Ming Lang

He spat angrily on the ground.

Then, his eyes darted around, "Do you really think I don't know where your hideout is?"

He glanced at the fork in the road ahead, seemed to have made up his mind, and walked down one of the roads.

Shen Ji and Xiao Tingyu exchanged a glance; it seemed they were about to find the source of the plague in Envy Fish City.

The path ahead was covered with gravel, and the passage was pitch black. Neither of them noticed as they both took a step forward at the same time.

The rat demon whirled around, "Who's behind me?!"

Chapter 31 The Wolf in the Dark

In the dark passage, the rat demon suddenly turned around. Shen Ji and Xiao Tingyu tightened their invisibility cloaks and stood motionless in the shadows, holding their breath.

However, the suspicious rat demon continued to approach them step by step.

Xiao Tingyu's heart pounded like a drum, while Shen Ji secretly gathered Spiritual Qi in his hands, ready to summon his spirit sword at any moment.

Just as the rat demon was close at hand, a soft sound suddenly came from the dark passage. The rat demon could see in the dark, and a rat scurried past it, making a faint rustling sound.

This ordinary, unintelligent mouse did not recognize its kin's leader and scurried away as if fleeing.

The rat demon withdrew its gaze, turned around, and continued walking forward.

Shen and Xiao both breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. If they had been discovered by the rat demon and a fight had broken out in this secret passage, it would have been quite disadvantageous for them.

But this mouse...

Why does this seem like such a coincidence?

Shen Ji suppressed his doubts and followed the rat demon forward. After an unknown amount of time, a light gradually appeared ahead—the faint glow of a barrier. Further ahead, he saw three barriers blocking his way. Judging from the intricate Law Seals on the barriers, he knew they were no ordinary barriers.

Behind this barrier, there must be some incredible secret hidden.

Just as Shen Ji was about to see how the rat demon broke the barrier, he saw him pull out another dark, round ball.

Another "Demon Devouring"!

How many of these things does he actually have?!

But none of that matters. What matters is that he actually wants to blow this place up!

Judging from the explosive effect of the previous Demon Devouring, if it were to explode, not only would everything behind the barrier be annihilated, but the secret passage would also collapse, and the houses above would also crumble. For the people of Envy Fish City, this would be an utterly senseless disaster.

Shen Ji didn't care about exposing himself; he just wanted to step forward and stop him.

Before they could even make a move, the three layers of barriers in front of them melted away like Rushui and disappeared.

Shen Ji:?

Not only him, but the rat demon was also taken aback. What was going on?

His narrow eyes scanned the surroundings, but he saw no one. Who had secretly removed the barrier?

Regardless of who the other person was, they had actually done him a great favor.

He refused to believe that this could be a trap set for him.

The rat demon, driven by its rebellious nature, put away the Demon Devouring Orb and stepped into the barrier.

Shen Xiao and his companion followed closely behind. Shen Ji became increasingly certain that the appearance of the rat earlier was not a coincidence, but who was the one who had secretly intervened?

After seeing what was happening inside the barrier, he had no time to think about that problem anymore.

Within these three layers of barriers lies a dimly lit cave, filled with an unpleasant, fishy stench. Trapped within are both humans and demons.

Most of the demons are half-human in form, with incomplete bodies, missing arms or ears, and their wounds are left untreated, festering and oozing pus.

Lying with these demonic creatures were ordinary mortals with no cultivation, yet strange vine-like plants grew on their bodies, some even sprouting fungi. These plants, nourished by the flesh and blood of mortals, exuded a faint Spiritual Qi, and in this foul and bloody Spirit Plant, they grew exceptionally vigorously.

Deep within the cave stood a large cauldron, from which scalding heat mingled with Yao Qi and Spiritual Qi, clearly indicating that someone was using the flesh and blood of Demon Race and the Essence Blood of humans to refine Spirit Plant!

Shen Ji's handsome brows furrowed deeply. Using mortals and demons to refine pills—what an utterly depraved act!

Judging from Junior Sister's thoughts, Elder Bing and Liu Xiu are both involved in this matter. Yet these two still act so hypocritically, they are simply despicable!

Xiao Tingyu lowered her head, unable to bear the sight of this hellish scene. Looking down, she saw a cat demon lying at her feet, Yao Qi, with two horrifying bloody holes in its face, its eyes having been gouged out.

Her skirt brushed against the cat demon's leg, startling the cat so much that its ears pressed tightly to the back of its head, it trembled, and let out a whimper.

The rat demon turned around and glanced back. "Shouldn't you show yourself by now? What is your purpose in releasing the barrier?"

The cat demon's reaction made him realize that someone was behind him, and he assumed that the person behind him had broken the barrier.

Shen Ji was silent for a moment, then said, "Do you know who did it?"

"Only those disgusting Human Race cultivators would do such a thing!" the rat demon said. "Are you human or demon? What brings you here?"

"Save..."

"Help..."

The voices startled some people in the cave, and some of them got up from the ground, begging him to save their lives.

"Heh, I'm not here to save you," the rat demon sneered. "Why should I clean up the messes created by Human Race?"

He surveyed the Demon Race in the cave without a trace of pity. "Rather than being tortured by Human Race in a living hell, it's better to die and be free!"

As he spoke, he took out the "Demon Devouring" again.

His initial plan was to destroy this place. The barrier would have blocked some of the power of the Demon Devouring explosion, and now that the barrier has been broken, it has exactly what he wanted.

He knew these cultivators were refining so-called divine pills, and he wanted to destroy the Pill Furnace and the cave, ruining their efforts.

"Wait," Shen Ji said, "I can save them."