You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Its strength was indeed astonishing; the iron chains taut instantly, groaning under the strain.

However, a cold smile curled at the corner of Chen Yang's mouth.

He changed his hand seal and gave a low shout.

"Entangle!"

The two iron chains that had been gripping the monster suddenly softened, and as if they had come to life, they snaked and coiled upwards along the monster's arm! At the same time, a loud "whoosh" sound arose from the black mist, and more iron chains shot out—not two or three, but dozens!
They came from all directions, ignoring the monster's claws, and cunningly wrapped around its legs, waist, and neck!
The red monster then realized something was wrong and struggled and roared frantically, its claws tearing at the iron chains binding it, sparks flying everywhere.

However, the iron chains formed by this "Exorcising Evil Technique" are not physical objects, but contain the power to break evil spirits and suppress souls, which is extremely effective against evil creatures such as demons.

The more it struggled, the tighter the iron chains tightened, digging into its dark red carapace with a teeth-grinding "crunch." As the runes flickered, they continuously eroded the ferocious demonic energy within its body.

In just a few breaths, the ferocious red monster was bound into a giant "zongzi" by dozens of iron chains. In particular, its arms were deeply cut by the iron chains, and with two crisp "crack" sounds, the joints were broken!

The monster let out a painful howl, and its struggles weakened considerably.

How could Chen Yang let this opportunity slip by? He moved like lightning, closing in instantly. His Xuan Sword was already drawn, its blade gleaming with clear light. He slashed fiercely at the demon's neck, which was slightly secured by iron chains!
"Pfft!"

A flash of sword light, and a hideous red head shot into the sky, rolling to the ground. The scarlet eyes still held an incredulous ferocity and astonishment.

The headless body was bound by iron chains, stiffened for a moment, and then collapsed to the ground with a thud, gushing out dark red, foul blood that stank the air.

All of this happened too fast; from the moment Chen Yang made his move to the moment the demon was killed, only a few breaths had passed.

The two men and one woman who had narrowly escaped death were completely dumbfounded and stood there in shock.

Behind the boulder, Liu Piaopiao, who had been watching the battle with bated breath, gasped in shock, her beautiful eyes wide with astonishment.

She knew Chen Yang was quite strong, but she never expected that he would win so decisively against this red monster that terrified her!

That eerie black mist and iron chain spell could so easily immobilize the ferocious demon? This power... far exceeded her expectations!
Chen Yang sheathed his sword, glanced at the monster's corpse on the ground, and made a preliminary assessment of its strength.

Its speed, strength, and defense are far superior to those of the white monster, especially its dark red carapace, which is difficult to penetrate with ordinary attacks. However, its intelligence does not seem to be much higher, and it lacks effective countermeasures against targeted spells.

Most importantly, the exorcism and warding-off-evil techniques are remarkably effective against it!

"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior!"

The three men then came to their senses and hurriedly bowed to Chen Yang to express their gratitude, their voices still trembling.

Chen Yang waved his hand, his tone indifferent.

"We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's hurry and find a place with lots of people to set up camp. Maybe we can hold out a little longer."

Having said that, he ignored them and turned his gaze back to the battlefield. This time, he approached two red monsters who were working together to chase a small group of enemies.

The two red monsters also noticed the human who suddenly appeared and instantly killed one of their companions. Sensing the aura on Chen Yang that they both loathed and feared, they immediately abandoned their original target, let out a sharp roar, turned around, and transformed into two red afterimages, pouncing on Chen Yang from the left and right!

They worked together seamlessly, sealing off Chen Yang's space to dodge left and right.

"Good timing!"

Chen Yang was not surprised but delighted, as it would be a good opportunity to try dealing with two at the same time.

He used the evil-suppressing and exorcising technique again. This time, the black mist covered a wider area, and more Netherworld Iron Chains surged out, like dozens of black pythons, attacking the two demons separately.

Having learned from the previous experience, the two red monsters were noticeably more cautious, attempting to dodge using their speed, but the iron chains were relentless, covering a wide area, and quickly entangled them again.

Although he was controlling two at the same time, the binding force of the iron chains was somewhat dispersed and not as tight as when he was dealing with a single one. The two monsters struggled wildly, tearing at each other with their claws, sparks flying everywhere. They were not able to break free completely for the time being, but it still put a lot of pressure on Chen Yang, who needed to continuously output mana to maintain the spell.

Chen Yang was waiting to take advantage of their restraints and defeat them one by one.

Unexpectedly, one of the red monsters that was more tightly bound suddenly raised its head and let out an extremely sharp and penetrating screech, its eyes flashing red light intensely!
That screech seemed to be some kind of signal!
The next moment, the white demons that were chasing other cultivators nearby seemed to have received an order and stopped in unison. Then, at least a dozen of them turned around, growled, and took heavy steps, abandoning their original targets and charging towards Chen Yang like a moving fortress!

The ground was trembling slightly.

"Brother Chen, be careful!"

They've summoned helpers!

Liu Piaopiao, who was behind the boulder, could see clearly and couldn't help but exclaim in alarm to warn them, her palms covered in cold sweat.

Chen Yang frowned, surprised that these red monsters possessed such command and coordination abilities. Faced with a dozen white monsters charging like chariots, even if he could handle the red monsters, he would be put on the defensive if he were surrounded at close range.

"Hmph, no matter how many grunts come, they're still grunts!"

Chen Yang snorted coldly. Facing the surging tide of white demons, he maintained the Demon-Suppressing and Exorcising Technique with his left hand, trapping two red demons. With his right hand, he grabbed at the air and a weapon with a ferocious shape, black in color, and with specks of eerie green fire flickering at its tip appeared in his hand—it was the Soul-Splitting Profound Iron Fork he obtained from the Ghost Cultivation Secret Realm!
As magic power was poured in, the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork emitted a deep hum, and the mysterious patterns on the fork suddenly lit up. The specks of eerie green flames burst into flames with a "boom," transforming into raging ghost fire that enveloped the entire fork!
"go with!"

Chen Yang swung his arm and swept the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork forward!

In an instant, the ghostly flames on Cha's body detached and split and spread in the air, transforming into seven or eight ferocious dragons made entirely of ghostly green flames!

These fire dragons were incredibly lifelike, baring their fangs and brandishing their claws, emitting silent roars and carrying a chilling aura that could burn away souls, as they roared away towards the horde of white demons charging towards them!

The white monster seemed to instinctively sense the terror of the flames, its charge halting as it attempted to dodge or strike them.

However, the Netherworld Fire is a strange fire that targets the soul; it ignites upon contact and cannot be easily extinguished by physical attacks.
"Roar--!"

"Chichichi..."

The fire dragon crashed into the monster horde, instantly igniting several of the white monsters charging at the forefront.

The eerie green flames spread rapidly across their rough fur and solid muscles. These flames were not scorching with high temperatures, but rather directly eroding and dissolving their souls and the essence of their lives!
The white monsters, now ablaze, let out a bloodcurdling scream and rolled and thrashed wildly on the ground, but the flames only grew stronger. In the blink of an eye, the massive monsters were reduced to ashes, leaving not even a trace of bone!
The white monsters behind were terrified by this horrific scene, their charging formation completely disrupted, roaring in terror and no longer daring to advance.

Taking advantage of the moment when the white demon was stunned, Chen Yang's eyes flashed, and the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork in his hand flew out, turning into a dark green lightning bolt, aimed directly at the two red demons that were still struggling in the iron chains!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The Soul-Splitting Iron Fork precisely pierced the head of one of the red demons, the Netherworld Flames clinging to its tip instantly incinerating its skull. Simultaneously, Chen Yang moved like the wind, closing in on the other demon, his Xuan Sword, imbued with a subtle, powerful aura, plunging fiercely into the gap in its neck carapace exposed by its struggle!
The two red monsters died almost simultaneously!

However, just as Chen Yang killed the two demons and retrieved the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork, his heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of crisis struck him.

He looked around, his heart sinking slightly.

Nearby, at least a dozen pairs of scarlet eyes were fixed on him in the darkness!
A dozen or so red monsters had silently surrounded him from all directions, subtly encircling him at the center.

They no longer charged recklessly as before, but maintained a certain distance, slowly approaching in a fan shape, their roars filled with bloodthirsty killing intent and a predatory cunning. Clearly, Chen Yang's continuous killing of his own kind, especially his clean and efficient methods, had aroused high vigilance and collective hostility from the stronger members of this group of red demons.

"We've been targeted..."

Chen Yang thought to himself.

Although he was confident in his ability to handle one-on-one or even one-on-two battles against these red monsters, being surrounded by more than a dozen at once, including potentially even more powerful individuals, made a direct confrontation unwise. The battle he had just fought, especially the simultaneous use of two powerful spells and the manipulation of the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork, had taken a toll on him.

He quickly made a decision in his mind.

"We've already killed three, proving that these red monsters are not invincible. The Demon-Suppressing Technique and the Netherworld Ghost Fire from the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork are their nemesis."

Their defenses are strong, but they seem to be more geared towards physical and malevolent energy defenses, with lower resistance to spells that directly target the soul and the source of malevolent energy... However, now is not the time to verify this.

Seeing that the encirclement was slowly shrinking, and that more monsters in the distance were being attracted by the commotion, Chen Yang made a decisive decision—let's go!

Without any hesitation or desire to continue the fight, a gentle breeze suddenly rose beneath his feet—it was the Wind Control Technique.

With a swift movement, leaving a faint afterimage in his wake, his true form shot off towards the boulder like an arrow, even faster than when he arrived!
"Roar!"

Seeing their prey trying to escape, the surrounding red monsters roared angrily and transformed into red lightning bolts in pursuit.

Their speed was indeed extremely fast, far exceeding that of the white monsters, but Chen Yang's Wind Control Technique was superior in short-range bursts and agility. In addition, his decisive start and tricky route allowed him to create a slight distance with just a few turns.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Yang rushed back behind the boulder like a gust of wind.

Liu Piaopiao was already extremely nervous. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him return, but then she saw more than a dozen red figures chasing closely behind her, only twenty or thirty feet away. She was so frightened that her face turned pale.

"They're coming after us!"

"Enter!"

Chen Yang let out a low shout and without hesitation, he communicated with the Sumeru pendant on his chest with his mind. Right in front of Liu Piaopiao, on the open ground behind the boulder, an invisible portal that could only allow one person to pass through and emitted a faint spatial fluctuation instantly opened.

Chen Yang grabbed Liu Piaopiao, who was still somewhat dazed, and slipped inside.

Liu Piaopiao felt a blur before her eyes, and her body seemed to pass through a cool water curtain, instantly escaping the bloody chaos and deafening sounds of battle from the outside world.

The moment the two entered, the invisible door closed silently, leaving no trace.

Upon entering the "Sumeru Space," Liu Piaopiao, still shaken, spoke hastily.

"We're in trouble now!"

Their sense of smell is incredibly sharp; they might be able to track us down by scent and keep watch outside, or... even find the entrance to this space!

She instinctively adopted a defensive stance, staring nervously at the direction she had just entered, even though it was now just a seemingly ordinary gray spatial barrier.

"Be prepared. You are strong enough to kill monsters. As long as we guard the entrance, we might be able to handle it if we join forces."

She spoke quickly, trying to find a sense of security.

Chen Yang, however, appeared quite calm; he even had the leisure to examine this "outer space."

The place was empty; apart from the two of them, there was no one else. The more than one hundred trial participants who had been "tricked" in earlier had obviously been guided by Li Rou to a deeper, more genuine blessed land through some means.

This independent outer space acts as a transit point and a cover, preventing people from being immediately confronted with that vast, newly formed world upon entering, thus avoiding being overly shocked and directly exposing the core secrets.

"No need to guard it."

Chen Yang shook his head, his tone resolute.

Liu Piaopiao refused to believe it and continued to stare intently at the direction of the "entrance," her magical artifacts glowing faintly in her hands.

Don't be careless!
"What if they have the means to break through space..."

Seeing her looking so alarmed, Chen Yang found it somewhat amusing and stopped explaining. Instead, he focused his mind and communicated with Li Rou, who was busy in the blessed land.

"Master, the count of the people brought in this time has been completed, totaling ninety-seven people."

Li Rou's cool voice rang directly in his mind, carrying a hint of competence after finishing her chores.

"Their strength is generally at the early to mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, with a few at the late stage. Those who can cross the chasm to reach the core area are not considered mediocre."

"So many people? Their skill levels are fairly even."

Chen Yang responded in his heart and asked again.

"What are the characters like of these people? They didn't cause any disturbances when they suddenly entered unfamiliar territory, did they?"

Li Rou's voice carried a transcendent calmness.

"Character? Master, they will be the 'resources' that provide you with incense offerings, prayers, and feedback from the world in the future. Their character has no direct relation to your own safety or the growth of the world. As long as they can survive, cultivate, become stronger, and reproduce in this world, that's enough."

I have temporarily settled them in 'Guidance Valley,' where there are basic spirit-gathering arrays and protection, and left simple guidance information so they can explore the surrounding safe ruins on their own and adapt to the rules of this realm. Initially, it is not advisable to intervene too much directly.

Chen Yang thought about it and agreed. (End of Chapter)