Chapter 391: Changes

This was a strange state.

At first, Li Yan thought it was the legendary God-Wandering, but after steadying his mind, he discovered it wasn't so.

God-Wandering wasn't something difficult to achieve.

The cultivation methods of this world were mainly based on preserving the spirit, and the soul itself was very strong. After reaching the fourth floor, one could have the soul wander out.

But this kind of wandering had huge drawbacks.

One was needing a top-notch method, and the second was needing the protection of a powerful Dharma artifact. Otherwise, it would be like a lonely ghost, wind blowing, earth yin freezing, sun scorching... if it touched any one of them, the soul would scatter.

In the past, Liu Gang had his soul wander out to warn them at Guan Family Village, but he used the national treasure "Mysterious Yellow Heaven Talisman" for protection.

Even so, when attacking the Earth Immortal Cave, he didn't dare to have his soul wander out to investigate, lest his soul be scattered by someone.

Moreover, soul wandering also left the physical body in an ownerless state, like an open room, attracting countless lonely ghosts. If someone destroyed the physical body, it would be even more unlucky.

Therefore, few people used soul wandering.

Unless one reached the sixth floor, soul wandering would show combat power, remotely driving Dharma artifacts and arrays to fight.

And reaching the ninth floor, one would cultivate into a Yang Spirit.

Li Yan could feel that his soul was stable and hadn't left his brow, so it wasn't God-Wandering.

This was a high-level technique, merging with the mountains and rivers, making every grass and tree around become eyes, so he could see the distance.

It was the power of the Mountain God!

Or rather, the Eye of God!

Presumably, those City God Temples and Daoist temples, the deities worshipped, all had this power, so they could discover demons and monsters causing trouble in their territory.

Li Yan suppressed his excitement and continued to scout outward.

With the help of this wondrous vision, the cloud-shrouded Shennongjia finally lifted its mysterious veil, allowing him to see the specific terrain.

Soon, he saw a familiar place.

It was precisely the ruins occupied by the Shen Kui tribe.

Calculating by orientation, they had now entered a deeper area to the northwest of Shennongjia, and those ruins were to the southeast.

However, he could only observe from afar; moving any further forward, he would be repelled by a force—cold, gloomy, and chilling, as if a fierce beast were peeking.

Li Yan knew this must be the leader of the Shen Kui tribe, the other mountain god, "Bai Gong."

He didn't dare to act recklessly and carefully observed for a while.

With this look, he immediately discovered something suspicious.

Last night, a great battle had clearly taken place in the mountain forest.

The vast forest further south of the Shen Kui tribe was like a storm had swept through; trees were shattered and collapsed, and in many places, thick smoke was billowing.

This was... new-style gunpowder!

Outside the Shen Kui tribe, the pile of bones had grown much higher, with more human heads piled up, and outside the cave were several Shen Kui, tearing at human legs and eating with blood-stained mouths.

There were also many wild beast carcasses, mostly with missing limbs and charred fur, likely blown to death by gunpowder and then becoming food for the Shen Kui...

Li Yan felt a chill in his heart and scouted along this area.

His vision crossed the deep mountain canyons, and on a hillside ten miles away, several wooden watchtowers appeared.

Soldiers wearing leather armor were patrolling on top, and falcons were soaring in the sky, observing the movement on the opposite side at all times.

And crossing this mountain, there was a plateau basin surrounded by several peaks, where not a blade of grass grew, filled with mud and swamps, with a large lake in the center.

The lake water was calm, nothing but stagnant water.

Along the banks of the swamp lay dense piles of corpses, all with their hands bound, kneeling and dying, with white nematodes crawling in and out of their bodies.

At a glance, they were unlucky souls used for sacrifice.

What shocked Li Yan even more was that on the hillside closer to Baokang County, countless commoners were digging, seemingly trying to create a waterway to connect the lake to the outside world.

Whoosh~

Suddenly, the lake water surged with giant waves, and a deep, dark shadow seemed to be circling below.

A shrill, tyrannical intent rushed toward him, like ten thousand steel needles piercing his forehead, and his vision retreated rapidly...

"Thank you, Senior."

Li Yan slowly opened his eyes and bowed respectfully before stepping back.

The next to go up was Gong Jun; after all, he represented the imperial court. Following along this time was, first, to lead the way, and second, to confirm the accuracy of the information, so as to avoid Li Yan and the others using false intelligence to deceive them, leading to the defeat of the army.

He observed more carefully. After opening his eyes, he forcibly suppressed his shock, thanked him repeatedly, and then immediately took out a map, not only marking the location of the trapped dragon but also depicting the surrounding mountain and river terrain.

Every stroke was precise and detailed; he was clearly an expert in this field.

This type of technique seemed very draining, and coupled with his unhealed severe wounds, the "Zouyu" appeared weary after performing it twice and lay on the ground to sleep.

Before falling asleep, it let out a few low roars at Lu San.

Lu San bowed solemnly and then turned to the group. "The Mountain God has consumed a lot of energy. This slumber will likely last for several consecutive days. Brother Yan, what should we do next?"

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Shennongjia is fraught with crises. Since the intelligence has been clarified, we should leave as soon as possible and send the information back."

"Pack up, let's go."

At his command, the group immediately packed their tents and luggage.

Sha Lifei was in a very good mood. "We're lucky. Fortunately, we encountered the Mountain God's help; this time we completed the mission easily."

"Brother Yan, I think this Shennongjia is truly a good place. After the rebellion is quelled, let's come back again and bring some gifts for the Mountain God..."

Wang Daoxuan was amused. "Brother Sha, your abacus is loud enough, but we really should bring something over."

Just as they were speaking, they saw several "Jingren" rushing out from the ground on the south side, running over and waving their arms, chattering.

Soon, the "Jingren" were in chaos.

They were all filled with panic, kowtowing incessantly to the Mountain God "Zouyu," but unfortunately, this divine beast had fallen into a deep slumber and could not be awakened at all.

Hearing this, Lu San's expression also changed drastically. "Not good, an army from the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect has mobilized and is heading this way."

Hearing this, Li Yan frowned slightly. "That trapped dragon has deep cultivation; perhaps it was alerted by the previous scouting. Hurry and awaken the Mountain God to leave."

"Must not act recklessly!"

Wang Daoxuan hurriedly shook his head, looking at the sleeping Mountain God. "I see that the surrounding earth qi has gathered; the Mountain God is connected to the earth qi, which should be some kind of secret healing method, and it must not be disturbed lightly."

Lu San also nodded. "The Mountain God said before that this slumber will last at least several days. Forcing it awake will likely make it harder to recover."

At this moment, the cave was already in chaos.

The dense crowds of "Jingren" surrounded the Mountain God "Zouyu," their faces ashen, looking like the end of the world had arrived.

Although these little things could escape underground, they basically had no combat power; otherwise, they wouldn't rely on serving deities to survive.

If the deity dies, the tribe will also face extinction.

Li Yan only pondered for a moment before speaking without hesitation: "In that case, Brother Lu San, you are familiar with the terrain and can avoid danger. First, escort Commander Gong back to Longtan Village and send the news back as soon as possible."

"We will guard here and wait for the Mountain God to awaken."

Hearing this, Commander Gong said with a worried face, "The enemy is powerful and has sent an army. Li Li Shaoxia..."

Li Yan's expression was calm as he shook his head. "No need to say more. Having just received someone's protection and help, I cannot turn around and abandon them to leave; I cannot do such a thing. You send the intelligence back as soon as possible. Once the imperial court launches its move, the predicament here will be resolved immediately."

Things having reached this point, Gong Jun didn't say more, bowing solemnly. "Li Li Shaoxia, take care. Everyone, be sure to be careful."

Although Lu San was equally worried, Li Yan had already set the plan, so he didn't talk nonsense. After packing his things, he gave a shout, found a few "Jingren" to lead the way, and left quickly with Gong Jun, disappearing into the depths of the cave.

As for Wang Daoxuan and the others, they weren't panicked.

Since forming the team, they had gone through all kinds of crises and seen all kinds of storms, so naturally, they weren't afraid.

Wang Daoxuan looked around and stroked his beard. "If there were few people, it would be easy to talk about, but with the enemy sending a large army, I'm afraid it won't be easy to deal with."

Li Yan said in a deep voice, "Rest assured, I have my own ways."

Saying that, he took an item from the leather bag behind him—it was the Five-Direction Luo Feng Flag woven from the Three-Talent Demon-Suppressing Coins.

"This is the 'Five-Direction Luo Feng Flag,' which can be considered my trump card secret technique. Daoist, follow me to deploy the formation flags in the surroundings, and then you set up a Dharma altar in the cave to gather the earth's yin qi. Within a radius of several miles, the Netherworld soldiers can come and go freely..."

"This method is excellent!"

!.

Hearing this, Wang Daoxuan's eyes lit up immediately.

Sha Lifei also said happily, "With this good treasure, what are we afraid of? Let's just take the opportunity to kill them until they're beaten to a pulp."

They had seen the power of the Netherworld soldiers; once the army came out, no matter how many people the Lord Lord Tian Sheng Sect sent, they could all be suppressed and killed.

"It's not that simple."

Li Yan said helplessly, "Everything has a root. Summoning with the Gang Order, the Netherworld soldiers rely on the power of the Netherworld. Now that we are deploying the formation to control them, it depends on the strength of the magic artifact and our cultivation."

"After the formation is deployed, although they can fully obey orders, their power will inevitably be weakened, at most a bit stronger than ordinary Chang soldiers. If the enemy has experts who break the formation flags, the Netherworld soldiers will also be withdrawn."

"So this time, Daoist, you are responsible for holding the line inside the cave, and I will block the experts attacking the formation outside."

"There is another trouble: the enemy will inevitably bring new-style firearms. If they use cannons to attack the mountain, the formation won't be able to hold either, so we must find a way to block them outside."

Sha Lifei looked at the "Jingren" nearby, his eyes rolling, and he chuckled. "This matter is simple; leave it to me."

"The 'Jingren' have dug many tunnels in the mountain. I'll make a few ground fire mines and have them place them along the army's route..."

Li Yan was stunned, then nodded. "That is indeed a method. Uncle Sha, I leave this to you. Have Wu Ba tell the 'Jingren,' and I and the Daoist will go deploy the formation."

Having said that, he turned and took a long rope from his luggage.

This cave was extremely secretive and in the center of the mountain; the surrounding passages could only be exited by the "Jingren," so they could only leave from above.

With the rope on his back and taking out the Armor Horse, Li Yan immediately performed the Northern Emperor Divine Movement Art, his dark energy exploding, stepping on the uneven rocks, flying over eaves and walking on walls, and soon jumped out of the cave opening.

After leaving the cave opening, the mountain wind whistled toward him.

This was the peak of a mountain; the hillside was shrouded in clouds and mist, while above, the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly.

He had already seen the scene before him through the Mountain God's secret technique.

He wasn't bragging about being able to protect this place; although this mountain peak wasn't high, the terrain was extremely steep, and the surrounding slopes were all precipitous, making it very difficult for an army to come up—it could be said to be easy to defend and hard to attack.

As long as he blocked it with the formation, holding out for a few days wouldn't be a problem.

Thinking of this, Li Yan hurriedly turned around, lowered the rope, and pulled Wang Daoxuan and the others up the mountain one after another.

Sha Lifei and Wu Ba nodded and went down the steep hillside to observe the surrounding terrain and find areas to place the ground fire mines.

And Li Yan and Wang Daoxuan wandered around the mountain peak, looking for the earth's pulse points, burying the Five-Direction Luo Feng Flags one by one, and driving in the formation stakes.

After placing the formation flags, Wang Daoxuan returned to the cave, took out various magic artifacts from his luggage, and with the help of the "Jingren," set up the Dharma altar...

While they were busy, Sha Lifei and Wu Ba also went down the mountain, only to see deep valleys and gullies all around, with dense vegetation and swirling clouds and mist.

"Good place!"

The two circled a few times, and Sha Lifei said happily, "If you want to go up the mountain, there is only one road, and you have to pass through the dense forest. With the clouds and mist covering it, if they want to use firearms, they must get close."

"Let's choose the forest!"

Having said that, he looked at Wu Ba nearby. "Call those little guys out; I'll tell them the place, and have them remember it."

Although Wu Ba was slow-witted and couldn't speak human language well, he could understand. He picked up his axe and thumped it on the ground twice.

Swish swish swish!

The tiny "Jingren" immediately drilled out. Wu Ba muttered in the Upper Language, and these little guys followed the two into the dense forest.

"Here!"

Sha Lifei circled around, found a place to enter the forest, and took out a modified ground fire mine from the bag behind him.

"The evil people have sorcerers, so it must be buried deeper. We can't use a stepping mechanism; it can only be lit by fire. I specifically lengthened the fuse..."

"Remember, calculate the time well; run after lighting it..."

Sha Lifei explained tirelessly, and Wu Ba followed with the translation. After a burst of muttering, these little "Jingren" finally understood.

They formed a circle, holding the ground fire mines, and simultaneously performed the Earth Escape Technique, instantly disappearing into the underground secret passages, while pulling the fuses out.

Sha Lifei felt a bit envious.

With these little guys helping, burying ground fire mines was a breeze.

Unfortunately, these ancient little spirits served the gods and lived, and only stayed in the mountain forest, unable to leave at all.

After a burst of busyness, it was already past noon.

"Squeak squeak!"

The "Jingren" scouting and warning ran over, waving their arms in panic.

"Go!"

Sha Lifei knew the enemy had arrived and immediately took Wu Ba up the mountain.

When they reached the mountain, they found Li Yan guarding the mountain pass, with a wooden box in front of him, and he was taking off his upper garment.

Sha Lifei was stunned. "Brother Yan, are you going to use that thing?"

Li Yan nodded. "Better to be careful."

Opening the wooden box, inside was a pitch-black suit of full-body scale armor, with armor plates embedded in all the vital parts.

This item was a special suit of armor made from earth dragon skin, commissioned from a master craftsman in Wuchang; it was the first time he had used it since it was made.

Sha Lifei's expression became solemn. "They're here!"

He knew that this mountain defense was by no means as simple as imagined; otherwise, Li Yan wouldn't have put on this item.

"Good, later you all guard the cave entrance; don't let anyone disturb the Daoist's Dharma altar..."

While speaking, Li Yan had already put on this special armor, his whole body covered in black scales, with armor plates covering vital parts like his shoulders and heart.

After equipping his magic artifacts like the Dust-Breaking Blade, he suddenly appeared murderous.

At the same time, an army of several hundred people at the foot of the mountain was getting closer and closer...

Second update in the afternoon.

(End of chapter)