During the battle that night to encircle and slay the Kui Dragon, the mysterious figure had been desperate to save the beast, unleashing lightning arts from afar. The wild thunder had raged violently, almost driving them to a desperate corner.
Qin Sang had first escaped with his life beneath that deluge of lightning, only to be hunted down by Black Snake Mountain cultivators after exposing his identity. With crisis piling upon crisis, he had no choice but to concentrate solely on fleeing. He had been unable to make contact with the mysterious figures, never catching sight of their true faces.
Now, he wondered whether those cultivators who wielded the lightning arts were disciples of Douniu Peak who had been expelled by the Landou Sect. Otherwise, why would they be equally mysterious and hidden from the world?
Back then, the mysterious cultivator had been tricked into revealing his lightning arts by the youth surnamed Fang, only to be trapped and slaughtered by Black Snake Mountain's Beast King Banners. Their fate could hardly have been pleasant—annihilation, or perhaps even a few taken alive.
...
Thoughts continuously churned in Qin Sang's mind as he connected everything he had experienced over this recent period. Still, these were mere conjectures after all; only by seeing their true faces could these suspicions be confirmed.
If it truly was Black Snake Mountain, what was their objective?
Doubts welled in Qin Sang's heart as he thought of the deep pool discovered when the Heavenly Eye Butterfly tracked the gu insect.
At the same time, he was somewhat worried about the Heavenly Eye Butterfly's situation, so he concealed his presence and silently slipped into the Dark Thunder Wood forest.
Just as Qin Sang was rushing over, the banner formation Zhao Songqiao had laid down was steadily corroding Dongming Island's grand formation.
Amidst the strange black smoke, the faint silhouette of a gu insect flitted in and out of sight, darting into the white mist in an attempt to open a passage.
Meanwhile, outside Dongming Island.
On the other side of the entrance, the sea appeared calm and tranquil, with only gentle ripples rising and falling across the surface.
Were a cultivator of sufficient cultivation to approach this spot, they would perceive that the scene here was an illusion, a facade crafted by camouflage.
Within the illusion stood several oddly dressed cultivators.
A mirror hovered above their heads; the illusion was conjured by this very treasure. However, this group clearly had little interest in elaborate disguise, so the illusion was rather crude—just enough to conceal their tracks and avoid being stumbled upon by passersby.
They commanded black banners, forming a banner array identical to the one Zhao Songqiao had laid inside, yet noticeably far more powerful. They were attacking Dongming Island's grand formation with everything they had.
These black banner formations seemed to share a mutual resonance, coordinating from within and without with extraordinary efficiency and uncanny might.
Within the black smoke, it seemed as though ferocious beasts were baring their fangs, charging into the white mist with utter disregard for death.
The surrounding space was tainted by the black smoke, countless streams flowing and turning into sharpest weapons that cleaved through the white mist and shattered the dense runes of the grand formation.
"Hurry!"
The black-robed man—their Second Senior Brother—urged repeatedly, an anxious look on his face.
The others remained silent, not daring to slacken in the slightest.
Eldest Senior Brother had taken only two blood flood dragons with him, confronting so many Core Formation cultivators alone. No one knew how long he could hold out. If First Seat Lu broke free, all their schemes would come to naught.
*Hiss, hiss...*
The black smoke condensed further, growing in power and shifting through a myriad of shapes. Sabers, spears, swords, and halberds materialized in turn, assailing the white mist without pause.
Finally, the white mist grew increasingly faint, the runes shattered, and a passage was about to form.
Inside the grand formation, Zhao Songqiao looked up at this sight, his hands tightly clasped, his gaze conflicted. He seemed hesitant and fearful, the struggle within his heart writ plain across his face.
In the end, he chose to remain.
Having come this far, there was no turning back.
*Boom!*
A muffled crash startled Zhao Songqiao, making him snap his head up.
The white mist was finally pierced through by the black smoke. Immediately afterward, several figures filed out, landing before him with soft whooshes.
Zhao Songqiao felt a tremor of fear; the terrifying auras exuded by these people filled him with dread.
Then he finally caught sight of that familiar figure, and hope rekindled in his eyes. Not daring to look at any of the others, he hurried over to the man and fell to his knees. "Junior pays respects to Senior Xue and all seniors."
This person was none other than the shopkeeper surnamed Xue from Tianxing City.
He looked toward the black-robed man. The black-robed man surveyed the surroundings and nodded. "This is indeed the Dark Thunder Wood forest. The Lightning Cavern lies beneath the earth. You did well, junior."
Shopkeeper Xue smiled faintly and said, "Rise. It seems you truly did your best. Take these things and wait outside for now. Cultivate diligently hereafter. Xue and your ancestor were once as close as brothers; I would not want to see his lineage end with no successor."
With that, Shopkeeper Xue tossed a jade bottle to Zhao Songqiao, inside of which lay several medicinal pills.
Zhao Songqiao's eyes sparkled with brilliant light. Overcome with excitement, he clutched the jade bottle tightly, his hands trembling.
"Alright, head to the Lightning Cavern quickly. Tenth Junior Brother cannot maintain the banner formation for too long. Though we obtained the jade talisman from the Douniu Peak outcasts, no one knows whether the Landou Sect has altered the restrictions on the Lightning Cavern. It might take some effort..."
Under the black-robed man's urging, the group followed the gu insect and headed straight for the deep pool.
Shopkeeper Xue glanced back, watching Zhao Songqiao depart through the black smoke passage.
Noticing his glance, the black-robed man remarked indifferently, "Rest assured, Junior Brother Xue. I have already instructed Tenth Junior Brother. Since Zhao Songqiao rendered great service, he will only erase his memories of this recent period and spare his life. After all, Master once said this item is of immense importance, perhaps an exotic treasure of the Witch Clan. If word leaked, it could invite disaster upon our Black Snake Mountain. Junior Brother Xue should understand."
Shopkeeper Xue's heart tightened, and he quickly explained, "I understand, Senior Brother. I was merely reminiscing about the days when his ancestor and I supported each other, feeling a bit sentimental."
The black-robed man made no comment on that, continuing, "Clear rewards and penalties are the rules set down by Master. This applies not only to Zhao Songqiao, but to you as well, Junior Brother. Although Fourth Junior Brother unfortunately met with an accident, I am well aware of the contributions you made to the sect, and I have long since reported them to Master. Once we return to the mountain, Master will bestow your reward."
"Thank you, Second Senior Brother!"
The worry lurking deep in Shopkeeper Xue's eyes eased somewhat.
Although the Dark Thunder Wood forest covered a vast expanse, to the flight speed of Core Formation cultivators, the distance was nothing. Even as they spoke, they had already arrived before the deep pool.
The gu insect let out a drone and flew into the black-robed man's robes.
The black-robed man flashed to the edge of the pool, divine light blazing in his eyes as he peered into its depths.
Then, a small jade talisman appeared in his palm at some point. His lips moved in a silent incantation, and he raised his hand, striking the jade talisman into the pool.
As the jade talisman entered the water, a whirlpool abruptly formed on the surface.
*Splash!*
The vortex grew larger and larger. Just as a look of delight appeared on the black-robed man's face, it froze.
At the bottom of the pool, the stone steps that should have been there did not appear.
"It really has been altered!"
The black-robed man's gaze darkened.
The others crowded forward, staring into the pool. Someone spoke up: "The jade talisman is still effective, which means the previous restriction hasn't changed—an additional layer of restriction has merely been placed on top."
The black-robed man nodded. "It seems we have no choice but to alert them. We can only break the restriction by brute force. Bring out the Beast King Banners, form the array, and make it quick!"
"Understood!"
Obeying the order, everyone produced their respective Beast King Banners.
Their cultivation levels varied, as did the number of Beast King Banners they controlled. Added together, they had fewer than eighty-one banners, but their power was still not to be underestimated.
Chapter 901