often thought that these beasts are really born to come to this world for slaughter.

  At noon that day, a group of people appeared on the ancient path outside the Snake Valley. The surrounding area was so clearly destroyed by the beast monsters that everyone could see it without much effort. The ancient path had been widened several times by countless beasts trampling over it, and there were huge footprints and sharp claw marks everywhere. The air still lingered with a strong fishy smell, and besides that, there seemed to be another thin but even more unbearable stench, although no one could tell what the smell was.

  Looking ahead at the entrance of the valley, inside and outside are equally devastated, the land and forests that were ravaged by the terrible flood can be seen clearly, the ancient path winds and turns, no one knows what is left in the valley.

  For some reason, everyone's expression was tense, and they fell into an awkward silence. It wasn't until Xiao Yi coughed that he quietly discovered his throat was dry and aching. He calmed himself and said, "Everyone, it seems the demonic sect disciple didn't lie; it should be here where the beast demon and demonic sect had a great battle."

  He looked around, hesitated for a moment, and then asked: "Shall we go in and take a look?"

  No one spoke, and even Li Xuan's face looked unpleasant. After a moment, the Dharma standing beside Xiao Yicai whispered a Buddhist mantra, saying: "Since we've come this far, it's pointless to talk about giving up again, let's go in."

  Actually, everyone present understood this principle, but for some reason, there seemed to be a strange and eerie presence in the valley that quietly affected everyone's emotions, making them feel fearful. Fashan, who had been following Faxiang, responded with a dull tone and walked to his senior brother's side.

  "Let's go." It was not Xiao Yicai who said this, but Lin Jingyu. He tightened his grip on the dragon-slaying sword and walked into the Snake Valley with a solemn expression. Following closely behind him was Lu Xueqi, and Li Xu also followed suit. Xiao Yicai and Fa exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of concern in each other's eyes, but after a moment, they all walked in.

  The vast valley, the endless forest, and the crowd walking in the Valley of Venomous Snakes. All around is a deathly silence. Not to mention seeing animals, not even the usual bird songs can be heard. The surrounding area seems to have turned into a gloomy and eerie ghost town.

  The air was thick with the stench of beasts and monsters, but as they ventured deeper, everyone's brows furrowed tighter. At this moment, another gust of wind blew through the valley, carrying an even more terrifying odor that made people want to vomit.

  The mountain road was winding and curved, with everyone on high alert, cautiously advancing. Ahead, there was a bend in the road, which was a mountain pass. As they walked to this point, the smell in the air had become so unbearable that it made people feel sick. Suddenly, Yan Hong, who was walking in the middle, rushed to the side of the road, and everyone else was shocked. Li Xuan exclaimed, "Master sister, what's wrong with you..." He stopped mid-sentence because he and everyone else saw Yan Hong standing at the side of the road, vomiting desperately among the weeds.

  No one dared to jeer, for no one knew how much longer they could hold on. The valley had not yet revealed its true face, but it seemed even more terrifying than most places in the world. Yan Hong stopped and panted, her face pale, and walked back to the crowd, saying in a low voice: "Sorry, I...I really..."

  Fǎ xiāng qiáng yī xiào, dào: "Yàn shī mèi, méi guān xì de."

  Translation:

  Fa Xiang forced a smile and said, "It's all right, Yan Shi Mei."

  Xiao Yicai also said: "That's right, this smell is unbearable for anyone. You don't have to mind it. If you can't take it, why not go outside the valley and wait for us?"

  Yan Hong hesitated for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Let's go."

  Li Xuan walked over, nodded at Yan Hong, and said in a low voice, "Take care of yourself, don't force it."

  Yan Hong nodded in agreement. Xiao Yi then turned his head and said, "Alright, let's continue on our way. We don't know what kind of ferocious creatures are ahead, so everyone must be careful."

  Everyone nodded and continued to move forward, Lin Jingyu still walking in the front, his eyes fixed on the approaching mountain pass. His hand gripping the Dragon Slayer sword began to sweat profusely. The air was already so foul that it was hard to breathe, Lin Jingyu's face turned slightly pale, he gritted his teeth and took a step forward, passing around the bend of the mountain pass, and saw the scene in the valley below.

  He stiffened all over in an instant.

  The crowd behind him immediately noticed Lin Jingyu's abnormality and couldn't help but tense up. Xiao Yi called out to Lin Jingyu in a low voice, but he didn't react at all, his eyes fixed on the front. Lu Xueqi went up second, followed by Li Xun, Yan Hong, Xiao Yicai, Fa Xiang, and Fa Shan, one after another, passing through the mountain pass and seeing the scene in the Poisonous Snake Valley.

  Then everyone was stunned.

  That must be the legendary Shura Hell, such a horrific scene, appearing under the clear blue sky and white sun. Countless corpses fell inside and outside the house in the Valley of Venomous Snakes, including humans, various beasts, demons, and monsters. Some were intact, but more were mutilated, dismembered, and fragmented to the point of being unrecognizable, densely packed everywhere, with hardly any empty space visible.

  After barely calming down, Xiao Yi and others continued to walk in with pale faces.

  A gruesome scene was everywhere, and the deeper into the valley, the more gruesome it became. The battle here didn't need to be imagined, it was extremely brutal. Countless human corpses and monster bodies were entangled together, the ground underfoot had completely turned a deep black color, dyed by the blood.

  As I walked into the compound, every room inside and out, important passageways and entrances, could be seen with gruesome signs of fierce fighting, some places even had piles of corpses stacked high, apparently for the sake of competing for this small entrance, both sides fought to the death without giving up, trampling on the bodies of their comrades, fighting relentlessly.

  In the courtyard, people began to see several giant bodies of ferocious beasts, some even taller than the entire temple hall. However, at this moment, the once ferocious and invincible beasts were quietly lying in this human hell-like place, waiting for decay.

  The stench of rotting flesh in the air had reached a terrifying level, but the Orthodox disciples were actually doing slightly better than before. The gruesome scene before them had somehow made them numb to the foul smells. However, not one person's expression was pleasant to look at; anyone who saw them would think that their faces looked almost as pale as those of the dead.

  They continued to walk deeper into the mansion, more corpses appearing before them. Now no one knew how many demonic disciples and beasts had died in this valley. They almost unconsciously walked further in, walking, walking, walking...

  Everyone's face was so stiff and wooden, everyone tightly grasped their own treasure, not relaxing in the slightest. After crossing countless seas of corpses and blood, they arrived before a spiritual hall.

  It's still recognizable as a spiritual hall because they see a coffin in this room, and the interior and exterior of this house seem to be the most intense battlefield, and it's not an exaggeration to describe it as a mountain of corpses. It was also here that many people found many familiar corpses from the demonic sect: Bai Du Zi, Xi Xue Lao Yao, Duan Mu Lao Zu...

  These former tyrants of the demonic sect, who once dominated the world and summoned the wind and rain, are now hiding in this place with their eyes wide open, and many people's faces still bear a look of terror.

  Anyone can imagine it, but no one is willing to imagine what kind of scene they are before they die!

  As the exploration went deeper, more famous demonic sect figures were found here by Xiao Yi and others who were slightly older, including the three great disciples of the Poison God and many important figures from the Huanhuan Sect. On the other hand, in the Guiwang Sect, although many disciples wearing Guiwang Sect attire died, few famous corpses were discovered.

  The crowd slowly gathered in front of the mourning hall, and seeing the unsightly faces around him, Xiao Yi spoke in a hoarse voice: "Many people have died here, important figures of the demonic sect are all here, and it seems that the Wan Du Men is completely wiped out."

  Yan Hong's face turned white with fear, and she whispered: "It's the same over there, many of the He Huan Sect have died too... even San Miao Furen is also... is also there..."

  Lu Xueqi's face was pale, her teeth clenched tightly on her lower lip, and the expression on her face changed complexly. She looked like she couldn't bear it, but also felt nauseous, and didn't know what to do. It seemed that she still had a few parts of fear left. After the last person walked back over here, she suddenly said: "Has anyone seen the Ghost King Sect's people?"

  Everyone shook their heads, and then they all froze for a moment. Li Xun's face suddenly looked even more unsightly standing beside them. Xiao Yi glanced at him before turning to Lu Xueqi: "Many ordinary disciples of the Gui Wang Sect have died, but it seems like... no famous figures' corpses are among them."

  Lu Xueqi's expression eased, but Li Xu's eyes beside her suddenly shone brightly as he said coldly: "Shao Shixiong, have you forgotten that these demon beasts are man-eaters? Along the way here, we've seen countless white bones. Who knows whether those Gui Wang Zong demons have already..."

  "Ah!" A shout interrupted Li Xun's words, but it was Yan Hong who suddenly couldn't hold back and ran to the corner of the wall to vomit. Li Xun was stunned for a moment, then let out a sigh and stopped speaking.

  Fa Xiang's face showed a look of unbearable pain, and Fa Shan and the two of them recited Buddha's name in unison in low voices. Everyone knew that although Li Xun's words were harsh, this possibility was really very high. Xiao Yicai, Lin Jingyu and others had complex expressions on their faces, slowly lowering their heads, only Lu Xueqi's face was pale, her face as white as a ghost, and even her body shook involuntarily for a few times.

  It was just that this cold and quiet woman did not lower her head, she slowly lifted it up, gazing upwards towards the sky, where even the clouds above the mountain valley looked blood-red.

  Lu Xueqi's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to shout something, but in the end, no sound came out!