https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-320-The-Inferno-Demon-s-Appearance-Devastation-and-Ghostly-Tactics-Part-1-/12980367/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-321-The-Unexpected-Crystal-Bees-Part-1-/12980369/
Chapter 320: The Inferno Demon's Appearance, Devastation, and Ghostly Tactics (Part 2)
Chapter 320: The Inferno Demon's Appearance, Devastation, and Ghostly Tactics (Part 2)
He spoke softly, "It's hard on you, Li Instructor."
Li Changkong nodded, patting his shoulder and saying in a deep voice, "Be careful! Take care of yourself!"
Fang Che nodded silently, "I'm off."
"Good."
Watching Fang Che's figure disappear into the night, Li Changkong's gaze turned distant as he stared at the night sky.
The clear, serene, and profound night sky had gradually become clouded by volcanic ash.
It was now tainted with a layer of filth.
Li Changkong sighed deeply.
Looking at the thick stack of silver bills in his hand, he suddenly felt a heavy burden in his heart.
...
"I'm going too."
Ye Meng pouted.
"You can't go."
Fang Che showed no hesitation, "What can a little girl like you do? Stay home!"
Ye Meng humphed, "What's the point of staying home? Are you going to wash your bedding for me?"
Fang Che's face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot.
This girl needed a beating.
He grabbed her and pressed her onto his knee, raising his palm, and with a loud slap, it landed on her protruding buttocks!
Slap, slap, slap...
Ye Meng cried out in shame and anger, struggling but unable to move, completely suppressed by Fang Che.
He beat her mercilessly.
Throwing her onto the bed, Fang Che felt refreshed, "If you don't listen, I'll beat you again!"
Ye Meng covered her face and lay on the bed, both ashamed and angry.
But she was also thinking.
If she didn't go, what if there was important information?
Unbeknownst to Ye Meng, Fang Che had the same thought: If she went, who would help him keep an eye on the branch office?
This time, Fang Che also kept Jin Jiao Jiao behind, monitoring the branch office day and night. If there was any news, he must immediately inform Ye Meng.
This big bomb had to be watched closely by Fang Che.
Any relaxation could lead to a major incident.
Hundreds of demon heads gathered...
...
The next day.
Four hundred people lined up in the Guardian Pavilion, including Zu Guanglie, Jing Xiuyun, Hong Erquezi, and others, all standing tall! Song Yidao was giving a speech.
"Over there, not only are there victims, but also the Demon Sect, and the environment. Everyone, I won't say more."
Song Yidao continued, "But when we put on these clothes, we have no regrets. I only wish for my brothers to return safely and soon!"
"Hoo!"
"Finally, let's confirm the relief supplies you're bringing, as well as various healing pills. Try to bring everything you can!"
"Yes!"
"Less talk, the disaster won't wait. Let's go!"
With the order given, Zhan Hall Master Yuan Jingjiang led the team, and in an instant, the four hundred became a black arrow. They rushed out of the Guardian Pavilion, flying high in the sky.
They headed south, where... it was already pitch black.
...
Thick smoke filled the sky, completely turning the southern sky into a dark ink color.
As they flew, everyone sped up, reaching an astonishing pace.
Halfway through, it suddenly started to rain.
The rain on their bodies didn't feel much, but when it landed on their hands, they realized it was black!
On their fair skin, it was like drops of low-quality ink.
At full speed, in two hours, they had left Baiyun Continent far behind.
Along the way, they encountered wave after wave of ragged refugees, their faces blank and eyes lifeless. They clung to each other, driven by the desire for life, as they made their way towards Baiyun Continent.
Countless families moved forward, supporting each other. Amidst the group, cries filled the air.
Although the team flew by, each person's heart felt heavy as if filled with lead.
These refugees... most of them were innocent, living peaceful lives. Although not wealthy, they had loving families and modest savings, living in harmony.
But suddenly, the volcano erupted.
Their homes were gone in an instant, and for some unluckier ones, the eruption took their loved ones.
They died, not knowing why.
They didn't even know the culprit, only that it was the volcano.
It was as if the heavens were angry.
But they didn't know that this natural disaster was actually caused by demon heads!
"Only the Righteous Sect!"
Yuan Jingjiang led the flying team, feeling like his chest would burst with rage. He cursed, "Damn you, you're not human! Not human at all!"
They continued forward.
Slowly, they felt the weather getting hotter the further they went.
It was still early spring, usually cold.
But... here, it already felt hot.
A few hundred miles ahead, the heat was even more intense than midsummer, the temperature making people uncomfortable. They were warriors, high-level cultivators, and even they felt slightly unwell. One could only imagine how hard it was for ordinary people.
Along the road, corpses lined the sides, first scattered, then becoming dense as they moved forward.
But Fang Che and the others ignored them, flying by.
These corpses could be handled by regular rescue teams; they couldn't waste time here.
They had to reach the front lines as soon as possible.
At this moment, they finally saw the first volcano in the distance.
It was still spewing thick smoke, the massive crater sending a column of smoke straight into the sky, forming a giant mushroom cloud that spread in all directions.
Amidst the smoke, one could still see the crater, with faint red light flashing.
The volcano was still erupting.
Two hundred miles ahead, the scene that appeared was one of an apocalyptic landscape.
All crops, roads, villages, and forests... completely destroyed! Burned and charred corpses were everywhere, emitting a pungent odor. Houses had completely collapsed, and the ground was riddled with narrow cracks, some several feet wide and others up to several yards wide. Many of these cracks contained corpses that had struggled fiercely in their final moments...
The rumbling sound continued, and rocks kept rolling down from the mountain top, moving with the force of thunder.
In the sky, layers of volcanic ash continuously fell.
"Search for any survivors."
"Clear the road and fill in the cracks! Make it easier for the refugees to walk."
At this temperature, ordinary people could not work. If the cracks were not filled, a crack several yards wide could stop everyone in their tracks. In a state of exhaustion and hunger after the disaster, very few ordinary people could leap across such a gap.
Everyone worked together.
Countless large rocks were thrown into the cracks, producing a rumbling sound. Near the road, where the cliffs were steep and showed signs of instability, they simply used martial force to collapse the rocks and then clear the road.
If the vibrations continued and rocks fell while the refugees were passing, the casualties would be unimaginable.
Working together, the efficiency was very high.
The task was quickly completed.
Those who had gone to search the villages returned with heavy faces.
"There are none, no survivors at all."
Everyone's eyes dimmed.
Standing on high ground, one could see the volcanic ash-filled sky and the silent, desolate villages dotted across the land.
All the houses had collapsed, and thick smoke rose into the air.
The only thing missing was the sound of human voices.
"Let's bury the bodies."
Yuan Jingjiang sighed softly, wiping his eyes subtly.
Everyone fell silent and went to work.
Fang Che chose a direction, and Zuo Guanglie, Jing Xiuyun, and others joined him. They silently collected the bodies, dug pits, and used bedding from the ruins to cushion the bottom before placing the bodies inside.
They covered the bodies with blankets and then filled the pits with soil.
"They are just sleeping," Zuo Guanglie said, his eyes red.
Jing Xiuyun was already in tears.
Fang Che and the others dug over twenty large pits, burying hundreds of bodies and moving through several small villages.
Others were also busy with similar tasks.
Looking at the mounds of graves that dotted the land, everyone bowed in silence.
Then they continued on their journey.
After the clearing, the area was restored to a quiet state. Countless graves stood silently in the wilderness, under the volcano, enduring the elements, be it wind and rain, or natural disasters, or human calamities, just as they had in life.
...
As they moved forward, the temperature became unbearable for ordinary people. Flames were already rising in the forests.
However, they had to keep moving because the numerous animal and human corpses needed to be buried. At such high temperatures, if they were not buried, a plague would surely break out.
Moreover, the roads needed to be repaired and the cracks filled. Otherwise, they would remain a death gorge for ordinary people.
After traveling for hundreds of miles, they did not see a single living person.
Especially in a small village in the valley between several volcanoes, the scene was unbearable. Not a single person had escaped! Everyone had died a tragic death.
The anger and hatred in everyone's hearts towards the Only Righteous Sect grew with every step.
Monsters!
In an area spanning a thousand square miles, the devastation was complete. What was the purpose of all this?
But regardless of the purpose, it was unforgivable.
"Repair the road and clear this cracked cliff."
Yuan Jingjiang issued the order.
Ahead, a cliff occasionally dropped a few small rocks, but the cliff face was already riddled with cracks, resembling a spider web.
The cliff was bulging outward, and it was on the brink of collapse.
As soon as Yuan Jingjiang finished speaking, several Custodians leaped forward, ready to use their strength.
With a rumble, the entire cliff collapsed, causing a mountain to cratically collapse.
Dust rose into the air, blocking out the sky.
Fang Che's body suddenly rushed to the front of the group.
Amidst the dust, a cold light flashed.
"Be careful!"
Fang Che shouted, drawing his knife, which transformed into a shining barrier.
He was very familiar with this situation. In his previous life, he had experienced such scenarios countless times. The more calamitous a place was, the more likely it was that the Only Righteous Sect would be waiting to ambush the rescue team.
He had been on high alert.
A light clinking sound was heard as hundreds of shining spikes landed in front of Fang Che.
The spikes were blue, clearly coated with deadly poison.
Yuan Jingjiang was also fending off the attack with his sword. The two of them acted like two doors, blocking all assaults.
The Custodians only now realized the situation, dispersing into a swallow-wing formation, with dozens of them flying towards the cliff.
After the initial attack, there was no further movement, and the area became quiet again.
The enemy had retreated instantly.
A missed attack, a full retreat.
This added more worry to the faces of Fang che and yuan jingjiang.
The enemy was very tenacious.
They did not fear open combat, but such hidden assassins were the most troublesome.
They could not do nothing after coming here.
But as soon as they started working, there would be an attack!
"First, clear the cliff."
Yuan Jingjiang's face was cold as ice.
He then walked to Fang Che and praised, "Fang Custodian, very well done."
During the attack, Fang Che's reaction was faster than even the Hall Master of the Battle Hall, which delighted Yuan Jingjiang.
Fang Che had rushed forward at the moment the cliff collapsed, as if he had anticipated the attack.
And only then did Yuan Zhenjiang react upon seeing the cold light.
This is the fundamental difference.
"Nothing," Fang Che said indifferently, "I just feel that the cliff has cracked like that, and it's still fine, but after Director Yuan's order, it collapsed. This is somewhat unreasonable, and there must be someone manipulating it, creating chaos and launching an attack in the confusion. So, I took a step ahead."
His voice was not soft, and everyone heard it. They all stiffened and silently nodded.
Yuan Zhenjiang appreciated Fang Che even more.
Because he knew that this was Fang Che's way of reminding everyone how to be vigilant. Don't underestimate this sentence; it is a precious life-saving experience!
...
They continued forward, bypassing a mountain pass. Ahead, the path was already blocked. Rocks piled up on the road, and beside it was a deep valley.
Everyone worked together to clear the path.
Two people were on guard on each side.
After clearing this area, they were already exhausted. They had traveled a long way, constantly clearing the path, and although they were all profound cultivators, this was the collapse of several mountains, and a large rock often weighed tens of thousands of pounds.
They had been clearing the path until now, and they were already extremely tired.
"Rest on the spot," Yuan Zhenjiang ordered.
Jing Xiuyun and several other female clerks were already exhausted. Hearing this, they sat down, but then they jumped up in surprise and immediately looked for something to sit on before sitting down again.
Here, the ground was already scorching hot.
Zuo Guanglie and Fang Che sat together, took out their water skins, and drank. Zuo Guanglie said, "On this trip, we've really seen a lot. Fang Clerk, what do you think this is all for? Nine volcanoes erupting simultaneously... it can't just be to create a disaster."
Fang Che remained silent and didn't answer. His gaze constantly scanned the surrounding forest, examining every corner before finally speaking, "I don't know."
Zuo Guanglie sighed. He didn't know what was going on either. In recent days, Fang Che had been distant.
They had originally established a relationship like brothers who shared everything, but it seemed to have suddenly reverted.
It was as if everything had returned to the starting point when they first met.
This left Zuo Guanglie puzzled, constantly looking for opportunities to make amends, but as he took a step forward, Fang Che took a step back.
This made Zuo Guanglie feel very depressed.
Clearly, Clerk Fang was still the same person who took it upon himself to slay demons, but why had he become so distant from his comrades?
But when Zuo Guanglie thought about the twenty points he received upon his promotion to the second level, he couldn't help but sigh.
It was understandable; such a thing would be a huge blow.
It was normal for him to feel ashamed before everyone.
He could only be more patient and slowly mend their relationship.
...
At that moment...
Fang Che suddenly jumped up again and shouted, "Everyone, stand up!"
His gaze was fixed on the dry leaves on the ground, as they were moving.
When everyone sat down earlier, they had first swept away the leaves and branches beneath them. But now, those swept-away leaves were moving.
Everyone obediently stood up, their faces filled with confusion.
Clang! Fang Che drew his sword.
Everyone watched in disbelief as he used the tip of his sword to lift a seemingly ordinary-looking dry leaf.
They immediately discovered that beneath the leaf were several small worms, the same color as the leaves, thin, tough, and thread-like, but they crawled quickly. They were ugly and nauseating.
After being exposed, these worms instantly sprang into the air, flying towards Fang Che's face!
The sword light flashed, and Fang Che directly cut down several worms.
Everyone else also sprang into action.
"Gather all the dry leaves and burn them!"
Fang Che broke into a cold sweat, "These are fireline worms! They can burrow into a person's body and are highly venomous!"
Everyone moved together, but one person remained seated on the ground, motionless, with a stiff expression.
His face slowly turned the color of dry leaves.
He had already died.
This was one of the clerks from the Guardian Pavilion, usually sloppy and not attentive to details. When he heard the word 'rest,' he didn't even sweep the ground beneath him but sat directly on the ground.
Fang Che's expression changed. He ordered everyone to step back, turned the corpse over, and sliced open the back of its clothing with his sword. A localized area was charred black.
"The fireline worm crawled in..." Fang Che's expression changed again. He apologized and swept the clerk's corpse into the fire with the back of his sword.
Instantly, it was engulfed in flames.
Everyone stared in shock as the clerk's body quickly burned, revealing white bones. But his stomach suddenly split open, and a ball of fireline worms burst out, writhing in the flames' scorching heat.
It emitted a faint hissing sound and turned to ash in the fire.
Everyone felt a chill down their spines, and their hair stood on end.
They never would have dreamed of such a strange and venomous insect in their wildest imaginations.
"When fireline worms enter a person's body, they breed rapidly, and within moments, there can be hundreds or thousands. This is the Demon Sect's method. They incubate fireline worms in high temperatures using corpses... Director Yuan!"
Fang Che said, "From now on, any corpses must be burned on the spot. We can't bury them."
Yuan Zhenjiang broke into a cold sweat and said, "That's right."
Jing Xiuyun and the other female clerks who had just sat down and then jumped up also broke into cold sweats.
One by one, they couldn't help but pat their clothes, especially the back of their pants.
Their muscles tightened, and their faces turned pale.
They were truly terrified.
Thinking about how they almost had fireline worms crawling into their bodies, they couldn't help but feel nauseous. A strong sense of fear made their legs feel weak.
They also felt an unbearable itch all over their bodies, as if the fireline worms were already crawling on them.
But at this moment, they dared not sit down, and they could only support each other, shivering.
How could such disgusting things exist in this world!
...
(End of Chapter)
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