Blood-red dots densely covered nearly every corner of the circular diagram.
Those red dots were continuously converging and closing in on the black point at the very center.
Yun Li’s expression had gone from initial shock to pure terror.
Only one thought remained in her mind: We’re finished.
If every red dot represented a demonic beast, then a rough estimate put at least several dozen demonic beasts charging toward the two of them…
And this was only within a hundred-meter radius.
“We leave first,” Su Zhan said in a low voice.
The moment she clearly saw the dense mass of red dots on the diagram, she made her decision at once, grabbed Yun Li’s wrist, and pulled her back the way they had come.
Several dozen demonic beasts attacking at the same time was no joke.
Su Zhan did not believe she could protect Yun Li while entangled with those demonic beasts.
Moreover, they still had no idea of the specific strength of those creatures.
If they attracted some extraordinary great demon, things would become troublesome.
There were too many low-hanging branches in the surrounding dense forest.
Su Zhan could not ride her sword to escape at all.
She could only head back toward the place where they had first landed.
There the tree canopy did not block the sky, and they could fly out from there.
“Senior Sister, there are two red dots about twenty meters to the right!”
“But there’s only one over there.”
“There’s also… one underground! The other is closing in rapidly. It’s already overlapping with us! Careful!”
Su Zhan wrapped one arm around Yun Li’s waist and leapt swiftly onto a huge boulder beside them.
Almost the instant the two of them jumped, a monster shaped like a centipede burst out of the earth in the next moment.
Its fat body, nearly half a meter in diameter, was covered in countless legs.
Just looking at the dense mass of them was enough to make one’s skin crawl.
Anything that could grow to such a size was definitely not a vegetarian…
And behind the centipede monster was a spider demonic beast whose abdomen was the size of a human head.
Just like the earlier snake demon, the attention of both these demonic beasts was entirely fixed on Yun Li.
Su Zhan noticed this point, yet the situation at hand did not allow her to spare any thought for deeper consideration.
The moment the two of them steadied themselves on the boulder, the centipede monster opened its mouthparts and let out a fierce screech, then ferociously pounced downward.
Su Zhan narrowed her eyes and made a judgment based on the aura the demonic beasts emitted.
“One at Foundation Establishment, one at the peak of Foundation Establishment…”
She reversed her grip on the long sword, shielding Yun Li behind her, and without hesitation swung out a streak of sword qi to meet the centipede demonic beast.
The sword qi chopped straight toward the centipede demonic beast’s head and sliced away a small half of the right side of its skull.
Yet the demonic beast remained completely fearless of death.
Even while in pain, it still lunged forward to bite with all its might!
“Qingyun Sword Art—Breaking Clouds!”
Su Zhan gave a low shout.
With a flick of her wrist she swung her sword in a diagonal slash, forcibly blocking the centipede demonic beast’s attack.
This centipede demonic beast was enormous and its strength astonishing.
She nearly failed to catch it.
The spider demonic beast was clearly more cunning.
While Su Zhan was dealing with the centipede demonic beast, it had already circled behind the two of them and attacked like a ghostly evil spirit.
Its swollen venom sac bulged high, and razor-sharp venomous threads shot out like needles and arrows.
Su Zhan did not dare hesitate for even a moment.
She put all her strength into temporarily forcing the centipede demonic beast back, then flashed past it with a sideways slip.
The tip of her sword lightly flicked upward and severed the venomous threads, then thrust toward the spider demonic beast that had already leapt over.
“Qingyun Sword Art—Startling the Forest!”
An extremely fast sword strike swept out.
It cleanly and neatly sliced off the venom sac that stood out so prominently on the spider demonic beast’s slender, short body.
Immediately afterward the blade shifted angle in an instant and carved open the spider demonic beast’s head.
One down, one still remaining.
The centipede demonic beast gave Su Zhan no chance to catch her breath.
With two hissing sounds it actually coiled its entire body up around the boulder, attempting to use its size advantage to suppress Su Zhan and Yun Li.
“Senior Sister! Quick, dodge to the side!” Yun Li suddenly shouted from beside her.
Hearing this, Su Zhan made space for Yun Li.
She watched as the girl pulled out a talisman paper and pinched it between two fingers.
A large character for “fire” flickered in the exact center of the paper.
“Burn Talisman! Flame Blaze!!”
At the command, roaring flames erupted from nowhere.
At the same time as the talisman paper, they burst toward the centipede demonic beast.
A long, burning fire snake shot out in an instant, tearing a large hole in the centipede demonic beast and charring its internal organs and flesh black.
Unfortunately, Yun Li’s cultivation was still a bit weak.
The fire snake failed to pierce straight through and the damage it caused was limited, not enough to be fatal.
Still, she had given it her all.
The centipede demonic beast screeched in agony.
The burning effect was continuous.
The armored plates on the surface of its body cracked and gradually festered open.
Enraged, it began to thrash its body madly, slamming itself toward Yun Li.
Its center line was wide open—a flaw.
Su Zhan seized the opportunity and decisively swung her sword in a horizontal slash.
The sword light was fierce and cold.
The enormous force sent the centipede demonic beast’s head flying several meters away, dirty green blood gushing as it hit the ground.
The demonic body in front of them also collapsed inch by inch under the inertia.
“Senior Sister, more are chasing from behind!”
Su Zhan was still breathing lightly when she heard Yun Li’s startled cry beside her.
Had the entanglement lasted too long?
Yet from start to finish, she and Yun Li had spent less than five minutes killing these two demonic beasts.
“Seven… no, there are already more than ten now!”
If it were simply the strong bullying the weak, the reason would be far too forced.
Moreover, with her present, ordinary demonic beasts would not choose a hard fight under the instinct to seek profit and avoid harm.
Let alone several dozen demonic beasts surrounding them together, as if they were competing for something.
It couldn’t be that she was still an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator in the Immortal Alliance, yet the moment she entered this secret realm she became Tang Monk’s flesh, could it?
Fortunately, they were already close to their original landing spot.
After leading Yun Li in a wild dash for another stretch of path, Su Zhan finally saw the azure-blue sky leaking through the unobstructed canopy.
“Hold on to me tightly,” Su Zhan said in a serious tone.
“Okay.”
Yun Li nodded obediently and once again wrapped both arms tightly around Su Zhan’s waist.
At this moment there was not the slightest improper thought in her heart.
She also knew this was no time for nonsense.
For the sake of her own little life, whatever Senior Sister told her to do, she would do.
Su Zhan raised her long sword high.
Her other hand pulled Yun Li close.
She lightly tapped the tip of her foot.
Half the spiritual power in her body transformed into flowing light.
A crystal-blue sword light shot skyward.
Su Zhan swung with force, and a slender streak of sword qi several zhang wide chopped straight down.
In an instant branches flew in all directions and mud and stones rolled.
From the distant dense forest came waves of startled cries and howls.
I hope this can buy us a little time, Su Zhan thought.
She drove the remaining spiritual power into her long sword.
The spiritual sword left her hand.
She brought two fingers together and formed a seal.
Sword-riding technique was instantly activated, carrying her and Yun Li into midair as they fled into the distance.
On the ground, the sword qi had forcibly pressed a deep ravine through the dense forest.
The half-bodies of several demonic beasts were torn apart.
The ravine was filled with bloodstains and severed limbs.
A few of the demonic beasts could no longer rise, their wails continuous.
Yet the demonic beasts outside the ravine only moved a few degrees faster.
There was not the slightest fear in their scarlet eyes.
Instead they carried a measure of excitement and greed.
If Su Zhan could have seen this scene, she would certainly have cursed inwardly at whatever was wrong with this pack of damned demonic beasts.
While the two of them fled on the sword, a flash of flowing light appeared for an instant on the pads of Yun Li’s gripped fingers, then quickly vanished without a trace.