Black Cloud Town backed onto a dense forest, with water encircling it in front.
Its unique climate and geographical location had nurtured many rare herbs.
And the Black Cloud Mushroom unique to the dense forest was a rare herb for refining Spirit Gathering Pills. Many cultivators came here to try their luck, and most met their deaths here.
Su Yanqing leaned idly against a large tree at the forest’s exit, complaining to the tall, burly young man beside her: “Third Senior Brother, Master and the others have been gone so long. Why hasn’t there been any news yet? That vengeful spirit couldn’t be lying to us, could it?”
Jing Sanhuai was extremely tall, the muscles on his arms firm and powerful. Though his features were rough and bold, his mind was quite keen. “With Master here, no matter how formidable that vengeful spirit is, it can’t pull any tricks. What are you afraid of?”
“Shen Si, is there something you’re hiding from me?”
Su Yanqing’s heart skipped a beat.
How was it that Jing Sanhuai seemed like a different person the moment he stepped off the spirit boat?
Fishing for information from him was so exhausting!
She instinctively shook her head and straightened up.
She walked toward Miss Yueli, who lay on the grass not far away.
Ever since the vengeful spirit had been separated from Yueli, Yueli had remained in a deep sleep.
Su Yanqing took a blanket from her storage pouch and gently laid it over Yueli.
This action drew a teasing remark from Jing Sanhuai: “To think our foolish little fourth is such a tender, gallant gentleman who cherishes the fair sex? Do you want to become Miss Yueli’s intimate guest?”
Su Yanqing rolled her eyes helplessly: “Third Senior Brother, have you no gentlemanly bearing at all! I covered her with a blanket because I was afraid she’d catch a chill.”
Hearing this, Jing Sanhuai laughed even more brazenly: “Junior Brother, a cultivator can train beneath a waterfall for 49 days without catching a chill.”
“Who do you think you’re fooling with such nonsense?”
“I’m warning you… as a sword cultivator, your yang essence is especially important. I advise you to dispel any improper thoughts as soon as possible.”
Su Yanqing: …When words don’t agree, not even half a sentence is worth speaking!
She turned her back on Jing Sanhuai and plopped down on the ground, staring blankly at Miss Yueli’s face.
Her mind drifted back to the eerie events that had occurred on the spirit boat.
Master had quickly discovered that Yueli bore the spiritual energy mark of Lingyun Peak.
This meant Mu Yunci and the others’ disappearance was inextricably linked to Yueli.
Immediately after, Yueli, her deception exposed, was wreathed in wisps of black qi. Her form, like a ghostly apparition, instantly drifted out of the spirit boat, trying to flee.
But her opponent was a mighty cultivator of the Out-of-Body stage. In less than half an incense stick’s time, that eerie mass of black qi was subdued.
So it turned out Miss Yueli had been possessed by a vengeful spirit.
And the Liu Lang the vengeful spirit spoke of was actually an inner sect disciple of the Wuji Sect named Liu Zongyuan, who had mysteriously vanished in the secret realm half a month ago.
The vengeful spirit was a female cultivator of the Blood Spirit Sect, who had carried on a secret affair with Liu Zongyuan for over a year.
Half a month ago, unable to reach Liu Lang, she secretly left her sect and came to the Wuji Sect.
“At the time, I heard the outer sect disciples at the foot of the mountain say that many inner sect disciples had gone missing in the secret realm. And the last words Liu Lang left me were that he was going to participate in the secret realm trial. Once he succeeded, he would come to the Blood Spirit Sect to propose and become my cultivation partner.”
Having said this, the vengeful spirit could not hold back her sobs.
“You should know that the Wuji Sect and the Blood Spirit Sect have long been at odds. It’s impossible for him to defy the sect rules and take you as his wife.”
Helian Chuxue spoke coldly.
The vengeful spirit’s black qi suddenly surged, her tone sharp: “Liu Lang… would never be a heartless, faithless man!”
“At first, I too thought he had abandoned me. Who would have guessed that what I learned instead was news of his death.”
“When I was preparing to leave, I happened to run into Senior Brother Mu and the others setting out to search for the missing disciples. I secretly followed behind them, wanting to find Liu Lang.”
“But in the middle of the night, we were ambushed by a group of men in black. They killed me and the other female cultivators right away, and took all the Senior Brothers of the Mu group away.”
“Fortunately, the Blood Spirit Curse I cultivated allowed me to survive in the form of a ghostly apparition.”
“To save Liu Lang, I possessed a beautiful female cultivator, wanting to use her beauty to seek help from passing male cultivators.”
“That spiritual energy mark you mentioned… perhaps it was a distress signal left on me by Senior Brother Mu before he was taken away.”
The vengeful spirit spoke with tears streaming down her face. A pair of lovers who, hindered by sect prejudice, could not love each other, now separated by life and death… the disciples present could not help but be moved.
Helian Chuxue carefully noticed that the direction the vengeful spirit pointed for the demonic cultivator’s departure was indeed consistent with the compass’s direction.
It seemed at least half of the vengeful spirit’s words were true.
“I’ll trust you for now. First, withdraw your ghostly qi from young friend Yueli. I promise not to harm your spirit form, and I’ll help you find Liu Zongyuan.”
The vengeful spirit, seemingly eager to save her loved one, agreed to Immortal Venerable Helian’s request.
Following the direction the vengeful spirit provided, they arrived at Black Cloud Town.
This place had once been frequented by cultivators, bustling with activity.
Now it was utterly silent, with ruined houses, broken tiles, and bones strewn everywhere.
Clearly, the demonic cultivators had occupied this place and slaughtered every cultivator who came to explore and dig for treasure.
“Reporting to Immortal Venerable, that demonic cultivator is hiding in the Black Forest. I’m willing to scout ahead.” The vengeful spirit’s black qi gathered and dispersed intermittently, her emotions fluctuating violently.
At this point, Bai Xiaoru also played her part: “My compass points to it… the demonic qi is indeed within the Black Forest.”
“I’ll take the other disciples in. Jing Sanhuai, you and the others stay here to look after young friend Yueli, guard the exit, and be ready to provide support at any time.” Helian Chuxue decisively gave the order and led a group of disciples toward the Black Forest.
Su Yanqing was raring to go, also wanting to follow and complete the mission.
But Third Senior Brother’s thick arm clamped around her shoulder, rendering her immobile. “Behave yourself. Don’t ruin Master’s plan.”
“Yes, Third Senior Brother.” Su Yanqing watched as Master’s group vanished into the mist with a whoosh.
She felt somewhat uneasy.
In fact, his unusual behavior only made Jing Sanhuai more wary.
Shen Si knew nothing but cultivation all day long, and had a timid personality. Encountering something like this, he’d be too busy hiding to come forward… how could he possibly volunteer?
He grew ever more certain that this imposter “Shen Si” had ulterior motives.
If not for the fact that the imposter genuinely carried Master’s jade token, he would have greeted him with a fist long ago.
Jing Sanhuai was a hulking brute with immense strength.
With that exertion, Su Yanqing’s half shoulder nearly shattered.
She truly couldn’t bear it anymore and lowered her voice to beg: “Third Senior Brother, I’ll be obedient, isn’t that enough? Please, withdraw your mighty divine power!”
Jing Sanhuai was silent for a second, then withdrew his large hand: “Behave yourself.”
In the time that followed, the two had nothing to say to each other and ignored one another.
Su Yanqing held in her anger and leaned lazily against the large tree. Thinking that the bigger picture mattered most, she took the initiative to break the deadlock.
But Jing Sanhuai’s foul mouth, before three sentences were out, made her furious again.
Su Yanqing simply turned her back on Jing Sanhuai in a fit of pique, staring blankly into space.
What finally broke the dead silence were the unending screams from within the Black Forest.
Su Yanqing’s face suddenly turned pale. She stood up and resolutely charged toward the Black Forest.
The darkest hour had finally come.
This time, she would never let the tragedy repeat itself!