Hell on earth

Xie Jun grabbed Xiao Qinghe. "Senior brother, hurry! We have to go!"

"If I leave, what will happen to them?" Xiao Qinghe was frantic. "How could a real man leave helpless women to die and flee to save himself?"

What do I care whether they live or die?

All I want is for my senior brother to come out unharmed!

Xie Jun gritted his teeth. He knew that if he said those words aloud, his senior brother would despise him. Xiao Qinghe would sooner sever all ties with him than abandon others.

It was precisely that kindhearted nature that had made Xiao Qinghe risk his life to save him time and again, even knowing he belonged to the Demon Clan.

That kindness infuriated him now just as much as it had once moved him.

"You're always like this, throwing yourself into danger even when you know you'll die. Damn it!" Xie Jun cursed under his breath, then glanced at Bai Liuli, who was desperately shielding Mu Yingying, and barked, "Stay beside my senior brother! Don't run around and get in the way!"

Then he charged into the swarm of snakes, sword in hand.

Leaping high, he plunged his sword into a snake's belly. With a roar, he ripped it open and dragged someone out, then hurled them toward Xiao Qinghe. "Senior brother, catch!"

His movements flowed seamlessly, brimming with murderous intent. Without lingering to fight, he thrust his sword backward into another snake's vital spot.

Every thrust struck true, every blow lethal!

He was on a killing rampage!

Xiao Qinghe reacted instantly, leaping forward to catch the victim. He laid them flat on the ground and checked their breathing.

Their breath was faint.

At least they were still breathing. They had been swallowed alive by a Two-Headed Snake but had not yet suffocated. A few seconds later, even the greatest immortal could not have saved them.

Yet even if Xie Jun managed to rescue everyone single-handedly, they had nowhere safe to go. When the Two-Headed Snakes attacked again, none of them would escape death.

Xiao Qinghe was frantic, but he could not go help Xie Jun and abandon the young women beside him. In his desperation, inspiration suddenly struck. "System, get out here! Don't I have ten thousand points I haven't redeemed? I want to redeem them for a teleportation array right now!"

The system's electronic voice remained as rigid as ever.

[A teleportation array can transport only one person per use. Cost: 10,000 points. Redeem?]

What a rip-off!

Xiao Qinghe gritted his teeth. "Then forget the teleportation array. I want a Protective Array!"

[A Protective Array is a rare reward. Under the rules, redemption requires 20,000 points. Host's current points: 10,200. Please keep up the good work!]

"If you keep dragging this out, I'll die right here! Keep up the good work, my ass! If I die, there'll be no one to advance your plot. Your rules won't mean shit!"

[...]

Xiao Qinghe was beside himself. "I'm only short ten thousand points, aren't I? Let me owe you for now, and I'll pay it back in installments later! Stop wasting time and give me the Protective Array!"

[Points deducted. Activating Protective Array.]

As the electronic voice sounded, a circular Protective Array expanded outward from Xiao Qinghe, forming a dome of light large enough to hold more than ten people.

At the same time, the points on the system interface plummeted to [-9,800 points], with the glaring red word "Debt" beside it.

Xiao Qinghe had no time to complain. He shouted, "Everyone, gather here! Hurry!"

By the time they desperately dodged the Two-Headed Snakes and rushed into the Protective Array, they were exhausted in body and mind, with grievous injuries.

The Two-Headed Snakes still tried to charge inside, but the instant they touched the array, they were flung several yards away. They could not get close at all.

The Two-Headed Snakes could only circle outside the array, their faces hideous as they prowled back and forth, occasionally flicking their scarlet tongues at those within.

The surviving young women huddled together, pale-faced and trembling.

Everyone knew this safety was only temporary. If they took so much as half a step outside the array, more than a dozen Two-Headed Snakes would swarm them and tear them apart.

"What do we do? Are we going to die?"

"What about the other disciples from our sects? Will they come get us?"

No sooner had the words fallen than screams rang out from every direction, one after another.

Bai Liuli's face turned ashen. "We're not the only ones in danger. They can barely protect themselves. I'm afraid no one will come to save us..."

For a moment, everyone's heart sank.

The Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks had become hell on earth.

"Why are there Two-Headed Snakes here!"

At the foot of Deer-Cry Mountain, the sect leaders' expressions changed drastically.

The images transmitted by the Tracking Birds showed that Xiao Qinghe's group was not the only one suffering heavy casualties. Elsewhere, disciples were being injured and killed as demonic creatures that should never have appeared in the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks emerged one after another. Treating living people as prey, they were slaughtering disciples from every sect!

The Demon Clan was bloodthirsty and cruel, fond of drinking human blood. To them, the thousand-odd disciples were a feast delivered to their doorstep!

Just then, Ouyang Chong stared fixedly at the transmitted image, his voice trembling. "Su Su..."

In the image, Ouyang Susu lay on the ground, covered in blood.

A male disciple hurried over, concern written all over his face. "Miss Ouyang, how are you?"

Before he finished speaking, a blade of flesh pierced his chest from behind.

He whipped his head around and saw another Ouyang Susu wearing an eerie smile.

What had pierced his chest was the long tongue extended by this Ouyang Susu!

Squelch!

Another blade of flesh pierced his shoulder.

It belonged to the blood-soaked Ouyang Susu lying on the ground.

"Foolish Human Clan... heh heh..."

With sinister cackles, the two Ouyang Susus sucked his blood through their long tongues. In mere moments, the male disciple was drained into a shriveled husk and crashed to the ground.

The two Ouyang Susus withdrew their long tongues and licked their lips, still hungry for more. One twisted her neck, and something seemed to writhe beneath the skin of her face.

Soon, that face changed into someone else's.

It was Xiao Qinghe's!

"This... this is..." Ouyang Chong was horrified. At last, he remembered what these things were, and his scalp prickled with terror. "Get in there and save them! We can't delay any longer!"

Creatures like these had entered the Nine Ridges and Eighteen Peaks. The consequences would be endless!

If they delayed even a moment, it might be too late!

"Junior brother Bai, come with me..." Before Ouyang Chong could finish, Bai Yuqing rose on a flying sword and shot toward the barrier like lightning, the first to charge through.