Uninvited Guests

Before he knew it, another month and a half had passed. Since learning the Shattering Nirvana Finger, Chen Lin's killing had grown ever more terrifying and swift. By now, he had accumulated 1,541 points of Death Energy!

Amid the endless slaughter, he had also been trading the ferocious beasts' corpses to the Main God Item Exchange System. Each beast could earn him a wealth of cultivation resources: spirit pills that increased his cultivation, spirit herbs that nourished his meridians, exotic fruits that cleansed and refined his body, and an unknown kind of ore commonly called Spirit Stone. It was said to have formed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the energy within could be absorbed directly into the body.

Thanks to this terrifying accumulation, his cultivation had quickly broken through to the peak of the Houtian Realm! At this rate, he might really complete the main quest within three months and attempt to break through to the Xiantian Realm!

But the drawback of an unstable foundation still remained. To ensure his future cultivation went smoothly, Chen Lin could only resist the temptation of completing the main quest and keep his cultivation suppressed at the peak of the Houtian Realm.

Nor had he neglected his Dragon-Elephant Nirvana Art. He had already reached the sixth layer and stood just one step away from the seventh.

Ninety tons of force! Among Houtian Realm ferocious beasts, he was already without peer. He could probably even put up a fight against a Xiantian Realm beast.

But this day was unlike the others, because two uninvited guests had arrived in this vast, primeval forest.

A hundred meters above the forest, two "people" stood shoulder to shoulder.

Their sudden appearance had plunged the once-clamorous forest below into an eerie silence. The aura radiating from them was simply too powerful. Any living creature beneath them would have dropped to its knees, trembling in fear.

"Senior Brother Wu Lan, how could a barren place like this give birth to any particularly gifted members of the Demon Race? They're all just beasts that were lucky enough to enter the Houtian Realm. Even if any ferocious beasts here have Heavenly Demon bloodlines, they've probably degenerated until they're no different from ordinary beasts."

Of the two, one was a thin, lanky man. He gently stroked the beard beside his mouth while holding a disk-shaped object in his other hand, constantly adjusting something on it. His narrow eyes were full of disdain as he looked down at the trembling ferocious beasts in the forest. He sneered contemptuously, "Making them undergo the Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony would be a complete waste of the Blood Pool's essence!"

"Heh heh, Junior Brother Qiu Ming, you can't put it that way. Have you forgotten about Uncle You Bao of our Nether Spring Branch?"

The speaker was a burly man, tall and imposing, with thick brows and green eyes. Green flames seemed to flicker in his pupils. "Uncle You Bao was born right here in this barren land. After undergoing the Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony, the Branch Master discovered that he possessed the Heavenly Demon bloodline of the Five-Colored Flood Leopard, as well as three innate divine abilities. That was why the Branch Master cultivated him so vigorously. His cultivation soared, and in just a hundred years he broke through to the Divine Transformation Realm, leaping up to become one of our uncle-generation elders."

As he spoke, the senior brother named Wu Lan sounded faintly envious.

"Uncle You Bao is an exceptionally rare case. There are very few with Heavenly Demon bloodlines and innate divine abilities." At the mention of Uncle You Bao, Qiu Ming's mouth twitched, but he still spoke with disdain.

Wu Lan shook his head and sighed. "It can't be helped. The Myriad Demon Sect has been declining day by day. For nearly a hundred years, we haven't produced anyone who could surpass their predecessors. Each generation of disciples is worse than the last, and human cultivators keep suppressing us. We've had no choice but to lower our standards for accepting disciples again and again. Any ferocious beast on the verge of breaking through to the Xiantian Realm can undergo the Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony and become an outer disciple of the sect. Let's hope we're lucky this time and find several ferocious beasts with Heavenly Demon bloodlines or innate divine abilities. That way, our master will surely reward us generously when we return."

"I hope so... Huh? The Heavenly Demon Compass is reacting already."

Before he could finish, Qiu Ming let out a soft "Huh?" and fixed his gaze on the disk in his hand. A blood-red pointer on its surface was flashing and spinning rapidly. At last, it settled on a direction.

"Haha, we've found something so quickly? Let's go!"

Wu Lan's face lit up. The two exchanged a glance, then transformed into streaks of light and shot off in the direction the pointer indicated...

Over the past few days, Chen Lin had keenly sensed something amiss in the forest. Dozens of powerful auras that had once lingered there had vanished swiftly and strangely, as if they had disappeared into thin air. Their owners were all fearsome beings who had broken through to the Xiantian Realm. Each occupied a territory and cultivated in peace; ordinary ferocious beasts wouldn't dare disturb them.

This had continued for several days, and Chen Lin felt a vague unease. So he had stayed in his lair, quietly cultivating and keeping watch.

But trouble still came looking for Chen Lin.

When he saw the two "people" appear out of nowhere before him, his scalp went numb and his nerves instantly tightened to the limit.

Advanced Perception activated! Failed!

Unable to determine the target's exact cultivation!

Danger!

That was Chen Lin's first impression of the two. His slender waist rose high, his wings burst open behind him, and the two long antennae on his head snapped taut with tension. At the same time, the two great scythes before his chest crossed in front of him, poised to launch a ferocious attack at any moment!

"Huh? A mere Houtian Realm creature actually knows how to fight back. How strange..."

Qiu Ming regarded Chen Lin, who stood ready for battle, with an amused smile. Interest showed in his eyes. Clearly, the ferocious beasts they had found before had never dared resist when they saw the two of them. Even Xiantian Realm beasts had obediently prostrated themselves, trembling as they submitted. Who would have thought this little mantis, only at the peak of the Houtian Realm, would fight back?

"This fellow has a trace of Heavenly Demon bloodline. His cultivation is only at the Houtian Realm, but his intelligence is quite high. Junior Brother, don't waste time. The sect's Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony is in three days. Hurry and subdue him, then find more ferocious beasts with Heavenly Demon bloodlines. That's what matters."

Wu Lan, too, glanced at Chen Lin's battle stance with some surprise, but he didn't think much of it and urged Qiu Ming casually.

"Heh, leave it to me."

Qiu Ming gave a low chuckle and casually flicked his sleeve. An object shaped like a Flying Skiff flew out of it, rising into the air and growing larger in the blink of an eye.

The Flying Skiff spun in midair and came to a stop. It was nearly ten zhang long, its entire hull wreathed in azure light. At a glance, it was clearly no ordinary object.

Chen Lin's heart jolted.

"Restrain."

Qiu Ming mouthed the word and beckoned to Chen Lin. At once, Chen Lin's body flew toward him against his will!

Chen Lin was horrified. He couldn't move at all. He brought all his strength to bear, unleashing his Dragon-Elephant Power!

"Pop!"

A crisp sound rang out from within Chen Lin. His body suddenly relaxed, and he didn't dare hesitate for an instant. With a flash, he tried to flee.

"Huh?!"

Qiu Ming exclaimed in surprise. His formerly calm expression changed abruptly. He formed a hand seal and pointed at Chen Lin again.

At once, Chen Lin, who had already darted more than ten meters away, stiffened once more. His whole body flew backward.

This time, even Wu Lan looked at Chen Lin differently.

"What incredible strength! This beast was already unusually intelligent, and with strength like this, he may even possess an innate divine ability! Junior Brother, it looks like we may really have gotten lucky this time!"

The two exchanged glances, each seeing the other's surprise and delight.

Wu Lan's expression was no longer indifferent. He didn't even care whether Chen Lin could understand him; he simply shouted, "Kid, don't resist! This is your chance to cultivate into a demon, a fortune others would beg for and never obtain. Join the Myriad Demon Sect, and if you pass the Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony, your future cultivation will be boundless. Don't throw your chance away!"

At these words, Chen Lin's heart stirred. The strength that had gathered within him slowly dissipated and fell silent. He stopped resisting.

"Heh! His intelligence really is exceptional. He may be a promising prospect. If he proves to have outstanding aptitude, the Branch Master's reward should be substantial."

A smile appeared at the corner of Qiu Ming's mouth. He beckoned to Chen Lin, and Chen Lin's whole body flew up onto the Flying Skiff.

Once he landed on the deck, the restraints on Chen Lin vanished. He looked around and saw quite a few ferocious beasts nearby. There were even dozens of figures, some sitting cross-legged and others standing, each wreathed in an overwhelming aura of ferocity, their presence as profound as the sea and impossible to fathom.

Chen Lin understood. These were the Xiantian Realm ferocious beasts that had suddenly vanished a few days earlier. It seemed that ferocious beasts who reached the Xiantian Realm could briefly transform into human form.