Chapter 49: The Great Battle Begins!

"What is that."

Ye Xiao narrowed his eyes, staring at the stone tablet floating above the crater.

The entire stone tablet was pitch black, its surface covered in bizarre runes that emitted an eerie red glow under the reflection of the magma. It hovered quietly there, as if suppressing the entire volcano.

"That is the Dao Monument!" Du Mao lowered his voice. "The master said this is the array core suppressing that great demon!"

Han Qi grabbed Ye Xiao's sleeve nervously. "What are they going to do to Senior Brother Mubai?"

On the altar, the red-tailed man was using his sharp nails to slash open Mubai's wrist, and fresh blood flowed along the stone pillars into the grooves on the ground.

With the flow of the blood, the entire altar began to emit a faint red light.

"No! They are using Senior Brother Mubai's blood to activate the altar!" Ye Xiao gripped his broken sword tighter, murderous intent surging in his eyes.

Du Mao grabbed him. "Don't act on impulse! Those three demons are at least at the peak of the Condensing Dan Realm; we are no match for them!"

"Are we just going to watch Senior Brother Mubai die?" Ye Xiao gritted his teeth.

Just at that moment, Mubai on the altar suddenly opened his eyes and weakly raised his head.

His gaze pierced through the magma lake and locked directly onto Ye Xiao!

"He has discovered us!" Han Qi gasped.

Mubai's lips moved slightly, as if he were trying to say something.

Ye Xiao carefully discerned the movement, reading three words: "Hurry... leave..."

"No!" Ye Xiao could no longer hold back; he abruptly stood up. "Attack!"

The three of them rushed out simultaneously. Ye Xiao headed straight for the altar, while Du Mao and Han Qi attacked the demons on either side respectively.

"Courting death!"

Xu Beichen sneered, the radiance of his immortal bone flaring brightly as he slashed a sword directly at Ye Xiao!

"Clang!"

The two swords collided, sending sparks flying in all directions.

Ye Xiao was forced back several steps, but he immediately steadied his footing and charged forward again.

"The fifth layer of the Palace Opening Realm?" A trace of astonishment flashed in Xu Beichen's eyes. "To break through two layers in such a short time?"

Ye Xiao did not reply, his broken sword thrusting toward Xu Beichen's throat like a venomous snake.

Xu Beichen sidestepped to evade and counterattacked with a palm strike to Ye Xiao's chest!

"Puff—" Ye Xiao spewed a mouthful of fresh blood, yet he used the momentum to roll and continued charging toward the altar.

"Stop him!" the red-tailed man shouted harshly.

The antler-crowned woman's figure flickered, and she instantly appeared before Ye Xiao.

With a gentle flick of her slender finger, a beam of green light struck Ye Xiao's shoulder!

"Ah!"

Ye Xiao let out a miserable scream as a bloody hole was pierced through his shoulder, sending his entire body flying backward.

On the other side, Du Mao exchanged a direct blow with the scaled burly man, resulting in his arm being snapped instantly as he heavily crashed to the ground.

Han Qi suffered an even worse fate; intercepted by a casual wave of the antler-crowned woman, her ice spikes were completely shattered, and taking a palm strike to the chest, she vomited blood and fell to the ground.

"Ants."

The red-tailed man glanced dismissively before continuing to channel the altar.

Mubai's complexion grew paler and paler, and fresh blood had already flooded the entire altar.

The Dao Monument began to tremble faintly, and the roaring sound within the volcano grew louder and louder.

"Senior Brother Mubai!"

Ye Xiao struggled to climb back up, only to see Xu Beichen's sword already pressed against his throat.

"It's over." Xu Beichen sneered. "Don't worry, your little sister will be joining you shortly."

Just at this critical juncture, a stooped figure suddenly darted out from the edge of the magma lake!

"Stop!"

That figure was extremely fast, rushing beneath the stone tablet in the blink of an eye, and thrusting a wooden staff fiercely into the stone tablet!

"Impudent!" The red-tailed man's expression changed drastically. "How dare you!"

His figure erupted upward, unleashing a palm strike toward the stooped figure, but he was a step too late.

The tip of the wooden staff burst into a blinding green light, violently colliding with the Dao Monument!

"Hum—"

An invisible ripple instantly expanded, enveloping the entire crater.

Ye Xiao only felt his entire body lighten, as if some sort of shackles had been broken away.

"What is going on?"

Xu Beichen looked at his own hands in suspicion and uncertainty.

Upon landing, the red-tailed man's expression changed drastically. "My cultivation... has been suppressed?!"

Gu Chen chuckled, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "The Dao Monument suppresses; all cultivation realms exceeding the Palace Opening Realm will be suppressed down to the peak of the Palace Opening Realm!"

Ye Xiao's eyes lit up!

The opportunity had arrived!

He fiercely kicked away the dazed Xu Beichen and drove his broken sword straight at the red-tailed man!

"Courting death!"

Although the red-tailed man's cultivation was suppressed, his combat experience was rich, and a sweep of his tail deflected the broken sword.

However, Ye Xiao was well-prepared; his left hand suddenly whipped out a handful of powder, scattering it directly into the red-tailed man's eyes!

"Ah!"

The red-tailed man shrieked miserably, temporarily blinded.

Taking advantage of the moment, Ye Xiao rushed toward the altar and with a single sword slash severed the chains binding Mubai!

"Senior Brother Mubai!"

Mubai weakly opened his eyes. "Ye... Xiao..."

"Hang in there!" Ye Xiao hoisted Mubai onto his back and turned to run.

"Stop them!"

The antler-crowned woman shouted harshly, pursuing them alongside the scaled burly man.

Although Du Mao and Han Qi were injured, they gritted their teeth and blocked the two of them.

With their cultivation suppressed, the demons' speed and strength plummeted drastically, and for a moment they were actually unable to break through.

"Xu Beichen! What are you still daydreaming for?" the red-tailed man roared angrily.

Only then did Xu Beichen snap back to his senses. His immortal bone glowed once more as he lunged to kill Ye Xiao.

"Your opponent is me!" Gu Chen suddenly blocked Xu Beichen's path, waving his wooden staff to unleash a beam of green light.

Xu Beichen hastily dodged, his expression gloomy. "Dan King Gu Chen? Why are you helping them?"

Gu Chen did not reply, only sneering coldly. "Kid, that bone of yours looks rather nice. Care to lend it to this old man for some research?"

The two instantly clashed into a fierce battle.

Carrying Mubai on his back, Ye Xiao fled desperately toward the foot of the mountain. Behind him came the sounds of intense combat and the red-tailed man's furious roars.

"Ye Xiao..." Mubai said weakly. "Put me down... Run on your own..."

"Shut up!" Ye Xiao gritted his teeth. "I promised Han Qi I would save you and bring you out!"

Suddenly, the ground ahead split open, and a torrent of magma surged out, blocking their path!

"Damn it!"

Ye Xiao was forced to a halt, turning around to see that the red-tailed man had already caught up.

"Run, why aren't you running anymore?"

The red-tailed man grinned hideously. Although his eyes were still bleeding, he could already make out blurred shapes.

Ye Xiao set Mubai down and gripped his broken sword tightly. "Senior Brother Mubai, can you still fight?"

Mubai managed to stand up with difficulty, offering a bitter smile. "Barely... can hold on for a moment..."

"Then let's go together!"

The two attacked simultaneously. Ye Xiao launched a frontal frontal assault while Mubai circled around to launch a sneak attack from the flank. Although the gap in cultivation still existed, it was no longer as utterly despair-inducing as before.

Caught off guard for a moment, the red-tailed man actually took a palm strike from Mubai to his waist, stumbling back a few steps.

"Ants!" he flew into a rage, his tail whipping toward Mubai like a lash.

Ye Xiao blocked in front of Mubai just in time, parrying with his broken sword, yet he was still sent flying by the immense force, slamming hard against the rock wall.

"Ye Xiao!"

Mubai gasped in shock.

Seizing the opportunity, the red-tailed man clamped his hand around Mubai's neck. "I'll kill you first, and then deal with that little mongrel!"

Mubai turned a purplish hue from the strangulation, struggling desperately as he tried to pry open the red-tailed man's fingers.

At this critical moment, the Dao Monument suddenly began to vibrate violently!

"What is happening?"

The red-tailed man looked up in startled suspicion.

They saw the runes on the surface of the Dao Monument lighting up one after another, ultimately converging into a pillar of light that shot straight into the clouds!

The roaring sound within the volcano ceased abruptly, replaced instead by a low yet melodious voice.

"Who... has awakened me..."