Surprised

No matter how much she grumbled internally, Donggua understood that she had to carry out this seemingly mentally deficient task.

Although she had done many similar things, Donggua still felt her experience was lacking when it came to something this utterly stupid.

However...

Donggua cast her eyes downward.

In this situation, Xu Linglong had given her a bit of inspiration. Her tone turned a fraction colder:

"I will do the deed, but we have our rules. Don't interfere with how I do it."

"I won't interfere, but I will report back," the Tianyan Sect disciple replied in an equally unkind tone. "Before you act, consider the price."

The price?

Donggua remained silent, merely drawing her flexible bone sword as dark red spiritual energy surged around her.

The next moment, her figure vanished.

Down in the mountain valley.

Wave after wave of crimson energy surged within. Barriers rose and shattered, and condensed energy fragments scattered in all directions.

Under the fluorescent glow, the mountain valley was enveloped in a hazy, blood-red mist.

Amidst the surging spiritual energy, the roars and sounds of slaughter were reduced to almost imperceptible whispers.

In the eyes of the Tianyan Sect disciples, Donggua's demonic aura surged without any disguise, her flexible bone sword ruthlessly reaping every life before her.

Even though some possessed Nascent Soul cultivation, in Donggua's hands, they were nothing more than bugs that required being crushed a couple more times.

Donggua didn't care that some people were fleeing in all directions; she just used all her strength to kill every living thing in her line of sight.

Consequently, quite a few people managed to scatter and escape.

Donggua glanced back, only to see that the Tianyan Sect disciples truly didn't care at all whether this would ruin the plan.

If they didn't care about this, then Donggua had nothing left to worry about.

An unknown amount of time passed.

The mountain valley was reduced to a land of dead silence.

The crimson energy thoroughly drained all living things, turning even the soil into pale gray dead earth.

The entire valley was virtually unrecognizable from its original state, but not everything could be erased.

Donggua stood in the center, her gaze fixed on the faint traces of a ritual array ahead. The hand gripping her flexible bone sword trembled slightly.

She stood there for a moment. Seeing that those damn Tianyan Sect disciples still hadn't come down even though the killing was done, Donggua's eyes filled with terror and anger as she sharply shouted:

"Something huge has happened! You idiots! Get down here!"

Just as her voice faded.

Two figures descended, and the two Tianyan Sect disciples stood before Donggua.

Donggua raised her flexible bone sword, pointing at the ritual array ahead, and said with a trembling voice:

"This ritual array... it's used to cross great realms, they... they plan to..."

The Tianyan Sect disciples remained calm and ignored Donggua's words. Instead, they skillfully took out recording stones from their spatial rings to take all-around photographs, while the other disciple very plainly started to hand-draw the remains of the ritual array.

After doing this, the two also did their best to preserve the spiritual energy fluctuations on the array.

Only after calmly finishing these tasks did one of them ask in return:

"Crossing great realms, you mean the Heavenly Demon Realm? Was this also the reason heavenly demons ran rampant back in the day?"

Donggua's lips trembled slightly: "Do you understand what this means?"

"It means you guys are out of tricks and plan to pull out your last resort." The Tianyan Sect cultivator still answered Donggua calmly. He pondered for a moment before asking his fellow disciple beside him, "There seems to be a fragmented record of a similar ritual array in the Great Calamity Records. We can note this down and study it later to see if we find anything."

Donggua felt a massive headache coming on, and she continued: "A slaughter between two realms! What you will face isn't just a fleeing Xu Linglong, but an entire world about to burn!"

The Tianyan Sect cultivator finished his records and packed his things away. Hearing this, he said in an indifferent tone:

"Then we can only prepare ourselves, or you can go persuade that Xu Linglong to not do this."

Donggua let out a heavy breath, sheathed her flexible bone sword, and turned to walk away, simultaneously saying sternly:

"You don't understand at all! Back then, even when the demon race was beaten to the brink of collapse by you lot, they never ultimately resorted to this step! This isn't just a confrontation between humans and demons, it is a struggle between Daos..."

"Oh, Little Donggua, you sure know a lot, and that little mouth of yours is quite good at talking."

A sudden teasing voice echoed from the sky.

Just hearing the voice made Donggua's entire body go so stiff that she couldn't take a single step forward. She didn't even process what the voice had actually said.

Because fear had already seized Donggua by the throat and filled her mind.

The two Tianyan Sect cultivators looked toward the direction of the voice.

They saw Xu Linglong with a sweet smile on her lips, standing alone in mid-air. Her figure slowly approached, and a terrifying oppressive aura swept over them.

"Damn it... Donggua, I underestimated you." A Tianyan Sect cultivator half-squinted his eyes, his spiritual treasure longsword already in hand, and said in a low voice, "I didn't expect she would actually come here just to kill you."

Hearing this, Donggua glared at the Tianyan Sect cultivator, anger surging within her utterly terrified eyes.

Could he please not praise her for something like this?!

The Tianyan Sect cultivators simultaneously triggered all the items they carried, sending out all reinforcement and danger signals. Only then did he point his spiritual treasure longsword straight at Xu Linglong, saying in a rather free-spirited tone:

"It's not a bad trade, the two of us for a Heavenly Demon."

Xu Linglong allowed the Tianyan Sect cultivators below to finish doing all this. She looked at Donggua with an amused gaze and said in a soft voice:

"I know Little Donggua was forced into this. How about you pretend you don't know, and I pretend I don't know? Come with me today, and spare yourself from Cui Hao's bullying, how about it?"

Donggua felt her mouth go so stiff that she couldn't utter a single word.

Although Xu Linglong spoke gently, as if forgiving her.

In reality, the hidden meaning of this sentence was probably: You dared to betray me. Come with me today, and I guarantee even your bone scraps will be refined twice over by me.

By comparison, Cui Hao's bullying was at most on the level of being told bedtime ghost stories.

The two Tianyan Sect cultivators didn't say anything more. Their gazes were vigilant, but they didn't take the initiative to attack.

The known gap in their cultivation levels did not support them actually going up to clash with Xu Linglong.

"Oh, Little Linglong, such a big temper. You've scared Little Donggua so much she can't even speak."

Another voice seemed to transmit from extremely far away.

Everyone looked over, only to see several streaks of rainbow light flying in from the horizon.

The figures descended.

Xu Jin, Daoist Yuyang, Yun Xiao, and a Tribulation Crossing realm cultivator from Xiaoyun Hall flew over and arrived.

Xu Linglong's gaze remained calm. With a light smile on her lips, she looked at Xu Jin and said:

"Chu Xingchen has the guts to speak, but doesn't have the guts to show his face?"

Daoist Yuyang raised his hand, revealing a peculiarly shaped magical treasure. With a slight activation of spiritual energy, Chu Xingchen's voice came from within it.

"Oh, Little Linglong, why are you scrambling to run away?"

Hearing this thing, the smile on Xu Linglong's face grew considerably more ferocious. A longbow materialized in her hand as she said coldly:

"Several core disciples bringing along a Tribulation Crossing cultivator, and you think you are safe and sound?"

"Chu Xingchen really knows how to send people to their deaths while hiding behind them himself. Could it be that he's been recuperating from his severe injuries for so long and still hasn't recovered?"

Just as Xu Linglong's voice faded, Chu Xingchen's voice sounded again.

"Since it is Little Linglong's wish, there is no harm in taking a look."

Xu Linglong shifted her gaze to Daoist Yuyang and said coldly:

"Haven't you played enough?"

Daoist Yuyang glanced sideways, signaling for Xu Linglong to look over.

Xu Linglong looked out of the corner of her eye.

Chu Xingchen was sitting in a tree, wearing a peaceful smile:

"Well? Are you surprised? Did I recover quickly?"