"Let's go! This place has been exposed. We can't stay here any longer," He Fengdi said urgently, his eyes sharp.
They were no longer at their initial landing point, but had ventured deep into the Myriad Demon Mountain Range. Han Yi estimated that they had traveled roughly 130 li (approximately 65 kilometers) inland, yet they were still within the outer fringes of the mountains. According to He Fengdi, the outer perimeter extended for 500 li.
Han Yi had observed a clear pattern: within the first ten li from their starting point, they mostly encountered Third-Tier Demon Beasts. Beyond that, Fourth to Sixth-Tier beasts became common. Only after venturing over a hundred li did they begin encountering Seventh-Tier and higher-level Demon Beasts.
Moreover, Seventh-Tier and above Demon Beasts were fiercely territorial. Logically, the lingering aura of the Seventh-Tier beast they had killed nearby should have deterred others from entering the area, making it safe. Yet now, inexplicably, a Demon Beast was violently assaulting the Spirit Concealing Formation, shaking it to its core.
But there was no time for further speculation. Terrifying roars erupted outside the formation, and the barrier trembled precariously.
Crack!
As they scrambled out of the tree hollow, the Formation Plate in Li Yi's hand suddenly split in two, and the embedded Spirit Stones crumbled into dust.
"Damn it, the formation's been breached!"
"To break through the formation in such a short time, this Demon Beast must be at least a Ninth-Tier, and likely one of the strongest."
Li Yi's face paled dramatically.
His words had barely faded when a thunderous roar shook the ground. The force of the beast's cry sent everyone staggering, their faces drained of color, even Han Yi's. A top-tier Ninth-Tier Demon Beast would force even him to flee for his life.
In the next instant, a colossal tiger, three meters tall and six meters long, crashed through a towering tree with a deafening roar and landed with an earth-shattering thud.
Under the deep moonlight, its black-and-white striped fur shimmered with violent Demonic Power. The tiger's lantern-like eyes blazed with a frenzied crimson glow, the chaotic light betraying no trace of reason.
As the group met the Tiger Demon's gaze, they shuddered involuntarily. This beast has gone mad, they all realized.
Even more terrifying, the aura radiating from this berserk creature far surpassed that of the earlier Tree Demon. It was undoubtedly a pinnacle Ninth-Tier Demon Beast, perhaps even on the verge of evolving into a Demon Cultivator.
"There's no escape now! Kill it!"
He Fengdi's vast combat experience told him that the tiger's maddened eyes meant there was no hope for a composed retreat.
With a flip of his hands, He Fengdi produced a palm-sized, three-legged golden cauldron. He hurled it upward, and the cauldron expanded rapidly in the wind, growing to over two meters tall.
This was a High-Grade Magic Artifact: the Gold Devouring Cauldron.
The golden cauldron hung suspended in the air, radiating a golden light. Streams of molten gold poured from its three legs, flowing outward like a shimmering sea toward the giant tiger.
Under the moonlight, the spreading golden light resembled a radiant ocean. But upon closer inspection, one could see that the ceaseless flow wasn't light at all—it was a swarm of tiny, ant-like golden insects: Gold Devouring Insects.
Faced with the Tiger Demon, He Fengdi immediately deployed his trump card.
Simultaneously, Liu Ke activated a Magic Artifact—a dark-hued blade. With each swing, he unleashed over a dozen slashes in an instant, the afterimages of each blade coalescing into a terrifying arc of cutting power. The combined energy resembled a celestial moon suddenly plummeting from the sky.
Shen Ru still wielded his needle-shaped Magic Artifact. This time, he manipulated three needles simultaneously, transforming them into three golden phantoms that streaked through the air, piercing directly toward the Tiger Demon.
Li Yi, a Formation Master specializing in combat formations, moved swiftly. He planted four azure flags around his position, then held the fifth aloft, channeling his Mana into it. The surrounding flags trembled softly, releasing an azure glow that rapidly expanded outward. Dozens of illusory, handleless swords materialized in the air.
"Go!" With a thought, Li Yi waved the blue flag in his hand. The illusory longswords that had materialized in the air solidified, raining down upon the Tiger Demon like a storm of steel.
He Ze's Magic Artifact was also a cyan longsword, but instead of directly wielding it, he extended his index and middle fingers, drawing three streams of golden-tinged Sword Light from the blade. These luminous arcs soared skyward, arcing in sequence to strike the Tiger Demon.
This was a branch of the Sword Control Technique, akin to the Pill Sword Technique, known as the Sword Guiding Technique.
By nurturing their sword artifacts, cultivators refined Sword Light within them. As their cultivation realm and the artifact's grade improved, the sword could store increasingly potent and abundant Sword Light.
Legend told of a Golden Core Stage cultivator who had once unleashed a million strands of Sword Light, their chilling radiance piercing a thousand li. Surpassing his cultivation level, he had gravely wounded a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator with a single strike, shocking the entire Cultivation World.
Chu Jinmo, the sole female cultivator among the seven, wore a solemn expression. With a fluid motion, she drew the silver longsword from her back, its metallic tang echoing sharply.
The silver blade leaped into the air, soaring like a dragon ascending to the heavens, its joy palpable in its vibrant dance.
Han Yi couldn't help but glance at her again.
Since entering the Myriad Demon Mountain Range, this was Chu Jinmo's first display of power. Even against the troublesome Tree Demon earlier, she had refrained from unsheathing her sword.
As the silver blade danced before him, Han Yi's eyes widened in sudden realization.
Chu Jinmo was actually a Sword Immortal practitioner.
The term "Sword Immortal" doesn't refer to an Immortal in the traditional sense, but rather to practitioners of an exceptionally powerful cultivation method.
A Sword Immortal wields a unique blade known as a Spirit Sword. Within a Spirit Sword resides a Sword Spirit, an entity of awakened intelligence that may be considered part of the Spirit Race, following the Spirit Path of cultivation.
It is said throughout the Cultivation World that Sword Immortals are unmatched in combat prowess.
Han Yi had never imagined that Chu Jinmo cultivated the path of the Sword Immortal. Years ago, when they were both at Little Sea-Viewing Peak, she had never displayed such extraordinary abilities. Could it be that she had inherited the Sword Immortal legacy after reaching the Inner Peak, through some fortuitous encounter?
The realization struck Han Yi like lightning. His shock lasted only an instant, leaving no time for further contemplation.
He launched his own attack.
Facing a Peak Ninth-Tier Tiger Demon, Han Yi dared not hold back. However, with his companions already unleashing their assaults, their combined offensive power was sufficient. In a split second, he made his decision.
With a single gesture, the Shadowless Sword at his waist silently materialized and streaked forth.
Against the berserk Tiger Demon, sheer brute force was their only option. Han Yi didn't fully unleash the Demon-Slaying Dagger or the Shadowless Sword, as their effects were similar.
Standing behind the group, Han Yi silently launched the Shadowless Sword, sending it around the flank. Only Chu Jinmo, with her keen sensitivity to swords, faintly detected the subtle fluctuations in mana. However, she was fully focused on controlling her Spirit Sword, currently in a perilous situation, and didn't turn to investigate.
To recap:
The moment the colossal Tiger Demon crashed to the ground with a deafening roar, its bloodshot eyes—overwhelmed by madness—locked onto the group. He Fengdi roared and charged forward, followed by the others unleashing a coordinated onslaught.
All of this transpired in less than half a breath.
Half a breath later, the Gold Devouring Insects, knife-edged beams of light, needle-sharp projectiles, azure Sword Light conjured by Formation Arts, pale golden Sword Light guided by the Sword Guiding Technique, soaring Spirit Swords, and the silent Shadowless Sword converged on the monstrous tiger.