Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

"The younger generation of humans are nothing but ants. They're dreaming if they think they can rescue the hostages from me!"

The vine demon swayed its body with considerable pride, "I am one with this forest. Unless they can burn the entire forest to the ground, they will not be able to harm my essence."

He waved the vine impatiently, saying, "You don't need to say anything more."

The fox demon was rebuffed, but she wasn't angry. She smiled charmingly and said, "Vine Lord's magic power is boundless, so I have nothing to fear. However, there are also outstanding individuals among these humans, especially those from the Divine Martial Academy and the Taixu Academy, who have quite a few tricks up their sleeves."

"If they join forces to attack, it might disturb Fuji-no-sama's peace. If... Fuji-no-sama is willing to help us hold them off, then the rest will be handled by me and Brother Ghost."

"In this way, everyone gets what they need, isn't that wonderful?"

The vine demon witnessed everything that happened in the forest, especially Li Yuan, from whom there was always an inexplicable chill.

He remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement, "Very well, I also wish to meet them."

"In that case, thank you very much, Fuji-no-sama!"

The fox demon was overjoyed, bowed deeply, and vanished in a wisp of red smoke.

For the Four Academies League, these monsters trapped by humans are both a calamity and an opportunity. The academy promised that if they successfully protect the hostages, they might consider releasing them.

Shenwu Academy has always been a firm believer, and for its own sake, it will fight to the bitter end no matter what.

Soon, led by Li Yuan, the Shenwu team arrived at the secluded valley where the vine demon was located, only to unexpectedly encounter Taixu and his group at the valley entrance.

Seeing Leng Ning Shuang's indifferent expression, Li Yuan was taken aback.

Almost simultaneously, Wanxiang Academy, led by Wen Ruoxu, also explored the outer perimeter of the ancient tomb.

He didn't act rashly, but stopped to carefully investigate. Suddenly, his expression changed: "This is dangerous! Retreat immediately!"

The people of Wanxiang immediately turned around without the slightest hesitation, clearly showing their complete trust in their captain's judgment.

At the entrance of the secluded valley, the Shenwu and Taixu teams faced each other from a distance, creating an awkward atmosphere. After all, this concerned the honor of their respective academies, and neither side wanted to give up the opportunity.

Chu Yunhe lazily raised an eyebrow: "It seems Miss Leng has also taken a liking to this place?"

Leng Ning Shuang remained indifferent, while Lei Lie beside her said in a booming voice, "Naturally, it's first come, first served."

"Arrived first? We arrived at the same time." Yu Ling'er pouted.

Li Yuan stepped forward, smiled, and cupped his hands in greeting: "Miss Leng, the demons here are powerful and occupy this secluded valley, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"I have a suggestion, young lady, would you like to hear it and see if it's feasible?"

"Oh? What brilliant idea does Captain Li have?" Leng Ning Shuang finally looked at him.

"How about this, our two teams will enter the valley simultaneously and launch an attack from the left and right flanks." Li Yuan pointed to the valley. "We'll fight our own battles without interfering with each other. In the end, whoever rescues the hostages will have to rely on their own abilities."

"What do you all think, Taixu?"

Li Yuan's suggestion is indeed fair. Both teams have their strengths and are evenly matched. It all comes down to luck.

Leng Ning Shuang, being exceptionally intelligent, pondered for a moment and nodded in agreement: "Okay, but I will choose the direction of attack."

Li Yuan smiled slightly: "Since it was my suggestion, Taixu should naturally have the first choice."

Upon seeing this, a chorus of boos erupted from the audience below the stage.

"Sigh, Li Yuan is still too honest. How could he let Taixu choose first?"

"Yes, the condensation cream will definitely choose the side closer to the hostage."

No matter how much they regretted it, they couldn't stop what was happening in the forest.

"You on the right, I on the left, with the tallest ancient tree in the valley as the boundary. We will not cross the boundary and each accept our fate."

"It's a deal!"

Li Yuan smiled and extended his hand, but Leng Ning Shuang merely nodded slightly before leading the Tai Xu team away.

"Cough cough..."

Li Yuan awkwardly withdrew his hand, touched his nose to cover it up, and laughed, "Um... let's go too."

"This Cold Frost is far too arrogant and rude," Yu Ling'er muttered under her breath, dissatisfied.

Just as Shenwu and Taixu entered the secluded valley, the Wanxiang Academy, which had hastily evacuated the ancient tomb, unexpectedly encountered Tiance Academy.

Upon meeting, both were slightly taken aback, then their expressions turned wary.

"Wen Ruoxu? You guys..." Zhao Lingyun saw the Wanxiang group come out from inside, looking somewhat disheveled, and couldn't help but feel suspicious.

Wen Ruoxu, who had thought all hope was lost, saw Tian Ce and the others and his hopes were rekindled.

"Captain Zhao, there are two hostages here, one in the open and one in the shadows. How about we join forces and each take one token?"

"two?"

Zhao Lingyun's eyes flickered. "Are you sure? What if there's only one left?"

"Of course it's certain. Even if I'm wrong, that token will belong to your Tian Ce faction. How about that?"

Wanxiang is currently in a bad state, and this is his only chance, so he can't be too greedy. This is a lesson he learned from Li Yuan.

Faced with such favorable conditions, Zhao Lingyun finally gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, tell me how you plan to join forces?"

Wen Ruoxu already had a plan in mind: "It's very simple. I, Wanxiang, am skilled in talismans, so I will naturally deal with that ghost cultivator. I would like to trouble Brother Zhao to take charge of the demon cultivator in the shadows."

"Okay!" Zhao Lingyun agreed readily. He had already investigated the situation inside and found that the demonic aura hidden in the shadows was significantly weaker.

"In that case, let's not delay, please!" Wen Ruoxu didn't waste any words. He knew that cooperating with Tian Ce was like asking a tiger for its skin, but the situation was beyond his control, so he could only take it one step at a time.

With their own agendas, the two institutions reached a temporary consensus and turned to continue walking into the ancient tomb.

On the stage, the audience's eyes darted back and forth between the two battles, and gasps of amazement filled the air.

"Look, a fight has broken out in the valley!"

"My God! What a powerful vine spirit!"

"Tai Xu has made their move too; Leng Ning Shuang has unleashed her ultimate attack!"

On the right side of the secluded valley, the five members of Shenwu stepped in and it was as if they had entered another world.

The towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, their branches entwined with dense vines, making the place incredibly dark.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of decaying leaves, emitting a foul, pungent odor that made one feel dizzy.

"Be careful, the mist is poisonous!" Li Yuan shouted, circulating his internal energy to quickly dissolve the poisonous mist he had inhaled.

Chu Yunhe, Shen Lian, and the others also used their internal energy to resist.

Just then, the vines on the tree suddenly sprang up and lashed out at the five people from all directions.

These vines are incredibly tough yet possess immense strength, their sap is poisonous, and their sheer number is endless, making them the greatest challenge the Divine Martial Squad has ever faced.

"open!"

Shen Lian roared, his longsword transforming into a dazzling halo of light, slicing the dozen or so vines that were attacking from the front into pieces, their juices flying everywhere.

Chu Yunfei's sword flashed like lightning, his movements so tight and impenetrable that Yu Ling'er and Ji Fanghua flanked them, cutting down the vines that were shooting at them.

Li Yuan, positioned in the center, swiftly slapped away any vines that managed to slip through the net. He activated his spiritual sense to try and pinpoint the vine demon's true form, only to discover that the demon's aura had blended seamlessly with the plants throughout the valley, making it impossible to distinguish.

The attacks of the vines seemed endless; as soon as one batch broke off, even more vines would surge out from the ground. To make matters worse, a faint whimpering sound could be heard, which was unsettling and made it difficult to concentrate.

"This won't do; we'll be worn down here sooner or later." Li Yuan frowned secretly.