"What''s going on?!"


    Everyone was in an uproar, discussing the sudden change.


    "This fog... it’s somewhat similar to the mist that occasionally appears on the scorched earth outside the outer sect."


    "Could there be danger?"


    Han Yu and Yun Xi also looked vigilant, with faint traces of worry in their expressions.


    Yun Xi turned to Lu Yi and asked, "Fellow Daoist Lu Yi, the Eastern Forest Ruins have undergone an unknown anomaly. What should we do?"


    The others also turned their gazes toward him.


    Lu Yi’s strength had been overwhelmingly impressive, saving all of them. At this moment, he had practically become the pillar of support for everyone.


    Faced with their expectant gazes, Lu Yi felt rather helpless.


    ''It''s my first time here too! This is also my first time encountering such a situation!''


    How could he possibly know?


    Nevertheless, no matter what, they needed to leave this place. If they wanted to get out, they had to head toward the exit.


    After some thought, Lu Yi spoke, "Regardless of what happens, we have to leave. We must go to the exit. First, we should check whether this blood mist poses any danger. After that, we’ll recover our strength and continue heading north."


    Everyone exchanged looks and nodded.


    "That seems to be the only option."


    "Lu Yi is right. If we want to leave, we must head to the exit."


    Han Yu nodded slightly. "In that case, let’s recover first. The sudden appearance of the red mist might indicate unknown dangers."


    Hearing this, the group stopped overthinking and began restoring their energy.


    Lu Yi sat cross-legged, looking at the sky. Instead of meditating deeply, he allowed his spiritual energy to recover on its own. He was already nearly at full capacity.


    He was slightly worried that some unknown danger might emerge from the red mist.


    Lu Yi’s gaze swept over the group. After rescuing more people one after another, there were now about fifty cultivators gathered here.


    Apart from disciples from the three major sects, there were also a few rogue cultivators.


    Rogue cultivators could only enter after the disciples from the Five Great Sects had gone in. Seeing a few of them was no surprise to Lu Yi.


    However, this was probably all the cultivators in the Eastern Forest Ruins. The earlier beast tide had been too terrifying, with even traces of Nascent Soul Realm auras faintly detectable.


    Lu Yi had led the group and forcefully carved a path out, narrowly avoiding the area occupied by Nascent Soul beasts. Even so, they had to kill quite a few Golden Core beasts along the way.


    Others didn’t have Lu Yi’s level of strength.


    Facing such an overwhelming beast tide, they would likely have been devoured.


    Lu Yi sighed inwardly. ''How unlucky. Fortunately, my strength is decent.''


    Just then, Lu Yi suddenly paused and looked at the fifty or so cultivators around him. A bold idea came to his mind.


    He thought to himself, I will rescue these people and lead them out of the Eastern Forest Ruins.


    [Task]


    Rescue the cultivators and lead them out of the Eastern Forest Ruins. Rewards depend on the number of survivors.


    Accept Mission: Yes/No


    Lu Yi’s heart leaped with joy. This triggered a mission? Not bad.


    Motivated, Lu Yi’s spirits lifted.


    With Xue Tianhen and Qin Luo dead, most of the disciples from the Heavenly Serpent Sect and Blood Spirit Sect were likely gone as well. Once he got out, those earlier missions should be complete. How many rewards would he get?


    An idea suddenly struck him again. He thought to himself, I want to leave the Eastern Forest Ruins.


    [Task]


    Leave the Eastern Forest Ruins.


    Reward: Golden Core Realm Spirit Wine Recipe – "Jade Essence Wine."


    Accept Mission: Yes/No


    It worked! Lu Yi’s heart surged with excitement.


    He hadn’t expected to trigger two missions just by leaving the ruins. This is great!


    Moreover, the reward was a spirit wine recipe. Until now, Lu Yi only had the "Spirit Nourishing Dew" recipe. Finally, he had a second one.


    And this one was for the Golden Core Realm, perfect for his current stage.


    Feeling satisfied, Lu Yi happily accepted the missions.


    Suddenly, Lu Yi’s consciousness trembled.


    It was as if he had traveled through endless time, arriving in an ancient era. All around him were endless mountain ranges, with countless human cultivators standing in the sky.


    On the other side, numerous demon clan cultivators hovered in the air.


    "Kill!!"


    The leading human cultivator was surrounded by brilliant light, resembling an immortal descended to the mortal world. He led his forces in a charge against the demon clan.


    From the demon clan’s side, a cold yet seductive voice rang out. The leader was shrouded in divine radiance, their aura no weaker than the immortal-like human cultivator.


    "Kill!"


    Both sides clashed, and the battlefield erupted. Magic treasures flew, spiritual energy surged, and blood dyed the sky red.


    A surge of fighting spirit and killing intent filled Lu Yi’s heart, making him feel as if he could tear apart the heavens.


    At that moment, the colorful spiritual energy vortex in Lu Yi’s dantian stirred, emitting a faint Dao resonance. His mind cleared instantly.


    Opening his eyes, Lu Yi sensed chaotic fluctuations around him.


    Looking around, he saw the cultivators who had been meditating now had bloodshot eyes, seemingly trapped in illusions. Their spiritual energy was swirling as if ready to attack.


    Lu Yi’s expression changed.


    Blood Fiend Illusion?!


    It was the same illusion he had encountered on the scorched earth outside the ruins!


    But the illusion here was far stronger than the one outside.


    All the cultivators were ensnared, even Han Yu and Yun Xi.


    However, Han Yu’s skin glistened like icy jade, exuding extreme cold, while flowers bloomed around Yun Xi, releasing a faint fragrance.


    Both of them instinctively resisted the illusion, faring better than the others.


    Among the rest, only Jiang Fan was also resisting. Mist swirled around him, and an ancient white bottle emerged from his body, forming layers of mystical water to envelop him.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Lu Yi glanced at Jiang Fan with surprise. As expected of Brother Jiang Fan. Even the Foundation Establishment Peak cultivators are almost completely trapped, yet he, at the third level of Foundation Establishment, is nearly on par with Han Yu and Yun Xi.


    Lu Yi took a deep breath. Spiritual energy surged from his forehead as he shouted, "Wake up!"


    Lu Yi''s voice was like the evening drum and morning bell, resonating with his spiritual power. It shook the spirits of the other disciples, and immediately, many cultivators trembled, showing signs of waking up.


    Yun Xi was the first to wake up. She opened her clear eyes, looked around warily, and upon seeing Lu Yi, she let out a slight sigh of relief. Smiling, she said, "Daoist Lu Yi, was it you who awakened me? You''ve saved me once again."


    Lu Yi smiled and said, "It was just a small effort. Daoist Yun Xi, you need not mind it. Besides, even without me, you probably wouldn’t have remained trapped."


    Yun Xi shook her head and said seriously, "Grandmother always taught me to repay kindness."


    Seeing Yun Xi''s earnest expression, Lu Yi smiled helplessly. "Daoist Yun Xi, you really don’t have to take it so seriously."


    Yet Yun Xi still shook her head. After a moment of thought, she said, "It is often said that a life-saving grace should be repaid with marriage. How about I become your Dao companion? Though we have no feelings between us now, I think you are a good person."


    Lu Yi: "??"


    His expression froze. Was such good fortune even possible?


    "Cough, cough!"


    Just then, the sound of coughing broke the awkward moment. Lu Yi turned his head and saw that Han Yu had also woken up.


    His delicate features, almost like a woman’s, remained as calm as ever. "Did I wake up too early?"


    Lu Yi shook his head seriously, "No, you woke up at just the right time."


    Otherwise, he really wouldn’t have known how to respond to Yun Xi. This woman’s thought process was a bit too outlandish.


    Han Yu chuckled lightly and looked at Lu Yi. "I’m a man, so I won’t repay with marriage. But for this life-saving grace, feel free to ask for my help in the future."


    Lu Yi: "..."


    Could they not move past this marriage repayment topic?


    Lu Yi smiled helplessly and said, "Daoist Han Yu, you’re too polite. It was merely a small effort."


    Han Yu calmly shook his head and said no more.


    Before long, Jiang Fan also woke up, which surprised Yun Xi and Han Yu.


    A cultivator at the third layer of the Foundation Establishment Stage was able to awaken so quickly. Both of them were quite astonished.


    Jiang Fan stored away the white bottle, exhaled a breath of stale air, and looked at Lu Yi with a smile. "Brother Lu, it’s all thanks to you."


    Lu Yi smiled back. "Brother Jiang, there’s no need to be polite."


    Jiang Fan nodded without saying more. Lu Yi had already helped him too many times; this was just one more instance.


    Soon after, the other cultivators began waking up one by one, their faces filled with lingering fear.


    "Was that a Blood Fiend Illusion Realm just now? Such a realistic illusion, I truly felt like I had become one of those ancient cultivators!"


    "We are so fortunate to have Daoist Lu Yi. Otherwise, we might have been trapped in the illusion and died there."


    One by one, the cultivators expressed their gratitude toward Lu Yi.


    After a long time, everyone was finally awake. Lu Yi also felt a sense of relief.


    Since he had taken on this mission, it was best if no one died. Bringing everyone out safely would maximize his rewards.


    Before long, everyone’s spiritual energy had mostly recovered.


    Lu Yi stood up and said, "Now that we’ve rested enough, let’s continue our journey."


    Han Yu and Yun Xi stood up as well, followed by the others.


    The group left the valley and continued moving north toward the exit.


    Once outside the valley, Lu Yi noticed that the surroundings were enveloped in a faint red mist, reducing visibility significantly.


    The faint red mist carried a murderous aura passed down from ancient times, occasionally pulling people into the Blood Fiend Illusion Realm, making it extremely dangerous.


    Fortunately, Lu Yi’s spiritual vortex of Dao energy was exceptionally strong. Each time he fell into an illusion, he would immediately wake up and then awaken the others, preventing them from becoming trapped.


    Even so, the group still found themselves growing mentally exhausted.


    However, the disappearance of the terrifying aura from the core area meant that the demonic beasts were no longer in a frenzy. The number of ferocious beasts in the surroundings had also decreased compared to before, making their journey relatively safer.


    For Lu Yi, however, this was not entirely good news. Fewer beasts meant fewer rewards for his mission.


    Thankfully, the amount of ten-thousand-year spirit milk he had collected was already substantial, enough to sustain his cultivation for a considerable time.


    Traveling through the red mist, even Lu Yi found himself mentally fatigued. They couldn’t cover much distance each day before needing to rest.


    It took them three full days to reach the northern region of the Eastern Forest Ruins.


    They arrived at a desolate, scorched land.


    The blood fiend aura in this area was even more concentrated than in other places. Though not as intense as the core region, it was still quite terrifying.


    Upon entering this area, even Lu Yi had to tread carefully, as he sensed the presence of several powerful Golden Core beasts. He even faintly felt the aura of Nascent Soul beasts in the distance.


    Everyone held their breath as they moved forward.


    "What bad luck. In the past, the outskirts only had low-level Golden Core beasts."


    "Exactly. Who would have thought that even Nascent Soul beasts would appear in the outer regions now?"


    Many people muttered complaints in low voices, their expressions visibly tired.


    Days of traveling, coupled with the frequent illusions and experiencing the ancient battles, had left them mentally exhausted.


    "I wonder what kind of changes occurred in the core area. Something major must have happened in the Eastern Forest Ruins."


    "Indeed. With such events unfolding, who knows if the Eastern Forest Ruins will even be accessible in the future?"


    Everyone wore worried expressions.


    Some were even anxious, unsure if they could escape from the Eastern Forest Ruins.


    Two more days passed. After taking a winding path, they finally approached the exit.


    At this moment, Lu Yi, who was leading the group, suddenly sensed a powerful aura approaching from the front.


    This aura did not feel like that of a cultivator; instead, it carried a strange demonic presence.


    Han Yu, Yun Xi, and the others naturally noticed it as well.


    Everyone''s expression shifted.


    "This aura... is its demonic energy?!"


    "How can there be demonic energy here?"


    While everyone was alarmed, three figures emerged from the red mist.


    One was a burly man over two meters tall with a pair of bull horns on his head. The second was a slender woman with grayish-white wings on her back and fine feathers on her face. The last figure had the head of a tiger.


    "Demon clan!"


    Lu Yi''s expression changed slightly, showing surprise.


    Before entering, he had gathered much information about the Eastern Forest Ruins, but he had never heard that demons existed here.


    Not only him, but Han Yu, Yun Xi, and the others also displayed expressions of disbelief.


    "How is this possible? How can there be demons in the Eastern Forest Ruins?"


    While they were shocked, the three demons were equally surprised, as if they had not expected to encounter them.


    The tiger demon furrowed his brows. "The previous beast tide failed to kill them? So many humans are still alive? Impossible!"


    "They probably hid somewhere and survived the disaster. These humans are quite lucky," the bull demon sneered, scanning the group with cold eyes.


    The bird demon covered her mouth and let out a crisp laugh, saying, "So what? Killing them now isn’t too late. His Highness is about to succeed. Let’s consider this a celebration for him."


    Hearing this, the other two demons nodded, their faces showing cruel smiles. Violent demonic energy surged into the air, causing the red mist to churn.


    "Golden Core demons?!" Everyone''s expression shifted again.


    All three demons were in the Golden Core stage.


    Lu Yi, however, remained calm. He looked at the three demons and asked, "Did you also come from outside?"


    The bird demon glanced at him and giggled. "What a handsome little brother. Yes, we did come from the outside."


    "Impossible! The entrance to the Eastern Forest Ruins has always been controlled by our five sects. How could you get in? Moreover, you’re already at the Golden Core stage. How can you enter?!" A disciple from Cold Winter Valley exclaimed in disbelief.


    "Heh, we naturally have our own secret methods. If we want to enter, we can," the bull demon said with a cold smile.


    Lu Yi thought of something, and his expression changed slightly. He asked, "Who is your Highness? Does it have something to do with the changes in the core area of the Eastern Forest Ruins?"


    The others also recalled the earlier conversation among the three demons, and their expressions darkened as they looked at them.


    "Heh, human boy, you’re quite sharp. This place contains the remains of our Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor. His Highness possesses the bloodline of the Demon Emperor and has naturally come to inherit its power."


    Hearing this, everyone’s faces turned pale.


    "Demon Emperor remains?!"


    "A figure of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan is here? We’re doomed."


    Many cultivators looked ashen.


    Even Lu Yi’s expression changed slightly.


    The Nine-Tailed Fox Clan’s status among the demons was equivalent to the holy lands of human cultivators, representing an immensely powerful force.


    The fact that the Eastern Forest Ruins housed the descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, someone possessing the talent of a Demon Emperor, was terrifying. Even Lu Yi dared not underestimate such a foe.


    Judging from the commotion earlier in the core area, that being must be extremely formidable.


    Lu Yi hadn’t expected the ancient demons that battled humans to be led by the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor.


    Recalling the ethereal figure shrouded in divine light he had seen earlier, Lu Yi suspected that it might have been the Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor.


    Seeing the change in expressions among Lu Yi and the others, the three Golden Core demons sneered and stepped closer, intending to wipe them out.


    Lu Yi looked at the three demons, took a deep breath, and said to himself, ''I must kill these three demons.''


    [Task]


    Eliminate the three Golden Core demons.


    Reward: One Seven-Colored Soul-Nurturing Flower.


    Accept: Yes/No


    Seeing the reward, Lu Yi was overjoyed. It was a Soul-Nurturing Flower, an extremely rare and precious herb that could nourish the soul.


    A three-colored flower required a hundred years to mature, a five-colored one needed five hundred years, and a seven-colored flower required at least a thousand years to form.


    The medicinal properties it contained could cause a qualitative transformation in Lu Yi’s spiritual power.


    This reward was too good to pass up.


    Lu Yi immediately accepted the mission, then looked at the three demons and chuckled. "In that case, I can’t let you leave. Otherwise, you might bring more demons back."


    His words stunned the three demons, who then burst into laughter.


    "Kill us?"


    "With just you lot? You’re nothing but Foundation Establishment cultivators!"


    "Kill them!"


    The three demons unleashed their demonic energy and launched their attacks.


    The tiger demon roared and spat out a massive bronze bell, which fell and sealed off the area, trapping everyone inside.


    The bull demon released a wild and ferocious power, his blood and energy surging like a dragon as he charged forward.


    The bird demon took out several gray-white feathers, refined like sharp blades that shimmered with a ghostly light. With a wave of her hand, the feathers shot toward the group like arrows.


    The three Golden Core demons were extremely powerful, and their attacks caused many cultivators to turn pale, unable to resist.


    However, Lu Yi remained calm. Taking a step forward, his white robes fluttered as golden sword lights surrounded him. An immortal sword intent radiated outward.


    The sword lights seemed to possess life, transforming into golden rays that shot toward the three demons.


    The terrifying sword intent caused the demons’ expressions to change dramatically.