116 Side Story Five

“The army of the Heavenly Demons is about to attack! Rong Ling, can you still hold on?!” Seeing Xuan Ting drenched in blood, Rong Ling fought back the discomfort coursing through his body and said, “Quick, take the Dream Immortal and leave. If the Heavenly Demons get their hands on it, the entire human realm will be destroyed. I’ll hold this place—go now!”

Though Xuan Ting bore heavy responsibility himself, seeing Rong Ling’s condition, he could not bear to leave. “You can’t hold out much longer. You’re only stalling; sooner or later, they’ll catch up with you. Why not—”

“No! Go quickly. I have a plan. Unfortunately, none of us can unlock the Dream Immortal’s power. No matter what, you must take it and hide it in a deep sea cave. The Dream Immortal is heavily infused with spiritual energy. If someday someone capable of unlocking it appears, it will manifest on its own. The Heavenly Demons, though powerful, cannot infiltrate the deep sea. That’s the safest place. Don’t worry about me—just go!”

Xuan Ting looked at him deeply, noting the urgency in his gaze. Swallowing his grief, he turned away without hesitation and rushed forward.

Shortly after Xuan Ting’s departure, the Heavenly Demon army poured in as expected.

Rong Ling stood alone, yet his calm and composed demeanor baffled the black-robed, fierce Heavenly Demons. They hesitated, uncertain why he seemed so confident.

“Chief, this must be a trap. Could it be that a large number of human cultivators lie in ambush nearby? We mustn’t fall for his ruse; if we do, it’ll be disastrous! Our finest disciples are all here—if they’re wiped out, with only the old, weak, and sick left in the clan, it’ll be impossible to recover even after tens of thousands of years!” whispered a strategist-like demon to a leader.

“No, humans are cunning. Maybe he’s just putting on a show to intimidate us,” growled a massive demon charging at the front on the left.

“Chief, let me test him!”

“All right, let Qiong try,” the leader in the center finally spoke, and Qiong immediately stepped forward.

Heavenly Demons aren’t known for their physical strength; they mostly cultivate techniques that sow chaos in the mind. In this, they resemble many妖修 (demon cultivators), but are even more malevolent and cunning. The more magic they use, the weaker their bodies tend to be. Thus, most Heavenly Demons wear black robes and are shrouded in dark energy, their bodies appearing withered and decayed.

However, Qiong was a prodigy. Not only was his dark magic outstanding, but his physique rivaled that of妖修. He was the pride of his generation and widely respected among his clan.

Without a word but obeying the order, Qiong surged forward to attack Rong Ling. Harnessing his dark magic, he shot like a jet-black cannonball, trailing eerie black smoke at incredible speed.

Rong Ling knew if that black energy wrapped around him, his fighting spirit would be halved. But he had a plan. Without dodging, he laughed loudly: “Ha ha ha, so Heavenly Demons also use such obvious tactics to eliminate rivals.”

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