Chapter 156: Terrifying Shadows in the Dense Forest, Illusory Mirrors of the Immortal

A mirror immortal encampment with over ten thousand people and hundreds of Earth-Digging realm cultivators.

Could a mere thousand-person mid-sized encampment possibly cause trouble?

Though he still held admiration for Xia Hong, at the moment those words left his mouth, Yuwen the Guardian felt this man must be insane.

But soon, his opinion changed.

The reason? Xia Hong's speed!

Xia Hong charged straight at him and arrived before his eyes in an instant; after a flicker of suspicion in Yuwen the Guardian's gaze, he hastily raised his broadsword to block.

Boom…………

The slender ceremonial knife did not slash down as he expected.

At the very moment Xia Hong reached his face, he retracted the ceremonial knife and instead delivered a diagonal kick with his foot.

Could flesh and bone triumph over a broadsword?

The answer came in that thunderous crash.

Puh……

In the instant the diagonal kick struck the broadsword, Yuwen the Guardian felt as if a mountain were crushing him—his palms split open, and the broadsword nearly flew from his grip.

He staggered back one or two meters; the immense momentum sent blood surging backward in his chest—had he not possessed vast battle experience and known not to lose his composure, he would have spewed blood right then.

"Only a few days—how could his strength have grown like this…?"

That single kick left Yuwen the Guardian's mind reeling.

"Father, watch out!"

Only after his son Yuwen the Sinking's warning did he notice Xia Hong's next move—his pupils shrank sharply.

Xia Hong had never retracted the ceremonial knife at all—he'd left it behind, waiting for the kick to push him back, then spun his body and gripped the knife with both hands, slashing straight for Yuwen the Guardian's throat.

This boy's combat talent was terrifyingly strong!

Recalling their last clash, Yuwen the Guardian's heart trembled slightly; he brought his broadsword across his chest and swept it violently toward Xia Hong, trying to force him back.

Huuu…………

Yuwen the Guardian's broadsword was already massive, and with his strength, the horizontal sweep unleashed a gale that stung Xia Hong's face.

Seeing the dual edges of the broadsword sweeping toward him, Xia Hong's eyes flashed with lethal intent; he gritted his teeth, ducked low, and drove his knees upward with all his might, forcibly deflecting one side of the broadsword upward.

The broadsword tilted upward by an inch—the blade now struck not with its edge, but with its flat face.

Xia Hong twisted his body slightly, using his back to absorb the blow, while his hands, still gripping the ceremonial knife, slashed toward Yuwen the Guardian's neck with lightning speed.

"This boy plans to trade injury for death!"

Seeing Xia Hong's intent, Yuwen the Guardian broke into a cold sweat—there was no time now to redirect the blade.

He could only retreat!

But Xia Hong gave him no time to retreat.

Shiiii…………

The one-and-a-half-meter slender blade cut a faint yet lethal arc; its piercing hum pierced his ears like silver needles—Yuwen the Guardian felt a sharp pain at his neck, and his heart lurched.

Too fast!

Xia Hong's ceremonial knife was simply too fast.

Realizing he couldn't dodge, Yuwen the Guardian's eyes hardened; he let go of the broadsword, dropped his head, and used his neck to trap the ceremonial knife, then reached out with both hands and seized Xia Hong.

"You're just one man—do you think you can turn the tide?"

Yuwen the Guardian growled low, his hands clamping Xia Hong's arms with iron grip, locking him in place.

"I forgot—he's at the Cold-Resisting level of skin reinforcement!"

Seeing blood trickle from Yuwen the Guardian's neck but his grip unweakened, Xia Hong instantly knew his ceremonial knife had inflicted little damage.

Of course—he'd only completed 56% of his skin reinforcement; even then, his skin was already astonishingly hard. But Yuwen the Guardian? He'd fully completed his skin reinforcement—he was a true Cold-Resisting powerhouse!

Jing…… Kaa…… Qiang………

Countless blades and swords slammed into Xia Hong, ringing like metal striking stone.

Yuwen the Guardian was willing to suffer neck wounds just to pin Xia Hong down—not without reason.

Among the hundreds of Earth-Digging cultivators, the strongest among them had already closed in during their duel.

Each held sword or blade, striking Xia Hong with all their might.

Yet despite many of them reaching the thirty-thousand-jin limit, and four even beginning skin reinforcement beyond thirty thousand jin—

None could pierce Xia Hong's body.

"Everyone, scatter! Use bows—aim for his eyes!"

Yuwen the Guardian roared; his earlier triumph vanished the moment he saw this.

"His skin has no luster—he hasn't even finished skin reinforcement! How could his defense be this strong? Only six days have passed—how could his strength and skin progress have changed so drastically!"

Ordinary Earth-Digging cultivators couldn't break his defense at all—unless they threw bodies at him until he collapsed from exhaustion. But such losses? Even the Mirror Immortal Camp couldn't afford them.

Yuwen the Guardian's order to scatter was swift.

But Xia Hong broke free of his grip at that very moment.

"Didn't you just say I was finished today?"

Xia Hong's voice was low and heavy; he not only broke free of Yuwen the Guardian's grip but also yanked back his ceremonial knife, spun his body, and charged straight into the dispersing crowd.

With a base strength of one hundred thousand jin, Xia Hong plunged into the crowd like a tiger into a sheep pen—the few still clustered nearby became helpless cattle and sheep awaiting slaughter.

Puch…… puch……

In the heart of the dense forest, a massacre erupted.

Xia Hong's killing intent was thick—he showed no mercy. Where his blade passed, the slowest dozen or so men were instantly decapitated.

"Xia Hong, do you truly intend to fight the Mirror Immortal Camp to the death?!"

Another dozen dead in an instant—plus the four earlier—Yuwen the Guardian finally roared in fury.

Hundreds of Earth-Digging cultivators couldn't sustain such losses!

More importantly, from Xia Hong's current power, tonight's ambush was doomed to fail.

If this continued, even if they eventually killed Xia Hong, the camp would lose too many Earth-Digging cultivators—this outcome was not what he wanted.

Yuwen the Guardian could only hope Xia Hong still retained a shred of reason.

Unfortunately, he used threats.

"Isn't it already begun?"

As Xia Hong swung his ceremonial knife amid the crowd, he gasped slightly and mocked Yuwen the Guardian in reply.

"Arrogant! Kill him! I don't believe I can't kill you!"

Yuwen the Guardian's rage boiled over; he briefly treated his neck wound, raised his broadsword, and charged straight at Xia Hong.

Though hundreds of Earth-Digging cultivators surrounded him, only the inner dozen or so could actually engage Xia Hong.

Many had retreated to the edges, bows raised—but because Xia Hong used his footwork to hide behind Mirror Immortal Camp members, they dared not shoot, fearing friendly fire.

The Mirror Immortal Camp weren't fools—they were all Earth-Digging cultivators with rich battle experience. Since the first dozen fell, the inner dozen or so had been rotating continuously.

Clearly, they planned to wear him down!

Xia Hong saw their tactic at a glance; he sneered, felt his abundant reserves of strength, his eyes grew colder, and his ceremonial knife swung faster.

Jing…………

Feeling the gale from Yuwen the Guardian's broadsword behind him, Xia Hong furrowed his brow; the knife he'd been swinging sideways snapped back instantly to block.

Sparks flew, illuminating the face of the man who'd barely survived—he grinned, then retreated; another man swiftly filled his place.

But before the newcomer could even raise his blade, Xia Hong's body shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into him.

Xia Hong had used the force of Yuwen the Guardian's sweep to rebound back toward him.

Too fast, too powerful—Xia Hong hadn't time to pull his ceremonial knife back, but his left hand was free.

As his horizontal punch swept across the man's face, Xia Hong recognized his features—his pupils contracted sharply, then lifted his gaze to the circular hole in the man's forehead.

As if confirming something, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

"This man—I killed him before!"

Xia Hong's heart clenched in terror—he remembered clearly: six days ago, when he killed He Meng's group of twenty-five, he'd seen this man.

Not just seen him—this man's forehead hole was unmistakably the one Xia Hong had pierced with his ceremonial knife.

A hole through the forehead—and he's still alive?

This… how is it possible!

Though his mind trembled with terror, Xia Hong's hands never slowed.

His punch swept across—terrifying force sent the man's head flying; sensing Yuwen the Guardian closing in again, Xia Hong scanned the surroundings and charged toward another direction.

"Brothers, don't fear—fight him! We're so many—we'll wear him down! With our leader here, dying's no fear!"

"Right! His strength's weakened—charge!"

"Mirror Immortals fear no death—die with this bastard, ah!"

"Mirror Immortals fear no death."

"Mirror Immortals fear no death!"

………………

Xia Hong had already killed two or three dozen—this group's psychological wall had shattered; after their frantic howling, their fear vanished entirely, replaced by ferocity and madness.

They all raised their weapons and charged Xia Hong again.

Meanwhile, Xia Hong, having just reached another position, grabbed a man's shoulder, yanked him hard, spun him around—and when he saw the man's face, his pupils contracted again.

Another one!

Another person he had killed before.

Xia Hong scanned the surroundings, parrying the weapons slashing at him while shifting position, nearly taking in the faces of everyone present.

"Three, four, five, six…"

As he recognized more familiar faces, a terrifying suspicion arose in Xia Hong's mind.

No, not a suspicion.

It was a fact!

No wonder the Mirror Immortal Camp, though fully aware of Great Xia's encampment, had dared not come to provoke in the past six days—only sending watchers to surveil the valley and set ambushes for him.

No wonder the people of the Mirror Immortal Camp were so fearless of death.

If that's the case, it all makes sense! The Mirror Immortal Camp is either controlled by a Guiguai, or has been infiltrated by one.

But wait—

Clang…

In the brief moment Xia Hong's pupils dilated, he raised his blade to block Yuwen the Guardian's strike, retreated backward, and another confusion surfaced in his mind.

Resurrection is impossible.

These people are definitely Guiguai, or controlled by one—just like the earlier Wooden Puppet Guiguai.

But why aren't they afraid of my Ninghuoyou?

Ever since the incident with Wang He, everyone from Great Xia's encampment who went out applied a layer of Ninghuoyou —himself included.

Just now, these people had all come into some form of physical contact with him.

Yet they showed no reaction whatsoever!

Moreover, unlike the people controlled by the Wooden Puppet Guiguai, this group—from Yuwen the Guardian down to any ordinary soldier—all displayed clear self-awareness. Not a trace of dullness, not a hint of control. Even when killed, they revealed no flaw.

The only abnormality was their fearlessness of death.

Xia Hong scanned the surroundings, realizing these hundreds of Digging Earth cultivators might all be controlled by a single Guiguai —his face instantly flooded with horror.

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Is it everyone—or just some? Do they even know themselves?

What about He Yuanhun? Was he, too, controlled?

"Leader Xia Hong, are you finally ready to talk seriously?"

Seeing Yuwen the Guardian misinterpret his horror, Xia Hong said nothing. He calmed himself slightly, sensing he was nearing his limit, and stared fixedly at Yuwen the Guardian—silent for a long while.

Having clashed twice with Yuwen the Guardian, he had to admit—setting aside their opposing sides—he genuinely admired the man.

But if this man, too, was controlled by a Guiguai … that would be terrifying.

Could this Guiguai control even a Cold-Resisting-level cultivator?

The most frightening part: the victim doesn't even know he's controlled.

Whether infiltrated or fully controlled, the Mirror Immortal Camp's final fate will be grim.

In an instant, Xia Hong's hatred toward the Mirror Immortal Camp weakened. Recalling last year's disaster at Red Wood Ridge, he even felt a faint pang of sympathy for these people.

"Second Leader, this bastard killed so many of our men—why waste words? Kill him! Avenge our brothers!"

"Right! So many died today—killing him won't be enough to satisfy our rage."

"Kill him! Level Great Xia!"

………………

Amid the rising shouts from the crowd, another wave surged forward.

Deep in his eyes, Yuwen the Guardian showed a flicker of gloom—he knew, now, reconciliation with Xia Hong was impossible.

As for Xia Hong, he no longer cared what the Mirror Immortal Camp people were saying.

What's left to say about a camp infiltrated—and controlled—by a Guiguai?

To him, every single member of the Mirror Immortal Camp now was no different from the Wooden Puppet Guiguai he'd faced before.

Xia Hong's peripheral vision flickered; he drew his blade, seized an opening, and darted eastward, snatching up the corpses of Li Yun and Li Pingkai, then sprinted deep into Red Wood Ridge.

The very thing he'd feared most had happened!

Yuwen the Guardian immediately led the chase, his expression darkened to its extreme.

"But behind you, the Mirror Immortal Camp will be in trouble."

The moment he sensed Xia Hong's strength, he understood the meaning behind those words.

An indestructible Cold-Resisting cultivator could inflict unimaginable damage on the Mirror Immortal Camp.

"Xia Hong, you can run—but where can the others in your Great Xia encampment in the valley flee?"

Seeing Xia Hong vanish farther into the distance, Yuwen the Guardian roared aloud, revealing the location of Great Xia's encampment, hoping to threaten him.

It was precisely these words that made the fleeing Xia Hong frown slightly.

Threatening him with the encampment's location meant…

Yuwen the Guardian likely had no connection yet with the Guiguai.

"Yuwen the Guardian, investigate your own men—and your leader, He Yuanhun. In the future, you'll thank me!"

Xia Hong spoke these words, then vanished into the dense forest.

Yuwen the Guardian, who had been chasing relentlessly, suddenly halted, his pupils flashing with shock.

Not just him—even many behind him showed flickers of unease.

Especially Yuwen Tao, closest to him, his expression uncertain, he couldn't help whispering to his father:

"Father, has he figured something out?"

Yuwen the Guardian said nothing, only turned and gave Yuwen Tao a warning glance, then scanned the surrounding men and spoke softly:

"I can no longer handle Xia Hong. I must return and report to our leader—he must decide what to do."

A few standing beside Yuwen the Guardian nodded.

But the vast majority still glared furiously at the direction Xia Hong had fled, their faces filled with hatred and malice.

Observing this, Yuwen the Guardian and his son exchanged a glance—their expressions now complex.

…………

Sensing no one pursued him, Xia Hong slowed his pace.

After walking a long while, reaching roughly two li deep, he stopped.

He turned to look toward the eastern perimeter. Though he could no longer see any trace of Yuwen the Guardian or others, his mind was still filled with the faces of those few men.

Those who had been killed once—yet returned to life.

"He Yuanhun… He Yuanhun…"

Standing atop a tree, Xia Hong gazed northward toward the Mirror Immortal Camp, murmuring softly, his brow tightly furrowed.

In all the conflicts between them, He Yuanhun had never once appeared.

Without doubt, he himself was either a Guiguai, or controlled by one.

Great Xia's valley was certainly no secret to the Mirror Immortal Camp.

Since they still dared not come, they must know about the Iron Smelter. Xia Hong now firmly believed the incident with Wang He had been orchestrated by the Guiguai behind the Mirror Immortal Camp.

"Wang He didn't know he was controlled—just like those men I just saw. But why was he afraid of Ninghuoyou, while these men aren't?"

He could understand fearing the Iron Smelter but not Ninghuoyou.

Compared to the Iron Smelter, Ninghuoyou was merely its derivative—a disposable item. A slightly stronger Guiguai could easily circumvent it. After all, the Iron Smelter's description only mentioned repelling and killing Chujiguiguai.

A Guiguai capable of infiltrating and controlling a camp of ten thousand people couldn't possibly be Chuji —it was likely Zhongji, possibly even Gaoji.

"If this were merely a territorial dispute, I could still hold my ground with my strength. But once Guiguai are involved…"

Xia Hong hesitated only a moment, then swiftly shook his head and made his decision.

"I can't go on. I'll just cede the territory for now—survival comes first. At the very least, until I confirm the strength of the Guiguai behind the Mirror Immortal Camp, I won't risk myself again."

Though he now possessed Cold-Resisting-level power, the Guiguai behind the Mirror Immortal Camp might be Zhongji —or even Gaoji.

Remember, the Wooden Puppet Guiguai that brought devastation to Red Wood Ridge was only Chuji.

Guiguai … are simply too troublesome!

Their abilities, strength, how they control others—about this Guiguai, he knew absolutely nothing.

The only thing he knew: it feared the Iron Smelter.

How could he possibly fight under these conditions?

Even now, a thread of dread rose in Xia Hong's heart.

This time, only Yuwen the Guardian led the Digging Earth cultivators. Next time—if He Yuanhun, or even the Guiguai itself, came personally—could he still escape?

"The encampment has the Iron Smelter—temporarily safe. I must accelerate my cultivation. Otherwise, when that Guiguai devises a countermeasure…"

Guiguai have intelligence—high intelligence.

Knowing Great Xia exists, it must already be plotting.

Yuwen the Guardian's ambush succeeded so smoothly—perhaps it was the Guiguai 's doing, perhaps even directly commanded by it.

A sense of urgency rose in Xia Hong. He looked down at the corpses of Li Yun and Li Pingkai, fell silent for a moment, sighed, then lifted both bodies onto his shoulders and headed back toward the eastern perimeter.

"The encampment must be in chaos by now!"

…………

"Leader's back!"

"Leader's safe! Leader's back!"

"Leader's back! Hahaha, Leader's safe!"

…………

As Xia Hong had predicted, the valley camp had erupted into chaos.

When he returned to the valley, every person in Great Xia—from elderly men in their early forties to children as young as five or six—had gathered on the open ground.

Xia Chuan and Luo Yuan, along with thirteen members of the hunting team, stood at the front, wounded, rallying the crowd.

Even without hearing their words, Xia Hong knew what they intended to do.

Seeing Xia Hong return unharmed, not just the hunting team but everyone in the camp wore faces filled with shock and excitement.

Some could not hold back their joy and burst into tears.

Clearly, Xia Chuan had already told them everything that had just happened.

Since everyone now knew, Xia Hong said nothing more; he simply stepped forward with a grave expression and placed the two corpses before the crowd.

The moment the bodies were laid down, six people surged forward from the crowd.

Two adult women rushed to the two corpses on the ground, completely losing control.

"Husband, husband…"

"Pingkai, Pingkai, wake up, wake up!"

Three children, averaging three or four years old, knelt before Li Yun—two before him, one before Li Pingkai.

All three children stared wide-eyed, their faces dazed, as if unaware of what had happened; but seeing their mothers weeping bitterly, they soon began to whimper and cry.

"Father, father…"

"Leader, my older brother…"

The only adult man among the six stepped up to Xia Hong, opened his mouth, then fell silent, eyes red with grief.

The man, Xia Hong recognized.

Li Long, Li Pingkai's younger brother.

Looking at the despairing widows and orphans on the ground, Xia Hong's already heavy face grew even darker.

(End of Chapter)