Chapter One: The Perverted Spirit (Part I)

Chiyang did not hesitate. She snatched the bow from her shoulder, held it in her left hand, and lightly plucked the golden string with her right. With a sharp "twang," a pulsing sphere of golden-red liquid instantly manifested on the string. As her slender fingers flicked, the sphere shot forth like an arrow, moving with such speed that the charging monsters had no time to react, detonating in a thunderous blast about ten meters away from them.

The "Blast Stream," searing like volcanic magma, splattered across the faces and bodies of the monsters. A chorus of bone-chilling, agonizing shrieks immediately filled the ears of Shi Jun and his companions.

"Well done!" Shi Jun cheered.

"Don't let your guard down!" Chiyang replied with a bitter smile. "These creatures possess incredible regenerative abilities. Most can recover almost instantly from their wounds, and their defensive capabilities are exceptionally high. Conventional physical and magical attacks are rarely effective."

In truth, Chiyang did not need to warn him; Shi Jun was already stunned.

The "species" of these monsters were vastly different from those at the public trial. Not many had taken human form; most retained their "rustic" original appearances—tree demons walking on countless roots, bird-headed, human-bodied demons diving from the sky, hulking bear demons, snake demons, and cat demons. What shocked Shi Jun most was seeing creatures that biology textbooks claimed had been extinct for eons: dinosaurs!

Although they varied in form, none of these dragons could fly. Their skin was at least a meter thick, gray and filthy, standing three stories tall. They moved with a swiftness that made them look like giant armored tanks, clearly built for combat.

Even worse, Shi Jun watched as Chiyang’s "Blast Stream" tore countless holes into one of the dragons. Yet, the thick-skinned beast simply tilted its head and let out a wild roar. Its flesh rippled, and just as Shi Jun moved to cover his ears, he saw the holes slowly shrinking—shrinking—until they vanished entirely. It took no more than half a minute.

"Are these monsters unkillable?" Shi Jun marveled at the wonders of nature. Were it not for the desperate situation, he would have loved to capture a few for an anatomy lesson. But survival was paramount, and he immediately cast a pale-green, transparent barrier to shield his group.

***

Shi Jun had never faced such a vast number of enemies. In such a chaotic scene, he couldn't think of which spell to use, so he defaulted to a defensive barrier—it was safer, and his party could still cast spells from within without restriction.

Within moments, the monsters had completely surrounded them, layer upon layer, even blotting out the sky above.

Biyuan stood suspended in mid-air, arms crossed, barking commands. A dozen ugly, slow-moving human-faced tree demons stood at the forefront. Their thousands of roots suddenly surged, growing thick and long like writhing snakes, slithering across the ground toward the barrier.

The massive roots struck the barrier simultaneously. The light sphere shook violently, sending Shi Jun and the others tumbling. Caught off guard, they fell into a heap.

"Ali, you can't help us here. Get into the treasure bag!" After firing an arrow, Chiyang’s face had drained of all color; her lips were turning blue, and she seemed on the verge of collapse.

"No!" Ali extended its flexible tentacles to support Chiyang. "You were already injured! We don't leave anyone behind!"

Shi Jun was startled by Ali’s words. "You're injured?" He turned to Chiyang, seeing her ashen complexion, and felt a surge of panic. "How could I be so careless? Little Rascal told me you were hurt! Quickly, get in the treasure bag, and I'll get us out of here!"

He hurriedly pulled out the treasure bag. As he opened it, a flash of white light revealed Fuyao, who leaped out with a furious expression, scolding Chiyang and Shi Jun: "Despicable wretches!"

Shi Jun hadn't expected her to break free of his binding spell so quickly. Caught off guard, he couldn't react, and Chiyang, desperate, had no time to explain. "Why are you coming out now? Get inside!"

***

With the group in disarray, the monsters seized the opportunity to launch their next attack.

"Here they come again!" Ali shouted, grabbing Chiyang and Fuyao with its tentacles. It tried to grab Shi Jun, but he was a primordial spirit and it passed through him. Its remaining tentacles braced against the barrier, the milky-white surface turning deep red under the strain.

As the tree roots lashed out, the barrier was sent rolling across the ground, and cracks began to appear. Despite Ali’s desperate efforts to hold onto Chiyang and Fuyao, Shi Jun was left dizzy and nauseated by the violent shaking.

The barrier’s pale-green light dimmed, emitting a faint "creaking" sound—the precursor to an imminent shatter.

Seeing the "spies" cowering in their barrier, the monsters cheered in unison.

"Fuyao, Ali, don't push yourselves! Get inside, I'll handle this!" Chiyang’s expression was grim. She retracted her longbow, chanted an incantation, and cast "Frost Freeze." A faint white mist began to emanate from within the barrier, rapidly permeating through the shell and enveloping the monsters.

In moments, the white mist turned into fine, crystalline powder. As it landed on the creatures, it seeped into their bodies as icy cold, turning them into statues. They remained frozen in their charging postures.

The weaker monsters, such as the rabbit and flower demons, emitted a crisp "cracking" sound before vaporizing into nothingness. The more powerful, deeper-cultivated monsters were riddled with holes by the extreme cold, their wounds expanding with every crackling pop. Screaming in agony, they were dragged away by the waves of monsters pushing from behind.

"That move... is terrifying!" Shi Jun watched, horrified. He had thought that even in battle, one didn't necessarily have to "take lives"—even demons were living things. When he killed the Spirit Devourer earlier, it was because the creature had committed heinous crimes, but these monsters had no personal grudge against him. If not absolutely necessary, he didn't want his hands stained with blood.

Yet, this battle demanded a price in blood.

Chiyang’s single strike had claimed a dozen lives, and the ground was splattered with monster blood. The hatred and rage radiating from the creatures chilled him to the core. Was there an unbridgeable enmity between the four realms? Why did they hate Chiyang, who hailed from the Underworld, so fiercely? Why, upon hearing that Fuyao was linked to the Underworld, did even those who once doted on her turn against her? Shi Jun thought painfully, unable to comprehend it.

But weren't humans the same? Look at the Holocaust, look at racial discrimination—irrational exclusion and hatred had never vanished. Were these monsters the same? Unwilling and unable to trust outsiders?

Or was it for the treasure? It seemed these monsters had inherited human greed and stupidity. He had seen it at the public trial: the moment the monsters heard her "betrayal" was linked to treasure, their pity turned to uncontrollable rage.

This was a life-or-death struggle. Although he finally recognized this reality, Shi Jun couldn't help but feel uneasy.

***

"Useless fools!" Biyuan roared from above. With a flick of his palm, he snatched a massive block of eternal black ice from a nearby snowy ridge. With his right hand, he carved the ice into countless frozen projectiles and pushed them forward with a blast of energy. With a thunderous explosion, the projectiles collided with the barrier, shattering both into nothingness. Shi Jun and the others were left exposed.

Ali groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and its tentacles went limp, causing it to collapse to the ground.

The monsters let out a sky-shattering roar and surged forward without hesitation. Cold light glinted in the crowd—weapons held by the beasts.

Fortunately, Shi Jun had used his "Eye of Insight" to memorize the hand seals and incantation for "Frost Freeze." In his desperation, he bit his lip, mimicked the motions, and chanted the spell.

Though he had no formal training, his mental power was unparalleled. The essence of water-based magic was using mental energy to summon the elemental power of water from the air. The "Frost Freeze" summoned a form of "Weak Water," which contained toxins—that was why it caused the monsters' wounds to expand like sulfuric acid. Shi Jun’s massive mental energy summoned far more, turning the mist a thick, murky grayish-blue. Within seconds, all the monsters within a dozens-meter radius were vaporized, leaving no trace behind.

Even Shi Jun was shocked that his version of "Frost Freeze" was more powerful than Chiyang’s. It stunned the clamoring horde; even Chiyang and the others were dumbfounded.

The denizens of the demon realm were generally not highly intelligent, but they were tenacious, fierce, united, and xenophobic. Shi Jun’s strike only provoked them further. Eyes bloodshot, they charged with renewed ferocity. Beyond the tree roots, the fray now included tigers, lions, and dragons with claws capable of rending stone and metal.

***

The battle intensified. Fuyao, however, had withdrawn from Ali’s protection. Ignoring Chiyang’s desperate calls, she sat on the ground, hugging her knees, her expression deeply conflicted, completely oblivious to the monsters closing in.

"Ali, hold on!" Seeing Ali’s injury and Fuyao’s detachment, Chiyang sighed, grabbed her bow, and fired several more "Blast Streams." With a flick of her finger, she caught the last one, and with a flash of red light, it rose into the air, forming an inverted bowl that descended to shield them once more.

Having cast the barrier, Chiyang collapsed, vomiting a large mouthful of blood onto her blue robes.

"Chiyang!" Shi Jun cried out in shock, rushing to her side.

"What's wrong with you?" Fuyao stood up and helped Chiyang up, though her tone remained stiff.

"Fuyao... stop being stubborn," Chiyang said, suppressing the intense pain. "There are many who want you dead, and I am here to protect you. You saw what just happened—even if you are innocent, no one will believe you, especially with people framing you. You can't clear your name right now."

Fuyao bit her lip and looked down, her long curls hiding her expression.

"...Why did you save me?" Fuyao’s voice was cold, yet it carried a faint sob.

The Blast Stream barrier provided a temporary shield. Its incredible heat kept any attacker from approaching, but it also trapped Shi Jun and his companions inside, resulting in a brief stalemate.

Ali stood up, swaying, and returned to Fuyao’s side, guarding her as always.

Chiyang smiled bitterly. "Do you think I wanted to? I told you, I came to the demon realm at the request of your family. Otherwise, why would I seek out such trouble?"

Before she could finish, a violent tremor shook the ground. They looked out to see a group of giant elephants digging their tusks into the earth, prying the frozen ground—and the barrier protecting them—right out of the soil and tossing it into the air!