Chapter 1014: Unfamiliar Demons

Despite Ji Yuan's immense efforts, a significant number of cultivators from the righteous paths still chose to retreat in the face of the evident worldwide chaos and the ominous signs of an impending great calamity.

Nevertheless, many cultivators also opted to intervene immediately. Although there were a fair number of immortal sects, the proportional quantity of immortal cultivators was vastly outweighed by that of demons, devils, and ghouls.

Numerous immortal cultivators from various immortal sects and sacred cultivation grounds emerged to save the world. Buddhist practitioners did the same, and even some righteous demons and spirits lent their aid, not to mention various deities. However, the reality of the situation was far from optimistic.

High-level immortal cultivators often possess keen spiritual perception and are generally skilled in divination. With their diverse and exquisite cultivation methods and powerful treasures, they exert precise control over spiritual energy and magic. Typically, demons of equivalent cultivation levels are no match for righteous masters, especially those from prestigious orthodox sects. However, in the current climate, unless a cultivator's power reaches a certain threshold allowing them to act without inhibition, even immortals face numerous threats, for they too are embroiled in this grand calamity.

In Tianyu Continent, the old beggar and his two disciples traversed the land using the ground-shrinking technique. While the current situation in Tianyu Continent was not as dire as the disaster of years past, and humanity was not without means of resistance, it was, in fact, even more chaotic than before.

It was dusk. The sun had already set, leaving only a lingering afterglow and twilight clouds. Yet, the Malevolent Sun Star remained in the sky, a pale, belly-like sliver of light on the southern horizon. This light persisted into the night but failed to dispel the gloom, as if incapable of illuminating the darkness, appearing even dimmer than ordinary starlight.

"Master, there's a strong ghostly aura ahead; it's not normal!" whispered Lu Xiaoyou.

Lu Xiaoyou whispered this, but the old beggar merely snorted coldly and pressed on with his two disciples, while Yang Zong's brow furrowed in concern.

"The sun hasn't fully set yet. Even if this ghoul possesses some cultivation, it dares to manifest immediately. Has the mortal world truly fallen to such a state?"

In earlier times, let alone at dusk, even after the sun had fully set and night had completely descended, ghosts remaining in the human realm would only manifest in the dead of night. Yet, this was the situation now.

Although the master and his two disciples traveled on foot, their ground-shrinking technique far surpassed the speed of a galloping horse. In mere moments, they arrived at the location permeated with ghostly energy. What they found was an abandoned caravan, with ghouls roaming among the carriages and horses, snatching lingering souls and even draining the vitality from the living steeds.

"Hiss! Hiss!"

The horses frantically attempted to drag the carriages and bolt, but most of the carriage wheels were shattered, and the horses themselves were wounded. As they dragged the broken vehicles along the road, they swiftly attracted the ghouls, which coiled around the horses, draining their spiritual essence and even drinking their blood.

"Ghouls drinking fresh blood! What vile creatures, almost fully formed! Yang Zong, deal with them."

"Yes, Master!"

Yang Zong moved with an unusual swiftness; in a single leap, he instantly reached the vicinity of the carriages and horses. He then brought his right palm forward from his chest, revealing a small flame in its center, and gently blew a stream of air from his hand.

"Whoosh... swoosh..."

A small tongue of flame emerged first, then transformed into a fiery red wind that swept across the surrounding carriages, horses, and a large area.

"Ah—!" "Yaa—!"

The ghouls' shrill screams echoed in the wind, but quickly subsided, leaving only the wounded horses by the broken carriages to whimper.

There were bodies inside the carriages and human corpses by the roadside. As the old beggar approached with Lu Xiaoyou, the latter suddenly wore a look of surprise.

"Junior brother, these people..."

Yang Zong looked at Lu Xiaoyou and nodded.

"Senior brother, these people were not killed by ghouls, but by other humans. They were likely victims of bandits first, which then drew the ghouls."

The old beggar shook his head, sighing with a sense of helplessness.

"It's pitiful. These people couldn't even become lonely spirits; their essence was absorbed by the ghouls. Such is the world now; not only are demons, devils, ghosts, and monstrous creatures running wild, but one must also beware of humans. Alas!"

The old beggar stomped his foot, and the ground beside the road slowly cracked open, forming a gully. The corpses from inside and beside the carriages were gently guided into the trench and arranged neatly, after which the soil covered them once more.

"Though your souls are scattered, may you still rest peacefully in the earth."

Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong watched this unfold. Afterward, they unhitched the remaining horses from the front of the carriages. Freed from their restraints, even the dispirited horses struggled to their feet and galloped away into the distance.

The better horses had likely been led away by the bandits. These remaining horses were wounded in the prior conflict. Whether they would survive after escaping now was a matter of fate, but fate itself was currently in disarray.

"Master, the sealed passage from earlier is just ahead."

"Yes, we can't delay. Let's go."

The old beggar and his two disciples resumed their journey. This time, they encountered no further strange occurrences until night had fully fallen. They successfully reached a small mountain, the site of a natural passage for the Black Desolate demons during the Tianyu Continent's past turmoil. Although it had been sealed, there was a lingering fear that these demons might use it to make a resurgence.

"It appears relatively stable for now. The old methods are no longer secure, so I'll reinforce it. Please stand back."

After speaking, the old beggar waited for his two disciples to retreat, then leaped into the air. He raised his palm, and immediately, the surrounding winds and clouds responded. Rolling earth energy surged towards him, and amidst the flying sand and stones, a vast, ghostly outline of a mountain began to form in his hand.

"Rumble... rumble..."

The ground began to tremble faintly. The ethereal mountain grew lower, larger, and increasingly tangible. Wind and sand converged, accompanied by rolling earth energy. Amidst more violent tremors, a colossal peak reformed on the small mountain, towering over the modest range like a crane among chickens.

"Clap, clap."

The old beggar descended, clapped his hands, and nodded.

"It should be secure now. I'll proceed to the next location. You two should visit other areas and eliminate any malevolent beings."

"Yes, Master."

As they were his only two disciples, the old beggar added a further caution.

"In this great calamity affecting all beings, threats naturally vary in scale. Unfortunately, with the heavenly destiny now in such disarray, the information derived from divination has been severely diminished, leaving many high-level cultivators often forced to act on intuition alone. Even though you've achieved some success in your cultivation, you are not entirely unrestrained. Remember to always act within your capabilities. If you encounter something beyond your power, do not be reckless; simply cast a spell to notify me, your old beggar master."

"Understood, Master."

After confirming again, Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong departed together, this time taking flight on the wind.

With chaos rampant throughout the world today, many sects have dispatched their younger, somewhat skilled cultivators. However, these juniors are also often the most vulnerable to peril. Yet, for cultivators, particularly those striving for enlightenment, this great calamity is undeniably an unprecedented trial. This held especially true for Lu Xiaoyou and Yang Zong.

"Junior brother, which direction should we head?"

Lu Xiaoyou possessed extraordinary cultivation talent and was not without his own opinions, but his junior brother, Yang Zong, had far more extensive life experience. In times like these, it was best to let Yang Zong make the decisions.

"Senior brother, as Master said, the heavenly mechanisms are chaotic now. Since no demons or devils are currently manifesting, let's seek out what we can. Wicked beings are not confined to just demons."

"You mean those bandits?"

Lu Xiaoyou was quick to grasp his meaning, and Yang Zong simply nodded.

"Precisely. More than demons, they are the ones who truly displeased me."

Lu Xiaoyou said no more, and the two traveled by wind. Despite the chaotic energy of the world, locating the bandits proved relatively straightforward. However, upon reaching the mountain stronghold, they found it in utter disarray, with a demon actively slaughtering and devouring. Without a word, the two brothers immediately intervened.

Meanwhile, the old beggar, leisurely traversing the land, a faint smile playing on his lips, looked up at the sky, which had imperceptibly grown overcast with dark clouds. He then halted his steps.

"Alright, you might as well reveal yourselves now. I hadn't realized so many of you had grown so bold."

"Boom..."

The ground suddenly erupted, and a large, scaly hand burst forth from beneath the old beggar's feet, tearing through the air with a whistling sound as it lunged for him.

"Thud..."

The arm grasped only empty air; the old beggar had already drifted skyward like a dandelion.

"Rumble... boom... boom..."

Several bolts of lightning suddenly streaked down from the sky, a torrent of electricity all aimed at the old beggar. From the clouds, mountain edges, and deep underground, more than a dozen demonic auras appeared simultaneously, each emanating an extraordinary presence.

"Come forth!"

The old beggar hovered in the air, his figure swaying across the sky, one hand idly scratching at the grime on his body. Just as a bat-like demon materialized behind him, the old beggar lazily turned, his other hand already gently placed on the bat's head.

A tremendous pressure descended, and the bat instantly plummeted from the sky, crashing "boom" into the ground, causing continuous fissures. The bat's body began to twist and flatten progressively.

"Ah, you..."

"Splat!"

This massive bat appeared to be crushed by an enormous mountain, its skin and flesh tearing open as its insides were squeezed out. It lay on the cracked ground like a bloody, mangled pancake.

"All of us, attack! With this immortal's flesh and blood, we are certain to achieve enlightenment!"

"Roar—!" "Waaah—!"

Under the demons' roars, gusts of baleful wind swept through. Most of these monstrous beings struck the old beggar as utterly deranged.

"Nonsense!"

The old beggar tapped the empty air with his foot, instantly appearing beside a shapeshifting demon that had just spoken. The demon reacted swiftly, its sharp claws extending in a flash and gathering a bloody glow as it lunged fiercely at the old beggar's head. Yet, the old beggar's form was like a phantom, moving a step ahead of it.

"Thwack!"

The demon's neck was seized by the old beggar. Not only from his grip, but a mountain-collapsing pressure emanated from all directions.

"Reveal your true form!"

The old beggar let out a cold shout, unleashing a surge of magic. The being clutched in his hand quickly began to contort, its body narrowing and elongating, its voice turning strange and shrill.

"Waaah, waaah..."

A grotesquely twisted monster struggled violently in the old beggar's hand. This creature bizarrely possessed the body of a sheep and the face of a human, its eyes wildly rolling. With another glance, the old beggar noticed enormous, bloodshot eyes growing under its armpits, staring intently at him, emanating an intensely bizarre, chaotic, and vicious aura.

"What abominable creature! Die!"

The old beggar tightened his grip fiercely, and the sheep-bodied, human-faced monster shrieked in even greater agony. But in the next instant, the old grime-pill he had kneaded with his left hand was pressed into the creature's mouth.

In an instant, all the monster's struggles ceased.

"Crackling... crackle..."

Rapidly extending from its mouth throughout its entire body, the monster in the old beggar's hand completely transformed into a stone sculpture of a sheep-bodied, human-faced creature. With another squeeze, it shrunk to three inches in size and was casually tucked into the pocket of his tattered robes.

'Another type of demon I don't even recognize. Perhaps Ji Yuan would know...'

The old beggar frowned in contemplation, completely disregarding the surrounding demons. To cause him any trouble, such a minor display was utterly insufficient.

However, high-level cultivators like the old beggar were ultimately few. The battle between good and evil naturally saw victories and defeats on both sides. The number of righteous cultivators who perished was equally incalculable, not to mention the devastated mortal world and all other sentient beings.

Cultivators across the world observed the appearance of an increasing number of previously unknown demons. Some were merely impressive in appearance, while others proved exceptionally bizarre and formidable, like various intractable diseases spawned from a sickened heaven and earth.