"Chase!"
After a clear and passionate shout, the inner disciples in the first echelon, as if injected with chicken blood, directly pursued the disappearing demon beast horde.
Wang Tao, leading by example, charged to the very front.
Not long after, Wang Tao and the first echelon of over a thousand inner disciples vanished from sight.
"Will they be alright?"
Zhang Er Gou, Wang Teng, and Lin Yi Chen, who knew little about the Inner Sect Wind Cloud Ranking, felt a bit worried seeing Wang Tao lead a thousand disciples out of sight.
"Don't worry, that's Senior Brother Wang Tao, ranked thirty-fifth on the Wind Cloud Ranking."
One of the disciples brought by Chen Gong declared proudly, casting a disdainful glance at Zhang Er Gou and Lin Yi Chen.
It was as if he were speaking of Wang Tao as his own, looking down on Zhang Er Gou and the others.
Zhang Er Gou and his group were also proud individuals, especially Lin Yi Chen, who was once the foremost in the outer sect of the Misty Sect. Now, after entering the inner sect, he felt a sense of defeat not only from Zhang Er Gou.
Now, someone else, who seemed to think highly of himself for knowing the Wind Cloud Ranking, had made Lin Yi Chen itch to fight.
If it weren't for Chen Gong and Li Yao's sake, Zhang Er Gou and his companions wouldn't have formed a team with these arrogant individuals.
Chen Gong and Li Yao also looked embarrassed, not expecting their brought people to behave this way.
They had witnessed the performance of Zhang Er Gou and Lin Yi Chen in the Two Sect Grand Competition, and their astonishment at Zhang Er Gou's performance and rapid improvement after entering the secret realm was even greater.
Although Wang Tao was currently a top-ranked expert on the Inner Sect Wind Cloud Ranking, Zhang Er Gou had only been in the inner sect for a little over a year.
To achieve such a high level of accomplishment was unprecedented.
Had they not seen how even Old Man Heavenly Dao treated Zhang Er Gou differently? Were their junior brothers' cultivation making them foolish?
However, in this situation, Chen Gong and Li Yao felt awkward to criticize their own junior brothers, so they could only smile awkwardly at Zhang Er Gou and the others.
Zhang Er Gou didn't mind and instead walked towards where Old Man Heavenly Dao and Daoist Chun Yang were.
"What is this kid doing? He's probably embarrassed because we hit the mark. He's trying to escape." One of Chen Gong's junior brothers scoffed again as Zhang Er Gou left.
"Shut up." Chen Gong finally lost his patience and roared, causing his brought junior brothers to fall silent obediently.
Chen Gong naturally knew that Zhang Er Gou was not leaving because he was looked down upon by his junior brothers, but there was a genuine reason. However, he couldn't figure out why Zhang Er Gou was walking towards Old Man Heavenly Dao and the others.
He subconsciously glanced at Li Yao and Lin Yi Chen; they all shook their heads.
Indicating they also didn't understand why Zhang Er Gou had suddenly left.
"Er Gou, why are you here?"
Daoist Chun Yang, who had brought him into the cultivation world, was the first to see Zhang Er Gou. Seeing Zhang Er Gou again, Daoist Chun Yang had mixed feelings.
He had taken a hands-off approach back then, not teaching Zhang Er Gou much, but he never expected this brat to grow so rapidly.
It truly lived up to the saying, "The master leads the way, cultivation is up to the individual."
Daoist Chun Yang had always watched Zhang Er Gou's progress and was deeply gratified by the achievements Zhang Er Gou and his fellow disciples had secured for the Misty Sect in the Two Sect Grand Competition.
It seemed that the small village he had casually entered in search of a breakthrough opportunity was about to birth a true dragon.
"Master." Zhang Er Gou bowed to Daoist Chun Yang.
"Once a master, always a father."
Although Daoist Chun Yang had not offered much guidance since bringing him to the sect, Zhang Er Gou's gratitude towards Daoist Chun Yang was genuine.
If it weren't for Daoist Chun Yang, he would still be idly doing nothing in Xinshan Village, let alone encountering such a magnificent cultivation world.
Daoist Chun Yang nodded slightly, looking at Zhang Er Gou with satisfaction.
Old Man Heavenly Dao and Daoist Dong Yang also noticed Zhang Er Gou's arrival and cast surprised glances at him.
"Why aren't you preparing for the upcoming battle, brat? What are you doing here?"
Before anyone else spoke, Old Man Heavenly Dao fixed his gaze on Zhang Er Gou and asked.
He knew that Zhang Er Gou must have come to find him at this critical juncture. Just as he expected, after Zhang Er Gou bowed to Daoist Dong Yang again.
He then said, "Elder Heavenly Dao, I have something to tell you."
Seeing Zhang Er Gou's solemn expression, Old Man Heavenly Dao also became serious. "There are no outsiders here, speak."
As he spoke, Old Man Heavenly Dao waved his hand, and an invisible barrier formed, drawing the curious glances of the surrounding elders.
Clearly, they were curious about Old Man Heavenly Dao's actions.
Seeing Old Man Heavenly Dao erect the barrier, Zhang Er Gou spoke directly, "Elder Heavenly Dao, I am worried there will be casualties among the thousand inner disciples who just pursued."
Upon hearing Zhang Er Gou mention this matter, Old Man Heavenly Dao relaxed his expression. "Casualties are inevitable in battle. Without experiencing the trial of blood and fire, disciples will not grow. This is why I have allowed the disciples to engage in this battle."
"Elder, I mean, these thousand disciples might suffer heavy losses." Seeing that he hadn't captured Old Man Heavenly Dao's attention, Zhang Er Gou grew anxious.
"What did you say?" Finally, Old Man Heavenly Dao's brow furrowed. Not only him, but Daoist Chun Yang and Daoist Dong Yang were also startled by Zhang Er Gou's words.
A thousand inner disciples, each one an elite of the Misty Sect's inner sect.
The loss of even one was a significant matter. Heavy losses, if what Zhang Er Gou said was true, would be a truly grave situation.
Zhang Er Gou knew the gravity of the matter and no longer hid it, telling Old Man Heavenly Dao and Daoist Chun Yang that he could understand beast language.
After hearing Zhang Er Gou's words, Old Man Heavenly Dao and the others fell into a prolonged silence.
"Chun Yang, Dong Yang, accompany me. And bring a few more elders. We will go to the Demon Beast Forest to take a look."
Finally, Old Man Heavenly Dao made a decision.
"Elder, take me too."
"Let's go!"
Old Man Heavenly Dao waved his hand, and Zhang Er Gou felt the scenery before him change. They had already appeared inside the Demon Beast Forest.
However, what kind of tragic scene appeared before Zhang Er Gou's eyes?
Only a handful of the thousand inner disciples who had come to pursue were still standing. Most of them lay in pools of blood, their lives unknown.
Many disciples' bodies were shattered, clearly beyond any hope of survival.
"Elder Heavenly Dao, I am sorry to my junior brothers. It is all my fault."
Suddenly, a mournful cry rang out, and a figure covered in blood, with one arm missing, appeared before Old Man Heavenly Dao and Zhang Er Gou.