Chapter 403: Encountering Danger
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A row of people was heading forward in the flourishing natural forest. They were silent and exceptionally swift, as though they were hawks and falcons flying through the air. The tough mountainous terrain was not affecting them in any way at all. After an hour, the row of people had already covered over 100 kilometers before finally stopping at the peak of a huge mountain.
There were many traces of construction going on around the area. On the surrounding cliffs, there were many newly built wooden platforms with observation decks. They even had some entertainment facilities. Evidently, they had already arrived at the tourism development area undertaken by the Blue Ocean Group.
“The people of the Ghost Lair use tourism development as a facade. In reality, they are building a huge sacrificial altar on this peak. The Ghost Lair has been peaceful for dozens of years, and it seems as though these boring times will not last as troubling times are ahead of them.”
Pei Fengwu looked at the mountain peak before her eyes and sighed slightly. Her status was different from the average Executor in the Huatian Palace, and she thus knew some things that others did not. The land of Hua Xia may have appeared peaceful on the surface, but it would not be so in future.
Mo Wen’s eyes scanned his surroundings, and he asked, a little stunned, “Is this place really the land of haze?” Everything appeared normal, and he did not actually notice any area that was especially hazy.
“That land of haze is located in the depths beneath the mountain’s peak. It is extremely difficult for the average person to notice. However, for the people of the Ghost Lair, it is not difficult to find such a place,” Pei Fengwu explained. She looked at Mo Wen with slight shock. A normal ancient martial art practitioner would not be able to have discovered the land of haze. Even standing there would not have triggered any senses. How had he managed to deduce that the land of haze was not on the Earth’s surface?
“Since that land of haze is not on the Earth’s surface, do you mean that the Ghost Lair has dug a passageway leading beneath the ground?” Cai Yan asked in shock.
“That’s right, follow me.” Pei Fengwu nodded. She rushed around the mountain peak for a certain distance before finding a cave that was hidden amid the grass and trees. After checking it in detail, she wiggled down the hole first.
When most of them had witnessed this, they followed behind her one after the other. The cave was very deep, and it led straight down to an underground area. A row of people had already traveled 1,000 meters, and yet the end was still not in sight. However, the markings on the walls inside the caves were still rather new, and it seemed like the passageway had indeed been dug recently.
Mo Wen furrowed his brows and had a tugging feeling that something was not quite right. They had already entered the passageway, but they had not even encountered a single person from the Ghost Lair. Logically speaking, since the Ghost Lair had spent so much money and gone to so much trouble to build the sacrificial altar, they must value it greatly. If they had not set up multiple levels of security along the passageway, they should have at least stationed a couple of people to guard the area. Yet, throughout their entire journey, they had not seen a single person.
Mo Wen suddenly stopped in his tracks, and he said with a solemn expression, “It feels a little odd.” Right from the beginning, he had not detected any aura of haze. By right, even if the land of haze was hidden underground, it was not possible that they would have no feeling of it at all after they had already traveled down so deeply. He had not even been able to detect a single aura of haze.
“You’ve noticed as well?” Pei Fengwu raised her brows and did not continue to proceed forward.
“Could it be that there was some mistake in the information, and this area is not actually the sacrificial altar that the Ghost Lair is building?” Cai Yan asked.
“Huatian Palace’s information may not necessarily be correct. However, the chances that it is incorrect are not high, unless…” Pei Fengwu’s expression turned ugly. Unless it had been a trap right from the start, and the Ghost Lair had released some fake news on purpose, which would cause them to take the bait. Although it was not easy to bluff Huatian Palace’s intelligence agents, the Ghost Lair was different. They had some very deceptive tactics that could mess with the vision and hearing of the average person. Even though something could have been very obviously fake, they could make one believe it so wholeheartedly, it would be as though they had witnessed it for themselves.
A member of the Fengwu team asked, “So what should we do now?”
“Retreat!” Pei Fengwu said very decisively. Since there was a mistake in the information, it was very possible that the rest of the information was also fake. If it was a trap, it was possible that their entire team would be destroyed. Such a thing was unprecedented in the Huatian Palace.
“You guys are indeed the Executors of the Huatian Palace to be so quick-witted. Since you have already come, you shouldn’t leave.” A weird laugh suddenly rang out within the cave. It resounded continuously and made one’s hair stand on end.
However, the members of the Fengwu team did not seem to care about the weird laughter. One by one, they changed into flashes and dashed out of the cave at a high speed. They were not panicked at all, and they showed no signs of shock as they had very strong personal qualities.
That voice said calmly, “You people of the Huatian Palace really do not know how to learn from your mistakes. You actually still only sent such a small team of people for the mission, and there is not even a single Seven-Stars Executor. Could it be that after being the big brother for many years, you no longer view us as a strong and significant power?”
With his words, the caves in the surroundings began to morph into weird shapes. Hence, the people dashing towards the entrance of the cave all noticed that the scene in front of them had changed. It was as though as they were traveling through a different dimension. They simply vanished from the passageway all of a sudden and had appeared within a huge underground cave.
“This is not good. From the start, we had already entered the enemy’s psychedelic array. That passageway was actually fake.” Pei Fengwu’s expression changed slightly, and she suddenly became alert. Beforehand, the entire process of them running in the passageway was very possibly all an illusion. They had already unknowingly fallen into the Ghost Lair’s psychedelic array.
“Stratagem techniques.” Upon hearing that, each and every one of them inhaled sharply. Although they had been in the Huatian Palace for a long time and had seen quite a number of amazing stratagems, they absolutely lacked the ability to fight against them.
“You all have rather good general knowledge. However, it is a pity that the Huatian Palace is unable to develop each and every one of you into Immortal Cultivators. It is already not bad if two or three are produced this year. Fortunately, because of this limit, your Huatian Palace has become much easier to defeat.”
In the underground cave, a few rays of black light flashed. Three men in black robes suddenly appeared before their eyes. Although there were only three people, each one of their auras was already sufficient to startle someone.
Without exception, the three of them were all in the Golden Elixir realm. An unintended release of their inner Qi was sufficient to kill another ancient martial art practitioner in the Embryonic Breathing realm.
Many of the people from the Fengwu team inhaled a cold breath of air. Just these three people were sufficient to massacre all of them. According to Huatian Palace’s intelligence, there were no masters in the Golden Elixir realm in this area. Even if there were, there should have been only one in the Golden Elixir realm at most. Yet, at the moment, three had already appeared in person.
Mo Wen narrowed his eyes, and it was as though he was not the least bit afraid of the Cultivation of those three people in the Golden Elixir realm. He took the initiative to step forward as he said, all the while fixing his gaze on the three people, “A certain number of Immortal Cultivators can actually be nurtured by the Huatian Palace each year? Immortal Cultivators that are actually nurtured from ancient martial art practitioners!?”
Being able to become an Immortal Cultivator from an ancient martial art practitioner was just too important to him. He had always been pursuing the way of Immortal Cultivation. However, it had never been successful. Even obtaining the inheritance of Ji Wuya was unable to change this fact. Yet, he had now just found out that Huatian Palace could actually nurture Immortal Cultivators from ancient martial art practitioners. With that knowledge, how could he be indifferent?
“You actually don’t know about it?” The man in black robes in the middle looked at Mo Wen oddly before smiling maniacally. “The Huatian Palace has always been very secretive about things. A talented young man like you has the highest chance of being transformed. Yet, you actually have no idea about it whatsoever.
“Lad, although I am not an Immortal Cultivator, nor am I someone from the Huatian Palace, I know that every five years, the Huatian Palace will select a group of exceptional candidates. They will then gain the opportunity of being transformed. The moment they have successfully changed into Immortal Cultivators, it will be a life-changing event. In the future, their talents as an Immortal Cultivator are very amazing, even surpassing the talents that had been Immortal Cultivators from the start. However, it is a pity that each time there are only a few people who are able to pass the test and successfully transform. If not for that fact, we would not have even dared to take on the Huatian Palace as an enemy.”
Those three men in black seemed to have a very good understanding of the Huatian Palace. There were many things in the Huatian Palace that the Executors did not seem to know about. Yet, these men in black knew it like the back of their hands.
“There is really such a thing?” Mo Wen looked over at Pei Fengwu, and a heated look flashed in his eyes. If he was able to be on his way of Immortal Cultivation, with his experience from two lifetimes and Ji Wuya’s inheritance, nobody would ever be able to stop him.
“Yes, but, it is very difficult.” Pei Fengwu had only said a few simple words. From her tone, one could tell just how difficult it was for someone to transform from an ancient martial art practitioner to an Immortal Cultivator.
“Sister Fengwu may not even be successful, so you should just forget about it.” Shangguan Qingyou looked at Mo Wen coldly. He had high aspirations but little ability. Being just in the Embryonic Breathing realm, he had actually dared to covet such a transformation.
“Not only should that lad forget about it, all of you should as well. Today, you will all be dying here. If I can kill a few more of you talents from the Huatian Palace, it would be a great feat. For all I know, this may make my superior so happy that he rewards me with the opportunity to transform into an Immortal Cultivator.”
A man in black robes laughed darkly, and his deep voice circulated through the entire cave. It did not dissipate even after a long time. When it entered one’s ears, it could actually instigate some negative feelings and make one feel absurdly troubled.
When faced with three masters in the Golden Elixir realm, everyone would be killed instantly. Under normal circumstances, they were not even a match for them.
“I will handle them. You guys find a chance to escape.” Pei Fengwu inhaled deeply. Then, she suddenly put on a baby blue-colored pair of gloves. There were layers of glitter glimmering on the gloves, and they looked incredibly beautiful. A very frightening pressure began emanating from that pair of gloves. Just looking at them was sufficient to make one feel fear.
“A profound level weapon!” A stunned look flashed in Mo Wen’s eyes. Those baby blue-colored gloves actually made up a complete set of profound level weapons. It was a treasure that even Immortal Cultivators might not possess, and yet it had appeared in the hands of an ancient martial art practitioner. Even a profound level weapon of the lowest grade was far stronger than a spiritual weapon.
A profound level weapon coupled with Pei Fengwu’s Cultivation made it so that she could basically be unafraid of masters in the Golden Elixir realm.
“Huatian Palace is really generous with whatever they provide you.” One man in black looked at the profound level weapon in Pei Fengwu’s hands with eyes full of greed.
“Not a single one of you should even think of getting out of here alive.” The man in black robes in the center laughed coldly and launched himself at Pei Fengwu. In their eyes, the only person with any abilities at all in defense was Pei Fengwu. Once they managed to kill her off, everyone else would naturally follow.
“Cai Yan, the Huaguang Mirror is with you. You will be in charge of bringing everyone out with you. The moment you break out of the psychedelic array, you can immediately try to escape and pull the distance further. Then, send a signal for help to Huatian Palace,” Pei Fengwu said hurriedly. Then, she began her battle with that man in black. The moment they made contact, a strong wind erupted, and many of the people in the Embryonic Breathing realm could not even stand stably. The fight was truly that intense.