Demon Pit

"It's hard to say. I've been asleep for too long, but one thing is certain—it's good stuff." Wine Lord avoided the key point.

"We can only take it one step at a time." Having made up his mind, Lin Xuan headed for the mysterious Demon Pit with Tang Yu.

The Demon Pit lay within the Taihang Mountains. It was a black hole spanning more than ten li in width, bottomless and unfathomable. Yet precious medicinal herbs grew around it. Some had once tried to gather them, only to fall into the pit and never emerge again.

Later, people discovered that whether beast or man, anyone who approached would be sucked into the hole, their fate unknown. On the other hand, certain plants flourished exceptionally well there.

As time passed, no one dared go there anymore. It became a forbidden ground, a place where no one would normally risk their life. But this time, someone had discovered several brown stones near the Demon Pit and cut open heaven-defying medicinal herbs from within them.

The news immediately alarmed many martial artists. Quite a few had already headed to the Demon Pit, and even disciples of the Purple Cloud Sect had arrived, showing just how valuable those mysterious stones were.

After leaving Leyang City, the two headed straight southwest toward the Taihang Mountains, in the direction of the Demon Pit.

Only after entering the dense forest did Lin Xuan and Tang Yu gradually slow down. Though the Demon Pit was not deep within the Taihang Mountains, it was close enough, and powerful ferocious beasts often appeared in its surroundings.

Moreover, all sorts of people had gathered there now, a true jumble of fish and dragons, so they had no choice but to proceed carefully.

The ground was covered in rotting branches and leaves. A single step could sink one's foot into them, but the two were skilled in movement techniques, and the soft earth posed no obstacle to them.

The farther in they went, the more luxuriant the trees became. Their massive trunks required several people to encircle them. Ancient trees a thousand years old spread their lush branches and leaves, blotting out the sky, while vines twisted all around them, forming a tangled and complex terrain.

In the distance came tiger roars and ape cries, while birds and beasts fled through the forest. This was a paradise for wild beasts.

Roar!

A leopard covered in green spots pounced down from a tree, its claws like blades and its snowy fangs gleaming with a cold light. Lin Xuan twisted aside and slashed with his sword. Without using spiritual energy, he relied solely on the strength of his muscles to cleave the leopard in two.

This was precisely the effect of the Golden Jade Body Tempering Art. It had five levels in total. The first nourished the body and increased strength. Lin Xuan's strength had now risen by roughly thirty percent, reaching nearly five thousand jin.

He had another reason for not using spiritual energy: it was too conspicuous. The moment he used it, it would be no different from telling everyone, I'm here.

This great forest was nothing like the sect. No one cared about rules here. If words failed to agree, blood splashing three feet was the most normal thing in the world. Lin Xuan had no intention of exposing himself too early.

Boom! Boom!

The ground trembled faintly. Lin Xuan and Tang Yu exchanged a glance, each seeing the surprise in the other's eyes. They leaped onto a tree trunk and concealed their auras.

The trembling grew stronger and stronger. Before long, a giant elephant with a body like white jade slowly approached. Its legs were wider than ordinary stone pillars, and every step stamped a deep pit into the ground.

"Raaah..."

The white jade giant elephant threw back its head and trumpeted, its might shaking the heavens. Leaves all around came raining down, and Lin Xuan and Tang Yu had no choice but to use spiritual energy to seal their hearing, lest they be deafened.

Roar!

A black tiger with white markings, as large as a bull, sprang out from the grass and roared at the white jade giant elephant, seemingly warning it not to come any closer.

Boom!

Its long trunk lashed out like a heavenly hammer, smashing the black tiger's body into chunks. Then the trunk curled, sweeping all the flesh, blood, and organs into its mouth.

Boom! Boom!

The white jade giant elephant trumpeted again, then slowly lumbered away.

Lin Xuan let out a breath of relief. Ferocious beasts of that level were not something they could contend with. The two continued onward, even more cautious than before, but the situation they faced seemed to be growing worse and worse.

Ferocious beasts rarely seen in normal times seemed to have all emerged, and quite a few demonic beasts prowled nearby as well, making the already terrifying Demon Pit even more perilous.

"Something's wrong. Why are there so many ferocious beasts here? This is almost like the depths of the Taihang Mountains!" Lin Xuan frowned.

"Something must have happened. Could it be related to those stones?" Tang Yu said, her expression tense as well.

"Yes. It seems there are things we still don't know." Lin Xuan nodded. "It's too dangerous ahead. Do you still want to go in?"

"I want to see my brother. I'm a little worried about him." Tang Yu hesitated.

"How many inner sect disciples came?" Lin Xuan asked.

"I'm not sure exactly. I'd guess each of the three major factions sent some people." Tang Yu thought for a moment before saying, "Many inner sect disciples are carrying out missions in the outer sect, while others are fighting demonic beasts on the front lines. There aren't many left in the sect."

Lin Xuan's heart grew heavy. He had originally thought only outer sect disciples had come. He had not expected inner sect disciples to appear as well.

"I'll stay with you until you see your brother." Lin Xuan patted Tang Yu's shoulder and smiled.

The two did not linger. They were already very far from the Profound Heaven Sect, and night was approaching. If they could not find a place to rest before dark, they would be in danger.

Finally, toward evening, Lin Xuan discovered a cave. A small lake lay beside it, making it a suitable place to rest.

Lin Xuan and Tang Yu made some preparations and decided to stay there temporarily, then continue the next day. After all, this was a primeval forest, and nighttime was especially dangerous.

That evening, firelight danced among the trees. Lin Xuan had hunted a wild boar, cleaned it by the lake, and placed it over the fire. Tang Yu stood beside him like a little greedy cat, drooling nonstop.

Lin Xuan watched from the side with a faint smile on his face. Suddenly, his brows knit as he looked ahead.

Just then, a cry rang out. "Big Brother, there's firelight here!"

"Haha, great! We finally don't have to travel through the night!" a rough voice called out.

Lin Xuan straightened up and immediately gripped his longsword, ensuring he could strike at any moment. Tang Yu also watched the surroundings warily.

"We're from the Scarlet Mercenary Group. Sorry for disturbing you!" A burst of laughter came, followed by five figures appearing before Lin Xuan.

They were a group of brawny young men, around twenty to thirty years old. Each carried a pack on his back and had swords or sabers hanging from his body. Their faces were filled with exhaustion.

"I am Du Ping of the Scarlet Mercenary Group, and these are my brothers. We got lost in the mountains and would like to stay here for the night. I hope, brother, that you can accommodate us."

Lin Xuan swept his gaze over them. Their expressions were stern, their eyes sharp. At a glance, they were clearly people who lived their lives on the edge of a blade. What surprised Lin Xuan even more was that this young man named Du Ping had actually reached the Sixth Level of Meridian Condensation, while the others were around the fifth level as well.

If these people wanted to make a move, there would be no need for such needless fuss. It seems they truly only want to stay the night, Lin Xuan thought.

"We children of the martial world should look after one another when traveling abroad." Lin Xuan smiled and gestured for them to come in.

"Haha, then we won't stand on ceremony!" Du Ping laughed heartily, then walked over with his brothers.