The ones who had chosen to surrender couldn't help but feel a wave of relief at the terrifying scene before them.
"Good thing we made the right choice," Huo Lie murmured. It was unclear whether he was trying to comfort the others or himself. "They're going to die. We're still alive. That's the difference."
Long Yi nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Who cultivates just to die? We seek immortality. Walking into death willingly when you can survive… that's just foolish."
With two peak masters saying as much, the other disciples who had surrendered seemed to receive a shot of courage. Even the last trace of guilt disappeared from their faces. People live for themselves. There's no sin in choosing survival. They had simply made the right choice.
They were still basking in this sense of fortune—
When the Demon Clan leader suddenly turned and grinned at them with a vicious sneer. A jolt ran through the hearts of those standing inside the red-drawn circle. A moment later, that red pigment began to glow with a strange, ominous blood-colored light. A sinister energy settled over them. They found themselves frozen in place, unable to move.
The light intensified, forming into a blood-red dome that sealed them in completely. At that point, the unease in their hearts swelled.
What was going on?
Weren't they promised that surrender meant safety?
Before anyone could voice their confusion, they discovered something even more horrifying: they had lost control over their power. Their cultivation was being siphoned away by the blood-red dome, drawn into thin threads that converged toward the Demon Clan leader.
On the demon's face, a look of deep satisfaction slowly emerged.
As expected.
This kind of blood offering was always the most pleasurable to absorb. Eventually, every drop of energy from their bodies would become part of his own. Not a single ounce would be wasted.
Those who resist… always end up costing more.
Inside the circle, the last of the hopeful delusions shattered. Their faces turned deathly pale. Regret surged up all at once.
But it was too late.
Their power continued to drain from them, and at this rate, they'd be dried out like husks before long.
Yun Jin frowned as she observed what was happening.
In her mind, the voice of the Tian Po Sword rang out. "Young Master, this is the Demon Clan's Soul-Calming Array. It requires the targets to willingly step into it. Once activated, everyone inside is considered to have entered a willing offering contract. Even if they regret it later, the contract holds. Under its terms, the array's master can claim their flesh, their cultivation, their everything. This array is often used when important figures of the Demon Clan need to heal."
Understanding flashed across Yun Jin's face.
No wonder these demons had taken the time to set all this up. The whole surrender offer had been a trap, just to lure them into the Soul-Calming Array.
That Demon Clan leader must have been injured in a fight with Yang Yun's people and was now in desperate need of recovery.
"Young Master, the defenses here are starting to falter. Do you need my assistance?" the Tian Po Sword asked. After returning to the Wushuang Sect, it had replenished a round of energy. That Mahayana demon was no match for it.
"No rush," Yun Jin replied, her face blank. "Yang Yun won't just sit back and watch the Demon Clan leader recover. He'll make his move soon. Just stay hidden and protect Master and the others. Keep it subtle. Don't let them suffer irreversible injuries. As for me, don't worry. I can handle it."
Wasn't Yang Yun trying to be the great savior?
Then let him. That way, the fall from the clouds will be all the more satisfying.
"Understood," the Tian Po Sword responded.
It began quietly releasing power to shield the vital organs of the others. Because the action was so discreet, and everyone was currently overwhelmed with emotion, no one noticed anything amiss.
The ball of demonic energy was still descending slowly.
Yun Jin could feel her divine soul pushing back, releasing a new surge of strength in response to the oppressive force. Her soul had already reached the peak of Divine Transformation. Under this pressure, the bottleneck to the Unity stage had begun to show signs of crumbling. If the Demon Clan pushed just a little harder tonight—
She could break through. And once her soul crossed into Unity, her cultivation realm would follow naturally. This crushing pressure was, to her, a blessing in disguise.
Above the clouds—
Yang Yun looked down coldly at the scene below. He saw Zhao Wuji and Han Xiaoyu bound tightly, lying unconscious under the heavy pressure. Blood seeped from all seven orifices. They were barely clinging to life.
"Zhao Wuji really is useless," someone muttered. "He even managed to mess up something this small. Your Majesty, should we intervene?"
"Zhao Wuji is indeed incompetent," Yang Yun said coolly. "But he still has some use. Do it. We can't let that demon regain his strength. Wipe out the whole lot of them."
"Yes, sir!" his subordinates responded in unison.
Yang Yun's gaze remained indifferent. These demons belonged to Mo Luo. He'd lured them here specifically to kill them.
The Demon-Slaying Alliance should be arriving soon.
Perfect.
He could use these demon heads to earn himself a share of the credit. And once Zhao Wuji played his part, Yang Yun could openly establish a foothold among the human cultivators. If Ji Wusi and the others found out that the Demon Sovereign they had been chasing all this time had become a hero of the Demon-Slaying Alliance—
Their faces would be priceless.
Yang Yun smiled faintly, making no move to act himself.
He stood atop the clouds, watching with a blank expression.
Meanwhile, in the Tianxing Sect camp—
Just as the group was about to be overwhelmed—
Someone descended from the sky.
"Filthy demons! How dare you wreak havoc!" Two Mahayana experts charged directly at the Demon Clan leader.
His expression darkened.
They had caught up.
And he still hadn't recovered. There was no way he could take on both of them at once. Fortunately, he had rejoined the formation. The seven Tribulation stage demons in his group excelled in a combined assault array and could buy him some time.
With Yang Yun's people now entering the fray, the demons shifted their attacks.
On Yun Jin's side, the pressure immediately eased.
She raised an eyebrow.
That's it?
It ended too soon. Her soul was still just shy of breaking through to Unity.
A pang of disappointment crept in.
She would need to find another opportunity—one intense enough to force her soul power to fully awaken. Otherwise, waiting for it to rise naturally could take another year or more.
That pace was far too slow.
The sudden appearance of reinforcements left Fairy Yin Jun and the others stunned, but there was no time to dwell on it. They unleashed their treasures and plunged into the melee.
The Demon Clan leader's expression grew increasingly grim. Not only had two Mahayana stage enemies appeared, but Yang Yun had brought along a whole team of Tribulation cultivators.
This turned the tide, and not in the Demon Clan's favor.
With Yin Jun and the others joining forces with Yang Yun's subordinates, they quickly locked down the seven Tribulation stage demons.
The two Mahayana cultivators closed in on the leader.
Snarling, the Demon Clan leader frantically increased his absorption speed from the Soul-Calming Array. The cultivators trapped inside screamed in agony.
But the two Mahayana experts wouldn't allow him to recover. Before they arrived in person, their treasures struck first. Two black curved blades descended, severing the link between the Demon Clan leader and the array.
The prisoners inside collapsed, drained and barely conscious. They had survived, but each of them looked as if they'd aged centuries in mere moments. Their foundations had been damaged. From now on, their path in cultivation would be limited—perhaps even ended altogether.