The ancient return was exposed by his sister's live stream.

It wasn't the chaotic and mixed aura of ordinary Soul Devouring Abyss Demons; it was a purer, more concentrated, and more oppressive presence.

It is being born from the remains of countless of its kind—the Soul Devouring Abyss Demon eats everything, even its own companions.

This kind of infighting is not accidental; it is instinct, part of their evolutionary mechanism.

Similar to raising Gu, when the number of Soul Devouring Abyss Demons at the bottom of the pit reaches a certain threshold and the fighting is fierce enough, a leader will be born from the pile of corpses.

This is the most troublesome aspect of the Soul Devouring Abyss Demons: they are not strong, but they are impossible to kill or exterminate.

Even if all living beings are wiped out, as long as the deep pit in the ground remains, it won't be long before new monsters are born again, just like bacteria multiplying, in an endless cycle.

That is why Chen Hao laid down an ancient seal ten thousand years ago, completely sealing off this abyss. Ten thousand years have passed, and who knows how many more of these things have multiplied.

This is the second time a Commander-level Soul Devouring Abyss Demon has appeared. The last one was one he dealt with personally.

Chen Hao withdrew his divine sense and took a sip of his tea. He stopped looking in the direction of the pit. It would take another night to get out; he would let them continue training.

Night fell completely. There were no city lights on the wasteland; the moonlight was the only source of light, illuminating the figures fighting at the edge of the pit like silhouettes in a shadow play.

The leaden-gray night sky hung low, and the cold wind, carrying the stench of decay, swept across the bones scattered on the ground, emitting a mournful wail. The pitch-black pit, like the gaping maw of a giant beast, was eerily quiet, not even a single roar of a demon could be heard.

The two groups guarding the entrance have already rotated three times.

From the daytime battle to the nightfall, they slayed wave after wave of Soul Devouring Abyss Demons, evolving from initial chaos to later perfect teamwork and deadly attacks.

Everyone was covered in black blood, their clothes were tattered, but their eyes were sharp, and their spirit was much stronger than when they first arrived.

The pit fell silent once the last mutated abyss demon was beheaded by Qin Xiaoyu with a single sword strike.

No shadowy figures darted out, no roars echoed, and even the sounds of scratching at the stone wall vanished completely.

Wu Tian shook the blood off his hands, looked around the empty cave entrance, scratched his head, and said with a look of unsatisfaction, "That's it? That's it? I was waiting to do another round, and we're already off work after just warming up?"

Yang Wanqing glared at him, propped herself up on her knees and gasped for breath. The wound on her arm was still throbbing. She said irritably, "Are you a battle maniac? Can't you see we're almost exhausted? If we don't rest now, if a big guy comes out tomorrow, we'll all be dead."

"Exactly," Ying Wenjie rubbed his sore wrists, his face showing fatigue but unable to hide his excitement, "But to be honest, this day's battle was more useful than half a month of hard training at home. I feel like I've mastered most of the power exertion techniques of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts."

Ye Chendong nodded, looking at the deep pit, then turning to look at the brightly lit ancient pavilion not far away, and said in a deep voice, "There is indeed no movement. The demons underground must be lying dormant for the time being. Let's go back and report to our master."

Qin Xiaoyu gently sheathed her sword, the black blood on the dagger sliding off automatically, leaving it clean and new. A hint of weariness lingered on her pretty face, yet her posture remained upright as she gently nodded to the crowd: "Let's go."

Qin Xiaoyu took the lead and headed towards the attic. The others followed behind. Yang Wanqing's legs were a little weak, Ying Wenjie's walking posture was a bit off, but Wu Tian walked in front as if nothing was wrong, even turning back to urge Ye Chendong to hurry up.

Chen Siyao climbed onto the balcony. Chen Hao was holding a teacup, looking towards the deep pit in the distance. As the six people approached, a barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Brother, no more Soul Devouring Demons are coming out." Her voice carried a hint of weariness, but also a touch of lightness after completing the mission.

Chen Hao nodded: "Okay. Let's rest for the night and continue tomorrow."

He stood up, walked to the edge of the balcony, and waved his right hand. The ancient sword, engraved with runes, flew out of his storage bag, streaked across the night sky, and instantly flew directly above the deep pit, hovering steadily a hundred meters in the air.

Countless golden runes suddenly lit up on the sword, like a sky full of stars, and a gentle yet extremely majestic golden halo poured down from the sword.

Like a canopy, it enveloped the entire entrance of the deep pit, flowing down the pit wall and seeping into the abyss thousands of meters below the surface.

From the once silent depths of the pit came a sudden burst of dense, terrified roars from the abyss demons, as if they had encountered their natural nemesis. They stirred wildly, but were suppressed by the golden halo. Within seconds, all the roars, agitation, and scratching sounds disappeared.

The entire plain fell into utter silence.

Even the wind seemed to slow its pace.

Chen Siyao let out a long breath. What she feared most was that a demon would rush up while she was resting. Winning was tiring, losing was shameful, and if someone got injured, it would be even more troublesome.

"Alright, go wash up." Chen Hao waved his hand.

The group looked down at their clothes—bloodstains, black liquid, and dust were mixed together, the cuffs were torn in several places, and Yang Wanqing's trousers had a tear made by claws.

Yang Wanqing was the first to run downstairs, shouting, "Me first! Me first!" Ying Wenjie followed behind, dragging his aching legs. Wu Tian and Ye Chendong walked slowly, while Qin Xiaoyu brought up the rear with light steps.

There weren't six bathrooms in the attic, so several people lined up to wash. Wu Tian was the last one. By the time he finished and came out, the living room was already filled with the aroma of food.

Chen Hao took out spirit beast meat and spirit tea from his Qiankun bag, and Chen Siyao and Qin Xiaoyu volunteered to cook. Chen Siyao took charge of the cooking, and Qin Xiaoyu assisted. The two worked together seamlessly and quickly prepared several dishes.

The spirit beast meat was sliced ​​thinly, tossed briefly in the pan, and then removed from the heat. The meat was tender and didn't require much seasoning. A large pot of spirit tea was brewed; the tea liquor was pale golden, with a refreshing aroma.

Ying Wenjie was already sitting at the table, chopsticks in hand, his eyes fixed on the dishes.

Ye Chengdong sat next to him, holding a cup of tea and sipping it slowly. Ying Wenjie lay slumped on the table, his face pressed against the surface, looking as if he had just come back to life.

After washing with the spiritual spring water, everyone changed into clean and loose clothes. The small wounds on their bodies had mostly healed under the self-healing power of the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts, and their fatigue had dissipated by seven or eight tenths. Everyone felt refreshed.

"Dinner's ready, dinner's ready—" Chen Siyao came out of the kitchen carrying the last dish.

Everyone immediately picked up their chopsticks and wolfed down their food, constantly uttering satisfied exclamations. The dinner was lively and cheerful, filled with laughter and chatter.

Wu Tian downed three bowls of spirit grain rice, patting his stomach and exclaiming how satisfying it was. He joked, "This meal has given me a full boost in combat power. If another hundred Abyss Demons came tomorrow, I could easily handle them!"

After dinner, everyone dispersed. Some nestled on the sofa scrolling through their phones, while others squatted on the carpet playing with Xiaoyue. Xiaoyue lay on the floor, belly up, while Qin Xiaoyu sat beside her, grooming her fur.

Xiaoyue squinted, her tongue lolling out from the corner of her mouth, looking quite content. Xiaoqing flew in from the balcony, landing on the back of the sofa and tilting her head to look at Xiaoyue.