Slender willows sway in the breeze

Chapter 279 The Ceremony of the Unity of All Demons
Liu Sijun concentrated her mind, and the Taixu Spirit Crystal shone brightly in her hand.

She kept searching around the altar for clues to the entrance.

Time passed slowly, and she suddenly noticed an inconspicuous stone slab on the edge of the altar, with some ancient runes engraved on it.

"Cheung Chau, there might be a clue here!"

While resisting the tentacles, Gu Changzhou looked in Liu Sijun's direction.

"careful!"

Gu Changzhou suddenly shouted, and a black tentacle rushed towards Liu Sijun while she was distracted.

At this critical moment, Liu Sijun reacted quickly. The Taixu Spirit Crystal flashed, and a technical barrier instantly appeared in front of her.

The tentacles slammed into the barrier with a dull thud, but they couldn't break through it.

Liu Sijun composed himself and focused his attention again on the runes on the stone slab.

She carefully observed the arrangement and shape of the runes, trying to uncover their secrets. At this moment, the other experts also gradually suppressed the tentacle's attack.

The group approached them, and Elder Langde asked, "Lord Gu, Miss Liu, have you discovered anything?"

Liu Sijun nodded and pointed to the runes on the stone slab, saying, "This may be the entrance to the core of the altar, but I don't yet have a way to decipher these runes."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone's eyes were drawn to the area around the stone slab, carefully examining the runes.

Suddenly, Elder Song Hongyuan's eyes lit up: "I have seen similar runes in ancient books. They seem to be an ancient code that needs to be activated in a specific order."

As he spoke, Elder Song Hongyuan extended his finger and gently tapped the rune.

As he moved, the runes on the stone slab began to flicker, emitting strange lights.

Immediately, a muffled sound came from beneath the stone slab, and a huge hole appeared on the altar. The hole was pitch black and exuded a mysterious aura.

Liu Sijun: "This is it!"

Gu Changzhou looked at everyone and said, "Everyone be careful, the cave will definitely be even more dangerous."

After saying this, he took the lead and entered the cave.

It was pitch black inside, and even with their level of cultivation, they could hardly see anything further.

He took out a glowing bead from the container to use for lighting.

The group moved forward along the narrow passage, cautiously observing their surroundings.

Suddenly, a low roar came from ahead, echoing through the cave and sending chills down one's spine.

Gu Changzhou warned, "Be careful, something's coming!"

Everyone immediately prepared for battle, gripping their weapons tightly, their eyes revealing a hint of tension and anticipation.

The darkness inside the cave pressed down on them like a physical force, and the low roars grew ever closer.

Suddenly, Shu Shi's two scarlet eyes lit up in the darkness, accompanied by the stench of rotting flesh, as a group of demonic creatures, half-human and half-beast, rushed in from all directions.

"Watch out! It's the ancient demonic beast, Bone Nightmare!"

Elder Di Sheng recognized these creatures; their bones were covered with demonic patterns, and they were the ancient ferocious beings that Tianxu Palace had resurrected using the essence and blood of demon gods.

Elder Langde quickly formed hand seals, and a shield-like magical artifact floated above his head. Countless defensive runes rained down on his companions: "Elder Di, use your sword shadows to restrain them!"

Elder Di Sheng quickly formed hand seals, and the ethereal sword shadows transformed into a rain of swords, but they were absorbed by the Bone Nightmare upon contact, making the Bone Nightmare's bones even more crystalline.

"Oh no, they can devour spiritual energy!"

Elder Song Hongyuan used the Shadow Sword Technique, his figure moving like a ghost among the Bone Nightmare.

His longsword specifically targets the joints of the Bone Nightmare, crackling with electricity whenever the blade touches the magical runes. "Attack the weak points of the magical runes!"

Elder Gao Yongxiu slammed his fists into the ground, and the shockwave from his iron fist sent the Bone Nightmare flying.

His fist technique was fierce and unparalleled, each punch creating a sonic boom, shattering the bone skeletons he struck into dust: "These skeletons, I'll take them down with one punch each!"

Tong Lei's golden roc phantom spread its wings and soared into the sky, its sharp claws tearing through the rocks at the top of the cave.

Large rocks crashed down, smashing several Bone Nightmares to pieces: "Watch out for falling rocks, everyone!"

Gu Changzhou and Liu Sijun seized the opportunity to rush into the depths of the cave, but were blocked by the suddenly appearing Bone Nightmare Lord. This Bone Nightmare Lord was three times larger than its kind, with wings on its back and a demon god mark embedded on its forehead.

"I'll stop it!"

Gu Changzhou plunged the Molin Sword into the ground, and twelve star chains shot into the sky, binding the Bone Nightmare Lord.

Liu Sijun then used the Taixu Spirit Crystal to scan the Bone Nightmare Lord and discovered that its weakness was three inches below the Demon God Mark.

"Changzhou, stab its heart!"

Gu Changzhou unleashed a sword strike, but it was blocked by the wings of the Bone Nightmare Lord.

The Bone Nightmare Lord let out a piercing shriek, its wings unleashing a black hurricane that sent Gu Changzhou flying.

Just then, Elder Langde's shield suddenly appeared in front of Gu Changzhou, blocking the fatal blow for him.

"Lord Gu, leave this fellow to us!"

Elder Di Sheng's ethereal sword shadows transformed into ropes that bound the wings of the Bone Nightmare Lord, and Elder Song Hongyuan seized the opportunity to stab its weak point with his sword.

Elder Gao Yongxiu's iron fist slammed into the Bone Nightmare Lord's head, denting his skull.

Tong Lei's golden roc phantom swooped down, its sharp claws seizing the demon god's mark of the Bone Nightmare Lord and tearing it off.

The Bone Nightmare Lord, having lost the mark of the Demon God, let out a mournful cry and turned into a pile of white bones.

The group continued forward, arriving at the core of the altar. There, nine crystal coffins floated, each containing the soul of a Nascent Soul cultivator, whose life force was being absorbed by the altar.

"This is the Heavenly Ruins Palace's Ceremony of Unifying All Demons!" Liu Sijun exclaimed. "We must stop them!"

Just as Gu Changzhou was about to make a move, the altar suddenly activated, and nine beams of demonic light shot towards the crystal coffin.

The cultivators inside the crystal coffin opened their eyes, which gleamed with demonic light.

"They've been corrupted by demons!" Elder Di Sheng warned.

The nine demonized cultivators attacked simultaneously, their powerful demonic energy forcing everyone back.

Gu Changzhou and Liu Sijun each blocked two cultivators, while the others fought on their own.

Elder Langde's shield shattered repeatedly under the impact of demonic energy, but he gritted his teeth and persevered: "These guys are too powerful!"

Elder Di Sheng's ethereal sword shadows appeared pale and powerless in front of the demonized cultivators, and his forehead was covered with sweat: "Their defense is too abnormal!"

Elder Song Hongyuan's Shadow Sword Technique was easily countered by the demonized cultivator, and his arm was burned by demonic energy: "They seem to know our weakness!"

Elder Gao Yongxiu's iron fist slammed into the demonized cultivator, but the impact caused his arm to go numb: "These guys' bodies are harder than stone!"

Tong Lei's golden roc phantom was corroded by the demonic energy of the demonized cultivator and became illusory: "This can't go on!"

Just when everyone was in dire straits, Liu Sijun suddenly remembered the mysterious bead.

She quickly took out the bead, which shimmered with an eerie light in her hand.

"Everyone, concentrate your attacks on the crystal coffin!" Liu Sijun shouted. "The mysterious bead can purify demonic energy!"