The next instant, Ji Wuchen’s body began to twitch violently, his limbs jerking in sharp, uncontrolled motions as if something inside him was tearing through his very core.

At the same time, Xiaoshan suddenly dropped to one knee before collapsing forward, his halberd slipping from his grasp as his body went still without warning.

Dark changes spread quickly across Ji Wuchen’s form as black patterns surfaced from beneath his skin, twisting and crawling outward like something alive.

The markings converged rapidly, covering his body in uneven lines that pulsed faintly, as if each symbol carried a will of its own.

Then his body lifted slowly into the air while the dark patterns continued spreading across him without pause. His head tilted slightly back, his expression frozen between pain and something Unknown.

Seeing this, his subordinates rushed forward instantly, their composure breaking as they reached the edge of the arena without hesitation.

Worry and fear flickered clearly across their faces as several of them called out his name, their voices sharp and uneven.

Yet none of them dared step past the boundary. On the other side, Lin Xiao Tian and his group also moved closer, their gazes fixed on the change unfolding before them as the situation shifted once again.

His expression remained calm, but his eyes lingered briefly on Xiaoshan’s unmoving body, a faint tension appearing beneath that steady exterior.

Just then, a thick black smoke began seeping out from Ji Wuchen’s floating body, rising in slow spirals as red and green patterns writhed violently across his skin.

The markings twisted faster with each passing moment, and his aura surged upward sharply, unstable yet rapidly growing as if something was forcing its way into control.

The pressure around him intensified, the air turning distorted as his body trembled mid-air, caught between two opposing forces. Then suddenly, everything snapped.

A blinding golden light erupted from within him without warning, cutting through the darkness instantly as two overlapping screams tore through the arena at the same time.

One was Ji Wuchen’s, filled with pain, and the other carried a sharp, distorted fury as the demonic presence was forcefully expelled outward.

The dark smoke scattered violently as the figure was blown out of his body, its form unstable and flickering as it retreated with clear resistance.

At the same moment, Ji Wuchen’s body was thrown out of the arena, crashing onto the ground beyond the boundary as the golden light continued to pulse faintly around him.

Within that fading glow, a gentle silhouette appeared.

An elder’s figure formed quietly beside him, his presence calm and steady, completely different from the chaos that had filled the arena moments before.

"So... you used the chance, just as I thought you would," he said softly, his voice carrying warmth rather than pressure.

"I trust you obtained what we needed... and I believe in you," he continued, his tone steady as his figure began to grow faint, as if time itself was pulling him away.

As he spoke, Ji Wuchen’s injuries began to heal visibly, torn flesh closing as his severed limb regrew seamlessly without leaving a trace.

The elder’s gaze then shifted, falling briefly upon Lin Xiao Tian and the others, a faint smile appearing on his face as if acknowledging something beyond words. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"Little Wu... your grandfather believes you will lead the family beyond its limits... but even then, it is never wrong to walk alongside a few worthy daoists," he said gently.

With those words, his form faded completely, leaving nothing behind but the lingering warmth of his presence.

A single tear slipped from the corner of Ji Wuchen’s eye, though he quickly wiped it away, his expression tightening as he forced himself back to composure.

The calm did not last as the fading figure of the demon twisted violently, its nearly transparent form distorting as rage replaced the earlier collapse, its voice tearing through the air with raw hatred.

"Forget that old bastard who saved you... just wait, you will all die soon," it roared, the last of its restraint snapping as it turned abruptly.

In the next instant, it rushed straight toward Xiaoshan’s unconscious body without hesitation.

Seeing this, everyone’s heartbeat rose sharply, the tension snapping back into place as fear returned all at once, far heavier than before.

Lin Xiao Tian’s gaze locked onto the movement instantly, his calm expression holding, yet his thoughts accelerating rapidly beneath the surface.

At the same moment, Xiaoshan’s body began to twitch.

The totem on his back grew more defined, its outline solidifying as the faint image of the giant sharpened into something far more real.

His bones cracked and shifted audibly, restructuring under unseen force as his muscles tightened unnaturally.

Dark smoke began to seep out from his body, thicker than before, carrying a faint demonic taint as it spread outward in slow waves.

The aura around him turned unstable again, no longer just raw strength, but something far more Primal began to change.

His body began to rise slowly off the ground, lifted by an unseen force as his muscles expanded and contracted in uneven pulses, stretching and tightening as if something inside was forcing its way through.

His frame shifted subtly with each movement, no longer stable, as the outline of his body grew distorted.

Then something thick and dark began seeping out from beneath his skin, like black tar oozing through cracks, clinging to him as it spread across his form.

It did not drip normally, but crawled and gathered, moving with a faint intent as if alive.

Seeing this, Lin Xiao Tian’s eyes narrowed slightly, the first real trace of urgency appearing within them as his mind moved quickly.

This is bad... if that thing enters him now, there will be no pulling him back.

Around him, every disciple’s gaze shifted toward him at once, their eyes filled with expectation, tension, and a silent question they did not voice.

For the first time, the pressure did not come from above, but from every direction around him.

Lin Xiao Tian exhaled slowly, his expression steady as his thoughts settled into place, though the situation had already crossed into something far beyond control.