Chapter Seventy-Seven: Peril Encountered

Xu Zhong and his companions raced wildly, the waves surging behind them, clouds rolling across the sky, the heavens themselves in upheaval. They dared not look back, only focusing on fleeing with all their might.

Behind them, a legion of bean soldiers followed, banners fluttering as thousands upon thousands of troops thundered in pursuit. Unable to identify Xu Zhong among them, this army had deemed all cultivators targets. Thus, tens of thousands of bean soldiers of the Five Luminaries realm hunted down the cultivators of the Guarding One, Preserving Truth, and even the Conveying Thing realms.

These cultivators, like Xu Zhong and his group, did not dare turn their heads. The bean soldiers' morale grew ever stronger, until, in the sky, a colossal guillotine formed, hundreds of feet long, brimming with endless murderous intent. Its presence conjured floating skulls in the void.

In an instant, the guillotine descended from the heavens. Thunderous roars echoed as the entire steppe was cleaved, creating a chasm a hundred feet long and more than ten feet wide. Under its blade, countless cultivators were stripped of flesh and soul, their essence rising as scarlet mist.

Such awe-inspiring might terrified some cultivators, making their souls flee in panic; some even burned their vital blood to hasten their escape. From day into night they ran, finally shaking off the bean soldiers and leaping into a dense forest.

Within the woods, trees grew thick, paths crisscrossed in nine vertical and six horizontal rows, the terrain perfect for resisting formation assaults. The secret realm’s powerful auras constantly clashed, rippling across the sky; one could sense if battle had ended merely by feeling these waves.

The five of them walked within the forest, their internal energy nearly exhausted. Gathering together, Li Feiyu distributed elixirs to restore their strength.

Phosphorescent flames flickered, trailing behind each person, stirred by their movement. Above, crows cawed sharply, while the evening wind carried the persistent scent of blood.

"These bean soldiers are truly troublesome," Tang Yuan said bitterly. "They’re not strong individually, but their formations let them surround and kill us. If only I wasn’t afraid of exposing myself, I’d deal with them myself."

"Don’t boast," Fang Yuan replied, annoyed. "Those bean soldiers are at their peak now; that guillotine they formed was almost stronger than a full-powered strike from a Conveying Thing realm cultivator."

"If we turned back, we’d surely be easily surrounded and captured by them."

Li Feiyu hurried to mediate, then looked at Xu Zhong. "The reason they keep chasing us is probably because Brother Xu knows where its heart lies, isn’t it?"

The others looked at Xu Zhong; clearly, they too had seen Wei Yan’s mirror reveal the massive heart and heard his words.

"I’ve dragged you all into this," Xu Zhong said helplessly. "We should part ways here. Without me, you’ll be safer; those bean soldiers won’t chase you relentlessly."

He stood to leave.

"No one wants you to go," Yun Yong stopped him. "We’re all in the same boat. Without you, we wouldn’t have escaped the cauldron; in the end, we’d be devoured by it or by Wei Yan."

Their fate had been sealed from the very moment they landed.

Yet Yun Yong could not understand—before they set out, his sister had divined his fortune, and his luck was supposed to be at its zenith. How had they fallen to such a state?

"It wasn’t me saving you," Xu Zhong replied with conviction. "I was saving myself. But now, it is indeed because of me that disaster has befallen you; I ought to leave."

Yun Yong looked at Fang Yuan and the others. "Do you all feel the same?"

Li Feiyu remained silent, Fang Yuan’s face was full of indecision, and after pondering, Tang Yuan said, "We came together, so naturally we should leave together."

He stood, looking at Li Feiyu and Fang Yuan. "At this point, there’s no need to argue about meaningless things. Let’s focus on our journey."

"Yes, yes, let’s keep moving," Fang Yuan said, dusting off her sleeves and slowly rising.

Yun Yong, expressionless, looked at Li Feiyu. "What about you?"

Li Feiyu paused, then said, "Let’s keep moving."

In silence, they walked for an hour.

The canopy grew sparse, the moon above ever clearer. Moonlight spilled onto the ground; small monsters in the miasma blinked sleepily at them, then closed their eyes again, seemingly uninterested.

They crossed a boundless, leafless plain. In the distance, cicadas and frogs chirped, mingled with the cries of infants—chilling to hear.

"Something feels off," Tang Yuan shivered, glancing back frequently. On his shoulder, a damp child’s handprint appeared, shrouded in ominous energy.

"It’s exactly as it should be," Yun Yong smiled knowingly. "Ahead is a swamp, likely a gathering place for Gu Carvings. Their cries sound like infants weeping."

"Gu Carvings prey on those who are alone. If someone gets separated, they’re eaten. Did you all hear the child-like cries?"

Everyone nodded.

He pointed at the handprint on Tang Yuan’s shoulder. "That’s it. The Gu Carvings have marked us. The handprint comes from a Succubus."

"Gu Carvings eat people, and over time, the lingering obsessions of their victims coalesce into a type of demon called a Succubus, which drags people into dreams, torments and devours them. Your vital energy is strong, like a furnace; such people are the Succubus’s favorites."

The group was stunned.

"Don’t worry. Gu Carvings love to eat people, but are cowardly. As long as we don’t get separated, we’ll be fine," Yun Yong reassured.

Yet his words did little to ease their anxiety.

"And the Succubus?" Fang Yuan asked, trembling. Her hair was damp, and a pale, small hand wandered over her face.

"The Succubus has no physical form; its magic lulls you to sleep, kills you in the dream, then devours your flesh. As long as you don’t sleep, it’s not a problem," Yun Yong said, brushing the Succubus off—it dispersed like smoke.

"You haven’t encountered these before because you’ve never been to such places. You probably train in your families’ secret realms?"

They nodded.

"Family secret realms usually foster combat skills and coping abilities, so the monsters there are controllable, not overly dangerous," Yun Yong smiled. "Now’s a good time to broaden your horizons."

"When I was ten, my sister threw me into the wilds. The first time I met Gu Carvings and their companion monsters, I was terrified. Later, I found they’re very timid; if they see more people than themselves, they flee with their tails tucked."

"As long as our group is large enough, we’ll be safe." He looked at Li Feiyu.

Li Feiyu caught his meaning, met Yun Yong’s gaze, and whispered, "What if there are more Gu Carvings than us?"

Yun Yong’s smile faltered, his gaze sweeping the swamp.

The black swamp bubbled with poisonous frogs and insects, croaking incessantly. Eight Gu Carvings rose, their eyes glowing red, locking onto them.

The horns atop their heads flickered with blue ghost fire; their growls sent chills through the air.

"Don’t panic. Whatever happens, don’t run. Walk boldly; they’re cowardly, and we must not show weakness."

"In places like this, those who walk the night are not to be trifled with—even monsters know this. As long as we show no fear, we’ll be fine!"

Yun Yong straightened his back and strode forward, singing loudly at the edge of the swamp, lingering for a moment.

Xu Zhong followed, cautious, summoning a shield of True Primordial Water, with the Violet Jade Gourd ready. He stepped in Yun Yong’s tracks, and the others matched his pace.

The Gu Carvings stood tall from the swamp, waist-high, sharp fangs bared, exuding demon wind and robust energy. Li Feiyu discerned their cultivation—each was above the Guarding One realm, with even one at the Conveying Thing realm.

Sweating, they pressed on, singing to mask their pounding hearts, feeling as if their hearts were stuck in their throats, nausea suppressed by their vital energy.

The Gu Carvings did not move, nor did they shift positions.

One Gu Carving suddenly leaped out, blocking Xu Zhong’s path.

It seemed to sense Yun Yong’s genuine fearlessness, while Xu Zhong and the others were less so.

But as it appeared, Xu Zhong kicked it aside, sneering, "Mindless creature."

Tang Yuan, closest, could see Xu Zhong’s sweat-soaked tunic—clearly, he was afraid too.

The Gu Carving landed, howling. Xu Zhong’s eyes flashed with ferocity; he summoned the Violet Jade Gourd, and sword-light surged forth. Sword intent radiated from him, strengthening his aura, weakening the Gu Carving, which then retreated into the swamp.

The other Gu Carvings followed suit.

With the monsters gone, they relaxed. Yet before they could catch their breath, Xu Zhong shook his head and pressed onwards; the others followed, not daring to lag behind.

After leaving the swamp and walking another hundred feet, Yun Yong finally stopped, collapsed to the ground, gasping for air, and the others did the same.

At that moment, moonlight flickered in the mist, and sleepiness swept over them. The Succubus seized his face, cackling sharply; Fang Yuan and Tang Yuan had already fallen, Succubi perched on their shoulders and heads, snuffing out their inner fire, tails slipping into their ears.

Unable to resist, Yun Yong too drifted into sleep.

His mood soared and plummeted, his Dao heart flawed, the Succubus planting a dream demon within.

"My fate is sealed!" Yun Yong sighed, then slipped into unconsciousness.

Before sleep claimed him, he saw Gu Carvings emerge from the swamp, their crimson eyes locked onto their scent, claws outstretched as they crept closer.

His vision blurred, but before his eyes closed, he saw Xu Zhong unaffected, as if chains surged endlessly from Xu Zhong’s spiritual center.