The earth heaved and buckled like a stormy sea, mud and stone erupting everywhere in a terrifying spectacle.
Everyone’s faces paled, wondering what lay beneath the ground to cause such a violent upheaval. If this unknown creature truly emerged from the depths, who among them could possibly survive?
Ning Wenjing rushed to Ji Mo’s side, grabbing his arm and clinging to him tightly. Yu Xiaohuan, also in a panic, lunged towards Ning Wenjing, attempting to repeat her earlier tactic of latching onto her. However, Ning Wenjing stopped her, preventing the impertinent rabbit spirit from getting too close.
“Jingjing, I’m scared,” Yu Xiaohuan whimpered, gazing at Ning Wenjing with pleading eyes, her expression full of distress. Her eyes blinked rapidly, her eyelashes fluttering, and her lips pouted. She looked utterly pitiable.
Seeing this, Ning Wenjing couldn’t harden her heart. She reluctantly let go of Ji Mo and opened her arms to Yu Xiaohuan. Yu Xiaohuan’s sorrow instantly turned to joy. She excitedly pounced into Ning Wenjing’s embrace, habitually trying to bury her head in her chest.
The cultivators nearby twitched their eyelids. "Miss, you are far too bold! Daring to touch Mr. Ji's woman? You're likely inviting trouble."
Ji Mo indeed showed a flicker of displeasure. He thought that Ning Wenjing, such a pure girl, shouldn't be corrupted by this unseemly rabbit.
“I wonder if rabbit meat is delicious,” Ji Mo muttered, his voice loud enough for Yu Xiaohuan to hear.
Yu Xiaohuan was stunned. Rabbits are so cute, how could anyone eat them? Wait, is this dark-skinned fellow planning to eat me? How can he be so heartless? Is he even human? She glared at Ji Mo, her slightly red eyes wide with fury, grinding her teeth.
Ji Mo taunted her, “There’s a terrifying demon lurking underground, about to break free. Someone needs to stay behind to buy us some time, to give us a sliver of hope. I think Miss Yu, with your tender skin and delicate flesh, might be quite appetizing to the demon. Perhaps your sacrifice could save us all.”
“No, no, I’m not tasty at all!” Yu Xiaohuan was on the verge of tears. It was too cruel! How could a grown man ask her to be bait? She didn’t want to be eaten!
The onlookers suppressed their laughter, realizing Ji Mo was deliberately retaliating. This was his way of getting back at her for taking liberties with Ning Wenjing. With this playful exchange, the fear in everyone’s hearts subsided considerably.
Ji Mo once again took out the Tiger Tally from his embrace, his fingertip lightly tapping the demonic patterns on it. The Tiger Tally emitted a faint glow and vibrated a few times, releasing a mysterious energy. The tremors from the ground gradually ceased, and the earth returned to its former stillness.
At this point, all the adventurers in the vicinity, except for Ji Mo’s group, had been devoured by the Sky Poison Demonic Ants. The vast basin was devoid of any living creature. With no more targets, the Sky Poison Demonic Ants flew back into the pit and retreated underground. Soon after, the demonic energy from the pit completely dissipated.
Everyone finally relaxed, letting out a collective sigh of relief.
“It’s all that scoundrel Lang Jing’s fault! If he hadn’t been so stubborn and ignored Mr. Ji’s advice, insisting on digging here, how could this tragedy have happened?”
“That cowardly wolf cub ran away fast enough. If we ever run into him again, we’ll skin him alive!”
“This kind of shameless scumbag even has designs on our young lady, bah!”
The crowd cursed, attributing all the blame to Lang Jing. Although they had survived, the Yu family had suffered heavy losses. All their demonic beasts were gone, and they had lost over twenty demonic experts. Fortunately, Ji Mo was present; otherwise, their fate would have been unimaginable, a complete annihilation.
Yu Xiaohuan was truly heartbroken. She buried her face in Ning Wenjing’s chest and sobbed. She had come in search of medicine for her mother, and now, the situation was a complete failure.
Ji Mo mused, holding the Tiger Tally, and slowly walked to the edge of the large pit. The pit seemed unfathomably deep, its darkness obscuring the bottom. It was unclear if any formidable beings truly slumbered below. Ji Mo had already confirmed that the Tiger Tally in his hand possessed a deterrent effect on demonic creatures. If he could figure out how to use it, he might be able to control the Sky Poison Demonic Ants and make them his own.
“Big liar, now that there’s no danger, let’s leave quickly,” Ning Wenjing came to Ji Mo’s side, wanting to pull him away from this perilous place. Although it seemed calm now, the ground clearly held unknown dangers, and it was best to leave.
“If I can control the Sky Poison Demonic Ant swarm and have them guard the seal of the Demonic Realm’s Gate, it would surely solve many problems,” Ji Mo voiced his thoughts. These Sky Poison Demonic Ants were numerous and fearless of death, making them invaluable tools.
Ning Wenjing’s heart stirred, shocked by Ji Mo’s audacious idea. She shook her head. “That’s not very realistic. There has never been a precedent for humans controlling a beast tribe.” Ji Mo’s idea was good, but it seemed impossible to achieve. However, she immediately caught sight of the Tiger Tally in Ji Mo’s hand and was rendered speechless.
“This… could this be the legendary Demonic Tribe’s Military Tally, the token that once commanded the demonic armies!” Ning Wenjing was astonished. She never imagined Ji Mo had found such an extraordinary item. But this immortal artifact could only be activated by the highest royal bloodline of the Demonic Tribe. Why could Ji Mo also use it? She quickly understood, attributing it to the savior’s miraculous power. Thus, Ning Wenjing stopped urging Ji Mo to leave, hoping that Ji Mo could indeed control this immortal artifact, thereby subduing the Sky Poison Demonic Ant swarm, and perhaps even more demonic creatures.
…
Lang Jing fled like a stray dog, running in a panic. When the old werewolf let out a scream, he knew something had gone terribly wrong and immediately fled. He had looked back to assess the situation and, upon seeing the overwhelming swarm of Sky Poison Demonic Ants, nearly wet himself. This cowardly yet greedy fellow still had his sights set on the immortal artifact in Ji Mo’s possession. He didn’t flee too far, lingering outside the basin. When the Sky Poison Demonic Ant swarm retreated and the rolling demonic energy dissipated, he could finally observe the situation from afar.
Lang Jing had expected everyone to perish, becoming food for the Sky Poison Demonic Ants. He planned to seize the immortal artifact at the opportune moment, becoming the ultimate winner. However, seeing Ji Mo, Yu Xiaohuan, and the Yu family cultivators alive and well, while all his own werewolf kin had perished without exception, filled him with incandescent rage. His eyes turned blood red.
“You bastard, you killed so many elites of my Lang family! I swear, I will kill you and tear you to pieces!” Lang Jing stared intently at Ji Mo’s figure, his eyes filled with endless hatred. He failed to recognize his own mistakes. The consequences were clearly the result of his own stubbornness and disregard for Ji Mo’s warning, yet he shifted the blame entirely onto Ji Mo. He resolved to seek revenge, to kill Ji Mo by any means necessary. Now that Ji Mo possessed an immortal artifact, spreading this news would undoubtedly attract numerous adventurers to seize it, allowing him to reap the benefits from the sidelines.
Lang Jing began searching for allies. Fortunately, his luck was excellent. Within half a day, he encountered a powerful adventuring team. He rushed towards them excitedly, shouting, “Brother Wu Qian, you must uphold justice for your little brother and help me get revenge!”