Chapter 53: Otherworldly Demon!
“Se–Se–Senior Brother Li Xun!”
Upon seeing Li Xun’s figure—
Nearby, a man lying on a stretcher, barely recognizable as human, was filled with excitement. He stretched out a trembling hand toward Li Xun.
“Junior Brother, don’t get too worked up. Speak slowly.”
As he spoke, Li Xun took out a Life-Nourishing Pill with a solemn expression and placed it in the injured disciple’s hand. He continued, “Junior Brother, your injuries are severe. Fortunately, I have this Life-Nourishing Pill. Take it—it’s my gift to you today.”
“Senior Brother, it’s me… I’m Pang Yuan!”
The man, his body wrapped entirely in bandages, was overcome with emotion and tears. He choked out, “Se–Senior Brother Li Xun, you’re so kind to me!”
“Uh…”
Li Xun’s expression froze for a moment. He scrutinized the man closely. No wonder the voice had sounded somewhat familiar earlier.
So it was Junior Brother Pang from the Azure Cloud Hall.
However, with his entire body swathed in bandages, it was no wonder Li Xun hadn’t recognized him at first glance.
“So, it’s Junior Brother Pang.”
Li Xun nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to the others. His tone grew serious. “Isn’t today the Inner Sect Trial? How did all of you end up in this condition?”
Truth be told, every year’s Inner Sect Trial resulted in injuries to many disciples, sometimes even the unfortunate deaths of one or two unlucky ones.
However, a situation where everyone was injured was exceedingly rare.
More importantly, there were usually no fewer than a thousand participants in the Profound Sun Sect’s Inner Sect Trial.
But now, only seven or eight people stood before the mountain gate.
Li Xun felt an ominous sense of foreboding. Could the others all have perished?
If that were the case, not only would the prediction Qin Xueyi had told him be fulfilled, but the severity of the matter would far surpass his expectations.
“It’s the Otherworldly Demon.”
One disciple said gravely.
“Otherworldly Demon?”
Li Xun’s brow furrowed. He had read about this race in an ancient text once.
This race originated from another world. They were immensely powerful and incredibly hard to kill. Countless years ago, they had descended en masse upon this world.
But eventually, a supreme powerhouse drove them out entirely.
To think, after so many years, they would reappear near the Profound Sun Sect.
“Yes!”
The disciple who had spoken earlier continued, “On our way to the trial, a portal suddenly appeared. Countless Otherworldly Demon descended and caught us completely off guard.”
“Fortunately, Senior Brother Wang acted in the moment of crisis and managed to send us out. That’s how we survived.”
“Senior Brother Wang?”
Li Xun repeated the name, searching his mind for a memory, but nothing came to him.
If nothing unexpected happens, the “Senior Brother Wang” mentioned by the others should be the leader of this trial, likely one of the core disciples.
This had been the tradition for the Inner Sect Trials for years.
The reason it was led by a core disciple rather than an elder was simple—the trial took place within the Profound Sun Mountain Range, just a thousand miles from the Profound Sun Sect, essentially right on their doorstep.
There was no need for an elder to personally oversee such an event. After all, when children are playing in their own backyard, there’s no reason for a parent to stay by their side every moment.
Moreover, the disciples of the Inner Sect weren’t children anymore.
“Senior Brother Li, we must notify the elders of the sect immediately, so we cannot stay here any longer,” one of the disciples cupped his hands and quickly said.
At this moment, many other Inner Sect disciples were still under siege by the Otherworldly Demon. They couldn’t afford to waste any more time. Every second lost might mean the death of another disciple.
“Wait a moment, Junior Brothers.”
Li Xun called out, stepping forward. He produced a bottle of pills, poured out several, and handed them to the disciple before him.
“Junior Brother, your injuries seem quite severe. Take this pill with you.”
“Come, all of you! Everyone gets one!”
This act of generosity moved the disciples to tears.
“Our deepest thanks to Senior Brother Li!”
“We’re all brothers of the same sect; no need to be so formal,” Li Xun replied with a smile.
He then asked again, “Where did you encounter the Otherworldly Demon?”
“Exactly 1,300 miles to the east,” the disciple said, pointing in that direction.
“Understood. You all go and notify the elders as quickly as possible,” Li Xun nodded.
He took a step forward, a long spear appearing in his hand, which he placed beneath his feet. In an instant, he shot off toward the east at great speed.
“Senior Brother Li is truly a role model for us all!”
“I never imagined that our Profound Sun Sect had someone like Senior Brother Li. From now on, anyone who dares to oppose him will have to deal with me first!”
“Not just the Profound Sun Sect—there aren’t many people like Senior Brother Li in the entire cultivation world!”
“Compared to Senior Brother Li, I feel as insignificant as a speck of dust.”
The Inner Sect disciples watched Li Xun’s silhouette vanish into the distance, their hearts full of gratitude.
This was a senior brother they had never met before. Upon their first encounter, he had given each of them a healing pill. Then, upon hearing about the invasion of the Otherworldly Demons, he charged off without hesitation.
This fearless determination to walk straight into danger was something they could not imagine doing themselves.
After all, these were Otherworldly Demons!
At the same level of cultivation, humans were rarely a match for them. Even with a level of cultivation above theirs, one might not be able to kill them, even if they could defeat them.
Yet Senior Brother Li went anyway, knowing all of this.
“Let’s go! We must inform the elders as quickly as possible so Senior Brother Li isn’t left to fight alone.” Pang Yuan, still wrapped in bandages, waved his arm and urged the others on.
Others might not know Li Xun’s strength, but Pang Yuan had some idea.
Not long ago, Li Xun had accepted a mission from the Azure Cloud Hall to hunt down Liu Sandao. Liu Sandao was only at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm, which meant Li Xun’s strength was likely only at the Spirit Meridian Realm.
If he went alone, it was highly likely he wouldn’t be able to save anyone and might even lose his life.
Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, high in the sky, several notifications echoed in Li Xun’s mind:
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you’ve obtained ten Peak-Grade spirit stones. Would you like to claim them?]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you’ve obtained ten years of cultivation. Would you like to claim it?]
[Ding! Congratulations, Host, you’ve obtained a bottle of Purple Cloud Pills. Would you like to claim it?]
“Claim!”
Without hesitation, Li Xun responded in his heart.
He hadn’t yet reached his destination, so this was the perfect time to claim the rewards. If he waited until he arrived, with so many people around, claiming them might be inconvenient.
Boom!
As the items materialized, Li Xun’s aura transformed dramatically. In his dantian, a dazzling golden core the size of a thumb quickly formed.
The radiance of the golden core enveloped Li Xun in a layer of golden light, making him resemble a divine warrior clad in golden armor descending from the heavens.
At the same time, the overwhelming aura of the Profound Elixir Realm surged outward like an endless ocean.
“Profound Elixir Realm!”
A short while later, Li Xun opened his eyes. A sharp gleam flashed out, splitting the void as it radiated an indescribable sharpness.