Demonic Sect!

In a hidden mountain behind the beast tide.

Two cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining watched the distant beast tide, their expressions utterly cold.

"Chen Feng! You promised me! As long as I helped drive this beast tide, you'd return my portion of the Shadow Gu recording jade slip!"

A young disciple in Beast Taming Sect robes, his face marked by anxiety and inner turmoil, glared at the churning mass of black mist before him. His voice trembled with agitation.

He clutched a beast-controlling flute so tightly that his knuckles had gone white.

He was Zhang Tie, a disciple of the Beast Taming Sect!

The black mist slowly drew in, revealing a pale, sinister face with a mocking sneer at the corner of its mouth. It was none other than Chen Feng, a disciple of the Demonic Sect.

The demonic qi roiling around him at the peak of Qi Refining was entirely undisguised, pressing down on Zhang Tie until he could barely breathe.

"Junior Brother Zhang, there's no need to get worked up."

Chen Feng's voice was hoarse, his tone playful, like a cat toying with a mouse. "Of course I'll return the jade slip to you. After all, it records the splendid moment when you secretly used the Heart-Devouring Gu to ambush a fellow senior disciple and seize his good fortune. If that got out, the Beast Taming Sect's rules... Heh, heh."

Zhang Tie's face turned as white as paper, and his body trembled slightly. That jade slip was his greatest nightmare—and the leverage Chen Feng held over him.

Savoring his fear, Chen Feng continued at an unhurried pace. "Still, merely drawing in a beast tide isn't enough credit to buy back your clean slate and bright future. Our target is more than this little Qingyang Market."

He turned his gaze toward Qingyang Market, madness and ambition flickering in his eyes. "Ye Lingshuang! You've heard that woman's name, haven't you? She's a newly established Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator from the Spring Autumn Sect, and supposedly a direct descendant of that old monster! She has astonishing talent. If she's allowed to grow, she'll become a great threat to our Holy Sect!"

"This beast tide is bait prepared for her! Once the Spring Autumn Sect learns that this place is besieged by a massive beast tide, they'll surely send a Foundation Establishment cultivator to the rescue. According to our inside information, the one leading them will most likely be Ye Lingshuang, who just recently broke through to Foundation Establishment and needs experience to consolidate her cultivation!"

A savage smile spread across Chen Feng's face. "If she doesn't come, she'll stand by and watch everyone in this market die, dealing a blow to her spirit and throwing her Dao heart into disarray! But if she does come..."

He abruptly clenched his fist, black demonic qi curling around his fingers. "I'll make sure she never leaves! Killing her would be a great achievement! By then, forget just returning your recording jade slip—I might even help you establish your foundation!"

Zhang Tie was horrified. His voice came out hoarse. "K-kill a Foundation Establishment cultivator? Senior Brother Chen, we're only at the Qi Refining stage..."

"Hmph! Fool!"

Chen Feng cut him off with contempt. "If I dared to plot this, would I have come unprepared?" He unconsciously touched his storage bag, which clearly held an extremely terrifying trump card.

"You just need to control that stupid wolf and make the beast tide attack harder, forcing their Foundation Establishment cultivator to show herself. Leave the rest to me!"

Seeing the mad confidence in Chen Feng's eyes, Zhang Tie felt an even deeper chill. But with his weakness firmly in Chen Feng's grasp, he had no way back. He could only grit his teeth and say, "Understood. I've temporarily controlled the Moon-Howling Wolf King with secret medicine and the flute. It'll follow my orders and intensify the attack."

"Excellent."

Chen Feng nodded with satisfaction. "Go on, make this slaughter feast livelier! Remember, we're both grasshoppers tied to the same rope now."

Zhang Tie took a deep breath. The struggle in his eyes finally faded into grim resolve. He raised the beast-controlling flute and played another tune, faster and more bloodthirsty than before.

The beast tide smashed through the market's defenses and instantly became a flood of destruction, sweeping in.

The defense line formed by low-ranking cultivators and rogue cultivators crumbled at the first touch. Screams, roars, the clash of magical artifacts, and collapsing buildings all mingled together, turning Qingyang Market into a living hell.

Zhao Kun led several outer-sect disciples in a formation, struggling to hold their ground. They could barely protect themselves as they fought and retreated, while one disciple after another was dragged away and torn apart by frenzied demonic beasts.

Amid the chaos, Li Qingshan seemed to dodge the beasts' pounces in a panic. In truth, he moved like a drifting shadow, slipping clear of fatal attacks by a hair's breadth each time.

He held back for two reasons: he didn't want to reveal his strength too soon, and he had kept his divine sense trained on the Moon-Howling Wolf King at the rear of the beast pack.

Something's not right...

Doubts churned in Li Qingshan's mind.

The beast tide was fierce, yet the Moon-Howling Wolf King hadn't joined the battle. Instead, it seemed to be... waiting for something?

There's no time to worry about that! With a second-tier demonic beast here, Qingyang Market is finished. I have to leave first!

A sharp glint flashed in Li Qingshan's eyes, and he immediately darted into the distance.

He had the strength to stand against the Foundation Establishment Realm Moon-Howling Wolf King, but he couldn't hold back a beast tide of tens of thousands.

He couldn't save so many people, and rushing in would only expose himself.

So he didn't hesitate for a moment. He chose to flee.

By sheer coincidence, the direction he fled in was the very one where the Beast Taming Sect and Demonic Sect disciples were hiding.

Keeping his aura at the third level of Qi Refining, Li Qingshan looked utterly bedraggled as he wove through the demonic beasts, escaped the beast tide, and raced toward the mountain forest ahead.

"Heh, another old fool delivering himself to our door. Third-level Qi Refining? Pathetic. Too bad for you, but you still have to die!"

Chen Feng sneered when he saw Li Qingshan fleeing toward them, his voice cruel.

With a casual wave, he sent a concentrated strand of black demonic qi shooting out like a venomous snake, straight for Li Qingshan's heart. He clearly meant to kill him as an afterthought.

To him, a third-level Qi Refining, decrepit old servant was no different from an ant.

Yet when faced with this sudden, deadly attack, the frightened old man's eyes suddenly flashed with a glint!

Li Qingshan stumbled as though clumsy, twisting his body by the tiniest margin. The fierce demonic qi skimmed past his clothes and struck the bluestone behind him with a puff, corroding a deep pit into it.

"Hm?"

Chen Feng gave a quiet, surprised sound. The black mist around him wavered, revealing a hint of astonishment.

There was no way a third-level Qi Refining cultivator could dodge a casual strike from him!

Zhang Tie also sensed something amiss and eyed Li Qingshan warily.

Li Qingshan inwardly cursed. He hadn't expected two cultivators at the peak of Qi Refining to be hiding behind the beast tide.

He instantly realized that the two men had to be connected to the beast tide.

And they were so vigilant and ruthless that they'd casually tried to kill him to silence him.

Looks like I have no choice but to act!

A cold glint flashed through Li Qingshan's eyes. He was about to summon the Crimson Dragon Sword and kill the two men.

But at that moment—

"Bold demon! How dare you trespass on the Spring Autumn Sect's territory!"

A clear, icy shout rang out from the sky, like the ice of the highest heavens, drowning out the clamor all around!

A blazing Azure Sword Light shot down from above like a meteor, aiming straight for Chen Feng with unerring precision!

Before the sword light even arrived, its fierce, unmatched sword intent sent the demonic qi around Chen Feng roiling violently!

Immediately afterward, an even more powerful Foundation Establishment Realm pressure crashed down. The figure of a middle-aged cultivator in the Spring Autumn Sect's steward robes appeared. He shouted furiously, "So that's why there's a beast tide at Qingyang Market—you were the ones driving it! Demonic Sect fiends, prepare to die!"

He raised his hand, sending a mighty Golden Light Dharma Seal crashing down over Chen Feng and Zhang Tie.