Chapter 257: Demons Run Wild Outside Fufeng Courtyard

"Wuyang, remember well: keep this item safe, and do not let others know of it..."

Zhao Wuyang lowered his head, staring at the small box covered in dark patterns in his hands, lost in thought. When Ajin ascended, he had handed this box to him without mentioning what was inside, and this small wooden box could not be opened no matter what, as if it had been sealed with some sort of spell.

Such a small box, no bigger than a palm—what could possibly be inside? And why couldn't others know about it?

Could it be that some monster of great significance was locked inside?

That was truly hard to say...

According to Fucang Elder, Ajin was at least several thousand years old. Although he had not reached the level of a True God before, he possessed cultivation comparable to a god. Moreover, having lingered in Chenjian for so long, it was not impossible for him to have subdued one or two great monsters.

At this thought, a cold sweat suddenly broke out on Zhao Wuyang, and the box in his hands suddenly became scorching hot and incomparably heavy.

If that were really the case, wouldn't he have to carry this cursed thing with him wherever he went from now on?

Zhao Wuyang could not help but knit his brows, inwardly grumbling about Ajin: "You black cat-demon, I kindly helped you ascend, and you just left, yet you had to leave such a troublesome thing for me. It's truly a dilemma whether to throw it away or not..."

Forget it, forget it. Perhaps Ajin had his reasons for doing this? I shall just keep it safe for now!

While comforting himself, Zhao Wuyang carefully tucked the dark-patterned small box into his robes. Just then, the door behind him creaked open, and Chengxin Zhenren walked out with a look of exhaustion on his face.

Zhao Wuyang hurriedly stepped forward to bow. Chengxin Zhenren waved a hand and asked about Lingxiang's whereabouts, but Zhao Wuyang could not answer, only saying that they had left in a hurry without mentioning where they had gone.

Hearing this, Chengxin Zhenren frowned.

With the movements of the Demon Race currently unclear and their constant provocations, what kind of trouble was Lingxiang stirring up at a time like this?

But Chengxin Zhenren was helpless. In order to find Lingxiang sooner, only Chiyanzi, Hanyang, and he himself had come down the mountain, without any disciples in tow. He had exhausted a great deal of energy dispelling the miasma for Long Qi and was currently in a weakened state. Long Qi was also unconscious and needed someone to look after him, so there was simply no one to spare for the search. If they were to encounter the Demon Race on the road, it would be troublesome.

Forget it, forget it. Lingxiang was not unintelligent; even if she encountered danger, she would surely be able to turn it into safety. For now, it was better to recover his strength before making other plans.

"Wuyang, I must enter seclusion for seven days. During these seven days, I will seal my five senses. You shall look after Long Qi. Give him plenty of water to drink and remember to keep the room ventilated, otherwise, he might develop a fever. If that happens, it will be troublesome."

After Zhao Wuyang bowed, Chengxin Zhenren went into his room to regulate his breath and meditate.

For the past two days, Zhao Wuyang had strictly followed Chengxin Zhenren's instructions, caring for Long Qi with the utmost diligence, but Long Qi's pale complexion could not help but make him feel worried.

Fortunately, by the evening of the second day, Long Qi woke up. Although he only woke to relieve himself before falling back into a drowsy sleep, he had at least woken up, which finally allowed the heart Zhao Wuyang had been holding to settle halfway.

But even so, Zhao Wuyang dared not let his guard down.

It had been three or four days since they had met, and they had left markers along the way. By rights, Chiyanzi and Hanyang should have found them long ago, but for some reason, they were still nowhere to be seen. This made Zhao Wuyang worry: could they have encountered some danger on the road?

Although Chengxin Zhenren had set up an Array Formation around the house, Zhao Wuyang always felt that this did not guarantee safety.

The Yuanqing Sect's Mountain Guarding Array was so powerful, yet the Demon Race still found an opportunity during the Second Martial Exercise. Previously, when they encountered Bai Wuchang, they had barely escaped from danger. Xin Yi had once said that Bai Wuchang was someone who would not stop until he achieved his goal. Although he did not know what that goal was, since he had failed last time, he must be lurking somewhere, watching like a tiger eyeing its prey.

Now, there were still three or four days left before Uncle-Master Chengxin came out of seclusion. If the Demon Race found them now, could he handle it?

Zhao Wuyang was deep in thought while drawing water. It seemed that whatever one feared most would happen; the moment he lowered the bucket, he felt a tremor and immediately became alert.

Uncle-Master Chengxin had said that if Chiyanzi or Hanyang found this place, they would never trigger the Array Formation but would enter using the array formula; this had been secretly agreed upon by them earlier. But now, there were fluctuations outside the array, clearly indicating that someone had discovered the Dharma Array and was attempting to break in.

Before Zhao Wuyang could think further, another tremor came, and this time it was a series of continuous fluctuations.

Clearly, someone was trying to break the array.

Zhao Wuyang hurriedly set down his work and carefully peeked through the crack in the courtyard gate. One look was all it took—outside, just a line away, it was filled with strange-looking demons!

It was as he feared. But how did they find this place? Daoist Chiyanzi and Brother Hanyang had not yet reunited with them; could they have really been intercepted by these demons on the road?

Zhao Wuyang panicked for a moment. Even if he knew a few basics of Daoist arts and had a tiny bit of cultivation, he could not handle so many demons! But...

But now, there was no one else to guard this place except him!

It was not that Zhao Wuyang did not trust Chengxin Zhenren, but even the most advanced array would have a time when it could be broken. Moreover, he had heard Lingxiang say that, except for the Yiling Array, most other array techniques were linked to the person who set them. If the person who set the array was weak or deceased, the array they set would be extremely easy to break.

Wasn't Chengxin Zhenren currently in seclusion precisely because he was weak? It was evident that the surrounding Array Formation was no longer as solid as before; otherwise, it would not have been discovered by the demons, would it?

Zhao Wuyang was suddenly anxious and burning with impatience. The wild howling and roaring outside were deafening, causing him to be constantly distracted and unable to concentrate on a strategy. In his flustered state, he knocked over a broom nearby.

The loud clattering noise caused the demons outside to fall silent for a moment, before they began to pound frantically against the invisible wall.

This familiar scene—was it not exactly the same as during the Second Martial Exercise?!

Zhao Wuyang felt a sudden panic, blaming himself for being so clumsy. Fortunately, Chengxin Zhenren's Dharma Array seemed very sturdy, and even under the continuous, fierce attacks of the demons, it showed no signs of loosening.

This made Zhao Wuyang breathe a slight sigh of relief, but he still dared not let his guard down, focusing his attention on the surroundings for fear of any changes.

Just then, a figure appeared behind Zhao Wuyang. The figure moved closer and closer to Zhao Wuyang, until it was right behind him, and only then did he notice, but it was already too late.

The person reached out and covered Zhao Wuyang's mouth, preventing him from turning around. Just as Zhao Wuyang was terrified, he heard a familiar voice.

"Shh! Don't be afraid, it's me!"

It was actually Long Qi!

But Long Qi's voice sounded very weak, and at this moment, Long Qi was only draped in an Outer Robe, his body wrapped in thin cloth. Zhao Wuyang could clearly feel the scorching heat coming from his hands.

Long Qi was running a fever!