Chapter 86: Black Water Mist, the First Sound of the Secluded Pavilion
The sect's warships were incredibly fast, and in just two days, the familiar silhouette of Blackwater City, nestled against the mountains and water, came into view. However, unlike the prosperity he remembered, Blackwater City was now enveloped in an atmosphere of oppression and panic. The city's protective formation was fully activated, auras flashing, and the number of cultivators patrolling the city walls doubled, all with a tense expression.
The warships didn't enter the city directly, but instead landed at a makeshift campsite outside. A number of cultivators had already gathered in the camp. Besides the Xuanyun Sect's earlier-arrived garrison disciples and the surviving Blackwater City cultivators, one could also see the flags of nearby sects like the Bishui Pavilion and the Tianjian Sect. Clearly, this incident had alarmed the entire Northern Territory cultivation world.
As the overall commander, Lay Buddhist Mu Yun immediately entered the main camp with the various sect leaders and the current Lord of Blackwater City (the Deputy Lord had taken over after the Zhao family was annihilated) to discuss countermeasures. Disciples such as Ye Li were given time to rest and await orders.
As soon as Ye Li disembarked from the flying boat, she was acutely aware of several obscure gazes directed at her, one of which, filled with resentment, came from Gao Sheng. She remained calm, seeking a secluded corner, her spiritual awareness quietly spreading, gathering all sorts of information from within the camp.
"Have you heard? The Zhao family died tragically. The entire mansion was stained red with blood. Not a single person was left alive!"
"More than that! They say the bodies are shrunken, as if all their essence, blood, and soul have been sucked out!"
"It must have been the monster that escaped from the ancient tomb! That demonic energy makes people feel uneasy even from dozens of miles away!"
"Several seniors in the Spiritual Mansion Realm went to investigate the outskirts of Soul Burial Mountain yesterday and were nearly ambushed by a strange black shadow..."
"Now that all the sects have sent people here, it all depends on who can find the monster first, or... who can enter the ancient tomb first."
Amidst the discussions, panic and greed intertwined. The allure of the ancient tomb was immense, but the monsters' brutality was even more terrifying.
Ye Li noticed that Qin Yixuan and the disciples of the Bishui Pavilion had settled on the other side of the camp, maintaining a distance from the Xuanyun Sect. Meanwhile, Gao Sheng had a brief encounter with several cold-looking, independent cultivators. Although they were discreet, they still managed to escape Ye Li's detection.
"There really is something fishy going on." Ye Li sneered inwardly. Goldman Sachs's eagerness to come here was definitely not just to eliminate evil and defend the Way.
In the evening, Master Muyun summoned all the disciples participating in the mission and assigned preliminary tasks. Given the unknown situation in the ancient tomb and the elusive movements of the monsters, he decided to send out several elite teams to act separately:
A team of Jianfeng disciples, led by Elder Ling Yunzi, entered the Soul Burial Mountains head-on to search for the main force of the monsters and explore the entrance to the ancient tomb.
A team led by Elder Miaoyin from Danxia Peak and some disciples who are good at formations are responsible for stabilizing the defense of Blackwater City, treating the wounded, and trying to purify the pervasive demonic energy.
The third team is a mixed formation, led by several true disciples of the Lingfu Realm. They are responsible for patrolling the area around Blackwater City, clearing out any low-level monsters that may be roaming around, and investigating for more clues about the Zhao family massacre.
Ye Li was assigned to the third team. Coincidentally, her team leader was none other than Gao Sheng! The team also included two other disciples from War Madness Peak, a disciple from the Weapon Hall, and a disciple from the Beast Taming Peak. This arrangement, while seemingly reasonable (Gao Sheng was strong and experienced), was actually fraught with malice, clearly intended to keep Ye Li under his direct control.
Gao Sheng looked at Ye Li and said with a forced smile, "Junior Sister Ye, this trip is dangerous. You must stay close to me and never act on your own to avoid any accidents." The threat in his words was not concealed at all.
Ye Li had no expression on her face and said calmly, "Senior Brother Gao, you're worrying too much. Ye Li will be careful."
She was on high alert, but she didn't back down. This kind of blatant targeting was actually easier to guard against than a covert conspiracy.
Just as the team was about to depart, three dusty, wandering cultivators arrived from outside the camp. Two men and one woman, all around the middle stage of the Condensing Veins Realm, claimed to have heard about the demonic rebellion and had come to lend a hand, requesting to join the patrol. The leader was a middle-aged man with a simple face, carrying a medicine basket on his back.
The disciples guarding the camp were about to drive them away when Ye Li's mind struck her. Her spiritual sense swept over the three people. Although they were well disguised, Ye Li was able to discern their identities from subtle habits and aura fluctuations—it was none other than Lin Feng, Xia Zhihe, and Sun Xiaohou in disguise!
She immediately understood that Lin Feng and the others were worried about her taking the risk alone, so they disobeyed the order to "go deep into hiding" and took the risk to come and help her! Although their behavior was reckless, their kindness warmed Ye Li's heart.
She stepped forward and said to the Lingfu Realm deacon in charge of registration, "Uncle Wang, we are in need of manpower right now. Since these three fellow Taoists are interested, why not add them to our team? It will add more strength." She is now an elite disciple, and her words carry a lot of weight.
Deacon Wang looked at Ye Li, then at the three seemingly reliable independent cultivators, and nodded, "Alright. Then, Junior-Nephew Ye, you will be responsible for introducing them to Junior-Nephew Gao and have them incorporated into your team."
Gao Sheng frowned, wanting to refuse, but unable to find a suitable reason, he snorted coldly, acquiescing. He sized up Lin Feng and the other two, but seeing no flaws, he stopped paying attention. In his eyes, three casual cultivators in the middle stage of the Condensing Veins Realm weren't going to cause any significant trouble.
In this way, Lin Feng and the other two successfully infiltrated the team. The moment their eyes met Ye Li's, they both saw the determination in each other's eyes.
The patrol mission began. The team boarded a flying magical instrument and flew low over the outskirts of Blackwater City. Gao Sheng was clearly uninterested in the task and perfunctorily followed it, spending most of the time resting with his eyes closed, as if waiting for something. The two Zhan Kuang Peak disciples subtly separated Ye Li, Lin Feng, and the other two, providing a watchful eye.
Ye Li didn't care. She took this opportunity to carefully observe the ground. The Zhao family's murder case was full of doubts, and she didn't believe it was just a demonic rebellion.
When they flew over a deserted mining area, Sun Xiaohou (disguised as a thin man) suddenly pointed to a hidden valley below and whispered, "Captain, there are faint energy fluctuations over there, and there seem to be traces of a formation!"
Gao Sheng lazily opened his eyes and scanned the area with his spiritual sense, but found nothing unusual. He said impatiently, "What could an abandoned mine hold? Don't make such a fuss..."
However, Ye Li's divine sense keenly detected a trace of extremely obscure demonic energy emanating from the same direction as the ancient tomb! She immediately said, "Brother Gao, it's better to be cautious. Why don't you go down and check it out?"
Gao Sheng wanted to refuse, but seeing Ye Li's insistent eyes and the curiosity of the disciples from the Weapon Hall and the Beast Control Peak nearby, he had no choice but to agree: "Then let's go down and take a look, and make a quick decision!"
The magic weapon landed in the valley. It was indeed an abandoned spirit stone mine, the entrance half-hidden by rubble. The lingering demonic energy was emanating from deep within the mine.
Gao Sheng signaled a Zhan Kuangfeng disciple to scout the way ahead. Shortly after the disciple entered the mine, he suddenly let out a scream! Immediately afterwards, several dark shadows leaped out of the cave like ghosts, bringing with them a fishy wind and fierce attacks!
They were several "Earth Blood Demon Spiders" that had been corroded and mutated by demonic energy! Their strength was comparable to that of a late-stage Condensed Vein Realm cultivator!
"Be careful!" Ye Li was already prepared. The Xuanbing Sword was unsheathed in an instant. A cold sword light slashed at the demon spider rushing in front! At the same time, he shouted: "Form a defensive formation!"
Lin Feng and the other two reacted quickly, immediately swarming over Ye Li. Their auras faintly connected, they formed a small Four Symbols Battle Formation (a combined attack technique Ye Li had taught them beforehand). Xia Zhihe sprinkled exorcist powder, Lin Feng wielded his sword to meet the enemy, and Sun Xiaohou used his agility to maneuver and launch sneak attacks.
Gao Sheng and the other two War Crazy Peak disciples hadn't anticipated an ambush, and their hasty response left them feeling flustered. The Weapon Hall disciple and the Beast Taming Peak disciple also engaged the demon spider with their own methods.
The mine entrance was narrow, and while the demon spiders were few in number, they were extremely ferocious. The four members of Yeli's team worked together seamlessly, especially Yeli, whose swordsmanship was sharp, each strike aimed squarely at the demon spiders' vital points, quickly dispatching two. Meanwhile, Gao Sheng, despite being individually stronger, lacked coordination, and was effectively cornered by the demon spiders.
Seeing Ye Li's outstanding performance, Gao Sheng became even more jealous, with a hint of cruelty flashing in his eyes. When resisting the attack of a demon spider, he kicked his foot seemingly unintentionally, and a sharp stone flew towards the back of Xia Zhihe who was concentrating on fighting the enemy with a strong wind!
This sneak attack was extremely insidious! If Xia Zhihe was hit, she would be seriously injured if not killed!
"Zhihe, be careful!" Ye Li had been distracted by Gao Sheng. Seeing this, he shouted angrily and instantly performed "Universe Invisible Step". His body was as fast as lightning and he stood behind Xia Zhihe at the critical moment. He swung the Xuanbing Sword with his backhand and smashed the stone into pieces!
And at the moment when she was distracted by the rescue, the sharp claws of a demon spider had already attacked her side!
"Pavilion Master!" Lin Feng's eyes were bloodshot, but it was too late to rescue!
At this critical moment, Ye Li seemed to have eyes on her back, twisting her body at an incredible angle, narrowly avoiding the claws. At the same time, her left hand lashed out like a sword, and "Ice Soul Sealing Heaven Finger"—Ice Mark! It arrived first, accurately hitting the compound eye of the demon spider!
Puff! The demon spider let out a shrill scream and froze instantly!
Ye Li did not stop, the Xuanbing Sword swung and cut off his head with one sword!
In a split second, he resolved the crisis and slew the monster! This series of actions flowed like flowing water, showcasing his incredible combat awareness and strength!
Everyone was stunned by this scene! The disciples from the Weapon Hall and the Beast Control Peak looked at Ye Li with admiration. Gao Sheng's expression turned extremely ugly.
The remaining demon spiders were quickly cleared out. After the battle, everyone discovered a simple altar deep in the mine, which was filled with a strong odor of blood and demonic energy, as well as several broken black bones engraved with strange runes.
"This is a man-made blood sacrifice summoning point!" The knowledgeable disciple from the Weapon Hall said in horror, "Someone is deliberately summoning or attracting monsters!"
Goldman's face changed slightly, and he immediately said, "We can't stay here for long. Report the findings to the elders immediately!" He seemed to want to leave as soon as possible to cover up something.
Ye Li took a deep look at the altar and Gao Sheng, whose expression was unnatural. Without saying anything, she silently placed a piece of black bone with relatively intact runes into her storage ring. She knew that the truth behind the Zhao family's annihilation was probably far more complicated than she had imagined. And Gao Sheng was definitely involved!
Although this encounter was small-scale, the outstanding performance and tacit cooperation of Ye Li and her "loose cultivators" left a deep impression on the disciples of the Weapon Hall and the Beast Control Peak. Word of "Ye Li and her three lone cultivator friends are very powerful" began to spread within a small circle. Unbeknownst to everyone, those three "loose cultivators" were the backbone of Youge.
Although the name of Youge had not yet been officially revealed, its power had already quietly emerged in the mist of Blackwater City. The conflict between Yeli and Gao Sheng had also become more acute in this minor encounter, and was about to erupt completely.
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