The suction force in the abyss did not disappear as Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao fell.
Above the crack, eight figures were desperately rushing outwards.
The leader of the Blood Baleful Intent Tower assassins had a grim face, and his spiritual power surged wildly into his legs as he tried to break free from the terrifying pull coming from below.
When those two giant, blood-red eyes opened from the darkness, he realized that this abyss was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
The fact that it nearly caused the soul of a Heavenly Origin Realm Fifth Layer martial artist to collapse after just one glance meant that it was no ordinary demonic beast.
"Withdraw!"
The lead assassin shouted, "Ignore Ling Xueyao and Chu Yunfei! There's something we can't afford to mess with down there. Just get the message back upstairs, and someone will handle it!"
The other seven assassins had already decided to retreat.
They came here to complete a mission, not to die in vain.
However, just as the eight of them had rushed out a few dozen feet, the suction force at the bottom of the abyss suddenly intensified.
One of the less skilled assassins groaned, lost his balance, and plummeted into the darkness.
"Help me!"
He frantically reached out, trying to grab the nearest companion.
His companion, however, revealed a fierce expression and kicked him away.
Get lost and don't drag me down with you!
The assassin, kicked, was filled with despair before being swallowed by darkness in the blink of an eye.
But the next moment, the bodies of the remaining seven people also sank.
The spiritual energy that was originally flowing smoothly in their bodies seemed to be forcibly suppressed by some force, and their meridians were throbbing with pain. No matter how they tried to activate their cultivation techniques, their spiritual energy became extremely sluggish.
The lead assassin looked down, his face behind the mask turning completely pale.
The suction force didn't allow anyone to escape.
Protect your physical body!
The leader of the assassins only had time to shout one sentence before the eight of them crashed one after another into the bottom of the abyss.
A dull thud echoed in the darkness.
Fortunately, they were all martial artists at the Heavenly Origin Realm, and their bodies had been tempered by spiritual energy for many years. Although they could not use spiritual energy to protect themselves, they did not die from the fall.
The lead assassin pushed himself up from the ground, a tightness in his chest.
Ignoring his injuries, he immediately surveyed his surroundings.
The bottom of the abyss was wider than I had imagined, the ground was covered with black gravel, and the surrounding stone walls gleamed with a dark red luster, as if blood was slowly flowing within them.
There wasn't a breath of wind in the air.
The silence here is unsettling.
"Everyone, gather together and check the surroundings first."
The lead assassin lowered his voice and drew a short knife from his waist.
The other seven quickly gathered together, back to back, looking warily in different directions.
The two giant, blood-red eyes from before have disappeared.
But the more they faced this situation, the less they dared to relax.
One of the assassins tried to circulate his spiritual energy, and his expression quickly turned ugly.
"Chief, something strange is happening here. My spiritual power is suppressed by ninety percent; I can only mobilize a trace at most, and I can't even mobilize my protective spiritual power."
"Me too."
The other assassin gripped his weapon tightly, his voice already tinged with panic. "There must be some kind of spirit-sealing formation nearby. If we can't find an exit, we'll probably be trapped here forever."
The ringleader did not respond.
Because he had already spotted two figures not far away.
Chu Yunfei lay on his back amidst the rubble, his body covered in blood, his breath faint.
The Abyss-Devouring Sword was stuck near his right hand; its dark blade was not conspicuous in the dim light.
Ling Xueyao was just a few feet away, her skirt torn, her face pale, and her chest barely rising and falling.
"They're there!"
One of the assassins recognized the two, a glint of joy in his eyes. " Ling Xueyao is already unconscious, and Chu Yunfei is most likely dead too. Once we cut off their heads, our mission will be complete!"
As he spoke, he picked up his knife and walked forward.
The lead assassin suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't move!"
The assassin paused, turning around in confusion. "Boss, they're already helpless. If we don't kill them now, are we going to wait for them to wake up?"
"If you want to die, you can keep walking forward."
The lead assassin stared intently into the depths of the abyss, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Everyone followed his gaze.
Only then did they realize that a black stone platform, more than ten feet high, stood in front of the distant stone wall.
The stone platform is covered with intricate patterns.
Golden chains extended from the stone wall, firmly locking a blurry figure in the center of the high platform.
The figure was almost transparent, clearly lacking a real flesh and blood body.
It has two curved, sharp horns on its head, and its limbs are no different from those of a human.
A blood-red longsword is stuck in the stone wall behind the stone platform.
The sword was mostly embedded in the stone wall, and the only part that was exposed exuded a chilling aura.
The assassin who had been about to make his move froze, no longer daring to take another step forward.
"That's... a soul?"
One of the assassins asked in surprise, "Judging from the layout here, he hasn't had a physical body and has only existed as a soul for so many years. What level of cultivation does he possess?"
The lead assassin didn't answer. He stared intently at the two curved horns atop the spirit's head, his breathing growing increasingly rapid. "A transformed Demon Race..."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed drastically.
Another assassin's voice began to tremble. "Aren't all the Demon Race in the Western Continent? The Black Wind Mountain Range are located in the heart of the Eastern Continent, so how could there be a transformed Demon Race trapped here?"
The Vast Waves Domain is divided into the Eastern Continent and the Western Continent.
Ten thousand years ago, a great war broke out between the human race and the Demon Race, which swept across the entire Vast Waves Domain.
After that great battle.
The Demon Race retreated to the Western Continent and rarely set foot in the Eastern Continent.
Demon Race capable of transforming into human form.
This means that the other party had at least reached the Divine Sea Realm during their lifetime.
Even more terrifying is that after the physical body of the Divine Sea Realm expert is destroyed, their soul cannot exist independently for long.
To be able to survive for so long in a soul state, and even remain conscious, demonstrates a level of spiritual attainment that is almost evident.
Dao Mysterious Realm!
The leader of the assassins' legs went weak, and his hand gripping the knife trembled uncontrollably.
That's someone who stands at the very top of the entire Vast Waves Domain.
Even the most mysterious and powerful figures within the Blood Baleful Intent Tower must maintain awe when facing those at the Dao Mysterious Realm.
But right before them was imprisoned a demon soul that had reached the Dao Mysterious Realm in its lifetime!
"Back off, everyone, slowly back off."
The lead assassin forced down his fear, his voice almost a whisper, "Don't alert him, and don't go near that platform. We need to find an exit first. If we can get out of here, we can temporarily abandon the mission."
The seven assassins did not object.
They would rather bear the punishment for failing the mission than face the remnant soul of a Dao Mysterious Realm Demon Race.
The crowd slowly retreated.
But after they had only taken a few steps back, the soul on the high platform, whose head was bowed, suddenly moved.
"How many years has it been..."
A hoarse voice came from the direction of the stone platform.
The sound wasn't loud, but it penetrated directly into everyone's minds, causing a sharp pain in their souls.
The soul slowly raised its head.
His face was obscured by dense soul power, and only a pair of blood-red eyes could be seen.
The enormous blood-red eye that appeared in the abyss earlier was formed from his power.
"I have lost count of how many years it has been since I last tasted human flesh and blood."
The demon licked its lips, a sinister smile spreading across its face.
The eight assassins felt a chill run down their spines.
Without hesitation, the leader of the assassins turned and ran, simultaneously shouting, "Scatter and escape! This demonic soul is trapped by an array. As long as we get out of its attack range, we'll have a chance to survive!"
The crowd ran wildly in different directions.
Even with their spiritual power suppressed, they were still Heavenly Origin Realm martial artists, and their speed was still astonishing, relying solely on their physical strength.
The demon spirit watched them escape, but showed no sign of urgency.
"Eight little insects, you think you can escape from me?"
The two sharp horns on the top of his head gleamed with blood.
An invisible wave of spiritual energy swept out from the high platform.
The assassin running at the front suddenly froze.
His eyes lost their luster, and his body, propelled by inertia, lurched forward several meters before crashing heavily to the ground.
The second, the third...
The eight assassins collapsed one after another before they could even scream.
The lead assassin knelt among the rubble and turned his head with difficulty.
His mask had fallen off, blood was flowing from his seven orifices, and only boundless fear remained on his face.
"Dao... Dao Profound..."
As the last word fell, his soul shattered completely.
The demonic soul closed its eyes, seemingly wanting to absorb the dissipated energy and blood of the eight people.
But the golden chains binding him suddenly lit up.
A beam of golden light fell from the formation and struck his soul hard.
"Ah!"
The demonic soul let out a painful roar, its entire soul body twisting violently.
The wisp of energy and blood that he had just drawn in also dissipated.
"Damn Luo Wuxu!"
The demonic soul stared at the chains binding it, letting out a furious roar, "You've imprisoned me here for a thousand years, refusing to let me absorb even a wisp of external life force. Once I'm free, I will slaughter everyone connected to you!"
After his anger subsided, his gaze swept across the bottom of the abyss.
Soon, he saw Chu Yunfei and Ling Xueyao, who were unconscious.
Ling Xueyao's blood and qi were strong, and even though she was seriously injured, her life force still far exceeded that of ordinary Heavenly Origin Realm martial artists.
Greed gleamed in the demon's eyes.
"Flawless and pure, with a clear and lucid mind, it is indeed a Flawless Spirit Physique. If I could obtain this physical body and make some minor modifications, I might be able to switch to cultivating human techniques."
But when his gaze fell on Chu Yunfei, the greed in his eyes suddenly froze.
The dark longsword lay quietly embedded in the rubble.
The sword was dull and unremarkable.
But the demon's soul seemed to have seen the most terrifying thing in the world; its soul suddenly shrank into a ball, and the chains rattled as they were pulled.
" The Abyss-Devouring Sword!"
For the first time, fear lingered in his voice.
That memory, buried deep within my soul, became clear once more.