The sudden surge of Yao Qi, thick and foul-smelling, carrying the most primal brutality and hunger, surged forth from the depths of the warehouse like a tangible tide, instantly overwhelming Lu Chen's senses.
At that moment, every hair on his body stood on end, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
This was definitely not the aura of any Demon Beast he had ever encountered before!
Its strength far surpasses that of the Meridian Opening Realm, and even... made him feel insignificant and trembling when facing Xiantian Realm expert!
" The Ye Family's warehouse actually hides something like this?!" A horrifying thought exploded in his mind.
This is no longer a simple case of colluding with the Ghostface Organization to smuggle contraband!
To privately raise and hide such a powerful demon in the Capital City, right under the emperor's nose, is a heinous crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan!
Meanwhile, the warehouse was thrown into chaos by this sudden turn of events.
"What happened?!"
"The dungeon! It's over there in the dungeon!"
"Why has that beast suddenly gone mad? Quickly report to the High Priest!"
The once quiet warehouse was instantly brightly lit, filled with people, shouts, running, and the sound of weapons being drawn, all mixed together with the inhuman roars to create a chaotic symphony.
Lu Chen suppressed the pounding in his heart, his eyes instantly becoming sharp as an eagle's.
Chance!
The trap set by the Ye Family has been severely compromised by this sudden internal upheaval, resulting in a major loophole.
Everyone's attention was drawn to the crazed demon, and even the several auras that had been lurking in the shadows, which had been causing him pressure, began to fluctuate and quickly moved toward the source of the Yao Qi eruption.
"Now's the time!"
Without the slightest hesitation, he activated the < Black Tortoise Breath Concealment Art > to its fullest extent, transforming himself into a shadowless entity. He clung to the base of the wall, silently vaulting over the section of the side wall he had already surveyed, like a raccoon dog, and gracefully landed in the abandoned warehouse area behind the wall.
The warehouse was filled with dusty, broken boxes and discarded furniture, and the air was thick with the smell of mildew and dust, which temporarily masked the nauseating eerie Yao Qi.
Lu Chen held his breath, his Divine Sense spreading outwards cautiously like the finest spider silk, sensing the movements of the outside world.
He could clearly hear that most of the guards were gathering in the direction of an inconspicuous stone house in the center of the warehouse, which seemed to be the entrance to the underground, from which a dense Yao Qi was constantly emanating.
"The dungeon... it really is underground." Lu Chen realized.
Using the debris as cover, he moved like a ghost through the shadows, dodging the scattered guards heading towards the central area, and quickly approached the stone house.
The closer one gets, the more oppressive the Yao Qi becomes, and the clearer the roars grow. The pain and madness contained within are enough to cause the mentally weak to break down.
The area around the stone house was under martial law, and several Shadow Guards with refined auras held Qi-Breaking Crossbow that gleamed with a cold light, nervously aiming them at the stone entrance.
An old man in a gray robe with a sinister face stood outside the stone gate, listening to his subordinate's report with a livid expression.
"My lord, for some unknown reason, that Blood Eye has suddenly broken through the two runic shackles and is frantically ramming against the black iron bars! If this continues, I'm afraid..."
The gray-robed old man was none other than Ye Hong, the guardian of the Ye Family stationed here, a half-step Xiantian expert!
He snorted coldly, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping. "Useless! It must be that the Blood Food you fed it wasn't pure enough, or something went wrong somewhere, triggering its ferocity! Send more men and activate the Demon Trapping Array! We absolutely cannot let it escape, or we will all perish with it!"
"Yes!"
Lu Chen hid behind a pile of cargo boxes dozens of feet away and overheard their conversation clearly.
" Blood Eye... rune shackles... Blood Food..." These words quickly formed in his mind.
The Ye Family was indeed secretly engaged in activities related to demons, and it sounded like they were imprisoning and feeding this demon named Blood Eye!
What are they trying to do?
What is this Blood Food?
Just then, a deafening crash came from inside the stone house, accompanied by the grating sound of black iron twisting and the guards' screams of terror.
"Oh no! The railing is about to break!"
"Stop it!"
boom--!
The heavy stone door of the stone house suddenly shattered open, and amidst the flying debris, a huge black shadow, carrying an overwhelming stench of blood, suddenly burst out!
It was Demon Beast in the form of a giant wolf, larger than an ordinary tiger, with fur that was an ominous dark red, as if it were soaked in blood.
What's most chilling are its eyes—no pupils, just a pure, insane, and violent blood red!
It was these Blood Eye that allowed Lu Chen to instantly confirm its identity— the Blood-Eyed Demon Wolf! A descendant of High Antiquity ferocious beast listed in the Demon Suppression Division Bureau's records as extremely dangerous and long extinct in the world!
The Demon Power it emitted had reached the peak of the Meridian Opening Realm, and because of its frenzied state, it was even more destructive than an ordinary peak Meridian Opening Realm cultivator!
"Fire the crossbows!"
Ye Hong shouted sternly.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh--!
The Shadow Guards, who had been waiting in ambush, instantly pulled the trigger. Dozens of specially made Qi-Breaking Crossbow transformed into cold light, tearing through the air and enveloping the Blood-Eyed Demon Wolf that had just escaped its clutches.
However, the demon wolf was incredibly fast. Its massive body displayed an agility that defied common sense. It pushed off the ground with all four limbs, leaving a trail of afterimages, and most of the crossbow bolts missed their mark, grazing its fur.
A few shots hit, but they only left shallow white marks on its tough surface, failing to penetrate!
"Roar!"
The Blood-Eyed Demon Wolf's crimson eyes instantly locked onto Ye Hong, who had given the order; it seemed to instinctively sense that this person posed the greatest threat.
With a burst of power from its hind legs, the ground cracked, and its massive body, like a blood-red cannonball, hurtled straight at Ye Hong! Its sharp claws lashed out, creating five blood-red gusts of wind, shrill and ear-piercing.
"You beast, how dare you!"
Ye Hong's expression darkened, and his powerful True Qi, at the half-step Xiantian, suddenly erupted. His gray robe billowed as he struck out with a palm, the palm wind condensed as if it were solid, faintly carrying the sound of Wind Thunder and thunder.
Boom!
The palm strike collided violently with the crimson gale, the force spreading outwards and sending several Shadow Guards who couldn't dodge in time flying.
Ye Hong swayed, took a half step back, and a flush appeared on his face.
The Blood-Eyed Demon Wolf was also shaken and rolled away, its sharp claws carving deep furrows in the ground.
Their first encounter ended in a draw!
"What a monstrous beast!" Ye Hong's eyes blazed with murderous intent, tinged with a barely perceptible greed. "As expected of an High Antiquity species, if only I could completely tame it..."
Just as he was about to make another move to completely suppress the out-of-control wolf, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a dark figure out of the corner of his eye. While everyone's attention was on the wolf, the figure slipped silently toward the broken entrance to the stone house like a ghost!
It was Lu Chen!
"You little thief! You're asking for it!"