Chapter 518: Scatter All the Demon Pills

Everyone looked over.

They saw Jiang Fan and seven mysterious black-robed figures wearing masks galloping from the horizon.

Soon after, they ascended to the mountaintop, treading over the corpses on Boundary Mountain.

"Jiang Fan! You're not hurt, are you? Let me see!" Wen Hongyao quickly ran over to check Jiang Fan. Finding him unharmed, her anxious heart finally settled. The elders and disciples of the various sects, along with Lei Zhenhai, also breathed a sigh of relief. Everyone had finally returned safely.

As Jiang Fan exchanged pleasantries with them, Jian Linyuan and his companions stared in profound shock at the incredibly brutal battlefield. Over eight thousand undead corpses carpeted the mountain slopes. Every inch of the ground was covered with skeletal remains. They simply couldn't believe it. How had so few people on Boundary Mountain managed to slay such a vast army of the undead? And under what desperate circumstances had they won this war?

At this moment, they realized that there was no clean snow left on the peak of Boundary Mountain. Dazzling crimson was splattered on every blue brick, on every wall, and across every patch of snow. In the corners, countless bodies were neatly arranged. There were men, women, the elderly, and children. Some had lost half their heads, others had monster teeth still lodged in their throats, and some were missing half their bodies from bites. Some were even reduced to indistinct, trampled masses of flesh and blood, barely recognizable as human. It was unimaginable how much agony they must have endured before dying.

Jian Linyuan's heart constricted, sending pangs of pain through him. He silently took off the demon core pouch from his back and said in a low voice: "Fellow disciples of the Nine Sects, you have all endured so much. These demon cores were an unexpected gain for me; I'll distribute them among you." He carried the pouch, distributing demon cores to the remaining disciples one by one.

Leng Qingzhu's eyes also reddened. She had anticipated that the battle at Boundary Mountain would be tragic, but she had never imagined it would be this devastating. As a disciple of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, she hadn't been able to help the Nine Sects' disciples in the slightest. Yet, she had competed with them for merit and snatched away the treasury resources they had risked their lives to earn. Overwhelming shame made her want to disappear. She also untied her own satchel and distributed all her demon cores. Shang Shiqiu and the four other senior disciples also looked deeply ashamed. They quietly distributed all the demon cores they had acquired.

Seeing this, Jiang Fan quickly interjected, "Senior Brothers and Sisters, you really don't have to do this." Jian Linyuan waved his hand, "Since we couldn't assist the Boundary Mountain defenders, let us at least do our part now. Otherwise, my heart won't be at peace." Jiang Fan was stunned. Not all disciples of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion were despicable. Filled with admiration, he cupped his hands towards them. "On behalf of the Nine Sects' disciples, I thank you." The group nodded and continued distributing demon cores.

Jin Zhongming, who had already descended halfway down the mountain, watched as each disciple who had stayed received demon cores, some getting five, others as many as ten. His eyes turned red with envy. These were all genuine merit points. Five cores meant a hundred merit points. Ten cores meant two hundred! They had fought tooth and nail, only to receive a first-class merit award of one thousand merit points. These disciples, simply because they had waited a little longer for Jiang Fan, had received so many merit points? Why?

"Go! We're going back too!" Soon, they ran back to the mountaintop. However, Jian Linyuan and the others had already finished distributing the demon cores.

"None left?" Jin Zhongming asked with a grim expression. Jian Linyuan looked at him and said, "I'm sorry, we don't have any left. Perhaps you could ask the other disciples if they'd be willing to share some with you."

"Share with them?" Liang Feiyan, holding six demon cores, said sarcastically, "Didn't your Giant Sect leave? Did you see there were demon cores and shamelessly come back?" Ouyang Jun and Xie Liushu also showed schadenfreude. The Giant Sect's incessant chatter had sickened them earlier. Now they finally felt comfortable.

Ouyang Jun put the few demon cores he had received into his pocket and said: "Sorry, I'm not sharing." Xie Liushu chuckled, "If Junior Brother Ouyang isn't sharing, then neither am I." "If Senior Brother Xie isn't sharing, then neither am I." "If Senior Sister Zhou isn't sharing, then neither am I!" The disciples of the various sects, with silent understanding, collectively turned against the Giant Sect disciples. By common sense and principle, they couldn't possibly share with the Giant Sect disciples.

Jian Linyuan understood slightly. It seemed the Giant Sect disciples were quite unpopular. Shaking his head, he cupped his hands to Jiang Fan and said: "Junior Brother Jiang, we'll see you at the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. That is the true stage for your abilities; you are truly wasting your talent among the Nine Sects." Leng Qingzhu's beautiful eyes were also filled with anticipation: "When you come to the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, you'll discover that this world is very interesting. Of course, if you can join our seven-member group, it will be even more interesting." Shang Shiqiu and the other four members cupped their hands in farewell. After this battle, they were truly convinced by Jiang Fan's capabilities. They greatly looked forward to the lively scene when Jiang Fan joined the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Jiang Fan returned their greetings one by one, "Senior Brothers and Sisters, please take care on your journey!"

Watching the seven figures depart, he suddenly felt some anticipation for the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. He wondered what kind of place it truly was. And what did Leng Qingzhu mean by "this world is very interesting"?

"Jiang Fan, those were disciples of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, weren't they?" Li Qingfeng watched them disappear, his eyes filled with admiration. Compared to those brutes who had previously harmed the Nine Sects' disciples and plundered their demon cores on Boundary Mountain, these few Heavenly Secret Pavilion disciples were truly the complete opposite. This was the proper demeanor for Heavenly Secret Pavilion disciples.

"Yes," Jiang Fan replied. Li Qingfeng exclaimed, "Not only are their characters impeccable, but their strength is also terrifyingly high. I made a rough estimate, and the demon cores they distributed among the seven of them amounted to about eight hundred!" This number astonished the several elders present. Even Lei Zhenhai looked incredulous. "Eight hundred demonic beasts—even if they lay still and let them extract their demon cores, it would still take a long time. I really don't know how they managed that."

After a moment of sighing, Lei Zhenhai looked at Jiang Fan and said, "Since Jiang Fan is back, we should retreat immediately! That army of demonic beasts should be arriving soon. We can't delay any longer!" The elders and disciples all changed their expressions. They had almost forgotten. There was still a sword hanging over their heads.

Li Qingfeng nodded and said, "Sect Master Lei, please lead the other elders and disciples away first. I'll stay behind to handle the remains of the fallen Nine Sects' members." Lei Zhenhai cast a sorrowful glance at the countless bodies in the corner. He clenched his fists and declared, "Their deaths will not be in vain! For every human killed, the demon race will pay back tenfold in the future!" The elders and disciples of the various sects stood before the corpses, observed a moment of silence, and then departed with tears in their eyes.

Li Qingfeng, holding up a torch, said with a calm gaze: "Elders and disciples, I apologize for this. Under these unavoidable circumstances, I can only burn your remains and take your ashes back to be buried in human lands, together." With so many bodies, they couldn't possibly carry them all back. They could only take their ashes.

Only then did Jiang Fan understand. They were planning to retreat. He immediately stopped Li Qingfeng and said, "There's no need, Elder Li. It's better to take them back so each can return to their roots." Li Qingfeng said bitterly, "The demon beast army is coming. They will devour the bodies of our compatriots. Rather than that, it's better to burn them into ashes and take them all back."

Jiang Fan, however, calmly uttered a shocking statement. "There's no need to retreat. The demon beast army is no longer a threat."