bookbashuk Chapter 186 The Road Ahead is Shrouded in Fog
Chapter 186 The Road Ahead is Shrouded in Fog
"It's almost time." Zhang Nanshan glanced at everyone and said, "Master Liu will lead the way, with Master Haishan leading the monks of Vajra Temple as guards. I, along with Brother Tianbao, the two from Yunyin Sect, Fellow Daoist Qi Lan, the two nephews from the Feng family, and the two elders from the Jiang family who are experts in earth veins, will form the core reconnaissance team and head straight for the possible location of the array's core. The rest of you, please follow the assignments from last night and guard the manor and surrounding key roads, provide support and patrol, and protect the people."
Everyone responded in unison.
Master Tianbao took out several yellowed talismans from his satchel and distributed one to each member of the core exploration team: "These are 'Soul-Stabilizing and Mind-Cleansing Talismans.' Wear them close to your body to resist the influence of deep-seated yin and turbid energy on your mind. There may be a danger of mental attacks around that formation."
Chen Anran took the talisman, which was slightly warm to the touch and had a faint sandalwood scent. He placed the talisman close to his body as instructed and looked at Su Wan beside him.
Today, Su Wan changed into a dark blue tracksuit, her long hair simply tied up, giving her a more capable look while maintaining her gentle demeanor. It also showcased her perfectly proportioned figure, attracting many young cultivators present who couldn't help but glance at her.
Su Wan acted as if she hadn't noticed the stares. She carefully put the talisman into her inner bag, met Chen Anran's gaze, and nodded slightly to indicate that she was ready.
Qi Lan was still wearing that baseball cap, the brim pulled low, revealing only her sharply defined jawline. She casually stuffed the talisman into her coat pocket, put her hands in her pockets, and her amber vertical pupils swept over the Liu family's cage, then looked towards the northwest mountains and forests, a hint of eagerness flashing in her eyes.
Feng Changyuan and Feng Lie had both changed into clothes that allowed for easy movement. Feng Changyuan carried an antique-style medicine chest on his back, while Feng Lie had a bulging bag at his waist, containing not only a magic tool bag but also several jade talismans of different colors.
Jiang Yan led two elders of the Jiang family over. The two elders, one tall and one short, were both dressed in dark gray overalls.
"This is Elder Jiang Yan."
The tall Jiang Yan cupped his hands in greeting to Zhang Nanshan and Tianbao Zhenren.
"This is Elder Jiang Lei."
The short Jiang Lei also bowed, just like Jiang Yan.
"These two are both experts in our Jiang family at exploring the earth's veins," Jiang Yan introduced.
Zhang Nanshan returned the greeting and solemnly said, "Elders, I entrust this trip to you!"
Jiang Lei grinned, "Rest assured, my two venerable masters, good and evil have always been irreconcilable. We will do our best."
Tianbao nodded: "Thank you both. Let's not delay, let's set off!"
Master Liu tapped the ground lightly with his snake-shaped staff and hissed, "Go!"
Two members of the Liu family carried the cage out of the village first, followed closely by Fifth Master Liu. The eighteen warrior monks of the Vajra Temple stood on both sides, with Master Haishan holding a crescent shovel to bring up the rear, and the sound of low chanting could be heard as his monk's robes fluttered.
The core exploration team followed behind. Zhang Nanshan walked side by side with Master Tianbao, their expressions solemn. Chen Anran, Su Wan, Qi Lan, the Feng brothers, and the two elders of the Jiang family spread out in a fan shape, looking out for each other.
Apart from these two elders, the rest of the Jiang family did not come with them. Instead, led by Jiang Yan, they went elsewhere to carry out disaster relief work.
The group left Jiang's Manor and headed towards the back of the mountain along the mountain path.
The mountain forest in the early morning should be full of birdsong and fragrant flowers, but at this moment it is shrouded in an unusual silence.
The thin mist lingered, carrying a damp and chilly aura that clung to the forest.
Traces of the earthquake are visible everywhere: the ground is cracked with spiderweb-like fissures, and some trees are leaning and toppled, revealing their gnarled roots.
The members of the Liu family carrying the cage moved with extremely light footsteps, almost making no sound as they stepped on the leaves. The corpse-sniffing dog inside the cage grew increasingly agitated, scratching incessantly at the cage walls with its paws, making a rustling sound, its scarlet eyes fixed intently on the northwest direction.
Walking down the street, Chen Anran sighed softly.
"More and more heretical cultivators will emerge in the future, and the world will become increasingly unstable."
Su Wan continued walking, saying calmly, "So they shouldn't be alive; their existence will only bring more disaster."
After thinking for a moment, Chen Anran nodded, "Senior Sister is right, evil cultivators should not live."
Su Wan paused, her steps faltering.
Seeing this, Chen Anran stopped and turned to look at Su Wan, "Senior Sister?"
Su Wan snapped out of her daze and went to Chen Anran's side again, so the two of them continued to walk forward with the group. "I thought you would think I... am extreme."
Chen Anran never thought there was anything extreme about this. If one had to call it extreme, then he was one of those "extreme" people.
It's not that Chen Anran is particularly upright or that he can't stand evil practices, otherwise he wouldn't have concealed the true identities of Lingdang and Shitou.
He said this because he believed that these evil cultivators seriously harmed their Yunyin Sect and posed a hidden threat to his three senior sisters.
In fact, Chen Anran also knew that if cultivators in the world knew about the situation of their three senior sisters from the Yunyin Sect, not only evil cultivators, but also many righteous cultivators would probably go crazy for it and stop at nothing to do it.
So what Chen Anran really wanted to say was that no matter whether it was the righteous path or an evil cult, if anyone dared to provoke the Yunyin Sect, he would never show mercy!
Chen Anran's gaze swept over a wild grass by the roadside, blackened by the yin energy, its edges still hissing with tiny wisps of black smoke. He said:
"The chance to turn back should be given to those who deserve it. Those evil cultivators who stir up the earth's veins and use the blood of living beings for sacrifice do not deserve sympathy."
A complex light flashed in Su Wan's eyes, so fast it was hard to catch, before she softly hummed in agreement.
As the two were speaking, the procession ahead suddenly stopped. Master Liu slammed his ebony snake staff heavily on the ground, his hoarse voice rang out: "Something's wrong. The resentment is so thick it's impossible to dissipate!"
Everyone immediately became alert. Chen Anran focused his senses and indeed found that the yin and turbid energy in the air was several times thicker than before.
The forest ahead grew increasingly dark and secluded, the trees twisted and grotesque, their branches and leaves displaying an unnatural dark green, as if soaked in years of bloodstains. Wisps of black mist seeped from the cracks in the ground, gathering into a visible pale gray fog that drifted slowly through the forest.
"The 'little guy' in the cage is about to explode." Qi Lan stared at the cage that was shaking incessantly and almost breaking free of the black cloth restraints. Her amber vertical pupils contracted slightly. "There's a big one ahead, or... more than one."
The Liu family members carrying the cage turned pale, their arm veins bulging as they struggled to keep the cage steady. A fierce glint flashed in Fifth Master Liu's eyes, and he slammed his snake staff into the ground, chanting incantations. A dark green ripple spread out from the staff, temporarily suppressing the frenzy of the corpse-sniffing dogs inside the cage.
"It's in the valley ahead," Master Liu hissed, his withered fingers pointing to the thickest part of the fog. "The source of the blood sacrifice, the lingering resentment is almost tangible. Be careful, the earth's energy here... has been completely polluted."
Zhang Nanshan and Master Tianbao exchanged a solemn glance. The compass needle in Master Tianbao's hand spun wildly, finally pointing shakily into the depths of the valley.
"The interference at the core of the formation is too strong; the compass can only indicate a general direction," Master Tianbao said in a deep voice. "Elder Jiang, could you two possibly determine the specific flow of the underground spiritual vein?"
The tall Elder Jiang Yan had already taken out a strangely shaped bronze disc, densely covered with fine markings and runes. He knelt on one knee, placed the disc flat on the ground, bit his fingertip, and let a drop of blood fall into the center of the disc. The short Jiang Lei, on the other hand, took out several fist-sized metal balls engraved with runes from his robes, and threw them in different directions. The metal balls disappeared into the ground upon landing, leaving only a faint spiritual light.