Rewinding time to before Jun Changxiao came to the rescue, though the Demon Fog Demon King had been locked in the Death Gate, it didn’t mean the crisis was resolved, because the demonic qi attributes existing all around had reached their peak.

“Ahh!”

Xiao Zuiji knelt on one knee, his entire face twisted to the extreme.

After being struck by the Demon Fog Demon King’s punch, his soul defenses had already crumbled considerably. Now being crazily harassed again, he completely couldn’t bear it.

Li Qingyang, Ye Xingchen, and the others were the same.

This was the Demon Fog Forest—the danger wasn’t the demonic beasts or Demon King, but the demonic qi that harassed the mind.

“Step!”

Just when everyone was struggling hard to resist the demonic qi entering their bodies and had lost their mobility, Lu Qianqian with white hair flowing landed lightly, forming seals with both hands: “Ice Crystal Protection, Impervious to All Things.”

“Om!”

A strange pattern appeared on the ground beneath her feet, rapidly outlining a lotus flower form.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Cold wind blew, white hair flying.

Lu Qianqian standing in the pattern was enveloped by points of light, as if burning something.

“Senior Sister…”

Li Qingyang called out painfully.

“Nothing will happen.” Lu Qianqian had her back to him: “I will protect you all until the dense fog disperses.”

Her entire body was already completely enveloped by cold qi. Her words should have been cold, but what she said gave a feeling of bathing in spring breeze.

“Swish—”

Just then, even more powerful cold qi suddenly surged within the Demon Fog Forest, rippling outward in all directions. Wherever it passed, the dense fog rapidly froze, and the entire forest seemed to be suspended with a mirror.

“Crack-crack-crack!”

“Crack-crack-crack-crack-crack!”

Frost began forming on the five people’s bodies, then they were encased in thick ice, making it impossible for the external demonic qi to penetrate.

With Ice Crystal Protection, they were safe.

However, whether she could support them until tomorrow when the dense fog retreated depended on Lu Qianqian.

She could.

Because she had said she would protect them.

“Supporting for over ten hours shouldn’t be a problem, however…” Lu Qianqian sealed in the ice crystal thought: “I’ll need to pay a price.”

However.

What she hadn’t expected was that only an hour or two had passed when the external demonic qi gradually weakened, reaching a degree where it couldn’t constitute substantial harm. So she decisively withdrew the ice crystal defense.

Though the time protecting her fellow disciples was short, because she had fully reinforced the ice crystal to resist the demonic qi invasion, it still brought backlash to Lu Qianqian. So after breaking free, she spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.

“Senior Sister!”

Ling Yuanxue and other female disciples rushed over in panic.

Jun Changxiao breathed a sigh of relief. Though his eldest disciple was unconscious, her breathing rhythm was regular—the injury shouldn’t be too serious.

“Sect Master…”

Li Qingyang stood up.

Seeing them all in such wretched states, Jun Changxiao’s heart ached. He then clenched his fists, veins bulging, and roared: “Suck all the demonic qi dry, burn down the mountain forest!”

“Yes!”

All disciples took action.

“Woo-woo-woo—”

Cold wind blew frequently within the Demon Fog Forest, as if crying, and as if begging for mercy.

…

Two hours later.

With everyone working together, the demonic qi inside the Demon Fog Forest was completely gone. Without this attribute, the dense fog also gradually thinned, and various heavenly materials and earthly treasures became clearly visible.

“Swish!”

“Swish!”

Li Shangtian and others split up to gather, quickly taking away all the heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

When Dog Leftover went on campaign, not a blade of grass was left—a third-grade forbidden land completely became an ordinary mountain forest.

The various martial artists in the outer perimeter’s mouths twitched violently.

If they hadn’t witnessed it with their own eyes, who could have imagined that one of the Upper Realm’s forbidden lands would be destroyed in such a short time by the Eternal Ancient Sect, henceforth becoming a speck of dust in the long river of history!

“Little Fire!”

“Yes!”

The Fire Soul Spirit transformed into flames filling the sky, pouncing over like a demon.

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Raging fire enveloped the nearly thousand-mile range of the Demon Fog Forest, until the next day it had completely turned into scorched black earth.

Harming his disciples even slightly required paying a price—not to mention Lu Qianqian coughing up blood and Li Qingyang and others in wretched states. So this long-existing forbidden land being destroyed was only natural.

…

After a great fire, the third-grade Demon Fog Forest was henceforth removed from the Upper Realm’s list, becoming past history.

For martial artists this was both joyful and worrying—joyful that without the source of temptation, they wouldn’t need to come deliver their heads, worrying about how they would obtain opportunities in the future.

Jun Changxiao didn’t care about opportunities or anything—anyway the demonic qi and heavenly materials and earthly treasures had all been taken, as long as he could vent for his disciples that was enough.

“Sigh.”

The martial artists gathered at the outer perimeter shook their heads: “Let’s go.”

With the Demon Fog Forest gone, their hopes were dashed too. After leaving this time they wouldn’t come back to this place again.

However, whenever they recalled that the Eternal Ancient Sect could actually absorb demonic qi and finally set fire to the mountain, they still felt tremendous shock in their hearts.

“Wait.”

Li Dadan was about to leave when Jun Changxiao called out to him.

Since this fellow had dared to enter the Demon Fog Forest with him to find people, he definitely couldn’t shortchange him. So he generously gave him twenty Detoxification Pills.

“Many thanks, Sect Master Jun!”

Li Dadan happily accepted, then cupped his fists and left with his companions.

Though he’d spent 600,000 profound stones coming to the Demon Fog Forest this time, obtaining so many Detoxification Pills was definitely a huge profit. Moreover, as a rogue cultivator who regularly went to various forbidden lands to train, Detoxification Pills were far more important than other pills.

“Return to the sect.”

“Swish! Swish! Swish!”

All disciples summoned their Seven-Colored Brilliant Wings and transformed into flowing light flying toward the Eternal Ancient Immortal Mountain, leaving only that scorched black earth still with lingering smoke.

…

News of the Demon Fog Forest’s destruction spread rapidly throughout the Upper Realm, once again causing a sensation.

The third-grade forbidden land’s level wasn’t particularly high, but it had some history after all. That it would actually be destroyed by the lowly Eternal Ancient Sect was really rather inconceivable!

The Realm Hall also learned of this, but didn’t pay it much mind.

If Dog Leftover had destroyed a sect, they would definitely assert their presence, but destroying a forbidden land—they really couldn’t say much, since there were no rules forbidding martial artists from setting fire to mountains.

Extreme Dao Cave Dwelling.

Tonggu Zhenren sat before a chess board, laughing heartily: “This disciple of mine has some capability—he actually destroyed a third-grade forbidden land.”

“Clack.”

Qiye Zhenren placed a chess piece and shook his head: “Your disciple dares to destroy forbidden lands today—who’s to say he won’t dare to confront the Realm Hall tomorrow. I really don’t know what you’re so happy about.”

“…”

Tonggu Zhenren immediately couldn’t laugh anymore.

Qiye Zhenren continued: “From what I know, five disciples from your disciple’s sect went to train in the Demon Fog Forest and encountered the Demon Fog Demon King.”

“Oh?”

Tonggu Zhenren was quite surprised: “Wasn’t that beast sealed?”

“Since it could be sealed, naturally it can be unsealed.” Qiye Zhenren placed a chess piece, looking at him meaningfully.

The two had known each other for many years—one look immediately made Tonggu Zhenren understand. His expression grew grim: “Someone is deliberately targeting my disciple’s sect?”

“Who sealed the Demon Fog Demon King?” Qiye Zhenren said.

“The Realm Hall!”

Tonggu Zhenren gripped his chess piece tightly, saying coldly: “Good, so they dare to play dirty tricks!”

“If they let us guess so easily, wouldn’t the Realm Hall be digging a pit for themselves to jump into?” Qiye Zhenren said.

“What do you mean?”

“Very simple—someone wants you to blame the Realm Hall.”

“…”

Tonggu Zhenren covered his forehead: “No good, no good, you’ve confused me.”

“The Upper Realm now is like this chess game—it seems calm on the surface.” Qiye Zhenren swept his hand, mixing the black and white pieces together: “But if someone gives a light push it will descend into great chaos.”

“Worthy of being an expert at chess.” Tonggu Zhenren said: “Even your words are so profound and thought-provoking.”

“Don’t understand?”

“Don’t understand.”

“You’ve played chess with me for so long for nothing.”

“Can you just speak plainly?”

“I haven’t figured it out myself, how can I explain it to you clearly? Come, play chess!”

“Wait, the restored chess board isn’t right—you took back a move again!”

“Nonsense, it was like this originally!”

—