Uninvited Guest

Unbeknownst to him, another month and a half had passed. Ever since mastering the Shattering Nirvana Finger, Chen Lin's speed of slaughter had become increasingly terrifying and efficient. By now, his Death Energy had accumulated to 1,541 points!

Furthermore, amidst this ceaseless slaughter, he continuously traded the corpses of fierce beasts to the Main God Item Exchange System. Each beast could be exchanged for a significant amount of cultivation resources, such as spirit pills to boost his cultivation, spirit herbs to nourish his meridians, exotic fruits to cleanse his marrow, and a type of unknown ore commonly known as spirit stones. It was said that these were formed from the condensation of heaven and earth spirit energy, allowing one to absorb the energy within them directly into the body.

Under this terrifying accumulation, his cultivation rapidly broke through to the peak of the Postnatal stage! At this rate, he might truly be able to complete the main quest within three months and attempt to break through to the Xiantian realm!

However, the drawback of an unstable foundation remained. To ensure his future cultivation path remained unobstructed, Chen Lin had no choice but to resist the temptation of completing the main quest and suppress his cultivation at the peak of the Postnatal stage.

His Dragon-Elephant Nirvana Art had not fallen behind either; it had already broken through to the sixth level, with only a single step remaining until the seventh.

Ninety tons of brute force! Among fierce beasts of the Postnatal realm, he was already hard to match, and he likely possessed the strength to put up a fight even against Xiantian-level beasts.

But this day was different from the others, for two uninvited guests had arrived in this vast, sprawling jungle.

Nearly a hundred meters above the jungle, two "people" stood side by side.

Because of their sudden appearance, the previously boisterous jungle below became eerily silent. The aura radiating from these two was simply too powerful—so powerful that any creature in the jungle below would have to kneel and tremble in fear before them.

"Senior Brother Wu Lan, how could such a barren place produce a Demon Race member with outstanding aptitude? These are nothing more than wild beasts that happened to stumble into the Postnatal stage. Even if there are beasts possessing the Heavenly Demon bloodline, they have likely degenerated until they are no different from common animals."

Of the two, a thin, gaunt man stroked his whiskers lightly while holding a disc-like artifact in his other hand, constantly adjusting it. His triangular eyes were filled with disdain as he looked at the trembling beasts in the jungle below, and he sneered contemptuously, "Letting them undergo the Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony is a complete waste of the Blood Pool's essence!"

"Heh heh, Junior Brother Qiu Ming, you shouldn't say it like that. Have you forgotten about Uncle-Master You Bao of our Nether Spring Branch?"

The one speaking was a burly, imposing man with thick brows and green eyes, within which green flames seemed to dance. "Uncle-Master You Bao was born in this very barren land. After the Blood Pool Cleansing, the Branch Master sensed the 'Five-Colored Flood Leopard' Heavenly Demon bloodline within him, and he even possessed three innate divine abilities. That is why he received the Branch Master's vigorous cultivation, his strength soared, and he broke through to the Divine Transformation stage in only a hundred years, leaping up to become our generation's Uncle-Master."

As he spoke, this Senior Brother named Wu Lan's tone carried a hint of complex jealousy.

"Uncle-Master You Bao is an extreme exception. After all, they are few and far between; those who possess the Heavenly Demon bloodline and innate divine abilities are truly too rare." Upon hearing the name of Uncle-Master You Bao, Junior Brother Qiu Ming's mouth twitched, yet he still spoke with disdain.

Shaking his head, Wu Lan sighed, "It is because our Myriad Demon Sect is declining day by day. For the past hundred years, we have failed to produce new talent, with each generation of disciples worse than the last, and we have been suppressed by human cultivators. We have had no choice but to lower our recruitment standards again and again. Any beast about to break through to the Xiantian stage can undergo the Blood Pool Cleansing and become an outer sect disciple. I hope you and I are lucky enough to find a few more beasts with the Heavenly Demon bloodline or innate divine abilities; if we do, the Master will not be stingy with his rewards when we return."

"I hope so... Eh? The Heavenly Demon Compass is reacting so quickly."

Before he could finish his sentence, Qiu Ming let out a soft "eh," his eyes fixed on the disc-like artifact in his hand. At this moment, a blood-red needle on the disc flickered with light, spinning rapidly before finally stopping and pointing in a specific direction.

"Haha, a harvest so soon? Let's go!"

Wu Lan's expression brightened. The two exchanged a glance and immediately transformed into two streaks of light, tearing through the air in the direction indicated by the needle.

For the past few days, Chen Lin had keenly sensed that something was wrong in the jungle. The dozens of powerful auras that usually occupied the area had vanished quickly and strangely, as if they had disappeared into thin air. One had to realize that the masters of these auras were terrifying existences who had broken through to the Xiantian stage; each occupied their own territory and cultivated in peace, and ordinary beasts dared not disturb them.

This situation persisted for several days. Chen Lin felt a vague sense of unease, so he stayed honestly in his nest, cultivating quietly and observing the situation.

However, trouble found Chen Lin anyway.

When he saw the two "people" appear out of thin air before him, Chen Lin felt his scalp tingle, his nerves instantly tightening to the breaking point.

Advanced Perception activated! Failed!

Unable to determine the opponent's specific cultivation level!

Danger!

This was Chen Lin's first impression of the two. His slender waist arched high, the wings on his back suddenly flared open, and the two long antennae on his head straightened instantly from tension. At the same time, the two large scythes on his chest crossed horizontally, seemingly ready to launch a fierce attack at any moment!

"Eh? A mere Postnatal-stage existence actually knows how to resist? Strange, very strange..."

Qiu Ming looked at Chen Lin, who was facing a formidable enemy, with a half-smile, his eyes filled with interest. Clearly, the previous beasts they had tracked down did not dare to offer the slightest resistance when they saw them; even Xiantian-stage beasts would obediently prostrate themselves on the ground, trembling in submission. He had not expected this little mantis, with only peak Postnatal cultivation, to know how to resist.

"This child has a trace of the Heavenly Demon bloodline in its body. Although its cultivation is only at the Postnatal stage, its intelligence is not low. Junior Brother, don't waste time. The sect's Blood Pool Cleansing Ceremony is in three days. Subdue it quickly and go find more beasts with the Heavenly Demon bloodline; that is the real priority."

Wu Lan also glanced at Chen Lin, who was in an attack stance, with some surprise, but he urged him on casually without much concern.

"Heh heh, easy enough."

Qiu Ming gave a deep laugh and flicked his sleeve. A flying skiff-like artifact immediately flew out from his cuff, rose into mid-air, and grew in size in the blink of an eye.

The flying skiff spun around and hovered in the air. The hull was nearly ten zhang long and wreathed in blue light; it was clearly no ordinary object.

Chen Lin's heart jolted.

"Seal."

Qiu Ming whispered, reaching out to gesture at Chen Lin. Suddenly, Chen Lin's entire body flew toward him against his will!

Chen Lin was horrified, feeling as though his entire body was paralyzed. He channeled all his strength, and the Dragon-Elephant power erupted in full!

"Pop!"

A crisp sound echoed from within Chen Lin's body. Feeling his body loosen, Chen Lin did not hesitate for a second; his figure flickered as he prepared to flee.

"Eh?!"

Qiu Ming exclaimed in surprise, his previously indifferent expression changing abruptly. He formed a seal with his hands and pointed at Chen Lin once more.

Instantly, Chen Lin, who had already darted out over ten meters, felt his body stiffen again, and he was sent flying backward.

But this time, even the look in Wu Lan's eyes as he watched Chen Lin changed.

"What powerful strength! This beast already has remarkable intelligence, and its power is so great—perhaps it even possesses an innate divine ability! Junior Brother, it seems we might be in luck this time!"

The two looked at each other, both seeing the astonishment and a hint of joy in the other's eyes.

At this moment, Wu Lan's expression was no longer indifferent. Regardless of whether Chen Lin could understand him or not, he shouted at him, "Little one, do not resist! This is an opportunity for you to cultivate and become a demon—a stroke of fortune others would kill for. Join our Myriad Demon Sect. If the Blood Pool Cleansing is successful, your future path of cultivation will be smooth and bright. Do not ruin yourself!"

Upon hearing these words, Chen Lin felt a stir in his heart; the strength he had gathered within his body slowly dissipated and sank into silence, no longer resisting.

"Heh! Truly, your intelligence is not lacking; perhaps you are a fine seedling. If your aptitude tests as exceptional, the rewards from the Branch Master will surely be substantial."

Qiu Ming's lips curled into a smile as he beckoned to Chen Lin. Instantly, Chen Lin's entire body was swept up toward the Flying Skiff hovering in mid-air.

Once he landed on the deck, the restraints on Chen Lin's body vanished. He looked around and discovered that there were no small number of ferocious beasts surrounding him; there were even dozens of figures, some sitting cross-legged and others standing, their bodies radiating monstrous, heaven-shaking auras, their presence as deep and unfathomable as an abyss.

Chen Lin realized then that these ferocious beasts were the very ones of the Xiantian realm that had suddenly vanished a few days ago, and having reached the Xiantian stage, these beasts were clearly capable of briefly taking on human form.