Chapter 850: The Unexpected

Two great demons met before the valley.

The giant bear roared, its charge shaking both earth and mountain.

The golden eagle soared into the sky, dodging the bear’s onslaught.

Golden light flickered in its eyes as it peered into the distant forest, seemingly discovering something. Seeing the bear still refusing to relent, it let out an enraged cry.

Heeding the eagle’s reminder, the bear swung its dark head around, even more furious now, convinced that a treasure in its domain had been stolen by shameless thieves.

In an instant, the eagle streaked across the sky while the bear thundered along the ground. The earth trembled, ancient trees splintered, and winds howled with broken clouds. Shockingly, the two beasts’ speed was nearly the same.

Meanwhile, the bear’s furious bellows stirred the surrounding demonic beasts, drawing them in. The beginnings of a beast tide were forming.

Far away, Qin Sang and the others, flying in escape, noticed the movement of the great demons.

"Not good. That golden eagle’s supernatural ability is no simple thing. It may have discovered the traces we left behind. We’re already exposed."

Kong Yun landed atop an ancient tree and looked back.

High above, a golden bolt of lightning tore through the clouds, streaking toward them.

On the ground, smoke and dust rolled. There was more than one beast.

"That valley belonged to a demonic bear. The eagle came from elsewhere, but its strength is no weaker. Both are late-stage Demonic Core Realm great demons. Extremely troublesome."

Granny Yue, still injured from the backlash of true devilish qi, had suppressed her wounds after taking a pill.

"To escape the island will take several hours. Along the way we may stumble into the territory of other great demons. Battles are inevitable. With our strength, as long as we don’t fall into a beast tide, breaking free won’t be difficult. The only problem is Su Nu. Her cultivation is too weak. A single casual strike from a great demon would kill her instantly. We cannot let her fall into such danger..."

Since they had already been discovered, there was no longer any need to conceal themselves.

The group surged out of the forest, their evasion lights streaking across the sky at full speed.

The calm of the island had been shattered. Surrounded by beasts, with great demons close behind, they dared not slow for even a moment. Qin Sang urged the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, his true essence continuously draining.

Among the four, he had the weakest cultivation and the least true essence.

Fortunately, this was not yet a matter of life or death, so he did not need to force the talisman to its utmost. With spirit stone in hand, he could maintain pace with the others.

Mountains and rivers swept by beneath them. Bold beasts that blocked their path were easily cut down.

The greatest threat came from behind: the eagle and the bear. Their speed and endurance were formidable, gradually closing the distance.

Two hours of pursuit passed in a flash.

The golden eagle suddenly used some unknown supernatural ability to cut the distance sharply.

They considered turning to cripple it first, but the beast was far too cautious, keeping itself at a safe distance while spitting thunder and shooting golden feathers to harass them ceaselessly.

They noticed the eagle had sent out signals, no doubt calling other great demons to join in the hunt.

Though they were stronger than the eagle and the bear, they dared not stop to fight. The two beasts were cunning, thick-skinned, and could not be slain quickly. Fighting them now would only waste precious time.

As time passed, Qin Sang’s group consumed great amounts of true essence, and even the eagle and the bear began to show strain.

Yet both sides still maintained tremendous speed, leaving most of the lesser beasts far behind.

They were less than an hour away from escaping the island when suddenly a strange

neigh

, like a horse’s cry, rang out nearby.

A streak of white light slashed across their path. It was a heavenly horse.

"Another Demonic Core Realm great demon!" Elder Zhushan exclaimed.

The group halted in mid-air as the horse came riding the clouds. Behind them, the eagle and the bear’s spirits surged with excitement. The three beasts exchanged cries, then closed in together.

At the horizon, more demonic qi soared skyward. Other great demons were also drawing near.

"A choice must be made. My strength is slightly greater than you three. I’ll stay behind to hold them. Elder Zhushan, Kong Yun, you two support me in stalling these three beasts. Daoist Master Qingfeng, your evasion technique is the best. Reserve your strength. When you find the chance, take Su Nu and escape immediately. We’ll regroup beyond the island."

With the treasure still in her possession, she had no fear Qin Sang would neglect his duty to protect Su Nu.

Qin Sang had not expected Granny Yue to truly remain behind, entrusting Su Nu to him. But after a moment’s thought, he realized the danger was not insurmountable.

Their strength was not weak. Beasts alone could not easily defeat them. It was only Su Nu’s presence that had shackled their hands. If he left with her, the others would be free to fight at full strength.

Their plan settled quickly.

The heavenly horse and the two great demons had already closed in.

The eagle and the bear were top-tier great demons, while the horse was slightly weaker. Once they clashed, battle erupted instantly. Qin Sang shielded Su Nu from the shockwaves, then seized a fleeting opening. Sword light and Jiao spirit shone together upon him, bursting with extreme speed. In an instant, he broke through their encirclement and sped away.

The three demonic beasts were not fools. Seeing Qin Sang flee, they concluded he carried the treasure. They immediately abandoned the others to chase him.

Granny Yue quickly ordered them stopped. Her silk-thread astra had recovered, winding around the beasts with formidable toughness. Elder Zhushan and Kong Yun also fought with full force. Granny Yue’s decision to stay had been correct. With the eagle and the bear so ferocious, only a peak Core Formation expert like her could stand against them.

Qin Sang, having shaken off the beasts, did not look back as he raced toward the island’s edge.

Su Nu glanced at the battlefield behind, then at the hooded Qin Sang beside her, her lips pressed tightly together.

Fortune favored them. No further beasts blocked their path.

Qin Sang fled straight to the island’s edge. Looking back, he saw demonic qi billowing to the heavens, chaos reigning over the island. The former calm had been destroyed completely.

Even from there, he could still faintly see the black cloud at the island’s center.

A quick scan confirmed Granny Yue and the others were still alive, trailing behind. Without pause, he oriented himself and flew toward their meeting point.

Su Nu remained quiet and obedient, causing him no trouble.

Outside the island, demonic beasts stirred by the anomaly prowled the waves. The sea surged violently, but Qin Sang split the waters with his ebony sword and broke through the beast tide. He thought they were finally safe when, not far ahead, three streaks of light suddenly appeared out of nowhere, rushing toward them.

It was clearly the evasion light of cultivators riding swords. It was three strangers.

"There are still cultivators alive here?"

Qin Sang’s heart stirred with surprise, his brow furrowing slightly.

The three had already spotted them and were flying straight toward them at great speed.

Qin Sang slowed, placing Su Nu behind him. His hand gripped the Primordial Unity Ring in secret while his finger flicked, sending the ebony sword floating ahead. Sword qi erupted without reservation, a clear warning of hostility to the approaching trio.

The three lights halted at a distance. Their figures emerged, their faces just as startled as Qin Sang’s, staring at him and Su Nu with disbelief.