Chapter 265: Chapter 265: Detached Radiant Sword, Jian Ruyi (5)

Jian Ruyi’s small body trembled as she tried to calm her pounding heart.

Right now, she almost felt the urge to vomit, as if her body simply couldn’t withstand this… disgusting presence.

In front of this monster, there was no overwhelming pressure, no crushing aura.

Just simply—

Pure evil.

Pure malevolence.

It was as though this thing’s very existence was something the world should never have allowed.

If Jian Ruyi were stronger, she would have seen it….the spiritual qi in the surroundings spiraling into chaos, twisting violently as if the heavens themselves were trying to reject this aberration… and failing.

What she had felt earlier…

That wasn’t just fear.

It was the world itself, desperately trying to warn this ignorant child of the horror before her.

“Oh? As expected of the future Sword Saint’s daughter. You are quite brave, little one.”

The monster smiled.

Seeing this tiny human still standing before it already proved how exceptional she was.

Not many could endure its presence without collapsing.

And yet, Jian Ruyi remained upright, even as her eyes subtly scanned her surroundings.

“Are you looking for someone?”

Its voice remained gentle and kind even.

Like an older brother humoring a lost child.

“…Where is Elder Jin?” Jian Ruyi asked.

Her voice trembled despite her effort to steady it.

This was where Elder Jin should have been staying.

But now… only this monster stood here.

A faint tremor filled her heart as fragments of what she had seen earlier resurfaced.

’There’s no way…’

“Oh? There was only one person here when I arrived—ah. Do you mean the one I just ate?”

The Devourer asked casually.

It reached into its own mouth…

….and slowly pulled out a bloodied leg.

Holding it up between two fingers, it tilted its head.

“Is this the person you’re looking for?”

Drip…

Drip…

The blood slowly dripped.

It pattered against the stone tiles with soft, obscene taps that echoed far louder than they should have in the silent courtyard.

For a moment—

Jian Ruyi’s mind went blank.

Her eyes locked onto the familiar fabric wrapped around that severed leg.

The faint golden thread embroidered along the hem.

And the old-style cloth shoe Elder Jin had been wearing when they were together earlier.

Her breathing stopped.

Not because she couldn’t breathe but because her body refused to accept what she was seeing.

The monster tilted its head slightly, as if curious.

“No reaction?”

Its tone remained light, conversational.

There was even a hint of disappointment.

Then—

It casually bit into the severed leg.

A wet crunch echoed through the courtyard as blood splattered across its chin.

It chewed slowly and deliberately.

After finishing its “snack,” the grotesque mouth on its abdomen curled upward in what could only be described as a satisfied smile.

“As expected of the Heavenly Sword Sect. The quality and texture are completely different from those barbarians and demonic cultivators. I would rank it as… the second best.”

Seeing Jian Ruyi’s pale face, it continued.

“You must be wondering what ranks first in terms of taste, right? Haha, I won’t hide it.”

It took a slow step forward.

Then another….

“The best thing of all from my experience … are those Beastkin. Especially ones that carry a good bloodline.”

A baby-like arm extended from its distorted body and gently rested on Jian Ruyi’s shoulder.

Its enormous head slowly lowered.

Its gaping mouth opened wide, revealing rows upon rows of jagged teeth glistening with fresh blood.

“But I feel like… you might be able to contest with that.”

Jian Ruyi stood frozen stiff.

Her small body kept trembling but it refused to move.

She stared into that massive mouth….into the abyss of sharp teeth.

Her eyes were unfocused and dazed.

Right now, for some reason….

The world around her felt distant and muted.

As if she were sinking underwater.

Crunch!

Suddenly—

A sharp, blazing streak of light suddenly tore across the monster’s open mouth.

For a split second, the courtyard turned white.

And in the next instant—

The monster’s head split cleanly in two.

Zing!

Zing!

Two more streaks of fiery sword light shot out from the darkness, precise and merciless.

The baby-like arm gripping Jian Ruyi’s shoulder was severed before a drop of blood could even fall.

Then—

Like a beam of dawn piercing the endless night, a beautiful figure moved in.

So fast she was little more than an afterimage.

A sleeve fluttered in the wind as a familiar scent wrapped around Jian Ruyi.

Strong arms pulled her away from the monster, and she immediately turned and fled.

For Jian Ruyi, everything happened too fast.

But the moment that familiar scent surrounded her, her fingers instinctively clutched at the fabric before her.

Her voice trembled.

“M-Mother?”

Seeing her daughter’s pale face, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain in her heart.

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

She smiled and gently hugged Jian Ruyi, yet her legs never stopped moving as she retreated.

After calming her daughter down, her expression darkened into a frown.

Earlier, she had noticed something strange about the atmosphere and went to look for Elder Jin…..only to find her being eaten by that monster.

So she tried to alert the sect, only to discover an even more terrifying scene…..those monsters had already spread throughout the inner court, and fierce battles were raging between disciples and elders.

But the monster’s strength was overwhelming.

She saw many elders and disciples defeated … devoured without mercy.

So she rushed back to find her daughter, only to see her standing dangerously close to one of them.

Her heart had nearly stopped at the sight.

“What in the world is going on…” she murmured, her mind swirling with questions.

How had that monster infiltrated the sect so deeply?

What had happened to the sect’s formation?

What had happened to the Grand Elder?

And in addition…

The moment she had heard the monster’s identity earlier, her heart had filled with urgency.

She knew exactly what an Emissary was…. especially one of the top four.

This was no ordinary threat, but a calamity in itself, one that required at least a Grand Elder or the Sect Master to intervene.

Now, her only hope was to find the Grand Elder, who had remained behind to guard the sect after everyone else had left for the trial.

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Behind them—

The monster’s split head did not fall.

The two halves twitched grotesquely, black flesh writhing as if trying to stitch itself back together.

A wet, distorted laugh bubbled from its ruined throat.

“Heh… hehehe…”

The courtyard darkened once more as corrupted, black-like qi spilled outward like ink.

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