Chapter 520: The Oriole Behind

"Yes, Overseer!"

The other four murmured in response and immediately scattered, each pulling out peculiar devices.

Some resembled compasses, others bone whistles, still others small black flags, all carefully probing the surroundings, seemingly unfazed by the scorching heat—clearly prepared.

Yin reaches its peak, yang is born?

At the peak of summer, might the seed of winter lie hidden?

Chen Mu and Ning Zhixi exchanged a glance, both seeing astonishment in each other's eyes.

The Jiuyou Sect's target seems to be the "Winter" key, or clues related to "Winter"?

And they actually have a method to locate the "yin reaches its peak, yang is born" node within the scorching Yan Zhuo Mountain, the site of the "Summer" secret?

This "Four Seasons Secret Vault" is indeed profound—seasons are not isolated, but conceal the principle of yin-yang transformation.

Chen Mu whispered, "Observe quietly—we may glean clues about the other 'keys' or the vault itself from them."

Ning Zhixi nodded.

The Jiuyou Sect has a bad reputation, but now is not the time for conflict.

If they truly find clues tied to "Winter," it might indirectly confirm certain patterns of the "Four Seasons Secret Vault," or even reveal connections between the different "keys."

The Jiuyou Sect members searched with extreme care, leaving no rock crevice or geothermal vent unexamined.

About half an hour later, a female disciple halted before an inconspicuous fissure half-concealed by crimson vines and let out a low exclamation.

"Overseer Yin, we've found something!"

Overseer Yin flickered forward in an instant. The other three rushed to join him.

The fissure was about three feet wide, bottomless, with faint hot winds rising—but unlike other fissures, this one carried a trace of extremely faint yet pure coldness!

Only the Jiuyou Sect disciples' unique cultivation and the aid of "Ice Soul Pearls" and specialized tools could detect it.

"This is it!"

Overseer Yin's eyes flashed with a ghostly light; without hesitation, he hurled the "Ice Soul Pearl" into the fissure.

The Ice Soul Pearl became a blue streak plunging downward; instantly, the faint coldness within the rising hot winds was sharply amplified, resonating with the pearl's chill, faint blue-white light flickering at the fissure's mouth.

"There is indeed an extreme yin node below, concealed and wrapped by geothermal yang energy. We must break through the outer yang barrier."

Overseer Yin judged, glancing at the fissure, then scanning the surroundings: "This geothermal energy is highly active—be cautious when breaking the barrier, avoid triggering a volcanic eruption."

"You four, form the 'Four Symbols Soul Array' at the cardinal positions, use yin-evil qi to temporarily neutralize the outer fire spirits—I will cast the spell to break the barrier."

"Yes!"

The four Jiuyou disciples swiftly spread out, taking the four cardinal positions, driving their black flags into the ground, muttering incantations as gray-black yin-evil qi rose from their bodies and flowed into the flags.

The four flags moved without wind, releasing denser yin qi, weaving into a gray-black luminous net that slowly descended over the fissure's mouth.

Where it passed, the scorching fire energy hissed like ice water poured on hot iron, temporarily suppressed and neutralized.

Overseer Yin sat cross-legged directly before the fissure, forming intricate, eerie hand seals, radiating even stronger yin-cold energy, resonating with the coldness awakened below by the Ice Soul Pearl.

He murmured obscure incantations as a cold, lifeless force—capable of freezing souls—began gathering between his palms.

Within the rock fissure, Chen Mu's gaze sharpened.

The Jiuyou Sect's method is indeed unique—they can precisely locate and attempt to open an extreme yin node in such a supreme yang place.

Judging by this, they've done this before; perhaps their understanding of the "Four Seasons Secret Vault" surpasses even the Xuelian Sect's.

Just as Overseer Yin's gathered yin-cold power reached its peak, about to unleash a ghostly blue beam toward the fissure and shatter the yang barrier—

"Sss!"

A faint, nearly imperceptible whistling sound shot from the shadow of a crimson boulder behind them.

The target was not Overseer Yin casting the spell, nor the four disciples forming the array—but the Ice Soul Pearl, hovering deep in the fissure, glowing blue and radiating cold!

It was a needle as thin as a cow's hair, entirely black, with no reflection whatsoever.

It moved with astonishing speed, its flight path erratic, carrying a sinister corrosive energy.

"Die!"

Overseer Yin reacted instantly; sensing the attack, he twisted the ghostly blue beam meant for the fissure sideways to intercept the needle.

Yet the needle seemed sentient—it twisted at the last instant, evading the beam's direct strike, merely grazed at the edge, slowing slightly but still firmly aimed at the Ice Soul Pearl!

Simultaneously, from the boulder's shadow, a short, withered figure clad in tattered, garishly colored robes, her face painted with greasepaint, resembling an old hag, darted out like a ghost, cackling "Gaga!" as she lunged for the fissure!

In her hand, she gripped a curved, green-glowing short blade—targeting the fissure, or rather, whatever might lie within!

"Wandu Jiao, Poison Witch!"

Overseer Yin, both shocked and furious, shouted aloud, abandoning his spell entirely, leaping forward to meet the hag, barking: "Hold the array! Protect the Ice Soul Pearl!"

The four Jiuyou disciples, equally shocked and enraged, hesitated in their array's flow.

In that moment of hesitation, the needle—slowed by the beam's graze—struck the hovering Ice Soul Pearl with a "ding!"

The Ice Soul Pearl's blue glow flared violently; a layer of ice instantly formed, blocking direct penetration—but the needle's strange corrosive energy spread rapidly, eroding the pearl's spiritual light, its cold aura becoming chaotic and weakening.

"Gaga! Little Jiuyou brats, this yin node is mine too! The 'Cold Marrow Essence' inside will perfectly nourish my little darlings!"

The Poison Witch cackled, slashing her green-glowing blade in a sinister arc, unleashing a cloud of foul-smelling green poison mist toward Overseer Yin.

Overseer Yin, frantic and furious, slammed out a palm of yin-cold force that collided with the mist, emitting a "sizzzz" of corrosion.

The two clashed instantly, yin-cold and poison-evil qi spreading wildly, violently conflicting with the temporarily suppressed fire energy around them, making the region's energy increasingly wild and chaotic.

Within the fissure, the Ice Soul Pearl's contamination reduced suppression; the awakened extreme yin cold and the surrounding geothermal yang force lost balance, erupting in violent conflict and tremors.

Light flickered wildly at the fissure's mouth; surges of heat and cold alternated, the ground began trembling, rocks around it rained down, and the four disciples' "Four Symbols Soul Array" teetered on the brink of collapse.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.

The Xuelian Sect, Jiuyou Sect, and Wandu Jiao all revealed themselves.

Especially the latter—clearly determined to claim the "extreme yin node" or the "Cold Marrow Essence" within!