With the black bear as company, the next stretch of road was not so terrifying.
Especially when ghosts appeared, the black bear said expressionlessly, "I'm a ghost too, what are you afraid of?"
Jian Lin was choked, and suddenly enlightened. That's right, what was she afraid of?
After figuring it out, her courage grew. She followed the black bear forward, killing one that came, and a pair that came. Soon they reached the end of the cave, and she saw the familiar sea of lava.
"That's an illusion," the black bear gave her his final advice. "Jump in. It's the last layer of the fear trial. After passing, you will meet the person you are looking for."
Jian Lin studied it carefully and found that the sea of lava was too realistic. Just as she was about to ask a few more questions, she looked back and the black bear had disappeared.
Well, she didn't even have time to say goodbye.
She figured he wouldn't care, and it might be an opportunity to help him check on his son.
After a bout of random thoughts, Jian Lin turned her attention back to the sea of lava. The black bear wouldn't lie. He had no reason to deceive her. If he said it was an illusion, it must be an illusion.
She encouraged herself with this reason, while also not giving up on finding ways to protect herself.
Unfortunately, after rummaging through her Qiankun Bag, she didn't find anything useful. At this time, the system should have come in handy, but the other party was gone.
"A Zha, A Zha, I really didn't name you wrong," Jian Lin said resentfully. "You fail me at the critical moment. I've been dumped!"
Hesitantly, after much deliberation, Jian Lin hugged the Heyi Sword, chanted Amitabha, and leaped into the sea of lava.
The expected burning pain did not come, and she breathed a sigh of relief. She looked around the environment. In the orange-red light, the surroundings were vast and boundless, as if she had fallen into infinite space.
Jian Lin swam around, searching back and forth, when she suddenly noticed a protruding black dot not far ahead.
She remembered her adventures with the Demon Lord. Many times there were similar situations, and there must be something wrong there.
She swam forward at full speed, and as she approached the black dot, it seemed to have a life of its own and immediately moved away. Jian Lin had to chase again.
After repeating this two or three times, Jian Lin realized that this thing was intentional. An exit that fled was probably part of the ghost formation, aimed at tiring out the invaders.
Therefore, the corresponding approach was that as long as her speed surpassed the exit's reaction, she would definitely rush out directly.
She sat cross-legged in the air, concentrated, and gathered her strength. She dared not be careless. She was only at the Golden Core stage, a dime a dozen in the cultivation world. If she wanted to fight, she would fight with all her might!
She channeled her spiritual energy, circulating it rapidly. Finding the right time, she no longer hesitated and shot out like a cannonball, gripping the Heyi Sword tightly, trying to extend her body to reach the edge of the exit sooner.
Reaching the closest distance, as the exit was about to escape again, Jian Lin unleashed her last bit of strength and thrust the Heyi Sword into the exit.
The long sword was forcibly inserted, and Jian Lin followed, squeezing in. Her vision suddenly rotated, and she realized she was now emerging from below.
Looking around, all she saw was scorched earth. Listening carefully, she heard fighting sounds in the distance. Jian Lin did not hesitate and killed her way over.
Did she even need to say it? Whoever was fighting in the ghost formation must be one of her people, either the Demon Lord or her master!
After passing two or three hills, the view ahead suddenly opened up. On the open ground in front, a familiar figure was rapidly pursuing a black shadow. The way his coarse cloth Taoist robe fluttered, who else could it be but the Demon Lord!
Jian Lin's heart rejoiced. Even in the critical moment of battle, it couldn't stop her excited shout, "Lord Chong Yuan! I'm here! I'm here to help you!"
The Demon Lord paused, glanced over, but only for a moment. He didn't speak in response and continued to pursue the black figure.
Jian Lin didn't mind. Carrying the Heyi Sword, she circled around from another angle. As she got closer, she realized that the black shadow was much smaller than before. Zhan San Dao, who was originally taller than her, was now only up to her waist.
It seemed that a lot had happened while she was away from the Demon Lord!
"Big demon, take this sword!" Jian Lin smashed her sword over. She missed, but Zhan San Dao seemed to have been grazed by the sword's edge, his body tilted, and he almost fell to the ground.
The Demon Lord seized the opportunity and stabbed Zhan San Dao's calf with a dagger. He ran a couple of steps and his speed slowed down. Jian Lin smashed her sword over again, this time directly stunning him.
Zhan San Dao, still captured, remained arrogant. He turned over and mocked them confidently, "What's the use of catching me? You, sooner or later, will all die! And you will die worse than me!"
Where did this confidence come from? Once or twice, it could be dismissed as bravado, but Zhan San Dao said it repeatedly, and Jian Lin couldn't help but doubt.
"Why?" Jian Lin poked him with the Heyi Sword. "Zhan San Dao, look at yourself, your own life is at stake, and you still have the energy to worry about when we will die? Since we will die after you, what are you so proud of?"
"Proud of our grand plan," Zhan San Dao raised his hands, his blood-red eyes showing a crazy look. "What does my death matter? I am willing to sacrifice my life for the grand plan!"
Jian Lin glanced at the Demon Lord. The two exchanged glances, both thinking that this matter was definitely not simple.
The Demon Lord changed his strategy and reached out to pull out the dagger from Zhan San Dao's leg. Jian Lin squatted beside him and said kindly, "Zhan San Dao, what is this grand plan? Tell us and scare us, make us live in constant fear, wouldn't that make you even happier?"
Zhan San Dao's pain had lessened considerably. He lay flat on the scorched earth and mocked mercilessly, "You won't trick me. I won't tell you."
"How uncomfortable it is to keep secrets! Besides, we don't know anything, and we're not scared at all. What are you so proud of?" Jian Lin patiently appealed to his emotions and reason. "Zhan San Dao, think about yourself. Isn't it more painful to die suddenly without knowing anything, or to know the outcome but be unable to change anything, and wait for death tremblingly?"
Zhan San Dao's smile subsided considerably. The latter was indeed more painful.
Jian Lin pressed on, "Zhan San Dao, I think you know better than I do. At this point, the ghost formation is already half complete, and we have no way to stop it. Wouldn't it be more satisfying if you told us?"
Zhan San Dao's gaze sharpened. He looked at Jian Lin, then turned to the Demon Lord, and gave a strange smile. "You're right. I should tell you. Listen carefully, have you ever heard of the God-Slaying Formation?"
I've heard of it, Jian Lin replied silently in her heart. In the demon realm, the Demon Emperor used the Myriad Demon God-Slaying Formation against the Demon Lord.
"This ghost formation is a part of the God-Slaying Formation," Zhan San Dao looked directly at the Demon Lord, his words as terrifying as if stained with blood. "And you, the uncooperative Demon Lord, you and your demon realm are our sacrifices. You will all die, and the entire demon realm will die! Hahahaha!"
Zhan San Dao laughed madly. The Demon Lord swiftly drew a long sword and plunged it directly into Zhan San Dao's heart, saying coldly, "Unfortunately... you won't see it."
Zhan San Dao was already very weak. After this fatal blow to his heart, he convulsed, gradually withered, and merged into the black scorched earth.
Jian Lin stared blankly at him as he disappeared. After a long time, she came back to her senses, shook her head, and looked at the Demon Lord, asking incredulously, "You mean, what he said is true?"
The Demon Lord withdrew his long sword, his eyes full of worry, and said in a deep voice, "It doesn't seem fake."
Jian Lin closed her eyes to calm herself. In fact, she knew in her heart that Zhan San Dao had no reason to lie. This matter was bound to be true.
"God-Slaying Formation," the Demon Lord repeated the three words silently. "Guess who invented this formation."
Jian Lin opened her eyes, her pupils constricting. "You mean?"
It was actually very clear. The Myriad Demon God-Slaying Formation, the core was Bai Xian. She had sealed Bai Xian because she was afraid the formation would succeed.
After going in circles, everything had come back to this.
"I'm sorry, I should have killed him long ago," Jian Lin murmured softly.
"At this point, keeping him is more useful than killing him," the Demon Lord sighed. "Let's go. We'll find a way out first. I need to hurry back to the demon realm. This trip was not without gain; at least we know in advance."
Jian Lin stood up, looking at the man's back, her heart aching as if it would die. If it was true, then what a terrifyingly powerful opponent the Demon Lord was about to face.
The demon realm, immortal realm, and underworld joined forces, choosing to sacrifice the demon realm. Wasn't this just bullying someone by ganging up on them?
What did the Demon Lord do wrong? He never did evil, and was even upright and kind. Just because he defied fate, he was labeled a demon, and everyone, without asking for reasons, only knew how to shout for him to be killed.
What did the demon realm do wrong? Under the Demon Lord's management, they cultivated and made a living in their own way, rarely interacting with the outside world. It wasn't that there were no evildoers, but most of them were good people. Why should they all die?
Jian Lin was indignant and confused, wanting to look up and question the heavens, asking if they had eyes. Why should the most honest be bullied? Where was the justice?
"Let's go!" The Demon Lord turned back and called her from a distance. "What are you panicking about? Don't worry, with me here, I'll think of a solution."
Just as Jian Lin was about to explode with anger, the Demon Lord's words soothed her. She pouted, let out a sob, and then stepped forward to catch up with him, saying in a muffled voice, "Okay, I believe you."
The two walked side by side for a long distance. Jian Lin calmed down quite a bit. She asked doubtfully, "Where are we going? Why have we been walking for so long, and the surroundings haven't changed at all? Are we lost?"
"Going forward," the Demon Lord said calmly. "I don't know what the path ahead is, I just want to walk."
It was only at this moment that Jian Lin understood that the Demon Lord was not as calm as he appeared on the surface. He must have been questioning himself, why? They lived in seclusion, tried to avoid disputes, was that wrong?
Jian Lin's heart ached, and she stood firmly on his side, saying softly, "Then I'll walk with you. We can walk for as long as you want."
The two walked forward silently, when they suddenly felt the surrounding environment change slightly. The wind picked up, and a rustling sound came from somewhere. The ground trembled, as if something was about to erupt.
Suddenly, a black arm stretched out from the ground ahead, followed by a strangely shaped black humanoid crawling out. Jian Lin screamed in fright.
Help! Isn't this a zombie?!