A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

Xu Yuan wasn't just being reckless; he possessed the [Mountain and Forest Traverse] ability, which boosted his speed in the mountains and forests. Since Xiao Yunhan needed to hold off the tiger demon head-on, he was undoubtedly the best candidate to ring the bell.

"Alright." Xiao Yunhan looked him up and down again, and finally said no more. "Then let's get ready. After Clerk Zhao returns, we'll go back to the village to rest and recuperate. Tonight at midnight, when the moon is full, we'll come back here to hunt the tiger demon."

Before the words were finished, another commotion came from the dense forest.

Clerk Zhao hurriedly returned with his knife, but his expression was not good.

"Lord Xiao, we've investigated," Chief Clerk Zhao said in a deep voice. "Within a radius of a hundred feet, we found three traces of magic, all of which are beast-taming techniques. The methods... are very professional, not like those of amateurs."

"And this too." He said, handing over a piece of cloth.

It was a piece of dark gray coarse cloth with neat edges, as if it had been torn from the corner of a garment.

The cloth was stained with some dark red stains, which had dried and turned black.

After taking it, Xiao Yunhan examined it carefully for a moment, then his eyes suddenly narrowed: "This is the standard fabric of the Demon Suppression Division. Although it's faded badly, the weave is still correct, and it looks quite old!"

The fabric of the Demon Suppression Bureau?

Xu Yuan's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that there were still survivors from the Demon Suppression Division team that went into the mountains back then?

Therefore, Li Ergou's disappearance is by no means a coincidence or accident!

"Let's put this matter aside for now." Xiao Yunhan solemnly put away the piece of cloth, his face cold and stern. "Deal with the tiger demon first, and we can discuss the rest later."

Although the others were full of doubts, they knew the priorities and stopped asking questions.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber on the way back to the village from the mountain.

As the sun sets in the west, it dyes the mountains and forests a blood red.

When they returned to Shuangshan Village, it was nearly dusk. The villagers had already gathered in the ancestral hall. The old village chief, Li Hu, and Zhang Tao were comforting the crowd. When they saw Xiao Yunhan and the others return, they quickly went to greet them.

"Lord Xiao, what's the situation on the back mountain?" Xu Laogen asked anxiously.

"Miss Shen has already set up the formation, and we will take action at midnight tonight," Xiao Yunhan said succinctly. "Tell the villagers to prepare so that they can evacuate immediately via the side path should the situation change."

"Yes, yes!" the old village chief replied repeatedly.

Xu Yuan visited Xiao Shitou and Aunt Zhang's family at the ancestral hall, left some dry food, and then inspected the ancestral hall.

This ancestral hall is the most sturdy building in Shuangshan Village, with thick walls and reinforced doors and windows. Even if demon soldiers attack, its safety should be guaranteed.

Dinner was a simple meal of porridge and pickled vegetables, but everyone ate quickly. Tonight would be a fierce battle, and they had to be fully prepared.

After the meal, Xiao Yunhan gathered everyone together to make final arrangements.

"The moon will be full at midnight tonight, when the yin energy is at its peak. The tiger demon will surely break the seal." Xiao Yunhan drew a simple terrain map on the ground with a twig. "Our tactics are divided into three steps."

"First, Miss Shen activated the Eight Gates Demon-Locking Formation to temporarily strengthen the seal and slow down the tiger demon's breaking speed."

"Secondly, Xu Yuan will sneak within a hundred paces and ring the Soul-Suppressing Bell. At the same time, I will engage the tiger demon head-on to create an opportunity for him."

"The third step is to have Miss Shen activate the sonic attack after the Soul-Suppressing Bell is in place, and Chief Clerk Zhao will lead his men to eliminate the swarms of evil spirits. I will take the opportunity to find the tiger demon's weakness and try to deliver a fatal blow."

He looked at everyone: "Is there anything else you're wondering about?"

"No!" Everyone agreed.

Xu Yuan gripped the copper bell tightly, feeling its cool touch, and his gaze gradually calmed down.

Without a doubt, tonight will be the most dangerous battle he has faced since his transmigration!

As night fell, the full moon rose precisely on time.

As midnight approached, the group set off again and soon disappeared into the night behind the mountain.

The mountain forest under the moonlight was eerily quiet.

There were no chirping insects, no birdsong, only the rustling of the wind through the treetops, like countless ghosts whispering.

Upon arriving at the rocky beach, the Eight Gates Demon-Locking Formation had already begun operating on its own.

The eight bronze nails emitted a faint golden light, seemingly echoing the full moon in the sky.

However, inside the formation, the nine stone pillars were shaking violently, and the cracks on the pillars began to spread at a visible speed.

"The seal is about to give way!" Shen Qingyi whispered.

Xiao Yunhan nodded: "Proceed according to plan!"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone quickly scattered in all directions.

Xiao Yunhan stood at the front of the formation, facing the center of the seal.

Xu Yuan and Zhao, the registrar, flanked Shen Qingyi on either side. Li Hu and Zhang Tao, holding bronze mirrors and talismans, were ready to assist her at any time.

Shen Qingyi took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and began to activate the formation.

"Heaven and Earth are boundless, the Eight Gates lock the demon—suppress it!"

The eight bronze nails shone brightly, and the golden light net pressed down suddenly, instantly slowing the vibration of the stone pillars within the formation and slowing the spread of the cracks.

But it only lasted for ten breaths.

"roar---!"

A deep, violent roar came straight from the depths of the earth.

The voice seemed to come from the deepest hell, carrying endless resentment and hunger.

The ground began to rise, and soil and rocks churned. At the center of the seal, a crack suddenly exploded, and pitch-black demonic energy gushed out like a fountain, soaring into the sky!

"Here it comes!" Xiao Yunhan roared, and his long sword was suddenly drawn from its sheath.

As the cracks in the sealed stone pillar widened, a massive tiger claw covered in black scales slowly emerged from the ground.

The tiger's claws were as big as millstones, with nails like curved knives, gleaming with a cold, menacing light.

Then came the second claw.

Then, a ferocious tiger's head slowly rose from the crack.

Those blood-red eyes gleamed eerily in the moonlight, their fangs bared, each a foot long, dripping with foul-smelling saliva.

On the tiger's head, a scar extending from its forehead to its chin adds to its ferocity.

The Crimson-Eyed Tiger Demon has broken free from its seal!

Only when it had completely emerged from the ground could everyone see its full appearance:

It was three zhang long and about ten zhang tall at the shoulder. Its entire body was covered with jet-black scales, not fur. A row of barbs stood up like swords and halberds along its back. Its tail was as thick as a tree trunk, with a bone hammer at the end.

The most bizarre thing is that it is surrounded by a faint black mist, and within that mist, one can vaguely see distorted human faces—the souls of the dead that it devoured and refined into ghouls!

"Humans..." the Crimson-Eyed Tiger Demon spoke in a hoarse, broken voice, "A hundred years ago, those scum of the Great Qian Demon Suppression Division sealed me here. Today, I break free of the seal, vowing to drain your lifeblood, crush your bones, and refine you into enslaved demons for generations to come!"

In an instant, the aura of a demon general swept out like a tidal wave.

Xu Yuan felt a tightness in his chest, as if a thousand-pound weight was pressing down on him.

Despite his fifth-level Blood Refinement cultivation, he appeared so insignificant under the tiger demon's oppressive aura.

At this moment, Xiao Yunhan stepped forward, unleashing his full power as a cultivator at the Condensation Realm, and actually managed to withstand the tiger demon's oppressive aura.

"You beast, you didn't die a hundred years ago, but today you'll be done for!" Xiao Yunhan shouted, pointing his long sword at the tiger demon.

The tiger demon's crimson eyes darted around, landing on Xiao Yunhan: "Condensation Realm? Human ants... you're not qualified!"