On the other side, Bai Tianhe, Shang Xingchen, Xia Shi, and the others had reached a relatively safe area. After dealing with a few reckless corpse demons that foolishly charged at them, the group finally let out a sigh of relief. They hastily consumed healing elixirs to quickly recover from their wounds. The atmosphere became tense and silent.
Each person seemed to be calculating something in their mind. Occasionally, some glances lingered on Bai Tianhe, leaving one to wonder what they were thinking.
Shang Xingchen and Xia Shi exchanged a meaningful look, and suddenly, without a word, they both stood up in unison.
Shang Xingchen spoke respectfully, "Master, I still have two bottles of healing elixirs. I offer them to you."
He paused, then added, "There are likely more corpse demons wandering around. For safety, I am willing to patrol the surroundings to ensure the safety of the disciples of Yellow Spring Island."
Xia Shi quickly followed suit, "As the eldest disciple of Yellow Spring Island, it is my duty to protect the safety of my fellow disciples."
Bai Tianhe nodded with satisfaction, "Go ahead, but don't stray too far. If you wander too far, I won't be able to protect you."
"Understood."
Both Shang Xingchen and Xia Shi respectfully bowed before leaving.
Moments later, the faint sound of hurried footsteps echoed from a distance. The two remaining disciples of Yellow Spring Island exchanged anxious glances, quickly summoning their magic treasures and focusing on the direction of the sound.
As expected, a large group of corpse demons appeared suddenly.
Sensing the presence of living beings, the demons charged forward without hesitation. They had been in a deep slumber within the Eight Extremes Palace for far too long. Their instinct was to pounce on humans and devour their flesh—an instinct ingrained deep within their bodies.
Bai Tianhe let out a low growl, "Stay calm! Form a formation!"
The two Yellow Spring Island disciples gritted their teeth and stood at Bai Tianhe's sides—one on the left, one on the right. Even so, it was still difficult to hold back such a large number of corpse demons. Though Bai Tianhe was a Deity Transformation cultivator, his strength was severely suppressed in this place, and he was no more powerful than an average Nascent Soul cultivator.
Before long, the two Yellow Spring disciples were overwhelmed. They screamed in agony as they were torn apart, their bodies quickly devoured by the corpse demons.
Bai Tianhe also gained more wounds, his condition growing increasingly grim.
Grinding his teeth, Bai Tianhe muttered under his breath, "It seems I have no choice but to use my trump card."
He slapped his storage bag, and a golden alms bowl appeared in his palm.
A dense mist poured out of the bowl.
He roared fiercely, "How dare these vile creatures act so arrogantly?!"
Wherever the mist passed, the movement of the corpse demons slowed drastically. Even more shocking was the fact that their flesh began to dissolve at a visible rate!
The demons didn't even get a chance to reach Bai Tianhe before they collapsed, their bodies turning into nothing but pools of blood and slime. Within moments, all the corpse demons were dead.
Bai Tianhe stretched out his hand, and dozens of Corpse Demon Pearls rapidly flew into his grasp. He stowed the alms bowl and immediately sat down cross-legged, beginning to replenish his Spiritual Qi. His breathing, which had been rushed and labored, gradually calmed down as he recovered.
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After a long while, Shang Xingchen and Xia Shi hastily arrived. Both of them were covered in numerous wounds. Upon seeing the tragic scene, Xia Shi was taken aback and exclaimed, "Master, did the corpse demons attack just now?"
Shang Xingchen, looking especially remorseful, added, "I was ambushed by the corpse demons and had no choice but to retreat. I didn't expect them to attack the camp. It's all my fault!"
Bai Tianhe sighed deeply. "It's not your fault. I didn't expect such a large group of corpse puppets to suddenly appear."
He turned to look at them both. "Now, it's just the three of us left. We must unite and work together if we are to survive this crisis."
He then asked, "Do either of you still have any healing elixirs?"
As he finished speaking, he coughed violently, and to his dismay, a chunk of blood-stained phlegm, mixed with internal organs, spat from his mouth.
Xia Shi and Shang Xingchen exchanged a glance, both seeing the unspoken thoughts in each other's eyes.
The two of them stepped forward in sync, one on the left, one on the right. However, Shang Xingchen deliberately slowed his pace, staying a half-step behind.
Xia Shi smiled, "Master, your injuries are grave. You need to rest well."
Bai Tianhe, frowning as he watched Xia Shi approach, said with a harsh tone, "What are you doing? Step back!"
Xia Shi's smile only grew more unsettling. "Master, I'm here to heal your wounds. Why should I step back?"
Bai Tianhe's face darkened further. "Xia Shi, do you not understand what I'm saying?"
Xia Shi shook his head. "Master, do you not trust me?"
Bai Tianhe was about to respond when Xia Shi suddenly summoned a long staff magic treasure and swung it toward him. With Spiritual Qi and spiritual sense being suppressed, Qi Refining cultivators had limited means at their disposal. Magic treasures were one of the few tools they could still use effectively.
"Unworthy disciple!" Bai Tianhe sighed softly, then swiftly took out a beast pouch.
From within, a massive shadow sprang out. With a loud crash, the long staff magic treasure was sent flying far into the air, screaming with a dimming glow.
Xia Shi's eyes widened as he saw the creature that had intervened. It was a demonic beast in the shape of a monkey—no fur covered its muscular, twisted form. It looked utterly horrifying.
"Skinless Ape!" Xia Shi's eyes nearly popped out.
This demonic beast was notoriously ferocious and incredibly hard to tame. He had never seen Bai Tianhe bring such a creature out before. When exactly had Bai Tianhe tamed such a beast?
The questions swirled in Xia Shi's mind, his confusion growing. Why had Bai Tianhe never shown this demonic beast to them before? What had really been going on?
Bai Tianhe took out a large, juicy piece of meat and tossed it toward the Skinless Ape. The ape caught it with a wide mouth, chomping greedily until it was satisfied.
"He's your meal now." Bai Tianhe gestured toward Xia Shi.
The Skinless Ape let out a thrilled screech and immediately charged toward Xia Shi.
Though demonic beasts also cultivated using Spiritual Qi, their internal vitality was far stronger. In the suppressed environment of the Eight Extremes Palace, where both Spiritual Qi and spiritual sense were hindered, the demonic beast had a clear advantage.
Xia Shi's pupils shrank. Without hesitation, he spat out a mouthful of Nascent Soul essence and swiftly activated his escape technique, retreating as quickly as he could. He knew that since Bai Tianhe had kept the Skinless Ape hidden for so long, it was clearly a weapon meant to kill him. His only chance now was to escape.
However, Xia Shi had underestimated both the suppression he faced and the inherent hunting instincts of the Skinless Ape. Even though he had immediately used the Nascent Soul essence, he could not escape the fate of death.
Pffft!
The Skinless Ape's sharp claws tore through Xia Shi's throat with brutal precision. Blood gushed out, and life swiftly drained from him.
Xia Shi's Nascent Soul, along with his soul consciousness, tried to flee. But Bai Tianhe had been waiting for this moment. His spiritual sense coalesced into a large hand that reached out and easily grasped Xia Shi's Nascent Soul and soul consciousness, trapping them in his palm before tossing them into a pouch.
Only then did Bai Tianhe finally turn his gaze toward Shang Xingchen, who had remained completely still throughout the entire ordeal.
With a faint smile, Bai Tianhe asked, "Why didn't you make a move?"
Shang Xingchen quickly bowed and answered in a panic, "Master, what do you mean by that? Xingchen has always been a member of Yellow Spring Island. I would never have any second thoughts."
Bai Tianhe's smile remained unchanged as he replied, "Xia Shi was my most prized disciple, yet he's now coveting my Universe Bag."
He continued, "You are the former second young master of Nether Dao Sect, your experience even surpassing mine. Why would you, someone of your stature, willingly remain beneath others?"
His tone grew colder. "Shang Xingchen, stop pretending. You and I are both clever men. There's no need to play games."
Shang Xingchen, unperturbed, smiled. "I'm not pretending. I've simply been stalling for time."
Bai Tianhe froze for a moment, before his eyes widened. The next moment, he heard the Skinless Ape let out a wretched scream and collapse to the ground, foam pouring from its mouth. Its limbs twitched, clearly paralyzed by an intense poison that had rendered it temporarily powerless.
Shang Xingchen's calm, controlled expression never wavered, even as Bai Tianhe's confusion deepened.