The younger disciple scrambled toward Duan Feng’s residence, intent on reporting the "assassination" and requesting aid.

But just as he reached the door, a powerful divine sense swept over him.

"There is no need for concern. I’m already aware." Duan Feng’s voice echoed.

The next moment, the door swung open, and the Peak Master walked out.

His previous sycophantic demeanor, resembling that of a seasoned merchant, had completely vanished.

Duan Feng’s face had become strangely heroic.

His divine sense connected with the mine’s protective arrays, activating them to guard key checkpoints.

Then he turned toward the trembling disciple, his voice turning cold.

"Go and inform the others! The demonic faction has arrived! Prepare for battle!" he ordered.

Before the disciple could utter a word regarding Chen Xuan’s assassination, Duan Feng’s figure blurred and vanished.

The young disciple stood alone in the hallway, silent for a few moments.

"I... I hope everything works out well," he finally muttered.

--

Outside, the mine had long been plunged into chaos.

The disciples standing guard were already locked in a desperate struggle, fighting against waves of ferocious, black-clad cultivators.

As several Elders and Duan Feng realized what was happening and rushed out to defend the mine, several streaks of light descended from the opposing side, transforming into dark silhouettes.

"Haha! So it’s Peak Master Duan!" the leading demonic cultivator laughed hoarsely, "It seems the Jade Pure Sect doesn’t value the mine as much as I expected!"

"In that case, prepare to watch it be destroyed!" Tang Chao said, glancing at Duan Feng with blatant contempt.

Just as he was about to continue his taunts, another figure emerged from the depths of the mine.

Clad in white robes and radiating a chilling aura, Chen Xuan stepped onto the battlefield.

The moment Chen Xuan appeared, Tang Chao’s muscles tensed instinctively. However, he remained disdainful on the surface, wearing a disdainful sneer.

"So, there’s also Peak Master Chen! Does the Jade Pure Sect really underestimate us so much that they sent only two pieces of trash to defend this place?" the demonic cultivator mocked, his middle-aged face dripping with bloodlust.

"You have underestimated us. We’ve already made enough preparations." Tang Chao stated before turning around and cupping his hands towards the empty sky behind him.

"Please, Fellow Daoist Luan, keep one of them occupied. Our sect will handle the rest."

Before he even finished speaking, the sky parted like a curtain.

A blurry silhouette appeared, gradually solidifying into the form of a striking woman.

Unlike the blood-drenched cultivators below, she wore an elegant purple robe.

Her face was calm and devoid of the typical demonic bloodlust, making it clear that she was not a member of the Bloodforge Sect like Tang Chao.

Duan Feng’s expression shifted as he seemed to realize something.

"Has the Myriad Souls Sect formed an alliance with the Bloodforge Sect?"

"Junior Brother Chen, be careful! The cultivators of this sect are formidable! Especially their Myriad Souls Banner—" he tried to warn Chen Xuan, but it was too late.

The woman, Luan Langyi, drew a pitch-black banner from her spatial ring.

With a graceful flick of her wrist, the flag fluttered, and thousands of wailing souls burst forth from the banner.

They shrieked with a hatred for all living things, before swarming toward Chen Xuan as though he were their mortal enemy.

A pale, ghostly domain rose up, forming a cage of mist that swallowed him whole.

Only the shrill cries of mournful ghosts echoed from within, making the scene look particularly eerie.

Luan Langyi chuckled softly.

"Don’t worry, Fellow Daoist Teng, I shall keep this man busy. The rest are yours to slaughter at will," she said before stepping into the mist.

Only her voice lingered behind. Within moments, both she and Chen Xuan had vanished from sight.

Teng Chao frowned but did not waste this opportunity.

With a murderous shout, he lunged at Duan Feng.

His subordinates followed behind like a pack of hungry wolves. They rushed towards the Elders and disciples of Jade Pure Sect.

Magic weapons and spells collided as soon as the two sides clashed.

--

The sounds of a ferocious struggle continued to echo from inside the ghostly domain.

Yet, the scene inside was entirely different.

Luan Langyi, who had previously acted proud and aloof, was now kneeling respectfully before Chen Xuan.

The mourning ghosts circled around them in a rhythmic dance, as if the two had entered the Underworld.

Chen Xuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his face dark with fury.

In the eerie pale light of the ghosts, he looked more like a demonic overlord than Tang Chao ever could.

If an outsider saw this scene, they would mistakenly believe he was the leader of the demonic faction!

"Your Excellency, please do not take offense at my actions. I needed a plausible excuse to contact you privately." Seeing Chen Xuan’s unusually dark expression, Luan Langyi’s voice trembled as she explained.

Her words snapped Chen Xuan back to reality.

He softly exhaled, forcing himself to calm down.

He wasn’t angry at her, nor at the demonic raid.

Rather, he was still fuming over his earlier failures.

Nearly every ingredient he had painstakingly collected had been wasted! Only a single batch of pills was successfully refined, barely better than nothing.

It was exactly this expenditure that made him look so murderous.

Realizing he needed to focus, he looked at the kneeling Luan Langyi.

She was at the Late Stage of Core Formation, strong enough for his former self, but someone he could now slap to death with ease.

However, he held back.

Not because he didn’t want to reveal his hidden strength, nor because he had suddenly developed an appreciation for beauty, but because this woman was his ally!

That’s right! This terrifying demonic cultivator was actually his ally!

Looking at Luan Langyi’s striking face and recalling Tang Chao’s earlier manner of address, Chen Xuan looked thoughtful.

"What’s your relationship with Luan Yi? Did she send you? What’s her purpose?" he asked several questions in quick succession.

Luan Langyi flinched but answered immediately.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, the Sect Leader is my aunt. As for why I’m here..." she hesitated for a brief moment, "My Master asked me to deliver you a message:"

"The demonic faction has great ambitions this time. Though I know of your strength and hidden connections, you should be extremely cautious."

"Even I, one of the leaders of the demonic path, cannot guarantee your safety in the coming conflict."

Luan Langyi relayed Luan Yi’s message word by word. The implications behind them were enough to shock anyone.