Slaying demons and eliminating evil, a martial saint among mortals.

The only thing he was certain of was that what had happened at Qing Shi Yi was far from over.

Gu Qianji temporarily suppressed her doubts and began to deal with the mess in front of her.

Although the wolves had escaped, the surrounding area was not necessarily safe. The corpses of the twelve wolf demons lay scattered on both sides of the road, and the heavy stench of blood was enough to attract other monsters from the forest. The villagers had just escaped a calamity, and most of them were exhausted, with many injured, making it impossible for them to continue their journey.

Gu Qianji prepared to extract the demon core from the wolf demon's body, set up a defensive formation on the spot, and then use a communication talisman to notify the nearby Demon Suppression Bureau outpost.

He had just put the animal hide into his clothes when he suddenly felt an increasingly intense burning sensation on his chest.

The animal hide was getting hot.

Gu Qianji took it out again and found that the demonic patterns that had faded earlier had reappeared. In addition to what had been shown before, an even finer layer of dark red patterns had emerged from deep within the animal hide.

The two layers of demonic patterns overlapped, and originally there was no sign of anything unusual.

A few drops of wolf's blood were still stained on the back of the animal hide.

When Qin Lie and Lang Xing were fighting over the animal hide, Lang Xing's demon blood accidentally dripped onto it. After a period of time, the demon blood finally triggered the second layer of demonic patterns hidden inside the hide.

Xu Qinghe sensed a very pure wolf bloodline from the newly emerged demonic energy.

Gu Qianji quickly determined that the animal hide used double-layered demonic patterns. The outer layer could be viewed with ordinary demonic energy, recording the events of seven demon tribes entering human territory twenty-three years ago. The inner layer, however, required the use of a high-level bloodline from the corresponding tribe to open.

Wolf Walker has a direct connection with the Wolf Clan from back then.

It is very likely a descendant of the wolf tribe leader from back then.

The second layer of demonic patterns was not completely preserved. The animal hide had endured over twenty years of use, exposed to rain, oil, and smoke; some parts had even been cut off by Zhou Funian to mend the box. Gu Qianji could only piece together the remaining demonic patterns bit by bit, barely managing to reconstruct the most important details.

When the seven groups bypassed the Demon-Suppressing Pass, they did not use ordinary mountain roads.

The demon race used a demon vein buried deep underground to forcibly open a passage that could bypass the main formation of the Demon Suppression Pass.

The exit of that passage is in Eagle Fall Valley.

After all seven tribes entered human territory, the passage was sealed again. Later, a landslide occurred in Eagle Valley, burying the entrance with a large amount of rock, and no trace of the old road could be seen from the outside.

The corpses of demons and humans that Zhou Funian saw when he entered Eagle Valley twenty-three years ago were also related to this old road.

The animal hide was no ordinary piece of intelligence.

It records the situation after the seven tribes entered human territory and also preserves a part of the old road formation. As long as the underground demon vein is found again and the bloodline of the seven tribes is used as the array guide, there is a chance to reopen the closed old road.

Wolf Walker led twelve wolf demons to attack the village, part of the reason being to find animal hides.

Those wolf demons themselves were also sacrifices prepared by it.

During the most intense moment of the battle, Lang Xing forcibly activated the bloodlines within his twelve wolf demons, temporarily disregarding the damage the Soul Sealing Scroll inflicted on their demon souls. This not only enhanced their strength but also allowed the originally impure bloodlines within the wolf demons to fully awaken.

As long as all the blood of these wolf demons is poured into the formation, it can replace the blood essence left behind by the wolf tribe back then.

All twelve wolf demons were dead here, their corpses falling into the hands of Qin Lie and his companions. Logically, even if Lang Xing escaped back to Falling Eagle Valley, he wouldn't be able to gather so much of his own kind's blood again in a short time.

However, a constantly flashing array pattern in the lower right corner of the animal hide made Gu Qianji abandon this idea.

That was a demonic rune used to sense arrays from a distance.

It will only react when the old road formation below Falling Eagle Valley begins to operate.

The demon race has begun to reopen the old path.

Wolf Walker, despite being severely injured, decisively abandoned the animal hides and the corpses of the twelve wolf demons, fleeing the battlefield. This didn't mean he had completely abandoned his plan. There were more important matters to attend to in Eagle Valley, and he needed to return as soon as possible.

Animal hides are only one part of the complete plan.

There must be other monsters gathering in Eagle Valley.

Qin Lie quickly inquired about the possible consequences of the two options.

The nearest Demon Suppression Bureau outpost is over seventy li away from Qing Shi Post Station. Even if the other side immediately mobilizes its forces after the message talisman is sent out, it will take at least an hour for them to arrive.

Eagle Valley is less than fifty miles away from here.

Gu Qianji couldn't determine when the old path would be fully opened. It might take a few more days, or it might happen today. Too much information was missing from the animal hide; he could only confirm that the formation had begun operating.

Once the old road is opened, the demon race outside the pass can bypass the Demon Suppression Pass and directly enter the heartland of the human race.

It won't just be a dozen or so wolf demons that appear then.

It could be a few hundred, or it could be an entire demon army.

The nearby villages and towns have no city walls, no main battle formation, and not enough demon-suppressing warriors. If a group of demons were to emerge from Falling Eagle Valley, the people within a radius of hundreds of miles could be in danger.

If the seal of the garrison is delivered a few hours late, the remaining forces at Duanfeng Pass can barely hold on.

If you arrive at Eagle Valley a few hours late, there may be no chance to make amends.

Qin Lie ultimately decided to go to Eagle Fall Valley first.

This decision is different from his earlier choice to turn back and save the person.

He didn't immediately give chase just because a monster appeared before him, nor did he let momentary impulse cloud his judgment and cause him to ignore other matters. He carefully compared the risks on both sides, and only after confirming which side was more urgent did he change his original route.

Gu Qianji did not object.

From Qing Shi Yi to Luo Ying Gu, Qin Lie has begun to learn to take responsibility for more people's lives and has also begun to understand the choices that the commander-in-chief needs to make.

The three did not bring any villagers with them.

Gu Qianji took out the demon cores from the twelve wolf demons, set up a defensive array nearby that could conceal their auras, and then used the highest-level communication talisman to notify the nearby Demon Suppression Bureau.

The message made no mention of animal hides or the old road, only stating that a large number of wolf demons had appeared near Qing Shi Yi, and requesting that the other party come to rescue and evacuate the people as soon as possible.

Twenty-three years ago, someone inside the Demon Suppression Pass secretly helped the demons. Whether the traitor is still alive, and whether the nearby Demon Suppression Office is reliable, no one can guarantee.

News of the old route should not be disseminated for the time being.

After all the villagers entered the formation, Gu Qianji taught Zhou Dashi how to control it. As long as they didn't venture out on their own, ordinary lesser demons would have a hard time discovering this place in a short time.

Before leaving, Zhou Funian told the three of their general route through Eagle Valley.

Twenty-three years ago, a landslide blocked most of the valley entrance, but a dry riverbed remained passable on the right. A dozen miles further along the riverbed, you'll find an old locust tree struck by lightning. Beyond the rocky slope north of the locust tree lies the spot where the body was discovered.

Gu Qianji noted down the route, and the three of them set off immediately.

Qin Lie's injuries were not minor.

Four deep, bone-revealing wounds were left on her left arm by the wolf's claws, and there were several bite marks on her back from the wolf demon. After some initial treatment, Xu Qinghe could barely stop the bleeding.

The continuous travel caused the wound, which had already closed, to reopen.

Qin Lie did not stop because of this.

Xu Qinghe used a drop of demon blood left behind by Lang Xing in conjunction with the Soul Sealing Book to sense the surroundings. A weak connection still existed between the demon blood and the original body, and as long as the distance did not exceed the range of the Soul Sealing Book, she could roughly determine the direction of Lang Xing's movement.

Wolf Walk is indeed heading towards Eagle Fall Valley.

Along the way, the three encountered many monsters.

These monsters neither attacked the villages and towns they passed through, nor did they stop to hunt; instead, they all moved towards the direction of Eagle Fall Valley. They seemed to be summoned by the underground demonic veins, constantly converging on the same spot.

Qin Lie did not pursue or kill the monsters that were not blocking his way.

In the past, he would probably have easily dealt with every demon he could see. But now, the most important thing was to destroy the old path. Any unnecessary battles would waste time and energy.

Gu Qianji noticed his change, but didn't say anything.

It took the three of them more than an hour to finally reach the outskirts of Eagle Fall Valley.

The landslide 23 years ago has completely altered the terrain. The once wide valley entrance is now blocked by a large number of boulders, leaving only a very narrow, dry riverbed on the right.

Occasionally, I felt a tremor under my feet.

Strands of black demonic energy seeped out from the cracks in the rubble and gathered deep into the valley.

Xu Qinghe sensed more than forty demonic energies within the valley.

The two strongest among them have already reached the Demon General realm.

One path belonged to the wolf that had just escaped, while the other carried a strong snake-like aura.

The three of them affixed invisibility talismans and slowly ventured deeper into the dried-up riverbed.

After passing through the old locust trees and the scree slope, a huge depression appeared before us.

A crack several dozen feet long has appeared in the center of the depression.

A large amount of demonic energy continuously poured out from the crack. The surrounding ground was covered with dense, blood-red demonic patterns, and dozens of demons were scattered in different locations, pouring buckets of blood into the formation.

Wolfwalker stood in the center of the blood array.

Its chest and abdomen wounds have not yet healed, and its demonic energy is much weaker than before.

Beside Wolf Walk was a gray-scaled serpent demon that had already partially transformed into human form. It had also reached the Demon General realm and was in charge of overseeing the entire blood array.

Seven stone platforms were placed around the blood array.

Five of the stone platforms are filled with demon blood that has been preserved for many years. The blood has long since turned black and its aura is very weak, but it can still barely maintain the bloodline imprint of the five demon tribes from back then.

The remaining wolf and snake tribes still lack sufficient demon blood.

Twenty-three years have passed, and the seven tribes that entered human territory back then are no longer as powerful as they once were. Five of the tribes disappeared one after another during the years of investigation by the Demon Suppression Bureau, leaving only a small amount of their bloodline preserved.

Today, only the Wolf Tribe and the Snake Tribe still retain their complete traditions.

The demon race did not redeploy the seven tribes.

They simply wanted to use the preserved blood and the two remaining tribes to restart the formation from back then.

On the other side of the depression, an elderly human was also tied up.

That person was none other than Zhao Lao Er, whom Zhou Funian had mentioned.

Years ago, he secretly took the cut-off animal hide from Zhou Funian's broken wooden box. Later, he discovered that the hide was not afraid of fire or rain, so he carried it with him. Three months ago, two unidentified people found him and then took him to Eagle Fall Valley.

Those two were also spies cultivated by the demon race in human territory.

They obtained the tattered animal hide from Old Zhao, and from him they learned the whereabouts of Zhou Funian and the complete animal hide.

As Wolf Walk headed to the village to search for the remaining animal hides, the Grayscale Serpent Demon had already activated the Blood Array.

The twelve wolf demons that Wolf Walk took with him were originally enough to replenish the wolf clan's bloodline. Now that all twelve wolf demons have been killed, he can only use his own demon blood instead.

The Grayscale Serpent Demon's preparations weren't much better.

The number of snake demons that can be found nearby is limited, and the snake blood charm is still mostly missing.

Both demon generals understood that Qin Lie and his two companions would soon find this place by following the animal hide.

They don't have time to wait any longer.

Wolf Walker ultimately poured most of his demon blood into the blood array. The Gray-Scaled Serpent Demon also killed several of its own kind, pouring all their blood into the last stone platform.

The seven blood vessels gradually became complete.

Qin Lie and his two companions launched their attack at this moment.

Gu Qianji arranged array stones on both sides of the gravel slope in advance, first using a large number of gravel stones to suppress the eight demons that were lying in ambush around.

Xu Qinghe opened the Soul Sealing Book, controlling the subdued demon souls to rush into the blood array, while she herself went directly to the location of Zhao Lao Er.

Qin Lie's target remains Wolf Walk.

Wolf was already injured, but it forcibly increased its strength by relying on the power of its newly awakened bloodline. Qin Lie's injuries were more severe; his left arm was almost powerless, and he could only grip the knife with one hand.

After the two sides clashed again, neither side gained a clear advantage.

Qin Lie stopped engaging in a head-on fight with Lang Xing.

He began to use the terrain of the blood array and Gu Qianji's guidance to move, trying his best to lure Lang Xing away from the center of the array.

Gu Qianji then took advantage of the fact that the demon race had already completed most of the blood array to forcibly change the direction of operation of several array patterns.

The greatest advantage of a formation master has never been standing still and fighting the enemy head-on.

As long as one understands the formation, every array pattern painstakingly set up by the enemy can become a force in Gu Qianji's hands.

The gray-scaled snake demon quickly realized his intention and immediately transformed into its true form, attempting to kill Gu Qianji first.

Xu Qinghe has already rescued Zhao Lao Er.

Before losing consciousness, Zhao Lao Er pointed out a hidden black line on the tattered animal hide. The location where that black line connected was the true core of the entire old road formation.

After obtaining the damaged animal hide, Gu Qianji pieced it back together with the parts that Zhou Funian had preserved.

As soon as the edges of the two pieces of animal hide came close together, the demonic patterns that had been preserved for twenty-three years automatically connected.

The complete array diagram has finally appeared.

The core of the old road formation is located deep within an underground fissure.

Hidden outside the blood array are seven array nails crafted from demon bones. These seven nails stabilize seven points of blood flow; severing most of them will temporarily weaken the power of the old path array.

Gu Qianji confirmed the location of the array nails based on the complete array diagram, while Qin Lie dealt with Lang Xing while shattering the red stones that concealed the array nails.

Xu Qinghe continued to control the gray-scaled snake demon's soul, buying time for the two of them.

After the first array nail broke, the demonic patterns on one side of the blood array began to dim.

The second and third roots were severed, and the rate at which the underground cracks expanded slowed significantly.

Wolf finally realized that something was wrong.

It abandoned its efforts to conserve power, burned its bloodline once more, and stood firmly in front of the remaining array nails.

Qin Lie's wounds continued to increase.

His left shoulder was almost completely torn open by the wolf's claws, and his back and chest were also mangled by the demonic energy.

He still didn't stop.

The fourth one.

The fifth one.

The sixth one.

Gu Qianji was suffering from the backlash of the blood array. Every time he calculated a nail in the array, his blood and qi would be impacted.

Xu Qinghe's Soul Sealing Book had begun to show fine cracks. She had suppressed two demon generals in succession and controlled a large number of demon souls to block ordinary demons, and her soul power was already close to its limit.

All three of them had no way out.

After the sixth array nail was severed, the entire blood array shook violently.

The roars of numerous monsters could be heard from the other end of the old road.

They are forcefully attacking the last barrier.

The last pin is not outside.

It is located at the core of the underground formation.

As long as this array nail remains, even if the blood array on the ground is completely destroyed, the underground demon vein will continue to provide power for the old path.

Wolf used the remaining demon blood to forcefully break through the trap set up by Gu Qianji, and followed Qin Lie into the underground crevice.

The gray-scaled snake demon also broke free from the suppression of the Soul Sealing Book and rushed into the passage.

Gu Qianji and Xu Qinghe had no choice but to keep up.

Below the crack is a narrow passage that extends continuously underground.

The surrounding area was covered with demonic patterns that had been fully illuminated.

A large amount of demonic energy surged from the other end of the old road, and with each step forward, one had to endure an extremely strong impact.

Qin Lie walked at the very front.

The Zhenguan Seal vibrated continuously in his arms, and array patterns gradually appeared on its surface.

The Zhenguan Seal was originally part of the main formation of the Zhenyao Pass.

It sensed the power of the underground demon vein and began to react on its own.

Gu Qianji followed the directions indicated by the intact animal hide.

Qin Lie constantly changed direction amidst the chaotic array patterns, finally reaching the deepest part of the passage.

At the heart of the old road formation is a black stone platform.

The last bone nail was inserted into the center of the stone platform.

Countless demonic patterns swirled around the bone nail, and demonic energy was constantly surging out from the other end of the old path.

A gigantic, monstrous figure had already appeared on the other side of the passage.

One of its sharp claws even pierced through the still unstable phantom of the old road and reached into human territory.

A little later, the first monster from beyond the pass would truly enter Eagle Fall Valley.

Gu Qianji finally realized that ordinary methods were simply ineffective in blocking the old road.

The underground demon veins have been fully awakened.

To bring it back to silence, a power sufficient to suppress the ley lines must be used.

Only the Zhenguan Seal could accomplish this.

The Zhenguan Seal contains a portion of the power of the main array of Zhenyao Pass. By pressing it into the center of the array, one can use the aura of the main array to forcibly suppress the underground demon veins.

The cost was equally severe.

The seal of the town may be completely damaged.

Qin Lie has already gained the approval of the Zhenguan Seal, and the backlash from the formation will also fall on him through the Zhenguan Seal.

Given his current injuries, he is very likely to die in the center of the battle.

Qin Lie did not hesitate for long.

The Zhenguan Seal was originally used to guard the pass.

If even the old path already opened by the demon race cannot be sealed off, there is no point in continuing to send it to the Demon Suppression Pass.

Wolf Walk desperately tried to stop Qin Lie from getting close to the stone platform.

It has lost most of its demon blood, but its body still maintains the combat power of a demon general by relying on the power of its bloodline.

Qin Lie and it engaged in their final battle at the center of the formation.

Gu Qianji then used the intact animal hide to reverse the control of the blood array, turning back all the seven demon blood originally poured into the core of the array.

The gray-scaled snake demon wanted to reclaim the animal hide, but was instead infused with chaotic demonic energy that Gu Qianji had preemptively activated.

In order to reopen the old path, it had already absorbed the blood of several of its own kind of demons. With the power of different bloodlines all crammed into one body, it quickly began to lose control.

Xu Qinghe seized the opportunity and used the Soul Sealing Book to forcibly pull the Gray Scale Serpent Demon's soul.

The gray-scaled serpent demon's true form was pressed to the ground by the power of the blood array, and its demonic soul gradually detached from its body, eventually being sealed into the already cracked Soul Sealing Book.

Gu Qianji also suffered a backlash once again for forcibly reversing the blood array.

The intact animal hide could not withstand the impact of the two array forces and split completely in the middle.

The demonic markings left from twenty-three years ago began to dissipate rapidly.

The animal hide has served its final purpose.

Wolf Walk was also affected by the reversal of the Blood Array.

The remnants of the bloodlines of the twelve dead wolf demons, forcibly activated, were all poured into its body along with the reversed demonic energy.

Those wolf demons were originally sacrifices prepared by the wolf pack to open the old path.

Their remaining demonic souls after death cannot truly resist the wolf's actions, but they will tear at its soul after the blood array goes out of control.

Xu Qinghe opened the Soul Sealing Book again, controlling the gray-white chains to entangle Lang Xing.

Wolf's body and demon soul were both affected.

Qin Lie seized the opportunity, pierced its chest with a single stroke, and then severed its head.

After Wolf Walker died, the Wolf Clan's Bloodline completely lost control.

The old formation shook again.

Qin Lie did not stop to rest.

He picked up the Zhenguan Seal that had fallen to the side, climbed onto the black stone platform, and used his last bit of strength to press it onto the last bone nail.

The moment the seal and the bone nail collided, the entire underground passage fell into a brief silence.

The next moment, the power of the underground demon veins erupted in full.

Cracks quickly appeared on the surface of the Zhenguan Seal.

The backlash from the formation traveled along Qin Lie's arms and into his body, causing his recently closed wounds to reopen.

His nearly depleted vital energy was also being continuously drained by the Zhenguan Seal at this moment.

The Zhenyue Heavenly Skill operates on its own.

Qin Lie's cultivation technique was inherently adept at suppression and defense. The powerful blood and qi gradually merged with the remaining array power of the Suppressing Seal, pressing down together on the underground demon vein.

The monsters at the other end of the old road began their frenzied attack.

The claws that had already reached into human territory continued to claw at Qin Lie, leaving new wounds on his chest and back.

Qin Lie never let go.

Gu Qianji and Xu Qinghe also arrived at Shitai.

The three of them poured all their remaining power into the Zhenguan Seal.

Cracks finally appeared on the surface of the last bone screw.

The cracks multiplied and eventually broke completely in the middle.

All seven blood vessels simultaneously lost contact.

The underground demon veins gradually fell silent under the suppression of the Zhenguan Seal.

The existing old roads began to close rapidly.

The demon from beyond the pass had its claws, which had reached into the passage, severed by the power of the formation, and a large amount of demon blood was spilled around the stone platform.

A series of shouts came from the other end of the passage.

The monsters gathered there tried desperately to break through, but they could no longer stop the old road from closing.

The seal was covered with cracks, but it did not completely break in the end.

After the old path completely disappeared, the last bit of power in Qin Lie's body was also drained.

He collapsed beside the stone platform, completely losing consciousness.

The underground passage has begun to collapse.

Gu Qianji put away the severely damaged Zhenguan Seal, Xu Qinghe helped Qin Lie up, and the three of them retreated outwards along the broken array patterns.

The remaining monsters realized their plan had failed and had completely lost their will to fight.

Gu Qianji used the last few remaining array patterns to block the pursuers, while Xu Qinghe controlled the remaining demon souls to guard the rear.

After the three rushed out of Eagle Valley, a series of continuous booming sounds came from the depths of the entire valley.

A large amount of rock collapsed again.

The old road entrance was completely buried.

The underground passage that had been there 23 years ago also completely disappeared on this day.

People from the nearby Demon Suppression Bureau arrived quickly.

They first received a message left by Gu Qianji and rushed to the location of the villagers. After confirming that all the villagers were safe, they followed the array markings left by the three to Falling Eagle Valley.

Upon seeing the collapsed valley and the scattered demon corpses on the outskirts, the members of the Demon Suppression Division immediately blocked off the nearby roads.

Zhao Lao Er was taken back to the stronghold for treatment.

Although he was tortured by the demon race for a long time, he ultimately survived.

Qin Lie was unconscious for three whole days.

He had too many wounds, with his left arm and chest being the most severely injured. If it weren't for the fact that he had already cultivated the Zhenyue Tiangong to a certain level, and that Xu Qinghe hadn't used pills to protect his blood and qi in time, he might not have woken up at all.

Gu Qianji also suffered several backlashes from the formation.

Xu Qinghe's Soul Sealing Book was severely damaged after forcibly sealing the two demon generals, and it will take a long time to fully repair it.

None of the three could continue their journey immediately.

The town's seal has been temporarily sealed.

After examining the seal, Gu Qianji confirmed that although it was covered in cracks, the most important array patterns inside were not completely damaged. As long as it was sent back to the Demon Suppression Pass and nurtured by the main array, it still had a chance to recover.

News of the Battle of Eagle Valley was strictly suppressed.

The animal hides were destroyed in the blood array, leaving only some of the demonic patterns that Gu Qianji had noted down, as well as Zhao Lao Er's confession.

After Zhao Lao Er's explanation, the events of twenty-three years ago gradually became clear.

When Zhou Funian and Zhao Lao Er discovered the body in Luoying Valley, a fight had just taken place there.

A demon-suppressing array master was secretly tasked with modifying the outer array patterns to reopen the old path for the seven demon tribes. After completing this task, he planned to send the animal hides recording the situation of the seven tribes back to the pass.

The demons responsible for the rendezvous were worried about the news leaking and wanted to kill them to silence them.

Both sides ultimately perished together.

The animal hides were thus left in Eagle Valley and were not actually sent back to the demon royal court.

Twenty-three years ago, Gu Qianji was just a formation worker at Zhenyao Pass.

He had discovered that the outer array patterns had been tampered with, but during his private investigation, the array master turned the tables and accused him. Everyone believed that Gu Qianji had damaged the Demon-Suppressing Pass array and expelled him.

After Gu Qianji left Zhenyao Pass, he never had the opportunity to prove his judgment from back then.

It wasn't until the old path of Falling Eagle Valley was rediscovered that he recognized the habits left behind by the array master from the way the blood array was set up.

The injustice suffered 23 years ago has finally been resolved.

Five days later, Qin Lie and his two companions set off again.

The nearby Demon Suppression Bureau dispatched personnel to escort the damaged Zhenguan Seal to Zhenguan.

After receiving the news, the higher-ups at Zhenyao Pass immediately sealed all records related to the old road and reinvestigated all those who had participated in the maintenance of the outer array twenty-three years ago.

The traitor from back then has died in Eagle Fall Valley.

Most of the other people involved in this matter have also died or passed away in the past two decades.

The investigation did not uncover any new conspiracies.

The demon race had been preparing to open the old path for more than 20 years. Now, the wolf and snake tribes have suffered heavy losses, the array diagrams and animal hides have all been destroyed, and the old path has been completely suppressed by the Zhenguan Seal.

The matter at Eagle Valley is finally truly over.

After the Zhenguan Seal entered the main formation of the Zhenyao Pass, it underwent half a month of nurturing, and most of the cracks on its surface gradually disappeared.

It did not return to its original state and was still able to reconnect to the Broken Wind Pass formation.

The reconstruction of Duanfeng Pass thus officially began.

Gu Qianji's record of destroying the formation back then has been completely erased.

The Demon Suppression Pass hoped he would stay and serve as the formation elder.

Gu Qianji initially did not agree.

He circled around the perimeter of the Demon Suppression Pass and, after seeing the array formations set up by the array masters, ultimately decided to stay.

He was unwilling to admit that he cared about the status of the array elder, but he simply couldn't stand those young array masters wasting array stones and incorrectly connecting array patterns.

Gu Qianji stayed for a full month.

He readjusted several formations around the Demon Suppression Pass and also handed over what he had researched over the years to other formation masters.

After the Zhenguan seal was repaired, he followed Qin Lie back to Duanfeng Pass.

Ostensibly, they were only escorting the Zhenguan Seal and taking the opportunity to check the formation of Duanfeng Pass.

Upon arrival, he found dozens of problems and never returned to Zhenyao Pass immediately.

Xu Qinghe also stayed at Duanfeng Pass.

After the Soul Sealing Scroll was damaged, she needed a large number of demon souls to re-stabilize its pages. The remaining demons near Broken Wind Pass could help her recover her power.

Qin Lie officially took over as the commander of the Duanfeng Camp.

He no longer just led a few people to hunt down monsters.

The reconstruction of Duanfeng Pass requires the rearrangement of the garrison, repair of the city walls, restoration of the battle formations, and the clearing of nearby villages and roads.

In the past, Qin Lie was used to always being at the forefront.

After becoming the commander, he began to learn to delegate different tasks to different people.

Zhao Tieshan was in charge of leading the men to repair the city walls and the array patterns.

Lu Chen continued to lead the Demon Suppression Division's squad to clear out the remaining demons near Duanfeng Pass.

Xu Qinghe is responsible for sealing demonic souls that are difficult to kill directly.

Gu Qianji then took over all matters related to the formations.

Qin Lie will still personally emerge from seclusion.

But he would no longer immediately drop everything and chase after a lowly monster just because it appeared in the distance.

He first confirmed the number of monsters, their direction of movement, and the potential threat they posed before deciding how many people to send.

The events at Qingshiyi did not change his decision to save people.

It simply made Qin Lie understand that as the commander-in-chief, he had to bear the consequences of every choice he made.

Three months later, Duanfeng Pass completed its first round of reconstruction.

The collapsed city walls were rebuilt.

All damaged array patterns have been repaired.

The day the Zhenguan Seal was reinstated into the main formation, the entire Duanfeng Pass lit up with the long-lost array light.

As the soldiers on the city wall watched the array patterns connect, the unease that had been weighing on their hearts slowly dissipated.

After the demon race breached Duanfeng Pass, many people thought it could never be restored.

Now the city gates are closed again, the main formation is operational once more, and the Broken Wind Camp has a new commander.

Pei Jinghan and Shen Shuyan, who had risked their lives to defend the pass, finally regained their footing.

Early that morning, traces of demons reappeared outside the city.

More than thirty demons approached Duanfeng Pass along the mountain path, including two demon soldiers.

After receiving the news, Qin Lie picked up the Shattered Snow Blade and walked down from the city wall.

Xu Qinghe followed beside him, carrying the Soul Sealing Book, which was already mostly repaired.

Gu Qianji also picked up the array flags and checked the newly restored city gate array.

The gates of Duanfeng Pass slowly opened.

Qin Lie led the Duanfeng Camp soldiers out of the city gate.

The array patterns behind him gradually lit up.

The demonic aura from beyond the pass is getting closer and closer.

Qin Lie drew his Snow-Shattering Blade and continued forward.

Slay demons and eliminate evil.

As long as there are demons in the human world, this path will never end.

The End.