The quagmire remained the same, but they were no longer the ignorant travelers they once were. They now wielded the Demon-Binding Mirror and possessed supreme power.
When they stepped into the mud again, the powerful pressure came rushing towards them once more, but they met it head-on without fear.
"Old Demon! Your end has come!" Xu Yuehua shouted, her voice echoing over the mud pit, full of majesty and power.
"Using the mirror as a spirit, to exorcise evil and vanquish demons, seal it!"
As she chanted the incantation from the ancient text, she poured all her inner strength into the Demon-Trapping Mirror. The mirror shone brightly, and a golden beam of light shot straight into the mud!
The mud suddenly boiled, as if countless creatures were struggling and roaring. Then, a huge black shadow shot out of the mud, which was the evil old demon in its true form.
"Aww!"
The old demon roared and opened its blood-red maw, lunging at the two of them. But Xu Yuehuai and Bai Yu were not afraid at all. While dodging the old demon's attacks, they continued to chant incantations to strengthen the seal of the Demon-Trapping Mirror.
"Waaaaah!"
As the seal deepened, the old demon was finally enveloped by the light of the Demon-Trapping Mirror, letting out a series of mournful howls.
As the seal was completed, the old demon's body gradually shrank, eventually turning into a lump of black mud and re-merging into the swamp.
The mud pool returned to calm, and the eerie sights and sounds vanished without a trace.
Xu Yuehuai and Bai Yu collapsed to the ground, but were not seriously injured. They knew they had successfully lifted the old demon's curse and could now go find Bei Ye.
After a relentless search, in the afterglow of the setting sun, they finally found Bei Ye unconscious in a dark and secluded corner. He lay quietly on the ground, his body tightly wrapped in a layer of pitch-black viscous liquid, as if it were a terrifying mark left by the old demon, proclaiming its corrosive and rampant nature.
Xu Yuehuai and the others quickly approached, using their profound internal strength and true qi as a guide to carefully expel the toxins from his body.
At the same time, Bai Yu took out several precious pills from his pocket and gently fed them to Bei Ye.
"Will your pills work?" Xu Yuehuai was somewhat skeptical that he would be so kind.
"There's no other way now, is there? Besides taking my pills, there's nothing else that can save him. Whether he wakes up or not depends on his fate." Bai Yu said indifferently, shrugging his shoulders as he sat down under a clean tree nearby.
Xu Yuehuai stayed by Bei Ye's side, hoping he would wake up soon.
Finally, after Bei Ye's tightly closed eyelids trembled slightly, he slowly opened his eyes, which were filled with confusion and weakness.
"Who...who are you? Did you save me?" His voice was hoarse and weak, but filled with a longing for life.
Xu Yuehuai was stunned, not expecting that Bei Ye's memory was so blurry.
“Of course, we are your partners, how could we abandon you?” Xu Yuehuai said gently, helping Bei Ye up and letting her lean against the tree trunk beside her.
Thank you.
Bei Ye glanced at them gratefully. He tried to struggle to his feet, but his weakness prevented him from doing so.
Xu Yuehuai quickly pressed him down and gently comforted him, "You just woke up and your body is still very weak. Don't rush to move. We need to give you some time to recover."
Bei Ye nodded, took a deep breath, as if gathering his strength.
"So, what should we do next?" he asked.
Xu Yuehuai's gaze swept over the surroundings, and he said in a deep voice, "Now that the old demon has been sealed by us, the crisis in the village can be considered temporarily resolved. I think this place is relatively safe. We can rest here for the night and return to the village after you have recovered a bit. At that time, we can tell everyone the good news together and put everyone's mind at ease."
As night fell, Bai Yu lit a fire, warming the cold place.
Yet, an ominous atmosphere still lingered around them, sending chills down their spines. Xu Yuehuai, Bai Yu, and Bei Ye sat around a roaring campfire, resting and recuperating, unaware that a sudden crisis was silently approaching...
Just as they were each lost in their own thoughts, a rapid and wild roar ripped through the silence of the night like a sharp blade, shattering the tranquility.
The three of them looked up abruptly and saw a group of ferocious beasts with bloodshot eyes and bared fangs surging out of the boundless darkness. Their eyes were flashing with bloodthirsty madness, and their reason had long been devoured by wildness.
"Oh no, it's a raging beast!" Xu Yuehuai quickly stood up and drew his dagger.
Bai Yu also stood up and held the Demon-Trapping Mirror tightly to his chest in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
He said in a deep voice, "It seems we have no choice but to face this battle tonight."
Despite his weakened state, Bei Ye did not flinch in the face of such a crisis. He mustered all his strength to stand up, picked up a wooden stick, and prepared to fight alongside Xu Yuehuai and the others.
The beasts roared as they approached, moving so fast that they seemed capable of devouring the three of them in an instant.
Xu Yuehuai moved with incredible speed, like a dragon emerging from the sea. With a flick of his longsword, the sword light flashed like lightning, cutting through the air and repelling the ferocious beasts charging at the forefront one by one.
Bai Yu tried to calm the out-of-control creatures using the faint light emitted by the Demon-Trapping Mirror. However, the beasts were already dominated by madness and did not respond to the calming, continuing to attack wildly.
During the fight, every moment was accompanied by the howls of ferocious beasts and the splattering of blood. Xu Yuehuai and Bai Yu cooperated perfectly, one attacking and the other defending, their moves flawless.
Despite his limited combat strength, Bei Ye relied on his indomitable will to do everything in his power to defend his companions from attacks from the side, preventing any ferocious beasts from getting close.
Just as the three were about to be overwhelmed by the horde of ferocious beasts, a piercing sound suddenly rang out, and several arrows ripped through the night sky, hitting the beasts with perfect accuracy. Instantly, the beasts fell down with howls, and the rhythm of their attack was completely disrupted.
"Who is it?" Xu Yuehuai looked around warily and saw a group of men in black emerge from the shadows. They wore masks and their eyes flashed with a cold light, like messengers from the underworld.
"Hmph, you ignorant intruders, how dare you disrupt our plans," the leader of the men in black sneered, his voice low and hoarse, "Today we'll show you what we're capable of."
As soon as the words were spoken, the men in black pounced on the three of them like ghosts. They were agile and ruthless, clearly well-trained assassins.
Xu Yuehuai and Bai Yu stood back to back, facing the sudden enemy. Although they were wary, they remained calm.
Bai Yu said in a low voice, "It seems we not only have to deal with the ferocious beasts, but also these uninvited guests." His eyes flashed with a fighting spirit, as if they could ignite the entire night sky at any moment.
"If the sky comes, we'll block it; if the water comes, we'll dam it. There's nothing to be afraid of." Xu Yuehuai sneered, brandishing her long sword even more fiercely.
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