Zhou Xue in Peril

She swiftly used her agile movement techniques to evade Flame Tiger's attacks and flee toward the forest's outskirts. But the Demon Beast Forest was Flame Tiger's home ground, and he could summon demon beasts to intercept her. Unable to shake him off, Zhou Xue had no choice but to flee deeper into the forest, where there were fewer demon beasts. This was exactly what Flame Tiger wanted.

Amid the relentless fighting and dodging, she lost track of how far she had run and which direction she was heading. Before long, she found herself in a perilous place. Ahead lay a bottomless canyon, wreathed in clouds and mist that concealed its depths. Even the opposite side was a sea of white. There was no way forward, and pursuers were closing in behind her. Zhou Xue could not bear the terror of being captured by Flame Tiger. Seeing him and the many demon beasts pursuing her a short distance behind, she sank into profound despair. She began studying her surroundings carefully, searching for a sliver of opportunity. Unfortunately, there was no escape except into the mist-shrouded chasm ahead. At last, she gritted her teeth and leaped into it. She refused to be captured and humiliated.

Flame Tiger, pursuing from behind, had seen that Zhou Xue had nowhere left to run and smugly assumed she would surrender without a fight. He had never expected her to be so unyielding that she would jump straight down the moment she ran out of escape routes. This chasm stretched for thousands of miles, and no demon beast or beastfolk ever dared descend into it. No one knew how deep it was. Whether members of the Demon Race or demon beasts, none who went down ever returned. With his selfish, death-fearing nature, he was even less likely to go down there. She was just a woman, after all-a slightly prettier woman at most. If she died, she died. He merely felt it was a bit of a pity. Had he known, he would not have toyed with her like this; he would simply have captured her and taken her back.

Meanwhile, because Zhou Xue had drawn Flame Tiger's and the demon beasts' attention, far fewer beasts were attacking the surviving disciples of the Righteous Qi Sect. After losing several senior brothers and sisters, two disciples, Zhang Yang and Liu Xiaobo, managed to make their difficult escape back to the sect. Of the fellow disciples who had gone with them, their leader, Zhou Xue, had been pursued with murderous intent and was now missing, while all the others had been killed. Upon returning, they immediately reported the situation to Sect Master Zhou Yong. His face turned ashen with fury at the news. He knew his daughter Zhou Xue was in danger, perhaps even at the brink of death.

Without deliberating further, Zhou Yong resolutely decided to go to the Demon Beast Forest himself to rescue Zhou Xue. By now, he had reached the late spirit transformation realm. Desperate to save his beloved daughter, he hurriedly took several elders in the early and middle spirit transformation realms and rushed into the Demon Beast Forest. Following the escaped disciples' descriptions, they soon found the place where Zhou Xue and the others had originally fought the Ironback Azure Bear.

They then followed the traces of battle to track Zhou Xue's escape route. The signs of fighting along the way had yet to fade, but the fallen disciples' bodies were nowhere to be found. They had probably all ended up in the demon beasts' bellies. Zhou Yong's heart burned with anxiety, and he longed to find Zhou Xue as quickly as possible.

Zhou Yong tracked her trail while searching with his Divine Sense. As he followed the signs of battle deep into the Demon Beast Forest, he heard voices ten li ahead.

"What rotten luck today! That little bitch got off easy! Pah!"

"Young master, why don't we wander around some more? We might run into someone even better. When we do, let the boys take care of it and capture her for you to have some fun."

"Good! Good! Good! Just watch how I play them to death then. Human Race girls are still the most fun. That skin, so soft and tender. Once I'm done playing, I can reward the boys with them to eat and boost their cultivation."

Hearing this, Zhou Yong immediately realized these were the ones who had tried to capture Xue’er. He flew straight toward them, covering the ten li in the blink of an eye. The moment he spotted the young man in their midst, he reached out and seized Flame Tiger.

At that moment, Flame Tiger had been strolling along, laughing and chatting with his lackeys. He never expected a figure to flash before his eyes, followed by his body being lifted off the ground. Someone had seized him by the throat and was holding him in midair.

"Speak. Were you bastards the ones trying to capture my daughter?" Zhou Yong asked in an icy voice.

"How dare you!"

"Human, have you got a death wish? Release our young master at once!"

"Human, you dare seize our young master? The Demon Sage will tear you to pieces!"

Several lackeys from the Crimson Flame Tiger Tribe threatened Zhou Yong, but none dared make a rash move.

Zhou Yong ignored the shouting members of the Demon Race. Tightening his grip, he said to Flame Tiger, "Speak!"

With Zhou Yong's hand clamped around his throat, Flame Tiger could not utter a word. Unable to breathe properly, he frantically clawed at Zhou Yong's hand and kicked his legs wildly.

Seeing his legs flailing, Zhou Yong loosened his grip and flung Flame Tiger to the ground. A member of the Demon Race in the nascent soul realm could hardly stir up any waves.

Flame Tiger immediately scrambled to his feet and said to Zhou Yong, "Human Race, do you know who I am? How dare you treat me like this! My grandfather is the chief of the Crimson Flame Tiger Tribe, the Flame Emperor Demon Sage. If you dare hurt me, my grandfather will wipe out your entire family!"

"Hmph. Death is staring you in the face, yet you still dare threaten me. You dared lay hands on my Xue’er. I don't care what Demon Sage you have behind you. If anything happens to my Xue’er, you'll die!" Zhou Yong said contemptuously.

"You... my grandfather is a Demon Sage!" Flame Tiger continued threatening him.

"If you don't want to die, speak now. What did you do to my daughter?" Zhou Yong demanded impatiently.

"I didn't do anything to her. She jumped down herself. It had nothing to do with me," Flame Tiger hastily replied upon seeing Zhou Yong grow impatient.

"Where? Take me there immediately!" Zhou Yong ordered Flame Tiger at once.

"All right! I'll take you there now, but you have to let me go once we arrive."

"Enough nonsense. Move!"

Left with no choice, Flame Tiger got up and led Zhou Yong toward the mountainous Misty Canyon in the Demon Beast Forest, where Zhou Xue had jumped. As he dragged his feet along the way, he did not simply sit and await his fate. Using a method unique to the Demon Race, he passed word of his capture through the demon beasts along their route, hoping his grandfather, the Flame Emperor Demon Sage, would come to rescue him.

Although Zhou Yong now knew Zhou Xue's whereabouts, he also knew the dangers of Misty Canyon. Seeing Flame Tiger dawdling all the way, he simply grabbed him and said, "You give directions. We'll fly there."

At the same time, Zhou Yong unleashed his late spirit transformation realm aura. Terrified by its power, the surrounding demon beasts scattered in every direction. Those nearby froze where they stood, not daring to move a muscle. The elders paid no further attention to the other members of the Crimson Flame Tiger Tribe and rose into the air, escorting Zhou Yong.

The Crimson Flame Tiger Tribe's sycophants dared not delay either. Their young master was still in someone else's hands. If they failed to follow and anything happened to him, not one of them would survive. The Flame Emperor Demon Sage had a terrible temper. One of them quietly trailed behind, then turned and fled once Zhou Yong's party had flown far away. He had to report to the Flame Emperor Demon Sage.

Before long, Zhou Yong and the others reached the spot where Zhou Xue had leaped into Misty Canyon. Gazing at the thick mist churning below, Zhou Yong extended his Divine Sense downward to investigate. It truly deserved its reputation as a perilous place. His Divine Sense could not penetrate very far at all; once it reached a little over two hundred meters below, it was weakened.