Chapter Sixteen: The Plan to Break the Formation
As dawn approached, the mist outside the cave dwelling seemed to thicken, carrying a bone-chilling cold and a faint, lingering stench.
Lin Chen and Yún Qiǎnyuè sat opposite each other. On the stone slab between them, Lin Chen used his finger as a brush, relying on his 'perceive essence' and memory of the terrain, to sketch a rough map of the Black Wind Mountain Range. It highlighted the valley where they were, the Bewildering Stone Forest, and the dangerous area Yún Qiǎnyuè knew might harbor the 'Crimson Sun Vermilion Fruit'—the Wailing Wind Ravine.
"We can't stay trapped here forever," Lin Chen's fingertip pointed to the location of the Wailing Wind Ravine. "Your injuries require the Crimson Sun Vermilion Fruit, and the Netherworld Palace's plot must be stopped. Waiting to die will only make the situation worse."
Yún Qiǎnyuè gazed at the map, her expression grave on her pale face. "Fellow Daoist Lin speaks the truth. However... the Wailing Wind Ravine is located deep within the mountain range, close to the legendary Netherworld Rift. It must be incredibly dangerous. In our current state, especially with my injuries, venturing there rashly would be a near-certain death."
"Therefore, we need a plan, and we must improve our strength as much as possible," Lin Chen's gaze was sharp. "First, we must eliminate the 'eyes' outside that are monitoring us and find a way to weaken the Netherworld Palace's power here. Only by knowing ourselves and our enemy can we find a glimmer of hope."
He looked at Yún Qiǎnyuè. "Miss Yun, how much spiritual power can you mobilize now? What is the specific effect of your 'Cloud Mist World Purifying Formula' against demon creatures and Netherworld Qi?"
Yún Qiǎnyuè sensed her body slightly and replied earnestly, "I can mobilize about one-tenth of my peak spiritual power. As for the 'Cloud Mist World Purifying Formula'…" She extended her slender jade fingers, and a wisp of pure, gentle spiritual power, akin to moonlight, slowly condensed at her fingertips. Though faint, it carried an awe-inspiring, unyielding power of purification.
"The spiritual power of this formula is extremely pure and certainly has a suppressive effect on Netherworld evil energy. When fully unleashed, it can purify a small area of Netherworld Qi or interfere with and weaken low-level demon creatures and the evil techniques of Netherworld Palace cultivators. However, if the opponent's strength far surpasses mine, or if the Netherworld Qi is too dense, the effect will be greatly reduced." She frankly stated her limitations without exaggeration.
Lin Chen carefully observed the wisp of moonlight-like spiritual power. His Causality Vision and perceive essence could clearly 'see' that the structure of this spiritual power had some similarities with the nascent form of his own 'Primordial Qi,' both containing a power of 'order' and 'life force.' However, its level and purity were far inferior to his Primordial Qi. What Xīng Xuán said about them 'complementing each other' might not be mere talk.
"One-tenth of spiritual power, combined with the purifying effect, is enough," Lin Chen had a plan in mind. "We don't need to fight them head-on. My methods are good at precise elimination and stealth, while your spiritual power can be used for purification and interference, creating opportunities."
He pointed to several spots on the periphery of the Bewildering Stone Forest on the map. "Based on the routes of the demon creature attacks and the traces of causality, I infer that those positions are very likely to be hiding low-level Netherworld Palace disciples or relatively intelligent demon creatures responsible for monitoring and guiding the demon creatures. Let's work together to remove these obstacles first. This will not only cut off their eyes and ears but also allow us to gather intelligence, and perhaps find some supplies for healing or recovery."
His plan was clear and practical, not a blind rush.
Yún Qiǎnyuè's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of light. Lin Chen's calmness and strategy put her considerably at ease. "Good! I will follow your plan, Daoist. When shall we act?"
"The sooner, the better. Just as the sky is about to lighten but hasn't yet, when the mist is thickest, and their vigilance might be slightly lowered," Lin Chen said decisively. "You prepare yourself briefly, and we will depart immediately."
A moment later, the two quietly arrived at the entrance of the cave dwelling. Lin Chen once again employed the 'conceal form and aura' technique, his aura merging with the surrounding environment. Yún Qiǎnyuè also did her best to conceal her aura. Though not skilled in this art, her cultivation foundation was still present, allowing her to achieve basic concealment.
Lin Chen observed through a crack for a moment and nodded slightly to Yún Qiǎnyuè.
The two, like two phantoms, slipped out of the cave dwelling soundlessly and merged into the shadows of the dense mist and strange rocks.
Guided by Lin Chen's divine Causality Vision and perceive essence, they perfectly avoided the lingering formation traps within the Bewildering Stone Forest and several roving low-level demon creatures. Like hunters in the dark night, they silently closed in on their first target.
It was a black-robed figure lurking beneath a rock formation resembling an eagle's beak. Their cultivation was around the early Foundation Establishment stage, with a faint Netherworld Death Qi enveloping them. They were using a bone mirror-like magical artifact to monitor the movements towards the entrance of the Bewildering Stone Forest.
Lin Chen transmitted his voice to Yún Qiǎnyuè, "I will handle the swift kill. You prepare to purify any Netherworld Qi and soul fluctuations that might dissipate after their death, preventing disturbance to other beings."
Yún Qiǎnyuè nodded solemnly, the moonlight-like spiritual power at her fingertips flowing quietly.
Lin Chen's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the core node connecting the black-robed figure's Dantian and sea of consciousness—the pivot point for a cultivator's energy circulation. He formed a sword with two fingers, and that wisp of faint Primordial Qi condensed again at his fingertip, transforming into an intangible, formless wave that struck directly at the source, pointing out from a distance!
"Swoosh!"
The black-robed figure's body stiffened abruptly. Before the look of horror and disbelief could even surface in their eyes, the Netherworld power within them instantly dissipated, and their consciousness plunged into eternal darkness. They didn't even have time to issue any warning.
Just as their body was about to collapse, and the residual Netherworld Qi and soul were about to dissipate instinctively—
Yún Qiǎnyuè acted! She flicked her finger, and that wisp of moonlight spiritual power rippled outwards, gently enveloping the black-robed figure's collapsing body. The pure purifying power swept over, and the dissipating Netherworld Qi melted away like ice and snow. Even the fluctuations of their residual soul were quietly smoothed and purified, without causing any disturbance.
The entire process was silent and executed cleanly.
Lin Chen stepped forward and quickly searched the black-robed figure, finding some sinister talismans, several bottles of pills for restoring Netherworld Qi, and the bone mirror magical artifact. He handed the artifact to Yún Qiǎnyuè. "See if you can obtain any information from it."
Yún Qiǎnyuè took the bone mirror and attempted to activate it with her meager spiritual power. After the mirror surface flickered and blurred, it actually displayed several faint points of light flashing in other directions around the periphery of the Bewildering Stone Forest.
"These are... the locations of other watchers!" Yún Qiǎnyuè exclaimed.
Lin Chen's lips curved slightly. "Excellent. We'll follow the map and eliminate them one by one."
Over the next hour, the two cooperated with increasing synergy. Lin Chen was responsible for precisely eliminating Netherworld Palace disciples or low-level demon creature leaders at each surveillance point with minimal energy expenditure. Yún Qiǎnyuè, on the other hand, was responsible for perfect 'clean-up' work, using the Cloud Mist World Purifying Formula to purify all traces and fluctuations.
Her spiritual power, through repeated use and perhaps due to the close proximity to the nascent form of Lin Chen's life-force-infused Primordial Qi, seemed to become slightly more agile and pure.
As the last surveillance point was cleared, a sliver of fish-belly white appeared on the eastern horizon.
The two returned to the vicinity of the cave dwelling, not rushing to enter. Lin Chen looked at the Netherworld-attribute pills and materials, useless to them, which he had confiscated from those Netherworld Palace disciples, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Perhaps we can prepare a 'grand gift' for that 'commander' hiding in the shadows."
(End of Chapter Sixteen)