"W-What was that sound just now?!"
"It sounded like an explosion!"
"Fuck! I really hope the demon didn't just break out of its seal!"
The grand elders panicked as they ran upstairs.
Meanwhile, Yuan tried his best to learn the Demon Sealing Strike even as they moved, as that was essentially his only chance of winning against a demon at his current strength.
Eventually, they reached the surface and returned to the main tomb.
"Seniors, I am going to borrow some of the weapons in here!" Yuan said to them, and without waiting for a response, he retrieved a greatsword that resembled the Empyrean Overlord in size from its display case along with a couple of daggers.
"Weapons? Don't tell me you're planning to fight the demon!" Senior Wang asked him.
Yuan nodded and said, "I can sense a powerful aura quickly approaching us from the staircase. The demon will be here at any minute. If I don't stay here to stop it, everyone will die. That's why I will stay here to stall the demon while you all evacuate the disciples."
"No!" Chu Liuxiang immediately refused.
Then she said, "If you're going to stay here, I will stay here with you!"
"You must not, Young Lady! It's my duty to guarantee your safety!" Sebastian exclaimed.
"I don't care! I am not going to leave Brother Yuan here to die!"
"Then I will stay here with the Young Master in your place!" Sebastian said.
"What can you do, Sebastian?! You may be strong, but you're only a Spirit Warrior!"
"Lulu, leave!" Yuan suddenly shouted at her.
"B-But…" Chu Liuxiang looked at him with teary eyes.
Yuan lifted his hands to wipe her tears, and he spoke in a calm voice, "Don't worry, even if I cannot defeat the demon, I won't die. I promise."
He then looked at Meixiu and continued, "You too, Feng… No, Meixiu. Leave this place with Lulu. If any happens to either of you… I will never be able to forgive myself."
After a moment of silence, Meixiu nodded her head, but she didn't say anything, mostly because she'll reveal the fact that she was crying behind her mask if she spoke now.
"No! I am not leaving you, Brother Yuan! We have yet to start our family! If you die, I will die with you!" Chu Liuxiang was still reluctant to leave.
Yuan sighed in an apologetic voice, "I'm sorry, Lulu…"
He then used his movement technique to get close to Chu Lixuiang, before knocking her out cold by hitting her with the sword hilt.
After catching the unconscious Chu Liuxiang, he handed her to Meixiu, "I'm sorry for the inconvenience…"
Yuan suddenly turned to look at the staircase, as he could feel the demon's presence getting incredibly close.
"Leave! Now!" He shouted at them.
"Follow me!" Senior Wang then said to them.
Meixiu and the others immediately followed Senior Wang outside.
However, a few of the grand elders stayed behind with Yuan.
"Seniors…"
"Daoist Yuan, do not forget that you are currently a guest at our home. Our ancestors will curse us to death from the heavens if we leave you alone now." Senior Hong said to him with a smile on his face.
"Although we may not be able to defeat the demon, we are not Spirit Masters for nothing." Senior Li spoke next.
"I know I shouldn't be excited about our situation, but I cannot wait to see how this demon look." Senior Shi laughed.
"Thank you all," Yuan said to them.
And for the next minute, the three grand elders that decided to stay behind went to grab a weapon from beside their ancestors' coffin.
"This place is going to be destroyed today, huh?" The grand elders looked around before shaking their heads.
Although they would rather take the fight outside their ancestors' tomb, they knew that wasn't practical, as there would be nothing to block the demon from fleeing.
However, inside their ancestors' tomb that only had one entrance that is also an exit, they would be able to stall the demon with more ease.
"Hahahaha! Humans! I can smell humans!!!"
A burst of cold laughter suddenly resounded, causing Yuan and the others to tremble.
Boom!
The next moment, a figure flew out of the hole with the underground staircase before landing many meters away from the others.
"Heavens… That's a demon?"
"What a hideous appearance…"
The grand elders felt the strength in their legs disappear when they saw a demon for the first time.
Glowing red skin that resembled lava, two black horns on the top of its head, clear red eyes that looked like they had been dyed in blood, and most noticeable, the red crystal embedded in the middle of its chest.
"Oh, shit…" Yuan subconsciously cursed when he sensed the unfathomable aura coming from the demon, recognizing its strength that was at the peak of Spirit Master!
"That demon is a peak Spirit Master… Meaning it has the strength of a peak Spirit Grandmaster!" Yuan revealed this information to the grand elders.
Of course, their faces sank the moment they learned of this information.
"Strength of a Spirit Grandmaster?? How are we supposed to deal with that monster with just the four of us?! Even ten of us wouldn't be enough!" Senior Li exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the demon silently stared at them for a good moment before mumbling, "There's only four of them? I swear I smelled more than four people. Oh well, there should be plenty more humans outside this place..."
The demon suddenly began approaching Yuan and the others in a slow and calm manner, almost like it wasn't worried about them escaping from it.
"Humans, be obedient and offer yourself to me and I will make things as painless as possible. If you dare resist, I will make sure you feel it as I slowly tear your flesh from your body with nothing but my teeth." The demon spoke with a hideous grin on its face, revealing its sharp yellow teeth to them.
In response to the demon's words, Yuan tightened his grip on the sword, and without waiting for the grand elders, he rushed at the demon.