Wandering Swordsman |

Upon seeing the demonic beast, Lü Yan was also startled, because his grandfather, Yan Mojun, had never mentioned that there was such a demonic beast in the Demon Refining Mountain! But as the leader of the team, he had to remain calm, even though he was also filled with fear.

"There's a monster! Everyone in the back, grab your weapons and fight back!" Lu Yan shouted, trying to organize an effective resistance.

However, fear had already spread, and many were unable to remain calm and follow orders. The demonic beast let out a deafening roar, a sound that seemed to pierce the soul and instill fear in everyone. It leaped forward, its massive claws whipping up gusts of wind like sword energy, tearing several more disciples to shreds in an instant. Blood splattered onto the surrounding trees, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

At the same time, Tu Yuliang quickly realized that the monster in front of him was not something he could defeat, because the aura emanating from the monster was no different from that of the Twelve Venerables. "Everyone scatter, don't gather together. Those who are strong, come with me first to help Lü Yan fight off the monster!" he shouted as he drew his longsword and charged towards the monster.

However, despite his agility, he was still overwhelmed by such a powerful enemy. With a flick of its tail, the demonic beast swept away a disciple who was close to it, sending him crashing heavily into a tree and dying instantly. The disciple's body fell to the ground like a rag doll with a dull thud, and those around were even more terrified at the sight.

Lu Yan gritted his teeth, a resolute glint in his eyes. He knew that only a desperate fight offered any chance of survival. "Don't panic, everyone! Those who are strong, listen to my command and focus your attacks on its eyes first!" he shouted, trying to boost morale. But before he could finish speaking, the beast launched another fierce attack, and several disciples were instantly killed by its sharp claws.

"Run!" Someone shouted, and these words seemed to ignite a fuse of panic. The remaining disciples scattered and fled. Seeing this, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang knew that if things continued like this, they would be wiped out. "Retreat! Escape in different areas! Once it's safe, send out a signal flare to regroup!" The two of them issued the retreat order almost simultaneously.

Lu Yan unleashed his strongest movement technique, weaving through the forest like a ghost, trying to shake off the relentlessly pursuing demonic beast. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his heart pounded, and each breath carried a hint of despair. Just then, a flash of cold light appeared, and Lu Yan quickly dodged to the side. It turned out that the demonic beast's venom had struck a nearby tree, instantly corroding it into a pile of rotten flesh.

"Damn it!" Lu Yan cursed under his breath, quickening his pace as he continued to flee. He knew that if he couldn't find a safe place to hide as soon as possible, he would eventually be caught by this terrifying monster.

On the other side, Tu Yuliang's situation was equally dire. Despite his profound internal energy cultivation, his old injuries left him struggling against such a powerful opponent. He constantly changed direction, trying to confuse the beast's pursuit, but the ferocious creature seemed to know his every move. Suddenly, a huge claw attacked from the side. Tu Yuliang barely dodged, but was slashed in the arm that had only recently been reattached. The excruciating pain made him groan, but he dared not stop and could only endure the pain and continue running.

After a fierce chase, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang finally spotted a circular totem about the height of three adults ahead. The totem was cylindrical in shape, its surface covered with strange symbols and patterns, making it appear particularly mysterious in the dim forest. The two exchanged a glance; although they found it very strange, the demonic beasts closing in behind them left them no time to think further, and they could only continue their escape.

However, when the two entered the area within a hundred meters of the totem, the pursuing beast seemed to lose interest, gradually slowing its pace and eventually stopping. Its terrifying gaze swept over the totem ahead, it let out a low roar, and then quickly turned and fled.

This scene greatly shocked Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang. They originally thought they were in dire straits, but this sudden turn of events allowed them to catch their breath.

"What happened? Why did that monster suddenly stop chasing?" Lu Yan panted heavily, his eyes fixed on the disappearing figure of the monster behind him, his heart filled with doubt.

Tu Yuliang was also puzzled. He looked around and found that the surrounding environment seemed even quieter than before, as if all the danger had vanished with the departure of the monster.

The two immediately analyzed the current situation and eventually focused their attention on the circular stone pillar totem in front of them.

'It seems this totem has a special function, otherwise that monster wouldn't have given up the pursuit so easily.' Thinking this, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang approached for a closer look and discovered that the stone pillar was covered with strange characters and symbols. These characters, like ancient secrets, quietly told a forgotten story.

Lu Yan gently pressed his hand against the totem, carefully examining the characters on it, his brow furrowed. "Brother Tu, look at these characters," he said in a low voice, "the original sect rules were written in these characters, but unfortunately I can only recognize some of them, not all of them."

Tu Yuliang also came over, his gaze focused intently on the mysterious symbols. "Yes, Brother Lü, I can recognize some of them, but I can't understand all of them." His voice was low and calm, as if he was thinking about how to better interpret the information.

The two exchanged a glance, a tacit understanding flashing in their eyes. Lü Yan spoke first: "Since we both know each other somewhat, why don't we work together and analyze it word by word to see what's recorded here?"

"Good idea," Tu Yuliang nodded in agreement. "We can piece together the parts we each know, and maybe we can find more clues."

So the two began to study these ancient characters seriously. Lü Yan pointed to one of the symbols and said, "I've seen this before; it means 'mountain.'" Then he pointed to another character, "This one means 'guardian.'"

Tu Yuliang was not to be outdone and quickly followed suit. "This symbol represents 'power,' while the one next to it represents 'imprisonment.'" His fingers moved back and forth on the stone pillar, trying to find more clues.

And so, the two continued their meticulous analysis. Lu Yan recognized some characters, while Tu Yuliang explained others. When they encountered unfamiliar characters, they skipped them and moved on to the next comprehensible part. The entire process was filled with patience and focus, as if time itself had stood still.

After some effort, the two pieced together part of the information based on the characters they recognized: "There are 108 of these totems in the mountain. They were built to trap the Demon-Refining Beasts in Demon-Refining Mountain." As for the other recorded information, the text was too ancient and complex to be understood by them.

So that powerful demonic beast was actually called the Demon Refining Beast! But why hadn't the Flame Demon Lord and the Blood Demon Lord ever mentioned it? This question instantly flooded their minds.

Lu Yan stood up, a flash of anger in his eyes. "Why did Grandpa never mention that there were such demonic beasts in the Demon Refining Mountain?"

Tu Yuliang nodded, his expression grave. "Yes, the Blood Demon Lord hasn't revealed any information about the Demon-Refining Beast to me either."

It's normal for the two to have such doubts, since they don't know that the three current Demon Lords have never been to the Demon Refining Mountain.