Chapter 72: Elder of Beauty Deva Squad
Back in the demonic sect Blood Boar Sect side, Xi Na's body trembled as she knelt inside the dimly lit cavern, her wrists shackled with cold iron.
The demonic path cultivators of the Blood Boar Sect stood around her in a half-circle, their expressions twisted with contempt and amusement.
The leader of the group, a man with blazing blood-red eyes and a black cloth mask covering the lower half of his face, stepped forward, his voice dripping with condescension.
"Disciple Xi Na," he drawled, his tone like poisoned honey, "your reasoning for not activating the demonic orb within the Autumn Dragon Sect has been found lacking. Your hesitation has cost us valuable time and resources. Do you understand the severity of your failure?"
Xi Na swallowed hard but remained silent. She knew better than to argue. Her fate was already sealed.
The man tilted his head, his eyes narrowing as he observed her defiance. "Tomorrow, you will undergo the Trial of the Pit. If you survive until dawn, you may return to the Blood Boar Sect. If you perish, then you were never worthy to be among us."
The gathered cultivators chuckled darkly, some murmuring among themselves about how they doubted she would last an hour, let alone an entire night.
"Prepare yourself, Xi Na. The Pit does not forgive weakness."
With that, the blood-red-eyed man turned and left, his robes billowing behind him. The crowd slowly dispersed, leaving only the flickering torchlight and the distant, ominous growls from deeper within the pit.
…
The pit was not a mere hole in the ground. It was an elaborate underground labyrinth of iron-barred cages, each one housing savage creatures mutated by demonic dao essence.
The energy in this place was thick, pulsating with malevolence.
Unlike normal beasts that had been afflicted by the demonic path, these creatures had completely lost all traces of their former selves.
They were nothing but pure, undiluted hunger and rage.
Glock'Nine materialized beside Xi Na, his spectral form crackling with suppressed fury. "Tch! You should have just killed all of them! How dare they treat you like this?" His massive, jagged grin split his face wider. "Bah! Let them come. Let them bring their worst!"
A low rumbling shook the ground beneath them as the first cage door creaked open.
The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed in the pit, followed by a guttural snarl.
A monstrous figure stepped forward, its hulking frame barely squeezing through the doorway.
It had the vague shape of a panther, but its body was grotesquely warped—its bones jutted out unnaturally, and its eyes glowed with a sickly green light.
Xi Na exhaled slowly and pressed her hands together. "Merge."
Glock'Nine's body dissolved into wisps of darkness before surging toward Xi Na, enveloping her form in a dense, swirling mist.
Her body trembled as the fusion took hold, her muscles tightening, her skin darkening to an ashen hue.
Her hair grew wilder, her pupils dilated into slits, and her fingertips extended into razor-sharp claws.
Unlike before, where she would usually let Glock'Nine's wild nature take over and scream into battle with reckless abandon, Xi Na was actually quiet.
No… More like… Focused.
The panther-like beast lunged, its elongated fangs bared.
Xi Na sidestepped just in time, feeling the rush of corrupted wind as the creature's maw snapped shut inches from her face.
She twisted, bringing her clawed hand up in a swift, calculated arc. Her talons tore through the beast's thick hide, blackened blood spraying across the pit floor.
The beast roared in fury, its wounds knitting together unnaturally fast.
It lashed out with a massive paw, its claws enhanced by demonic qi.
Xi Na ducked, feeling the air ripple above her as the attack barely missed.
She wouldn't let it heal again.
She darted in, her movements sharp and precise.
A low sweep of her leg tripped the beast, and before it could recover, she plunged her claws deep into its throat, twisting violently.
The beast let out a final, strangled howl before going still, its corrupted flesh disintegrating into dark mist.
Her breathing was heavy, but her expression remained calm.
Glock'Nine's voice rumbled in her head. "Damn, girl. You're getting good at this."
Another cage door creaked open.
This time, two creatures emerged—twisted abominations of a wolf and a reptilian beast, both twice the size of the panther.
Xi Na didn't even flinch.
The wolf-like beast howled, a wave of piercing sound slamming into her body.
Pain shot through her eardrums, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself forward.
The reptilian beast lunged at the same time, its fangs coated in venomous mist.
She pivoted mid-step, dodging the wolf's soundwave attack just as the reptilian creature's fangs narrowly missed her shoulder.
With a swift movement, she launched herself upward, landing on the wolf's back. Her claws pierced its spine in one fluid motion.
The beast howled in agony before collapsing beneath her.
She turned to the reptilian creature just in time to see its tail whip toward her. She barely managed to raise her arm in defense as the impact sent her flying against the stone wall.
The moment her body hit the ground, the reptilian beast lunged again, aiming straight for her throat.
Xi Na let out a sharp exhale. "Enough."
A massive surge of dark energy burst from her body, sending shockwaves through the pit.
The reptilian beast froze mid-air, caught in the suffocating force of her demonic aura.
It let out a strangled cry as Xi Na shot forward, sinking her claws into its skull and twisting violently.
A sickening crunch echoed through the chamber, and the beast's body went limp.
Silence settled in the pit.
Then came the sound of slow, deliberate clapping.
Xi Na turned her head sharply.
Standing at the entrance of the pit was the blood-red-eyed man from before. His mask concealed his expression, but the glint in his eyes spoke of amusement.
"Impressive," he murmured. "Perhaps you are worthy after all."
Xi Na said nothing, her body still tense, waiting for the next challenge. But the man merely chuckled and stepped forward.
"Very well, disciple Xi Na. You may continue your trial. But do not think for a second that this was the worst the pit has to offer."
With that, he gestured to the deepest part of the pit.
More cages.
More horrors waiting to be unleashed.
Xi Na exhaled sharply and prepared herself.
Suddenly, she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as the realization hit her.
"This is too much," she muttered, her voice hoarse but laced with defiance.
Her sharp eyes darted toward the man in the black robe and mask, who stood with an eerily composed stance, his red eyes burning like embers in the darkness.
A chuckle echoed from the man, low and sinister, before his gloved hands reached up and began to peel away the mask.
The first thing that became visible was a pair of full lips painted with a deep crimson hue, curling into a mischievous smile.
As the mask fell away completely, the dim glow of torches illuminated a face adorned with meticulous makeup—sharp brows, striking eyeliner, and shimmering rouge on the cheeks.
Xi Na narrowed her eyes.
She had seen many kinds of cultivators in her life, and this presence was not that different.
The man smirked and flicked his hand, the elegant movement carrying a sense of danger.
"I am Elder Shao Yun of the Beauty Deva Squad," he declared, his voice velvety smooth yet filled with cold amusement. "And you, little Xi Na, have just signed your own death warrant. Killing my beautiful babies in the sanctuary of Autumn Dragon Sect is the same as declaring war against us. How tragic."
Xi Na's lips pressed into a thin line.
Glock'Nine, still merged with her, growled in frustration. "Tch! Why are all these annoying people getting in our way? Let's just finish him off too!"
Shao Yun let out a dramatic sigh and snapped his fingers.
The iron gates lining the pit trembled before they burst open one by one, releasing monstrous creatures from their cages.
The torches flickered as a foul energy surged through the air, suffocating in its intensity.
These were not ordinary demonic beasts. Their eyes gleamed with an unnatural hunger, their bodies twisted by dark cultivation methods.
Their flesh was adorned with pulsating veins of corrupted qi, and their claws were sharper than blades.
Each of them radiated a level of malevolence far beyond the previous opponent Xi Na had faced.
Glock'Nine materialized like a ghost made of mist around Xi Na's neck like a firecoat, and then he muttered, ''Oh no!'' for once sharing Xi Na's caution.
The beasts did not attack each other, nor did they waste any time.
Their savage gazes all fixated on Xi Na, their killing intent nearly materializing into a suffocating force.
"Now then," Shao Yun said in a sing-song voice. "Do try to entertain me before you die. I do so love a good performance."
The first beast lunged. It was a grotesque, lion-like creature with jagged bones protruding from its spine, its mouth filled with writhing, snake-like tongues.
Xi Na barely dodged in time, twisting her body mid-air before landing on her feet, only to find another creature already closing in on her.
This one resembled a centipede, but its exoskeleton was made of obsidian spikes, each segment of its body pulsating with eerie red light.
It coiled, then shot forward like an arrow, its razor-like mandibles snapping dangerously close to Xi Na's face.
Glock'Nine roared in frustration, releasing a wave of chaotic qi that sent the centipede-like beast skidding back.
"We need to take them out fast!" Glock'Nine growled. "If we get surrounded, we're dead!"
But it was too late.
The beasts attacked in unison.
One after another, they came at her, their strikes deadly and unrelenting.
The pit became a battlefield drenched in shadows, illuminated only by the eerie glow of corrupted qi.
Xi Na fought like a demon herself, her movements fluid and precise, dodging and countering with every ounce of strength she had left.
But the beasts were more than mere animals—they were cultivators in their own right, mutated and twisted into weapons of destruction.
Their movements were not random; they were tactical, coordinated.
Xi Na panted, pushing herself harder. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she barely avoided a claw swipe aimed at her neck.
"Damn it, how many of these things are there?" Glock'Nine cursed.
"Too many," Xi Na muttered through gritted teeth.
A wolf-like creature lunged at her, its body covered in black flames.
It moved with unnatural speed, its claws tearing through the air.
Xi Na barely managed to parry its attack, but the impact sent her skidding backward, her feet digging into the bloodstained ground.
Her arms ached. Her body screamed in protest. But she couldn't afford to stop.
Then, without warning, a sharp laughter rang through the pit.
Shao Yun clapped his hands, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight. "Oh my, you're still alive! How impressive! How utterly delightful! You might just be worthy of something more than death."
Xi Na spat blood to the side, glaring at him. "If you think I'll die here, you're dead wrong."
Shao Yun giggled, waving a hand dismissively. "Oh, I certainly hope not! It would be such a waste. But let's see if you can handle this next one."
The ground beneath them trembled.
The last cage—the largest—creaked open. A monstrous shadow loomed from within, its sheer presence making the other beasts recoil. Red eyes burned like hellfire in the darkness.
A beast unlike any other stepped forward.
Twice the size of the previous creatures, its body was layered with overlapping armor-like scales, each radiating a sinister energy.
Its mouth was lined with countless fangs, saliva dripping onto the ground and sizzling upon contact.
A thick, oppressive aura filled the pit, making Xi Na's knees nearly buckle.
Glock'Nine stiffened. "Oh, shit."
Xi Na exhaled slowly, tightening her grip.
"If we don't beat this thing," she muttered, "we die."
The beast let out an ear-shattering roar. The air rippled with its raw power, and in that moment, Xi Na realized—this was the true trial.
Shao Yun smiled wider. "Now, my dear, let's see what you're really made of."
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