Sword light sliced through the gray-white feathers, instantly turning them to dust. The bird demon''s face turned pale, and she spat out a mouthful of blood essence as her body transformed into white light and retreated repeatedly.


    In the next moment, the sword light slashed through where she had stood, causing the space to distort.


    Elsewhere, the sword light slashed toward the bull demon, whose body radiated yellow light. The bull demon roared furiously, his aura surging like smoke as he punched toward the sword light.


    Boom!!


    Cracks appeared on his fist and arm under the sword light, and his massive body, over two meters tall, was sent flying, leaving blood splattering across the ground.


    The remaining sword light struck the giant bell overhead, producing a series of resounding clangs. The bell trembled, forming fine cracks, and the tiger demon controlling it shook violently as streams of blood seeped from his pores.


    The three Golden Core demons stared wide-eyed, their gazes fixed on Lu Yi, who was surrounded by golden sword light. His handsome features and ethereal aura made him look like a sword immortal descending to the mortal world. Their faces were filled with shock.


    "This sword intent... it actually contains a trace of immortality?!"


    "A mere Foundation Establishment human cultivator—how can he possibly wield such terrifying sword intent?! This sword intent must have reached nearly fifty percent mastery!"


    The three Golden Core demons were horrified.


    As followers of the Demon Emperor''s descendant, they were undoubtedly geniuses among their peers, possessing strength beyond their cultivation level, capable of contending with upper-tier Golden Core experts.


    Even so, the three of them working together were struggling to resist the sword of a single Foundation Establishment human?!


    Exchanging glances, a murderous glint appeared in their eyes.


    The bull demon let out a low growl as his blood surged, yellow light pulsed, and his broken bones cracked back into place. His severed arm reattached, and his flesh began to regenerate.


    Panting, he said harshly, "This man is undoubtedly a monstrous human genius. He cannot be allowed to live!"


    The tiger demon took a deep breath, his eyes widening as he glared at Lu Yi. "He possesses such strength at the Foundation Establishment stage—if he grows further, he will become a dire threat to our prince. Kill him and clear the path for our lord!"


    The bird demon, no longer smiling as before, wore a grave expression. Sharp, metallic energy radiated from her body, and beams of white light emerged, exuding an intimidating aura.


    "Kill!"


    She struck first, her body disappearing in an instant and transforming into a streak of white light that charged at Lu Yi.


    Her speed surpassed that of Xue Tianhen and Qin Luo by far, reaching an extreme level.


    Lu Yi''s expression remained unchanged. With a step forward, he soared into the air as golden sword light clanged and resonated. The Seven Mysteries Sword Art activated, and the multicolored spiritual vortex within him spun. Streams of immortal sword qi surged out endlessly.


    The sword light kept up with the bird demon''s speed, descending like a heavenly blade to strike her.


    Sealed by the sword''s aura, the bird demon let out a sharp cry. Three pitch-black feathers appeared in her hand, which she shot toward the incoming sword light.


    Clang! Clang! Clang!


    The black feathers were deflected, and the bird demon dodged quickly. Though she avoided the sword strikes, the residual sword qi tore through her tough demon body, leaving her drenched in blood.


    She coughed up blood, feeling the immortal sword qi invading her body. Her eyes filled with horror as she retreated rapidly.


    But the golden sword light pursued her relentlessly, continuing to slash toward her.


    At that moment, a loud roar echoed as the bull demon arrived. A dark yellow staff appeared in his hands, radiating a heavy, earth-like aura.


    Roaring repeatedly, he swung the staff to clash with the immortal sword energy. A series of metallic crashes rang out, scattering the immortal sword energy.


    Yet, each collision forced the bull demon back a step. His trembling arms, shredded muscles, and bloodied form showed his struggle against the terrifying force.


    Meanwhile, the tiger demon acted. With a low growl, the massive bell shrank and ignored everyone else, focusing solely on Lu Yi as it descended upon him.


    To the tiger demon, no one else mattered compared to this Foundation Establishment human cultivator.


    Even if the others escaped, he had to kill this human!


    The bronze bell radiated a greenish glow and emitted a devouring force like a black hole, aiming to trap and refine Lu Yi.


    However, Lu Yi remained unmoved. Lightning patterns emerged around him, and destructive lightning coiled around his body. The devouring force vanished upon contact with the lightning, leaving Lu Yi untouched, standing as if impervious to all techniques.


    "Lightning intent!"


    "Also near fifty percent mastery!"


    "What kind of monster is this?!"


    The three demons were stunned again, staring at Lu Yi in disbelief.


    They had initially thought Lu Yi was a rare sword genius who dedicated his life to refining his sword intent, thus achieving fifty percent mastery at Foundation Establishment.


    But what were they seeing now?!


    In addition to fifty percent sword intent, this human also possessed fifty percent lightning intent?!


    "His talent rivals our prince''s!"


    "With such talent, he is destined to ascend the immortal path. Our prince will face grave trouble!"


    "He cannot be allowed to live. Even if we die, we must kill him!"


    The three demons'' killing intent solidified, filled with determination to perish alongside him.


    Despite being enemies, Lu Yi couldn''t help but admire their loyalty to their lord.


    Unfortunately for them, they had met him.


    Golden lightning flickered in Lu Yi''s eyes, and a golden sword seal appeared on his forehead—an embodiment of the immortal sword technique pushed to its limits.


    Lu Yi fully activated his Immortal Sword Technique, releasing an increasingly terrifying aura.


    Golden sword light entwined with lightning, and dazzling patterns of lightning shimmered around him, surpassing the phenomena seen in his previous battle with Qin Luo.


    Surrounded by lightning, Lu Yi charged toward the bird demon, his speed surpassing hers.


    The bird demon''s pupils shrank. Her injuries hadn''t healed, so she hastily retreated.


    "You shall not pass! Face me, you human monster!" The bull demon roared, stepping in front of the bird demon.


    Lu Yi smiled faintly. "My sword will play with you."The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    As he spoke, countless strands of immortal sword qi intertwined with destructive lightning, slashing toward the bull demon. Sensing the overwhelming power, the bull demon''s eyes widened in terror as he was entangled by the sword energy.


    Without sparing the bull demon another glance, Lu Yi continued chasing the bird demon.


    The tiger demon roared, and the bell fell like a collapsing mountain, trying to crush Lu Yi.


    Lu Yi turned and punched the bell, denting it.


    Clang!


    The deafening sound echoed, causing the Foundation Establishment cultivators behind Lu Yi to clutch their ears in pain.


    Even Yun Xi and Han Yu, who resisted better than others, had pale faces.


    Han Yu shouted, "Retreat! It''s too dangerous here!"


    Yun Xi waved her hand, summoning flowers to shield the group as they quickly retreated.


    The bell was blasted into the air by Lu Yi''s punch, and the tiger demon, connected to it, vomited blood, his face full of disbelief. "Impossible! This bell has killed even eighth-layer Golden Core cultivators!"


    Lu Yi stepped forward, transforming into lightning and catching up with the bird demon.


    His expression remained calm as he drew a longsword radiating scorching sunlight. The dazzling golden light made it seem as though he held the sun itself.


    Pouring his spiritual energy into the sword, Lu Yi swung it. A golden-red sword light hundreds of meters long cleaved the sky. The heat evaporated the surrounding air, even dispersing the red mist.


    The sword light slashed through the bird demon, who didn''t even have time to scream before being vaporized.


    "Dark Sparrow!"


    The bull demon and tiger demon were greatly alarmed, their faces filled with terror.


    "Run!"


    They glanced at Lu Yi, their expressions changing drastically before turning to flee deeper into the ancient ruins.


    "You can''t escape!"


    Lu Yi''s speed was even faster than the bird demon earlier, let alone these two Golden Core demons who were not known for their swiftness. Transforming into lightning, Lu Yi quickly caught up with the two demons.


    With the Mysterious Sun Sword in hand, exuding the aura of a scorching sun, the power of his indestructible sword intent surged dramatically. A sword light spanning hundreds of meters enveloped the two demons.


    The tiger demon roared, turning to release a large bronze bell, which expanded to over ten meters tall, resembling a mountain as it met the incoming sword aura.


    Boom!!


    With a thunderous explosion, the bronze bell was riddled with cracks from the sword light and spun away uncontrollably. The tiger demon coughed up blood repeatedly but dared not linger, continuing its desperate escape.


    Lu Yi remained expressionless, slashing out two more sword lights, instantly engulfing the bull demon and tiger demon, reducing them to mere vapor.


    Lu Yi let out a light breath, glancing at the Mysterious Sun Sword in his hand, inwardly sighing in admiration. ''As expected of an offensive mid-grade treasure, its power is truly immense. Even Golden Core demons are vaporized upon contact.''


    However, the energy consumption was equally astonishing. Even for Lu Yi, wielding this treasure felt somewhat strenuous.


    Moreover, the sword light''s destructive power left nothing intact—everything was vaporized, including the spatial rings, leaving almost no spoils.


    Lu Yi couldn''t help but sigh. If it weren''t for the concern of attracting more demons due to prolonged battle and excessive noise, he wouldn''t have used this treasure.


    He stowed away the Mysterious Sun Sword and picked up the bronze bell left behind by the tiger demon. The bell appeared to be a top-grade magical artifact, nearing the quality of a treasure. Its material was decent, and despite being damaged by the sword light, it hadn''t shattered completely. With some repairs, it might be restored.


    This was his only tangible gain from the battle.


    Of course, aside from completing the mission.


    Lu Yi turned to look at Han Yu and the others.


    At this moment, everyone was still staring at Lu Yi in shock, unable to fully process what had happened.


    After all, those were three Golden Core demons! And Lu Yi had slain them one by one so effortlessly.


    Lu Yi flew over, smiling lightly. "It''s over. Let''s move quickly. If other demons come, it will be troublesome."


    Only then did everyone snap out of their daze, hastily following Lu Yi as they flew into the distance.


    Many of them couldn''t help but keep glancing at Lu Yi, their eyes still filled with astonishment.


    Han Yu''s cold and elegant face showed a wry smile as he said, "Daoist Lu''s strength is truly extraordinary. I thought I had already gauged your capabilities before, but you have surprised me yet again."


    Yun Xi''s beautiful eyes sparkled as she looked at Lu Yi. "Those three demons were each far stronger than Xue Tianhen and Qin Luo, yet they were completely overwhelmed by Daoist Lu. Truly remarkable."


    Lu Yi smiled slightly. "Even for me, dealing with them took considerable effort. You flatter me too much."


    Yun Xi, curious, asked, "Daoist Lu, the treasure you used earlier... It radiated the aura of a blazing sun. That can''t be an ordinary magical artifact, can it?"


    The two disciples from the Myriad Flower Sect beside her exchanged nervous glances and hurriedly tugged at Yun Xi''s sleeve.


    One of them quickly offered an apologetic smile to Lu Yi. "Daoist Lu, please don''t take offense. Our senior sister is merely curious and means no harm."


    After all, asking about a cultivator''s treasures was a sensitive topic.


    Lu Yi didn''t mind and smiled. "No worries. I picked it up from an ancient battlefield when I first entered. I guess I got lucky—it appears to be a treasure."


    "Hiss..."


    Everyone gasped in disbelief, their eyes turning green with envy.


    "A treasure?!"


    "A treasure... Even Nascent Soul cultivators might not possess such an artifact..."


    The crowd buzzed with excitement.


    Yun Xi looked at Lu Yi with envy. "Daoist Lu, your luck is incredible. I only managed to gather a few rare herbs. Compared to your gain, mine is insignificant."


    The disciples from the Myriad Flower Sect facepalmed.


    Lu Yi also found Yun Xi''s openness amusing. ''Is she really revealing her possessions so casually?''


    Lu Yi had only revealed the Mysterious Sun Sword out of necessity and provided a plausible explanation. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have said anything.


    Han Yu couldn''t help but sigh as well. "Daoist Lu truly possesses great fortune."


    His tone was full of admiration.


    Lu Yi smiled humbly. ''No, I have a golden finger...''


    Truth be told, given the rewards offered by his mission panel, even those with great fortune would pale in comparison.


    The missions provided far too many benefits.


    Everyone was worried that the demon clan might discover their tracks. They moved at an extremely fast pace and soon traveled a great distance, continuing deeper into the desolate mountains.


    After a long time, they finally left the battle zone far behind, and only then did they breathe a sigh of relief. Carefully, they continued moving toward the place of departure.


    Before long, they arrived at a mountain not far from the location of the departure point. The departure point was situated deep within the barren mountains, in a massive valley filled with green stones that formed a spacious plaza.


    Surrounding the plaza stood numerous stone pillars, each engraved with intricate and mysterious patterns.


    Lu Yi and the others were somewhat worried about a possible demon ambush, so they did not approach immediately. Instead, Lu Yi, Han Yu, and Yun Xi split up and scouted the surroundings. After confirming there were no demons in the vicinity, the group cautiously advanced.


    Upon reaching the departure point, Lu Yi carefully examined the mysterious patterns on the stone pillars, feeling a sense of awe.


    These were formation patterns—and highly complex ones at that!


    Although Lu Yi had studied basic formations and had some understanding of formation patterns, even he could not comprehend their purpose. They seemed extraordinarily profound and mysterious.


    When Lu Yi focused intently on the patterns, he even felt slightly dizzy and disoriented.


    ''These patterns are too profound for someone at my level to comprehend,'' he thought.


    Lu Yi felt puzzled. He could not understand why these stone pillars were here, nor did he know what purpose this departure point served. He reached out and knocked on one of the pillars, finding it as hard as iron.


    ''These pillars have stood here since the ancient wars between humans and demons, yet they remain intact. Their sturdiness is truly unbelievable,'' he mused.


    Lu Yi memorized all the patterns, planning to study them in the future when his formation skills improved.


    After reaching the departure point, the group relaxed slightly.


    “We just need to wait here for three days, and we can leave!” someone said excitedly.


    “It’s a shame. The Eastern Forest Ruins are filled with opportunities, yet we spent most of our time dealing with danger and barely had any time to search for fortunes,” You Jing said bitterly.


    The others also fell silent, their expressions grim.


    “Sigh, I suppressed my cultivation for three years just for this chance,” a Foundation Establishment peak disciple from Cold Winter Valley said dejectedly.


    “This damned place… If I had known such abnormalities would occur, I definitely wouldn’t have come!” another cultivator said angrily.


    At this moment, someone’s eyes lit up as they suggested, “Since we still have three days, why don’t we search the nearby area and see if we can find any opportunities?”


    Hearing this, many people were tempted.


    However, Lu Yi suddenly spoke, “Can you escape the Blood Fiend Illusion?”


    “This…”


    Everyone’s expressions turned bitter. If it weren’t for Lu Yi waking them up each time in the Blood Fiend Illusion, they would have died there already.


    Han Yu looked at Lu Yi and asked, “Brother Lu, with three days left, what do you think we should do? Stay here?”


    Lu Yi hesitated for a moment before replying, “Although the ferocious beasts in the red mist are no longer as violent, the demon clan is still present. If they discover us, we’ll be in grave danger. It’s better to find a place to hide and quietly wait for the external experts to guide us out.”


    Hearing this, the group exchanged glances and found Lu Yi’s suggestion reasonable.


    Soon, the group left the departure point. Since it was too conspicuous, they found a nearby cave to settle in and quietly waited for time to pass.


    By the second day, the depths of the ruins stirred again.


    A rhythmic thumping sound echoed, like the beating of a powerful heart. Demon energy surged into the sky, as if an ancient Demon Emperor was awakening from its slumber.


    Based on what Lu Yi had previously learned from the three great demons, this commotion likely indicated that the descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan was receiving the inheritance of the ancient Nine-Tailed Demon Emperor.


    The scale of the disturbance suggested how terrifyingly powerful the inheritor would become after obtaining the Demon Emperor’s legacy.


    Lu Yi flew into the sky to observe the core area. Within the red mist, shadows swayed, resembling the tails of a Nine-Tailed Fox.


    The ancient ruins’ beasts became restless again. Fortunately, this time was not as dangerous as before. Lu Yi only had to kill a few beasts that strayed into their hiding place.


    The disturbance lasted until the second day, which was also the day the ruins’ exit was set to open. Finally, the area fell silent.


    Time continued to pass. Lu Yi and the others nervously watched the departure point, not daring to blink, afraid they might miss the opening of the exit.


    Just then, spatial fluctuations appeared in the center of the departure point.


    Everyone’s faces lit up with joy.


    “It’s here!”


    “The Elders have started bringing us out! We can leave now!”


    The group left their hiding spot and flew toward the area where the spatial fluctuations appeared.


    However, at that moment, a soft laugh echoed, “Finally, I’ve found you all.”