The explosion alarmed Jiang Qi and the others.

"Devil attack! Be careful!" Xiang Shaoyun shouted.

He was somewhat confused because he had been paying close attention to his surroundings but hadn't sensed anything. Why was there suddenly a devil attack?

The attackers were a rarely seen devil race called the shadow devouring devils.

The shadow devouring devils could conceal all signs of life, and they were extremely proficient in concealment. That was why Xiang Shaoyun hadn't noticed the attackers approaching. The shadow devouring devils had translucent bodies, and when they were hidden amid the bush, it was hard to detect them.

This time, not many shadow devouring devils had appeared. Only several of them were present, but each one was incredibly powerful. All of their attacks were solely directed at Xiang Shaoyun.

Or, to be precise, their attacks were directed at Luo Ying. After all, the first attack had also been aimed at her. Xiang Shaoyun was merely affected since he was standing so close to her. Their subsequent attacks seemed to be aiming for him because he had her in his arms.

The shadow devouring devils were extremely nimble. Eight of them had arrived, with three being Devil Sovereigns and five being Devil Emperors. They spat out many formidable black wind blades, attempting to slice Xiang Shaoyun and Luo Ying into pieces. With his incredibly quick reflexes, Xiang Shaoyun freely moved amid the concentrated barrage of attacks.

He deftly delivered Luo Ying back to Jiang Qi and the others. He shouted, "Be on guard. I'll deal with them."

He wanted to personally deal with the eight shadow devouring devils. They were too fast for Jiang Qi and the others to handle. But after he had sent Luo Ying away, the shadow devouring devils actually followed her and sent more attacks her way.

Jiang Qi and the others hurriedly countered and launched a series of attacks at the shadow devouring devils. However, the shadow devouring devils drifted about like specters. They were way above the disciples' league. If it wasn't for Jiang Qi releasing a powerful water domain that successfully slowed the shadow devouring devils, the disciples would have been instantly killed.

Only now did Xiang Shaoyun react. He rushed over and released his Nether Soul Domain, enveloping all the shadow devouring devils. Instead of attacking, he had the ghostrunes attack. Ghostrunes were the nemesis of shadow devouring devils. The shadow devouring devils' speed was useless against the ghostrunes' formless soul attacks.

Before long, the seemingly powerful shadow devouring devils were reduced into ghostrune fodder. Jiang Qi and the rest were still stunned, confused as to where the shadow devouring devils had vanished to. They continued scanning their surroundings in vigilance.

Xiang Shaoyun reappeared from thin air and said, "Leave immediately. A large number of shadow devouring devils are coming."

Jiang Qi and the others didn't even have the chance to ask about the shadow devouring devils that had vanished all of a sudden. After hearing his warning, they fled at full speed.

"Money, come out," Xiang Shaoyun summoned Money. He had to borrow Money's strength if he wanted to ensure their safety.

Like a swarm of bees, many shadow devouring devils approached from the distance. If Xiang Shaoyun was alone, he could easily escape. However, many people in Jiang Qi's group were too slow and were basically burdens. It didn't take long for the shadow devouring devils to catch up to them.

All the shadow devouring devils aimed their attacks at Luo Ying, unleashing a terrifying barrage of attacks that even Xiang Shaoyun had a hard time blocking. Jiang Qi and the others worked together to defend themselves. Luo Ying, who had paled from fright, also fought with all her strength.

Unfortunately, there were far too many shadow devouring devils. It was almost impossible to defend against the sheer number of incoming attacks. People from Jiang Qi's side started dying. As for Luo Ying, the main target of the attacks, she would have perished if it wasn't for Jiang Qi's protection.

Left with no choice, Xiang Shaoyun used his Nether Soul Domain again, trapping dozens of shadow devouring devils. Inside the domain, numerous chains shot out and killed all the shadow devouring devils.

If possible, Xiang Shaoyun did not want to fight in this manner because it didn't let him temper himself. However, he had no choice if he wanted to ensure that Jiang Qi and the others survived.

"Luo Ying, do you have something on you? Why are all the shadow devouring devils chasing you relentlessly?" asked Xiang Shaoyun after killing a batch of devils.

Luo Ying was confused. "I don't think so."

Xiang Shaoyun approached her and sniffed. He then reached for her waist. He moved so fast that Luo Ying couldn't even react before an item appeared in his hand.

"What are you doing? Why did you take my stuff?" exclaimed Luo Ying.

"Hmph. Is this really yours? If it is, throw it as far away as you can. Otherwise, you'll die before long," berated Xiang Shaoyun sternly.

He then returned the sculpture in his hand to Luo Ying, not caring about it one bit. The item looked like sculpted black jade. The sculpting done on it was exquisite and beautiful, and the jade looked like something a woman would love to keep on her body.

"Y-you're saying that this thing is the reason why there are so many shadow devouring devils after us?" asked Luo Ying in disbelief.

"That's right. This thing is called the yin shadow stone, a shadow devouring devil's most beloved material. It is rumored that with this stone, a shadow devouring devil can cultivate to a stage where they become completely formless. I don't know how true this is, but with that on you, the shadow devouring devils won't stop coming the moment they notice it. If you don't believe me, keep holding on to it. However, I won't be staying around any longer," said Xiang Shaoyun.

Xiang Shaoyun was someone with three lifetimes worth of memories. Thus, he was extremely knowledgeable. This yin shadow stone was an extremely rare and very useful material. However, in the Devil Domain, it would only serve as a magnet for shadow devouring devils. It was now clear why there were so many shadow devouring devils after them.

"A-are you sure?" asked Luo Ying, completely stupefied.

"I'm in no mood to joke around," said Xiang Shaoyun solemnly.

"Why don't you keep it in your storage ring? That might work, right?" suggested Jiang Qi.

"It won't. The moment the shadow devouring devils detect a yin shadow stone, they will be able to constantly sense its location. They will keep coming since this stone is basically a divine object for their race," said Xiang Shaoyun with a shrug.

"H-Hu Ruhai gave this to me," Luo Ying shrieked before dropping the yin shadow stone.