Chapter 346

Chapter 346: The Initial Chaos

In the morning, Yantai Mountain outside Nanxun City welcomed the first rays of sunlight. Dozens of Han Ying talismans rose into the sky, instantly generating strands of noble energy that flowed down to the estate below.

Once Li Hui finished his cultivation, Song Zining hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Young Master, take me with you! Since Que San is so capable, secretly building bunkers and tunnels, why would you want me to stay behind?"

"Hehe, are you willing to give up those several concubines?" Li Hui chuckled.

"Alas! Don’t mention it; they’re dear to Second Sister-in-law," Song Zining replied with a wry smile. "She’s afraid I’ll seize power. A woman’s heart is as small as a needle’s eye, and it’s hard to refuse. The longer I stay, the more I feel I’ll end up discarded."

"Okay! Once you arrange things at home, we’ll set off tomorrow!" Li Hui’s words filled Song Zining with joy.

Now, Chuxia Mountain had truly taken root outside Nanxun City. Not only was Second Sister-in-law’s family supportive, but Niu Wu and other disciples of Chuxia Mountain had successfully sought refuge in the Yunzhou sect, complicating matters greatly for anyone trying to take control of the estate.

Additionally, with the merging of families such as the He Family, Nian Family, and the Night Clan, leading more disciples into the Yunzhou sect, it was hard to imagine what kind of vast network would form in the future.

After Song Zining departed, Que San appeared and respectfully reported, "Sir, the Yin-Yang Nine Heads are underground creating tunnels, expanding the bunker space. I guarantee it will be completed within three months."

"This is a massive project that must continue. In my plan, three months is just a small part," Li Hui said as he laid out a large stack of blueprints on the table. "Rest assured, I will keep the Yin-Yang Nine Heads. They have now turned from Yin to Yang, much like the surging heat of the golden crow. Not only can they assist with the underground works, but they can also serve as lighting. Additionally, I will transplant spiritual plants from the Golden and Fire elements underground and leave behind necessary means. Even if Yunzhou ceases to exist one day, I will ensure everyone at the estate can survive in the bunker!”

"Yes! I will remember this!" Que San was very happy; with the Yin-Yang Nine Heads remaining, he could build a grand Ancient Tomb.

Li Hui was invested in the family; he had established layered defenses, but his spirit talismans were running low.

The next day, after parting from his elder brother and sister-in-law, Li Hui set off with Song Zining and fifteen others toward the Dalang Dragon Hua Sect. With the help of the spirit talismans, the black eagles’ speed increased several times, and by nightfall, they had crossed Yunzhou and entered the territory of Yizhou.

From above, buildings lay in ruins, and thick smoke billowed from distant cities. Xia Tianguan shivered and said, "Don’t land! Many places have begun transforming into Dark Soil. Plague runs rampant, and fierce ghosts reign. People quickly turn into zombies and evil ghosts after death; there’s no hope left!"

Night Owl’s expression turned serious. "Be careful! Many bats and flying birds have turned into ghostly figures; they have sensed us entering this area and are coming at us from all sides."

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh…" In the dark night, countless black shadows surged. The black eagles collided with the bats and birds; although the spirit talismans were used to fend them off, their speed slowed.

"Watch me!" Yan Jinglun stood up, clasped his hands in prayer, and silently chanted. With a loud boom, he manifested three Buddha statues, casting a layer of golden light across the deep night sky.

"Bang, bang, bang…" A large number of bats and corpse-birds fell to the ground. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the team broke through the encirclement, and Li Hui used spirit talismans to accelerate the eagles. Once they escaped the range of Dark Soil, he looked back, still feeling a chill.

Everyone’s faces were pale; Haofu and Jingzhou faced misfortune, and even Yizhou was experiencing such chaos.

Li Hui thought to himself, "No wonder Master said on his deathbed that if we don’t leave now, we might never escape. So much Dark Soil has appeared in the world; I wonder how wide the affected area is. Is it going to spread across the entire land?"

That night, they faced danger multiple times. If it weren’t for each person in the group being skilled, even if their lives were safe, they couldn’t have continued moving in the air. If they landed, their speed would drop at least thirty times, taking two months to cross Yizhou into the Daliang Kingdom would be considered fast; the difference was that significant.

Traveling day and night, they finally reached the border of Dalong on the third day, flying over the river to enter the territory of Daliang.

In the distance, smoke billowed, and large groups of people formed migration convoys. By day it was bearable, but at night it was extremely dangerous, with ghostly shadows lurking.

As Li Hui and the others entered Daliang’s territory, they found Daliang was also restless. Even in broad daylight, ghost mist shrouded the area, and they could vaguely see many walking corpses moving through the ghost fog.

"It’s chaos! Daliang Kingdom is also in disarray!" Yan Jinglun pounded his chest; such scenes shattered their previous perceptions, leaving them unsure if they were still in the human realm or had fallen into hell.

Even with the boost from the spirit talismans, the black eagles could not maintain flight forever. Huang Shiqin called out to the team to slow down and land, needing to rest for the night and set out again at dawn.

"Little Nian is in your care!" Huang Tongliang patted Nian Ganchan’s shoulder. His strong personality complemented Nian Ganchan’s gentler nature; they got along very well.

He Liu Ying, lucky to have become an outer disciple, handed the command token she found to Nian Ganchan, making him a miscellaneous disciple of the Haotu Sect. It was said that as long as one found the right path, anyone could shine bright.

Nian Ganchan had no extraordinary talents, but his ability to construct a campsite using local materials was impressive. Adding to this, He Liu Ying had diligently practiced the formation techniques, swiftly setting up the campsite with great flair.

Li Hui meditated and cultivated.

There was no help for it; his cultivation method was very slow. Even if he secretly quickened the time flow and accelerated using the Heavenly and Earthly Arrays, progress was still painfully slow.

Seeing Li Hui work so diligently, everyone realized that he didn’t become the leader by chance, so they also seized the opportunity to cultivate, making them work harder than when they were in the sect.

Two hours passed without incident, but by the third hour, chaos erupted outside their makeshift campsite, growing extremely noisy.

Someone shouted at the wooden wall, “The ghost mist is coming! Let us in; saving a life is better than building a pagoda! The brothers inside can’t just stand by and watch!”

“Stop talking nonsense and charge inside.”

Nian Ganchan’s two-meter-high wooden wall started banging loudly. If they climbed over it, the simple traps would cost them their lives.

Li Hui waved his hand, and Night Owl nodded.

Before long, dozens of people stumbled in through the shadows.

Seeing the black eagles, they exclaimed in joy, “Are they cultivators? We are saved!”

At that moment, a howling sound arose, and figures dropped from the sky. They were tattered and looked extremely disheveled, clearly having gone through fierce battles.

Twenty-three cultivators arrived, led by a man with sharp eyebrows who swept the area with his gaze and said, “The ghost mist is boundless, sealing off this area. I am the owner of a nearby estate; my land is destroyed, and powerful ghost cultivators have appeared. We fought our way through to escape but still couldn’t break free. You all appear to hail from a strong sect; may I ask who is in charge? Can we discuss repelling the enemies together? Perhaps we can hope to survive.”

Li Hui spoke up, "When you say ghost cultivators have appeared, aren’t you one of them? Attack!"

Before his voice faded, the Dragon Claw descended, and flames erupted!