Monster

"What the hell is this now?" Lin Qingyang asked, feeling somewhat sick.

"How would I know?" Lin Yao said.

Just then, the monster swung its entire snake tail out, and only then did everyone see that a person was still coiled in it-or, more precisely, half a person. It was the disciple who had just gone down the mountain to investigate. Only his upper body remained now, and his blackened face made it clear he had been poisoned. Black blood trailed all along the stone steps, and everyone grew frightened. Guarding the mountain was hard work, mostly assigned to Outer Sect Disciples whose cultivation was average. The two who had just died had already been the strongest cultivators among them.

"Fall back behind the gates! Go report this!" an older disciple shouted. Everyone hurriedly retreated. The Nine Skies Sect had a natural protective barrier that could keep the Demon Clan out.

Lin Qingyang certainly couldn't fight it in his current state, so he could only retreat with the others, though inwardly he was growing anxious. If he didn't leave soon, he feared he wouldn't be able to leave at all. He frowned at the monster, feeling that it looked somewhat familiar.

"He looks like Lei Guang!" one disciple said.

Only then did Lin Qingyang recognize him. Though he barely looked human anymore, it was indeed Lei Guang, while the snake's body seemed to be Chimei's. Those two could even merge?

The monster reached the mountain gates and stopped there, watching. A layer of pale blue spiritual energy shrouded the white gates. The disciples guarding the mountain stood shoulder to shoulder, their swords gleaming with spiritual light.

"Look out! Run!" Lin Yao shouted.

Then the enormous snake tail swept inside and struck at everyone behind the gates, completely ignoring the Nine Skies Sect's defenses. Several disciples were sent flying in an instant before crashing heavily to the ground amid showers of blood, their fates unknown. The swords they had just used to block the blow snapped and fell to the ground as well.

A few who reacted quickly were lucky enough to dodge. Thanks to Lin Yao's warning, Lin Qingyang also rolled aside in an instant and avoided the attack.

When he looked up again, he saw Lei Guang's upper body swooping down with a hideous expression. He bit down on the leg of the slowest fleeing disciple, then lifted him into the air in his jaws. The disciple screamed repeatedly.

The remaining disciples were still forming hand seals and trying to attack the monster to make it release their companion, but the spells that struck its body were little more than scratches. The monster tossed the disciple into the air, and its snake tail lashed toward him.

A streak of azure light flashed, and then Lin Qingyang rolled onto the ground with the disciple in his arms, clutching his chest as his face went pale.

The monster seemed enraged by this and lunged straight at Lin Qingyang. But he had just forced himself to use a little spiritual power, and now his chest hurt so badly that he had no strength to dodge.

The instant the monster struck, the Seven-Star Shield on Lin Qingyang suddenly blazed with light, blocking the attack and sending the monster staggering several meters back.

Lin Qingyang breathed a sigh of relief and pulled out the Seven-Star Shield hanging against his chest. Good thing he had decided to swipe it while packing his bundle.

Taking advantage of the monster's retreat, Lin Qingyang hurriedly moved aside with the disciple. He was just about to check his condition when he saw that the disciple in his arms had already turned black all over and stopped breathing. Lin Qingyang froze, his expression growing grave. This stitched-together monster's poison seemed even more potent than Chimei's had been.

Lei Guang, not far away, seemed to recognize him. His blood-red eyes fixed on him, his expression suddenly twisted, and hissing sounds came from his mouth as he lunged down at him. The Seven-Star Shield blocked the attack again, but the impact knocked Lin Qingyang to the ground.

Seeing that several disciples were still casting spells and setting up an array, he hurriedly shouted, "Run! You can't beat him!"

Only then did everyone turn and flee. Seeing the monster attack them again, Lin Qingyang yanked the Demon-Capturing Net from his bundle and threw it at the monster, buying everyone time to escape.

But perhaps because it was a combination of human and demon, the Demon-Capturing Net barely had any effect and was torn open at once.

Just as the monster was about to catch up again, several streaks of red light suddenly flew from behind them. A group of Ink Cloud Hall disciples were casting spells and forming hand seals. The red lights transformed into ropes that restrained the monster from every direction.

Feng Shu and Feng Yi ran forward, helped Lin Qingyang up, and retreated to the rear.

"Master, are you all right?" Feng Shu asked with concern.

"Master, why are you carrying such a huge bundle?" Feng Yi asked curiously.

"Don't worry about those details!" Lin Qingyang said.

Mo Yan and Jin Buhuan also hurried over. Mo Yan frowned at the monster, his expression grave. Clearly, he too had recognized Lei Guang.

Jin Buhuan paused, his expression also turning serious, and said with some uncertainty, "Is this... an Otherworldly Demon?"

"What's an Otherworldly Demon?" Lin Qingyang had barely asked when a string of screams rang out beside him.

The monster broke free of the array and swept its long tail across, instantly sending a crowd of disciples flying. Several were knocked unconscious by their falls, while Feng Shu quickly moved out of the way with Feng Yi.

The scattered stones shot straight toward them. Lightning flashed in Mo Yan's hand as he summoned the Thunderclap Mace and shattered the rocks flying toward him. But the rocks were instantly pulverized, and the flying dust covered Lin Qingyang's face. Jin Buhuan, as though he had anticipated this, elegantly raised his fan and blocked every bit of dust.

Spitting dust out of his mouth, Lin Qingyang retreated behind Jin Buhuan.

"All of you, fall back!" Mo Yan shouted at the disciples before flying forward.

Mo Yan hovered in midair, lightning blazing around him. He raised the Thunderclap Mace and was just about to bring it down on the Snake Demon when its tail lashed into him. With his spiritual power still unrecovered, Mo Yan was instantly sent flying and crashed heavily in front of Lin Qingyang, coughed up blood, and passed out again.

Lin Qingyang hurried forward and laboriously dragged him away, grumbling speechlessly as he went, "Come on, man, why are you so fragile every time?"

After finally dragging him behind a large rock for cover, he turned and found Jin Buhuan hiding there too.

"Elder Jin, what are you hiding here for? Get out there and fight!" Lin Qingyang said, at a loss. As he spoke, two more wounded disciples came flying over beside them, and the two hurriedly pulled them in.

"I'm not very good at fighting," Jin Buhuan said as he dragged someone over.

"Even so, you're stronger than the disciples, aren't you?" Lin Qingyang said.

"Not necessarily, actually," Jin Buhuan said sheepishly.

"How did you become an elder?" Lin Qingyang asked, speechless.

"My family donated a building to the Nine Skies Sect back then," Jin Buhuan said.

"A building?"

"The Treasure Pavilion."

"Beautiful! If I weren't about to die, I'd definitely become sworn brothers with you," Lin Qingyang said, having lost all will to live.

Now he and Mo Yan were injured, Xue Lanyuan was thawing out the Sect Leader, and the only one left was Jin Buhuan, who could do nothing but throw money around. It seemed the Nine Skies Sect wouldn't have to wait for Little Wolf Cub to come wipe it out. They could all be wiped out right here.

"Elder Lin, hold it off for now. I'll go think of something!" Jin Buhuan tossed out those words, flicked the fan in his hand, and vanished in a flash of golden light.