Chapter 384: Entering the Demonic Realm
"Thank you, Senior Brother Yuan Cang, for helping me clean up the troublemakers."
Seeing Ling Chi, Zhang Hao, and a few others defect to Yuan Cang's side, Lin Langtian merely smiled faintly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. Ever since he'd claimed his position as Fire Division's Spirit General, he'd been looking for a chance to deal with Ling Chi and Zhang Hao in secret, given their history of conflict. But these two had, almost as if sensing his intentions, kept a low profile and avoided any opportunities for him to act. Ironically, just as Lin Langtian was close to disregarding their presence entirely, here they were, defecting to Yuan Cang's side.
This turn of events suited him perfectly.
With Lin Dong—the killer of Yuan Gate disciples—watching closely, these two defecting to Yuan Cang was practically the same as signing their own death warrant.
As for any potential impact on his reputation or the loss of a few Fire Division members, Lin Langtian paid it no mind. Though his roots within Yuan Gate were still shallow, Fire Division remained entirely under his control. If a few turncoats were enough to harm his reputation, his standing wouldn't be worth much to begin with.
As for Zhang Hao and Ling Chi's strength, it was competent but replaceable. With Song Yun and several others achieving Spirit General-level strength under his guidance, losing these few hardly impacted Fire Division's overall power. In fact, under Lin Langtian's leadership, Fire Division had amassed enough strength to rival many sects within the East Xuan Region—apart from the other Eight Super Sects.
When Yuan Cang noticed the calm on Lin Langtian's face, his previously smug expression began to falter, his delight fading. Lei Qian and Ling Zhen, standing nearby, also grew sullen, as their attempt to undermine Lin Langtian had backfired with his cool, cutting response.
"Surely with your sparse numbers in Fire Division, you won't be relying on us for aid in the Demonic Realm if things go awry," Lei Qian sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "After all, the door to join us is still open. No matter how strong Lin Langtian is, he can't protect everyone on his own. Just look at how wisely Ling Chi and Zhang Hao chose to act."
Fanning himself lightly, Ling Zhen chuckled, trying to sow further discord.
Yet for all their efforts, no other Fire Division members moved. Song Yun and Mo Tie, loyal to Lin Langtian, merely looked on, unimpressed, while Fire Division disciples around them simmered with fury at the shameless attempt.
Just as Lei Qian's face darkened and he seemed ready to continue the exchange, Yuan Cang gestured for him to stop. Turning, his narrow eyes met Lin Langtian's with a venomous gleam.
"So, Junior Brother Langtian, you think that because you beat me once, you're strong enough to replace me?"
Yuan Cang's smile was tight as his gaze traveled slowly over each Fire Division disciple, his tone cold and sinister.
"If that's the case, you can fend for yourselves in this competition. Just remember—Yuan Gate belongs to the line of the Three Grand Masters."
Though his words were polite, the meaning behind them was unmistakable.
"Some words shouldn't be spoken too soon, Yuan Cang. Who knows—our Fire Division might just perform better than your Seven Divisions in this competition."
Lin Langtian's smile thinned as he watched Yuan Cang. So what if Yuan Cang and the Three Little Kings were favored? If they didn't make it out alive, he, Lin Langtian, would be the one to lead Yuan Gate's younger generation into the future.
"Ah, it seems Junior Brother Langtian loves to dream," Yuan Cang replied with a laugh, though his eyes were dark. Despite Lin Langtian's skill, Yuan Cang knew that the Demonic Realm was perilous, and personal strength would matter little there. His Seven Divisions, numerous and powerful, would surely triumph where Fire Division could not. Furthermore, since every sect competition had historically sparked a fierce conflict between Yuan Gate and Dao Sect, he fully intended to crush Dao Sect's forces underfoot. He was certain that a grand victory would not only erase the shame of his previous defeat but secure him favor with his teacher, Tian Yuanzi.
When the competition concluded, Yuan Cang would use that favor to rise in rank—and then, Lin Langtian would be the first obstacle he'd eliminate.
Once Yuan Cang withdrew his gaze, still scheming, Lin Langtian turned to check on his own followers. Far from feeling discouraged by the confrontation, Song Yun and the other disciples looked furious but determined.
"Senior Brother, the Three Kings are crossing the line! They don't even acknowledge Fire Division's strength!" Song Yun, Mo Tie, and the rest grumbled, their faces reflecting their anger.
The other Fire Division disciples said nothing, but their expressions were equally indignant. While the Three Kings may have held authority over other divisions, Fire Division's confidence had grown under Lin Langtian's exceptional strength, especially after he'd defeated Yuan Cang. Their pride in their division and loyalty to Lin Langtian had only strengthened.
But instead of uniting with Fire Division, the Three Kings had made every effort to exclude and undermine them. Their resentment only deepened.
"Don't worry," Lin Langtian said with a smile, gesturing for calm. "The real victor is the last one standing. Remember, our Fire Division may yet stand alone at the top."
His words caused his followers to pause, their anger cooling as they reflected on his meaning.
"The Demonic Realm is opening…"
Just as the Fire Division disciples were mulling over Lin Langtian's words, a voice cried out over the Demonic Plains. Lin Langtian looked up to see the space ahead of him beginning to ripple and distort, as if caught in waves.
The vast, dark plains stretched out before them, and the twisted space ahead pulsed with intense energy, giving off waves of eerie power. All around, the people on the plains stirred, their gazes fixed with excitement and apprehension on the rippling space—those who had seen it before recognized it as the precursor to the Demonic Realm's opening.
As these powerful waves spread overhead, the distant spatial barrier grew more and more distorted.
"Senior Brother, we must enter together to stay linked; otherwise, we may get separated during teleportation," Song Yun reminded Lin Langtian solemnly, his gaze fixed on the shifting barrier.
Lin Langtian nodded, then turned to his Fire Division followers, calling out, "Did you hear that?"
"Yes, Senior Brother!" came their unified reply.
Lin Langtian's disciples were solemn now, well aware of the dangers they would face within the Demonic Realm. Being separated and teleported into an unknown, potentially deadly area meant near-certain death.
"We're taking the same route out that we took to get in?" Lin Langtian asked, keeping his eyes fixed on the rippling barrier ahead.
"In the deeper areas of the Demonic Realm, a formation has been set up," Song Yun explained respectfully. "When the time comes, disciples of the Eight Super Sects will gather there to return to the East Xuan Region."
Lin Langtian nodded at this explanation.
Just then, the distant space began to distort rapidly, twisting tighter until it finally burst open with a loud crack. A swirling spatial vortex formed, growing larger and more turbulent by the second.
With a "swish," countless figures soared toward the vortex, their powerful auras filling the sky as they plunged forward like a tidal wave toward the churning space.
"Move!" Lin Langtian shouted as he took a step forward, his voice booming in the ears of every Fire Division disciple.
"Yes, sir!" In unison, the disciples' resounding response echoed, and powerful spiritual energy flowed from each of them. Together, the streams of energy blended into a shimmering sphere of light surrounding them all.
"Let's go," Lin Langtian commanded, surging forward with a powerful burst of speed. Behind him, Song Yun, Mo Tie, and the Fire Division disciples quickly followed. Enveloped in a glowing aura, they moved as a single entity, plunging into the rotating vortex and vanishing into the depths.
The dark landscape stretched endlessly, extending toward the distant horizon. The ominous darkness cast a weighty pressure over the entire scene.
After a moment of quiet, the sky above suddenly fractured, shattering with countless cracks as figures poured through. Light filled the barren land as the eerie silence was shattered by the arrival of hundreds of disciples, led by Lin Langtian and his Fire Division members.
"So, this is the Demonic Realm?"
Landing on the ground, the Fire Division disciples couldn't resist looking around in fascination and curiosity at this infamous, dangerous place.
"Upon entering the Demonic Realm, most people are randomly teleported to various outer edges of the region," Song Yun explained, scanning their surroundings.
Lin Langtian gave a slight nod, but his face turned steely as he sensed something off. "Be on guard!"
Just as he finished speaking, he stomped his foot hard against the ground. A tremendous surge of energy split the earth, revealing a horde of fearsome demonic creatures hidden beneath the surface, their sharp, blood-red eyes glaring menacingly up at them.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, the ground all around them split apart, and massive black spikes burst out from below, shooting up at the Fire Division disciples in a violent attack. Though some disciples were momentarily caught off guard, others reacted quickly, unleashing waves of spiritual energy to fend off the oncoming assault.
Lin Langtian narrowed his eyes, feeling the strength of these creatures. Fiery armor covered his legs as he unleashed his power, stomping the ground with all his might.
"Boom!"
Under the weight of Lin Langtian's attack, the ground gave way, and the Fire Division disciples saw a horde of hideous, black demonic creatures swarming out from below, their crimson eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger.
"Demonic Ants…" Song Yun muttered, his face growing grim as he watched the seemingly endless mass of creatures emerge. He hadn't expected that their arrival in the Demonic Realm would be met with such a fierce attack so soon.
The ground continued to collapse, unleashing an unending wave of black creatures roughly the size of humans, their sharp claws and glinting fangs emanating an overwhelming aura of strength. The Demonic Ants were clearly formidable.
The Fire Division wasn't alone in their battle. Across the plains, similar sounds of panic and fighting echoed, accompanied by chilling screams as others struggled against the surprise onslaught.
Lin Langtian's staff spun like a vortex of power, smashing any Demonic Ants that approached into pieces with swift, brutal strikes. But even as he fought, the relentless numbers of Demonic Ants made him frown.
The Fire Division disciples, recovering from their initial panic, began to work together, leveraging their skills as disciples of a Super Sect to fend off the swarming creatures. Nevertheless, some were injured, though fortunately, none of the injuries were life-threatening.
"Senior Brother!" Song Yun shouted as he conjured flames to incinerate several Demonic Ants. "There are far too many of them, and they're tough to kill! If we stay here and keep fighting, we'll exhaust our spiritual power and become their prey!"
Lin Langtian studied the endless sea of Demonic Ants, feeling the strain of the situation. The Demonic Realm's reputation for danger was well-earned; while he could escape on his own, he couldn't abandon his disciples.
These disciples were his support base within Yuan Gate; if they were lost here, he'd be left without allies upon his return.
With a flick of his sleeve, Lin Langtian summoned a massive puppet beast. The puppet's presence was so commanding that even the relentless Demonic Ants backed away in fear, creating a buffer of several hundred meters around it.
Looking up at the giant puppet, Lin Langtian nodded with satisfaction. He turned to the cold, expressionless figure atop the beast and issued a firm command.
"Demon Shadow, hold the rear. These Demonic Ants are yours."
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