Not long after, various elders arrived with a group of fire element disciples to report. When the fire element disciples saw that Zhang Ergou was actually standing next to the Heavenly Dao elder, everyone looked surprised.
Then, the Heavenly Dao elder didn't waste any time, directly ordering these thousand fire element disciples to follow Zhang Ergou and obey his commands. The fire element disciples who reported were all confused. They didn't know Zhang Ergou very well, but they were being told to obey a junior disciple. Everyone felt a little uncomfortable. Moreover, they saw that Zhang Ergou's robes were clean and tidy. They were all covered in blood and dirt. Naturally, they felt unbalanced. In their eyes, Zhang Ergou must have slacked off, and now standing next to the Heavenly Dao elder, he was acting like a bully using someone else's influence. The disciples who had fought desperately to kill demon beasts were filled with resentment towards Zhang Ergou.
Since the Heavenly Dao elder had ordered everyone to obey Zhang Ergou, they didn't dare to say anything out loud, but they felt unhappy in their hearts. This unhappiness was reflected in their actions; the group of them dragged their feet, appearing extremely uncooperative. The Heavenly Dao elder didn't say anything further but cast his gaze towards Zhang Ergou, as if to say, "It's up to you now, kid." If I say too much, who knows what these young ones will think of us.
Zhang Ergou hadn't expected the situation to be so complicated. Now, at this critical juncture, to implement his plan, he needed the help of these fellow disciples. However, without any justifiable reason, he couldn't truly make these proud talents obey him. But Zhang Ergou didn't dwell on it too much. He directly revealed his plan and briefly recounted how they had previously killed thousands of demon beasts.
Upon receiving the Heavenly Dao elder's affirmation, the inner sect disciples who had previously looked down on Zhang Ergou immediately changed their attitudes. Each of them couldn't wait to follow Zhang Ergou and achieve great deeds. Following Zhang Ergou not only guaranteed safety but also involved minimal consumption. Although Zhang Ergou intended to use them as fire starters, the thought of burning tens of thousands of demon beasts all at once was much easier than killing them one by one. At this moment, these inner sect disciples no longer hesitated, and their gazes were all eagerly fixed on Zhang Ergou.
Seeing that Zhang Ergou had won the hearts of these proud talents in such a short time, the elders also showed surprise. "Heh heh, Elder Heavenly Dao, I'll head off with my senior brothers now. I'll need your cooperation later."
"Go on, you brat. I hope you don't disappoint me this time. Chunyang, why don't you go along as well, for backup." The Heavenly Dao elder smiled slightly, his tone much more relaxed.
Immortal Chunyang nodded in agreement, then, along with Zhang Ergou and his group, bypassed the crowd and the battlefield of demon beast combat, heading northwest.
...
Boom...
Suddenly, the tens of thousands of demon beasts, which were fighting against the elders and thousands of inner sect disciples of the Misty Sect, were stunned by the scene before them. The battlefield between them and the humans had unknowingly shifted from the border of the demon beast forest to the northwest, led by the human cultivators. The elders and inner sect disciples of the Misty Sect fought and retreated, but their retreat was intentionally or unintentionally towards the northwest.
Seeing the human cultivators appear to be retreating, the demon beasts' morale surged even higher. They roared and chased the human cultivators with their blood-red eyes. Thus, through repeated maneuvers, they arrived at the northwest border of the demon beast forest. Here, Zhang Ergou and his group had already laid out the fire seeds and a large quantity of black stones.
When the large swarm of demon beasts entered the entire mountain hollow, the fire element disciples simultaneously cast their spells, and instantly the black stones in the mountain hollow were ignited. The elders and disciples of the Misty Sect were prepared. They all flew their swords to the rear of the demon beasts, intending to cut off their retreat.
The moment the great fire erupted, the demon beasts instinctively felt a sense of unease. They roared restlessly. Faced with the sudden change, the demon beasts were dumbfounded. Especially when facing the raging flames, the demon beasts began to flee in all directions, no longer caring about the human cultivators.
Roar, roar, roar...
The demon beasts roared and ran aimlessly. They were filled with a natural fear of fire. The feeling of being controlled by some mysterious force had long been replaced by the fear in their hearts. The demon beasts no longer saw the human cultivators as enemies; they roared and crashed around them.
Sizzle... sizzle... sizzle...
More and more demon beasts rushed into the great fire, and after bursts of smoke, they were mercilessly consumed by the flames. The aroma of roasted meat spread throughout the area. Some even licked their lips. The large number of demon beasts burned to death and roasted filled the entire space with the scent of meat.
"Haha, exhilarating! Let these beasts come and wreak havoc on our sect."
"Indeed, Zhang Ergou's idea is really brilliant. Look, at least ten thousand demon beasts have been burned to death in one go."
In the crowd, the elders and disciples, while intercepting any demon beasts attempting to escape, discussed excitedly. They were all amazed by the results.
"Er Gou really has some skill. He accomplished such a feat in half a day. This is something an ordinary person wouldn't think of." The elders also discussed, praising Zhang Ergou endlessly.
Chiyu and Chiling, who were in the crowd, exchanged glances. The sisters were also thrilled by Zhang Ergou's prominence. This way, the reputation of Spiritual Jade Peak in the inner sect would be truly established. Spiritual Jade Peak, usually having a low presence in the inner sect, would become famous due to Zhang Ergou's outstanding performance, and in the future, many disciples might come seeking them, which would give the sisters a headache.
The Heavenly Dao elder also observed Zhang Ergou's performance. Clearly, this time, his main intention was to train the disciples, and Zhang Ergou's performance had not disappointed him. Through this burning of demon beasts, the disciples' sense of teamwork had also greatly improved, and Zhang Ergou's prestige had also been subtly established. This was the Heavenly Dao elder's true intention...
"Everyone, don't relax. Be careful to prevent any counterattacks or escapes from the demon beasts." The Heavenly Dao elder, having vast combat experience, naturally had a better grasp of the battlefield than Zhang Ergou and the others. This was also a way of indirectly teaching Zhang Ergou to pay attention to the overall situation.