Volume 4 Chapter 85

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Volume 4 Chapter 85: Ambush

"Senior Ninglingzi, should we sneak into ‘Ningyun Mountain’ or meet up with the other team of Taoist friends?"

After arriving at "Ningyun Mountain," Xiao Bieshan immediately asked the leader Ninglingzi. Ever since discovering the location of the "Tian Sha Seed," Xiao Bieshan had been very excited. Clearly, although this Xiao Bieshan was the top expert among the young generation of "Tianxing Sect" disciples, it was his first time venturing down the mountain. Even fifty years ago, during the Newcomer Comparison, Xu Qingfan had not seen this Xiao Bieshan.

Seeing Xiao Bieshan’s excited expression, eyes full of eagerness, seemingly anticipating a grand action to make a name for himself, those with battle experience on the scene, such as Ninglingzi and Xu Qingfan, couldn’t help but secretly shake their heads.

Was fighting against the evil sect cultivators really as simple as he imagined?

Knowing Xiao Bieshan’s pride, any advice would have no effect and might even provoke his rebellious nature, so Ninglingzi said little more, only softly responding, "We don’t know the opponent’s strength yet. Although we have the secret treasures given by the seniors, it’s better to be cautious. So, let’s wait here for the other team of Taoist friends. Judging by the timing, they should already have discovered the location of the ‘Tian Sha Leaf’ and be on their way here."

Master Guanghui shook his head and said, "I’m afraid that’s not the case."

Hearing Master Guanghui’s words, everyone was slightly taken aback, looking at Master Guanghui with curiosity.

Master Guanghui frowned slightly and said softly, "The other team, led by Taoist Friend Liu from the ‘Heavenly Way Sect’, is responsible for a region closer to us than our starting point at ‘Ronghua Mountain’. Plus, we were delayed at the general’s palace, so they should have discovered and reached ‘Ningyun Mountain’ before us."

Ninglingzi’s expression suddenly turned serious as he asked, "Do you mean Taoist Friend Liu and his group have already gone up the mountain?"

Master Guanghui nodded slightly and replied slowly, "With Taoist Friend Liu’s eager temperament, I fear that’s the case."

Hearing Master Guanghui speak, everyone’s faces turned serious, and they all looked up towards the peak of "Ningyun Mountain", but saw that "Ningyun Mountain" appeared peaceful and serene, with a gentle breeze and light clouds.

"Does anyone in Taoist Friend Liu’s team belong to any of your sects? Try to make contact," spoke Elder Hu Ming of the "Five Elements Sect," who had been silent until now.

At Hu Ming’s words, everyone nodded slightly, and those in the group who had sect members in the other team each used their secret techniques to try and contact nearby sect members.

However, no matter how much they tried, there was still no response after a long time.

Seeing this situation, everyone’s expressions turned rather grim.

Based on the judgment of Master Guanghui and Ninglingzi, the other team should have already reached the vicinity of "Ningyun Mountain" by now and entered to eliminate the evil cultivator there.

At this moment, Ningyun Mountain was incredibly calm, indicating that the battle on Ningyun Mountain had already ended. This left only two possibilities: either the Righteous Alliance cultivators had won, or, if they had won, they would have been tidying up the battlefield at the peak. In that case, they should have responded to the recent attempts to contact them.

As there was no response from near Ningyun Mountain, it implied that the Righteous Alliance hadn’t defeated the evil cultivators there. Instead, it seemed likely that they had been defeated or even killed by the evil cultivators.

Although this possibility was hard to believe, it was the strongest one.

Thinking of this, a shadow of doubt cast over everyone’s hearts, but no one voiced this possibility.

After a long silence, it was Xu Qingfan who asked, "Everyone, what should we do now? Should we still proceed to Ningyun Mountain?"

Hesitating for a moment, Xu Qingfan turned to Ninglingzi and asked, "Ninglingzi, my friend, the secret treasures bestowed upon us by the senior members before we descended the mountain, do the other team of taoist friends possess them as well?"

Ninglingzi hesitated slightly before saying, "The secret treasures given by the seniors are possessed by every team, with each team having two items. However, these treasures, while powerful, take a long time to activate. If Taoist Friend Liu’s team encountered an unexpected situation on Ningyun Mountain, it’s likely because they were ambushed and had no time to activate the treasures."

Hearing Ninglingzi’s words, Xu Qingfan nodded slightly, understanding the strong confidence his team had in the secret treasures granted by their Grandmasters. Although admitting that the other team might have been killed by the evil cultivators on Ningyun Mountain, they hadn’t considered the possibility of the treasures failing.

Ninglingzi then asked the other cultivators, "As for whether we should continue to Ningyun Mountain, it requires everyone’s input, as I cannot decide this on my own."

Hearing Ninglingzi’s words, everyone hesitated no more as Xiao Bieshan stepped forward and said, "Our mission this time is to descend the mountain, find the ‘Tian Sha Seed’ and eliminate it, and at the same time, test the strength of the person who set up the ‘Tian Sha’. How can we retreat without a fight?"

Master Guanghui added, "As our friend Ninglingzi mentioned, we possess the secret treasures bestowed by our predecessors. As long as the opponent’s power isn’t too overwhelming, we cannot be easily defeated. Even in peril, we can at least escape. It would be wise to investigate the reality at ‘Ningyun Mountain’. If met with enemy attacks, the secret treasure in Ninglingzi’s hands should be protected, buying time for Ninglingzi to activate it."

The usually quiet Hu Ming nodded in agreement to investigate at ‘Ningyun Mountain’.

With this, all four Condensed Core Stage cultivators in the group agreed to go to ‘Ningyun Mountain’. The others, even if afraid, couldn’t oppose the decision. Although Xu Qingfan and Chou Xuan were also Condensed Core Stage cultivators, they were under surveillance and thus had no position to object.

Seeing no opposition, Ninglingzi turned to Xu Qingfan and said, "Taoist Friend Xu, this matter doesn’t concern you. We assumed with the secret treasures gifted to us, killing those evil cultivators would be easy, but we didn’t anticipate such risk. If you wish to leave now, we won’t hold you back."

Hearing Ninglingzi, Xu Qingfan secretly smiled bitterly. Leaving now would be announcing his fear. If Ninglingzi and others safely concluded the ‘Ningyun Mountain’ matter, his cowardice would spread across the cultivation world. Though "Xu Fan" was just an alias within the cultivation world, Xu Qingfan didn’t want to give up the reputation he had unexpectedly gained.

Moreover, Xu Qingfan came to "Ningyun Mountain" this time specifically to investigate the truth of the purple-clothed person in the "Ming" organization, so he would not leave easily.

Hearing Ninglingzi’s words, Xu Qingfan resolutely said, "This matter affects the peace of the entire Shenzhou Continent. How can I seek personal peace? Saying such belittles me, Ninglingzi."

Though Ninglingzi didn’t ask for Chou Xuan’s opinion, Chou Xuan smiled and said, "What Taoist Friend Xu said is exactly my thought."

Upon hearing Xu Qingfan and Chou Xuan’s words, Ninglingzi sighed slightly. Despite feeling guilty for dragging Xu Qingfan into this, since Xu Qingfan spoke this way, Ninglingzi couldn’t oppose him.

Then, everyone began to discuss how to sneak into "Ningyun Mountain." After much deliberation, they decided to climb the mountain together, even though the likelihood of being discovered would be higher, it would be safer for everyone to stick together.

Next, the group discussed the approach to infiltrating "Ningyun Mountain." They decided that Master Guanghui and Hu Ming would lead, with eight Lingji Stage cultivators, Ninglingzi carrying two secret treasures, Xu Qingfan, and Chou Xuan in the center, and Xiao Bieshan safeguarding the rear. This arrangement ensured defense from any direction in case of an ambush, allowing Ninglingzi time to activate the secret treasures.

Additionally, Ninglingzi arranged for two Lingji Stage masters to wait outside "Ningyun Mountain" as a precaution. If two hours passed without seeing the rest come down, they were to return to "Ronghua Mountain" immediately to report the situation to the elders.

Upon deciding who would climb the mountain, they used various invisibility and breath-concealing techniques on themselves before quietly sneaking up "Ningyun Mountain."

On "Ningyun Mountain," the scenery was beautiful, enveloped in clouds and mist, tranquil without a trace of malevolence. If Xu Qingfan didn’t know better, he would find it hard to believe there were dark cultivators living here.

Perhaps because they remembered a previous team had been wiped out, as they infiltrated towards the peak, everyone was cautious and had no mind to enjoy the scenery of "Ningyun Mountain."

Unexpectedly, the journey was calm and uneventful, with no encounters with enemies. Though the opposition might not have detected them, the tranquility only heightened their tension.

After all, each team sent down the mountain by the Righteous Alliance was equally powerful, so if this opponent could quickly annihilate another team, they were definitely formidable.

Amidst the cautious and tense atmosphere, everyone finally reached the summit of Ningyun Mountain without any danger.

At the top of Ningyun Mountain, the view was filled with lush green grass and towering trees, much more tranquil and peaceful than along the path.

However, on this summit spanning over two hundred meters, there was no sign of any animals, and even the sound of the wind was absent. The eerie silence was unsettling.

"Tian Sha Altar!"

Master Guanghui, leading at the front, suddenly pointed and softly said to those not far ahead.

In the distance, an eerie altar appeared before everyone’s eyes. It was made entirely from countless bones and had a reddish hue, surrounded by a thick blood mist. At its center floated a dense black sphere without a sound.

Everyone knew that this black sphere must be the legendary "Tian Sha Seed."

After a brief hesitation, Master Guanghui quietly said, "There’s no movement nearby, but there must be evil cultivators guarding this place. I’ll go fetch the ‘Tian Sha Seed’ and test the situation."

The group nodded silently, gathering Spirit Qi to prepare themselves in case of an attack.

Just as Master Guanghui stepped away from the team, a sinister voice suddenly echoed throughout the world.

"Welcome everyone. You know, it’s been quite boring guarding this ‘Tian Sha Seed’ all these years. I’m grateful you can bring me some entertainment, so I should thank you."

While everyone was terrified and searched for the source of the voice, the once clear, cloudless sky silently turned into a pitch-black night without stars or a moon.

"Here’s a gift for you all, the ‘Night of Nothingness.’"

…

Meanwhile, at the base of "Ningyun Mountain," the two Lingji Stage cultivators assigned to guard the mountain were filled with tension as they kept their eyes fixed on "Ningyun Mountain," although they did not follow the others up.

Suddenly, a flash of white light appeared, and a figure swiftly appeared before them.

Before the two could react, the figure opened its mouth wide, revealing teeth that turned into blood-red vines. These vines quickly wrapped around the two Lingji Stage cultivators, reducing them to skeletal remains silently.

The figure emitted a terrifying laugh like a night owl’s shriek, then swiftly flew towards "Ningyun Mountain."