Chapter 580: The Expert Shrouded in a Black Cloud
As the sun broke through the skies and released its soft light, a rustling sound made the group of experts alert.
Xue Wei frowned slightly as he detached himself from the state of cultivation, and the two ghosts, which had now become spirits, also turned towards the origin of the sound.
Xue Wei glanced at Lan, and upon noticing his calm demeanor, he could, more or less, guess the identity of the ones who were arriving.
The advancing experts had also noticed that someone was waiting for them, and thus their movements had become slower. They did not attempt to hide their sounds or breath, as they knew they had already been found, instead they were clearly preparing for battle.
The sounds came closer and closer, and soon the thicket had been pushed aside to reveal a group of experts arriving.
Xue Wei felt excited upon witnessing the ones who arrived, and he smiled happily as he rose to his feet and rushed over.
The ones who came forward were Bai Tianyi, Hei Gou, Luoluo, and Lin Xiao. The four of them seemed to have experienced a rather rough journey through the forest, as their clothes were dirty and had numerous rifts, but they did not seem to have sustained many injuries.
The group of four were, at first, on high alert, but upon recognizing the one that was moving towards them, their eyes lit up in happiness.
The time in the Ghost Realm and this realm turned out to be the same, so the war that had been started before their departure was still ongoing, however it was currently in the final phases.
"How long have you been back? Are you okay?" Luoluo was the first to regain her senses and she beamed a brilliant smile towards Xue Wei as she began examining his body with her eyes to ensure that he was not suffering from any injuries.
The excitement in her eyes was obvious, and the other friends also regained their minds before happy laughter erupted in the small clearing.
Everyone was excited about the reunion but not many words were spoken. The group all considered each other as family, and thus they could sense the happiness without the need to put it into words.
"So, what did you encounter in the Ghost Realm? Can you tell us about it? Also, who is this pretty lady, and the weird guy?"
Luoluo was a spirit, and her mind was different from that of normal humans. As she looked at Mo Lian and the branch leader, she had already gotten her first hand impression, and Mo Lian was clearly classified as a good person due to her beautiful features, while the branch leader was simply weird.
Her words caused the two previous ghosts to laugh. Even the branch leader thought it was rather amusing to be called a weird guy, and they quickly introduced themselves, after which Xue Wei made a rough explanation of their previous travel.
"So, you are telling me that everything so far has been planned by some sort of mastermind in the shadows?"
After listening to the full explanation, Bai Tianyi was the first to question. His eyes were solemn and his brows furrowed. He began to wonder about the things that had happened when he had attempted to become a spirit, and his heart suddenly turned cold.
"I might know who he is."
His words caused both Xue Wei and Lan to focus their eyes on him, as he seemed to be trying to recall certain memories from his mind.
"When I was a human cultivator, I was actually trying to aim towards the realms above, but one day, someone came to tell me about the benefits of becoming a spirit. The person was very weird, and I don't really remember how he managed to convince me to attempt to change into a weapon spirit, but he succeeded, and I became what I am today.
"However, I have only met the guy twice. The first time was when he convinced me to become a spirit, and the second time was when he guided the families to seal me in that forgotten village."
His words were very subtle, but everyone understood what he was hinting towards. Bai Tianyi had, most likely, also been controlled by this guy and placed in the village intentionally, just to wait for Xue Wei.
"This is a little scary." Luoluo frowned as she looked at the group. "I remember when an expert hidden in a black cloud arrived, and he was the main reason for the Garden of Shadows to trap me."
Luoluo seemed to be deep in thought as she tried to find any trace of information concerning the expert, but she could only remember that black cloud that made it impossible to gain any leads.
Xue Wei and Lan both narrowed their eyes as they began thinking. It seemed that the person in the shadows had truly planned everything very well. He seemed to know where Xue Wei would travel and what would happen, which was somewhat horrifying, especially when considering that their journey to the Garden of Shadows should have been avoided, had they not encountered difficulties during the space tunnel that Lan had opened for them.
If this expert had prepared upon realizing their arrival, then it would not be that frightening, but the traps had been laid so many years in advance, showing that this expert was completely certain that Xue Wei would come by.
Such meticulous planning for thousands of years made both Lan and Xue Wei feel very conflicted. In a way, both of them were excited and eager to try their hands at a fight, but at the same time, they were also aware that they had to be cautious and safe. This person was, clearly, not easy to deal with.