Voices filled with doubt and alarm rose behind Xu Yan, and everyone grew tense.
After all, none of the four factions had ever ventured deep into the Inner Region of the Great Yan Ancient Mine. There was no way to predict what dangers lurked within.
A sharp gleam flashed in Xu Yan's eyes. Walking at the head of the group, he could already see the Eighteen Black-Scaled Riders fleeing for their lives, with Gu Xuanji naturally leading the way.
It was easy enough to guess why they had not taken to the air. Slaughter Formations lay scattered through the sky, and an unlucky encounter could prove fatal. By comparison, racing along the ground was considerably safer.
Behind the eighteen riders came the disordered cultivators of the Ten Thousand Fire Sect. More than twenty of them had entered the Great Yan Ancient Mine, but now only a dozen or so remained.
Led by the exceedingly aged Zhuang Wuya, they fled in utter rout, their bodies stained red as though they had just fought a bloody battle.
"This is bad! They must have run into a danger they couldn't withstand! Look, they're coming straight toward us!" A panicked voice rang out from the crowd, making everyone's expression change drastically.
By now, no further explanation was needed. Everyone understood what had happened.
A shadow flashed through Li Changfeng's narrow eyes. Then, his face full of reluctance, he shouted, "Fellow disciples, retreat at once!"
Boom! Boom!
Just as Li Changfeng's words fell, the ground beneath their feet shook violently, nearly knocking everyone off balance.
Holes roughly ten feet across appeared in the ground nearby, and hedgehog-like Demon Beasts burrowed out from below. Each was around ten feet long, with crimson eyes and green backs, and their bodies radiated dense demonic energy.
"Early second-tier Gold-Devouring