As Li Yan sent a voice transmission to Yu Yuanjun, he also raised a large hand and lightly wiped it across his mouth, as though he, too, had swallowed a pill.
Then he chuckled softly and nodded once more to Hu Xiaowang and Yan Feijun. A fierce gleam flashed in their eyes, and their hanging sleeves suddenly stirred.
All at once, wisps of smoke rose at the town entrance not far from Li Yan and his companions, followed by a string of explosions. The entrance, which had still retained some semblance of order, was instantly engulfed in billowing smoke and cries.
It happened without warning. In the blink of an eye, pairs of eyes appeared in the darkness beyond Zhouyang Town's exit—some ghostly green, some bloodred, others pale jade-white. All manner of strange, howling cries rang out incessantly.
A moment later, the smoke filling the sky above the entrance thickened, while startled, furious shouts and screams rose from every direction.
"Demon beasts are attacking!"
"Quick, demon beasts are coming!"
"Hiss... this mist is poisonous..."
"Watch out for the smoke those demon beasts are spewing! It's deadly poison... cough... cough..."
The town entrance descended into chaos. Many cultivators sprinted back into town, only to collapse in agony before they had gone far, their bodies curled up as blood streamed from their ears and noses.
Quite a few others ran toward the entrance instead, shouting, "Demon beasts are attacking! Kill them!" Demonic energy surged around them as they spoke. Naturally, the vast majority of these cultivators were demonic cultivators.
Meanwhile, Li Yan's group of six mingled with the cultivators running toward the entrance. They had already been very close and were well prepared, so they reached it in just a few bounds.
Yu Yuanjun was currently being carried in Li Yan's hand.