Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 7: A Moment of Crisis

It seemed there was no other choice. The churning black mist overhead filled him with intense unease, and the demon beasts rushing down the mountain as if in a riot clearly signaled that a great catastrophe was imminent. Relying on others is no substitute for relying on oneself—especially since there was no one around at a time like this. He couldn’t wait; he had to get out of here as soon as possible. He immediately composed himself and swallowed the Bone-Marrow Purification Pill along with eight leaves of Qi-Nourishing Grass. Floating Cloud Peak, in a spacious courtyard. Qian Dafu, running until he was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath, was blocked at the entrance by two inner-sect disciples. “What kind of behavior is this—rushing about in such a panic? Is this even a place an outer-sect disciple like you should be?” The man standing on the left side of the entrance was in his early twenties, with short hair, thick eyebrows, and a furious expression. Normally, outer-sect disciples were not allowed to ascend the mountain without permission, but today was an exceptional circumstance—the Poison Barrier had arrived early, and the entire sect was in a state of chaos. Outer-sect disciples rushing up to seek refuge were naturally allowed entry, but there were certain places they couldn’t just barge into—such as Songzhu Monastery, which served as Elder Qingsong’s residence. “Something urgent has happened! Senior Brothers, please make an exception—I’m here to see Senior Sister Cheng Yao!” “What’s the matter? Tell us first. Senior Brother Bi Hua is currently cultivating in his room and cannot be disturbed at this time.” “My brother Mu Ge—no, Su Mu—is still on the back mountain of Misty Peak! The sect’s protective array is about to activate any moment now! He knows absolutely nothing about the Demon-Drinking Barrier, and he’s in grave danger right now!” “What was that good-for-nothing doing back on the rear mountain? He’s really courting death—causing trouble at a time like this!” another inner-sect disciple said displeasedly. “Lu He, what do you think we should do about this?” “It’s too late to rush over and save him now. Elder Qingsong has been in seclusion for two months. You should go to the other peaks and ask another elder for help. Senior Sister Cheng Yao isn’t in the courtyard—she’s probably gone to the villages and towns near the foot of the mountain. Notify the people there to evacuate immediately; she won’t be back anytime soon.” “But isn’t Senior Brother Bi Hua still at the academy? Why not send him? I’ve heard he’s one of the top disciples on Floating Cloud Peak.” Lu He snapped, “You rascal! Senior Brother Bi Hua is in the middle of his cultivation practice—he can’t be interrupted, do you understand?” “My brother Mu Ge was once a distinguished disciple of Elder Qingsong—his junior brother, no less. With something like this happening, how can we just stand by and do nothing?” Qian Dafu wasn’t actually very bold, but at that moment, he didn’t care; he actually dared to talk back to an inner-sect disciple. “Get lost!” “I won’t leave—not even if you beat me to death! If anything happens to Mu Ge, I’ll go tell Senior Sister Cheng Yao that you acted on your own authority and refused to help him in his hour of need!” “You…” Lu He was instantly at his wits’ end; he truly had no authority to decide this matter, so he could only storm into the courtyard with a look of resentment. “Brother Hua, can we take a break from training for a moment?” “What’s the matter?” A clear, bright voice soon rang out from inside the room. “I’ve already finished my practice and am taking a break.” “An outer-sect disciple just came by. He said that kid Su Mu is currently on the back mountain of Misty Peak, and he’s come to ask Senior Sister Cheng Yao for help. She just happens to be away. Brother Hua, what do you think we should do about this?” “Su Mu’s on the back mountain… That’s great! Xiao He, you know how I feel about Senior Sister Cheng Yao, right?” “Of course, of course! Everyone on Floating Cloud Peak knows that Brother Hua and Senior Sister Cheng Yao are a match made in heaven!” “We used to be inseparable, training together, but ever since Su Mu showed up, everything’s changed. Isn’t Su Mu just playing the victim and acting pitiful? A good-for-nothing trying to steal her from me? Just tell her I got injured while training, that I really wanted to save him but couldn’t manage it, so I sent him away quickly. It’d be best if that good-for-nothing Su Mu were dead. Even if Cheng Yao comes back, she won’t be able to blame me—it’s just his bad luck. Why did he have to go to the back mountain at this exact moment? It’s his own fault for having such a short life.” “What if he keeps pestering you?” “What’s the point of your cultivation? Do you really need to ask that?” “Yes!” Upon hearing that reply, Qian Dafu felt a chill run through his veins. At a time like this, if he ran off to other peaks to seek help from other elders, who would even grant an audience to a lowly inner-door disciple like him? With a thud, Qian Dafu dropped to his knees. “Senior Brothers, save me! I beg you, please help me!” “Aren’t you going to leave yet?” “How can we help? It’s too late to go now!” Qian Dafu, still kneeling, inched forward. “Senior Brothers, please reconsider—” Lu He kicked him, sending Qian Dafu flying several meters through the air. His obese body rolled across the ground several times like a meatball. “Are you a fucking nuisance or what! I already said we can’t help you. If you don’t get the hell out of here, I’ll make sure you do!” Half of Qian Dafu’s cheek was swollen, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to get back on his feet. Lu He strode forward and kicked him hard in the back, as if he were stomping on a dead dog. With a sharp flick of his toe, there was a loud thud as Qian Dafu was sent flying, tumbling a long way down the stone steps before finally coming to a stop on the ground, motionless. “You didn’t kill him, did you?” Lu He scanned the area with his senses and snorted derisively. “He won’t die. All that fat he’s put on wasn’t for nothing. Those Outer Sect guys are nothing but scum!” As the potion’s effects continued to take hold, Su Mu suddenly heard the thunderous roar of demon beasts overhead. Looking up, he saw two enormous demon beasts with outstretched wings locked in a fierce battle high in the sky. They appeared to be nothing more than two King Beasts; even some Inner Sect disciples would have to dodge if they’d foreseen this. At this point, there were no other demon beasts fleeing in the sky—only these two remained. As King Beasts, they possessed heightened vigilance toward danger; the fact that they hadn’t fled suggested they were unafraid due to their strong resilience. Whenever King Beasts encounter one another, they often fight to the death, determined to settle who is superior. The commotion caused by the two King Beasts was so intense that he couldn’t concentrate. Suddenly, the black mist in the sky began to descend rapidly, the plunging mist resembling a series of giant mouths devouring everything in its path. These two royal beasts bore the brunt of the onslaught. The moment the black mist struck them, an unexpected scene unfolded! The two King Beasts suddenly froze, and one of them plummeted to the ground! Dead?! Su Mu was utterly stunned, and immediately, a chill ran through his entire body. If even such powerful Sovereign Beasts could be killed by a single touch of the black mist, then what hope was there for him? He couldn’t just sit there and wait to die—he had to act immediately! One of the King Beasts crashed onto the cliff’s edge with a thunderous crash, sending a shower of rocks tumbling down. Another Royal Beast skimmed past the cliff’s edge and plummeted straight down! Su Mu instantly saw his chance. As the potion’s effects surged through him, he leaped with all his might off the platform, landing by the skin of his teeth on the demon beast’s back, his hands clutching its thick feathers for dear life. The black mist pursued him closely, and in the blink of an eye, it had already spread to the platform where he had been standing just moments before. Su Mu’s heart pounded. What would he do once he reached the bottom of the deep ravine? The black mist would keep falling—where could he possibly escape to then? He couldn’t worry about that now—he’d just have to take it one step at a time.