Chapter 51: Kid, lend me your sword!

Zhuge Lingyun stared at the seven suddenly appearing figures, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

"Seven members of the demon clan..." Zhuge Lingyun's voice trembled, "Have the seals on the other spirit paths been broken as well?"

One of the demon figures, bearing a single horn on his head, stepped forward slowly. His gaze swept over the three corpses of his kin on the ground, and a sneer curled the corner of his mouth: "Trash is always trash, unable to even deal with a few human juniors."

His gaze suddenly locked onto Mubei, a flash of greed in his eyes: "Is he the possessor of the Chosen Spirit Body?"

The single-horned demon raised his hand and flicked his wrist. A bloody claw print tore through the air, heading straight for Mubei!

"Watch out!"

A quaint compass suddenly materialized in Zhuge Lingyun's hand. He bit his finger, dripping fresh blood onto the center of the compass.

In an instant, a golden barrier of light unfolded in front of the group, barely blocking the bloody claw print.

"Boom!"

The barrier vibrated violently. Zhuge Lingyun let out a muffled grunt, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Oh?" The single-horned demon raised an eyebrow. "A human array master?"

Behind him, a female demon with a snake tail licked her lips: "Big brother, let me test him."

Before the single-horned demon could reply, the snake-tailed female had already transformed into a blur. The twin blades in her hands struck like a venomous viper thrusting its tongue, piercing straight toward the weakest point of the light barrier!

"Crack!"

Fissures appeared on the barrier, and Zhuge Lingyun's expression changed drastically: "Not good!"

He hurriedly shifted his hand seals, causing the compass to spin frantically. More golden runes rose from the ground, barely managing to patch the cracks.

"Du Mao!" Zhuge Lingyun shouted in a low voice, "Take them and go!"

Just as Du Mao made to move, another burly bear demon blocked their retreat: "Want to leave?"

The bear demon threw a punch, compressing the air and producing a sonic boom.

Du Mao parried in a rush. The bones in his arms emitted a sharp, cracking sound under the unbearable impact, and his entire body was sent flying backwards, slamming heavily into the rock wall.

"Senior Brother Du!" Han Qi cried out in alarm, stepping forward, but Mubei grabbed her back.

"Don't go over there!" Mubei's face was pale. "At the very least, they are all in the Core Condensation Realm!"

Ye Xiao gripped his broken sword tightly, his eyes bloodshot. The aftertaste of Yue Wuxia's possession still lingered, and he could feel an unfamiliar power flowing within his body.

"Ye Xiao!" Zhuge Lingyun whispered while maintaining the formation, "Find a chance to take them away. I can't hold on much longer!"

Before his voice faded, the single-horned demon suddenly moved!

His figure was as swift as lightning. A bolt of blood-red thunder condensed upon his single horn, striking the light barrier fiercely!

"Rumble!"

The light barrier shattered in response. Zhuge Lingyun spat a mouthful of blood, and several cracks spread across the compass.

"Ants." The single-horned demon sneered, raising his hand to hurl another bolt of lightning.

At the critical moment, Ye Xiao abruptly shoved Zhuge Lingyun aside, holding his broken sword horizontally to block!

"Bang!"

Ye Xiao was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string, crashing against the base of the Dao Stele. His chest was charred black.

"Ye Xiao!"

Han Qi and Mubei cried out simultaneously.

The single-horned demon glanced at him dismissively: "Overestimating your own capabilities."

He turned back to Zhuge Lingyun: "Human array master, I'll give you a choice. Submit to me, and I'll spare your life."

Zhuge Lingyun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and suddenly laughed: "Just based on you?"

He fiercely slammed the compass down onto the ground, and a blinding golden light erupted!

"Heaven and Earth Net!"

Countless golden threads shot out from the ground, instantly entangling the seven members of the demon clan. Although it could only trap them for a moment, it was enough for him to do one thing!

Zhuge Lingyun bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of vital essence onto the compass: "With my essence blood, summon the power of the Dao Stele!"

The Dao Stele suddenly vibrated, and a beam of golden light shot into the compass.

The golden threads binding the seven demons instantly grew solid and dense.

"You're courting death!"

The single-horned demon flew into a rage, his demonic power surging to the extreme as the golden threads snapped one by one.

At that very moment, a sudden change occurred!

The runes on the Dao Stele abruptly dimmed all at once, and the suppressing force vanished completely!

"Hahaha!"

The bear demon laughed out loud: "The Dao Stele has failed!"

The aura of the seven demons surged instantly, all of them returning to their original realms—five at the peak of the Core Condensation Realm, and two at the half-step Fish-Dragon Realm!

Zhuge Lingyun turned as pale as death: "It's over!"

The single-horned demon strode toward him with a ferocious grin: "Now, even if you want to die, it won't be easy."

Three demons struck simultaneously, and the hurried defensive barrier Zhuge Lingyun had set up shattered like paper.

He took a direct blow to the chest, and the sound of breaking ribs was clearly audible.

"Sir!" Ye Xiao struggled to his feet, a fierce red light blazing in his eyes.

He groped for the vial of Fish-Dragon Realm demon essence blood hidden in his robes, gritting his teeth as he thought: "I have no choice but to risk it!"

The very instant he prepared to consume the essence blood, the Dao Stele suddenly split open with a fissure, and a figure drifted out gracefully.

"Hmm?"

The seven demons stopped simultaneously, casting vigilant gazes toward the newcomer.

It was a handsome young man dressed in azure robes, with features as picturesque as a painting. He stretched lazily, as if just waking up from a long slumber.

"An... Senior Gu Chen?"

Ye Xiao widened his eyes, finding it hard to believe that the young man in his early twenties before him was the hunchbacked, eccentric old man.

The young man turned his head to look at Ye Xiao, a familiar rogue smile curling the corner of his mouth: "Little friend, lend me your sword!"

Without any discernible movement from Gu Chen, the broken sword in Ye Xiao's hand flew into Gu Chen's grasp of its own accord. Looking at the sword in his hand, a complex look flashed in his eyes.

"Who are you!"

The single-horned demon demanded in a cold voice. Seeing Gu Chen emerge from the Dao Stele, he naturally harbored some misgivings.

After all, the Dao Stele was profoundly mysterious; if not for this stele back then, the entity beneath the volcano would never have been suppressed!

"Me?"

Gu Chen smiled faintly. "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is that not a single one of you is leaving here today!"

The expressions of the seven demons shifted, and the leading single-horned demon sneered!

"You're merely at the half-step Fish-Dragon Realm yourself, don't speak such arrogant words!"

Gu Chen didn't reply; his figure suddenly vanished!

The single-horned demon's expression changed abruptly, and he crossed his arms fiercely in front of his chest!

With a loud "Boom!", the single-horned demon was sent flying by a single sword strike! Blood splattered everywhere as a pair of severed arms plummeted to the ground!

"Great! So strong!"

Joy washed over the faces of Ye Xiao and the others. They hadn't expected Gu Chen's strength to be this terrifying!

Only Zhuge Lingyun wore a grave expression. He recalled the words of the previous female sword immortal, and a trace of astonishment flashed through his eyes!

"Could it be that he is that very person from back then?!"

The remaining six demons also turned pale with fright. They wanted to flee, but Gu Chen naturally had no intention of letting them off so easily!

With that, he raised his voice and shouted!

"Senior Demonic Ape! You've slept long enough, aren't you going to make a move?"

The people present were all stunned. Before they could recover their senses, they felt the ground begin to shake violently!

A colossal behemoth was striding toward this direction!

Ye Xiao and the others exchanged glances!

"It's him?"

Soon, Ye Xiao and his companions clearly saw the giant creature! It was none other than the massive ape that had blocked their path earlier!

"Kid! I knew it, whenever you look for me, it's never for anything good!"

The giant ape let out a cold snort.

Gu Chen offered an apologetic smile. "Aha, isn't it because you're much easier to talk to! That slippery snake just knows how to slack off all day long, I couldn't be bothered to call him!"