Outer Sect, in front of the Combat Pagoda.
All the new outer sect disciples had gathered around the Combat Pagoda, as announced a few hours ago, but they still had no idea why they had been summoned.
"Hua Fu," Li Yun called out lightly, spotting Hua Fu in the distance.
"Li Yun," Hua Fu frowned, staring at Li Yun as he approached.
"What?" Li Yun asked when he noticed Hua Fu staring at him intently.
"You seem different," Hua Fu said, placing a hand on his chin as he examined Li Yun from all sides. "But I can't tell what it is."
Li Yun stepped back, a disgusted expression on his face. "Stop, you're giving me the creeps, staring at me like that."
"Whatever," Hua Fu shrugged, then asked, "Any idea why we've been summoned?"
"Beats me," Li Yun shrugged as well. "If I had to guess, it's probably something basic to do with the sect."
Hua Fu nodded slightly.
Li Yun glanced around but didn't see Lie Hua. 'She's not here.' He thought.
"Oh, quite a few good ones among them."
At that moment, the rough voice of a middle-aged man echoed before the disciples, drawing their attention. A man who appeared to be in his thirties stood before them, his hands behind his back.
He had long black hair streaked with red and black, a long face, and a smart, handsome appearance.
"All disciples gathered here, listen up!" he shouted, capturing everyone's attention. "From now on, I, Hei Tian, am your instructor. You can call me Elder Hei. The first thing I'll be teaching you kids about is demons."
"Follow me," Elder Hei said as he slowly walked in a particular direction.
The disciples exchanged glances before silently following him.
Soon, they saw nine pillars in the distance, with something floating between them.
Li Yun and Hua Fu exchanged shocked looks when they realized where Elder Hei was leading them.
"Don't enter the area marked by the circle on the ground," Elder Hei strictly warned the disciples upon reaching the nine pillars.
All the disciples stopped well before reaching the circle. It wasn't that they didn't want to get closer—it was that they couldn't.
"What is this? This pressure! I can't breathe."
"My body feels so much heavier than usual, and I can't take another step. What's happening?"
"The pressure is so strong here that we can't even walk!"
The disciples were forced to endure an immense amount of pressure as they approached the nine pillars. Even though they hadn't gone near the marked circle, they still felt the overwhelming pressure, which restricted their movements and breathing.
"I think that's enough," Elder Hei waved his hand, and the pressure suddenly vanished.
"So, can anyone tell me what the monster in front of you is?" he asked gently.
The disciples took deep breaths as they fixed their eyes on the creature suspended in the air, shackled by chains from the nine pillars.
"Oh," Li Yun noticed something as he observed the creature up close. He saw a bright red marking running from its large eyes down its body. Another detail that caught his eye was the white, bone-like structure surrounding the creature like protective armor.
"This is a demon," Hua Fu said, turning to Elder Hei.
"Correct," Elder Hei said, pointing at the demon shackled in chains. "Today, I will teach you everything you need to know about demons. And why am I telling you this? Simple. We humans are at war with the demons."
Expressions of confusion and dread washed over the disciples. Some seemed to understand what Elder Hei was talking about, while others were gripped by fear at the mention of war.
"Disciples, there's no need to worry or be afraid," Elder Hei said gently as he continued. "No one knows when or how demons first arrived in our world. However, we martial artists have been fighting demons since ancient times, and we have always won. We will continue to win."
Elder Hei pointed at the demon again and continued, "What you see in front of you is a demon. When you go to train in the wilderness—like the Seven Peak Forest or other such areas—you may encounter more of these demons than ordinary beasts. That's why I must teach you everything about them."
He paused briefly before continuing. "The one advantage you have against these demons is your ability to practice martial arts. These demons are wilder, even more savage than the beasts you usually encounter, but you can handle them with your martial arts."
"Now, I will train you all to face the pressure of the demon before you. This way, when you face real demons, you won't lose your composure," Elder Hei said, pausing for a moment. "Alright, all of you stand along the circle marked around the pillars."
The disciples nodded and positioned themselves as Elder Hei directed.
Elder Hei nodded and said, "Now, I will release the demon's pressure. For your information, the demon in front of you has the cultivation level of the 9th stage of the Qi Training Realm."
As soon as Elder Hei spoke, the disciples felt an immense pressure bearing down on them. They immediately felt as though their weight had increased dramatically, making it nearly impossible to remain standing.
Many disciples collapsed, and some weaker ones fell directly to the ground, but the majority managed to hold on.
Li Yun struggled to stand but managed to circulate both his cultivation techniques—the Primordial Essence Chaos Codex and the Blazing Inferno Mantra—simultaneously, relieving some of the pressure pressing down on him.
Elder Hei noticed that most of the disciples were handling the pressure better than he had expected and nodded with approval. "Good. Now, slowly move toward the red circle. That's where you'll face real pressure."
Li Yun obeyed and began to move toward the red circle, but he wasn't alone. Hua Fu, Gao Zhu, and many others were also moving toward the circle, though their pace was as slow as a snail's.
With each step Li Yun took toward the red circle, the pressure doubled, causing him to pause for a long moment before taking another step.
He continued to move forward, his two cultivation techniques helping him absorb most of the pressure, while he endured the rest.
An hour passed as the disciples gradually moved closer to the red circle.
Drenched in sweat, Li Yun was now only three steps away from the red circle. Yet, those three steps felt like an insurmountable distance. He felt as if his body would break if he took even a single step further.