Chapter 30: Counterattack to establish authority
The sunlight outside the Hall of Merit seemed to carry a chill. Ye Li held the identity token, which contained the mission information "Clear the Corpse Puppets in the West Mountain Mine." Gao Sheng's words, seemingly conciliatory but actually threatening, still echoed in her ears.
"I hope everything goes well for Junior Sister. I hope she doesn't get killed in the abandoned mines on the West Mountain."
This was definitely not a well-intentioned blessing. This mission must have been rigged by them. What awaited her ahead was probably more than just twenty low-level corpse puppets.
Yet, a cold smile played on Ye Li's lips. Shrinking back was never her style. Since they had made a move, she'd have to follow suit! This was a perfect opportunity to see just how far this sect's dark side could go, and also... establish her authority!
She did not go to Xishan immediately, but went back to Yundan Peak first.
Entering the quiet room, she didn't rush to prepare talismans or elixirs—those conventional methods were likely already within the enemy's calculations. She sat cross-legged, her consciousness immersing in the jade slip she'd received from Monk Muyun. She focused on comprehending the "Analysis of Basic Formations" and the simple runes in the ancient notebook that discussed dispelling evil and stabilizing the mind.
At the same time, she retrieved the mysterious metal fragment from the Ye family's treasury. It was still gray and unremarkable. She tried to slowly infuse it with a trace of the spiritual power from the Youhuan Emperor's Scripture.
This time, the fragments were no longer completely unresponsive! A faint, dark blue light flashed across the gray surface, leaving her feeling icy cold. It even caused the spiritual energy in her body to stagnate slightly, slowing down its speed.
"It really works!" Ye Li's eyes lit up. This item could affect the flow of spiritual energy, and perhaps it also had a special effect on suppressing the evil corpse qi! She carefully hid the fragment close to her body, ready for emergency use.
After completing these preparations, she went to Bailian Hall again. Instead of renting the Earth Fire Room, she spent ten contribution points to purchase some basic materials for drawing talismans—cinnabar, talisman paper, and a small bottle of low-level monster blood. Then, she headed straight back to the courtyard.
She did not draw any offensive or defensive talismans. Instead, in a quiet room, she mixed cinnabar with the blood of monsters, held her breath, and with the powerful control of her soul, she drew each stroke on the rough talisman paper.
What she drew was not any common talisman recorded in the jade slip, but a simple "talisman to ward off evil spirits" that she tried to improve based on the incomplete records in the ancient notebook and her own understanding of the cold and yin properties of the "Youhuan Emperor Sutra"!
The process wasn't smooth, and several sheets of talisman paper were wasted. But the advantage of his precise control over energy was evident. After seven or eight attempts, he finally succeeded in drawing three talismans! The lines on the talismans were simple and twisted, forming a subtle and mysterious pattern. They exuded a faint, icy aura, and were actually able to absorb the meager spiritual energy around them to maintain their effectiveness.
The effect is still unknown, but Ye Li feels that this talisman should be useful in dealing with evil things.
After carefully storing away the three homemade talismans and the piece of metal fragment, she set off for the Xishan abandoned mine.
West Mountain was located at the edge of the Xuanyun Sect's sphere of influence, not too far away. When she arrived at the foot of West Mountain, it was already afternoon the next day.
The entrance to the abandoned mine before me resembled a massive, black maw, etched into the mountain. A chilling wind howled from the cavern, carrying with it a thick, stench of decay and chill that chilled the very bones of the place. The surrounding vegetation withered, and the rocks took on an ominous gray-black hue.
At the entrance of the cave stands a broken stone tablet with the word "forbidden area" vaguely engraved on it, adding a bit of weirdness.
Ye Li used the "Breath Condensation Technique" to restrain his own breath to the lowest level. At the same time, he held a homemade evil-repelling talisman with his fingertips and walked carefully into the mine.
The cave was dimly lit, with numerous forking paths. Rusted picks and cart debris were scattered on the ground, and dried, dark brown bloodstains could be seen on the rock walls. The deeper one went, the thicker the gloom, the temperature plummeted, and one could even hear faint, tooth-grinding scratching sounds and low roars in the distance.
According to the quest prompt, corpse puppets usually gather in the deepest part of the mine where the Yin energy is the heaviest. She chose a fork in the road where the Yin energy was the thickest and went deeper into it.
Sure enough, they hadn't walked far when several figures staggered out of the darkness ahead! Their skin was gray and festering, their eyes hollow, their nails sharp and black, and they emitted strange "ho ho" sounds. They were indeed low-level corpse puppets! Sensing the presence of a stranger, they immediately roared and pounced, surprisingly fast!
Ye Li's eyes narrowed, but she didn't fight back. Using her Shadow Steps, she weaved through the narrow tunnel like a ghost, dodging the corpse's attacks. At the same time, her fingers, like swords, aimed precisely at the corpse's joints, head, and other vital points!
Puff! Puff!
The sharp wind from his fingers, imbued with the icy spiritual power of the "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld," seemed to have an extra restraining effect on evil things! Often, just two or three fingers could shatter a corpse's skull, rendering it completely incapacitated.
However, these corpses seemed endless! No sooner had she cleared a few than more emerged from the darkness! Furthermore, she keenly sensed that these corpses seemed stronger than the "mid-to-late Spirit Awakening Realm" described in the mission description, with some even reaching the threshold of the Vein Condensation Realm! There were far more than twenty of them!
"Sure enough, they've been tampered with." Ye Li sneered inwardly, but her movements were not slowed at all. She fought and retreated, taking advantage of the mine's complex terrain to maneuver and try to avoid being surrounded by a large number of zombies.
At this moment, she suddenly felt an extremely obscure spiritual power fluctuation coming from the depths of the mine! The fluctuation carried a disturbing and evil aura!
"No! This isn't ordinary Yin energy!" Ye Li's heart trembled. She suddenly activated a homemade talisman to ward off evil spirits!
The talisman spontaneously combusted without fire, transforming into a soft ice-blue halo that enveloped an area of ten feet around her!
“Shhhhh!”
Wherever the halo reached, the air seemed to be purified of invisible evil energy, making a slight sound. The corpse puppets that were rushing towards them paused, as if they were quite afraid of the blue light!
"It worked!" Ye Li's spirits lifted. It seemed the combination of the ancient notes and the Youhuan Emperor's Scripture had a remarkable effect!
She took the opportunity to speed up and sneak towards the source of the evil fluctuations!
The deeper you go, the more corpse puppets there are, and the stronger they become! Even "iron corpses" begin to appear, their bodies partially metalized, greatly enhancing their defenses! An ordinary disciple of the Spiritual Awakening Realm would have been wiped out here!
Ye Li used the Shadow Step and finger techniques to the utmost, and with the help of the blue light of the evil-repelling talisman, he advanced with difficulty. His spiritual energy was depleted very quickly!
Finally, after turning another corner, the scene before her made her pupils shrink!
This was the bottom of a massive mine, where a thick, sinister aura had practically transformed into a tangible black fog! In the center of the fog, a palm-sized black banner, covered in strange, sinister patterns, loomed. The unholy spiritual energy emanated from this banner!
Around the small banner, no fewer than a hundred corpses were densely packed! Among them, three were exceptionally tall, with bronze skin and green will-o'-the-wisp flickering in their eyes. The energy they emitted had surprisingly reached the early stages of Vein Condensation!
This isn't a naturally formed corpse nest! Someone deliberately placed this evil banner here to attract and strengthen the corpses! This is a trap!
"What a cruel trick!" Ye Li's eyes flashed with coldness! The person who placed this banner wanted to trap her here and kill her!
The three bronze corpses in the Condensation Vein Realm seemed to have sensed her arrival. They roared and led a tide of corpse puppets to rush towards her!
The retreat route has been blocked by the corpses that have appeared out of nowhere!
At this critical moment, Ye Li calmed down completely. She suddenly activated her last two evil-repelling talismans! An icy blue aura shone brightly, temporarily forcing back the corpse puppets charging in front!
At the same time, she took out the mysterious metal fragment that she had kept close to her body without hesitation and madly injected the remaining spiritual power of the "Youhuan Emperor Sutra" into it!
“Buzz!”
The fragments shook violently! A blue light a hundred times more powerful than the evil-repelling talisman, icy cold to the bone, as if it could freeze the soul, suddenly burst out!
The light was like mercury pouring down, instantly sweeping across the entire mine!
“Ouch!”
The corpses caught in the blue light screamed in agony, as if they had met their nemesis! Black smoke billowed from their bodies, and their movements instantly became sluggish and stiff! The three bronze corpses with condensed veins also roared in pain, and the Yin energy around them fluctuated violently, as if being completely purified by the light!
Even the evil black flag began to tremble violently, and the waves it emitted became extremely unstable!
Chance!
Ye Li endured the stinging pain in his soul caused by over-activating the fragments, and used the Shadow Step to the limit. Like a flash of lightning, he passed through the group of stiff corpses and rushed straight towards the small black banner!
The last bit of strength was gathered at the fingertips, and he pointed out!
"puff!"
The evil banner shattered into dust!
At the moment the evil banner shattered, the dense Yin energy within the mine seemed to lose its core, violently churning and dissipating! The corpse puppets, as if their power had been drained away, wailed and fell to the ground, transforming into true corpses!
Crisis, resolved!
Ye Li stumbled, her face pale and sweat dripping from her forehead. The blow had nearly drained her of both her spiritual and soul power. She quickly swallowed a few Qi Gathering Pills and glanced coldly at the fragments of the evil banner.
Suddenly, her eyes focused, and she found a small piece of black jade that was not completely damaged in the pile of debris. There was an extremely subtle mark engraved on the jade - it was a pattern of a knife dripping with blood!
This pattern... She seemed to have seen it on the corner of Gao Sheng's clothes in the Merit Hall!
It’s him!
Ye Li put away the jade piece, a murderous look flashing in her eyes. She would remember this grudge!
She didn't leave immediately, but instead forced herself to search the mine thoroughly. Sure enough, beneath the original location of the evil banner, she discovered a small amount of "Yin-Attracting Powder" that hadn't completely dispersed! This was further evidence of a man-made arrangement!
After doing all this, she began to clean up the battlefield and collect the left ears of the twenty corpse puppets required for the mission (mission credentials).
When she dragged her tired but still upright body out of the Xishan mine, it was almost dusk.
She did not return to Yundan Peak, but went straight to... the Law Enforcement Hall!
The atmosphere on the mountain peak where the Law Enforcement Hall was located was grim. Ye Li directly requested an audience with the on-duty deacon and presented him with the details of the mission, the fragments of the evil banner, the remaining Yin-inducing powder, and the jade piece engraved with the image of a bloody knife.
Her tone was calm and her logic was clear. She only stated the facts objectively and did not directly accuse Goldman Sachs, but all the evidence vaguely pointed to Zhan Kuangfeng!
The deacon on duty looked at the evidence, especially the unique fragments of the evil banner and the Yin-inducing powder, and his expression became extremely solemn! Using such evil weapons in a sect's internal struggle is a serious crime!
"The Law Enforcement Hall will conduct a thorough investigation into this matter!" the deacon said in a deep voice, collecting all the evidence.
Ye Li then turned and left.
She knew that the Enforcement Hall's investigation might not actually do anything to Goldman Sachs. Since they dared to do this, they must have a way to distance themselves from the matter. But this move undoubtedly escalated the matter completely, bringing it to light!
The next day, the news that the Law Enforcement Hall intervened in the investigation of the "Xishan Abandoned Mine Evil Flag Incident" spread throughout the inner sect like wings!
Everyone was shocked!
No one expected that Ye Li would not only escape from that obvious trap unscathed, but also report the incident to the Law Enforcement Hall! This was simply an insult to Zhan Kuangfeng's face!
Shi Feng turned pale with fear after hearing the news. Gao Sheng was so angry that he smashed the tables and chairs in the cave. He had not expected Ye Li to be so ruthless and decisive!
Although the final investigation couldn't directly implicate Goldman due to "insufficient evidence," everyone knew what was going on. Zhan Kuangfeng's reputation as a bully and despicable tactician was partially solidified. Goldman, Shi Feng, and the others received stern warnings from the Law Enforcement Hall, forcing them to refrain from further rash actions for the time being.
Ye Li successfully completed the task and received 200 contribution points.
After this incident, no one in the inner sect dared to underestimate this new junior sister from Yundan Peak.
Ruthless! Absolutely ruthless!
Not only is he strong and thoughtful, but he is also ruthless in his counterattacks, directly breaking through the sky!
For a time, Ye Li's reputation among the inner disciples rose rapidly, and he established a reputation for prestige. However, he also forged an irreconcilable feud with Zhan Kuangfeng's Gao Sheng, Shi Feng and others.
Inside the Yundan Peak courtyard, Ye Li counted the rewards of this mission. Two hundred contribution points, and... while clearing out the corpse puppets, he'd found an unexpected find from a particularly tall bronze corpse—an ancient ring (a storage ring) covered in stained blood, faintly emitting spatial fluctuations.
She wiped away the blood and probed into...
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