At the peak of Black Wind Mountain.
On a relatively flat plaza, a large group of demon soldiers, transformed into human form, sat cross-legged.
Mo Fan was among them, his gaze sweeping around, noticing that the number of demon soldiers was considerable, over fifty in total!
This was even excluding those who had recently gone missing.
The number far exceeded Mo Fan’s expectations, as it was rare to see so many demon soldiers gathered on ordinary days.
Notably, among the group, Mo Fan spotted a few familiar faces, one of which was Tiger Beast Erha, whom he had once brought to Black Wind Mountain!
Upon seeing Erha, Mo Fan was momentarily stunned, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
He clearly remembered that Erha had been taken away by Poison Fang, and the fact that he was still alive was beyond his expectations.
Perhaps sensing Mo Fan’s gaze, Erha turned to look at him. Upon recognising Mo Fan, his expression changed instantly, and he quickly averted his eyes.
Mo Fan merely smiled, choosing not to approach or speak.
He held no grudge or dislike toward Erha. He had come to understand that, back then, he had beaten and scolded Erha, yet Erha hadn’t betrayed him when they ascended the mountain. That was already commendable.
Moreover, he strongly suspected Erha had followed him from the start with the goal of becoming a demon, as his submission had been overly dramatic.
At the time, Mo Fan thought his demonic aura had subdued Erha, but as his cultivation grew, he gradually understood the real reason.
A tiger beast, the lord of the forest and king among beasts, could hardly be subdued so easily by him back then.
“To survive under Poison Fang’s grasp, this guy’s not bad!”
Mo Fan sighed inwardly.
He, Erha, and the demoness Bai Xue had come to Black Wind Mountain together, each facing their own fate. The fact that all three were still alive was no small feat.
Black Wind Mountain was not the idyllic place Mo Fan had initially imagined. Here, one could easily be skinned or disembowelled, or even served as a dish if careless. It was truly harsh.
Mo Fan retracted his gaze, vaguely understanding much more.
Among this group of demon soldiers, six or seven he knew were missing, not to mention others he didn’t recognise.
No wonder the Black Wind Demon King was so furious this time, personally overseeing the area to protect the demon soldiers’ safety.
Demon soldiers were the main force in the trial, with lesser demons secondary. This concerned the outcome of the Demon Spirit Valley battle and the distribution of spirit fruits, naturally warranting the Demon King’s personal attention.
“Woo—!!”
“Woo—!!”
After an unknown time, a series of deep horn blasts sounded, and all the meditating demon soldiers opened their eyes, simultaneously looking toward the Black Wind Demon King on the high throne.
At the same time, the deep horn blasts echoed through Black Wind Mountain, startling lesser demons across the mountain. They lost their senses and instinctively headed toward the peak.
“It’s the Demon King’s Horn!”
In the Spring Pool Cave, the bull demon Dali’s face darkened the moment he heard the horn.
“What’s the Demon King’s Horn?”
Pig Master asked in confusion, shaking his head and frowning. “This horn sounds strange. Why do I feel dizzy…”
“Dizzy is right. The Demon King’s Horn is a Demon King-level treasure crafted by the Great King. Once blown, it can disorient lesser demons, hence it’s also called the Assembly Horn!”
Dali took a deep breath, then saw Old Eight, Old Six, and Zha Zha begin walking unconsciously toward the cave’s exit.
“Let’s go. This trial is unavoidable. I only hope we can survive…”
Dali gave a bitter smile, finally giving up resistance. Soon, his eyes became vacant.
Below the Spring Pool.
Big Head clutched his head, wailing in pain, his demonic aura surging to resist the horn’s magical sound.
Opposite him, Bai Yaoyao frowned slightly, her body also radiating demonic aura, but she was unaffected.
After a long while, when the horn stopped, Big Head ceased wailing, a trace of fear in his eyes.
“What a terrifying sound. Sister Yaoyao, what was that?”
Big Head looked at Bai Yaoyao across from him, still shaken.
“It should be a treasure crafted from a Demon King’s bone. Once blown, it releases the Demon King’s might, enough to intimidate and disorient lesser demons. As for demon soldiers like us, we have some resistance.”
Bai Yaoyao’s words startled Big Head. It was his first time encountering such a terrifying treasure.
“But to be safe, we’d better hide for now!”
Bai Yaoyao said, grabbing a bamboo basket containing dragon loaches from the nearby stone wall and swimming toward the depths of the Spring Pool.
Big Head hurriedly followed.
At the peak of Black Wind Mountain, as more lesser demons appeared, the breathing of the demon soldiers grew heavier.
They understood that since the Demon King had blown the Demon King’s Horn, the trial was about to begin!
After observing the vacant-eyed lesser demons for a while, Mo Fan shifted his attention to the black horn in the Demon King’s hand on the throne.
It looked like a bull horn but exuded a fearsome aura.
“What kind of demon’s horn is this, so terrifying it can disrupt a demon’s mind!”
Mo Fan frowned slightly, a ripple of unease in his heart.
The horn’s sound had little effect on him, but most demon soldiers around him had to channel their demonic aura to resist it, while a few remained calm.
From this, Mo Fan gauged the strength of the demon soldiers clearly.
Among them, early and mid-stage demon soldiers were the majority, late-stage ones were rare, and as for peak demon soldiers, Mo Fan couldn’t tell if any existed.
Finally, after an unknown time, the horn stopped.
“My children, the Demon Spirit Valley trial, held once every decade, is about to begin!”
“This King hopes you will fight and kill with passion! Only thus can your demonic nature be honed, and only thus can you grow quickly!”
“This King has little to say. In the trial, use the ears of enemy demons as trophies. Those who survive can exchange the number of ears for treasures of corresponding value with this King!”
“These treasures range from spirit herbs to magical artifacts. For the most outstanding in the trial, this King will even grant one request. As long as this King has it or can do it, even if it’s my beloved consort, this King will agree!!”
The Black Wind Demon King’s words sent all the demons present into a frenzy.
Even Mo Fan’s eyes lit up.
He wasn’t interested in the earlier rewards, but the last one was truly shocking.
What caught his attention wasn’t the Demon King’s beloved consort but the Demon King’s promise, which carried significant weight.
Next, the Demon King gave more rousing words to inspire the demons, then instructed the demon soldiers on the plaza to gather their lesser demons. With a fierce inhale—
Mo Fan felt a storm rushing toward him, sweeping him and all the surrounding demons off the ground, hurtling toward the Black Wind Demon King!
“Not good!”
“This guy’s going to swallow us!!”
Mo Fan’s heart raced, about to resist, when a massive, ferocious head appeared before him, like a small mountain. In an instant, Mo Fan’s vision plunged into darkness.
Before falling into the dark, he saw an enormous wild boar head!
