☆, Chapter 24: So Many Charming Villains 3

The female demon, entangled in water and land, had drained three people dry underwater and was eager to climb ashore to find a new target. Luo Binghe, however, was not so easily dealt with. His expression was fierce; he snapped his fingers, igniting a flame at his fingertip. Using spiritual energy as a catalyst, he flicked the flame towards the lurking demon. The flame flared up the moment it touched a strand of hair, forming a giant ball of fire that forced the black hair to retreat quickly back into the water, too afraid to come ashore.

The entire sequence of movements was executed flawlessly, with tremendous power, leaving no room for error.

Shen Qingqiu raised the sign with satisfaction: Luo Binghe, 10/10!

Luo Binghe picked up the luminous pearl that Qin Wanyue had dropped in her panic, held it high like a beacon to calm everyone, and shouted, "Junior sisters and brothers, don't get separated, stay together!" Then, he took out the standard equipment that everyone at the Immortal Alliance Conference had, a distress firework, and launched it into the sky.

The distress fireworks were meant to signal for help when disciples encountered monsters they couldn't defeat. Generally, the Immortal Alliance wouldn't release overly dangerous monsters during its annual grand assembly, and after three uses, they would automatically forfeit. Therefore, in every major Immortal Alliance assembly, they were rarely used unless absolutely necessary. But now, however, brilliant fireworks were rising one after another across the entire Valley of Despair. What would normally be a beautiful scene was now, far from being dazzling, filled instead with a chilling dread.

Because every firework that rises represents a disciple encountering an extremely terrifying monster whose life is threatened!

"Crystal Mirror! Look at the Crystal Mirror!"

Screams and cries echoed from the crystal mirror. Some disciples lay dead on the spot, while others were still fighting bloody battles, their eyes filled with terror: "Why? Why is this happening here... It shouldn't be like this!"

"Help! Poisonous python! Master, save me! Senior brother, save me..."

Suddenly, a hoarse cry came from a crystal mirror, followed by the mournful cry of a spirit eagle, and the scene turned completely black.

Everyone asked in bewilderment, "What happened?"

Shen Qingqiu felt a tingling sensation on his scalp and his fingertips were icy cold.

That hoarse cry must be from the Bone Eagle of the Demon Realm! A ferocious and bloodthirsty flying demon.

This spirit eagle was probably torn apart by them and crashed to the ground, shattering the crystal into pieces.

Everything that swims in the water, walks on the land, and flies in the air has been invaded by these terrifying demonic creatures!

Faced with such a grand and chaotic scene, he really couldn't treat it as just a realistic drama and calmly stand aside, as he had originally envisioned.

Outside the Valley of Despair, chaos erupted on the high platform. A Taoist priest from Tianyi Temple shouted, "What's going on? The demonic creatures selected and placed at the Immortal Alliance Conference have all undergone strict regulations and screening. How could something like the Female Vengeful Spirit, a creature purely from the demonic realm, have infiltrated!"

Several disciples of the Illusion Flower Palace had already died. The old palace master suddenly stood up and said in a trembling voice, word by word, "Open the barrier!"

The massive barrier enveloping the Valley of Despair was being supported by nearly a hundred monks from Zhaohua Temple. The abbot of Zhaohua Temple was about to use telepathy to instruct the monks to remove the barrier. Unexpectedly, Yue Qingyuan suddenly said, "Don't open it!"

The old palace master was stunned: "What does Sect Leader Yue mean by this?"

There were over a hundred disciples from the Azure Sky Mountain Sect participating in the Immortal Alliance Conference in the Valley of Despair, but Yue Qingyuan prevented the barrier from being opened and allowed the disciples inside to escape. There must have been a very special reason for this.

Shen Qingqiu said, "Once the barrier is removed, the disciples can escape, but the demons that were trapped inside will also scatter. There are villages and people within a few miles of here, so the situation will be even more serious. At least our sect's disciples are capable of dealing with them, but what about those ordinary people who don't have spiritual power?"

Upon hearing this, the renowned senior sect leaders on the high platform were speechless, their silence as still as death. At such a moment, no matter how powerful one's cultivation level (Golden Core or Nascent Soul stage), one was powerless to stop this out-of-control situation.

Someone from the Illusion Flower Palace, completely bewildered, said, "If we can't open the barrier to let them out, then... then what should we do?"

Shen Qingqiu said, "If we can't go out, then we can only go in."

The members of the Cangqiong Mountain Sect exchanged knowing glances. Yue Qingyuan spoke loudly: "Fellow Daoists, today's events must have been deliberately orchestrated by someone with ulterior motives, attempting to use the demons to wipe out the rising stars and future pillars of the cultivation world. For now, the only option is to maintain the barrier. Are there any fellow Daoists willing to join the Cangqiong Mountain Sect in entering the valley to clear out the demons and rescue the disciples attending the gathering?"

To fight your way out and wipe out the monsters requires not only strength but also courage.

The former palace master of Huanhua Palace was the first to respond, saying, "Huanhua Palace has an unshirkable responsibility."

The Illusion Flower Palace had the largest number of participants and the greatest investment in this Immortal Alliance Conference, making them the least able to afford any losses. With one person taking the lead, others immediately followed suit, volunteering one after another. Even the very few who were initially hesitant were now awakened: their own exceptionally talented disciples were all there!

Shen Qingqiu stepped forward, about to join the line of volunteers going to provide support, when Liu Qingge slightly shifted her stance, her sword sheath blocking Shen Qingqiu's path.

Shen Qingqiu remained calm and used two fingers to open the scabbard: "What is the meaning of this?"

Liu Qingge said succinctly, "Your poison."

Yue Qingyuan also spoke in a voice only they could hear: "That's right. Qingqiu. Have you forgotten that you still have 'incurable' residual poison in your body? Leave the safety of the disciples of Qingjing Peak to us." He didn't say the last part. If it suddenly flares up after entering the Desolate Valley, causing stagnation of spiritual energy and being surrounded by numerous demonic creatures, then there would truly be no one to turn to for help.

Shen Qingqiu shook his head and said, "How can a master hide on a high platform to enjoy the cool air when his disciple is in trouble? If I can't protect my disciple, I might as well not be the peak master of Qingjing Peak."

Moreover, he is a crucial character who triggers key plot points; the scenes can't be filmed without his presence.

Ding-dong, system notification: [By creating a positive image, the villain has become more three-dimensional, B-level +30!]

Shen Qingqiu rolled his eyes inwardly: Is this some kind of sweet treat before the final blow?

Yue Qingyuan and the others tried to dissuade him to no avail, so they had no choice but to say helplessly, "Then you must be very careful. If you can't handle it, immediately use the sound transmission method to summon us to come and help you."

Shen Qingqiu wasn't as pessimistic about his ability to deal with demons as they were. Besides his confidence in his Nascent Soul cultivation and spiritual power, he had another advantage.

Shen Qingqiu's interest in the demons in "The Arrogant Immortal Demon Path" far outweighs his interest in the various girls.

He might not remember which female lead liked to go stargazing with Luo Binghe when she was feeling a little wronged, or which female lead had any special little quirks during sex, and sometimes he couldn't even match the names together, but he knew the attributes and weaknesses of every kind of monster perfectly!

If we absolutely had to find something about him that could be called a cheat code... this is all we could find!

In the Valley of Despair, Luo Binghe was settling his fellow disciples, whose souls had been scattered, and keeping them in place. At a time like this, they absolutely could not wander off; if they encountered new monsters or got separated again, the situation would only worsen.

The night wind howled, and the wails of ghosts and wolves, whether human or demonic, echoed from all directions. Those with weak hearts had already burst into tears. Qin Wanyue's face was deathly pale, but she saw Luo Binghe leaning against a tree, the Zhengyang Sword tucked into his robes. He was alert yet calm, shielding others from all the invasion of darkness. Amidst his helplessness, a trace of tenderness and affection welled up within her.

If Shen Qingqiu were here, he would definitely be incredibly excited: Girl, you've fallen for him! His gossip-loving soul would be burning brightly!

Just then, a rustling sound came from the bushes. Luo Binghe's eyes sharpened, and a stream of spiritual energy gathered in his palm, ready to be unleashed.

The sound of the grass rustling grew louder and closer, and everyone's hearts were in their throats. Perhaps they were so frightened that no one dared to scream.

Suddenly, there was a thud, like someone falling to the ground. Then, a round thing rolled out of the grass.

It was a human head.

The head had its eyes closed, its face covered in blood, and its hair was a tangled mess, like a chicken coop. The scene was originally terrifying, but in this situation, a harmless dead head was better than a man-eating monster, so quite a few people actually breathed a sigh of relief.

Qin Wanyue asked in a trembling voice, "...This...Does anyone know which sect this senior brother belongs to?"

The disciples from various factions present moved closer to identify him, and all breathed a sigh of relief: "He's not one of ours." "Never seen him before."

Luo Binghe glanced into the depths of the bushes in the darkness, thinking, "The head is here, and the body should be nearby too. I might as well go and see which sect the clothes belong to." He strengthened the spiritual energy in his palm and walked into the darkness.

Sure enough, a stiff corpse lay behind the bushes. The man in the light blue Taoist robe must have been an entry-level disciple of the Tianyi Temple. Luo Binghe only saw the hem of the robe before sighing. A disciple of this entry level must have originally come to the Immortal Alliance Conference to broaden his horizons, but unexpectedly, he was caught up in a sudden disaster and lost his life.

He looked online again, but suddenly froze.

The head was still intact attached to the neck of the corpse!

Where did that head come from?

Luo Binghe swiftly turned back, drew his sword Zheng Yang, and shouted amidst a burst of white light: "Get away from that head!"

Before the words were even finished, the head that had been lying quietly on the ground suddenly opened its eyes!

It stared angrily at everyone, and suddenly eight thin, long, slender spider legs covered with barbs appeared out of nowhere from under its neck, and it leaped up!

The person closest to it had no time to dodge and was jumped onto its head. The man screamed wildly, drawing his sword and swinging it haphazardly, while others scrambled to avoid him. Luo Binghe dared not draw his sword rashly; if he struck this person's head instead of the monster, the consequences would be unimaginable. The sight of such a terrifying thing crawling on his head was utterly horrifying, almost suffocating. In utter despair, the man turned his sword, aiming to plunge it into his head. But before he could even raise his hand, eight thin, spider-like legs found their mark and plunged into his temple!

The man's body immediately stiffened, his tongue seemed to be tied in knots, and he couldn't utter a single word. The spider legs extending from the man's head and neck pierced deeper and deeper, and the man's body convulsed uncontrollably.

A moment later, the eight spider legs were pulled out, leaving only a bloody hole at the man's temple. His skull cavity seemed to have been completely drained, leaving it empty.

The scene was so horrifying that even Luo Binghe was momentarily stunned. The spider-like monster with a human head, having sucked its fill of brain marrow, crawled up and down the corpse, emitting mournful howls that sounded like the cries of an infant.

Just then, a beam of light formed from a stream of spiritual energy flew over, piercing through its mouth that was emitting a long horn, and piercing the thing through!

Amidst an abrupt silence and the bewildered gazes of the crowd, Shen Qingqiu rubbed his ears, which were throbbing from its barking, and slowly straightened his sleeves before making a low-key entrance.

Unfurling her folding fan to cover half her face, Shen Qingqiu said with a disdainful tone, "So noisy!"