Chapter 58: Demon Marshal!
In the southwestern region of Luofeng Canyon, unexpected and terrifying changes had already occurred.
The team ahead, which had launched distress signals in desperation, ultimately couldn't wait for the arrival of the sect elders. They had all been completely wiped out.
In a fleeting moment, the lives of forty to fifty individuals were extinguished.
Ling Feng and the others were oblivious to the dreadful events unfolding. They could only hear distant, heart-wrenching cries echoing through the air. Birds took flight from their nests, and the entire mountainous forest was saturated with an atmosphere of unease and tension, nearly pushing people to the brink of collapse.
"Run! Run for your lives!"
Within the squad led by Ling Feng, this singular thought echoed in the minds of every team member.
Jiang Wanqing clenched her delicate fists, harboring inner perplexity. It was supposed to be an utterly ordinary training area, and she had led teams through it several times before. Yet, not only did demons emerge this time, but now this unforeseen situation unfolded.
What terrifying events had transpired within Luofeng Canyon?
"Into the mountains! Find a place to hide!"
The sense of crisis in Ling Feng's heart became increasingly distinct. The perilous aura behind him drew nearer and nearer.
The roars of wild beasts echoed intermittently. Demonic beasts, which typically attacked humans on sight, now seemed startled, weakened, and crawled on the ground as if anticipating the arrival of a sovereign.
Among them were even the bloodthirsty demonic panthers and the ferocious hurricane demonic wolves, notorious hunters known for their brutality!
"Bloodline Domination!" Jiang Wanqing's expression changed drastically. "I know what's going on. It's a d-demon marshal, a powerful demon of the demon marshal level!"
"Demon marshal?" Ling Feng tightened his grip on the Inkblade Sword, swallowing hard once again.
Among the demon race, they could be divided into various ranks based on strength such as demon soldiers, demon generals, demon marshals, demon lords, demon kings, and so on.
Within the records of the Tianbai Empire, the strength of a demon king could rival the peak martial artists within the empire. As for the demon marshals, they were equivalent to the martial artists in the Transformation Realm.
Within the vast Wenxian Sect, among those who reached the Transformation Realm, aside from the sect leader Lin Canglang, only Duanmu Qingshan had attained this level.
From this, it could be seen how terrifying demon marshals were.
"D-Demon marshal!"
The reaction of the remaining team members was even more dismal, with some individuals collapsing directly to the ground, their legs giving way beneath them.
"Ordinarily, even third-tier demonic beasts are exceedingly rare in Luofeng Canyon. It's inexplicable. Why would a demon marshal appear here?"
Jiang Wanqing's face turned pale. Not to mention a demon marshal, even a fourth-tier demonic beast would be enough to wipe out all the disciples of the Wenxian Sect who had entered Luofeng Canyon for training!
(PS: A fourth-tier demonic beast is equivalent to the level of a human Transformation Realm cultivator or a demon marshal. In general, within the same level, demons are stronger than demonic beasts, and demonic beasts are stronger than humans.)
Ling Feng's face became as solemn as water. The situation had become dire, and if things didn't take a turn for the better soon, it seemed that their group might be facing a dead end!
...
Outside Luofeng Canyon, the five elders of the Wenxian Sect, who were tasked with the rescue mission, were initially at ease, taking refuge in the branches of a large tree.
Suddenly, a distress signal burst forth, its crimson glow illuminating half the sky.
"What's going on? They’re just in the peripheral areas outside Luofeng Canyon and have two disciples at the Pulse Formation Realm accompanying them, but they still need to send out distress signals?" One of the white-browed elders frowned in displeasure.
"These disciples of the current generation are getting worse and worse." Another elder in a red robe shook his head. "Well, I'll go check it out."
However, before the elder in the red robe could make a move, three more distress signals were launched from the same direction, almost simultaneously.
"T-This..." All the elders soared into the sky, using aerial techniques to suspend themselves in mid-air, their brows furrowed deeply.
"What's going on? All four teams have sent distress signals. Could it be that Luofeng Canyon is now swarming with third-tier demonic beasts?" the white-browed elder spoke in a deep voice.
"Don't waste any more time. Let's all move together!"
The one speaking was an elder with a square face, possessing a majestic appearance and an imposing aura. Among all present, he was the most formidable, having reached the tenth level of the Pulse Formation Realm. With his strength, he was hardly inferior to the peak leaders.
"Yes, let's follow Elder Tiejian's suggestion. Hopefully, those disciples can hold on for a while!" The elder in the red robe spoke, giving his sleeves a wave. Almost simultaneously, everyone soared into the air, heading towards the southwest region of Luofeng Canyon.
Riding the wind, their speed of flight was naturally much faster than walking through the mountains. In about half an hour, these elders arrived at the location where the distress signal was sent. Immediately, they dispersed, searching in all directions for the whereabouts of the disciples.
However, all they found were incomplete corpses scattered in all directions. The four teams, including the team leaders in the early stage of the Pulse Formation Realm, had all been wiped out!
Before long, the five elders gathered once again, each wearing a solemn expression on their faces.
"They're all dead!"
"Damn beasts! They dared to kill dozens of our disciples!"
Each elder seethed with uncontrollable rage.
Suddenly, from the depths of the earth, a dark mist ascended, carrying with it an ominous demonic qi that resembled a roaring flame. This overwhelming demonic aura pressed down upon the elders, shaking their very spirits.
"Tsk tsk tsk... Are you here to kill me?" A deep, hoarse voice resonated from the depths of the earth, resembling the startling roar of thunder on a clear day, sending shivers down the spines of those who heard it.
The five elders simultaneously twitched their eyelids. When they turned around, they found that from the surging demonic qi emerged twelve demons standing upright. Clad in armor-like equipment, each of them wielded weapons, casting malevolent glares at the five individuals.
"Demons!" the elder in the red robe exclaimed, his eyelids twitching uncontrollably. These were no ordinary third-tier demonic beasts. They were unmistakably all members of the demon race!
Twelve demons!
How could there be twelve demons in the Luofeng Canyon?
Standing in the middle of the twelve demons was a monstrous creature with a tiger head and a human body. It wielded a heavy battle-ax, and a cruel smile played on its lips. Its blood-red eyes locked onto the five individuals.
The terrifying aura nearly suffocated the five elders.
Just the leading tiger-headed demon among them could wipe out all five of them, not to mention the additional eleven demons accompanying it.
"You five still have some skills."
In the midst of the demonic horde, there was a spider-woman with eight legs, displaying some feminine features with exaggerated and towering breasts covered by two leaves. However, upon seeing her grotesque and terrifying face, one might be frightened to the point of impotence for the rest of their life!
The spider-woman extended her crimson tongue, licked her sharp teeth at the corner of her mouth, and coldly said, "Speak quickly, was it you who killed the thirteenth brother?"
The thirteenth brother she mentioned was the mutated red-tailed fox that Ling Feng had slain a few nights ago.
The red-tailed fox had recently completed its mutation, and being the weakest among them, it had gone out to hunt for food. However, it ended up being slaughtered by Ling Feng.
“What thirteenth brother? I have no idea about it,” Elder Tiejian said, trying to regain some composure. He gritted his teeth and continued, “Lord Demon Marshal, it seems like this area is within human territory, not the domain of your demon race, isn't it?”
"Whether it's our territory or not, you despicable humans killed my thirteenth brother. Blood must be repaid with blood!"
One of the burly bear-like demon roared and swung a huge hammer in his hand. "Big brother, don't waste time talking to them. Just like we did with those humans earlier, let's finish them off. Hehehe, we haven't had our fill yet!"