"There is a strong gathering of yin energy 300 meters ahead, which should be a sentry post set up by the Netherworld Palace."
Lin Wei gestured, and the line stopped.
She and two teammates stealthily moved forward, returning moments later with a faint smell of blood on them.
"It's resolved. The three men in black robes were all low-level disciples," Lin Wei said in a low voice. "But their deaths will trigger an alarm, so we must speed things up."
Sure enough, a few minutes later, a sharp whistle came from afar, sounding particularly jarring in the rainy night.
"We've been exposed!" Yun Songzi's expression turned grave. "The Netherworld Palace already knows we're here."
Huo Yuwei quickened his pace, "Then let's force our way in! Time waits for no one!"
The team no longer hid and charged towards Eagle's Beak Cliff at full speed.
The rain grew heavier, thunder roared, and lightning flashed across the night sky, illuminating the treacherous mountain road ahead.
The shape of Eagle Beak Cliff appeared and disappeared in the lightning flashes. It was a steep cliff shaped like an eagle spreading its wings. Below the cliff was a wide valley, which was where Qingyangzi was trapped.
When we were still a kilometer from the cliff edge, dozens of green will-o'-the-wisps suddenly lit up ahead.
Will-o'-the-wisps drifted in the air, forming a barrier that blocked their path.
"The Netherworld Ghost Fire Formation." Qingyin recognized the formation. "It uses living souls as fuel, ignites upon contact, and can burn the soul."
The special forces members tried to attack with talismans, but the talismans were ignited and turned to ashes as soon as they got close to the will-o'-the-wisp.
Huo Yusen quickly analyzed, "The key to the formation is in the center of the will-o'-the-wisp, and someone needs to rush in and destroy it. But the will-o'-the-wisp is extremely hot, and an ordinary person will spontaneously combust if they get within three meters."
Qiqi peeked out from Huo Yuwei's back, observing the ghost fire array.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Qiqi can break this formation."
"How do we solve this?" Huo Yuwei asked.
Qiqi took out a handful of five-colored rice from her small bag. It was a special kind of rice for exorcising evil spirits, which she had made by mixing five special grains with cinnabar.
“Will-o’-the-wisps are yin in nature and are most afraid of pure yang things,” Qi Qi explained. “These rice grains have been specially refined and contain the aura of the true fire of the sun. When scattered out, they can temporarily suppress the will-o’-the-wisps and open a passage.”
She distributed the five-colored rice to everyone, saying, "Follow Qiqi, she will scatter rice to clear the way, and you can pass through quickly. But remember, you only have ten seconds. After ten seconds, the will-o'-the-wisp will re-condense."
Lin Wei nodded, "Okay, let's do as Qiqi says. Everyone get ready!"
Qiqi took a deep breath, grabbed a handful of colorful rice, and chanted a spell.
"The sun rises in the east, majestic and radiant; true fire dispels evil, and all ghosts are subdued!"
She tossed the five-colored rice into the ghost fire array; the rice grains transformed into specks of golden light in the air and fell into the ghost fire.
When the will-o'-the-wisp met the golden light, it melted away as quickly as ice and snow meeting fire, revealing a passage about two meters wide.
"quick!"
The group filed in and passed through the ghost fire formation as quickly as possible.
Huo Yuwei carried Qiqi on his back and charged in the middle, able to feel the intense heat emanating from the will-o'-the-wisps on both sides.
Even with the golden light suppressing it, it still burned my skin painfully.
After the last person passed through, the will-o'-the-wisp closed up again, but everyone had passed through safely.
"Qiqi, well done!" Qingyin praised.
Qiqi frowned slightly. "This formation isn't difficult to break, the Netherworld Palace should know about it, so why did they set it up in the first place?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a thick black fog suddenly rose up all around.
An eerie laugh echoed from within the black mist, the laughter layered upon layer, as if countless people were laughing simultaneously.
"Welcome to Eagle's Beak Cliff." A hoarse voice echoed from within the black mist. "I have been waiting for you for a long time."
The black mist dissipated, revealing more than thirty people in black robes.
The leader was a gaunt old man, none other than the Netherworld Venerable.
He held a skull cane, his dark eyes scanning the crowd before finally settling on Qiqi on Huo Yuwei's back.
"Pure Yin Body, you've finally arrived." The Netherworld Venerable revealed a greedy smile. "With you, there will be no more obstacles to my lord's descent."
Lin Wei stepped forward, blocking the crowd. "Venerable Youming, release Daoist Qingyangzi and the children immediately, or the Xuanmen Association and its special departments will never let you off the hook!"
"The Xuanmen Association? A special department?" Venerable Youming laughed disdainfully. "When the seven stars align on the night my lord descends, these so-called righteous organizations will all become history!"
He waved his hand and said, "Go! Chop all these people into mincemeat and make them nourishment for my lord. As for that little girl, capture her alive."
That is the most delicious offering to awaken the Lord!
As soon as the Netherworld Venerable finished speaking, the black-robed men behind him attacked simultaneously.
Various evil spells and magical artifacts swept in, accompanied by billowing black mist and the wailing of ghosts.
"Form the formation!" Lin Wei shouted.
The special forces members quickly formed a battle formation, and golden light clashed fiercely with black energy.
Yun Songzi and Qingyin also joined the battle, their talismans and sound waves intertwining to suppress the black-robed man's offensive.
Huo Yuwei handed Qiqi to Huo Yusen, saying, "Protect her well, I'm going to help."
He flashed forward and charged into the enemy ranks like a tiger descending a mountain.
Although he lacked spiritual power, he possessed a strong sense of righteousness and merit, and his blood and qi were like a furnace, with his fists and feet carrying a scorching aura, making him the nemesis of evil spirits.
With a single punch, a man in black robes screamed and flew backward, most of the black energy in his chest being dispersed.
With a kick, the other black-robed man's magical artifact was shattered, and he crashed into the rocks, his fate unknown.
Upon seeing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Netherworld Venerable.
"I never imagined that a mortal could possess such righteousness and merit. It's a pity that you don't even qualify as nourishment for my Lord."
He slammed his skull cane down, and the ground suddenly cracked open, with countless skeletal arms reaching out from underground to grab everyone's ankles.
At the same time, black blood rain fell from the sky. The blood rain was extremely corrosive and would immediately burn wounds on the body.
"It's the 'Cage of Ten Thousand Bones' and the 'Rain of Corrupting Blood'!" Yun Songzi's expression changed drastically. "Everyone, be careful!"
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
The skeletal arms possess immense strength, making it difficult to break free once grabbed.
The blood rain is even more vicious, not only corroding the physical body but also eroding spiritual power.
A member of the special unit was accidentally dragged to the ground by a skeletal arm, and the screams abruptly stopped.
Huo Yuwei was also grabbed by three skeletal arms, but he snorted coldly, his blood and qi erupted, and the golden light of his merit shattered the skeletal arms.
But the rain of putrid blood still burned bloody holes into his body.
Qiqi was extremely anxious as she watched the battle unfold.
She noticed that the Netherworld Venerable stood at the edge of the altar the whole time, not taking action himself, but controlling the entire battle.
"He's stalling for time." Qiqi suddenly realized, "The night of the seven stars aligning is almost here, he's waiting for that moment!"
She looked toward the altar, where the black mist was thickest, and she could vaguely see a huge pool of blood, in which many tiny figures were submerged.
Beside the blood pool, a Taoist robe-wearing old man was nailed to a stone pillar; it was none other than Qingyangzi.
Qingyangzi seemed to sense Qiqi's gaze, raised his head with difficulty, shook his head slightly at her, and moved his lips.
Qiqi clearly saw what Qingyangzi was saying, "Save the child, go quickly, don't worry about me."
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