Fortunately, those bone shapeshifters weren't particularly strong — roughly on par with the Five Friends of Ghost Cavern.
But what had happened made
The barbarian wastelands truly lived up to their reputation — demon shadows lurked everywhere.
"The demon race is out in force. Looks like the ancient catastrophe on the
Any other cultivator encountering the demon race would have felt an instinctive chill of fear. But Jiang Chen was different.
He felt absolutely no fear toward the demon race.
The demons were terrifying because, to the Divine Abyss Continent, they were an alien race — one that appeared and vanished like phantoms.
But in his previous life, Jiang Chen had known the demon race. He knew their strengths, and he knew their weaknesses.
Though the demon race was one of the most powerful races across the Myriad Heavens Planes, they were by no means invincible.
"Five hundred people entered this time. I wonder how many will make it out alive."
A thread of worry passed through Jiang Chen's mind. He didn't have much attachment to these people, but the demon race was a scourge — once they extended their claws beyond the wastelands, catastrophe would descend upon the entire human domain.
"I only hope the wise people of the human domain will deploy countermeasures against the demon race soon." It was all Jiang Chen could do to silently hope.
After destroying the five bone shapeshifters, Jiang Chen and Huang Er didn't linger — they pressed onward.
Along the way, the two were far more careful.
"Brother Chen, could the Soul-Soothing Wood be a rumor deliberately spread by the demons?" Huang Er couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Chen had considered this possibility. But he'd seen the leaves of the Soul-Soothing Wood with his own eyes — those leaves were unmistakably genuine.
Moreover, the leaves were still relatively fresh, clearly plucked from the tree not long ago.
So while the Soul-Soothing Wood might be a trap, its existence was real.
In their current situation, even knowing it was a trap, Jiang Chen had no way to back down.
"Huang Er, the Soul-Soothing Wood is absolutely genuine. You're saying it might be a demon trap — that's possible. But even if it is a trap, we have to go. This is our only chance. Besides, haven't we charged into dragon's lairs and tiger's dens knowing full well it was a trap? Back in Tai'a City, when the Imperishable Heavenly Capital claimed they'd captured the Palace Master of Danqian, wasn't that a trap too?"
Jiang Chen didn't fear traps — what he feared was the Soul-Soothing Wood not existing.
As long as the Soul-Soothing Wood was out there, he wouldn't so much as furrow his brow at mountains of blades or seas of fire, dragon's lairs or tiger's dens.
...
Deep within the wastelands, in a secluded subterranean cavern, countless ghostly flames flickered in scattered clusters — like fireflies, they cast an eerie glow across the cave.
A dark figure darted into the cavern and, addressing the passage beyond the ghostly flames, spoke with utmost reverence: "Lord Demon, everything you ordered has been completed."
From the darkness, a cold, sinister voice gave a faint grunt: "How many have come through?"
"The first batch — five hundred. After that, the breach was thrown wide open and at least ten thousand poured in. More will keep trickling in. I estimate the final haul will be between twenty and thirty thousand."
The sinister voice pondered for a moment, then asked: "Any fat sheep?"
"Royal Realm powerhouses — about a dozen or so."
"Not bad, not bad." The Yin Demon Lord let out a ghastly cackle. "You've handled this beautifully. I'll reward you according to your merits. Once these people are eliminated, you'll receive ten percent of all their wealth. The remaining ninety percent goes into the treasury for our demon race's future restoration."
"Thank you, Lord Demon!" The man was overjoyed.
"Consider it your due. But your task isn't finished yet. That many Royal Realm powerhouses — even I can't devour them all at once. We need to leverage the terrain and pick them off one by one. That'll require your cooperation."
"This subordinate will give his utmost to assist Lord Demon."
"One more thing — keep an eye on the Wood Demon tribe. Their appetite won't be any smaller than ours. Though we all share demon blood, the different demon tribes compete with each other. Our Yin Demon tribe woke first, so we need to seize this opportunity. In the ancient era, among the Ten Tribes of the Demon Race, our Yin Demon tribe wasn't particularly distinguished. I hope that in this second Holy War, the Yin Demon tribe will gain a greater voice."
"Rest assured, Lord Demon — I'll keep a close watch. But the Wood Demon tribe's bewitching insects are genuinely hard to guard against. I've seen plenty of cultivators get afflicted by them without even knowing. Once those insects spread en masse, their advantage becomes overwhelming."
"Advantage?" The Yin Demon Lord sneered. "That's because you're only seeing the surface. The Wood Demon tribe is capable, but they're not that much stronger than us Yin Demons. It's just that their bewitching insects reproduce prolifically and spread quickly. But the moment someone finds a way to counter those insects, the Wood Demon tribe's advantage vanishes completely."
"Bewitching insects can be countered?"
"Don't be ridiculous. If the insects couldn't be countered, the Wood Demon tribe would've dominated the Myriad Heavens Planes long ago. The Wood Demon tribe's potential goes far beyond just their insects. The insects are merely one of their means of dispersal. What's truly terrifying is their all-pervasive mastery of poison. Moreover, the Wood Demon tribe possesses exceptional comprehension — among the Ten Tribes of the Demon Race, they tend to produce the greatest geniuses. In demon warfare, the Wood Demon tribe's probability of producing top-tier powerhouses is higher than any other tribe — rivaling even the Heaven Demon tribe."