prynovel Chapter 115 The Evil Path Appears in the Canyon
Chapter 115 The Evil Path Appears in the Canyon
The deeper you go into the middle level of the secret realm, the heavier the evil energy in the air becomes.
It wasn't a faint, almost imperceptible odor, but a thick, oppressive feeling, almost tangible. A hazy mist swirled among the towering ancient trees, compressing visibility to less than fifty paces. Beyond fifty paces, the tree trunks were merely blurry outlines; further still, nothing could be seen, only an endless expanse of gray and white.
The soil beneath her feet was a deathly gray, hard and inelastic, like walking on stone slabs. A thin layer of white mold covered the surface; crushing it would send up a cloud of dust, which, when inhaled, had a cloying, rotten smell. Ordinary spiritual herbs were nowhere to be found here, replaced by plants she had never seen before—entirely black, with thick leaves edged in a ghostly blue light, petals shaped like open mouths, and viscous liquid dripping from their stamens, emitting a bewitching fragrance. Su Ling'er glanced at it as she passed by and immediately felt dizzy. She quickly memorized the flower's appearance, planning to consult her alchemy manual later.
Leng Feng walked at the forefront, his battle blade pointing diagonally at the ground, the tip three inches above the earth, ready to strike upwards or horizontally at any moment. A layer of yellowish-brown protective true energy continuously enveloped his body, like a thin armor, keeping out the approaching poisonous mist. His steps were steady, each step perfectly synchronized, neither too fast nor too slow. But his eyes were constantly moving—glancing at the bushes to his left, the cracks in the rock face to his upper right, and the marks of mud beneath his feet. His senses were severely impaired by the evil energy; his once-proud hearing was greatly diminished here, forcing him to rely solely on his eyes and experience to detect traps.
"Ahead lies the Narrow Gorge." His voice was low, so low that only those behind him could hear. "It's the only way to the core area. The cliffs on both sides are steep, covered with jagged rocks, making it a natural ambush site."
Chu Fan raised his hand and took out the array plate. Spiritual energy flowed from his fingertips, and detection array patterns silently extended towards the canyon. The array patterns disappeared into the mist, like stones sinking into the sea, without a trace. He waited a few breaths, then increased his spiritual energy output, waited a few more breaths, but still no response. His brows furrowed, and he put the array plate away, his expression not good.
"The detection array has been deliberately blocked. There are concealment arrays inside the canyon, so it's impossible to see exactly who is inside or how many people are there. But one thing is certain—someone has already arrived there and made arrangements inside. As for whether they are people or ghosts, I don't need to say."
Su Muyue held the twelve array flags in her hands, the silver runes on them pulsating spontaneously under the stimulation of the evil energy, like a swarm of restless fireflies. The Martial Emperor's Guardian bloodline hummed deeply within her, like an alarm bell, a warning. She closed her eyes, using her bloodline to sense what was hidden beneath the concealment array, and opened them after a moment.
"The hidden array is mixed with demonic runes. The arrangement is extremely sophisticated; the nesting relationships between the runes indicate at least a hundred years of accumulated knowledge and experience. It wasn't a spur-of-the-moment decision." She paused. "They're not newcomers. They're demonic cultivators. The three who were secretly spying on us before."
Su Ling'er rummaged through her medicine chest and pulled out a jade bottle, pouring out five Mind-Clearing and Spirit-Concentrating Pills. The pills were pale blue with a fine, glossy surface, like they were coated with wax. She pressed them with her fingertip to make sure they weren't damp before distributing them to everyone. "There's a high probability of bewitching poison mist in the canyon. Hold the pills in your mouth, don't swallow or chew. Keep them under your tongue, and the medicinal effects will slowly seep into your consciousness, protecting your mind from being disturbed." She watched as everyone put the pills in their mouths before putting the jade bottle back in the medicine chest, adding, "If you feel anything wrong, speak up immediately. I have special antidotes here."
Lin Chen nodded slightly. Within his dantian, the Star Martial Core circulated at a steady pace, neither too fast nor too slow, like the beating of a heart. Silvery-white star power surged from his dantian, flowing smoothly along the twelve meridians throughout his body, each one unobstructed, like a wide riverbed, its water abundant and calm. His cultivation at the late stage of the Meridian Opening Realm was completely stable; the middle volume of the *Star Origin Technique* circulated freely, the flow of star power without the slightest stagnation.
He raised his hand and pressed it against the hilt of the Star Sword. The blade trembled slightly, as if responding to his call. Silvery-white starlight seeped from his palm into the sword, a faint starlight appearing on the blade before fading away. His gaze locked onto the narrow entrance to the canyon ahead—two cliffs, like two enormous stone gates, slowly unfolded in the mist, revealing a narrow passage in the middle. The depths of the passage were pitch black; nothing could be seen except for the sound of the wind blowing from within, a mournful wail, like someone crying.
"The enemy has deliberately set an ambush; there's no escaping it." Lin Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it was steady. "Let's quicken our pace and cross the canyon. Maintain formation the entire way; don't break apart. Mu Yue will be in charge of the large-scale defensive formation, Chu Fan will be ready to break the restrictions at any time, Leng Feng will directly withstand any surprise attacks, and Ling'er will release pills to disrupt them when the opportunity arises. I'll deal with the main attackers."
The five moved simultaneously. Not running, but at a speed somewhere between walking and running—faster than a normal march, but not so fast as to disrupt their formation. Leng Feng raised the tip of his blade from three inches to a foot off the ground; Su Muyue changed her grip on the array flag from two hands to her left hand holding the flag and her right hand forming a hand seal; Chu Fan pulled three array plates from his robes and held them in his palm; Su Ling'er unfastened the clasp of her medicine box for easy access. Lin Chen walked slightly forward in the middle of the formation, his hand on his sword hilt, ready to draw it at any moment.
The footsteps were kept to a minimum, barely making a sound as they trod on the gray earth.
The entrance to the canyon is getting closer.
The cliffs on both sides transformed from low earthen slopes into steep rocks, growing higher and steeper until only a thin strip of sky could be seen when looking up. The sky was grayish-white, obscured by mist, like a faded ribbon hanging dozens of feet above one's head.
The inside of the canyon was much colder than the outside. Wind seeped in through the cracks, carrying a damp, rotten smell, as if something had been moldy in the shadows. Black vines hung from the cliff face, some as thick as an adult's arm, others as thin as a finger, densely packed like withered, ghostly claws suspended in mid-air, swaying gently in the wind. Scattered pebbles on the ground produced a soft crunching sound underfoot, amplified into a crisp echo within the canyon.