Chapter 289 - 171: Deep into Demon Ridge, Secret Blood Awakens, Shocked Jiang Hao

Chapter 289: Chapter 171: Deep into Demon Ridge, Secret Blood Awakens, Shocked Jiang Hao

Hearing everyone’s words, even Jiang Hao furrowed his brows slightly.

Although he did not know what the ringing of twelve bells on Thousand Sects Island meant, it was not hard to figure out from the crowd’s shocked expressions and discussions. These twelve tolls were a rallying call for the Saint Realm.

"Something major must have happened at Demon Ridge. Otherwise, Thousand Sects Island wouldn’t have sounded twelve World Bells. This is the signal that all thousand sects have entered a state of maximum alert!"

"Once twelve bells ring, not only must all Saint Realm Powerhouses on Thousand Sects Island assemble, but all sects must also set aside their grievances and prepare for war. If it weren’t a matter of life and death, the Thousand Sect Island Realm absolutely would not toll twelve bells."

"In other words, is Demon Ridge going to bring disaster to Thousand Sects Island?"

"Oh my god..."

In the void.

Countless ancient Celestial Prides were filled with horror. The sudden tolling of the bells had plunged the entire world into endless panic.

Beside Jiang Hao, Mu Yunshang and the other nine also experienced drastic changes in their expressions. The way they looked toward the rear of Thousand Sects Island had fundamentally shifted.

This scene caused the peerless Celestial Prides of the thousand sects to involuntarily slow their pace. Some even stood frozen in the void, unmoving for a long time.

However, the crowd had yet to receive any orders to retreat. The answer was already obvious: even though Thousand Sects Island had sounded the twelve World Bells, the higher-ups of the various sects still had no intention of calling them back. Left with no other choice, everyone could only brace themselves and continue flying toward Demon Ridge.

However, as the countless Celestial Prides flew onward, some could not help but intercept the Cultivators fleeing from the coastline, who were retreating like a landslide defeat.

"Fellow Daoist, what is the situation over at Demon Ridge right now? Why are you all fleeing in this direction?"

Faced with the interception and questioning from the ancient Celestial Prides of the thousand sects, the fleeing army, surging like Wang Yangs, was consumed by absolute terror. They flew madly toward the depths of the thousand sects.

Jun Yichen finally managed to forcefully intercept a Cultivator, but the latter’s eyes were unfocused. Still reeling from the shock, his voice trembled as he spoke.

"Flee! Flee quickly! Demon Ridge has gone mad! They’ve gone mad! They’ve all gone mad! The sect powerhouses guarding the coastline are almost all dead! They’re all dead!"

The intercepted Cultivator seemed to have suffered endless fright, rendering his mind somewhat incoherent. Seeing that he couldn’t get any more answers, Jun Yichen simply let the man flee into the distance. However, the gaze he shot toward Jiang Hao had drastically changed.

It was obvious. Although the man had said little, it was as if he had conveyed everything. They were dead. The sect powerhouses responsible for guarding the coastline were almost all dead.

"Sister?"

The moment she heard the Cultivator’s words, the one among the eleven whose emotions fluctuated the most was undoubtedly Mu Yunshang. Her gaze instantly grew frantic, and endless anxiety welled up in her beautiful eyes as she muttered, "Sister... Sister!"

After snapping back to reality, Mu Yunshang cried out for her sister and flew madly toward the coastline of Demon Ridge.

"Junior Sister Yun Shang?"

Watching Mu Yunshang transform into a streak of light and disappear, Fan Tian and the others called out subconsciously.

Jun Yichen suddenly remembered something and said, "Oh no. Isn’t Junior Sister Yun Shang’s older sister one of the powerhouses responsible for guarding the coastline?"

Hearing this, everyone shuddered. Mu Yunshang was clearly worried about her sister. Jiang Hao’s pupils narrowed slightly at the words. After a brief moment of thought, he suddenly accelerated, shooting into the sky along Mu Yunshang’s trajectory.

"Let’s go."

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!!

Seeing this, Jun Yichen and the rest hesitated for only a moment before taking to the sky one after another, quickly following close behind. If an earth-shattering event had truly occurred at Demon Ridge, it would be impossible for any Cultivator on Thousand Sects Island to stay out of it. At this moment, the situation within Demon Ridge had likely been completely upended. Furthermore, for the Cultivators of this world to leave, they would inevitably have to pass through Demon Ridge. The only way forward was to figure out exactly what was happening there.

As the countless ancient Celestial Prides of the thousand sects flew forth, the scene shifted to the front of Demon Ridge—which stretched out like a giant dragon at the end of the Celestial Secret Island chain—and the edge of the boundless coastline.

BOOM!!!

"Senior Brother, hurry and go!" A deafening boom echoed through the heavens and the earth, immediately followed by an almost despairing cry.

"Junior Brother Qi?"

Over a hundred meters outside the mountain range, dozens of Cultivators dressed in the robes of the Beardless Sect were covered in bloodstains. Looking at the Beardless Sect Cultivator who was responsible for bringing up the rear, they all cried out in anguish.

At this moment, the coastline was already battered beyond recognition. Demonic beasts poured out frantically in waves like surging Wang Yangs. Screams of agony echoed incessantly across the entire shore, which had long since turned into a living hell. This group of Beardless Sect Cultivators were clearly powerhouses who had fought their way out from deep within Demon Ridge, but they were now nearly engulfed by the beast tide, leaving them with no route of escape.

"Senior Brother, watch out!"

ROAR!!!

Without giving the Beardless Sect disciples any time to grieve, an unimaginably colossal beast claw tore through the void and slammed down toward them.

BOOM!!!

The Cultivators, who had just managed to gather together, were instantly blasted apart. Several slower disciples were directly torn to shreds.

"What do we do? Senior Brother, what do we do?" Some Cultivators were already trembling all over. They were simply no match for these demonic beasts.

Although this group of Beardless Sect Cultivators were powerhouses tasked with guarding the coastline, their cultivation bases were not particularly high. Rather than calling them powerhouses guarding the defense line, it would be more accurate to say they were disciples tempering themselves in Demon Ridge. The strongest among them, the Senior Brother, was merely at the Unity Realm Great Perfection.

Moreover, these disciples lacked the Celestial Pride Mark between their brows. They were either ordinary Cultivators unqualified to participate in the Celestial Pride Contest this generation, or youths eliminated in the previous one. Their innate talents were not very high, and their strength naturally could not compare to true Celestial Prides. However, since they were Cultivators who had survived thus far in the Cultivation Realm, the majority of them managed to remain relatively calm.