Chapter 194

There was no way to dodge; the only option was to take it head-on!

A look of determination flashed through Gu Yusheng's eyes. His sword seal changed again, and his natal flying sword trembled with a "hum," the cold moonlight suddenly blazing fierce. He was actually willing to pay the price of overdrafting his sword essence and damaging his foundation to forcibly boost the sword array's power! "Moon Fall, Stars Sink!"

Countless strands of moonlight sword qi, condensed to the point of tangibility, no longer defended but frantically converged, forming a blazing white torrent that surged upstream against that sky-covering, sun-blocking demonic shadow giant palm! This was a mutually destructive tactic, but at this moment there was no other choice.

Mei Ruoxue also knew they had reached a life-or-death juncture. Her Profound Ice Spirit Body potential fully unleashed; the cold qi around her instantly froze the air into sheets of ice crystals. Her hands embraced the void, and an incomparably transparent ice crystal pyramid, containing boundless cold intent, took shape in an instant, following close behind the sword qi torrent, shooting straight for the core of the demonic shadow's palm — where the demon general's remnant will was most concentrated. "Profound Ice Annihilation!"

Shi Ran bit through the tip of her tongue, essence blood spraying onto the Xuntian Token. The dim token once more erupted with unyielding golden light; though not as grand as before, it was more condensed and resilient, forming a shield of light circulating with countless tiny runes that firmly protected the three of them. "Guard!"

In the split second of a spark off flint, the blazing white sword stream collided with the demonic palm first!

A silent annihilation exploded at the point of contact; moonlight sword qi and demonic qi frantically consumed each other, emitting a teeth-aching "chi chi" sound. The demonic palm's descent stalled for a moment, its surface demonic qi largely worn away, becoming much more illusory. But the sword qi torrent was also rapidly depleting; Gu Yusheng's face went from red to white, then from white to greenish-black, fresh blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, his figure tottering on the verge of collapse.

Immediately after, that ice crystal pyramid condensed from all of Mei Ruoxue's cultivation and her spirit body's origin cold power precisely pierced into the center of the demonic palm!

"Crack... Boom!"

Ultimate cold instantly erupted; large patches of ice-crystal freezing traces appeared at the center of the demonic palm and rapidly spread. The demonic shadow let out a silent roar containing anger and pain; its entire arm's movements became stiff and sluggish, the power gathered in its palm disturbed by the cold qi, falling into chaos.

However, the demon general's remnant will was ultimately no small matter; even weakened by two powerful attacks, the residual palm force still struck down, heavily hitting the golden light shield Shi Ran had activated with her essence blood.

"Dong—!"

A muffled boom like a giant bell striking reverberated through the cave. The golden light shield violently trembled, its surface runes flickering uncertainly, countless fine cracks spreading out. Shi Ran suffered a heavy blow, spraying three mouthfuls of fresh blood in succession; the Xuntian Token in her hand abruptly dimmed, nearly flying from her grasp. Though the shield had not completely shattered, it had reached the brink of collapse.

In contrast, after delivering this strike, the demonic shadow's body had clearly dimmed and blurred considerably, especially the right arm struck by the ice crystal pyramid, which was almost frozen and dissipating. And the black-robed figure sitting cross-legged by the blood pool, after pressing down that detonation seal, his aura had already severed; madness and unwillingness frozen on his face, his body rapidly withering — clearly he had barely managed to activate this mutually assured destruction forbidden art by using all his own essence blood and soul as the catalyst.

The blood pool, partially detonated by the array, now boiled even more violently; the pool surface churned, sticky blood bubbles constantly bursting, releasing chaotic demonic qi and resentment. The cave's trembling intensified; more and larger rocks fell from the top, smashing into the blood pool and ground, stirring up waves of filthy blood and dust. The entire relic core was already on the verge of collapse!

"Cough cough... Run! The cave is collapsing!" Gu Yusheng forcefully rallied a breath of true qi, suppressing the surging qi and blood and sword essence damage inside him, grabbing and supporting the nearly exhausted Shi Ran. Mei Ruoxue also leaned over, pale-faced; her spirit body origin had been enormously consumed, and she too was at the end of her strength.

The three dared not delay in the slightest, had no leisure to check if the black-robed man was thoroughly dead, and even less time to investigate whether the blood pool depths held other secrets. Supporting each other, they headed toward the direction of the tunnel they came from, pushing hard under the continuously falling debris.

Behind them, the demonic shadow, having lost the black-robed man this "catalyst," seemed to have lost a clear attack target; moreover, its own power had been mostly consumed in that strike just now, and it began to grow unstable, alternately coalescing and dispersing, emitting silent wails, stirring the chaotic energy within the cave. The blood pool's boiling also gradually lost control; dark red blood plasma began spilling over the pool's edge, corroding the ground and the remaining array runes.

Just as the three were about to rush into the tunnel, from the depths of the vortex at the center of the blood pool came an extremely faint sigh, as if from the nine netherworlds below. This sigh acted directly on their souls, causing the three's consciousness to simultaneously blank for a moment. Immediately after, a barely perceptible thread of dark gold light, finer than a hair, flashed out from the bottom of the blood pool vortex, faster than the limit of divine sense capture, silently and soundlessly sinking into the Xuntian Token in Shi Ran's hand, its light dim.

Shi Ran only felt the Xuntian Token grow slightly warm, then return to normal; she thought it was an illusion from her excessive injuries, and with escape being paramount, she had no time to examine it closely.

"Hong long long!"

An even louder collapse sound came from behind; giant rocks completely sealed the cave entrance. The three did not look back, rushing desperately outward along the tunnel. Continuous massive sounds of rock squeezing and cracking came from behind; the entire mountain seemed to be shaking.

When they finally burst out of the cave mouth and once more saw the gloomy sky light of Ghost Weeping Forest, the mountain depression behind them had already completely caved in amid a violent rumble, kicking up dust that filled the sky, forever burying that hidden entrance and the bloody cave beneath it.

The three collapsed on a forest clearing away from the collapse zone, panting heavily, with lingering fear. The relief of survival and the weakness from empty bodies and heavy injuries struck them together.

Gu Yusheng quickly set up a simple concealment and early-warning array; the three each took their most precious healing and recovery pills, seizing the time to meditate. A full hour passed before their complexions improved slightly, but their internal injuries could not be healed in a short time.

"That black-robed man is dead." Mei Ruoxue spoke first, her tone certain. She had caught a final glimpse of the black-robed man's rapidly withered corpse; his life force was utterly gone.

"Using himself as sacrifice, invoking the demon general's remnant will... truly a fanatical demonic cultivator." Gu Yusheng wiped the blood from his mouth, his gaze heavy. "That 'sect mission' he shouted before death... it seems he was not a loose cultivator, but a chess piece lurking here for some demonic sect. Behind the 'Earth Erosion' affair, there is indeed an organization's shadow."

Shi Ran sensed the faint fluctuation from the Xuntian Token within her body, seemingly more silent and profound than before, slightly puzzled, but attributed it to her own excessive mental exhaustion and the token's own overuse. She said weakly: "That blood pool and array... though partially detonated and buried, the ancient battlefield's sha qi root here remains unremoved; the hidden danger persists. And that black-robed man was merely an executor; the 'sect' and 'mission' he spoke of are the key."

"Correct." Gu Yusheng nodded. "This time we destroyed his base in Ghost Weeping Forest, thwarted his plan to use the ancient battlefield relic, and killed (or caused the suicide of) an important member — a major blow. But the full picture of the 'Earth Erosion' organization, its true purpose, remains shrouded in mist. Lin Family Fort, Yunmeng Marsh, Ghost Weeping Forest... is there a deeper connection between these locations?"

Mei Ruoxue said coldly: "We must immediately report the situation here to the Xuntian Bureau. The Ghost Weeping Forest relic is buried; short-term there may be no further movement, but long-term monitoring must be arranged. The black-robed man's identity might be pursued further from his belongings (unfortunately not obtained) or his activity tracks. Also, where did that 'relic map' he mentioned come from? Are there copies in the hands of other 'Earth Erosion' members?"

After the three rested enough and recovered some mobility, they began carefully cleaning up traces of their stay and reconfirmed the collapse situation. The collapse was extremely thorough; huge rocks and mud sealed the entrance airtight. In their current state, they simply could not re-excavate and enter. And the cave's internal structure was probably completely destroyed; the blood pool was most likely deeply buried as well.

They carefully searched the periphery again and found no other suspicious entrances or clues left by the black-robed man. That black-robed man acted quite cautiously; aside from battle traces and the cave's arrangements, he left almost nothing that could indicate his identity or origin.

"First return to Xiaqi Fang, compile and report the intelligence; at the same time we also need time to heal and further digest this trip's gains." Gu Yusheng made the decision.

On the road back to Xiaqi Fang, the three were exceptionally careful; though the black-robed man was dead, they could not rule out whether the "Earth Erosion" organization had other spies. They changed disguises, took a detour, confirmed no one was tailing them, then quietly returned to the inn they had previously rented.

For the next several days, the three stayed behind closed doors, devoting themselves to healing. Gu Yusheng's sword essence damage needed nurturing; Mei Ruoxue's spirit body origin depletion needed slow recovery; Shi Ran's mental overexertion and spiritual backlash also needed quiet cultivation. Fortunately their foundations were solid and pills plentiful; injuries recovered a bit faster than expected.

During this period, Gu Yusheng compiled a detailed report of the Ghost Weeping Forest trip — including the black-robed man's words, the blood pool array in the cave, the demon general's remnant will, and their deductions — and sent it out via the Xuntian Bureau's secret channels at the highest encryption level. The value of this intelligence was undeniable; it would certainly attract the attention of the Xuntian Bureau's upper echelons.

On the seventh day, the three's injuries had stabilized, recovering sixty to seventy percent combat power. The Xuntian Bureau's reply also arrived, transmitted directly into Gu Yusheng's Xuntian Token副令 in the form of encrypted divine thought.

The reply content was concise and stern:

"Ghost Weeping Forest intelligence received, classified as Grade A. Your merits have been recorded. The black-robed man's cultivation method and artifact characteristics, upon comparison, partially match the surviving texts of the demonic sect 'Yinsha Sect' exterminated two hundred years ago. But he called it a 'sect mission'; the Yinsha Sect remnants have likely changed face or merged with other forces, forming 'Earth Erosion.' The distribution maps of sha qi/yin qi nodes at Lin Family Fort, Yunmeng Marsh, and Ghost Weeping Forest have been preliminarily analyzed by the Bureau's array masters; they are suspected to form partial 'array feet' of a larger-scale evil array. The specific function and core array eye location are still being calculated. Order: your squad shall temporarily remain in the Xiaqi Fang area, continue secretly investigating 'Earth Erosion' clues, focusing on recent abnormal personnel movements, special material trades (especially those related to ancient battlefields, yin souls, sha qi), and... watch for rumors of other similar ancient battlefield relics or extremely yin places showing abnormal activity within the Luoxia River region. Be extremely cautious; safety first. Regional support may be requested if necessary. Additionally, if Shi Ran's Xuntian Envoy Xuntian Token has any further special sensing or changes, report immediately."

After reading the reply, the three's expressions grew even heavier.

"Yinsha Sect remnants... larger-scale evil array feet..." Gu Yusheng murmured. "Truly a colossus. Our actions may have only lifted a corner of the iceberg."

"The Bureau ordering us to continue investigating here means they believe 'Earth Erosion' activities in the Luoxia River region have not ceased, or there are other arrangements." Mei Ruoxue analyzed.

Shi Ran, meanwhile, felt a stir in her heart at the Bureau's special attention to her Xuntian Token. Was it because of her performance activating the token at the final moment in Ghost Weeping Forest, or because of that moment's abnormal heat? She secretly resolved to more carefully nurture and sense the Xuntian Token.

"Since the Bureau has given the order, we continue investigating." Gu Yusheng put away the副令. "Start from the market town, secretly inquire about recent abnormalities. At the same time we must mind our own condition and restore full strength as soon as possible. I have a premonition the coming storms will not be small."

For the latter half month, the three continued healing while operating in the Xiaqi Fang and surrounding areas in an even more concealed manner.

They disguised themselves as ordinary merchant cultivators come to purchase Luoxia River specialties, wandering loose cultivator siblings, even scholars exploring ancient sites, probing for news from different angles. Gu Yusheng, relying on his steady temperament and rich experience, often picked up from taverns, teahouses, mission bulletin boards, even small exchange meets some discussions that seemed ordinary but might actually hide clues. Mei Ruoxue used her cold, hard-to-approach aura to occasionally "unintentionally" reveal interest in ancient legends and strange places, luring cultivators who liked to show off their knowledge into volunteering information. Shi Ran utilized the Xuntian Token's sensitivity to special auras to regularly patrol the market town and Ghost Weeping Forest periphery, sensing whether any new, similarly cold auras like the black-robed man's had appeared.

Effort rewards the dedicated; some fragmented clues were gradually pieced together:

First, around the time the black-robed man appeared at the old goods stall, several batches of low-key, restrained-aura stranger cultivators had indeed appeared in the market town. Their purchased items were miscellaneous, but among them were several types — "Dinghun Jade," "Qusha Incense," "Fengling Box" — mostly materials for exploring yin-sha lands or dealing with yin souls and resentment. These people stayed briefly and seemed not to know each other, but their shopping lists partially overlapped.

Second, herb gatherers who often operate deep in Luoxia River mentioned that in recent months, not only Ghost Weeping Forest, but in two other directions of Luoxia River, places named "Dragon Burial Valley" and "Youhun Ravine" also had yin qi seemingly denser than previous years; occasionally low-level yaoguai became abnormally manic, even attacking passersby. These two places likewise had ancient legends, related to ancient battlefields or mass deaths of living beings.

Third, from a drunk merchant who frequently traveled between Luoxia River and a certain mid-sized cultivation city in the south called "Black Rock City," Gu Yusheng happened to hear that in Black Rock City's underground trading market recently, someone seemed to be buying some obscure items at high prices, including "essence blood of cultivators born on yin year, yin month, yin day," "battlefield sha soil over a hundred years old," "damaged weapons stained with the resentment of general-level battle souls" — the supplier was very mysterious, the transaction method concealed.

These clues, viewed individually, might not amount to much, but combined with the Xuntian Bureau's deduction of "larger-scale evil array feet," they appeared exceptionally suspicious.

"'Dragon Burial Valley,' 'Youhun Ravine,' plus the Lin Family Fort (yin vein), Yunmeng Marsh (water vein sha qi), Ghost Weeping Forest (ancient battlefield sha qi) we already know... these five locations, if arranged in specific orientations, could indeed form an array layout covering part of the Luoxia River region." Gu Yusheng, in the inn room, used spiritual power to sketch a rough map of Luoxia River in the air, marking the five points, brows tightly locked. "If 'Earth Erosion' is truly laying a massive evil array requiring so many different-natured yin-sha nodes as 'array feet,' their ambition must be enormous! The materials Black Rock City is purchasing are very likely for perfecting or activating these array feet!"

"We need to verify the actual conditions of 'Dragon Burial Valley' and 'Youhun Ravine,' and whether there are traces of 'Earth Erosion' member activity." Mei Ruoxue said.

"The Black Rock City clue cannot be let go either. It may be one of their transit points for obtaining materials and intelligence." Shi Ran added.

Gu Yusheng pondered a moment: "Splitting up carries too much risk; the three of us should not separate again. 'Dragon Burial Valley' and 'Youhun Ravine' are not too far from Xiaqi Fang; we'll go investigate these two places first, confirm the situation. If abnormalities are confirmed, report immediately and request instructions on whether to proceed to Black Rock City for deeper investigation. At the same time, report the Black Rock City clue and ask the Bureau to coordinate nearby Xuntian Bureau forces to secretly investigate."

Plan set, the three delayed no longer. This time they prepared more thoroughly; not only bringing sufficient pills and talismans, but also specially preparing some special artifacts targeting yin souls and sha qi (some purchased in Xiaqi Fang).

First they went to "Dragon Burial Valley." Legend said a malicious flood dragon once perished here; its resentment lingered, forming perennial poisonous miasma; the valley teemed with poisonous insects and strange trees. The three carefully infiltrated and found the valley's miasma indeed denser than rumors, and within the miasma lurked a hard-to-detect thread of negative emotion power that disturbed the mind. At a concealed core point of the flood dragon's legendary fall deep in the valley, they discovered traces of human arrangement — several well-disguised small yin-gathering arrays silently gathering the valley's yin miasma and earth vein yin qi. The array style resembled those by the blood pool in Ghost Weeping Forest, but was cruder, seemingly hastily arranged or merely preliminary preparation.

They did not startle the snake; after carefully recording the array positions and characteristics, they quietly withdrew.

Next was "Youhun Ravine." This was a deep stream with sheer cliffs on both sides; legend said every month's end night, countless ghostly wails sounded from the ravine, hence the name. The three chose to enter during daytime and found the ravine bottom's yin qi extremely heavy, water temperature icy and bone-piercing; some shaded spots even condensed faint yin frost. At a bend in the stream, inside a hidden cave washed out by the water flow, they similarly discovered a similar small yin-gathering array; moreover, deep in the cave were fresh footprints and what appeared to be a crude stone platform for small blood sacrifices. On the platform were blackish-brown bloodstains not long dried; Shi Ran sensed and confirmed it was human blood, carrying faint resentment.

"Indeed, 'Earth Erosion's' hands have reached here." Gu Yusheng's face was gloomy. "Judging by the arrangement progress and fresh traces, their actions are accelerating."

Just as the three of them were carefully examining the cave, trying to find more clues, the Patrol Heaven Order in Shi Ran's hand suddenly warmed up again without any warning. This time, the sensation was much clearer than when they were in the Ghost Wailing Forest cave! Moreover, the ancient runes on the Patrol Heaven Order began to flow on their own, emitting an extremely faint dark gold luster, as if containing the awe-inspiring majesty of heaven!

At the same time, deep within the cave, beneath the blood sacrifice stone platform, something seemed to resonate extremely faintly with the fluctuations of the Patrol Heaven Order!

The three of them instantly focused their gaze on that inconspicuous stone platform below. A new variable seemed to be right before their eyes. And the vast shadow of "Earth Corrosion" was also gradually spreading along with these yin fiend arrangements scattered throughout Luoxia River.