Inside the mountain col, the silver radiance on the stele dimmed rapidly, and the power of the seal weakened greatly.

The ancient devil’s cries of agony turned into mad laughter. After being imprisoned beneath the stele for countless years, he was finally free. His laughter thundered across the land, wild and ecstatic.

Boom! The stele trembled.

The seal was broken, revealing a fissure at its center, though the stele itself did not shatter. Beneath it appeared a strange and terrifying sight.

A mass of black qi took the form of a monstrous face, sometimes laughing wildly, sometimes twisting in rage. The expression was horrifying, and chains bound the ghastly visage tightly.

Now those chains clattered and shook, their glow dimming as though about to snap apart.

"You promised us your secret technique..." The three alliance leaders shouted anxiously, ready to act at any moment.

The ancient devil wasted no words. It released three streams of light that shot toward them, and at the same time, the black qi surged forward, sweeping the helpless Su Nu into his grasp.

The three reached out and drew the streams of light into their hands, instantly sensing the strange and wondrous secret technique within.

"It’s real!" The Xiyou Alliance's leader quickly discerned its authenticity. The restless true essence in her body, which had long been in turmoil, calmed the instant she activated the technique. Her bottleneck even loosened faintly, filling her with overwhelming joy.

Clang!

Dragging his chains, the ancient devil burst free from beneath the stele and dove straight into Su Nu’s forehead.

Su Nu’s face was pale with terror. Her eyes rolled upward and froze, then twisted in unbearable pain. Chains of black markings, which are identical to those on the ancient devil, appeared all over her body.

"Do it!" The three alliance leaders exchanged a glance. Ruthlessness flickered in their eyes as they shouted in unison.

A ring-shaped barrier appeared around Su Nu’s waist, while a wisp of ethereal sword qi flared from her wrist. Then an astonishing scene unfolded.

The ring-shaped barrier set by the Beichen Alliance's leader suddenly constricted, but the sword qi left by the Dongji Alliance's leader did not strike Su Nu. Instead, the blade turned sharply and slashed at the ring-shaped barrier.

"You..." The Beichen Alliance's leader glared furiously at the Donji Alliance's leader, realizing instantly that something was wrong. Without sparing a glance at the ancient devil, he turned and retreated without hesitation.

Just then, the sound of chains rattled beside his ear.

"Crap!" A surge of alarm exploded in his heart. He spat out a stream of light.

A crimson long saber expanded against the wind and swept toward his flank but it met only empty air. At that very instant, a chilling pain pierced his abdomen. He had been struck by a flying sword.

The Beichen Alliance's leader recognized that sword instantly. It was the life-bound spiritual sword of the Dongji Alliance's leader.

The Dongji Alliance's leader stared coldly at his former companion, his face expressionless, his eyes devoid of emotion, as though the man before him were a stranger.

Poof! A slender hand burst through the chest of the Beichen Alliance's leader from behind, clutching a still-beating heart that dripped with blood, crimson and blinding.

The one holding it was Su Nu, her body now possessed by the ancient devil. She no longer looked frail or pitiful. Blood stained her hands, her eyes glimmered with greed and madness. She had become someone entirely different.

The chain marks on her skin grew clearer as the ancient devil broke free from the stele and slaughtered the Beichen Alliance's leader. The light in his eyes faded completely.

A moment later, his Spiritual Infant burst from his crown, dazed and panicked, rushing desperately toward the exit of the mountain col. But his opponent had already anticipated this. The life-bound spiritual sword of the Dongji Alliance's leader was waiting.

Countless brilliant sword lights filled the air, forming a powerful sword array that pressed down with overwhelming force, enclosing the Spiritual Infant within.

Startled, the Spiritual Infant’s figure flickered and reappeared far away, escaping the sword array’s range.

It was not speed that saved him but a supernatural ability unique to Spiritual Infant cultivators.

However, each use of this supernatural ability came at a heavy price, greatly wounding the cultivator’s vital energy. Thus, it was reserved only for moments of utmost peril.

Because of this, it was known as the greatest escape technique among all supernatural abilities.

At that desperate moment, the Beichen Alliance's leader had no other choice. His Spiritual Infant teleported and darted toward the edge of the mountain col, but before it could take another step, Su Nu’s enchanting face appeared before him.

The ancient devil had foreseen his escape and was already waiting there. A hand reached out, radiating immense suppressive power.

The Spiritual Infant’s expression turned ashen. Powerless to resist, it was seized by the ancient devil.

In the next instant, the ancient devil vanished and reappeared at the mountain col’s exit, blocking the escape route of the Xiyou Alliance's leader. He opened his mouth and swallowed the Spiritual Infant whole. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

The ancient devil chewed slowly, savoring the struggling essence, his expression one of intoxicated delight, as though tasting the finest delicacy in the mortal world.

"How interesting..." The ancient devil’s lips curled into a sinister smile as his gaze shifted to the Xiyou Alliance's leader.

Moments earlier, when the three alliance leaders had agreed to strike together, the Xiyou Alliance's leader had shown no intention of acting. She had not triggered the barrier on Su Nu’s body and had turned to flee without looking back.

Had the others not been strong enough to finish off Beichen Alliance's leader swiftly, and had the ancient devil not been so fast, she might indeed have escaped. Now, her teeth clenched tightly as she retreated in fear.

Having witnessed the horrific sight of the ancient devil devouring a Spiritual Infant alive, her face turned deathly pale, her eyes trembling with terror.

Whoosh! A sharp sound sliced through the air behind her. The Dongji Alliance's leader appeared, blocking her path, his face devoid of expression.

"Traitor! You’ve sided with a devilish monster!" Pressed against the stone wall, the Xiyou Alliance's leader shouted furiously.

The Dongji Alliance's leader remained unmoved. "The Baili line has served the Devil Monarch for generations!"

"Hehe..." The ancient devil let out a strange laugh. "He didn’t betray you. Long ago, I secretly placed a devilish barrier upon him and turned him into my devilish servant, loyal to me alone. If not for my strength being suppressed by that accursed seal, I would have done the same to all of you. Unfortunately, once he reached the late stage of Spiritual Infant Realm, he could have broken free from my control. I had no choice but to equalize your cultivation arts and keep him hidden among you."

Hearing those words, the Xiyou Alliance's leader showed no sign of surprise. A cold smile appeared on her face. "I’ve long known those two were unreliable!"

"Oh?" The ancient devil was slightly taken aback.

The Xiyou Alliance's leader turned her head toward the outer edge of the mountain col and shouted loudly, "How much longer are you going to hide? Are you not going to act yet?"

"Hehe, I’ve been waiting outside all this time, but the situation changed too quickly. Before I could react, Daoist Qingyun was already at a disadvantage... No wonder you dare call yourself the Devil Monarch." From within the stone forest, thin mist swirled as a figure slowly emerged. It was the Devil Lord.

He strode forward. Though his steps appeared unhurried, in a flash he arrived at the entrance of the mountain col.

Facing the ancient devil, his expression remained calm and composed. His gaze swept over the scene, pausing briefly on the corpse of the Beichen Alliance's leader, yet his face showed no change.

"Late stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm?" The ancient devil’s eyes narrowed slightly in surprise.

The lips of the Dongji Alliance's leader moved faintly as he transmitted his voice in secret.

Seeing that only the Devil Lord had arrived, the Xiyou Alliance's leader’s heart tightened. She shouted angrily, "Why didn’t you save Daoist Ji?"

The ancient devil’s strength was terrifying. With only the two of them present, there was no way they could suppress the ancient devil.

The Devil Lord was certainly capable of saving the Beichen Alliance's leader, yet he had chosen not to act.

"No rush," the Devil Lord replied calmly, "Our reinforcements will be here soon. Besides, don’t you still have a safeguard?"