### Chapter 70: Unexpected Turn
Lin Yi's arrogance left the Xuandong disciple tongue-tied. A Fifth Level Qi Refinement cultivator killing a Seventh Level? Even if he doubted it, Lin Yi's current Seventh Level Peak cultivation—leaping two ranks in one go—spoke to terrifying potential. Picking a fight now was suicide.
"Haha! That's my Dianxuan disciple!" Elder Chen laughed, openly defending Lin Yi.
Lin Yi nodded gratefully. With the elders backing him, the other sects' disciples fell silent. Their verbal barbs were no match for Lin Yi's sharp tongue—after all, even Dianxuan's Core Formation ancestor had been outwitted by him. Why waste breath?
…
Thump! Thump-thump!
Ren Xi's heart hammered. His face was ashen, eyes wide with terror, as he sprinted through the trees, gasping for air, sweat soaking his robes.
A mere Third Level Qi Refinement cultivator, he'd been chosen for the Black Veil Forest mission only because he'd scraped into the top ten of the outer sect tournament.
Behind him lurked a three-foot-tall demon: white hair, jet-black skin, glowing green eyes, fangs bared, and bat-like wings flapping.
Ren Xi knew what it was—a *demon*, straight from legend.
With his Third Level strength, he stood no chance.
Whoosh!
The demon swooped, its clawed hands clamping onto Ren Xi's shoulders. Its fanged maw sank into his neck.
"Ah——!"
Ren Xi's scream echoed through the forest, cut short as his blood was drained. His body went limp, collapsing when the demon released him. But the demon wasn't done. It licked its snake-like tongue, savoring the blood, then pounced, tearing into the flesh.
Soon, Ren Xi's corpse was unrecognizable.
Elsewhere in the Black Veil Forest, four other demons mirrored this horror—each hunting a lone cultivator, draining their blood, devouring their flesh. These gruesome scenes painted the forest in更深 dread.
But the four sects' cultivators, still looting the python's corpse at the pond, remained oblivious. By the time they emerged, the other three sects' disciples were already storming off, sour-faced at losing the python's core.
Then—a scream split the air.
A Mengxuan elder paled, locking eyes with three other Foundation Establishment cultivators. "Trouble."
They raced toward the sound,速度如飞 (speeding like arrows). Their disciples followed, though two lagged, peeling off to flee—no intention of risking their lives for a stranger.
"Something's wrong," Elder Zhao muttered, emerging from the pond.
"Go!" Elder Chen's voice was grim.
Dianxuan's group hurried after the others.
Yet in two distant corners of the forest, two cultivators ignored the screams. One was Dianxuan's Huo Bin—inner sect tournament champion.
Three years prior, Huo Bin had been a bottom-ranked disciple, his three-spirit-root资质 unimpressive. No one expected him to soar from Fourth Level to Eighth Level Peak in three years, defeating the previous champion Liu Quan (Ninth Level) to claim first place.
Huo Bin knew his power came from "Lord Luo"—and he feared the force behind Luo more than death. Betrayal never crossed his mind.
Now, he stood before a gnarled tree, its leaves fallen, bark cracked. A cave gaped at its roots, oozing cold air—the demons' lair.
After a moment's hesitation, Huo Bin stepped into the cave.
…
"Demons! It's a demon!" A disciple stumbled upon the scene of Ren Xi's death, voice cracking.
The demon, its maw dripping blood, grinned, green eyes glinting. It dropped Ren Xi's remains, spreading its wings to lunge.
The disciple, a Fifth Level Qi Refinement, froze—terror paralyzing him. "No… please… spare me!" He scrambled back, voice trembling.
The demon cackled, savoring his fear. It inched closer, claws flexing, savoring the hunt before the kill.
By the time the elders and disciples arrived, they found only a mangled corpse—and fresh demon tracks leading deeper into the forest.
"Spread out!" Elder Zhao roared. "Stay in groups! Find these demons before more die!"
Panic rippled through the crowd. Cultivators they could fight. But demons—legends of their cruelty, their hunger for human flesh—sent chills down spines.
Lin Yi frowned, gripping his sword. *So the rumors were true. Demons *are* stirring.*
He glanced at Pan Yu, who'd stayed close. "Stick to me. No wandering."
Pan Yu nodded, pale but determined. "Yes, Senior Brother."
As the sects fanned out, Lin Yi's mind raced. *These demons aren't random. Someone released them. Why?*
The Black Veil Forest's secrets were deeper than he'd thought. And with each scream echoing in the distance, he knew—their mission to investigate "demonic anomalies" had just turned into a fight for survival.