You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Looking into Liu Piaopiao's serious eyes, Chen Yang knew that it would be useless to force the issue.

His eyes darted around, and he suddenly laughed.

"Piaopiao, since you insist on this, how about we make a bet?"

"A bet? What kind of bet?"

Liu Piaopiao blinked.

"Let's gamble on whether there will be any danger tonight, and whether my Sumeru Space can truly protect us in case of danger."

Chen Yang said calmly.

"You chose to camp outside, and I'm confident that my space is absolutely safe."

If tonight goes smoothly, or if there is danger but my space allows us to get through it safely, then I win.

If the situation you described occurs—a powerful being discovers my space and poses a threat, or we encounter an insurmountable danger while camping outside—then you win. How about it? Want to bet?

Liu Piaopiao's competitive spirit was aroused. She was very confident in her judgment and somewhat unconvinced by Chen Yang's "blind" confidence.

She puffed out her chest and said readily.

"What's there to be afraid of? Let's bet! But... we need to agree on the stakes first."

Chen Yang already had a plan in mind, but his face showed a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm... As for the bet... if I win, you have to agree to one condition—stay in my Sumeru Space and help me manage and protect the things inside for... ten years."

"Of course, it's not imprisonment. You can come out anytime, but you must make that place your main residence and place of practice, and promise to keep the secrets inside."

Ten years to protect a space? Liu Piaopiao felt that this bet was a bit strange, but thinking that she could not possibly lose, she nodded without thinking.

"No problem! I promise you! If you lose, then in similar situations in the future, you have to listen to me and not risk going into your Sumeru Space! And... um, you also have to treat me to ten big meals!"

"A word is settled!"

Chen Yang extended his little finger.

"A word is settled!"

Liu Piaopiao also extended her little finger and hooked it with Chen Yang's, which can be considered as making a bet.

She wore a confident smile, clearly believing she was certain of victory.

After making their agreement, the two began looking for a suitable place to stay.

Liu Piaopiao pointed to a hillside in front of her that was relatively high and backed by a huge rock.

"Look over there, the view behind that boulder is good, and we can hide there. There aren't many people around. Let's go there."

It avoids the crowds, yet doesn't feel completely isolated.

Chen Yang looked in the direction she was pointing. There was a huge, irregularly shaped, grayish-white boulder, several meters high, standing abruptly on the hillside. The back of the boulder formed a sheltered depression, which was indeed a good temporary campsite.

He nodded.

"Okay, right there."

After the two arrived at the boulder, they cleaned the ground and laid out some dry grass and animal hides.

Chen Yang then leaped up and nimbly jumped to the top of the boulder, where he stood and gazed into the distance.

By this time, the last rays of the setting sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, leaving only a faint crimson glow on the horizon. Twilight enveloped the mountains and fields, and visibility gradually blurred.

However, it can still be seen that some latecomers are hurrying along the winding mountain path below the hillside, looking for a place to spend the night.

Soon, campfires were lit in relatively flat or sheltered spots around the hillside, and figures sat cross-legged, clearly choosing to camp there. They maintained a wary distance from each other, yet subtly formed a sense of collective security due to their large numbers.

Liu Piaopiao also climbed onto the boulder, stood beside Chen Yang, and looked at the gradually brightening firelight and shadowy figures below, and said.

"It seems everyone has similar thoughts, so we're all clustered together here to look out for each other."

If a problem does arise, it can be detected in time, allowing us to work together to address it or escape.

Chen Yang hummed in agreement, but his gaze was fixed on the distant chasm, where everything was completely swallowed by darkness and nothing could be seen.

The sky was completely dark, and the stars began to appear.

The hillside gradually quieted down, with only the crackling of the campfire and the faint sound of hushed conversations.

Liu Piaopiao said to Chen Yang.

"Let's officially begin our bet now. I want to see what happens tonight."

Chen Yang withdrew his gaze and looked at Liu Piaopiao with a playful smile on his face.

"We've only agreed on the betting, we haven't officially confirmed the stakes yet. Now, let me repeat my terms."

If I win, you must promise to stay in my Sumeru Space and guard it for ten years. Have you thought it through?

When Liu Piaopiao saw him bring up the old matter again, she thought he was feeling guilty and raised her chin even more confidently.

"I've thought it through perfectly! No problem! If you win, I, Liu Piaopiao, mean what I say!"
Ten years it is! But... you're doomed to lose!

"Then we'll wait and see."

Chen Yang smiled and extended his little finger again.

"Come on, let's double-check, just in case anyone tries to renege."

"Whoever cheats is a little dog!"

Without hesitation, Liu Piaopiao hooked her finger with his again, officially finalizing this gamble concerning "safety" and "trust".

However, just as their fingers parted—

A sudden change has occurred!

"Roar--!!!"

A sharp roar, filled with violence, anger, and bloodlust, suddenly exploded from the dark forest in front of the hillside, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!

This roar was completely different from the previous roar of the white demon. It was sharper and more penetrating. The ferocious aura contained within it made everyone who heard it feel their scalp tingle and their blood surge!

Then came the second, the third... more and more similar sharp screams rang out from different directions, quickly merging into one!
Interspersed among them were some lower-pitched roars belonging to white monsters, as if responding or protecting them!

"A monster! It's a monster!"

"Red! So many red monsters!" "How...how did they get here?!"

"Oh my god! There are white monsters too!"

Weren't they blocked on the other side?!

The hillside erupted in chaos! Terrified shouts, screams, the sound of weapons being drawn, the glow of magic charging... utter pandemonium!
Chen Yang and Liu Piaopiao, standing atop the boulder, had the clearest view.

Dozens of blood-red figures suddenly rushed out from the dark forest from the front, left, and right!
They were slightly smaller than the white monsters, but more agile and nimble. Their bodies were covered in dark red carapaces that looked like flowing magma. They had long limbs, and their claws and teeth gleamed with a cold, eerie light. Their eyes shone with a blinding crimson light in the darkness, filled with pure bloodlust! These were the red mutated monsters we had seen across the chasm earlier!
Among these red monsters were indeed several enormous white monsters, like moving hills, exuding a fierce aura.

As soon as these monsters appeared, they pounced on the trial participants who were setting up camp on the hillside and had not yet fully organized an effective defense with astonishing speed and efficient killing instinct!

"Pfft!"

"what--!"

"Help!"

The sounds of claws tearing flesh, bones snapping, and the screams of the dying... all blended together in an instant!
Under the firelight, blood splattered, and severed limbs were thrown about, creating a horrific scene!

These red demons are clearly far stronger than ordinary demons. Their speed, strength, and defense are all extremely terrifying. Ordinary attacks often only leave a shallow white mark on them, while their sharp claws can easily tear through a cultivator's protective aura!
The once relatively orderly hillside campsite instantly transformed into a killing field! The crowd descended into complete panic and chaos, crying out for their parents and fleeing in all directions.

Only a few quick-reacting, strong, or already grouped small teams were able to barely form a defensive formation, but under the combined attack of the red and white monsters, they were forced to retreat steadily and faced constant danger.

"Look, Piaopiao."

Chen Yang turned his head and looked at Liu Piaopiao, who was pale and trembling slightly beside him. His voice was calm, even carrying a hint of indifference as if he had expected it.

You lost.

They did come, and they came aggressively. It's not safe outside.

At this moment, Liu Piaopiao's mind went blank, overwhelmed by immense fear and the bloody scene before her.

She never expected that Chen Yang's premonition would come true!

These terrifying red monsters actually broke through the insurmountable chasm and appeared in the core area, and began a massacre right before their eyes!

"How...how did these red monsters get across? That chasm...that chasm isn't..."

Her voice trembled, and she spoke incoherently.

There is no insurmountable barrier in the world.

Chen Yang calmly surveyed the battlefield.

"They must have their methods, or... the rules here are just lenient with them. Now is not the time to discuss that."

Just then, shouts and sounds of fighting came from the forest on the right, clearly indicating that monsters were also flanking from the other side.

Soon, the faint roars of monsters and screams of humans could be heard from behind—they were surrounded!
Below, some bold and composed cultivators, or those driven to the brink of despair, began to spontaneously organize themselves, attempting to form a battle formation to counterattack and temporarily stabilize their position.

But faced with the fierce onslaught of the red monsters and the brutal destruction of the white monsters, the defensive line was in grave danger, and people kept falling.

"Brother Chen... what... what should we do?"

Liu Piaopiao instinctively grabbed Chen Yang's sleeve, her voice filled with unprecedented panic and helplessness.

"Should we take this opportunity to escape, or... go down and fight alongside them?"

Looking down at the hellish scene below, her heart was filled with conflict. Escape? Monsters seemed to lurk in all directions; where could she run? Resist?

Seeing the overwhelming combat power of those red monsters, she knew that if she and Chen Yang joined in, it would probably be just a drop in the ocean, or they might even be overwhelmed in an instant.

Chen Yang felt the coldness and trembling of Liu Piaopiao's fingers and knew that she was really frightened.

He gently took her hand in his own, his voice steady and firm, carrying a reassuring strength.

"Piao Piao, do you remember our bet? You lost. Now, it's time to keep your promise and trust me."

Liu Piaopiao was still in shock. Looking at the hellish scene below, and then at Chen Yang's calm yet unquestionable gaze, she bit her lip and nodded forcefully. The bet was made, and at this moment she truly had no better choice.

"You wait here."

Chen Yang released her hand, his gaze falling on the rampaging, blood-red figures below the hillside, a glint of eager anticipation flashing in his eyes.

"I'd like to go down and meet these red monsters, and see just how strong they really are."

Liu Piaopiao was shocked to hear this and grabbed his sleeve.

"Are you sure? It's so chaotic down there. If you go down recklessly, won't you attract their attention? It's too dangerous!"

Chen Yang patted the back of her hand to reassure her.

"It's alright, I have a way to escape. As long as I'm not surrounded by several, it'll be fine. It's also a good opportunity to test the strength of these 'red-skinned' creatures and figure out their weaknesses, which will benefit us later."

Seeing that Chen Yang was determined and his eyes were firm and confident, Liu Piaopiao knew she couldn't persuade him, so she had no choice but to let go and remind him with concern.

"Then...then be very careful! If you can't win, come back immediately!"

"rest assured."

Chen Yang gave her a reassuring smile, then leaped down silently from the top of the boulder like an owl, disappearing into the chaotic crowd and shadowy figures below in a few bounds.

Liu Piaopiao immediately crouched down, pressed herself against the shadow of the boulder, held her breath, and minimized her aura, but her beautiful eyes followed Chen Yang's movements with trepidation, her heart pounding in her throat.

Chen Yang did not rush directly into the area with the highest concentration of monsters, but instead darted around the edge of chaos like a fish swimming.

He quickly locked onto a target—a lone red monster.

This demon had just torn apart a cultivator's protective aura and was now opening its drooling, blood-red maw to pounce on two or three young men who were paralyzed with fear nearby, including a pale-faced girl.

Those few people were only at the late stage of Qi Refining. Faced with this terrifying red demon, they couldn't even put up an effective resistance, and all that was left in their eyes was despair.

Just as the red demon's claws were about to smash the young man's skull, a figure darted between them like a ghost!
Chen Yang has made his move!
Instead of using the Xuan Sword, he quickly formed hand seals, and the power of the Qingwei Yuanjiang Great Law within his body circulated at a unique frequency of exorcising evil and dispelling malevolent influences, while he uttered a low shout.

"town!"

In an instant, the air around him suddenly turned cold and gloomy, and thick black mist appeared out of thin air. It was not demonic energy, but a purer "evil energy" that was specifically designed to counter evil.

Amidst the churning black mist, a piercing metallic scraping sound rang out. Several thick black iron chains, shimmering with dark runes, pierced through the black mist like venomous snakes emerging from the depths of the underworld, carrying a chilling aura and a heavy whistling sound as they lashed fiercely at the red demon!

The red monster reacted extremely quickly. A fierce glint flashed in its scarlet eyes, showing no fear whatsoever. Facing the iron chains that shot towards it, it neither dodged nor avoided them. Instead, it let out a provocative roar, and the red light on its claws surged as it took the initiative to meet them head-on, accurately grabbing the tips of the first two iron chains that attacked it!

"Roar!"

The monster roared, its arm muscles bulging, attempting to use brute force to pull the iron chains along with Chen Yang behind them and tear them apart. (End of Chapter)