Encounter

At first, the sudden uprising of the Long Wind Society members did not cause the other members of the Thirteen Riders to be overly vigilant.

After all, the strength of the riders was worlds apart from the Long Wind Society members; the gap between the two sides was vast. Even though Yan the Second had secretly deployed archers to hide in the woods, taking advantage of the dim night to loose a sky-filling volley of arrows as dense as a sudden rainstorm, it was difficult to break through the Black Iron Rune Armor worn by the Thirteen Riders.

The moment the arrows fell, Ninth and the other riders entered combat mode. With a crisp "shing," their bright sabers were drawn in unison, whipping up a fierce, violent wind.

The rain of arrows fell one after another, striking the black armor. The runic patterns etched into the plates shimmered with flowing spiritual light, and as the arrows collided with the protective aura, they were all deflected with a rhythmic clatter.

At the same time, those members who had been turned into Corpse Puppets brandished their weapons and charged forward like mindless, blind beasts. This was a battle of attrition relying on sheer numbers.

The seventy-odd members of the Long Wind Society threw oil-soaked torches toward the warhorses beneath the riders, surrounding them from all directions like a silent, surging tide.

However, under the urging of the twelve riders, the dull thudding of hooves suddenly accelerated, sounding like the rhythmic beating of war drums.

With hooves flying and manes tossing amidst rising dust and smoke, the twelve iron riders charged in like the tip of a spear, piercing through the dense, surging offensive of the Corpse Puppets as if they were made of paper.

Yet, the enemy's trap was not so simple. Before the warhorses could break out of the encirclement, they heard a series of "bangs," and a massive wave of toxic smoke surged against the wind, thick and suffocating.

"Careful, the smoke is poisonous!"

Ma Mingsheng, acting as the leader, shouted a warning.

"Cough, cough!"

Ninth coughed several times, reaching out in an attempt to wave away the thick haze.

"Everyone, be careful! This smoke is strange. Do not get entangled; let's break through first..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a heaven-shaking beast roar erupted in his ears.

Instantly, the roar seemed to resound right beside him, shaking his blood and qi until they surged and boiled within him, leaving his ears ringing incessantly.

Whoosh!

A black shadow tore through the toxic smoke, wreathed in violent, baleful intent, and burst forth abruptly.

This was a situation beyond anyone's expectations. As the phantom-like monster roared at the sky, it swung its massive arm directly. Caught off guard, Ninth was struck by the peerless force; with a dull thud, both man and horse were blasted away.

"Ninth!"

The other riders nearby were incensed, their eyes splitting with rage. Ninth and his mount were sent flying, rolling several times across the ground before crashing into the woods and sliding into the distance.

Because the toxic smoke obscured their vision, the riders only heard a miserable horse whinny, and they did not know if Ninth was dead or alive.

"Oh no, it's that Mountain Demon!"

Qi Huiying, one of the twelve riders, had a mind that raced like lightning. She twisted her body in the saddle and raised her palm, aiming the front of a bronze long-case at the strange, demonic shadow.

"Fire!"

With a sharp cry, a series of mechanical clicks sounded. The "Nine Spirit-Serpent Arrows" transformed into several streaks of strange light, breaking through the air. Each black line traced a different trajectory, locking onto the black shadow.

In the blink of an eye, the nine iron arrows, imbued with blood curses, streaked forward like lightning. However, the moment they neared the black shadow, they collided with a distorted force field. A dull explosion erupted as the nine iron arrows shattered upon impact.

"Body-protecting Dan-level Baleful Intent?!"

Seventh's voice carried a hint of a tremor.

"Damn it! It's that One-Horned Mountain Demon from the mountains! How... how could it be a Golden Core-level monster?"

The demonic shadow used its hand to push aside the rising toxic smoke, exhaling scorching steam from a blood-red maw where fangs protruded from its lips. The monster had the head of an ape, and a strange, single horn grew from its forehead.

At first glance, the One-Horned Mountain Demon looked like an ape, but ordinary apes not only lacked horns on their heads, they also did not have fleshy wings sprouting from their ribs.

"A single horn, fleshy wings on the ribs, shaped like a flying ape"—indeed, this matched the records she had read in ancient texts.

Witnessing the appearance of the Mountain Demon with her own eyes, the shock in Qi Huiying's heart could not be overstated—the monster stood over ten feet tall, its towering frame like a small mountain. Even the bears in the mountains would appear exceptionally small before this creature.

The One-Horned Mountain Demon, with its ape-like head, bared its teeth in a grin at the riders and reached out a claw, grabbing one of the Long Wind Society members.

The Corpse Puppet struggled, but the Mountain Demon stretched its neck and brought the victim to its mouth. Then, with a "crunch," the fanged maw bit down. With a simultaneous movement of its upper and lower jaws, the Corpse Puppet's body was severed in half. The creature swallowed the flesh raw, gulping it down into its belly.

After eating only half, the Mountain Demon's expression changed. It suddenly threw the half-corpse to the ground and spat out the chewed-up flesh.

The upper torso landed on the ground as a pool of gore, where one could vaguely distinguish a human head and steaming internal organs.

The remaining riders frowned, filled with confusion—they did not know that the Mountain Demon was acting this way simply because the flesh of the Corpse Puppet was mixed with special drugs.

It had to be said that for a monster like the Mountain Demon, the taste was repulsive. Although the creature was naturally inclined to eat human flesh, this bite was like a normal person eating rotten fish or carrion; its heart constricted, and it nearly retched, unable to swallow it.

The One-Horned Mountain Demon paused, scratching its chest with a claw. There, a patch of fur had been scorched—a fresh wound that had yet to heal.

The One-Horned Mountain Demon was a creature that loved to sleep, and this one was no exception. It had been sleeping soundly in the mountains until it was suddenly awakened by a Green-Robed Person who had wounded it, causing it to fly into a rage and pursue him.

The target had fled quickly, and after chasing for a while, the Mountain Demon had stumbled upon this place and encountered a large group of humans.

Seeing so much fresh meat, it had been overjoyed, grabbing one to satisfy its hunger. But upon biting down, it was nearly knocked to the ground by the foul, fishy stench that permeated its very organs.

Only after spitting it out did the One-Horned Mountain Demon realize that the Corpse Puppets gathered around, including the one it had just mistakenly eaten, all emitted that same nauseating, herbal stench. This infuriated the Mountain Demon, which had been sleeping in its cave for days and was famished.

It twitched its nose, sniffing the surrounding air, and its spirits lifted.

Fortunately, there seemed to be other prey here!

Mixed within the pale yellow toxic smoke was the scent of blood and qi from warriors with rich vitality, which was, for a Mountain Demon that loved to eat humans, an absolute delicacy.

It twisted its thick neck, moving its shoulders and neck like a human, and cast a hungry gaze toward the members of the Flying Cloud Twelve Riders present.

(Oh no! We've fallen into a trap...)

Among the Thirteen Flying Cloud Riders, aside from Purple-Complexioned Face Ma Mingsheng, Qi Huiying was the second to sense the impending crisis.

Her phoenix eyes suddenly lifted, meeting the gaze of the mountain demon opposite her; the eyes of human and monster locked across the distance.

In that very instant, Qi Huiying saw a ravenous appetite reflected in the beast's gaze.

This mountain demon intends to devour me!

No sooner had this thought surfaced than the grotesque, hideous mountain monster lunged forward as if teleporting.

Before Qi Huiying could even reach for the bronze case to unleash the Nine Spirit-Serpent Arrows, the One-Horned Mountain Demon was already upon her warhorse, its pitch-black claws swiping through the air, sending a spray of boiling blood into the sky.

"Fifth!!!"

The other riders were struck with shock, one after another spurring their steeds to charge at the One-Horned Mountain Demon with all their might.

"Good heavens, this One-Horned Mountain Demon is even stronger than I imagined. Was that the beast's protective Dan-Baleful Intent that blocked those spirit arrows just now?"

He Ping remained hidden in the shadows, secretly observing the battle in the woods; even he had not expected this mountain demon to be so formidable.

Although many monsters in this world possessed the innate talent to cultivate internal elixirs, those capable of forming Dan-Baleful Intent within a mere three hundred years were truly rare.

"It seems the Thirteen Flying Cloud Riders are going to fall here today. Since this creature can cultivate an elixir and form Baleful Intent, it is no ordinary monster—it is more fitting to call it a 'demon'."

He saw the situation with perfect clarity, knowing that the strength of these thirteen riders was insufficient to suppress the One-Horned Mountain Demon.

Sure enough, once Qi Huiying, who was capable of wielding the "Nine Spirit-Serpent Arrows," had her arm severed, the remaining riders could no longer hold their ground. In less than a few breaths, several more were killed on the spot by the mountain demon.

The Thirteen Flying Cloud Riders had always been of one mind, treating each other as brothers and sisters. Seeing their companions not only slaughtered but also gutted, their hearts and livers torn out and devoured by the monster, left the survivors with their hair standing on end and their eyes splitting from rage.

The ensuing slaughter became even more brutal, with the Thirteen Flying Cloud Riders, including their leader Ma Mingsheng, fighting the One-Horned Mountain Demon with a desperate, death-defying ferocity.

It was then that He Ping noticed something peculiar: there was an unusual wound on the One-Horned Mountain Demon's chest.

Strange, that is the location of the heart. When did this One-Horned Mountain Demon sustain such a wound?

It was clearly a fresh injury, as if someone had pierced through its chest recently, nearly gouging out its heart.

This was bizarre! The Dan-Baleful Intent of this One-Horned Mountain Demon was not inferior to his own "Armor-Clad Spirit Light," and even the Nine Spirit-Serpent Arrows could not penetrate it. Who could have wounded this monster recently? As this doubt arose, He Ping could not help but knit his brows, his thoughts churning.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he understood.

"Chixinzi... It was Chixinzi who struck!"

At that very moment, a somewhat aged voice drifted eerily from behind He Ping.

"Just as I expected, Junior Brother. I knew you would be hiding nearby..."

He Ping did not hesitate for a second. He spun around, flicking his right sleeve upward as his five fingers swept out. With a sharp, metallic "clang," hundreds of "Milo Blades," long held in readiness, tore through the air, transforming into a sky-covering shroud of grey shadows.