Underground Demons

Through the distant firelight, they saw clearly that it was a group of Underground Demons, each holding a torch in one hand and a steel fork in the other, with two slight bulges on their backs like large meat buns.

Shen Hao's pupils contracted as he cried out in alarm, "Yakshas?"

Among the underground demon race came Demon Men first, then Yakshas. A rank higher were Flying Yakshas, while the Great Commanders above them were called Asuras.

Demon Men were equivalent to Divine Strength Realm experts, while Yakshas were equivalent to Divine Courage Realm experts. Flying Yakshas were equivalent to experts at the Tenth Level of Body Refinement, the Divine Transformation Realm.

As for Asuras, they were equivalent to Mystic Divine Realm experts.

The four of them had never imagined that they would encounter Yakshas on the outskirts of the Underground World, much less so many of them.

"Leave this place." Shen Hao suppressed the terror in his heart and spoke in a low voice.

The four did not dare make the slightest sound. They slowly backed away and did not stop until they had fled dozens of miles.

"What is going on? Why are there so many Yakshas?" Shen Hao asked, panting heavily.

Yakshas were equivalent to Divine Courage Realm experts, and among the four of them, only Fang Qingxue had just entered the Divine Courage Realm.

Shen Ruolan was still lingering in the Divine Strength Realm. If she encountered Yakshas like these, she would only be slaughtered.

"Third Brother, what should we do now?" Shen Ruolan asked softly.

"Let's go back to the sect. Our previous gains have already been quite good, enough for us to cultivate for some time. Qing Xue, Fang Xuan, what do you think?"

Fang Xuan fell silent for a moment before saying, "Don't you think this is strange?"

"Hm?"

"This is the outskirts of the Underground World. Logically, so many underground demons should not appear here, much less demons at the Yaksha level. Something must have happened ahead."

"No matter what happened, it is not something we can handle. It would be better to report it to the sect." Shen Hao's expression was grave.

"Reporting it to the sect is indeed the simplest way to deal with it, but I still want to go back and take a look," Fang Xuan said.

Fang Qingxue frowned. "You think there is treasure?"

"These Yakshas couldn't have come all the way here for sightseeing because they had nothing better to do, could they?"

"No, it is too dangerous." Shen Hao still shook his head.

Fang Xuan considered it, then said, "How about this? I'll go back alone and investigate the situation. If it proves impossible, I'll return."

"I'll go with you."

Fang Xuan glanced at Fang Qingxue, then nodded. "All right."

Shen Hao shook his head with a bitter smile. "The two of you are powerful, but Ruo Lan and I are not. We cannot handle even a single Yaksha. How about this? We'll return to the surface and wait for you. You two must not take too great a risk."

"Fine."

After making the arrangements, Fang Xuan and Fang Qingxue stealthily headed forward.

Behind a black boulder, the two hid in the darkness.

"Ten, eleven, twelve... twelve Yakshas. That means twelve Divine Courage Realm experts," Fang Xuan said solemnly.

"Fang Xuan, look. They are hunting Demon Beasts."

"Let's get closer and take a look."

Fortunately, the Underground World was utterly dark, with only the Nightlight Mushrooms emitting faint glimmers of light. The two were not discovered as they moved stealthily.

A Demon Bear that had been dead for some time had been casually tossed aside. Its belly had been ripped open, and its heart was already gone.

"The heart is missing."

"The Blood Wolf beside it is the same. Only its heart is missing," Fang Qingxue said as she darted over from the side.

"That is not right! Underground Demons ate raw flesh and drank blood, and they loved blood food. They could not possibly take only the hearts, unless..."

"Unless they have something more important to do, and they need the hearts of these Demon Beasts for it."

The two exchanged a glance.

"Let's get closer."

The two approached the group of Underground Demons once more. A moment later, from a sunken crevice in the rocks a hundred meters away, they finally saw it.

A small altar stood within the mountain valley. Unknown, bizarre symbols had been drawn upon its black stones, while all kinds of Demon Beast hearts of varying sizes had been placed around it. Not far away lay scattered carcasses of Demon Beasts that had long since died.

"Look."

Fang Qingxue followed the direction Fang Xuan pointed and saw a blood-red crystal floating in the air at the center of the altar. The crystal was entirely crimson, exuding a bloody, sinister aura.

The hearts arranged on the altar shriveled at a visible rate. As they withered, the blood-red crystal emitted an increasingly dazzling scarlet glow.

Sniff, sniff, sniff!

"Fang Xuan, do you smell a fragrant scent?"

"It is coming from that blood-colored crystal. I know what it is now. All Worlds mentioned that besides cultivation, Underground Demons could also devour the hearts of living beings to obtain essence blood and increase their strength. That crystal is a treasure called an Essence Bloodstone, refined through the altar. It can strengthen one's vitality and blood and enhance mental power. If a Yaksha consumes it, it can advance into a Flying Yaksha. It is useful to us as well."

That last sentence was the key. Fang Qingxue's eyes lit up as she turned to Fang Xuan. "Twelve Yakshas. Six each."

Fang Xuan grinned as well, revealing a row of neat teeth.

"Good."

Seizing the opportunity, the Demon Slaying Sword flashed with cold light. The two nearest Yakshas were instantly decapitated, their faces still carrying confused expressions at the moment of death.

Why can I see my body? Huh, where is my head?

"Damn it! Humans! Kill them!"

"Haha, we actually ran into two humans, and one of them is a woman! They must have come to the Underground World to hunt Demon Beasts and make a fortune. We'll eat the man, and bring the woman back to offer to the Great Commander!"

Having said that, the Yakshas all let out piercing shrieks. Wielding their Steel Forks, they leaped several times like enormous grasshoppers and rapidly closed in on the two, as if they had seen the most delicious food imaginable.

These Yakshas possessed astonishing leaping power. A single leap could send them three or four men high and thirty or forty paces away, enough to vault over an ordinary house.

Though they could not glide through the sky like Flying Yakshas, they still displayed demonic abilities. Ordinary Divine Courage Realm experts could not leap so high or so far.

"Kill!"

Fang Xuan straightened his body, raised the Demon Slaying Sword, and charged forward.

These Underground Demons had one characteristic: they possessed immense strength, but their martial techniques were relatively crude and lacked the refined precision forged through countless temperings by humans. Their intelligence was only slightly inferior to that of humans. After all, the fact that they could use torches proved they had nothing to do with the word beast.

One Yaksha leaped forward first. Like a fierce tiger, it viciously thrust its steel fork at Fang Xuan. Cold light flashed from it, and its force was great enough to skewer an ox for roasting.

Clang!

The Dragon Slaying Sword collided with the steel fork, producing a piercing sound. The Yaksha's steel fork was immediately knocked flying, while the scales on its arm cracked apart.

Even the Yaksha was stunned by this sight. It had actually been suppressed by a human in terms of strength. How was that possible?