Total Chaos, A Feast for Demon Beasts

Two cultivators at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, along with six other cultivators, had cornered him. Chen Dengming was so terrified he nearly wet himself. After breaking free, he sprinted away at full speed for a long distance.

Only after repeatedly confirming no one was chasing him did he immediately turn and speed off in another direction.

After doing this a few times, he finally breathed a sigh of relief, half-crouching on the ground, gasping for air. Sweat poured off him like a broken dam, and on this cold day, hot white mist billowed from his body.

"Hoo—hoo—hoo—"

Chen Dengming panted, hearing his own heart pounding violently. He patted the Golden Silkworm Gu hidden in his chest, which he had prepared to use to save his life at a critical moment.

With a 'whoosh,' the Golden Silkworm's wings buzzed as it flew out, circling him as if to comfort its little brother and tell him not to panic.

The Blood Centipede Gu also flew out, hovering by his side. It occasionally landed, its pincer-like teeth rubbing and wriggling, as if savoring the bloody feast from earlier.

"Damn it, they really think highly of me, sending two cultivators at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation and six others just to catch me? Hiss, good thing I was careful."

Chen Dengming rarely cursed, but he was filled with both anger and lingering fear.

If he had been a moment slower, he might have been surrounded.

Even if he had unleashed his killer weapon, the Golden Silkworm Gu, he might not have been able to break through the encirclement quickly.

After all, that Lin Jun looked very strong, and with a mid-grade Magic Item at his disposal, he might have been able to contend with the Golden Silkworm Gu.

If the Golden Silkworm Gu couldn't create an opening immediately, he would have to pay a heavy price to break free.

With so many enemies, if they all cast spells on him, he wouldn't be able to withstand it. He'd either be riddled with holes or lose his combat ability.

As he gradually calmed down, Chen Dengming felt something was strange, something was off.

How could the people from Iron Forest Hall know he had just emerged from seclusion at Wu Chen's invitation and had set up an ambush, waiting for him to fall into their trap?

It was unlikely they just happened to meet him on the way; who would encounter such a large force by chance?

Unless they deliberately concealed their presence, he would have sensed their Spiritual Might from afar.

And even if it were a coincidence, Lin Jun from Iron Forest Hall and another unknown cultivator at the fourth level of Qi Cultivation, along with six cultivators, were on their way to Hutong Street. They saw him mid-journey and immediately changed their minds to capture him. But the problem was...

How did they know their route? How did they get ahead to set up an ambush?

"There's an inside mole."

Chen Dengming's brows furrowed, his expression as dark as water.

For now, he couldn't be sure who had betrayed him, including Wu Chen and the others, to lure him to the Gu refining grounds.

Anyone could be the culprit, and the betrayer might not even reveal themselves.

They only needed to get close to the Gu refining grounds and quietly damage some of the Gu. When Wu Chen and the others inspected them and found the damage, they would naturally come to him for repairs, as that was his duty.

This way, the entire process of luring him out of the Gathering Place would seem natural and seamless, almost foolproof.

"I didn't expect to encounter such a thing before leaving. Iron Forest Hall couldn't resist making a move against me after all."

Chen Dengming stood up and looked in the direction of the Gathering Place, a hint of decisiveness in his eyes.

He couldn't go back to the Gathering Place anymore.

He couldn't be sure if Iron Forest Hall had set up informants outside his residence, or if the mole was still watching him.

And now that Iron Forest Hall had made a move against him, they were likely targeting the Golden Character Workshop as well. It was impossible for Xu Ning to avoid the vortex.

A battle between cultivators would soon erupt in the Gathering Place.

"It's just a pity about my travel bag left in my residence. It contained twenty Low-grade Spirit Stones.

That bag was hidden on the roof. I hope no one found it. I'll consider it savings.

Even if someone found it, the Spirit Stones were mixed with Spirit Stone Gu. Uh, I hope it doesn't harm innocent people. As long as they are honest and don't pocket what isn't theirs, they'll be fine."

Chen Dengming felt a pang of regret, comforted himself, and then turned to set off again.

Fortunately, he hadn't put all his eggs in one basket.

He had buried assets in several other locations outside the Gathering Place, which he could dig up at any time.

And the most important item, the Spirit Seizing Array Disk containing the Little Array Spirit, was always carried with him.

Only the Spirit Seizing Array Disk hidden in the place of quiet cultivation had not been retrieved. That place was no longer safe, and Chen Dengming had no intention of retrieving it for the time being.

As it turned out, Chen Dengming was right not to return to the Gathering Place.

That day, a fierce battle between cultivators broke out in the Gathering Place.

As many as six factions were involved, and the Golden Character Workshop couldn't stay out of it.

Nearly a hundred cultivators engaged in a fierce battle that night. Chen Dengming, hiding in a mountain crevice far from the Gathering Place, watched with a shiver, grateful he hadn't gone back to show off.

Although winter had arrived, the New Year hadn't come yet. The Fireball Technique explosions in the Gathering Place looked just like New Year fireworks.

One could imagine the brutality of the battle. Behind every exploding Fireball Technique firework, there must have been flying flesh and blood, and bodies charred to charcoal.

That night, a large crowd of people fled from the Gathering Place. Not only Mortals were fleeing, but cultivators were too.

Chen Dengming, hiding in the mountain crevice where he had hidden before, could occasionally hear the sound of people running outside.

There were even people fighting outside, and not far away, he heard a woman's screams and pleas for mercy.

Later, the sound turned into a special rhythm of the weak submitting to the strong.

Finally, that rhythm disappeared entirely.

In the latter half of the night, a Spiritual Might, oppressive and filled with Sha Qi, suddenly appeared.

This was immediately followed by a series of strange sounds, like swords and sabers striking the ground at an extremely rapid frequency. Then, terrified screams echoed from near and far.

"Demon Beasts!"

Chen Dengming instantly jolted awake from his cultivation state. He immediately grabbed the Ice Spirit Blade, summoned two Gu, his expression extremely grave.

From the strange sounds, he discerned that the Demon Beast outside was likely the same Spider Demon Beast that had appeared before. His face grew grim.

A fierce battle had broken out within the Gathering Place, and both Rogue Cultivators and Mortals had fled.

The result was a gluttonous feast for the Demon Beasts that night.

Demon Beasts in winter naturally lacked food and were starving. It would have been good enough if they hadn't attacked the Gathering Place.

But now, the 'food' from within the Gathering Place had all run out on its own.

The cruelty at the bottom of the Cultivation World was laid bare in its entirety that night.

The Gathering Place was originally a place for Rogue Cultivators and Mortals to band together for warmth. However, because the marriage between the Luo and Luo families fell through, the balance that had been maintained for a long time was once again shattered.

The illusion of peace was torn to shreds overnight.

Many people who didn't die in the great battle within the Gathering Place perished in the mouths of the Demon Beasts outside.

And this was merely a minor clash between a few Cultivation families, yet the consequences were unbearable for over three thousand people.

What if it were a battle between much larger Cultivation sects? The flames of war might sweep across the entire Southern Region, plunging ordinary people into dire straits.

"If a petal falls from a high and mighty Cultivation sect onto many people, wouldn't it be a mountain that crushes countless individuals?"

That night, Chen Dengming stayed awake, carefully hiding in a mountain crevice. His two Gu guarded his sides, and the Little Array Spirit, nestled within the array disk, remained silent.

This strange combination guarded until dawn.

The sounds of Demon Beasts gnawing, accompanied by strange dragging noises, finally faded away...

(There will be another update in the morning. It's the end of the month, remember to use up your monthly votes.)