Chapter 266: Chapter 164: Precipitous Lead and Daoist Qian Hong’s Bewilderment

Qingyang Spirit Ore.

Early in the morning, just as the sky was beginning to lighten.

Unable to sleep, Chang Shunping had already gotten up and walked outside the Spirit Ore to begin his daily patrol.

In truth, this was largely ineffective, but it gave him some peace of mind.

However, when he reached the entrance of the Spirit Ore, he was scared half to death.

The outside was covered in Demon Cultivators!

To be precise, the outside was covered in the corpses of Demon Cultivators, piled up into a small mountain.

At the very front stood a row of wooden stakes, and from each stake hung a Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivator.

This was all the result of Xiao Chen’s work eliminating demons overnight.

Although Qi Refining Demon Cultivators weren’t worth many points, even the meat on a mosquito’s leg is still meat.

Since he had already taken action, he might as well clean up the traitors who had switched sides at the last minute.

After all, as the saying goes: catch the rabbit while you’re cutting the grass. It was a matter of convenience.

The problem was, Chang Shunping didn’t know any of this.

The moment he stepped outside and saw the scene, a cold sweat broke out on his brow.

Over a dozen Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators blocking the gate... this was fucking scarier than a nightmare.

Even though this row of Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators was already lifeless, the sight still made him jump in terror.

He immediately summoned his Spirit Shield to protect himself and unconsciously activated the Huayang Protection Talisman in his right hand, enveloping himself in a Protective Spiritual Light.

The unusual fluctuation of Spiritual Qi immediately alerted Yang Zhenghao, who was nearby inside the Spirit Ore mine.

He shot up and shouted a warning, "Trouble! There’s a disturbance outside."

Du Mingjie, who was just a wall away, had just finished his night watch and had only just fallen asleep.

But the words jolted him awake, and he scrambled to his feet.

He then pushed the door open and shouted, "Chang, what’s happening?"

However, his shout received no response.

Mainly because Chang Shunping was at a loss for how to describe the scene before him.

But hearing no answer only made the two men inside the Spirit Ore more nervous.

Steeling themselves, they rushed out with their Flying Swords, intending to support Chang Shunping.

They too were stunned by the sight, staring dumbfounded at the long row of Demon Cultivators.

As an Inspector, Du Mingjie had been to the front lines at Luoyan Mountain and had seen his share of major battles.

So he was the quickest to react. "This... Chang, what is all this?"

Chang Shunping shook his head. "I don’t know. It was already like this when I came out this morning."

But Yang Zhenghao pointed a finger. "It was a Sword Cultivator! A senior Sword Cultivator has taken action!"

He had keenly observed that all these Demon Cultivators had been killed by a Flying Sword piercing their hearts.

Reminded by him, the other two looked closer and saw that it was indeed the case.

Looking at the wounds, as thin as a cicada’s wing, Chang Shunping couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement, "What incredible Swordsmanship! If Yang hadn’t pointed it out, I wouldn’t have even noticed."

"So many Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators, and all the wounds are identical."

"And even the late-stage Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators were killed in a single blow."

Du Mingjie was even more astonished. "Even an Upper Grade Magic Robe was pierced at the heart with a slit only half an inch long."

He walked around to the back to take a look. "And there’s no damage on the back of the Magic Robe! What incredible control."

The more the three of them discussed it, the more amazed they became, completely unable to figure out which senior Sword Cultivator had done this.

"Do you think it’s possible a Golden Core True Man took action?"

Du Mingjie was completely baffled by now. "Can a Foundation Establishment Cultivator really be this powerful?"

A flicker of memory crossed Chang Shunping’s eyes. "My family once had an ancestor who reached the Fake Pill realm. According to our family records, he was capable of similar feats."

"His every move was perfectly measured, his control over his Magical Power was masterful—using not a shred more or less force than was necessary."

"Perhaps a reclusive Elder Jia Dan has emerged from seclusion."

Hearing this, Du Mingjie’s eyes lit up. "Is that really true?"

"If an Elder Jia Dan is truly taking action, wouldn’t the problem of this Demon Cultivator invasion be easily solved?"

Yang Zhenghao, however, felt something was off. "But if it was an Elder Jia Dan, why would they bring the Demon Cultivators to the Spirit Ore?"

"Do you think this could be Xiao’s handiwork?"

Chang Shunping thought for a moment, then shook his head. "That’s probably not possible. Although Xiao also uses a sword, he’s not from a Sword Cultivator background."

"I’ve seen Xiao fight before. His Sword Light is grand and powerful, not this style at all."

Du Mingjie agreed. "That’s right. Besides, the timing doesn’t add up."

"Xiao has only been gone for two days. He shouldn’t have had enough time to deal with so many Foundation Establishment Demon Cultivators."

After listening to their analysis, Yang Zhenghao felt it made sense. "Then it’s strange. Just which senior is out there slaying demons?"

While the trio was pondering which hidden Sword Cultivator might be in the vicinity...

Meanwhile, Grand Elder Yao Dehai of the Lingyuan Sect had also arrived at the outskirts of Dongyuan County with a team.

Faced with the Divine Fire Sect’s invasion, endlessly retreating was not a solution.

But with even Wind-Chasing Fox and the Demon-slaying Guard Ruan Hui having already perished, blindly sending people to counterattack was no different from sending them to their deaths.

To that end, Yao Dehai had gathered several late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators and personally set out to investigate the situation.

As long as they could maintain a local numerical advantage, they would stand a fighting chance even if they encountered the Four Great Wanderers.

"Everyone be careful. Dongyuan County is just ahead. If you encounter Demon Cultivators, send a warning with a Signal Arrow immediately."

The group of seventeen all nodded in understanding. They then maintained a distance of a hundred zhang from one another as they stealthily advanced into Dongyuan County.

However, by the time the group emerged from the eastern side of the county seat, none of them had encountered a single Demon Cultivator.

Judging by the signs of destruction, the city had clearly been plundered by Demon Cultivators.

But surprisingly, apart from some Qi Refining Cultivators and mortals hiding in their homes, there was no trace of a single Demon Cultivator in the city.