The moment Lin Baichuan stepped into the village, a gust of yin wind swept over him, chilling him to the bone.
"Damn it, why is it so cold?!"
Niu Zhenye, Wu Xiaoqi, and Luo Kang ahead of him all instinctively pulled their clothes tighter and could not help shuddering.
Lin Baichuan's pupils narrowed slightly at the sight.
Niu Zhenye and the other two were all Intermediate Demon Slayers. Their cultivation had long since reached the Eighth Rank, making them immune to cold and heat. Yet a mere gust of yin wind had made them shiver. It was clear just how terrifyingly cold this village was.
But what surprised Lin Baichuan most was that Ying Que, who had come with them, looked perfectly normal, as though the icy chill had no effect on him at all.
That made Lin Baichuan frown, his thoughts stirring.
"Something's wrong... The Intelligence Officers' main duty is gathering intelligence, so many of them are only average in strength. Even Niu Zhenye and the others can't endure the village's icy Killing Intent, yet Ying Que isn't affected in the slightest..."
A sharp glint flashed in Lin Baichuan's eyes. After giving Ying Que a meaningful look, he quietly put some distance between himself and the man.
Damn it, every last one of them was a sneaky bastard, hiding themselves far too well. Who knew whether they were human or ghost?
The village was barren and desolate, steeped in an eerie, terrifying atmosphere. Killing Intent and mist filled the air, blocking even the starlight. The group of seven moved forward cautiously. Lin Baichuan kept his right hand on his saber hilt, ready to draw at the first sign of trouble.
The farther they went, the more intense the icy chill became.
Lin Baichuan even saw a faint layer of frost covering everyone's clothes. It was as though even their blood had begun to flow sluggishly, giving them the illusion that it might freeze solid at any moment.
Creak...
Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out, like a dead branch snapping. Unease rose in his heart.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that moment, a figure shot out from the depths of the village like a ghost, hurtling straight at Lin Baichuan and the others.
"Watch out..."
Li Da, walking at the front, bellowed. His saber was already out of its sheath as he slashed fiercely at the figure. Qin Qing beside him was no slower. With a flick of her longsword, brilliant sword light flashed as she thrust at the ghostly figure almost together with Li Da.
Clang...
Saber and sword struck the ghostly figure at the same time, sending sparks flying.
The figure rapidly retreated, about to vanish into the darkness.
Just then, Qin Qing suddenly raised a hand. A talisman shot forth and exploded in midair, turning into a mass of blazing flames that instantly enveloped the ghostly figure trying to retreat.
Roar! Roar!
A low, piercing roar rang out. The figure shuddered, and icy Baleful Intent spilled from its body, effortlessly extinguishing the flames around it.
But in that brief instant, Li Da had already led Qin Qing, Niu Zhenye, Luo Kang, and Wu Xiaoqi in surrounding the ghostly figure. As the flames around it died out and the yin Baleful Intent dispersed, its true form was revealed.
It was a demon resembling an ape, with a pointed mouth, monkey-like cheeks, and a head full of strange red hair.
"It's a Mountain Fiend, at least Soldier Tier 3." Li Da's pupils contracted as he said in a deep voice, "This thing is strange. Its body is incredibly tough, almost impervious to blades and spears. Its eyes and navel are its weak points. Form up..."
"Kill!"
The moment Li Da finished speaking, Qin Qing and the other four moved. Together with Li Da, they formed a mysterious battle formation, their invisible aura locking onto the Mountain Fiend.
Lin Baichuan's pupils narrowed slightly. His right hand gripped the saber hilt, but his body instinctively took a step back.
"Sir, aren't you going in?"
Ying Que suddenly grinned at him from the side.
Lin Baichuan glanced at him without replying, only cautiously moving several more steps aside. His actions stunned Ying Que, whose mouth then began to twitch.
Damn it, what kind of look was that? Was he guarding against a thief?
Boom... Bang...
In that short time, Li Da's group of five had already clashed with the Mountain Fiend. Their battle formation trapped it within, and they attacked together.
For a time, saber light and sword shadows collided more than ten times in the blink of an eye, each impact producing a series of bangs.
Lin Baichuan immediately turned to look, his brows knitting tightly. This Mountain Fiend truly was formidable. It had actually fought Li Da's group of five to a standstill.
"What terrifying strength. It's probably at the peak of Soldier Tier 3, perhaps even one foot into Tier 4..."
Lin Baichuan thought to himself.
Just like human martial artists, demons also had ranks. The lowest was Soldier Tier, divided into nine tiers, corresponding exactly to the human martial artists' Flesh Grand Realm.
Soldier Tier 3 was equivalent to the Seventh Rank Organ Forging Realm.
Judging by this Mountain Fiend's strength, it had likely stepped halfway into Tier 4, equivalent to the half-step Sixth Rank Blood Refining Realm. Fortunately, Li Da and the others knew how to use a battle formation. Otherwise, they might not have been able to suppress it.
Roar! Roar!
Just as countless thoughts flashed through Lin Baichuan's mind and he considered whether to go help, the Mountain Fiend suddenly let out a great roar that shook the entire village.
The next moment, a sudden change erupted.
Awooo...
Thick waves of blood stench suddenly wafted out from all around the village. Then, figure after figure burst from the surrounding houses like wild beasts, instantly encircling Lin Baichuan and the others.
They were not beasts, but people.
No!
More accurately, they were dead people. Like zombies, they gave off low growls and icy Baleful Intent. Strange red light burst from their eyes. There were at least several hundred of them, slowly closing in on Lin Baichuan and the others.
"These are walking corpses that have undergone corpse transformation. How can there be so many?" Qin Qing's expression changed as she gritted her teeth. "Captain, hold off the Mountain Fiend first. I'll deal with these things."
"No. The Mountain Fiend is too powerful. If you leave, we won't be able to maintain the battle formation. We won't be able to stop it at all."
Li Da immediately shook his head. After forcing the Mountain Fiend back with a slash, he shouted at Lin Baichuan, "Lin Baichuan, leave these walking corpses to you. This is your mission. Don't disappoint me..."
Lin Baichuan's face darkened at once. He was no fool. He knew Li Da was trying to kill with a borrowed knife, using these walking corpses to get rid of him. What a fine scheme.
But this fellow was destined to be disappointed.
If he were merely an ordinary Ninth Rank Skin Refinement Realm martial artist, he would definitely be no match for these hundreds of walking corpses. He might truly have played right into Li Da's hands.
Unfortunately, Li Da's calculations were doomed to fail. Lin Baichuan was no ordinary Ninth Rank Skin Refinement Realm martial artist. His physical strength had reached ten thousand jin, and he had mastered the Seven Kill Saber Art to the point of perfection. He had even comprehended Saber Intent.
Even against Li Da, he had nothing to fear. These mere hundreds of walking corpses were naturally beneath his notice. Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Baichuan's mind as his gaze gradually sharpened. With a raise of his hand, his saber left its sheath, and he charged straight at the hundreds of walking corpses closing in on him.
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