The current situation of the Ning clan is truly dire, isolated and weak, guarding a lone city.
Clan members suffer casualties daily, their numbers constantly dwindling.
Now, within the entire ancient city, the population is less than three hundred, and almost every individual bears wounds.
Worst of all, the foundations and resources left to the Ning clan by the White Emperor have been completely depleted.
The Ning clan has reached a state of utter desperation.
Moreover, recently, a large number of ill-intentioned individuals have sought to conquer the ancient city, destroy the seal, and reopen the gate to the Demon Realm.
Among them, several top forces, such as Feifeng Ridge, Tongtian Pavilion, and Shihu Village, have been the most rampant, secretly attacking the Ning clan.
If not for these forces' reservations and their reluctance to act too openly, the ancient city would likely have already fallen.
The Ning clan wishes to eliminate the traitors but is powerless to turn the tide, now only able to hold their ground.
However, given the current circumstances, they may not be able to hold on much longer. The Ning clan is continuously being worn down, their strength weakening, and the enemy could launch a full-scale assault at any moment.
Ning Yi is filled with immense sorrow. He does not fear death, but once the gate to the Demon Realm is reopened, it means the Xuanling Realm will face a catastrophe, with widespread devastation and loss of life.
Ten thousand years ago, the White Emperor single-handedly averted disaster; what about now?
Humanity is fragmented, their hearts scattered, each pursuing their own selfish interests. They are utterly incapable of resisting the invasion of the demon race.
Indeed, once the demon race launches a major invasion, many will defect, acting as demon lackeys and harming their own kind.
"It seems humanity is truly doomed this time."
Ning Yi's heart fills with desolation, and he lets out a long sigh.
With the erosion of moral values and the rampant pursuit of carnal desires, humanity's greatest enemy is, ironically, their own kin. This is the ultimate tragedy.
And at this very moment.
A clansman rushes in excitedly, reporting loudly: "Clan Leader, we've just received great news! Those scoundrels from Shihu Village have been wiped out!"
"What!"
Ning Yi's face breaks into ecstatic joy; this is truly momentous news.
During this period, Wu Qian, leading the many experts of Shihu Village, had killed many of the Ning clan.
Now, they have finally had their revenge.
But who would dare and possess the capability to act against Shihu Village, without fearing retaliation from their ancestor, who is at the ninth level of the Mortal Immortal realm?
Furthermore, acting against Shihu Village means offending several top forces like Feifeng Ridge and Tongtian Pavilion. No force in this world should dare to do such a thing.
"A formidable mysterious individual intervened. We haven't yet ascertained their true identity, but it's highly likely to be that 'Ji Hei Tou' who caused such a stir in Fengmo City a while ago."
The clansman reports, admitting that the matter is still under investigation.
After some thought, Ning Yi orders an swift investigation. If the individual is indeed a righteous person, then cooperation is possible, and they can join forces to deal with these human scum.
Subsequently, more good news continues to pour in.
Someone used a celestial artifact as bait, "fishing" in a basin and eliminating many demon pawns and wicked individuals.
The one "fishing" was none other than the simpleton Ji Mo.
However, he didn't have such a deep scheme; it was all a fortunate coincidence.
Ji Mo's sole intention was to lure out the unknown creature beneath the great pit. Thus, he continuously activated the Tiger Talisman, attempting to force it to reveal itself.
The Tiger Talisman pulsed with radiant light, its immortal aura soaring, incredibly dazzling.
The commotion was immense, felt by beings throughout a large portion of the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield ruins, who flocked towards it like sharks sensing blood.
These unfortunate souls naturally met a grim end. They failed to seize the celestial artifact and instead became food for the Heavenly Poison Demonic Ants.
Ning Wenjing became the biggest winner, responsible for clearing the battlefield and amassing a fortune.
One must understand that any being daring to enter the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield ruins is no weakling; they are at least at the Saint realm, and each is incredibly wealthy.
She roughly estimated that the resources obtained would be enough for the Ning clan to sustain themselves for over a thousand years.
Ning Wenjing looked at Ji Mo with eyes full of stars, the thirteen words flashing in her mind: "This humble woman has no way to repay you, only to offer herself in trust!"
She felt that even offering herself in marriage would not repay a fraction of Ji Mo's kindness.
"Mr. Ji's schemes run deep. Is he using the celestial artifact as bait to clear out all the evil within the Human-Demon Ancient Battlefield?"
"In my opinion, Mr. Ji intends to fish for a bigger catch. After annihilating Shihu Village, he still feels unsatisfied and plans to lure Feifeng Ridge, Tongtian Pavilion, and others here to be dealt with in one fell swoop."
...
The cultivators from the Yu family discussed amongst themselves, speculating, their admiration for Ji Mo deepening.
To confront several top forces of the Western Regions single-handedly, such courage is unparalleled in the world.
Ji Mo scratched his head, somewhat annoyed, finally confirming that the Tiger Talisman seemed incapable of commanding the unknown creature underground.
This fellow was unresponsive, refusing to come out and meet him.
Moreover, he seemed to hear faint snoring; the creature was likely sleeping soundly underground.
"Not coming out, huh? Wait until I've eaten my fill, then I'll deal with you."
Ji Mo was also hungry. He dragged over the corpse of a demonic beast and began preparing a barbecue.
Many had come to cause trouble before, both human and demonic. Ji Mo had specifically instructed the Heavenly Poison Demonic Ants to reserve a few plump demonic beasts for his meal.
A hundred miles away.
The proprietress and the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad were heading in Ji Mo's direction.
"Princess, are we going to reclaim the military token? But with just the two of us, I fear we won't be able to retrieve it."
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad asked. It had also sensed the aura of the Tiger Talisman, recognizing it as the military token of the demon army from years ago.
Although this item holds extraordinary significance, only those with demon royal blood can utilize its special abilities. Therefore, it doesn't matter if it falls into the hands of outsiders, and there's no need to risk great danger to reclaim it.
The proprietress shook her head and said, "I have no interest in reclaiming the military token. I believe the Dark Night Priests and their ilk would be more interested; that's their concern. I merely sensed a peculiar aura and wish to investigate."
"What exactly is this aura that makes the Princess willing to risk her life?"
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad was filled with curiosity.
The proprietress's expression turned somewhat strange, and she prompted, "You should have a vivid memory of it. I heard your clan was ruined by it back then, including the savings you had accumulated for your wives."
"Ah?!"
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad was immensely shocked. "Hasn't it been dormant in the Ancestral Hall all this time? How could it appear here?"
The proprietress fanned herself, speculatively guessing, "The Demon Realm is barren, with few edible things. Perhaps it won't starve here. However, it's also possible that my senses are mistaken."
From another direction, a large contingent of people was also rushing towards the basin.
This group numbered nearly a thousand, with dozens of them at the Mortal Immortal realm, also heading to seize the celestial artifact.
"What is Wu Qian up to? He sent a distress signal but isn't responding to our transmissions. What game is he playing?"
"I estimate he encountered a tough opponent while trying to seize the celestial artifact and wanted our help. But after the situation improved, he didn't want us to share the spoils, so he's ignoring us."
"Hmph, that's exactly the kind of thing that scoundrel would do; he's always preferred to hoard everything. But are Feifeng Ridge and Tongtian Pavilion pushovers? We're certainly going to get our share of the benefits."
"Hurry up and travel. The aura of the celestial artifact has disappeared. What if Wu Qian got his hands on it and slipped away with the artifact?"
The two elders leading the group conversed, urging their subordinates to speed up. They were elders from Feifeng Ridge and Tongtian Pavilion, respectively.
Because they were still engaged in battle with the Ning clan, they hadn't immediately gone to support Wu Qian. Now, having broken free from the Ning clan's entanglement, they were rushing over without delay.