Tang Bai Li

Chapter 139 An Acquaintance Among Demons

The desolate ancient battlefield, southwest of the ninth stone cave, held a massive mine.

Judging by its appearance alone, it was an irregular circle with a radius of several kilometers, surrounded by piles of discarded ore. Within the pit, ravines crisscrossed, vast and echoing, plunging into depths as profound as a celestial abyss.

Around the mine, mountains of corpses had accumulated, attracting countless demons.

They each occupied a territory, with mere meters separating them, emitting wary threats and oppressive auras, yet none of the great demons dared to strike first.

This was because within the depths of the mine, a certain ineffable opportunity was brewing. Three days prior, this dim, overcast world had trembled. From the mine, vast amounts of spiritual energy erupted, accompanied by dazzling rays of light.

These demonic beasts were guided here by their primal bloodlines.

They could sense that little time remained until the opportunity revealed itself. Thus, they had reached an accord: before the opportunity materialized, no one was to enter the mine, nor were any disputes to arise. Those who violated this pact would be jointly executed by all the demons present.

Whether human or demon, there were always those who succumbed to greed and lost their reason, which was why so many corpses littered the surroundings of this mine.

However, unknown to these great demons, even with their stringent guard, a human was secretly concealed within the abandoned rubble at the mine's entrance.

The person, clad in military armor, possessed a pallid complexion and shallow breaths, seemingly merged with the very space around them.

At intervals, they would cautiously advance a step.

They dared not make any significant movements or produce any sound, for that would alert the gathered great demons, leading to their immediate dismemberment.

After days of slow progress, they were merely one step away from the cave entrance.

*Rumble!*

At that moment, rain began to fall, and lightning flashed.

Seizing the opportunity, the youth surged forward, leaping into the mine.

Was that a fleeting shadow?

In the sky, a colossal sparrow demon noticed the anomaly and peered vigilantly.

Within the pitch-black pit, there was only an intoxicating aroma; nothing else.

The sparrow demon was captivated, dismissing it as an illusion.

But it failed to see that clinging to a protruding rock just below the cave entrance was a hand.

The moment the sparrow demon averted its gaze, the owner of that hand let out a sigh of relief.

The youth looked down into the profound depths of the mine and descended silently.

No one had noticed him.

...

From the mine as a starting point, extending ten kilometers northeast, stood a mountain peak a thousand meters high.

To the left of the peak lay a lush, verdant forest. Within it, Xu Mu and his companions were fleeing, pursued by the Bronze Red Crow clan from above.

To the right of this forest was an endless, flat expanse. As far as the eye could see, a parched desert stretched out, filled with swirling sand and dust.

One mountain separated two worlds.

On the left side of the mountain, Xu Mu and his group were suffering from extreme exhaustion of both stamina and energy, yet they still had to drag their heavy bodies and climb slowly upwards.

The pursuit by the Bronze Red Crows from behind made this an ordeal beyond human endurance.

"Just a little further, we're almost there!"

Xu Mu, his face pale, offered encouragement. They were nearing the summit.

The higher they climbed, the sparser the trees became.

At this point, only weeds remained around them.

The Bronze Red Crows behind them also showed signs of fatigue; the wind from their flapping wings was a fraction of its former strength.

If not now, then when?

"Fifty meters to go, everyone, full sprint!"

Xu Mu suddenly roared, accelerating his pace. The others followed his lead, pushing forward with all their might up the mountain.

Fifty meters, forty meters, thirty-five meters...

The people drew closer to the summit, seeing more of the sky, their hope seemingly within reach.

Everyone believed that liberation was imminent, that victory was at hand.

But when Yan Yu, the outermost member of their group, reached the summit first, all their beautiful fantasies dissolved into nothingness.

*Buzz!*

A wind swept across the mountaintop, and the sky darkened.

Yan Yu looked down the mountain, beholding a vast, boundless wasteland.

And upon that wasteland, countless Stage Four great demons were scattered, numbering in the thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands!

The oppressive pressure was far greater than that of the pursuing Bronze Red Crow clan.

Ultimately, death seemed unavoidable.

Yan Yu's solitary figure, sword in hand, appeared suddenly desolate and frail.

At this moment, Xu Mu also reached the summit. He saw the scene below, met the gaze of a great demon, his face twitched slightly, and he turned to Yan Yu, his voice hoarse:

"This is the place of opportunity you spoke of?"

Yan Yu nodded:

"I apologize; I didn't expect it to be like this."

Xu Mu gave a bitter smile:

"It's less like driving wolves to swallow tigers, and more like throwing a raw meat bun to a dog."

"With so many great demons, there truly seems to be no other option."

Xu Mu sighed, shaking his head. Faced with so many great demons, even the Gray-White Pupil at its peak would struggle to carve a bloody path to survival.

By now, the others had also ascended the peak. Upon witnessing the dense throng of great demons below, everyone nearly collapsed simultaneously.

In that instant, their previous endurance, their desperate flight for life, all became a joke.

Ahead lay a sea of demons.

Behind them, the Bronze Red Crows circled.

Nan Feng's expression grew grim:

"These scoundrels, still entangled with us at a time like this."

"Brothers, I say we fight them before we die!"

Nan Feng pointed at the Bronze Red Crows in the sky, filled with rage.

At this juncture, assigning blame to Xu Mu or anyone else was meaningless.

Every second that followed could be their last; they had to live it to the fullest!

Having spoken, Nan Feng was the first to unleash his domain, his eyes turning crimson as he began to attack the Bronze Red Crows in the sky without regard for the consequences.

The Bronze Red Crows in the sky also grew enraged and began to assault the ground.

Amidst the crowd, those who wanted to fight, those who didn't, and those who wanted to but lacked the strength, all began to activate their spiritual powers without restraint.

Instantly, spiritual energy raged uncontrollably in the space, causing the heavens and earth to tremble.

This, in turn, attracted the attention of the countless great demons below.

Then, around the mine, the few demonic beasts of the most noble bloodlines spoke out in furious beast tongues:

"Bronze Red Crow clan, combat is forbidden here!"

"Hurry and stop, or you shall be annihilated!"

"Cease immediately!"

Listening to the cacophony of roars, Xu Mu and his companions felt their heads spin.

They couldn't understand the beast language, but the Bronze Red Crows could.

"Caw!"

Sensing the threat, the Bronze Red Crows immediately halted their attack and then circled in the sky.

Hundreds of Bronze Red Crows confronted the countless great demons below.

After a period of intense exchange, the descendants of divine beast bloodlines, who had been in pursuit for three days, let out a few unwilling cries before flying away into the distance.

Revenge for the egg was important, but life itself was paramount.

Thus, only Xu Mu and the other humans remained on this mountain.

Humans and demons were irreconcilable. These demonic beasts might negotiate with the Bronze Red Crows, but they would not waste a single word on humans.

Innumerable great demons surged forward, their intent to kill palpable.

The humans despaired, some lying down, others sitting on the ground, preparing to meet their deaths. Even Yin Zhongxiu released his spear, and Xu Mu began to attempt contact with the figure in the Heavenly Palace.

But then, Charles spoke:

"Don't rush, take a good look."

"There's an acquaintance among those monsters!"

Xu Mu was stunned. Following the direction of Charles's finger, he mused that he had only ever killed demons since he was young; when had he ever made an acquaintance among them?

Thinking thus, in the next second, Xu Mu's expression froze.

For he indeed saw a familiar figure.

The beast was not large, resembling a tiger, and its fur appeared exceptionally smooth.

This was not someone he had befriended, but he had seen it in the Heavenly Palace.

It was a descendant of a divine beast.

Xu Mu's eyes brightened, and he shouted loudly:

"Little Qiongqi, it's me, Xu Mu!"

"Come and save me quickly!"