Chapter 371 – Four Demons Both Shocked and Scared, Sword Burial Peak Returns to Light

“Boss Ying, what should we do now? Should we find a chance to escape…”

Zhu Zhong the Pig Demon instinctively felt some fear as he looked at Lu Chen, who had his eyes closed not far away.

Just moments ago, something unknown had happened – the branch given to them by the Biyou Mountain Fairy had suddenly undergone a tremendous transformation.

Then they felt their bodies being suppressed by some force, completely losing control.

This feeling was undoubtedly very unpleasant.

Fortunately, this change didn’t last long, and they quickly regained control of their bodies.

In contrast, Lu Chen had fallen into some mysterious state during this process.

The Sword momentum that was originally used to warn and suppress them had suddenly disappeared.

If not for this, the timid Zhu Zhong wouldn’t have chosen to suggest escaping at this moment.

Given the strength Lu Chen had previously displayed,

if he truly wanted to take action against them,

handling them would be easier than breathing.

They simply weren’t on the same level of existence.

Although they were still trapped in Lu Chen’s Mountains and Seas Scroll,

Lu Chen currently seemed to have no spare attention for them.

Seizing this opportunity to escape should have a decent chance of success.

However, facing Zhu Zhong’s suggestion,

the relatively shrewd Ying Yuan the Eagle Demon ultimately chose to refuse.

He shook his head and said, “We haven’t done anything wrong, so there’s no need to run.”

“On the contrary, if we run now, that might be what truly puts us in danger.”

“Most importantly, are you doubting Biyou Fairy’s decision?”

At these words, not only Zhu Zhong but the other two demons also suddenly understood.

That’s right – when it came down to it, they were only helping Biyou Fairy with her task.

And Biyou Fairy’s reputation in the Ten Thousand Mountains was universally praised.

If this mission truly had any dangers,

she would have certainly warned them in advance.

Since she didn’t say anything, that meant there was no danger.

Or rather, as long as they followed Biyou Fairy’s instructions, they would definitely not encounter any accidents.

This was a truth that countless demons in the Ten Thousand Mountains had verified with their own lives.

Working with Biyou Fairy brought increasing benefits.

Opposing Biyou Fairy led to certain death.

With this realization, the four demons immediately made their decision.

Action was inferior to stillness – using constancy to respond to endless changes!

They were betting that Lu Chen wasn’t the type of person who acted unreasonably!

An unknown amount of time passed.

Perhaps a few minutes, or maybe over ten minutes.

Lu Chen, who had been keeping his eyes closed, finally regained consciousness.

Looking at the four demons who remained obediently in the Mountains and Seas Scroll – neither attempting to escape nor planning to ambush him –

Lu Chen was quite surprised.

Because he had actually awakened before the four demons did.

He had been contemplating how to deal with these four unfamiliar demons.

As the saying goes, judge by actions rather than intentions.

Compared to empty words, Lu Chen trusted the demons’ actions more.

If they had tried to do something while he was “unconscious,”

that would have indicated they harbored ill intentions.

Then he could have acted without any reservations.

But since they did nothing,

this could only mean two things.

Either they held no hostility toward him.Either they were adept at assessing the situation.

And regardless of which it was, it greatly aided Lu Chen in understanding these four demons and the origin of the White Jade Branch.

The outcome was evident.

The behavior of these four demons was quite unexpected to Lu Chen.

It seemed his earlier assumption—that they had deliberately used this object to lure him into some kind of trap—was unfounded.

Thinking this, Lu Chen decided not to continue suppressing the four demons with his Sword aura.

Instead, he chose to communicate with them as equals.

“Can you tell me about the Biyou Fairy you mentioned?”

As soon as Lu Chen spoke, the four demons not far away froze in place.

They hadn’t expected Lu Chen to awaken so quickly.

In a more extreme scenario, this human Cultivator might have been awake all along.

The earlier silence was intentional—a deliberate act of entrapment.

Devious. This guy was far too devious!

The thought that they had just narrowly escaped death left the four demons both terrified and fearful.

Fortunately, Lu Chen’s current attitude was quite amicable.

Moreover, the overwhelmingly oppressive Sword aura from before did not reappear.

This made the four demons realize that Lu Chen likely harbored no hostility toward them.

Thus, the leader of the group, the Eagle Demon Ying Yuan, answered on behalf of the other three: “In response to your question, esteemed sir, the Biyou Fairy is a rather unique Mountain Lord within our Ten Thousand Mountains.”

“The reason we came to the Immortal Alliance was under the Biyou Fairy’s orders—to deliver the White Jade Branch to you.”

Hearing this answer and recalling the ancient history he had just witnessed, Lu Chen instantly grasped the Biyou Fairy’s intention.

If his speculation was correct, she likely intended to use this gesture to convey a certain message to him.

In an even more extreme interpretation, the one sending the message might not even be the Biyou Fairy herself.

Instead, it could be his past—or perhaps his future—self.

This might sound contradictory, but it was entirely plausible.

After all, although his in-game self existed in the ancient era, Lu Chen had no knowledge of what that self would do in the future.

To cite a more immediate example: the ancient history depicted a war between two realms, with Gu Xian and other Immortals continuously falling, their bodies transforming into countless colossal corpses.

And at the very end of the vision, the Celestial Palace delving deep into the heart of the battlefield—

These were secrets Lu Chen had yet to encounter and had few clues about.

Where was the battlefield of this inter-realm war?

What was the Celestial Palace that ventured deep into the warzone?

Who was the master of the Celestial Palace? These were all pressing mysteries Lu Chen desperately wanted to unravel but currently could not.

And the key to all these questions might lie with that enigmatic Biyou Fairy.

Thinking this, Lu Chen immediately inquired, “Where is the Biyou Fairy now?”

Upon hearing this, Ying Yuan exchanged glances with the other three demons.

After weighing the pros and cons, he answered truthfully: “In response, sir, the Biyou Fairy is currently still within Biyou Mountain.”

“And Biyou Mountain is located in the Ten Thousand Mountains, beyond the Wildlands Province.”

“However, given your status, sir, venturing into the Ten Thousand Mountains rashly could be perilous.”

“Even we dare not claim to move freely within the Ten Thousand Mountains. There are many places we wouldn’t even dare to glance at.”

“If you wish to meet the Biyou Fairy, sir, we could first deliver a message on your behalf.””As long as we can obtain the Fairy’s assistance, my lord, your entry into the Ten Thousand Mountains should become much easier.”

Lu Chen cast a meaningful glance at Ying Yuan.

This look immediately caused cold sweat to bead profusely on Ying Yuan’s forehead.

He was utterly terrified.

It was as if Lu Chen had completely seen through his little scheme.

After Ying Yuan anxiously waited for a moment, Lu Chen finally spoke.

“You’re quite clever.”

Fortunately, Lu Chen’s tone remained relatively calm.

Otherwise, Ying Yuan would have felt like he was being handed a ‘critical condition notice’.

After all, his previous statement had been half-truths.

Were the Ten Thousand Mountains dangerous?

Yes, but not as perilous as he had made them sound.

Would it be difficult for Lu Chen to meet the Biyou Fairy if he entered alone?

This was both true and false.

Ying Yuan’s main purpose in saying this was ultimately self-preservation.

The core message of his words was simply this:

The four of them held significant value to Lu Chen.

Without their assistance,

Lu Chen would face tremendous difficulties entering the Ten Thousand Mountains.

This was precisely why Lu Chen acknowledged Ying Yuan’s cleverness.

Within limited time, he had demonstrated their worth to Lu Chen.

Keeping them alive was far more beneficial than killing them.

Communicating with intelligent people was undoubtedly much easier.

Moreover, Lu Chen hadn’t intended to harm them in the first place.

“Very well, we’ll proceed as you suggested. You and that dog demon beside you shall return to meet the Biyou Fairy.”

“Inform her of my impending visit to the mountains.”

“Upon completion of this matter, not only will I refrain from harming you, but I shall also offer rewards.”

“Th-thank you, my lord.”

Ying Yuan hurriedly nodded, indicating that he and the dog demon Gou Fen would certainly accomplish this mission.

As for the pig demon Zhu Zhong and monkey demon Hou Ping,

They would have to temporarily endure remaining as Lu Chen’s hostages.

Even if Zhu Zhong and Hou Ping wanted to refuse,

They possessed no right to do so.

Given the vast difference in power between them and Lu Chen,

Controlling them would be effortless for him.

Their only hope now rested on Zhu Zhong and Gou Fen quickly completing this task,

So they could soon escape this predicament.

To demonstrate his ability to easily suppress all four demons,

Lu Chen casually waved his hand.

Four Sword Talismans materialized in the air and directly embedded themselves into the demons’ foreheads.

Though the demons instinctively resisted,

The terrifying sword aura reappeared,

Completely immobilizing them.

They could only watch helplessly as the four golden Sword Talismans sank into their brows.

Soon, all four demons sensed something new within their spiritual platforms.

After completing this, Lu Chen stated, “Upon successful completion, these Sword Talismans will not only be harmless to you but may even help advance your cultivation.”

“However, should you entertain any treacherous thoughts… the consequences need no elaboration.”

“…”

The four demons hastily nodded,

Acknowledging they understood the price of failure.

Satisfied, Lu Chen directly withdrew his Mountains and Seas Scroll.

The bustling Arena scene reappeared before their eyes.

The surrounding spectators seemed completely unaware of what had transpired,

Showing no particular surprise at the sudden reappearance of the four demons,

As if they had never left at all.Without a doubt, Lu Chen had done something.

Considering this was the Great Wilderness Pagoda of the Barren Wilderness Academy, one of the Immortal Alliance’s most core locations, surrounded by high-level cultivators, Lu Chen’s ability to casually employ his methods here clearly demonstrated both his confidence in his own strength and his status within the Immortal Alliance. Otherwise, if anyone else were to recklessly use techniques and Divine Abilities in a place like the Great Wilderness Pagoda, they would undoubtedly be confronted by the high-level cultivators of the Barren Wilderness Academy demanding an explanation.

Ying Yuan glanced back at the spot that originally belonged to Lu Chen but was now empty, and said with lingering fear, “Brothers, we’ve survived another day.” The other three demons nodded in agreement, their faces filled with the trepidation of having narrowly escaped death.

Although their interaction with Lu Chen had been brief, the danger they had experienced was beyond words. It could be said that their lives had been entirely at Lu Chen’s whim. Had Lu Chen been displeased or had they misspoken even slightly, they might have been permanently left behind here.

Fortunately, they had ultimately survived and had also completed the task assigned to them by Biyou Fairy. Looking on the bright side, not only would they receive gifts from Biyou Fairy, but they would also obtain gifts from Lu Chen, this mysterious Sword Cultivator. These two gifts might bring about earth-shaking changes for them.

Of course, all this was contingent on their ability to properly complete Lu Chen’s task. Otherwise, the mysterious Sword Talisman currently residing in their spiritual platforms would not be a gift from Lu Chen, but a damned death warrant.

With the mindset of completing the task early for peace of mind, the four demons immediately left the Arena. Among them, Ying Yuan and Gou Fen needed to return to the Ten Thousand Mountains first to accomplish what Lu Chen had instructed, while Zhu Zhong and Hou Ping remained in the Desolate City as hostages. As for how to serve as hostages, although Lu Chen hadn’t specified, they understood perfectly well: stay put in the Desolate City and don’t wander around. Otherwise, the Sword Talisman in their spiritual platforms wouldn’t listen to their explanations.

Meanwhile, after returning to the Lihuo Dao Academy’s viewing area, Mu Xiaoye immediately asked curiously, “Is everything settled?” Lu Chen smiled and nodded. At this point, Mu Xiaoye didn’t press further, showing considerable understanding.

It was also at this time that the match between Clear River Dao Academy and Xuanjia Dao Academy in the Arena reached its conclusion. Although Xuanjia Dao Academy’s battle formation was impressive, it ultimately fell short against Jiang Dongliu, the prodigious Sword Cultivator. Unable to withstand Jiang Dongliu’s sharp Sword Domain, they regrettably lost.

After defeating Xuanjia Dao Academy, Jiang Dongliu didn’t rush to leave. Instead, he turned toward the Lihuo Dao Academy’s direction and smiled at Lu Chen sitting in the viewing area. This smile, however, was filled with Battle Intent, clearly issuing a challenge to Lu Chen. In response, Lu Chen gave a friendly acknowledgment. After all, among his peers, there were very few whom Lu Chen held in high regard, and Jiang Dongliu was one of the rare exceptions.

Moreover, Lu Chen always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with Jiang Dongliu. This peculiar feeling had been present since their first meeting.At that time, Lu Chen didn’t quite understand where this feeling came from.

But as Jiang Dongliu’s Sword Intent grew increasingly refined,

Lu Chen gradually grasped the true origin of this sensation.

It was that the Sword Intent emanating from Jiang Dongliu bore a striking resemblance to that of Yi Hanqing, the former Sword Burial Peak Leader of the Azure Cloud Sect from the game.

While their Sword Intents might differ somewhat in outward appearance,

at their core, they were identical.

Equally magnificent, equally aggressive,

and carrying that deeply ingrained, highly personalized… arrogance.

Thinking of this, Lu Chen couldn’t help but smile.

Perhaps that Sword Burial Peak Leader, who once single-handedly berated the Jade Void Mountain disciples at the Azure Cloud Main Peak,

would soon reappear in the Immortal Alliance.

(End of Chapter)