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Chapter 391: Chapter 391: The Demon Nightmare Legion

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen had responded.

"I know you might not be convinced of Lin Xiao\'s abilities, but over time, you will come to appreciate them. Lin Xiao has much more experience in leading troops than you do. Generally, Lin Xiao will only offer advice and not interfere with your decisions. However, I am giving Lin Xiao a command token. In life-and-death situations, Lin Xiao can use this token to take command of the entire army, and you must obey him," Zhong Shan had stated firmly.

Shui Wuhen had frowned but still responded, "Understood!"

"Zhihuo, your task is to ensure the safety of Lin Xiao, Shui Wuhen, and Liu Wushuang," Zhong Shan had instructed the Flame Wolf General.

"Yes!" Zhihuo had replied immediately.

"How will we stay in contact?" Shui Wuhen had asked, concerned.

"I have already mapped out the route. Mark each city you pass with the symbols I provided. Mr. Corpse and I will be moving faster than the army. Once we\'ve completed our tasks, we\'ll rendezvous with you," Zhong Shan had assured them.

"Yes!" Shui Wuhen had replied.

Reflecting on those instructions from two months ago, Shui Wuhen could still remember them clearly.

"Mr. Lin, do you know where the Grand Marshal has gone? They haven\'t returned yet," Shui Wuhen asked.

"I don\'t know. The Grand Marshal will return when it\'s time. Let\'s focus on our march," Lin Xiao said.

"Hmm," Shui Wuhen nodded.

While Shui Wuhen continued on one path, Zhong Shan and Mr. Corpse took another.

Along with Jian Ao and Chujie, the four of them swiftly advanced in one direction.

"Jian Ao, how much longer?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Soon. I\'ll guide you for a few more days, and then we\'ll enter the \'Buddha-Forbidden Ten Thousand Mountains.\' I won\'t go any further, but finding a sect that knows the way to the Pure Land won\'t be difficult," Jian Ao replied.

"Thank you for guiding us!" Zhong Shan said.

Jian Ao smiled faintly.

"Look over there," Mr. Corpse suddenly spoke.

Following Mr. Corpse\'s gaze, they saw a faint dark red aura rising into the sky from the distant horizon.

"What a heavy murderous aura," Chujie frowned.

"It\'s not just murderous aura; there\'s resentment and death energy mixed in," Mr. Corpse said, narrowing his eyes.

The four exchanged glances and then flew towards the source.

Standing atop a distant mountain peak, they looked down.

Below was a small town, though calling it small was relative—it was the size of a mundane city.

The town walls were low, sufficient to block wild beasts but utterly ineffective against demonic beasts.

The town was populated with numerous residents, mostly ordinary humans, with a few innate-stage practitioners and even fewer at the golden core stage.

However, it could no longer be considered a town. The four of them had arrived too late.

While the town was not razed to the ground, most of the walls had collapsed, and within lay countless bodies of the residents.

The corpses lay strewn about, mangled and bloody, their deaths extremely gruesome, each with their chest cavities torn open and hearts missing. The air was thick with overwhelming resentment, the dead unable to rest in peace.

In the city, the heart-diggers were not solitary but rather a large group, numbering nearly ten thousand.

Nearly ten thousand riders, each mounted on a black horse that seemed more like a demonic beast than an ordinary horse. Their eyes glowed red, and with a single step, they could leap onto the city walls with immense power.

"Is that a Demon Nightmare?" Mr. Corpse\'s pupils contracted.

"You mean the horses?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Yes!" Mr. Corpse nodded.

Each Demon Nightmare bore a shirtless, muscular man covered in various dark tattoos, wielding swords and knives. They looked every bit the bandits, exuding ferocity.

The savages wielded their weapons, continuously slaughtering the remaining citizens. Their sword skills were highly refined, each strike precisely extracting a heart, which they either stored in their storage bracelets or devoured on the spot, fresh blood staining their mouths, showcasing their malevolence.

"Hahaha..."

The savages, riding their Demon Nightmares, laughed maniacally, intoxicated by their slaughter. The city\'s residents stood no chance, falling to their merciless onslaught.

The Demon Nightmares leapt from one building to another, carrying their savage riders as they perpetrated their evil deeds. The riders\' expressions remained twisted in the most diabolical frenzy.

Zhong Shan narrowed his eyes. He noticed a commonality among the savages—the tattoos on their foreheads. While their body tattoos varied, each had an identical black character \'幺\' on their forehead, emitting a black aura that seemed to urge them towards further atrocity.

"Hahaha..." "Ah..." "Ah..."

The wild laughter of the savages and the screams of the townsfolk echoed through the air, narrating a tale of brutal slaughter and unending resentment. The terror on the faces of those whose hearts were taken was evident.

"The Demon Nightmare Legion?" Chujie frowned.

"You know of them?" Jian Ao asked.

"Yes, young master. I\'ve heard rumors. In the northeastern part of Shenzhou, there exists a mysterious faction known for nothing but destruction, slaughter, and heart-extraction. Their mounts, the Demon Nightmares, are legendary horses, incredibly swift, capable of covering ten thousand miles in a day. The riders and their mounts function as one, enhancing their combat power. Each member of the Demon Nightmare Legion is at least at the Golden Core stage, with many at the Nascent Soul stage. They appear and disappear unpredictably, and no one knows their base. They are numerous, at least fifty thousand strong. I never expected to encounter one of their squads here," Chujie explained.

"Only known for destruction, slaughter, and heart-extraction?" Jian Ao raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, and they are impervious to pain. Even if their arms or legs are severed, they continue their rampage without feeling a thing. Utterly malevolent," Chujie said, taking a deep breath.

"They are also collecting souls," Mr. Corpse said, narrowing his eyes.

"Collecting souls?"

"Look at their leader in the center. What is he holding?" Mr. Corpse pointed to a savage standing motionless on a Demon Nightmare.

In his hand, the leader held a green crystal, faintly glowing with a green light that flickered like a tiny star. The atmosphere around him felt much more sinister.

Zhong Shan and the others watched closely. The leader seemed to be absorbing something into the green crystal. Upon closer inspection, faint, ghostly apparitions could be seen being drawn into the crystal.

"Souls..." Zhong Shan whispered, realization dawning.

"This is more than mere slaughter. They are gathering souls for some dark purpose," Mr. Corpse said, his expression grave.

"Whatever their purpose, we can\'t let them continue," Zhong Shan declared, his eyes hardening.

"Agreed. We need to stop them and find out more about their intentions," Jian Ao concurred, his hand resting on his sword.

"Then let\'s move," Zhong Shan commanded, and the four of them flew towards the fray, determined to confront the sinister Demon Nightmare Legion.

The savage held an evil smile, staring intently at the green crystal in his hand, watching as it absorbed the souls from the surrounding corpses.

"How do you know he\'s collecting souls?" Chujie asked, frowning.

"Because I\'ve seen that thing before," Mr. Corpse replied.

Chujie looked at Mr. Corpse with mild surprise.

The slaughter in the town was nearly complete, except for the town center where a house stood with a flag formation. Inside, a group of trembling people looked out in terror as the Demon Nightmare Legion attacked the formation. With more and more of the legion surrounding it, the formation wobbled, seemingly on the verge of breaking.

Inside, the people huddled in fear, some even embracing each other. Once the formation fell, they would meet the same fate as those outside—slaughtered and heart-extracted.

"Mom, I\'m scared..." "Stay away..."

The sounds of fear and desperation filled the air within the formation.

"Zhong Shan!" Jian Ao suddenly addressed Zhong Shan.

"What?" Zhong Shan looked at Jian Ao in confusion.

"Though we haven\'t dueled, we can still compete. Let\'s see who can kill more of the ten thousand Demon Nightmare Legion members," Jian Ao suggested.

"Kill them?" Zhong Shan glanced downward.

"Yes," Jian Ao nodded.

"Alright!" Zhong Shan replied with a wicked smile.

Based on Chujie\'s earlier description, the Demon Nightmare Legion consisted of cultivators at the Golden Core stage or higher, with many at the Nascent Soul stage. Charging into such a legion was a task only madmen like Jian Ao and Zhong Shan would dare undertake.

"Let\'s go!" Zhong Shan shouted, soaring into the sky and drawing his massive blade, Nightmare. Jian Ao followed closely, slightly surprised to see Zhong Shan using a blade but said nothing.

They flew from the mountain peak, descending into the town from opposite directions—Zhong Shan from the north and Jian Ao from the south—crashing into the town with a thunderous impact.

Zhong Shan landed near a savage riding a Demon Nightmare. The savage, noticing Zhong Shan\'s sudden appearance, didn\'t question how he got there. Instead, with a cruel grin, he urged his steed forward, weapon in hand.

"Slash!"

Zhong Shan\'s blade cut through the Demon Nightmare, and with a palm strike, he twisted the savage\'s head backward. Normally, this would be fatal, but the savage, seemingly unfazed by pain, straightened his head and charged at Zhong Shan again.

"Slash!"

Zhong Shan\'s blade severed the savage\'s left leg, but the man continued his assault, oblivious to the torrent of blood gushing from his stump.

Zhong Shan was momentarily speechless. You\'re too fearless!

"Slash!"

With a reverse swing, Zhong Shan decapitated the savage, finally ending him. In that brief moment, numerous other savages noticed Zhong Shan and began to converge on him.

Meanwhile, Jian Ao was equally embroiled in combat, his sword flashing with deadly precision as he cut through the legion. The battle was fierce, and the two warriors competed silently, each trying to outdo the other in their lethal prowess.

As they fought, the green crystal in the leader\'s hand continued to pulse, absorbing the souls of the fallen, adding an eerie glow to the already sinister scene.

(To be continued)