Each Found Their Own Fortuitous Opportunity!
After the great war.
The demons found a secluded cave to rest for the time being. The entrance to the cave was sealed off by Bi Luo with vines, and from the outside, it looked like a stone wall covered with moss.
The Lord Rat squatted to one side, its eyes somewhat vacant, its thoughts unreadable.
Xiong Shan huddled in a corner of the cave. Shuang Yu had sealed the wound on his broken leg with ice to stop the bleeding, but the residual Daoist energy of the Yin attribute Sword Gang was still slowly eroding the wound.
Bi Luo tried washing with herbal essences, but the effect was minimal; this odor was too potent and difficult to eradicate completely...
"This stuff needs to be completely removed by finding some high-level spiritual items after we get out; the effects of ordinary plant essences are limited."
Bi Luo frowned as she used the last bit of herbal essence to wash Xiong Shan's severed limbs.
"Right now, I can only stall for time. As for completely eradicating this spreading Yin Qi energy... we'll have to wait until we get out of here."
Xiong Shan gave a muffled reply, but remained silent.
Bai Ling nestled near the cave entrance, acting as a sentry.
Her illusion magic didn't consume much energy, and she recovered quickly, making her the best-condition among the various Demon Beast.
The cave remained quiet for a long time.
The Lord Rat suddenly spoke up, "Where's the Kuang Dou?"
Bi Luo: "Kuang Dou is still in the volcanic area; we haven't been able to contact him."
"Where are the two lineage leaders, Shi Mo and Shi Pan?"
"They disappeared without a trace when they parted ways, but Master Shi Pan is the most composed and experienced. He still carries Sun Yao's Cloud Dao Heaven and Earth Qi, so he shouldn't easily reveal his whereabouts."
The Lord Rat remained silent for a long while before looking up at the cave ceiling.
"Then let's just keep waiting..."
This wait lasted for more than half a month.
Two groups of cultivators passed by the cave during this time. Bai Ling used illusion magic to disguise the cave entrance perfectly, and with Bi Luo's vines concealing their presence, no one discovered that a nest of powerful demons was hiding inside.
The Lord Rat wasn't idle either.
Every three to five days, he would take advantage of the night to burrow underground and wander within a radius of a hundred miles, partly to scout the situation and partly to loot the corpses of isolated cultivators.
The battles in the later stages of the secret realm are extremely intense, with debris from battles scattered everywhere.
The corpses of those cultivators are excellent nourishment for Demon Beast; collecting some of their remains will allow them to recover and recuperate.
The Lord Rat is not picky; it will eat whatever is available.
After half a month, he had recovered about 70-80% of the losses he had suffered in the previous battles, and his spiritual power had even increased slightly.
"Lord Rat, the way you eat is no different from a vulture's," Shuang Yu couldn't help but mutter upon seeing it.
"Vultures eat carrion, but I eat fresh meat!" the Lord Rat righteously, a trace of blood still clinging to his fangs.
The resentment in his eyes was even more heart-wrenching.
On the twentieth day, a slight tremor was heard outside the cave.
Bai Ling's ears perked up, and in a moment she relayed a message: "A Demon Beast is approaching, but its aura feels very familiar..."
"It seems to be, the Shi Mo Clan Chief!"
The Lord Rat tumbled down the rock wall and scurried to the cave entrance.
The vines were pushed aside from the outside, and Shi Mo's enormous body squeezed in.
Shi Pan followed behind, limping. The burns on his hind legs had not yet healed, but his spirits had improved considerably.
"How did you two find this place?" asked the Lord Rat.
Shi Mo shook his head and gestured towards the outside of the cave.
A slender figure emerged from behind Shi Mo; it was Lu Xun.
Lu Xun robe was torn in several places, and his face had abrasions that hadn't scabbed over yet, but his overall spirit and energy were still quite good.
"Lord Rat." Lu Xun bowed respectfully.
The Lord Rat looked him up and down. "How did you end up with Shi Mo and his group?"
"I happened to run into them while I was fleeing for my life."
Lu Xun said with a wry smile, "I was chased by three cultivators for two days on the road. If it weren't for Shi Mo's intervention, I would have lost my life in the secret realm."
Shi Mo lay silently in the corner, which was taken as tacit agreement.
Bi Luo frowned and asked, "Where is Sun Yao?"
Lu Xun shook his head.
"I haven't seen Martial Aunt Yao since we parted ways, but..."
As he spoke, he pulled out a positioning disc from his pocket. Several faint points of light were still flashing on the disc's surface. "Uncle's light is still there, he should be alright."
At least their lives are safe.
"That's fine then." Bi Luo nodded and didn't ask any more questions.
The phase of everyone fleeing for their lives is over. Now there's only one thing to do: survive the remaining days and get out alive.
Life inside the cave was monotonous and long.
The demons took turns on guard duty, while Lu Xun used this time to heal and recover. Occasionally, he would also help Bi Luo by changing the ointment on Xiong Shan's severed limbs.
The Lord Rat occasionally goes out for a treat, and while he's at it, he brings back intelligence from the secret realm.
With Lu Xun now a human, they felt it inappropriate to eat people in front of him.
Even though the Lord Rat is extremely disgusted with humans now, it still has to put on a show; it still needs to use humans to govern humans!
The battle for the core area is drawing to a close.
The various sects successively obtained several strands of Heaven and Earth Qi, resulting in countless deaths and injuries, and the battles between the sects became even more frenzied.
Han Yue of the Grand Purity Sect obtained a Metal Dao Heaven and Earth Qi, while the Vast Righteousness School also seized a Wood Dao Qi. The Profound Purity Sect, however, gained nothing and suffered heavy losses.
The other three righteous sects also obtained a trace or two of the Heaven and Earth Qi Dynamic.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Purity Sect seized five strands of Heaven and Earth Qi in another battlefield at the core of the secret realm, achieving a remarkable and unstoppable advance!
As for those smaller and medium-sized forces...
Most of them became cannon fodder, and only three out of ten managed to leave the secret realm alive. However, a few lucky ones managed to take away a few strands of the Heaven and Earth Qi Dynamic.
In the final days of the secret realm, Kuang Dou arrived.
This Molten Fire Black Hound has changed dramatically compared to two months ago.
It was a whole size larger, with a layer of reddish-brown bony plates growing on its four legs, extending from its shoulder blades all the way to the base of its tail.
The hair became thicker and longer, with the tips faintly tinged with a reddish-gold color.
What's most striking is its pair of pupils.
The once cloudy, reddish dog eyes have now become clear and bright, with flames flickering deep within the pupils. This is completely different from the violent and raging temperament of the past!
His demeanor has changed; his breathing is more steady, and he's become more dangerous.
"Bloodline transformation?"
The Lord Rat leaned closer and sniffed, its whiskers twitching a few times. "What did you get in return, or did you eat something good?"
Kuang Dou yawned, shaking off a shower of sparks, and lazily lay down in the warmest corner of the cave, without making a sound.
Bi Luo scrutinized it for a long time. "The purity of its bloodline has increased significantly; it seems to be undergoing bloodline regression..."
"It's gotten much stronger."
"I can already feel a suppression from this bloodline strength. Although it's not as obvious as when I saw the Ancestor, it's clear that the grade of this bloodline is definitely above ours!"
Upon hearing this, the Lord Rat clicked his tongue.
Turning to look at Kuang Dou, who was dozing off, he muttered sourly, "He's really lucky. While other demons are fighting to the death in the secret realm, he's actually had his bloodline undergo a transformation."
Kuang Dou flicked its tail, revealing a sly smile.
Seeing the Lord Rat's humiliated expression, I was secretly overjoyed.
But when he learned that the Lei Nu Clan Master and the Lei Huan had perished, his excitement dissipated, ultimately turning into a sob...