### Chapter 71: Forming Teams
*Whoosh!*
Seven or eight feathered arrows shot from the trees, targeting the demon.
The demon's grin froze. It dodged five arrows, but the remaining two veered off course as it muttered a spell, black magic rippling around its claws.
*Clang! Clang!*
A sword glowing with green light streaked toward it, followed by the eerie chime of a golden bell—its sound 蛊惑 (bewitching), clouding the mind.
*Whoosh!*
Twelve figures burst from the undergrowth, positioning themselves between the cowering disciple and the demon. Four Foundation Establishment Early Stage elders and eight Eighth Level+ Qi Refinement disciples—from the three sects.
"Demon," a Mengxuan elder冷哼, guiding his green-glowing sword. Another elder shook the golden bell, chanting incantations that sent the bewitching chimes crashing over the demon.
The once-terrified disciple stood, glaring at the demon, but stayed silent—daring not overstep with elders present.
"Yah!" The demon screeched, slow to react as the bell's magic fogged its mind. The sword pierced its shoulder.
*Puff!*
Another strike. The demon spat black blood, which hissed into gray mist—foul, toxic, reeking of corruption.
A final sword thrust. The demon's eyes rolled back, falling dead, its face twisted in不甘 and venom.
An elder flicked a flame at the corpse, reducing it to ashes.
Then—*another scream* split the sky.
The Mengxuan elder's face darkened. "No! Crush the gathering talismans. All disciples rally here."
Talismans shattered. Survivors from Mengxuan, Xuanling, and Xuanfeng raced to the spot. Elders Zhao and Chen followed suit, summoning Dianxuan's scattered disciples.
Demons were loose. Disciples were too weak to fend for themselves alone—spreading out meant death. They needed to regroup.
As the groups converged, two more screams echoed. By the time everyone gathered, only sixty-five remained—down from eighty-six. Twenty-one dead in hours.
The elders' faces were grim. Most losses were low-level disciples (Third to Fifth Level), but seven were Seventh to Eighth Level. Three had died at the pond; the other four…? Demons were stronger than Ninth Level Qi Refinement, but not Tenth Level. Why had they fallen?
No time to ponder. The demons' trail was fresh. They needed to find where the prison array had failed.
"Form teams," Elder Zhao ordered. "Eleven per team—one team of ten. Each led by an elder. Six teams, six directions. Track the demons."
Lin Yi was assigned to Elder Chen's team, alongside two familiar faces: Ma Yunliu, who'd surrendered to him in the outer tournament, and Xiao Liang—once arrogant, now subdued, eyeing Lin Yi with wary respect.
Lin Yi flexed his fingers, savoring his new Seventh Level Peak strength. In months, he'd jumped from First to Seventh Level—a dreamlike leap. Power coursed through him, a confidence he'd never felt.
"Move out," Elder Chen ordered.
The six teams split, vanishing into the forest. Lin Yi kept pace, sword in hand, eyes scanning the shadows.
The Black Veil Forest had turned from a trial into a hunt. And this time, they weren't the predators—yet.
*Might makes right*, Lin Yi thought, glancing at Xiao Liang. In the cultivation world, strength spoke louder than pride.
He grinned, gripping his sword tighter. *Let the demons come.*