Encountering a Pack of Little Demons Outside the Valley

I squatted on the ground, my palm pressed against the stone platform. The rhythm from underground was still there. Once, then again, not fast, but continuous. The spirit beast stood beside me, its front paws slightly raised. The earthy ripple it had released had dissipated, but its ears remained perked, not lowered.

I slowly withdrew my hand and stood up.

This rhythm didn't feel like natural vibrations or the stomping of wild beasts. It was too regular, like some kind of signal. But before I could figure it out, the vibration under my feet suddenly stopped. The air instantly became heavy, and the wind that had been flowing through the valley fell silent.

Immediately after, a smell drifted over.

It was fishy, with a hint of rot, like something dead that had been left in a damp place for too long. I frowned, my nostrils stinging. The spirit beast let out a low growl, its body crouching slightly, its tail stiff.

I knew it was on guard.

I didn't speak, and my spiritual sense immediately spread out. Less than ten steps out, I detected movement from all directions. Not one, not two, but many. They hid in the mist, behind trees, crawling close to the ground. Their speed wasn't fast, but their direction was clear – they were all coming for us.

Demonic energy.

Very weak individually, almost negligible, but their sheer numbers created a sense of pressure. These weren't powerful demons, more like the lowest-ranking little demons, who survived by hunting living creatures in groups.

I took half a step back, closer to the spirit beast. It turned its head to look at me, and a faint light flickered on its horn, as if responding to my movement.

"Don't move," I said in a low voice.

My voice was light, but I could feel my heartbeat wasn't erratic. The failed ascension, the closed-door cultivation, the spirit beast's evolution, and then the recent disturbance underground – each step had made me clearer about what I needed to do. This wasn't the time to panic.

I reached into my storage bag, my fingertips brushing against a few talismans. They were rewards from the System that I hadn't used yet. One was a defensive type, capable of withstanding an attack for three breaths before breaking. The other was an Explosion Talisman, not very powerful, but capable of repelling enemies in a short period. I didn't take them out, just moved them to my palm, ready to activate at any moment.

The mist around us began to churn.

Tree shadows swayed, and a faint friction sound came from the ground. The figures finally revealed themselves. They were short and hunched, with gray-black skin, their faces twisted and deformed, fangs jutting from their mouths, holding bone spears and rusty knives. They walked slowly, their steps disorganized, but the encirclement was tightening bit by bit.

I didn't need to count to know there were at least thirty of them.

A few of them walked to the front, brandished their weapons, and struck the ground, making piercing noises. The other little demons roared in response, their voices shrill, as if trying to intimidate us. Two of them even leaped up, making lunging motions, but didn't actually charge.

This was a probe.

I quickly recalled the System's previous mentions in my Sea of Consciousness. The fringes of the Primordial Wilderness often had concentrations of such low-level demonic creatures. Their individual combat strength was poor, but they excelled in numbers and were skilled at ambushing lone cultivators. They generally wouldn't attack the strong, only targeting those who appeared easy to bully.

We had just emerged from the valley, making us "outsiders" in their eyes.

I stood my ground, breathing steadily. The spiritual power within my body circulated slowly along the path of Basic Solidification Nine Refinements, from my Dantian to my limbs. Every inch of my meridians was under control. I wasn't in a hurry to attack, nor did I plan to run. This entire journey of cultivation required a real battle to verify how much I had improved.

The key was not to panic.

A little demon suddenly lunged forward a couple of steps, spitting a cloud of black mist straight at my face. It was fast and close, clearly intending to catch me off guard.

I was prepared.

Holding my breath, I took half a step back, simultaneously raising my left hand. Spiritual power condensed in front of me into a thin barrier. The black mist hit it with a sizzling sound, like corrosive liquid on stone. The barrier wavered slightly but didn't break.

The spirit beast reacted even faster.

It let out a low growl, and the light on its horn flared intensely, sending out a circular shockwave. The three closest little demons were sent stumbling backward, one of them falling to the ground and unable to get up for a long time.

The surrounding little demons fell silent for a moment.

Then more roars erupted, and their steps began to press forward. The one that had attacked earlier was now at the back, its eyes fixed on me, emitting guttural sounds as if giving orders.

I knew the real attack was coming.

I tore off a defensive talisman and quickly stuck it to the spirit beast's forehead. The talisman paper merged into its skin upon contact, forming a barely visible film of light. This would allow it to block one fatal blow for me.

I held the other Explosion Talisman in my right hand, not activated, nor put away.

I spread my feet shoulder-width apart, lowering my center of gravity. Spiritual power circulated through my body, confirming there were no blockages. The old injury on my shoulder didn't flare up today, indicating that the fine control I'd been practicing had worked. I could control the flow and intensity of every stream of spiritual power, no longer prone to losing control due to impulsive combat.

The little demons pressed closer.

The front row had already raised their weapons, fangs bared, growling in their throats. They were no longer probing; the encirclement had shrunk to within ten steps. With a single command, they would all pounce.

I stared at the leader.

It was a size larger than the others, its fur darker. Two of its front claws were missing digits, suggesting it had fought many battles. Its eyes weren't as dull as the other little demons'; instead, they held a fierce glint, as if it knew how to kill.

It moved.

Not towards me, but sidestepped, making way. The demon horde behind automatically filled the gap, forming a denser formation. These weren't disorganized beasts; they possessed simple tactical awareness.

I slowly raised my right hand.

The talisman was still in my palm, and my fingertips were sweating. I wasn't fearless, but I knew fear was useless. In this place, weakness meant death.

The spirit beast was pressed against my back. I could feel its body heat and breathing rhythm. It didn't cry out or become agitated, but its muscles were tensed, ready to charge at any moment.

Wind blew from the depths of the forest, carrying moisture and the scent of blood.

I lifted my left foot and moved it sideways to the right. The movement was subtle, but it was exceptionally noticeable in the silence. All the little demons' gazes followed my movement.

The leader finally spoke.

It let out a short howl, like a command.

The next second, seven or eight little demons leaped simultaneously, attacking from different directions. Some swung their knives at my head, others aimed for my legs, and one directly charged at the spirit beast, trying to lure it away.

I didn't move.

The spirit beast moved first.

It spun around abruptly, its horn flashing, and a golden-brown arc of impact swept out. The three little demons at the forefront were knocked over, rolling on the ground. The remaining few couldn't stop their momentum and continued to charge forward.

I raised my right hand and activated the Explosion Talisman.

The talisman paper exploded in the air, a flash of fire erupting. The two little demons charging forward were hit head-on, screaming as they were sent flying backward. The other two were knocked down by the blast wave, their weapons flying from their grasp.

The first wave of attacks was blocked.

But more little demons were already closing in. They weren't afraid of death, nor did they care about their companions' screams; they only had their eyes fixed on me and the spirit beast.

The one leading them stood at the perimeter, no longer advancing, but its eyes never left me.

I knew it was waiting for an opportunity.

I was waiting too.

Waiting for them to expose a weakness, waiting for the moment I could break through the encirclement with a single strike.

I looked down at the remaining talisman scraps in my hand. Only one defensive talisman was left. I couldn't waste it.

I took a deep breath, concentrating my spiritual power in my legs. Once I broke through the encirclement, I could use flight to create distance. But I couldn't fly now; doing so would turn me into a sitting duck.

A little demon circled around from the side, attempting a sneak attack.

I lifted my leg and kicked, striking it squarely in the chest. It flew back two meters, slammed into a tree, slid to the ground, and lay still.

The surrounding horde of demons paused.

I returned to my original position, standing back-to-back with the spirit beast, resuming our defensive stance.

The leading little demon's throat rumbled, and it let out a low growl.

This time, all the little demons advanced simultaneously, their footsteps dense, weapons swinging, exuding a murderous aura.

I gripped the last talisman tightly.