Those few immortal stones rolled to the ground, covered in dust. The spiritual energy contained within them was, to the current Chen Ping, utterly insignificant, like a drop in the bucket, completely useless.
This almost insulting form of gratitude left both Shi Yan and Ying Wu feeling their faces burn with embarrassment, extremely awkward.
Chen Ping looked at the immortal stones by his feet, then raised his eyes to the aloof and contemptuous Elder Li Yan high above. His expression remained calm and unruffled, showing no sign of anger.
Having endured the brutal beating from the Soul-Devouring Venerable and the trials of the early Tenth Heaven, his temperament had long since settled. He would not lose composure over this level of disdain.
He did not even have the slightest interest in bending down to pick up those few immortal stones. He merely spoke indifferently, his voice steady. “There is no need for thanks. I have an old grudge with the Myriad Souls Demon Sect. Saving those two was merely convenient.”
Having said that, he did not spare Elder Li Yan another glance. He turned and walked straight out of the hall.
The little fire qilin let out a low growl, glared at Li Yan, and quickly followed Chen Ping.
“Senior!”
Shi Yan and Ying Wu called out anxiously, wishing to detain him, but they were stopped by a cold glance from Elder Li Yan.
“Arrogant brat who does not know the immensity of heaven and earth!”
Watching Chen Ping’s departing back, Elder Li Yan snorted coldly. “A mere seventh-grade Human Immortal dares to boast about having an old grudge with the Myriad Souls Demon Sect? He has probably never even seen the face of one of their outer disciples. Let him go. Keeping him here would only be a burden!”
Chen Ping walked out of the stone hall. Feeling the gazes from the surrounding beast clan cultivators, some curious, some sympathetic, some equally contemptuous, he remained expressionless and headed straight towards the valley exit.
He had never intended to stay long in the first place. Elder Li Yan’s attitude merely prompted him to leave earlier.
The Tenth Heaven was vast. There would always be places for him to settle and gather information.
Just less than an hour after Chen Ping had stepped out of the illusion array protecting Panshi Valley, his figure vanishing into the mountain forest beyond the valley.
Night quietly fell. Clean moonlight draped the valley in a layer of silver gauze. Lights flickered on here and there within Panshi Valley, presenting a scene of peaceful tranquillity.
Elder Li Yan was meditating inside the hall. Shi Yan and Ying Wu were applying medicine to their wounds. Most disciples had returned to their respective dwellings.
Suddenly,
“Buzz!!!”
The illusion array enveloping the valley emitted a violent hum as though it could no longer bear the strain. Then, like glass shattering, it exploded with a thunderous boom!
Thick black fumes shot skyward like wolf smoke from beyond the valley, instantly shrouding the entire airspace above Panshi Valley!
A yin-cold, evil pressure filled with resentful souls surged down like a tidal wave, enveloping every corner of the valley!
“Enemy attack! It is the Myriad Souls Demon Sect!!”
A shrill alarm instantly tore through the silence of the night!
Elder Li Yan’s eyes snapped open, shooting out terrifying gleams. In a flash, he appeared on the square outside the hall.
At the valley entrance, a mass of dozens of black-robed cultivators poured in. The two leaders each possessed an aura that had clearly reached the fifth-grade Heavenly Immortal realm, on par with his own!
One held a white bone mourning staff, while the other controlled three skulls wreathed in green flames.
Behind them were more than twenty demonic cultivators ranging from third to fourth-grade Heavenly Immortal, along with a large number of early Heavenly Immortal disciples, surging forward like a flood!
“Form the array! Meet the enemy!”
Elder Li Yan’s hair and beard bristled as he roared in fury, yet his heart had turned ice-cold.
The enemy had dispatched two experts of equal level along with so many elite forces. They were clearly well-prepared and determined to succeed!
Though the beast clan disciples in Panshi Valley were panicked, their long confrontation with the demonic sect had trained them well. They rapidly assembled into battle formations.
All manner of beastly roars rang out. Demonic qi soared into the sky, fiercely clashing with the demonic cultivators’ sinister ghostly aura!
The great battle erupted in an instant!
The glow of spells, the clash of weapons, the roars of demonic beasts, the wails of resentful souls, all sounds wove together into a bloody symphony of death!
The Myriad Souls Demon Sect’s techniques were bizarre and vicious, specialising in attacking the divine soul. Moreover, they had come prepared.
As the white bone mourning staff swayed, waves of soul-hooking demonic sounds ignored physical defences and pierced straight into the sea of consciousness. Many beast clan disciples with slightly weaker cultivation immediately clutched their heads and screamed in agony, blood streaming from all seven orifices as they perished.
