Chapter 89: The Scheme of Chuyin

Early the next morning, everyone, vigorous and high-spirited, headed to the Deep Snow Abyss that Gu Yusheng had mentioned.

Along the way the wind and snow remained unchanged, but Shi Ran kept feeling something was watching them from behind; she kept looking back, finally drawing Luo Changfeng's attention.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I might not have slept well!" Shi Ran turned her head again to look; a thousand miles of ice sealed, ten thousand miles of snow drifting, on the vast snow plain if a person appeared they would be spotted quickly, yet there was nothing, so it might just be her imagination.

Luo Changfeng gave Shi Ran a deep look, lowered his voice: "I always feel like a pair of eyes is watching us, junior sister—be careful!"

So just now it wasn't her imagination after all—someone really was watching them; Shi Ran's eyes lit up, she nodded repeatedly: "Senior brother, you need to be careful too!"

The two were whispering when He Chenyuan suddenly shouted; they both turned to look.

They saw Gu Yusheng and several others vanish together into the snow.

It seemed the place where they disappeared was the site that suppresses Chuyin; Luo Changfeng and Shi Ran exchanged a glance and hurried over.

Qi Chengshuang, Ruan Xinli, and Chu Yao'er were at the rear of the group; seeing Shi Ran and Luo Changfeng so tense, they hurried after them, only to watch helplessly as Shi Ran and Luo Changfeng disappeared before their eyes.

Qi Chengshuang reached out to grab, but grasped only emptiness. A living person had actually vanished in place?

Qi Chengshuang furrowed her brows, seized Ruan Xinli who was still about to move forward: "Wait, be careful—there may be a trap!"

Unfortunately Chu Yao'er didn't stop, lunged forward a step and couldn't hold herself, vanishing into Ruan Xinli's palm.

Ruan Xinli was frightened; she actively took Qi Chengshuang's hand: "Senior Brother Qi, we must absolutely not get separated!"

Unfortunately, human plans fall short of Chuyin's schemes!

In the span of Chuyin's single breath, several people were splendidly scattered.

Shi Ran and Luo Changfeng formed a pair, stopping in the cave at night; all around was pitch black, unable to see five fingers ahead, Shi Ran blinked, fortunate that she possessed a fire spiritual root.

"Snap"—she flicked her fingers, a small flame burst to life on her left side, nearly singeing Luo Changfeng's eyebrows.

Both jumped in fright; Shi Ran covered her chest: "Senior brother, couldn't you say something?"

"I thought I was the only one!" Luo Changfeng painedly rubbed his eyebrow. He rummaged in his Cosmos Pouch and pulled out a large luminous pearl: "Use this, junior sister—I got it in the East Sea!"

Luo Changfeng held up the large luminous pearl; although it could illuminate, Shi Ran found it somewhat comical no matter how she looked at it.

She shook her head, refusing his kindness, and by the firelight surveyed the surroundings—this was a cave covered in runes.

In the center stood an altar-like square pillar; Luo Changfeng held the luminous pearl and went to study the runes, while Shi Ran stepped onto the altar one by one to examine the square pillar.

The square pillar was made of white jade, densely covered with runes, yet on the characters of the runes there was a faint flow of water; Shi Ran was full of questions, so she could only move closer.

Whether it was the firelight or something else, as Shi Ran watched those flowing characters, the two words that sprang to mind were actually "blood water."

"Shi Ran!" Luo Changfeng called to her: "Come look—these are indeed demon-sealing sigils!"

Shi Ran had no choice but to abandon the square platform, walked to Luo Changfeng's side, and stretched her neck to view the runes on the cave wall.

"These are ancient demon-sealing sigils!" Luo Changfeng exclaimed, "Junior Brother wasn't lying!" He reached out to touch them: "It seems everything was just my over-suspicion!"

"Don't!" Shi Ran couldn't stop him in time, and gusts of yin wind began to rise!

Shi Ran's fingertip was only an inch from Luo Changfeng's wrist, yet she ultimately couldn't stop him from touching those ancient runes. Her shout echoed in the vast cave, shattered by the sudden whirl of yin wind.

"Senior brother! Pull back quickly!" Shi Ran's voice was almost drowned by the wind.

Luo Changfeng's fingers were already pressed against the damp cave wall. The dark‑red runes lit up with an eerie faint glow the moment he touched them, like a sleeping snake startled awake, slowly beginning to writhe. Shi Ran clearly saw the "water flow" between the runes accelerate, its color shifting from dark red to a blinding scarlet.

"This... this isn't water..." Shi Ran murmured to herself, a chill surged from the soles of her feet up her spine.

Luo Changfeng, however, seemed oblivious, his eyes locked on the glowing runes, his face showing an almost obsessive expression: "Junior sister, look! This is the long‑lost ancient demon‑sealing sigil! The 'Ancient Formation' records only scattered fragments—I never expected to see a complete one here..."

His voice cut off abruptly. From deep in the cave came a dull thud, as if some massive creature had turned over. Immediately the whole cavern began to tremble slightly, fine pebbles rustling down from the ceiling.

Shi Ran had no time for anything else, she grabbed Luo Changfeng's sleeve: "Senior brother, something's wrong! Let's get out of here!"

Luo Changfeng blinked as if waking from a dream, finally tearing his gaze from the runes. At that very moment the glowing runes suddenly dimmed, the cave plunged back into darkness, only the flame on Shi Ran's fingertip and the luminous pearl in Luo Changfeng's hand providing faint light.

"You're right," Luo Changfeng lowered his voice, "let's first find the others."

The two moved cautiously deeper into the cave. Shi Ran's firelight illuminated the slippery ground; she noticed many tiny grooves on the floor, likewise etched with runes, and the liquid flowing within them...

"Senior brother," Shi Ran's voice tightened, "look at these on the ground... are they blood?"

Luo Changfeng crouched, used the luminous pearl to illuminate a groove. Dark‑red liquid flowed slowly, giving off a faint rusty smell. He dabbed a bit on his fingertip, brought it to his nose, and his face changed dramatically.

"Not ordinary blood," he said in a low voice, "it contains spiritual power... this is cultivator's blood."

Shi Ran's stomach churned. She suddenly recalled the flowing characters on the square pillar, and hurriedly turned back: "That pillar! I already felt something was off earlier!"

The two returned to the square pillar. In better light, Shi Ran finally saw the true nature of those "characters"—they were not carved runes at all, but writing drawn in fresh blood, appearing twisted and distorted due to the pillar's curvature.

"This… says 'go'!" Luo Changfeng pointed at one character, then looked up, suddenly startled, he pulled Shi Ran: "Above is the character for 'hurry'—someone is warning us, hurry!"

Shi Ran also jumped, hurriedly following Luo Changfeng, but she never expected that the moment they stepped down from the square‑platform altar, the entire cavern began to tremble, as if some massive beast were turning over!

Shi Ran's heart leapt; she pointed to the only spot in the cave without any written characters: "Senior brother, that must be the exit—hurry!"