txolops Chapter 67 Xuan Tian Reappears
Chapter 67 Xuan Tian Reappears
Highly recommend "Primordial Era: Starting by Slaughtering All Gods and Buddhas"! Click to enter the story world.
The first few children at the end of the culvert practically lunged forward, slipped, and tumbled and scrambled into the rocky outcrop. The night wind rushed in, carrying the stench of the black water and the true chill of the mountains, making everyone shiver.
Huang Chen was the last to emerge from the culvert. Just as his shoulders and back left the stone opening, another muffled thud came from behind him.
boom.
The half-person-high crack was completely blocked by the backflow of black water and falling rocks, even the echo became muffled. The tremors from the Mirage Water Palace continued, and the ground trembled slightly from time to time, as if some enormous thing was convulsing underground.
An elderly man with white hair knelt beside the rocks, coughing up water so hard that his chest throbbed.
He wiped his mouth, turned around and saw Huang Chen still standing there. It seemed like he had finally come to his senses. He hurriedly got up, his voice hoarse.
"Our benefactor... they've all come out, almost all of them have come out."
Huang Chen glanced at it.
Under the cover of night, the figures were staggered, young and old, totaling more than forty people. Several others were supporting the wounded, their legs too weak to stand.
The boy who was pulled out of the sacrificial pool was tightly holding a seven or eight-year-old child, his face as white as paper, but his hands did not let go.
Don't stop.
Huang Chen took a breath and wiped the blood from his chin. "It's not safe here either. Let's walk along the base of the cliff and get away from the outer entrance of the ancient road first."
The white-haired old man nodded quickly and turned to greet the people.
"Listen to our benefactor! Those who can still walk, help the injured, and put the children in the middle, quick!"
'
As soon as the crowd moved, a sharp whistling sound could be faintly heard from the mist in the distance.
It looks like something is being searched.
Huang Chen's eyelids twitched, and he raised his hand to suppress all sounds.
Everyone immediately fell silent, with only heavy breathing and the soft scraping of shoes against the stones remaining.
He listened intently for a couple of breaths, confirming that the commotion was still further away, before whispering, "It's not coming this way. Let's go."
This stretch of road is not easy to travel.
The cliff face was pitted and slippery from the black water erosion, and one could easily fall into a water-eroded crevice if one was not careful. Huang Chen led the way, and the Sea Bone Spear would occasionally move forward to test footholds. When they encountered a narrow passage, they would simply lift people through one by one.
The night gradually faded.
As dawn broke, they finally circled around the outer edge of the ancient road and arrived at a shallow beach surrounded by broken rocks and remnants of trees.
This place is not far from the outer camp controlled by Li Chenshuo. You can even smell a faint smell of smoke in the air, instead of the damp and rotten smell.
A woman had just breathed a sigh of relief when her legs gave way and she collapsed to the ground.
The child started crying too.
Just as the white-haired old man was about to offer advice, the sound of metal scraping against metal suddenly rang out from ahead, and more than a dozen figures wielding spears emerged from behind the reefs, their armor plates gleaming coldly with water mist.
The leader was startled at first, then recognized Huang Chen and immediately clasped his hands in greeting.
Brother Huang!
'
Huang Chen looked over.
It was Ah Shi who arrived, his left shoulder wrapped in black cloth, clearly his injury hadn't fully healed, but he couldn't hide the joy on his face.
He hurried forward, and when he saw the large group of disheveled laborers behind him, his eyes immediately reddened.
"Sir, you really brought everyone out with you."
'
Huang Chen hummed in agreement.
When Ah Shi called him "Master," he always did so quickly and loudly, as if afraid that others wouldn't hear him clearly.
Huang Chen was already used to it and didn't correct him, he just raised his chin slightly in the direction of the camp.
"Where is Li Chenshuo?"
'
"The commander is stationed at the north gate of the outer camp, and there was also some chaos on the main front last night, so he can't get away." Ashi lowered his voice. "He expected that if you succeed, you would most likely come out from here, so he specifically asked me to lead a team to guard this place until dawn."
'
As he spoke, he waved to the back of his head.
"What are you all standing there for? Quickly help them up and get them into the camp!"
"If there's hot water, use it; if there's medicine, get it!"
The soldiers immediately got to work.
Some carried the wounded, some held children, and some broke apart the remaining dry rations to distribute. The rescued people were initially a little frightened, but when they saw that these were neither demon soldiers nor the head of the bondage laborers, their tense shoulders gradually relaxed.
The white-haired old man walked up to Huang Chen and suddenly tried to kneel down.
Huang Chen reached out and lifted him up, preventing him from kneeling.
"Alright, save your energy for living."
The old man's lips trembled, and it took him a long time to squeeze out a sentence: "My benefactor, we will remember these lives..."
'
Huang Chen didn't respond to that, but only glanced at A Shi.
"Find them a place to sleep."
Give them food sparingly at first, lest someone who is starving chokes on a single bite.
Ashi nodded emphatically.
"Yes, sir."
Huang Chen added, "Pick a few who can still hold on and ask about the list of those imprisoned in Qingshui Prefecture, the time of their transport, and who brought them in from which route."
Don't press them for answers; let them catch their breath first.
Ashi was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening.
"Is the master worried that some may have slipped through the net?"
"It's not that I'm worried."
Huang Chen looked up at the brightening horizon. "There must still be some left."
The wind blew from the direction of the ancient road, carrying a damp, cold white mist.
Zhao Wuji wouldn't just leave after missing his target.
Since this old fellow has already reached the other end of the ancient road, he's definitely not just after a few remnants of the Mirage Palace.
His arrival was so precise, even the timing of the defensive switch was perfect; there must be someone behind him.
Li Chenshuo arrived soon after.
He led seven or eight personal guards across the gravel beach, his armor still on, his eyes bloodshot from staying up all night. When he saw Huang Chen, he first glanced at the people who had been rescued, then looked at the bloody gashes on Huang Chen's body, and his brows immediately furrowed.
"You've made yourself look like this again."
Huang Chen twitched the corner of his mouth.
"He's not dead."
Li Chenshuo snorted, clearly too lazy to waste words with him, and directly raised his hand to have his personal guards bring over a small cloth bag and a tightly folded letter written in blood.
"I haven't opened the message that was just sent from the main branch." He paused, "I'm specifically pointing it out to you."
'
Huang Chen took the blood-written letter, rubbed it between his fingertips, and immediately smelled a faint scent of blood and herbs.
It's not paper; it's a thin film peeled off the inner layer of animal hide.
The characters were written hastily, as if hastily completed in some turbulent camp.
There are only a few lines above.
The internal strife within the main vein is temporarily suppressed, but the old forces of the Black Scales have not yet been completely wiped out.
The remnants of the Northern Sea have secretly colluded with the remaining cultivators of the Xuantian Sect.
If Zhao Wuji obtains the relics from the Mirage Palace, he will surely use this to find the source of the fire.
The letter did not end with a full name, but only with the bloody fingerprints of the main warriors under Li Chenshuo's command.
After reading it, Huang Chen slowly tightened his grip.
He originally only saw this battle as an opportunity to confront his enemies and intercept clues.
It's different now.
If Zhao Wuji truly manages to piece together the artifact of the cause and obtain the relics related to the Mirage Palace, and traces back along his own line of inquiry, the refuge of the Fire of the Gods will be dragged into the eye of the storm.
That place has elderly people, children, and the people and sparks he painstakingly gathered together.
If he retreats any further, it won't just be his problem alone.
Li Chenshuo stared at his face and asked in a low voice, "What did the letter say?"
Huang Chen handed over the blood-written letter.
After Li Chenshuo finished sweeping, his face darkened.
"No wonder.
He exhaled a breath of stale air. "Last night I was wondering why there were suddenly traces of those scoundrels from the Northern Sea at the water outlets to the north. Turns out it was directed at you, and also at the source of the fire."
'
The two remained silent for a moment.
The groans of the wounded came from the rear of the camp, and the hot water in the pot began to boil, making a muffled bubbling sound.
As the sky grew brighter, the damp rocky ground was illuminated with a pale, reflective light, like the belly of a freshly peeled fish.
Huang Chen opened the small cloth bag, inside were three healing pills and a small piece of bone.
The bone slip was inscribed with only four characters: "Ancient path can be followed".
Li Chenshuo's lips twitched when he saw the bone slip.
"This is the idea of a few old guys on the main branch. Right now, no one can spare any troops to send in, so you have to choose for yourself."
'
"They think highly of me."
"It's not about looking up to someone."
"Li Chenshuo said, "Right now, you are the most suitable one."
Huang Chen didn't say anything.
He swallowed a healing pill directly. The medicinal power entered his stomach and spread like a ball of heat along his meridians to his limbs, suppressing the exhaustion after a night of fierce fighting. He didn't rush to eat a second one, but put the rest away and turned to look at a cliff line cut by the black water in the distance.
There is a natural water-eroded cave over there.
He had glimpsed it before sneaking out last night; the location was remote, the entrance was narrow, and it was likely large enough to hide someone inside while avoiding the view of those coming and going from the outer camp.
"Give me half a day," Huang Chen said.
Li Chenshuo looked at him.
"Are you planning to set up a trap at the ancient road entrance?"
'
"Um."
What's missing?
'
"We don't need it now." Huang Chen paused for a moment. "Don't bring too many people."
Your men are only responsible for supporting the outer perimeter; don't show yourselves prematurely.
Li Chenshuo nodded and didn't ask any further questions.
For people like them, sometimes it's enough to say only half of what you mean. Asking too many questions only creates confusion.
At this moment, Ashi hurried back from the camp, his hands still stained with the blood from changing the bandages of the wounded.
"Sir, those people have been settled."
The white-haired old man was awake, repeatedly saying he wanted to kowtow to you, but I had him held him down. Two other young men recognized the transport markers in the Water Palace and offered to help with directions.
'
"Let them sleep first," Huang Chen said. "We'll ask them when they're awake."
'
"Sir, what about you?"
"Go lie down for a while."
'
Ah Shi opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only managed to utter, "Then at least bandage your wound first."
Huang Chen looked down at the bloody gash on his chest and ribs, and smiled.
"OK."
Half an hour later, he entered the water-eroded cliff cave alone.
The cave entrance was narrow, but it was deep inside. The stone walls were polished by the cold winds all year round, and they felt icy cold to the touch. Water droplets kept dripping from above, falling into the shallow pool with a very soft sound, which made the whole cave seem even more empty.
Huang Chen sat down on the driest flat stone in the cave, first tearing open his blood-stained outer shirt, quickly washing the wounds on his chest, ribs, shoulders and arms, then sprinkling on medicinal powder and tightening it with strips of cloth.
When the pain was intense, the veins on his forehead bulged.
He didn't say a word.
After the wound was treated, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, closed his eyes, and circulated the "Ancient God and Demon Technique" and the "Ancient Body Forging Scripture" to regulate his breathing.
The damp, black liquid seeped in along the cave walls, only to be gradually dispersed by the qi and blood circulating within his body. Dark gold witch runes flickered beneath his skin, like thin, red-hot lines.
The rolled-up flesh at the edges of the wound slowly closed up and stopped seeping out.
I sat there for almost half a day.
When Huang Chen opened his eyes again, the light outside the cave had turned from white to bright, with some shadows from the west. His body was still tired, but his combat strength had recovered to 60-70%, at least he was no longer in a state where raising his hand would aggravate his old injuries.
His first thing,
It means taking out the two items obtained from the Water Palace.
The Mirage Palace Crack Seal.
Shattered imprints of the mirage palace in the North Sea.
The two seals are different in size and shape, but both are made of a damp and cool jade-like material.
Previously, it only felt slightly warm in the water palace, but now, as soon as it gets close, it immediately trembles, and tiny water droplets float on its surface.
Previously, it only felt slightly warm in the water palace, but now, as soon as it gets close, it immediately trembles, and tiny water droplets float on its surface.
Huang Chen placed them on a flat stone, with half a foot between them.
hum.
A ring of pale blue ripples slowly spread out, like an invisible water surface spreading across the stone.
He then took out the Water Ripple Secret Book and, following the ancient road nodes recorded in it, dotted the edge of the ripples with his fingertip's blood. The blood droplet was absorbed as soon as it fell, and the next moment, the water on the stone surface suddenly stretched, revealing a blurry terrain.
The mountains resemble crouching beasts.
The Blackwater Ancient Road is like a dark line embedded in the bones.
Several locations were highlighted by blue light, resembling either defense transition points or the eye of some kind of mirage array. Deeper inside, there were several fracture symbols, resonating most strongly with the two shattered seals.
Huang Chen stared at the picture, his brows slowly furrowing.
This is not simply a map of an ancient road.
It resembles a part of the Northern Sea's land and water layout, involving ancient roads, outer canals, underground tides, the entrance to the hidden palace, and even the timing of the rise and fall of which section of black water.
On the eastern side of the ancient road, several moving gray shadows condensed on the water ripples.
Huang Chen pressed down on the secret manual and slightly channeled his spiritual power.
The few gray shadows suddenly became clearer.
The largest cluster at the front had a blurry character for "mirror" appear next to it.
Zao Wou-Ki.
He did not come alone.
Two more groups followed behind. One group had a chaotic aura but carried the remnants of the Xuanmen sect, most likely the remnants of the Xuantian Sect; the other group was cold and slippery, and its aura merged with that of the Black Water as it moved, most likely the remnants of the Northern Sea.
Huang Chen's eyes turned cold instantly.
"You bastard."
He muttered a curse under his breath.
It turns out this wasn't just about revenge.
Zhao Wuji acted ruthlessly while the Gonggong tribe was in turmoil, the resurgence of the Northern Sea remnants, and the exposure of the Mirage Palace ruins. Seizing the relics was only one aspect; his true aim was to reclaim his own identity and rekindle the flame of revolution.
Huang Chen's mind raced, and he immediately brought up the system panel.
A pale golden light curtain spread out in the dimly lit cave.
Merit, karma, items already possessed, and current status appeared line by line. He scanned quickly, but focused on several readily available items—the incomplete Mirror of Cause Tracing, the Mirror's Secondary Array, the Water Pattern Secret Book, the Mirage Palace Crack Seal, the North Sea Mirage Palace Shattered Seal, the Incomplete Concealment Array Diagram, the Minor Five Elements Maze Array, and the Illusionary Beacon.
If it comes down to a hard fight, they can put up a good fight.
But Zhao Wuji, that old bastard, has learned his lesson and will never charge headlong into things like he used to.
Since he dared to show himself with the newly assembled artifact of cause-finding, it means he was already prepared to counter the concealment and lock down the cause and effect. If I continue to retreat, I will only be forced to run, dragging the danger further away.
Why don't we intercept them here?
Huang Chen raised his hand to put away the system panel, and his gaze returned to the blurry water and land map on the stone surface.
At the exit of the ancient path, where the black water bends into the precipice, the current is most swift, the echoes are most chaotic, and there are three natural breaches on each side. If we were to use two shattered seals to simulate a mirage, hiding the real path within the shimmering shadows, and then combine this with a minor Five Elements maze and illusory beacons…
It's enough to lure a group of people eager to grab the treasure into a trap.
Thinking of this, Huang Chen stood up and began testing the formation inside the cave.
He first pressed the broken seal of the Mirage Palace of the North Sea onto the west side of the stone wall, and placed the cracked seal of the Mirage Palace on the east side, with water ripples connecting the two.
A moment later, the pale blue tide-like shadows crept along the cave wall, forming several layers of ripples that were both real and illusory.
The entrance is still on the left.
Three more exits appeared out of nowhere in the shadows.
Even the sound of the water is different.
Huang Chen took two steps closer and reached out to probe. The "exit" in the very center emitted a cool, watery sensation, almost indistinguishable from reality. If it weren't for the trap he had set up himself, he would most likely have been fooled by his eyesight and senses alone.
That's enough.
He muttered to himself.
There's no need to overcomplicate things with someone like Zao Wou-Ki.
As long as you let him be greedy, let him be impatient, and let him think that the next step will lead him to the remnants of the Mirage Palace, the formation will be half complete.
Not long after, the sound of three short and one long tapping of stones could be heard outside the cave.
Ah Shi has arrived.
Huang Chen removed the concealment from the cave entrance, and only then did A Shi squeeze in sideways. He was carrying an oilcloth bag in his arms, and the first thing he said upon entering the cave was the same familiar phrase he knew all too well.
"Sir, it was sent from the outer camp."
Huang Chen took the oilcloth bag, opened it, and found dried animal meat, clean water, two roughly drawn topographical maps of the outer perimeter, and a newly delivered communication bone tube.
Ah Shi lowered his voice and said, "Commander Li had someone ask the rescued laborers again. An old miner recognized the way Zhao Wuji's group had gone and said that they would most likely go around from Chenchaokou and wouldn't directly crash into the widest main road."
'
Huang Chen immediately chimed in: "The mouth of the tide is narrow on the outside and wide on the inside, making it easy to use the Wave-Breaking Magic Weapon. If you have the Cause-Tracing Mirror, it will be even more convenient to push the way and search for people at the same time."
Ashi nodded repeatedly.
"Yes, that's the idea. And—" He handed over the communication bone tube, "The main line has sent another message. It didn't have any words written on it, just a blood seal, saying that you should listen to it yourself."
'
Huang Chen crushed the seal, and a low, sharp sound came from the bone tube, mixed with the clanging of armor and shouts of battle from afar.
"Huang Chen, the scouts in the north report that Zhao Wuji has sped up his efforts."
Among the group were the leader of the remnants of the Xuanzong sect and a fellow who claimed to be an envoy from the Northern Sea. It seemed that the two sides had broken off negotiations once, but had temporarily put the matter aside.
If you're setting up a formation, remember to cut off their rear first; don't let that mirror see through the entire opening.
The sound stopped there.
Ashi couldn't hear the contents of the bone tube, but seeing Huang Chen's expression grow even colder, he couldn't help but ask, "Sir, is this a serious problem?"
"This is quite a problem."
Huang Chen crushed the bone tube and casually threw it into the pool. "There are quite a few people, so we can take them all in one go."
Ah Shi's eyelids twitched as he listened, yet he also felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
He swallowed hard.
"Sir, should I take a few men and ambush them closer?"
'
"No need," Huang Chen said. "You guys guard the outer circle. Whoever manages to escape from the formation, finish them off."
'
Ah Shi immediately grinned.
"clear.
'
After saying that, he remembered something and hurriedly took out a roll of cloth from his pocket.
"Sir, I had the women in the camp sew these for me. They're for binding arms to prevent slipping."
The water is heavy on the other side of the ancient road; you might easily drop your weapon if you hold it for too long.
Huang Chen took it without refusing.
The strips of cloth were rough, the stitches were ugly, and the seams were crooked. But holding them in your hand, they were more real than any pretty words.
"Thank them for me."
Ashi was stunned for a moment, then his ears turned red.
"Yes, I'll remember that. Sir, I'll be going now, lest I be exposed if I linger too long."
'
"Go."
Ah Shi retreated to the cave entrance, then turned back and added a sentence.
"Sir, please let me know when you return. I've had someone keep the hot pot at the outer camp warm."
'
Huang Chen waved his hand.
Ah Shi then crouched down and crawled out of the cave, his footsteps quickly swallowed by the sound of water.
The cave fell silent again.
Huang Chen wrapped the cloth strips tightly around his right arm, which was holding the spear, and then laid out the two broken seals, the Water Pattern Secret Book, the Illusionary Road Beacon, the Small Five Elements Mystery Array Diagram, and the Incomplete Concealment Array Diagram one by one, and began to truly deduce the killing situation at the exit of the ancient road.
Time passed little by little.
The sound of the tide outside the cave rose twice and then fell once.
By the time he finished connecting the last array pattern on the animal hide map, it had already darkened again. In the distance, the black water resembled a long serpent sinking into the belly of a mountain, its surface reflecting the setting sun with a blood-red hue.
Huang Chen put away the array plate and got up to leave the cave.
The wind blew in from the ancient road entrance, carrying a damp smell with a hint of rust.
He descended swiftly along the cliff face, his toes barely touching the surface, his entire body like a shadow clinging to the rock. Upon reaching the top of the Tidefall Mouth, he first buried the Lesser Five Elements Illusion Array in three cracked rock crevices, then nailed the Illusionary Beacon into the cave hollowed out by the black water, and finally, using the Mirage Palace Crack Seal and the North Sea Mirage Palace Shattered Seal as the core, he laid out a simplified Mirage Tide Illusion Array between the main path and the hidden forks.
layer.
Two layers.
Three floors.
A faint shimmering light gradually appeared on the surface of the black water, sometimes resembling the reflection of a palace, and sometimes like shattered mirrors floating on the water.
The real foothold has sunk into the shadows, and to the naked eye, all that remains are sections of a moving, illusory shore.
Huang Chen stood on the highest sloping rock, looking down at his arrangement.
The sound of water was distorted and hollowed out within the formation.
Even the wind blowing by sounds like someone laughing softly in the distance.
He tried to take a step forward, but the solid ground beneath his feet vanished, and instead, a jade staircase leading to the depths of the black water appeared out of thin air in front of him. At the end of the jade staircase, a pale blue halo hung suspended, much like the mirage palace's treasure about to appear.
It's incredibly realistic.
That's quite toxic.
Huang Chen raised his hand and withdrew the wisp of spiritual energy he had been testing. The jade steps immediately shattered into countless points of water.
Just then, a small warning symbol on the outer edge suddenly trembled slightly.
He turned his head to look.
At the end of the black water, a glimmer of light appeared.
Next comes the second point, and then the third point.
That wasn't sparks, but the light from the water as the magical artifact tore through the waves.
It moved extremely fast, getting closer and closer in just a few breaths, making the entire Chenchaokou area appear to be lit up and dark.
Huang Chen lowered his body, concealing his aura, like a cold stone embedded in the cliff face.
A moment later, the first black bone boat broke through the tidal fog.
At the bow of the boat stood a tall, thin old man, his blue robe tattered, but the cuffs still bore the old patterns of the Xuantian Sect. His face resembled cracked tree bark, and his eyes were filled with yin energy.
Huang Chen had never seen her face, yet he could tell almost instantly.
The leader of the remnants of the Xuanzong sect.
On another boat behind him stood a pale man wearing a white bone crown, with a high, narrow nose and extremely fine scales behind his ears. He was playing with a cold-colored bone bead in his hand, his aura merging with the black water's dampness.
Beiming came to envoy.
After the two boats, the waves suddenly parted to the sides.
A broken ancient mirror slowly rose from above the black water. The back of the mirror was cracked, and the newly pieced-together parts of the edge still had rough gold lines, indicating that it was hastily repaired.
The person standing in the mirror was tall and thin, wearing a black robe over his shoulders, and his face was more sinister and older than I remembered.
Zhao Wuji held the mirror in one hand, with the other hand behind his back. His gaze, sharp as a hook, slowly swept across Chenchaokou.
He stood on the crest of the wave, like a black thorn driven into the night.
The ancient mirror turned slightly, reflecting a gray-white beam of light that dragged back and forth on the water's surface.
The leader of the remnant cultivators of the Xuanzong sect spoke in a sinister voice: "Elder Zhao, we've arrived. The remnants of the mirage are just ahead."
The envoy from the Northern Sea gave a cold laugh.
"Traces are traces, but the person may not still be there. Your Xuantian Sect has been chasing for so long, don't let that kid slip through your fingers again."
I highly recommend "Primordial Era: Starting by Slaughtering All the Gods and Buddhas!" Get straight to the exciting parts.