Chapter 1348: Devouring Demon

Chapter 1348: Chapter 1348: Devouring Demon

"Uh! This, this!" Faced with Pei Yan’s questioning, Xiang Zixiong broke into a cold sweat, glancing at the battlefield where an endless and strange crowd clashed with the Six Guards Army. He felt uneasy and didn’t know how to respond. These beings clearly weren’t from the White Deer Institute, but where had they been hidden before? Even if his second brother had missed the signs during surveillance, the Celestial Embroidery Envoy had just searched the White Deer Institute the day before! Hiding this many strange and evil creatures shouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

"Are those Devouring Demons?" Xia Yu, summoned by Pei Yan, squinted at the monsters surging on the battlefield, curiously asking. Her first encounter with such creatures was during her and Pei Yan’s first mission, and they suffered not a small loss at that time.

Pei Yan nodded, his expression turning gloomy as he coldly laughed, "It should be those things, but their combat power has greatly increased compared to when they fought us. Their physical strength has reached about the sixth to seventh level of a Pure Body Refining Cultivator. Also, the defensive arrays engraved on them are much stronger than before. It seems Blood Fiend and the Underworld’s Eighteen Institutes have not stopped researching in this area over the years, and I wonder how many innocents have fallen victim to their schemes."

"If I remember correctly, their most troublesome ability is that after being killed, they emit resentful energy that enters the body of the killer, disrupting their energy and affecting their mind. It forces the victim to divert energy to suppress this force, losing combat capability until their spirit is completely broken, turning them into the next Devouring Demon. Back then, weren’t it for the Power of Origin in your body that happened to restrain these things, we would’ve died at their hands. Now they are refined stronger; who knows if this corruption ability has also been enhanced." Xia Yu recalled the past scene with lingering fear.

"Mr. Pei, I’m sure these things weren’t in the White Deer Institute before. We found no signs of them making such evil creatures. From my rough estimate, this group of nearly two thousand five hundred couldn’t have sneaked in unnoticed." Xiang Zixiong finally composed himself, wiped the sweat off his face, and firmly responded.

"I think they wouldn’t dare refine these things within the sect due to the high risk of exposure. There was no surveillance earlier, which means they were transported here overnight."

"If they can send this many monsters at once, why not just send people to escape directly?" Hu Jiu asked in confusion before Pei Yan could finish.

This question was answered by Xiang Zixiong before Pei Yan could respond, "Because they want too much. Last night, after discovering the problem, they could’ve evacuated in batches overnight from the White Deer Institute, but doing so in such haste means leaving behind many confidential and valuable materials. Once the people are scattered, it’s extremely difficult to gather them again. If we react quickly and deploy a net to encircle and capture them, most core disciples will be cut off from reaching the interdimensional passage before they can be picked off. Although a few might escape, the whole sect will lose its chance of resurgence! Choosing this current path allows them to gather and store the sect’s resources in storage spaces while preparing the Space Passage. If successful, they can preserve both disciples and foundations."

Pei Yan agreed, "Indeed! It’s a high-stakes gamble, risking their entire fortune! Win, and they all transfer, lose, and it’s the end for them all. Transferring over two thousand people in a large-scale space transfer can’t go unnoticed. So, it must be multiple Teleportation Arrays in batches, arriving before the army can fully encircle. The transfer point can’t be far!" After saying this, Pei Yan turned to Xiang Zixiong and instructed, "Investigate! If your people aren’t enough, mobilize the surrounding sects and the Sixteen Guards to investigate. Look for any strange events like the gathering of resentful energy or unexplained disappearances in the vicinity. We need to find the base where they manufacture the Devouring Demons quickly! Although this might be just one of them, I’m worried they might retreat if we delay. Start by focusing on a large area surrounding the White Deer Institute."

"Yes, I will handle it right away!" Understanding the urgency, Xiang Zixiong responded promptly and hurried off to report to Mao Xiang and request permission to mobilize.

After Xiang Zixiong left, Xia Yu looked at Pei Yan and asked with a smile, "Why did you call me here in such a hurry? You only called me, which made many in the group unhappy! They feel you no longer appreciate their combat power since you didn’t let them participate in this battle."

"Not at all! You’ve seen the danger; eighteen Heavenly Dao pinnacle cultivators in chaotic warfare are terrifying. Our people don’t need to risk involvement. You’re here to lend me a hand," Pei Yan said, patting the cannon beside him with a smile.

"You still need my help with this? Can’t you do it yourself? Besides, your setup is quite extensive, isn’t it? How many is this—two to three hundred of the three-layered ones? Are you planning to level the White Deer Institute?" Xia Yu understood Pei Yan’s intentions upon arrival but didn’t see why he’d go this far.

"Well! That’s the idea. Our world’s things have caught someone’s eye, and I’m unsure if they’ll learn them! But since they’ve noticed, there’s no point in hiding. Might as well let them witness the prowess of our world, and simultaneously respond to a saying I heard from Captain Hu when I joined the team." Pei Yan gritted his teeth and said with anger.

"What saying?" Xia Yu asked curiously.

"Even an immortal cultivator is done for if hit directly by a single missile."

Commanding the battle, Wangchaizong looked at the tense battlefield, ready to dispatch more personnel, but unexpectedly received a transmission from Pei Yan. Hearing Pei Yan’s proposal left him surprised and delighted. Turning again toward Pei Yan’s direction, he noticed that the mysterious mechanical puppets Pei Yan previously conjured had increased substantially. These identical units were arranged neatly in three rows with equal distances between them. Beneath each puppet, rods extended deep into the ground, connected as anchors.

"Mr. Pei, are you sure you want my men to withdraw and set up a source energy barrier to prevent the Devouring Demons from pursuing? Are you worried your attack might inadvertently harm my soldiers?" Wangchaizong understood Pei Yan’s intentions and asked to confirm.

"Yes!"

"Can you assure me of breaking through their line with one strike?"

"Yes!"

"Good! I trust you!" Wangchaizong, being decisive, issued orders for the army’s temporary withdrawal as soon as he got Pei Yan’s definitive reply.

"What? We’re supposed to retreat now? What’s the Supreme General thinking?" A Brigade Commander on the battlefield was shocked as he received the transmitted military order from the rear.