Chapter 253: Afterward, the Nightlord Prison

That night, as generous patrons, Guo Ming and Yang Qianyuan’s requests were promptly granted.

Soon, several monks led them to a pavilion at the rear mountain and laid out tea, fruits, and snacks.

As for suspecting they had ulterior motives?

A large silver ingot placed before them erased all such thoughts.

Someone this wealthy has no reason to covet your crumbling temple.

If you were this paranoid, the temple would’ve shut down long ago over lack of offerings.

“Gentlemen, the night view is best seen here—do not venture deeper.”

“Though the mountain is small, it teems with jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards,” one monk warned.

In a trial world dominated by spiritual beasts, such creatures are exceedingly common.

The jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards they mentioned were in fact spiritual beasts—far more dangerous than ordinary animals.

Thus, the wilds remain perilous.

“Don’t worry—we’ve traveled far and wide; we know the rules,” Chu Danqing waved dismissively.

Seeing this, the monks withdrew.

As for staying? They had hosted such guests before—they knew lingering only became an eyesore.

These patrons came for amusement; if you want offerings, serve well—not like guarding against thieves.

Mostly, they didn’t know the rear mountain’s condition—only that it was forbidden to enter, and dangerous.

After the monks left, Chu Danqing and Yang Qianyuan did not immediately investigate. They waited roughly half an hour before leaving the pavilion for the mountains.

“Sense anything?” Chu Danqing asked.

Yang Qianyuan’s fusion with the Omen Spider, combined with Heavenly Mechanism, fully compensated for Chu Danqing’s lack of reconnaissance.

Unfortunately, Yang Qianyuan could not grant him a corresponding attribute panel.

Yang Qianyuan did not answer immediately, instead frowning deeply.

The Omen Spider continuously wove a web-map, gradually revealing countless dots.

The dots on the web did not move—they remained fixed.

“There are sentries,” Yang Qianyuan said. “The so-called jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards are their disguises.”

“Pull one thread, the whole net shakes. We need a meticulous plan before acting—otherwise we’ll be exposed.”

“If Brother Chu doesn’t mind, let Da Bao follow my plan,” Yang Qianyuan said.

“Fine, tell me,” Chu Danqing agreed.

Yang Qianyuan’s eyes shimmered with star-clouds, then spoke: “After the first drumbeat, strike first.”

As he spoke, using the web-map as reference, he gave Da Bao a detailed breakdown: which target to kill first, when to act, and exactly how.

Three drumbeats equal fifteen minutes; one drumbeat is roughly five minutes.

He finished outlining the plan just as the time aligned.

Da Bao crouched low, slinking through the night, becoming a feline predator hunting in darkness.

Soundlessly, on tiptoes, he snatched the life of a sentry before he could react—killing not only the man but also his spiritual beast.

“Brother Chu, sentries are easy to kill—but how do we deal with the Blood-Red Nightlord? We’re no match for him.”

“Da Gu is strong, but his speed can’t match the Blood-Red Nightlord—he can kill us before the chant finishes.”

“And those eighty-one Stone Guardians—can they fly?” Yang Qianyuan asked.

If they can’t fly, this becomes a problem.

“The Stone Guardians cannot fly,” Chu Danqing replied. “But I still have a trump card.”

“If the Blood-Red Nightlord dares show himself, he dies for sure.”

Superior-grade equipment at Rank 1 is like a cheat—especially my Eight Steeds Ascending Chariot, a top-tier superior-grade item.

Just then, Da Bao snapped the neck of the last sentry.

“I dare come because I have confidence—I value my life too much,” Chu Danqing assured him.

Though Yang Qianyuan remained uneasy, he chose to trust Chu Danqing.

Because he believed Chu Danqing was right—who would risk their life for no reason?

“Still, I have a question: you want to escape your cage and find freedom, yet you seem to do nothing?” Chu Danqing voiced his doubt.

He wasn’t just drifting—he’d helped me plenty—but for his own goal, he seemed lost.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to do,” Yang Qianyuan admitted.

He came seeking Chu Danqing mostly on impulse—then just showed up.

Now he was like a fly without a head—whatever Chu Danqing did, he followed along.

Chu Danqing was about to speak when Da Bao and the Omen Spider stirred.

“Ahead, person, bad,” Da Bao said, muscles tensing, waiting for Chu Danqing’s command.

A figure in a head monk’s garb, carrying a long blade, descended the mountain.

The blade was no ordinary weapon—it was a weapon-armor spiritual beast.

“That’s the Ghost-Shadow Blade Spirit—a standard military spiritual beast,” Yang Qianyuan recognized it. “It bonds to blade weapons; depending on the blade type, it gains different abilities.”

“For a long blade, I recall it emits wailing cries during attack, disrupting the mind—and if it strikes, it damages consciousness.”

As Yang Qianyuan spoke, he performed Heavenly Mechanism calculations.

Then he offered a solution: “This man is no ordinary figure. If we capture him, extract intelligence, we’ll gain double advantage.”

“When we act, do not—”

Yang Qianyuan listed one piece of intelligence after another; Da Bao looked confused, and Chu Danqing had to translate.

“Da Bao, when you strike, remember to first—” Chu Danqing’s translation wasn’t just simplification—his suite of Mastery skills ensured Da Bao, as his permanent summon, received commands more effectively.

Once synchronized, Da Bao lunged with lightning speed, attacking the head monk.

“Hmph, I’ve been waiting for you sneaks,” the monk sneered. Blade light flashed—ghostly wails pierced the night, piercingly sharp.

The blade grazed Da Bao’s fur—but missed entirely.

Instead, Da Bao’s claw flipped, hooked backward—tendons tore, bones cracked.

Half an arm, still clutching the blade, sprayed blood into the air.

Under the dual weight of information and power disparity, before the monk could react, Da Bao subdued him.

He dragged him forcibly to Chu Danqing’s side.

Before Chu Danqing could speak, Yang Qianyuan spoke first.

At first, the monk tried to scream for help—but Yang Qianyuan silenced him each time.

“Heavenly Mechanism,” the monk’s eyes darkened with gravity. Heavenly Mechanism spiritual beasts are rare, attainable only by the extraordinary—but due to low combat power, they’re often ignored.

“I ask, you answer. Don’t try tricks,” Yang Qianyuan understood his meaning—but didn’t care.

At first, the monk refused to speak—but Yang Qianyuan had a strategy, and with sharp, unexpected questions, he extracted ample intelligence.

The rear mountain had indeed kidnapped many women to brew the Orchid Blood Dew—but not for Prince Ning. They used the Orchid Blood Dew directly to cultivate Nightlord soldiers for him.

Meaning this place was essentially a garrison.

Besides Abbot Liao Fei of Xuan Yuan Temple possessing one Blood-Red Nightlord, his eight disciples each commanded a Phase Nightlord.

Plus numerous Nightlord soldiers—all under military discipline, more like a camp than a temple.

“Brother Chu, two fists can’t fight ten hands,” Yang Qianyuan said, surprised. He’d assumed only the Nightlord existed—now there were so many Nightlords.

One alone is nothing—but with a Lord, Generals, and Soldiers all present? That’s an army. How can we stand against it?

“True. One tree cannot hold back a forest,” Chu Danqing agreed.

“Then we retreat?” Yang Qianyuan asked—because he suspected Chu Danqing, defying logic, had a plan.

“They’re too numerous—I’ll call for reinforcements. Don’t want them bullying me,” Chu Danqing wouldn’t leave.

“????” Yang Qianyuan didn’t understand.

“I’ll summon help. You ask this monk why he came down the mountain,” Chu Danqing said, then summoned Xiong Zhigang.

The Stone Guardians were numerous enough—but the enemy was an army. Chu Danqing wouldn’t underestimate them.

【You summoned Alliance Partner #2. Cost: 60 Paradise Points.】

【Alliance Partner responding.】

Xiong Zhigang needed fifteen minutes’ prep—but they had time, no urgency.

Meanwhile, Yang Qianyuan had learned why the monk descended.

“He came to pick up someone—a steward from Prince Ning’s mansion,” Yang Qianyuan said.

As for the monk—he was dead.

He was a liability. After extracting intelligence, he was killed outright.

Da Bao did it—clean, swift, no mess.

“Probably to deliver the quota,” Yang Qianyuan continued. “According to him, Xuan Yuan Temple has already supplied Prince Ning with roughly fifty thousand Nightlord soldiers, five hundred Nightlord Generals, and one Nightlord Lord.”

“These Nightlord Generals and the Nightlord Lord evolved from Nightlord soldiers via dark methods.”

Hearing the numbers, Chu Danqing was stunned: “So many? How many Nightlords remain on the mountain now?”

“About three thousand Nightlord soldiers. Fewer Generals—besides the eight Phase Nightlords held by the abbot’s disciples, only five more,” Yang Qianyuan said.

Chu Danqing looked at the mountain, muttered the numbers: “Too many. We must annihilate every single Nightlord soldier.”

Normally, the rear mountain couldn’t hold three thousand Nightlord soldiers—and such a vast number of spiritual beasts, if moved openly, would be spotted immediately.

Thus, a Spatial-type spiritual beast is needed to store and conceal them.

Otherwise, what? Let them roam wild?

This is as good as saying outright that there’s something wrong with mine—come and check it out.

Rebellion, by its nature, succeeds only through secrecy.

Anyone who leaks it in advance has nine chances out of ten of failing.

(End of Chapter)