Chapter 1251: 青 Dragon Jealous of the Lord, White Tiger Carrying the Corpse

By this point, the giant crocodile had been sucked dry by Ma Huang, reduced to a mummified corpse. With a casual wave, he stored its body, remarking, "This crocodile skin is excellent stuff."

It was a top-tier choice for making armor or weapons.

Princess Soren and Prince Silver Shark frowned. They had clearly contributed significantly to defeating the giant crocodile; if they hadn't held it at bay head-on, Ma Huang would never have had the chance to successfully ambush it.

However, both were of noble birth and came from prominent families, so they didn't care much about a single crocodile skin.

They didn't want to offend a powerful adversary at this moment.

So, suppressing their displeasure, they took advantage of the opening and flew across the swamp as well.

Ma Huang chuckled and followed closely behind.

On the other side, the other groups cursed under their breath. They had originally thought these people would help out after dealing with the crocodile, but who knew they'd just leave first?

Lion Spirit snorted coldly. With a push of his foot, he too charged directly towards the opening in the giant crocodile's territory.

Although Big Bear and Little Bear looked simple-minded, they weren't foolish. Seeing the situation, they weren't stupid enough to keep fighting.

So the two combined their strength, directly flinging the toad into the crowd on the bank. They then walked on water and ran to the other side.

The people on the bank cursed furiously. They had hoped these people would help clear the way, but instead, they had become cannon fodder to delay the ferocious beasts.

Despite their curses, they still had to fight against the toad's attacks. Many experts were hidden among them, so although there was chaos for a while, it wasn't a one-sided battle.

Jin Shi, Princess Changning Kong Nanqing, and others took advantage of the moment they forced back the Red Serpent Thorn Flower Beetle and also ran to the other side.

After their recent exchange, the Red Serpent Thorn Flower Beetle also knew their strength well. Coupled with the tragic death of the giant crocodile nearby, it didn't insist on fighting to the death to keep them.

Others nearby also quickly followed. Only those who had stayed far away, fearing being caught in the battle, couldn't keep up, and each of them cursed under their breath.

A chubby figure also blended into the crowd and reached the opposite bank. He chuckled to himself, "I even thought of a way to give them the map. Daoist Master, I am truly too clever."

This was, of course, the chubby Daoist Master Wu Liang that Zu An and his companions had encountered earlier.

Just as he was feeling pleased, he suddenly saw the forest ahead and the stone statues on both sides. He felt a profound and mysterious aura, and his smile immediately froze.

"Huh?" He quickly took out a compass and trigrams, calculating with his fingers. The more he calculated, the more alarmed he became.

"Azure Dragon resents its master, White Tiger carries corpses, Vermilion Bird weeps, Black Tortoise hides its head! How can this be a deadly impasse? Impossible, it doesn't make sense!"

He paced back and forth anxiously. Passersby looked at him as if he were crazy and kept their distance.

After a moment, Wu Liang watched the receding crowd in the distance. He gritted his teeth. "We've come this far; there's no turning back. I'll just have to brave it."

"The Great Dao has fifty, and the Heavenly Dao derives forty-nine. There is always a sliver of hope!"

He kept reassuring himself. He took out many talismans and hung them on his body, with deities from various sects, hoping that one of the countless gods and buddhas would protect him.

Meanwhile, Zu An and his group walked at the forefront. Observing the stone statues on both sides, he marveled, "This must be a spirit path. I wonder what important figure is buried here."

Yun Jianyue said gravely, "Everyone, be careful. Given the scale and number of these stone statues, the person buried here is certainly no ordinary individual. And how could such a figure allow others to disturb their resting place?"

"Indeed," Yan Xuehen added, observing the surrounding forest with her clear eyes, "I feel that the layout of these trees here is somewhat strange. It seems like some kind of formation."

Zu An also tried to communicate with the surrounding small animals using his jade cong, but there was no response. Clearly, this was a dead zone.

At this moment, Yu Yanluo said, "That large snake just told me that there's something in here that can help me awaken my bloodline and achieve a breakthrough."

Zu An was surprised. The cultivation of demon races wasn't always straightforward. Although she could currently use Medusa's abilities, she was greatly limited. If she could fully awaken her bloodline, her strength would likely increase by a significant margin.

In that case, even if this was a dragon's pool and a tiger's den, they had to venture in.

Yun Jianyue asked, puzzled, "I didn't see you two talking just now?"

Yu Yanluo's face flushed slightly. "Our serpent race has its own unique method of communication."

Due to her long-term residence in human society, she mostly regarded herself as a human and was somewhat embarrassed to mention her serpent side in front of the others.

Just then, gasps of alarm erupted nearby.

The group looked up and saw that as they ventured deeper, layers of mist began to rise around them.

Initially, the mist was thin, and mist in the mountains and forests was common, so at first, no one paid it any mind.

But in the blink of an eye, everyone realized the mist had become so thick they couldn't see anything a meter away.

This speed was too rapid. Everyone knew it was definitely not normal.

Soon, the sounds of various weapons being drawn echoed. Clearly, everyone was on high alert, fearing something might rush out of the mist and attack.

Zu An said gravely, "This mist seems to block spiritual perception. We basically can't sense what's happening far away now."

Ever since he cultivated his divine soul, a large surrounding area was always under his surveillance. Now, he felt as if he had become blind.

Indeed, it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but hard to go from extravagance to frugality.

Yan Xuehen also nodded, "I feel much the same. Don't get separated, everyone. This is most likely a labyrinth."

Yun Jianyue said with a smile, "Ice Maiden, are you afraid of getting lost? Why don't I hold your hand? That way you won't get lost."

Yan Xuehen simply turned her back to her. Yun Jianyue wasn't angered, "Oh, you despise my touch? So you want little An Zi to hold your hand?"

Yan Xuehen snapped, "Demoness, are you ever going to stop?"

Zu An was about to intervene, when a horrific scream suddenly echoed from not far away. Immediately after, they vaguely sensed a figure stumbling around wildly, seemingly clawing at something on their face with both hands. Then, after a moment, it heavily collapsed onto the ground, and there was no sound anymore.

The group was startled. The scream was truly horrific. It hadn't been this terrible even when people were eaten by the fierce beasts in the swamp.

Zu An and the others exchanged glances and decided to go investigate the situation. The scream was too chilling; they had to find out what happened.

Many others shared their same thoughts, such as those who had just fought the fierce beasts in the swamp.

They saw a demon race member lying on the ground. His face was unrecognizable, his face and neck torn to bloody shreds. Judging by the blood under his fingernails, he had done it to himself.

Many had seen him in action before. While not on par with Princess Soren and her companions, he wasn't far behind.

For such an expert to die inexplicably here, everyone felt an ominous premonition.

"Could something be hiding in the mist and ambushing people?" Princess Soren asked, puzzled.

"Impossible. I was near him just now," Duan Tiande said. "No one approached him. He was very vigilant himself, deliberately keeping his distance from others."

Night Elves were always skilled in stealth and assassination. If even he said nothing approached, then it certainly hadn't.

"Then how did he die?" The others were dumbfounded.

Just then, more screams echoed.

Everyone quickly turned to look. The people gathered at the forefront, examining the corpse, were the ones with the highest cultivation and status. Others had to stand on the periphery, craning their necks to see.

The further out one was, the lower their cultivation level.

Of course, some independent experts stood far away, observing cautiously, vigilantly watching anyone who approached them.

They had initially thought that the isolated individuals would be the ones in trouble, but surprisingly, it was those crowded on the periphery of the group.

They were in the exact same state as the previous victim, frantically clawing at their faces and necks. Their bodies writhed violently as they stumbled about, like zombies.

Thudding sounds rang out. They didn't last as long as the previous expert. One by one, they collapsed, and all sound ceased.

This time, seeing these events unfold at close range, and still not knowing how they died, a chill ran down everyone's spines.

"Brother Shen!"

"Hmm!"

As Shen Changqing walked along, he encountered acquaintances. They would greet each other or nod.

But no matter who it was, everyone's face was devoid of excessive emotion, as if they were indifferent to everything. Shen Changqing had grown accustomed to this.

This was because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an organization responsible for maintaining the stability of Great Qin. Its main duty was to slay demons and monsters, though it also had other minor responsibilities.

It could be said that every person in the Demon Suppression Division had much blood on their hands.

When a person becomes accustomed to life and death, they become indifferent to many things.

When he first arrived in this world, Shen Changqing was somewhat unaccustomed to it. But over time, he grew used to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast. Those who could remain in the Demon Suppression Division were all powerful experts, or individuals with the potential to become experts.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category.

The Demon Suppression Division was divided into two professions: Guardians and Demon Slayers.

Anyone entering the Demon Suppression Division started as a low-level Demon Slayer. Then they would gradually advance, eventually hoping to become a Guardian.

Shen Changqing's previous self was an apprentice Demon Slayer in the Demon Suppression Division, the lowest rank among Demon Slayers.

Possessing the memories of his past self, he was very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.

It didn't take long. Shen Changqing stopped in front of a pavilion.

Unlike other somber places in the Demon Suppression Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, presenting a unique sense of tranquility amidst the blood-soaked Demon Suppression Division.

The pavilion's main door was open, with people occasionally entering and exiting.

Shen Changqing hesitated for only a moment, then stepped inside.

Upon entering the pavilion, the atmosphere suddenly changed.

A scent of ink mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted towards him. He instinctively frowned, but his brow quickly smoothed.

The scent of blood on everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was almost impossible to wash away.