Chapter 455: Volunteering for the Mission

Tianxi Star Lord spoke.

"The color is darker than the surrounding gray mist, faintly tinged with a deep red, and it seems to be slowly rotating?"

At her reminder, the others also looked closely.

Indeed, the mist in that region was not still—it was rotating counterclockwise, extremely slowly, around a central point!

Though the speed was slow, against the relatively motionless gray mist background, it appeared especially eerie.

"Could it be an energy vortex formed by a large array or ritual?"

The hoarse voice of Dikong Star Lord sounded—he was most sensitive to anomalies in space and energy fluctuations.

"Very likely."

Tianfu Star Lord's expression turned solemn. "The last message from Ju Sect Star Lord mentioned the 'Beast God' performing a sacrifice or summoning ritual here… this mist vortex may be the external manifestation of the ritual in progress—or completed."

"Can we try to contact Ju Sect Star Lord?" Pojun Star Lord asked.

"I've been trying."

Tianfu Star Lord flipped his hand and retrieved his Star Token; at its center, the dim glow representing Ju Sect Star Lord's life imprint still existed—located precisely at the center of the mist vortex, nearly motionless.

He closed his eyes, gripped the Star Token with both hands, and silently chanted a spell; the token's surface shimmered with starlight, attempting to establish a deeper connection with Ju Sect Star Lord's token.

After a moment, Tianfu Star Lord opened his eyes and shook his head.

"No. The connection is being interfered with or blocked by some powerful force—we can barely sense the existence of the life imprint, but cannot transmit messages or pinpoint the exact location."

"Ju Sect Star Lord's condition… seems to hover between sleep and entrapment. His life force is extremely faint but stable, not like he's under continuous attack."

"Then he's trapped."

Tiankui Star Lord declared, "Deep within that region, there is likely a powerful seal or trap."

"What do we do next? Charge in directly?" Tianxi Star Lord asked.

"Charging in directly is too risky."

Tianfu Star Lord pondered. "We know nothing of the interior of that region—the mist vortex and possible array traps are proof enough. Moreover, that is the Beast God's territory; if they have the ability to trap Ju Sect Star Lord, they must have laid preparations. We need more intelligence."

"Where can we get intelligence?" Pojun Star Lord frowned.

Tianfu Star Lord turned his gaze toward the direction of "Qianku Mountain." "Though Qianku Mountain's interior is dangerous, it is not monolithic. Some ancient, relatively neutral, or anti-Beast God tribes or beasts dwell there."

"Perhaps we can attempt to contact one of them, to gather information about the borderlands and the Beast God's movements."

"Which tribe?" Chen Mu couldn't help asking.

His knowledge of the "Tianhan Ruins" was limited to the surface.

"As far as I know, on the northwestern edge of Qianku Mountain, near the 'Iron Thorn Forest,' resides a tribe called the Shi Gui."

Tiankui Star Lord took over, his knowledge of the internal factions within the ruins evidently deep: "The Shi Gui are relatively straightforward—some might say stubborn. They despise the Beast God's methods of manipulating flesh and twisting souls, and conflicts between them are frequent."

"They have lived for generations on the outer fringes of Qianku Mountain and should have good knowledge of the mountain's interior and surrounding areas."

"Moreover, the Shi Gui revere solidity and strength, and place high value on promises. If we can communicate in a way they recognize, perhaps we can gain their aid."

"The Shi Gui—I've heard of them."

Tianfu Star Lord nodded. "They are indeed a potential breakthrough. But gaining their trust and aid will not be easy. The Shi Gui are xenophobic, especially wary of cultivators."

"We must try."

Pojun Star Lord declared decisively. "Better than stumbling blindly into a trap. Who goes?"

Everyone fell silent.

Dealing with foreign tribes requires skill, patience, and sometimes luck—not merely brute force.

"I'll go," Chen Mu suddenly said.

All eyes turned to him.

Chen Mu spoke calmly. "My cultivation has just entered the 'Ascend Soul Altar' stage—I'm not the strongest among you, so I'm less likely to trigger excessive suspicion. My body has also been trained in Henglian, which may better align with the Shi Gui's reverence for solidity and strength."

"…."

Pojun Star Lord glanced at Tianfu Star Lord, who paused briefly, then nodded.

"Wu Quxing's reasoning is sound. A Henglian cultivator may indeed gain the Shi Gui's favor more easily. But traveling alone into foreign territory carries great risk. Tianxi Star Lord—you excel in communication and rapport. Go with Wu Quxing. Provide mutual support."

"No problem."

Tianxi Star Lord replied crisply. "I'm also curious what the Shi Gui look like."

"Then it's decided. Wu Quxing and Tianxi Star Lord, you will proceed to the northwestern edge of Qianku Mountain and attempt to contact the Shi Gui."

Tianfu Star Lord made his decision. "I, along with Pojun, Tiankui, and Dikong, will remain here to continue monitoring the borderlands and attempt other methods of contact or reconnaissance."

"Your primary objective is intelligence gathering. Avoid conflict if possible. If things turn unfavorable, retreat immediately—safety comes first."

"Understood," Chen Mu and Tianxi Star Lord replied in unison.

"Here is a jade slip containing known Shi Gui habits, possible settlement locations, and some basic communication methods."

Tiankui Star Lord handed the jade slip to Chen Mu. "The Shi Gui language shares roots with ancient rock tongue. The slip includes some vocabulary and etiquette records—perhaps useful."

"Also, the Shi Gui revere solid objects and earth essences. If you can bring some relevant, substantial 'gifts,' it may increase your chances of success."

Chen Mu took the jade slip and swept his spirit sense over it, quickly memorizing the key information.

As for gifts…

A thought struck him. From his newly acquired hundred-zhang storage space, he retrieved a small fragment of the backscale core he had cut from the Fuhai Qiu—a disc roughly the size of a washbasin, dark gold in hue, incredibly hard, and brimming with potent blood qi and a trace of dragon aura, along with several high-quality, energy-rich earth-elemental crystal ores.

"How about these?" he showed them to Tiankui Star Lord.

Tiankui Star Lord carefully sensed the scale, his eyes flickering with surprise. "Ancient dragon-descendant scale? And a core backscale! Excellent! This is an irresistible temptation for the Shi Gui. And these earth crystals—also top-tier. More than sufficient. Almost too generous—beware they grow greedy."

"No matter. I have my own judgment," Chen Mu said, stowing the scale and crystals.

Demonstrating strength and sincerity sometimes requires perfect balance.

The plan was set. No one delayed further.

Chen Mu and Tianxi Star Lord bowed to the other four, then moved swiftly—like two wisps of smoke—leaping from Eagle Rock, racing toward the northwestern fringes of Qianku Mountain…