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After being refuted one after another, Yuan Zhan, the head of the Yuan family, couldn't help but blush.

But since the person had begged him to help exorcise the demon, he couldn't show his anger on the spot and could only swallow his bitterness.

So he instructed Yuan Yi, "Yuan Yi, take this junior sister to Qihuang Pavilion to rest."

"Yes, clan leader. Senior sister, this way please."

Once Yuan Yi and her group had walked away, Pei Ze said apologetically to Yuan Zhan, "I'm really sorry. This junior sister is a descendant of Grandmaster Leng. She's used to being spoiled. Most of our mission here is to let her hunt demons for fun. I hope the clan leader can be patient with her."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Zhan couldn't help but feel secretly relieved that he hadn't lost his temper earlier. At the same time, he was also inwardly groaning, realizing that he had invited a little tyrant into his life.

"I see. I know my place. You two have come from afar. Please follow me to the Yingbin Building, where a banquet has been prepared."

"Then we'll go along with whatever the host says."

Because of Leng Ning'er's antics, Yuan Zhan forgot to ask Li Shizhou's name until the host and guests were seated.

Li Shizhou, on the other hand, seemed indifferent, hoping that no one would pay attention to him so that he could work without putting in any effort.

After exchanging toasts for a while, Pei inquired about the demonic beast.

Yuan Zhan recounted the whole story.

It turns out that more than three months ago, the Yuan family was attacked by a monster in a mortal settlement on the island.

The defensive formation was breached, and the five Qi Refining cultivators and one spirit beast stationed there perished, their internal organs missing. The mortals inside were also affected, suffering countless deaths and injuries.

Because this settlement was located by the sea, the Yuan family believed it was the work of a sea monster, so they evacuated the clansmen from several coastal settlements back to the main city.

Ten days later, a settlement in the inland region also suffered the same fate as before.

Only then did they realize that a land-dwelling demon beast had invaded the island, leaving them with no choice but to evacuate all the mortals and cultivators from the settlements.

The already small main city now houses over 100,000 ordinary people, making it extremely crowded.

The city's defensive formations can be activated at any time, so there's no immediate problem. However, if this continues, the clan's spirit stones will eventually run out, leaving them no choice but to seek help from the Star Palace.

After listening, Senior Brother Pei asked, "Have you figured out the number, types, and cultivation levels of the monsters in the monster's lair?"

"The location of the nest is unknown. As for the number and level of the beasts, I personally went to the attacked settlement to investigate. Judging from the traces and the remaining aura, they should be two level-three demonic beasts. We do not yet know what kind of demonic beasts they are."

Pei Ze pondered for a moment and said, "Currently, all the cultivators on the island are in the main city. If the demon beasts want to cause trouble, they can only come here. Junior Sister Leng brought a Five Elements Universe Demon Locking Formation with her this time. It's more than enough to deal with two level three demon beasts. How about we close the outer city's defensive formation and use it to surround and kill the demon beasts once they enter the city?"

"That's very good. However, please allow me to settle the mortals in the city first, and then we can practice. We will also need to select some assassins."

Yuan Zhan was overjoyed upon hearing this, and even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out considerably.

After discussing the specific details, the group decided to relax on the outside but remain vigilant on the inside once everything was ready, waiting for the monster to come.

As soon as the banquet ended, the hook-nosed cultivator Yuan Cheng personally escorted Pei Ze to rest.

Li Shizhou was led by a Qi Refining stage maid from the Yuan family to a two-story detached building.

He pushed open the door and went inside. The room was quite spacious and elegantly decorated.

It's always good to be cautious when you're out and about. He set up a defensive formation outside the pavilion and then slept there fully clothed.

In the following days, the Yuan family first moved 30,000 mortals into the inner city. These were all people who had produced cultivators within the last five generations. The rest of the mortals could only stay in the outer city and leave their fate to chance.

After another rehearsal, they closed the outer city's defensive light barrier and waited for the monsters to attack.

......

Noon seven days later.

A cold wind howled across the square at the entrance to the inner city of the Yuan family on Cheung Chau Island.

An old monk with a wrinkled face and gray hair and beard walked around the square, looking indifferent, his eyes occasionally scanning his surroundings.

However, his right hand, hidden under his wide sleeve, was clenched into a fist, his knuckles already white, and his back was soaked with sweat.

The old cultivator thought to himself, "Sigh, it's been five days already. It would be so much better to just give me a quick and painless death. This feeling of waiting to die is truly agonizing."

His name is Yuan Teng, and he is one of the chosen assassins of the Yuan family.

Now nearly ninety years old, he has been stuck at the peak of the eleventh level of Qi Refining for sixty years, unable to break through the bottleneck. His path to immortality has long been severed. Fortunately, a few years ago, a grandson was discovered to have spiritual roots, which became his greatest concern.

In the vast square, there were three other suicide bombers like him.

In order to lure demonic beasts, the clan set up a demon-hunting formation in the square, and these few cultivators pretended to be on patrol.

After walking for a while, Yuan Teng picked up the wine gourd at his waist with his left hand, pulled out the stopper with his slightly trembling right hand, and took a big gulp.

After swallowing the strong, spicy liquor, and remembering that his grandson could obtain a considerable amount of cultivation resources, his tense mood finally calmed down a little.

Just then, three monsters, one large and two small, quietly passed through the city wall from underground and entered the outer city.

The largest of them was actually a level four demon beast, equivalent to the late Foundation Establishment stage of a human.

The two smaller ones are at level three, equivalent to the mid-stage Foundation Establishment stage of the human race.

The larger monster concealed itself and emerged from the ground near the city gate.

Its magic flowed into a pair of purple eyes, and it began to silently roam and investigate within the city.

They arrived at a plaza a hundred feet in size, where four cultivators were on patrol.

However, the five figures and several array flags that had been hidden did not escape its notice.

A full hour passed, and the area outside the inner city, which was still protected by array formations, was thoroughly searched.

It slowly burrowed back underground and reunited with the two lurking monsters.

On an open space on one side of the square, Li Shizhou sat cross-legged under a key point of a formation.

This formation is called the "Five Elements Heaven and Earth Demon-Locking Formation," which Leng Ning'er brought with her on this trip to hunt demons.

It is divided into the Qian Formation and the Kun Formation, with a total of five formation points.

Once set up, the Qian Formation is activated. Each array eye will generate a small light screen, allowing cultivators to stay inside, both to conceal their presence and to defend themselves.

Once the demonic beast enters the pre-set range of the formation, the Kun Formation can be activated. The small light screen at the formation's core will become ineffective, transforming into a large light screen twenty feet in length, trapping the demonic beast in the center of the formation. Cultivators only need to attack from the outside.

Besides him, Pei Ze, Leng Ning'er, the hook-nosed cultivator Yuan Cheng, and Yuan family patriarch Yuan Zhan also occupied a key position around the square.

Originally, after discussion, the group decided that Leng Ning'er should stay in the inner city to protect the mortals and preside over the city's defensive formation.

However, she insisted on controlling the "Five Spirits Universe Demon Locking Formation" herself. No one could persuade her otherwise, and they dared not force this little tyrant, so they could only let her have her way.

Finally, Yuan Yi was assigned to stay in the inner city.

"This is so boring! We've been sitting here for five days and haven't seen a single monster. And this is the terrible idea you all came up with?"

Leng Ning'er was playing with an array plate in her hand. She rolled her eyes and sent a sarcastic message to the other four people.