A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Chapter 555 The Demon Octopus
Deep within the dark forest, a group of figures were moving through the trees...

This place is deep in the heart of the dark forest, and it can be said to be quite dangerous.

Having ventured this far, the small elemental beasts that had been harassing them along the way were no longer there. This was not a good sign, as it meant they had entered the territory of mid-level elemental beasts.

Mid-level elemental beasts have a strong sense of territory. Generally, the smaller elemental beasts at the bottom of the food chain in the Dark Forest will stay far away once they smell the aura of a mid-level elemental beast.

Duan Rong was naturally in this group, riding the wind as he traversed through the forest...

Their group was to traverse the heart of the dark forest to reach the most mysterious and eerie place, the location of the ruins of gods and demons.

For this opening of the Divine Demon Ruins, a total of eight people from the sect were selected to enter the Divine Demon Ruins: Jiang Hanyan, Su Xinjue, Guo Tian, ​​Duan Rong, Lu Chu, Yang Sui, Xu Hui, and Du Wan.

All eight of them were at the Qi Cyclone Realm. Even as a team of eight, it would be impossible for them to traverse the vast, dark forest and reach the core of the divine and demonic ruins.

They have only reached the territory of mid-level elemental beasts. Further inland, there are high-level elemental beasts. The destructive power of high-level elemental beasts is equivalent to the attack of a Cave-Penetrating Realm expert, which is far beyond their ability to withstand.

Therefore, two elders from the Elder Council led the team: Lin Youjian and Liu Su!

These two elders were also the ones who trained them during those ten days of intensive training.

After ten days of intensive training, the eight people who were initially excited now had gloomy expressions.

The horrors within the ruins of gods and demons far exceeded their imagination, but even so, no one offered to withdraw voluntarily, because the benefits were equally enormous. Every cultivator who had received nourishment from the whispers of gods and demons had, without exception, advanced to the Cave of Clarity Realm, a benefit that alone made it difficult for them to refuse.

At this moment, Lin Youjian led the team from the front, while Liu Su brought up the rear of the team!

Both of them entered the last God and Demon Ruins twenty-nine years ago and performed quite well, which is why they had the opportunity to become instructors for this training camp!
Among the eight selected, Jiang Hanyan is Lin Youjian's personal disciple. Duan Rong had seen Jiang Hanyan several years ago during the Yougu test, but at that time, Jiang Hanyan's face was covered by a veil, and Duan Rong did not recognize her true appearance.

During this training camp, he saw Jiang Hanyan's face for the first time. She was naturally beautiful, but Duan Rong still felt that the faint sense of mystery behind the veil was more alluring. Once he saw her true face, he felt a sense of loss.

Xu Hui, Liu Su's personal disciple, was also in the group. He was a thin, fair-skinned man who was usually taciturn, but he didn't seem unpleasant to others.

As for the others, Duan Rong had also become quite familiar with them during the ten days of intensive training. Once inside the Divine and Demonic Ruins, they would need to cooperate with each other, so getting to know each other during the training was an essential part of the curriculum. Of course, no one would completely reveal themselves to others; some reservations were inevitable.

The group walked through the dense forest and suddenly came to a rather vast grassland.

They rode the wind, moving across the vast grasslands like phantoms in the night.

This large area is devoid of trees, consisting only of wild grasses. It is usually related to geology, with dark forests stretching for thousands of miles and complex geological formations.

The group moved at an extremely fast speed, whistling past as they rode the wind!

Just then, several extremely piercing screams suddenly rang out from above their heads!

Upon hearing that cry, Duan Rong's heart skipped a beat. He knew that cry all too well; it was the cry of the Sour and Strange Bird!
When he and Lü Qingzhu were retrieving the Black Fire Lotus Seeds, they were once trapped in a cave by a sour-headed creature and a strange bird.

The strange bird's terrifying speed and attack power left a deep impression on Duan Rong.

At this crucial moment, instead of just one sour bird or a strange bird, there were as many as eight above them.

High in the sky, they flew towards them from two directions!

Acids and birds have excellent eyesight, and can see things on the ground even from high in the sky.

They strode across the vast grassland, their speed visible to birds from a great height.

A single sour bird and a strange bird were enough to force Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu to join forces. Now that there are eight of them, their combat power is already quite terrifying.

Lin Youjian, who was leading the group, looked up the moment he heard the piercing scream. He saw several black dots approaching from the distant sky, moving as fast as lightning.

Lin Youjian frowned, flicked her sleeve, and pressed a jade flute about seventy centimeters long to her lips.

Lin Youjian stood sideways in mid-air, his robes fluttering, and a long, drawn-out note from a flute, like a deep breath, drifted out.

It's just a single syllable, not a complete tune!
The syllables sounded slightly grating to Duan Rong's ears, and their rather long duration made him feel a faint sense of nausea.

But as that syllable passed, several black dots rapidly approaching from two directions high above instantly exploded into puffs of blood mist, dissipating and vanishing into the sky...

At this moment, Lin Youjian had already put away the jade flute and stood there in mid-air. He waved to them and said, "Let's go!"

The group then continued their journey at breakneck speed!

Just now, the scene where Lin Youjian's single syllable caused the eight-headed sour lily and the strange bird in the sky to explode into a bloody mist still greatly shocked Duan Rong. Not only Duan Rong, but everyone else was also somewhat stunned!
As Duan Rong whistled along, he glanced at Lin Youjian's slender back, which was about ten feet away.

A deep, unfathomable glint flashed in his eyes. "Sonic Force!"

Back then, when choosing a master at the Dragon Fish Hall, he ultimately chose to become Zhu He's disciple, though he had hesitated before accepting Lin Youjian. At that time, he was quite curious about the mystery of sonic energy.

He was even more disappointed to see Lin Youjian kill the eight-headed sour bird and the strange bird with a single syllable.

Because Jiang Hanyan was not far from him, during their training together, he had every opportunity to touch Jiang Hanyan's guqin. But in the end, he gave up on absorbing it, because the ancestor Lü Yinlin had already told him that a mixed artistic conception was not conducive to forming a profound understanding.

He had finally managed to fuse and refine hundreds of complex concepts into one within the Myriad Manifestations Cave, after experiencing life and death. Why would he bother to devour other concepts?

However, the power of the expert at the Cave-Nether Realm just now still left a deep impression on Duan Rong.

Judging from Lin Youjian's ability to instantly kill the Eight-Headed Sour and the Strange Bird, it's likely that his killing of Xiao Qiwu two months ago in the Myriad Manifestations Cave was somewhat lucky.

Cultivators at the Cavern Realm, after all, possess the power of laws; their strength is truly formidable. Back then, within the Myriad Manifestations Cave, if Xiao Qiwu had even had a chance to unleash a single attack, he would likely have been annihilated, body and soul!
Thinking of this, Duan Rong couldn't help but touch his neck. But the place where the dew-drinking cicada usually hung was now empty.

Before entering the Dark Forest, he had entrusted the Dew-Drinking Cicada to Zhu He for safekeeping. This was because the Dew-Drinking Cicada could not be brought into the Divine and Demonic Ruins. The Dew-Drinking Cicada contained the power of law, which was incompatible with the laws within the mysterious ruins. If it were brought into the Divine and Demonic Ruins, the Dew-Drinking Cicada would self-destruct!

Duan Rong was touching his empty chest when he suddenly noticed someone looking at him from the side. He abruptly turned his head, and Su Xinjue's face immediately turned away, her eyes sparkling as she looked ahead!
But just a moment ago, Su Xinjue was clearly looking at him!
Su Xinjue is quite beautiful and charming. In terms of temperament, she is not as good as Jiang Hanyan, but in terms of allure, she surpasses Jiang Hanyan by a point.

Duan Rong had been paying attention to her for a long time! During the training camp, Duan Rong learned that Su Xinjue's master was Shen Tu Ying, a senior figure in the sect!

Su Xinjue is Shen Tu Ying's personal disciple!

Since Shen Tu Ying is a dangerous threat to him, then Su Xin Jue is also a dangerous threat!
Among their group of eight who were entering the ruins of gods and demons, Duan Rong's first person to be wary of was Su Xinjue!

The ruins of gods and demons are fraught with danger and unpredictability; this woman might have malicious intentions towards him! Why did she look at him just now?

Be careful!

Duan Rong and his men have been speeding along, riding the wind, for more than ten hours.

Although they are all experts at the Qi Cyclone Realm, once the Three Flowers Gather at the Top are activated, the rich spiritual energy of heaven and earth within the Dark Forest will continuously flow into their bodies.

They will not run out of energy.

However, flying on the wind actually consumes a lot of spiritual energy, and the group all looked tired.

Just then, Lin Youjian's voice came from ahead. "Be careful, we're almost in the real heartland!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines!
The true heartland that Lin Youjian spoke of refers to the place where high-level elemental beasts roam; this is the truly extremely dangerous place within the Dark Forest.

Lin Youjian, who was originally leading the team about ten feet ahead, suddenly retreated like a ghost and stood directly next to Duan Rong, right next to their team.

Liu Su, who was bringing up the rear, was also at the very back of the line.

Lin Youjian glanced at Duan Rong and said, "Duan boy, why didn't you choose me as your master back in the Dragon Fish Hall? If you had chosen me, wouldn't it have been wonderful for you and my Hanyan to play the zither and the flute together?"

Hearing this, Jiang Hanyan also glanced at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong said, "Senior Lin, to be honest, I originally wanted to choose you. But I don't play any musical instruments, let alone understand music. Senior, you killed the Eight-Headed Sour and the Strange Bird with just one note. I don't understand music, and I might just blow myself to death."

Duan Rong's words were joking, and Lin Youjian couldn't help but laugh, saying, "Nonsense!"

In truth, it wouldn't have been difficult for him to learn a master-level musical skill by devouring the spirit of a weapon. It's just that he ultimately didn't choose that path.

After traveling for a while, Lin Youjian and Liu Su both sensed a faint, oppressive spatial fluctuation emanating from the area not far ahead.

"Be careful! We're about to enter the territory of high-level elemental beasts!" Liu Su's somewhat gloomy voice came from the back of the group.

Everyone's expressions were somewhat solemn, and Jiang Hanyan couldn't help but lean closer to her master, Lin Youjian.

Upon entering that area, Lin Youjian and Liu Su released their aura to deter any high-level elemental beasts that might be lurking nearby! Perhaps this method was indeed effective, because although they traveled for a long time and spatial ripples occasionally spread around them, not a single high-level elemental beast attacked them!
Even so, Lin Youjian and Liu Su dared not relax their vigilance in the slightest. As the instructors for the group entering the Divine and Demonic Ruins, if any one of them had an accident in this dark forest, the sect would hold them accountable.

The group continued forward, and the space ahead became increasingly empty. There were no trees, not even grass, only bare, dark soil, like dried mud.

Having seen such geological features, the location of the ruins of gods and demons is not far away.

Although Lin Youjian and Liu Su still looked solemn, the other eight people had begun to relax their vigilance, as they were about to reach the location of the God and Demon Ruins.

Who wouldn't want to see the true face of this eerie place?
But at that moment, Lin Youjian suddenly shouted, "Back off!"

Almost simultaneously, she flicked her sleeve, and a gust of wind sent everyone flying backward. Duan Rong and the others all used their movements, combined with the sudden gust of wind whipped up by Lin You's sword, and instantly retreated several meters away.

The moment Lin Youjian stirred up that gust of wind, he leaped into the sky!
At the same time, where they were originally, the dark ground suddenly exploded and rolled up, and a sticky tentacle like an octopus tail stretched out and flew strangely in mid-air.

The ground around the tentacles was also cracking open in several places, with sticky tentacles sticking out and wriggling, which was quite disgusting...

Liu Su had been following the group the whole time, and the moment he saw those tentacles, his eyebrows furrowed instantly. "A high-level elemental beast, a Ghost Owl!"

The instant Lin Youjian soared into the sky, he pressed the seventy-centimeter-long jade flute to his lips. This time, a melodious tune finally emanated from the flute. It was a melody, not just individual notes!

As the sound of the flute filled the air, layers of spatial ripples also spread outwards, extending towards the tentacles underground, and even passing through them, reaching deeper into the earth...

The tentacles writhed violently, and a muffled roar faintly echoed from the depths of the earth!

The sound of Lin Youjian's flute was clearly causing considerable pain to the high-level Yuan Beast Ghost Owl, which was lurking underground!

The Oni-Takoyaki has powerful tentacles, but its main body is quite weak, so it hides deep underground!

However, the sound of Lin Youjian's flute can penetrate the Ghost Owl's multiple defenses and directly attack its body!
At this moment, Liu Su released his full aura. He needed to prevent the group from being attacked by others at any time, especially now that Lin Youjian was dealing with the Ghost Owl, which made him even more stressed.

The ghostly octopus was in considerable pain, compounded by the powerful pressure emanating from Liu Su. High-level elemental beasts, possessing intelligence, knew they couldn't gain the upper hand and retreated deeper into the earth.

The flying tentacles on the ground disappeared, leaving only several swirling mud holes of varying sizes...

Seeing the Ghost Octopus retreat, Lin Youjian sheathed her flute, leaped to the side of the group, and said with her eyebrows raised, "Let's go!"

Immediately, the group resumed their formation, with Lin Youjian leading the way and Liu Su bringing up the rear, their figures whistling forward.

At this moment, Duan Rong and the other eight people all had very solemn expressions. If anyone had been caught by the sticky tentacles of the Ghost Octopus just now, they would probably have turned into pus by now...

(End of this chapter)