Chapter 183: The Wind Howls and the Cranes Call (Continuing to Add Chapters)

"This... what is going on?"

True Person Yiyun's body trembled violently, his face full of bewilderment and loss.

True Person Xuanhe's mouth was likewise agape in shock, his old face filled with panic and helplessness.

The entire Black Wind Ridge area was now laid bare; even without observing through Divine Sense, one could roughly see clearly that, aside from the black plants and exposed mountain rocks everywhere that had died from the erosion of the Black Wind, there was almost not a single living thing to be seen.

At the breach, a faint mass of Black Mist was still swirling.

But the figure of that Soul Beast, which had been as huge as a small mountain, was already gone.

Xu Chen had also disappeared without a trace along with it.

After being stunned for a long time, True Person Xuanhe could no longer care about his own unhealed severe injuries; he released his Flying Sword and headed straight for the location of the breach.

"Daoist Friend Xuanhe, be careful!" True Person Yiyun shouted, his face pale as he snapped back to his senses.

"This poor Daoist will go check the situation first; Daoist Brother, do not act rashly!"

Concerned for the safety of his disciple Xu Chen, True Person Xuanhe could not care about the changes and dangers of the Array; he flew directly to the core area of the Array and soon hovered above the breach.

At this moment, the suction of the Black Wind vortex at the breach was already very weak; it was just like the Black Wind of Black Wind Ridge on a normal day—although it was still rotating and devouring, it had no effect on cultivators at all.

The interior of the breach was pitch black, and Divine Sense disappeared without a trace after probing in no more than a hundred zhang.

In the distance, streaks of Escape Light arrived one after another, breaking through the air.

Leading them were several disciples of the Taiyuan Sect, namely Second Senior Sister Yao Yuzhu, Third Senior Brother Chen Ran, Fifth Senior Brother Cao Yang, and Ninth Senior Brother Lu Yuan, all of whom were Zhenyuan Realm disciples who had already undergone Foundation Establishment.

"Sect Leader, where is Junior Brother?" Lu Yuan shouted loudly from afar.

True Person Xuanhe's brows were furrowed high; he raised his hand to stop the group of disciples from approaching further, and only after observing the breach with his Divine Sense for a full cup of tea's time did he shake his head with a dejected expression: "Chen'er was likely swept into the bottom of the Array by the Black Wind vortex."

"Ah, then what should we do?" The expressions of the group of disciples all changed drastically.

At this moment, several more streaks of Escape Light arrived rapidly; they were Xu Wen from Yuqing Hall and other team-leading cultivators at the late stage of the Zhenyuan Realm from various Immortal Sects. They also stood in the air more than a hundred zhang away from the breach, staring blankly at the empty Array before them, at a loss.

"Fellow Daoists, that giant beast and this poor Daoist's disciple Xu Chen were likely swept into the bottom of the Array together. The situation here is unclear for now, so please withdraw for the time being. Order all cultivators not to approach the center of the Array, and wait a few days to observe before making further arrangements."

Although True Person Xuanhe's mind was in complete chaos, he knew that doing anything at this moment would be of no avail, and entering the breach to investigate was certainly impossible. Therefore, he could only pin his hopes on Xu Chen's own mysterious abilities; if his fortune was sufficient, he might still have a chance of survival.

Although he felt this chance was infinitesimal, Xu Chen had, after all, already had such an experience once before.

Thus, everything could only rely on the hope that a miracle would occur.

The group of cultivators naturally shared the same thoughts; they dared not stay long at the core of the Array, nor did they even dare to approach the breach to look closely. After a brief stay, they all set up their Escape Light and left the Array one after another.

True Person Xuanhe took his disciples back to the temporary stronghold of Yuqing Hall to discuss countermeasures and subsequent arrangements with True Person Yiyun.

Not long after, a Transmission Jade Slip arrived from the direction of Spirit Fox Valley in the southwest. After reading it, True Person Yiyun handed it to True Person Xuanhe and said, "This is news sent by Xuanyunzi."

True Person Xuanhe probed the Jade Slip with his Divine Sense and understood the content after a glance.

Just a short while ago, the Array breach at Spirit Fox Valley had also begun to swallow Black Mist inward, and by now, more than half of the Black Mist near Spirit Fox Valley had disappeared.

Xuanyunzi had sensed the violent turbulence of the Five Elements Array at Black Wind Ridge and was puzzled by the disappearance of the Black Wind, so he sent the message to ask for the reason.

"This matter is too bizarre, but it must be related to the battle between my disciple Xu Chen and that giant Soul Beast just now. However, since we did not see the situation with our own eyes, we cannot judge whether this is good or bad and must wait for further observation. But as long as the two Arrays are stable, no worse things will happen. I must trouble Daoist Brother Yiyun to guard this place; this old man needs to return to the mountain to recuperate for a few days, otherwise, I fear I will suffer lasting damage!" said True Person Xuanhe.

True Person Yiyun naturally knew that they could only observe the situation for now, so he bowed and said, "Guarding Black Wind Ridge is this poor Daoist's responsibility; naturally, I dare not shirk it. However, could Daoist Brother provide some Taiyuan Soul-Entering Pills? My Soul has also been severely injured, and I cannot even control my Magic Treasure at the moment!"

True Person Xuanhe nodded immediately: "Naturally, once this poor Daoist returns to the mountain later, I will send a disciple to deliver them!"

True Person Yiyun hurriedly said, "I dare not trouble the Daoists of the Taiyuan Sect. Xu Wen, you go along to the Taiyuan Sect and bring back the Spirit Pills quickly!"

"This disciple obeys!" Xu Wen stepped forward to accept the order.

And so, a group of people soon rose into the air on their swords and headed toward the Taiyuan Sect. A Seven-Colored Spirit Sparrow, its feathers disheveled and nearly bare, also flapped its wings listlessly, following the group away in a crooked manner.

"Sigh, what a mess this is. True Monarch Xuanchen is also to blame; he was clearly arranged to sit and guard the two Arrays, yet he suddenly ran off!"

True Person Yiyun sighed helplessly, then sat on a meditation cushion with a pale face, took a Spirit Pill, and began to meditate. At the same time, he closed his eyes and issued an order: "Inform all cultivators at Black Wind Ridge not to enter the Array recently. Order all strongholds to carefully observe the situation of the Array and report any changes immediately!"

"Yes, this disciple will go make the arrangements now!"

Several Yuqing Hall disciples accepted the order and hurried away.

After this earth-shattering change, Black Wind Ridge suddenly became clear and stable.

But everyone's mood was even more panicked and uneasy.

No one knew what exactly had happened.

As for Xu Chen, who had disappeared along with that giant Soul Beast, in the eyes of all cultivators outside the Taiyuan Sect, he was merely an unlucky fellow with formidable strength but poor luck.

By now, he was likely dead without a trace left.

To the north, at least twenty thousand li away from the Taiyuan Sect.

Ming Kingdom, Hexi Prefecture.

Previously, this place had prosperous folk customs and continuous mortal towns; it was a top-tier prosperous and wealthy land in the Ming Kingdom.

In the southeast of Hexi Prefecture, there was Wutai Mountain and Wulong Ridge, a top-tier blessed land for immortals in the Ming Kingdom. The Wulong Sect, ranked fifth in the Immortal World of the Ming Kingdom, was located here, with three Danyuan Realm cultivators sitting in the sect and over three hundred disciples.

Under the protection of the Wulong Sect, the entire Hexi Prefecture was peaceful and tranquil in both the immortal and mortal worlds. For hundreds of years, no disasters or turmoil had occurred, and many rogue cultivators also liked to gather near this Wutai Mountain, gradually forming a relatively prosperous place for immortals to gather and trade in the Ming Kingdom.

However, a few months ago, a place called Heifeng Gorge, not far from Wutai Mountain, suddenly erupted with a large amount of Black Wind. Within a day, it permeated dozens of li around. Although the Wulong Sect discovered it, they did not pay much attention, thinking it was just a geological change caused by an earthquake.

But unexpectedly, a few days later, Heifeng Gorge suddenly exploded violently. Amidst the shaking of the earth and mountains, an area of several li was completely blown into a large hole, and a large amount of Black Mist rushed into the sky ten thousand zhang high. From it, countless strange Demon Beasts that were pitch black all over sprayed out. Although most of these Demon Beasts were not strong—only around the First Stage—their numbers were surprisingly large and impossible to calculate.

The black Demon Beasts attacked from all directions, killing everyone they saw and devouring every beast they encountered like a black tide. All living things could not escape the fate of being devoured. In just one day, the area within a thousand li of Wutai Mountain, including a large number of nearby mortal villages and towns, turned into a living hell. The expansion speed of the Black Wind was equally terrifying, spreading to the surroundings at a speed of several hundred li per day. Wherever the Black Wind reached, all living things died; it was even more terrifying than the black Demon Beasts, leaving absolutely no living creatures behind.

By the time the Wulong Sect realized what was happening, it was already too late.

Thousands upon thousands of black Demon Beasts began to besiege the mountain gate. For a time, the sky and the ground were filled with roaring and growling black Demon Beasts of various kinds that had never been seen before. The Wulong Sect held out for less than a day before collapsing. More than half of the three hundred disciples were killed or injured, and the three Danyuan Realm Elders had to take the disciples and abandon the mountain gate to flee. However, during the escape, a large number of flying Demon Beasts constantly pursued and harassed them, and the casualties of the Wulong Sect cultivators grew increasingly heavy.

To cover the escape of their disciples, two Danyuan Realm Elders stayed behind to cover the retreat until their vital energy was exhausted, finally self-destructing their Danyuan and perishing together with hundreds of Soul Beasts.

In the end, fewer than thirty people from the Wulong Sect escaped, and almost everyone was injured. The sect's thousand-year reserves, Spirit Medicines, and Magic Treasures were almost all lost, and overnight, it was nearly erased from the Immortal World of the Ming Kingdom.

The change at Wulong Ridge and the plight of the Wulong Sect spread throughout the Immortal World of the Ming Kingdom within a few days.

And as days passed, with Wulong Ridge as the core, an area of hundreds of thousands of li had already been swallowed by the Black Wind. The number of mortal deaths and injuries was countless, and the rogue cultivators gathered near Wutai Mountain also suffered heavy casualties. Many who started to wait and see and fled too late were soon eroded in their Soul and Divine Sense by the pervasive Black Wind, and coupled with the endless siege of black Demon Beasts, the final number of deaths and injuries was impossible to calculate.

By the time the Spirit Realm Great Cultivator True Monarch Huiyue of the Tianyue Dao Academy, the second-ranked large Immortal Sect in the Ming Kingdom, came to investigate, the situation had already rotted to the point of being beyond repair. The southeastern half of Hexi Prefecture had almost been swallowed by the Black Wind, and in the central Heifeng Gorge area, the Black Wind was still surging out like a tide, staining the firmament. The entire world was pitch black, and the day was like the night.

True Monarch Huiyue went deep into the Heifeng Gorge region to investigate and discovered that not only was the Black Wind raging and impossible to suppress, but the number of Soul Beasts was also endless and impossible to kill; in the end, she could only issue an Immortal Alliance Elder decree, notifying all Immortal Sects, large and small, in the Ming Kingdom to discuss this matter together.

Yet at this time, it was not only Hexi Prefecture in the Ming Kingdom where the Black Wind appeared; two other prefectures, separated by a great distance, experienced Black Wind incidents almost simultaneously...

Just as several True Monarchs of the Ming Kingdom's Immortal Sects were gathered together to discuss how to deal with these Black Wind and Soul Beasts, Chixia Zhenjun, who possessed the highest cultivation in the Song Kingdom, suddenly paid a visit to report that an incident had occurred at the rift connecting the underground to the Nether, that the Ancient Fierce Beast suppressing the rift passage had broken free from its seal and escaped, and he relayed the words of the True Immortal Wuyazi, a disciple of Emperor Donghua of Yuxu Palace, to the several True Monarchs.

The news spread quickly, shocking the entire Immortal World of the Ming Kingdom.

Following this came news of the incident in the Eastern Wasteland, where the momentum of the Black Wind and Soul Beasts was even more terrifying, and a Spirit Transformation True Monarch had already fallen.

Only then did everyone suddenly become alert and panic-stricken.

Nether Rift, Ancient Fierce Beast, True Immortal Wuyazi, Yuxu Palace, Emperor Donghua, Nether Beast...

These people and things, which had never been heard of before, suddenly appeared all at once, instantly throwing the Immortal World of the Ming Kingdom into a state of nervous tension and chaos.

(End of this chapter)