Liu Chuan hadn't expected it would be his turn to strike so soon. The moment he received the transmission, he was already prepared. He lashed out without hesitation, his attack landing squarely on Yu Linhai, then quickly returned to Jian Dan's side.
That scream meant only one thing, the soul of the original owner had been completely destroyed.
Even though the lash had landed, Yu Linhai didn't collapse. He stood rooted in place, and the next instant his eyes snapped open. They were blood-red, set against his handsome features, giving him a dangerously seductive aura.
He glanced over the group of lower-realm cultivators, rolled his neck, then moved his limbs as if testing them out. Once he'd gotten full control of the body, he waved a hand and summoned back the scattered armor, storage bracelet, long blade, and shield.
Finally, he swept up the remains into his storage bracelet.
"Congratulations, Demon Lord, on your rebirth."
Jian Dan led with a respectful bow. The others behind her didn't speak, but they all followed suit with proper courtesy.
The demon immortal looked at them differently now. They hadn't just stood by and let him seize the body, they'd even helped. After devouring Yu Linhai's Primordial Soul, he realized that Dixian wasn't on the same side as this group at all.
"Well, well. You've got guts. Aren't you afraid I'll just wipe you all out?"
Yu Linhai's expression no longer carried the murky gloom from before. Now, with a trace of wicked charm, his presence felt alive, almost playful. The words were a test, directed at the female cultivator who'd just helped him.
"Why would we be? We aided the Demon Lord, why would you repay kindness with revenge?"
Jian Dan smiled brightly as she replied, showing not the slightest hint of fear. Her momentum had to stay firm.
Earlier, she'd been wary of him. But not anymore. She'd compromised before because Yu Linhai's underhanded nature made him a hidden danger to their squad.
Besides, back when the demon immortal had only been a soul, if he'd chosen to attack, none of them could've endured it. Only she, with her dual cultivation of Dao and demon, might've been able to trap his Primordial Soul within herself, though at great risk.
But now that he had a body, things were different. Unless he was willing to throw away the hard-won immortal vessel he'd just gained, he wouldn't dare make a reckless move.
Of course, none of that was something she'd ever say out loud. She'd explain it later to her Senior Brother and Senior Sister.
"You've got some nerve, girl. Fine, you did me a favor. What do you want in return?"
"We need to head to the gathering place of immortals to find our sect members."
He nodded. For him, that was hardly an inconvenience. He recorded a jade slip with Yu Linhai's memories of a safe route. Without it, Yu Linhai wouldn't have been able to escape this far out.
He tossed the jade slip to Jian Dan and said, "You'd better get out of here fast."
His gaze swept across the cliff walls opposite them, then he tapped his foot and shot up toward the top of the gorge in a surge of demonic energy.
Everyone's eyes followed, landing on the bulging black lumps dotting the cliffside. A shiver ran down their spines.
Jian Dan skimmed through the jade slip, then led the group quickly forward along the gorge wall. She didn't like the look of those black bulges and wanted to avoid the thicker clusters if possible.
But in the very next moment, Yu Linhai's possessed body dropped back into the ravine, racing after them. The sight startled Lady Di's squad, who were falling behind.
Jian Dan glanced back with feigned surprise. "Senior, did you drop something?"
"How many Azure Fireflies did you lot provoke?"
"We wouldn't dare mess with insects from the Immortal Realm! It was the fragrant grass your new body carried that lured them. We only ended up here because of that."
The demon immortal's eyes shifted slightly, then he understood the situation. With a helpless sigh he said, "They're already chasing us. You broke my barrier formation earlier, so there's nothing holding them back now. You'd better run faster!"
Without another word, he bolted ahead.
Everyone heard the exchange, their faces paling as they sped up.
With one gesture from Jian Jun, the squad pushed harder, dashing along the narrow gorge. But already, the faint sound of wings beating reached their ears. Everyone pushed themselves harder, yet the Azure Fireflies were still closing in.
"Woman, have Mo Yue Zhǎn break open those bulges!"
Liu Chuan's voice came through a transmission.
"What's in them?"
"Demon Mosquitoes!"
"Oh, my ancestors! We can't even handle the Azure Fireflies, and you want me to unleash another swarm? Are you trying to get us all killed?" Jian Dan snapped back while running at full speed.
"They're natural enemies. Azure Fireflies are intruding on the Demon Mosquitoes' territory. If you let them out, they'll hold the fireflies off and buy you some time."
"That's risky!"
"Your choice. But if you don't, someone in your squad's not making it out alive. You'll escape fine, but the others? Not so sure."
Gritting her teeth, Jian Dan made her decision. While sprinting forward, she flung Mo Yue Zhǎn toward the bulges.
The blade whirled happily, slicing through the black lumps clinging to the cliff face.
A thick wave of demonic energy poured out, followed by swarms of fist-sized Demon Mosquitoes.
The first to emerge were instantly burned to ash by the Azure Fireflies' glow, but the disturbance stirred up even more of the black swarm. Now it was chaos. Demon Mosquitoes swarmed into the fireflies, stabbing their needle-like proboscises into glowing sacs and tearing them apart. The two swarms tore into each other, slowing the endless tide of Azure Fireflies.
Mo Yue Zhǎn darted between the two insect swarms, then zipped back to Jian Dan's ear, hiding in triumph.
Jian Dan finally exhaled in relief, but instead of slowing down, she sped up, keeping almost shoulder to shoulder with Yu Linhai's stolen body. He nearly choked when his divine sense swept back and saw the mess.
The Demon Mosquitoes had joined the fray. They'd bought time, sure, but they were a threat all on their own.
The demon immortal charged out of the ravine first, leaping into the chaotic rocks ahead, and without looking back, vanished into the mess of boulders.
Jian Dan followed quickly, but she didn't dare dive into the rocks blindly. If the group scattered, it would be disastrous. She stood at the top of the ravine, divine sense scanning the battle between blue and black swarms below. Rubbing her forehead, she gestured for the others to speed up.
The sword cultivators of the Heavenly Sword Sect, along with Kuang Dao, revealed the full strength of their tempered bodies, leaping up effortlessly alongside Jian Dan.
Hou San was practically hauled up by Wu Siyuan, while Lady Di and Bei Ze scrambled up in the third wave.
Seeing the swarms below shift toward them, Jian Dan shouted, "Hurry, they're almost here!"
Lady Di and Bei Ze threw down ropes, pulling up the last three female cultivators in one burst of effort.
"Stay close to me. There's something off about this rockfield."
She then patted the wolf cub on her shoulder. "Xiao Yue, take the lead."
Xiao Yue leapt from her shoulder, transforming into a one-meter-tall Howling Moon Wolf. Sniffing the air, it caught Yu Linhai's scent and charged into the rocky maze.