True devilish qi surged within the mountain col.

Although the ancient devil had been ambushed and his devilish might had waned, by joining forces with the Dongji Leader, he still pressed the Xiyou Leader into retreat after retreat. Hemmed in by the sword array and the ancient devil, the Xiyou Leader's situation grew increasingly perilous.

The Devil Lord charged toward the battlefield to rescue the Xiyou Leader.

The ancient devil’s lips curled into a strange smile. "So you learned my talisman array? It’s one thing to hinder me once, but do you really think I have no countermeasure? I had intended to keep a devilish servant to serve me. It seems like I will have to raise another one later."

The Dongji Leader, following his command, unleashed his full power.

Boom! The sword array collapsed, its gathered power coalescing into a spiritual sword that shone like a rainbow piercing the sun, slashing straight at the Xiyou Leader. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Forced to defend, the Xiyou Leader raised her treasured flute, blocking the strike. Its divine light dimmed.

Unexpectedly, the ancient devil suddenly reversed its palm and crushed the Dongji Leader’s skull, seizing his Spiritual Infant.

Chains of a devilish barrier manifested around the Spiritual Infant, whose face twisted in agony. Realizing it was about to be devoured, it struggled instinctively.

The ancient devil snorted coldly, suppressing the struggling Spiritual Infant before shoving it into his mouth and chewing with relish. His aura flared violently, and the chain marks upon his body faded even further.

"Die!" the ancient devil shouted.

Borrowing the residual power of the sword array, the ancient devil flickered forward, almost pressing chest to chest with the Xiyou Leader. His expression was emotionless, his gaze fixed upon hers.

Their eyes met. The Xiyou Leader’s face twisted in horror.

Splurt! Terror shattered her spirit. She frantically tried to defend, but a cold sensation spread across her chest. Lowering her head, she saw her abdomen had been ripped open.

Her Spiritual Infant flew from her body, but unlike the Beichen Leader, she didn’t even have the chance to teleport away. Frozen in place, she was instantly seized by the ancient devil.

The Devil Lord’s eyes widened. Without hesitation, he withdrew beyond the mountain col.

His glance swept the area. No one was left. Old Devil Mou had been crushed to death by the Devil-Suppressing Stele; the Xiyou Leader had been devoured by the ancient devil. A wave of desolation welled up within him.

The Devil Lord turned a furious glare toward Lingzhuzi. If not for this man’s interference and long entanglement, he might at least have saved one of them.

The old woman and the old man were seated cross-legged on one side of the col. The old man had swallowed a healing pill, while the old woman was aiding him in recovery.

Lingzhuzi and Madam Li stood on the opposite side. The Devil Lord alone guarded the exit. The three forces faced one another, encircling the ancient devil at the center.

"The three top human experts, gathered together, what an extravagant lineup." The ancient devil sneered.

Chewing on the Spiritual Infant, he revealed a look of ecstasy. Despite being surrounded by three late-stage Spiritual Infant masters, he showed not the slightest trace of fear.

Since the human cultivators had yet to attack, he too remained still, focusing entirely on absorbing the power of the three Spiritual Infants to break the seal.

"Daoist, you must be Fairy Nangu, right? To think the famed number-one beauty of Canglang Sea in those years has grown old and wrinkled, and to find you’re a successor of the Four Saints Palace. No wonder you vanished so suddenly back then." Sensing the old woman’s hateful glare, the Devil Lord chuckled lightly, greeting her with a smile.

"I never expected that the carefree heir of Devil Island would sink to such vile and despicable acts!" Fairy Nangui’s voice was filled with rage.

She had already learned the truth from her senior brother and now hated the Devil Lord to the bone.

"I predicted that the Four Saints Palace would send a top expert, so I had Old Devil Mou standing by. Yet I didn’t expect two of you to come. It seems the Four Saints Palace's strength is recovering swiftly. As expected of the Four Saints’ heirs, your foundation runs deep.

"Victory and defeat are but fate; if you wish to avenge your fellow disciple, I can oblige. But with the ancient devil and that old bastard watching us like tigers, this may not be the right time for vengeance. Besides, your aura feels unstable. Did you perhaps employ your palace’s famed Essence-Sacrificing Art? You likely won’t be able to maintain it for long." The Devil Lord sighed, his tone almost regretful.

"I know that art as well. Care to test it yourself? Cough..." The old man, angered to the point of coughing, glared at him.

The Essence-Sacrificing Art could grant a temporary surge in power, but at a huge cost. Earlier, when the ancient devil had not yet broken his seal, the situation wasn’t dire, so he had refrained from using it. He had never expected that so many schemers would converge, vying for the Devil-Suppressing Stele.

Lingzhuzi flicked his fly-whisk. "I bear no wish to quarrel with any of you. However, the ancient devil must not be released, lest Canglang Sea be plunged into ruin."

"Hypocrite!" The Devil Lord sneered. "And who was it that tried to seize the Devil-Suppressing Stele moments ago?"

"If I had known beforehand that you intended to unseal the ancient devil, I would have done everything to stop you. Unfortunately, all I discovered was your effort to gather men for the Five-Elemental Carnage Array. Only after following you here did I uncover the truth." Lingzhuzi’s tone was solemn.

The Devil Lord’s eyes narrowed. "So Old Devil Yin’s disappearance... was your doing?"

Lingzhuzi admitted without hesitation. "It took quite some effort."

"At that time, I had merely mentioned the idea to Old Devil Yin, not even begun the preparations, and you already..." The Devil Lord gave a cold snort. He knew there must have been other hidden factors and chose not to press further.

His tone shifted. "So what if the ancient devil is released? The three of us together, with the Devil-Suppressing Stele in hand, could easily slay him. Wouldn’t that be an opportunity? Are you content to remain stagnant at the late stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm? That devil surely knows countless ancient secrets. If we capture him and search his soul, we might find the path forward!"

Lingzhuzi’s expression wavered slightly. He cast a glance toward the ancient devil. The ancient devil, still devouring the Spiritual Infants to break his seal, showed no anger upon hearing the Devil Lord’s words. He was indeed powerful, though far from the exaggerated legends.

Fairy Nangui, having stabilized her senior brother’s injuries, said coldly, "The ancient devil can be slain, but do you really think there’s only one ancient devil here?"

"What do you mean?" Lingzhuzi and the Devil Lord both froze, doubt flashing in their eyes.

Fairy Nangui let out a cold snort and pointed at the stone stele. "There exists an ancient seal beneath Yitian Peak, vast in scale. In the past, a fissure appeared within this seal, allowing the ancient devil to escape and massacre countless human experts. It took the lives of my four ancestors to seal the ancient devil back here. Those sacrificial altars scattered across the inner and outer halls were actually meant to repair the ancient seal. Suppressing the ancient devil was merely a secondary effect. The Devil-Suppressing Stele is not some supreme treasure but the very core of the ancient seal. Once the ancient devil is subdued, you may examine it all you wish. If you really dare to release the ancient devil, then go ahead and take the stele."

The two men exchanged glances. From Fairy Nangui’s tone, it did not sound like an empty claim.

"It’s said that among the Four Saints, there were ones who had reached the Divine Transformation Realm. For them to sacrifice their lives to seal this devil..." The Devil Lord was momentarily stunned, shaken by the realization of the ancient devil’s former might.

Fairy Nangui’s words also revealed an old mystery. If the Four Saints had been willing to act, the witch race should not have had the power to resist them.

Yet despite the blood feud between the two races, the humans merely drove the witch race back to the Witch God Continent and let them live. It turned out that this was because something had gone wrong with Seven-Kill Hall.

"If the ancient seal breaks again, will more ancient devils be released? Just how many of those devilish monsters are sealed beneath this mountain?" Lingzhuzi said in shock.

"This devil has devoured three Spiritual Infants. The three of us cannot suppress him for long. Each time the Devil-Suppressing Stele is activated, my senior brother must spend some time preparing it again. The longer we delay, the greater the danger. If you do not wish to see these devils running rampant, send someone immediately to repair the sacrificial altars." Fairy Nangui handed the Devil-Suppressing Stele to the old man.

"Uhh..." Lingzhuzi hesitated.

At the scene, the only one who could leave to repair the altars was Madam Li. But once Madam Li left, he would be standing alone.