378: Chapter 378 Crimson Armor and the Uninvited Invitation

The three of them walked along the northern edge of the Dragon Spine Mountain Range for about half a day. The changes in the surrounding terrain were visible to the naked eye; the color of the land transitioned from yellowish-brown to a deeper dark red. The cracks in the ground became denser, and thin wisps of black Evil Qi occasionally seeped out from the fissures, carrying a sweet, metallic, rusty scent—a sign that the Evil Qi from deep underground was permeating upward along the Dragon Vein.

Zhao Tian walked for a while, frowned, and reached out to press his chest.

"Junior Martial Uncle, the concentration of Evil Qi here is much higher than at that market town. Is this the outer perimeter of the Blood-Vein Canyon?"

Ye Qingyao took a jade bottle from her sleeve and poured out a Medicinal Pill.

"There are a few Pulse-Protecting Pills left. Take one. At this concentration of Evil Qi, staying here for too long will damage your Meridians."

Zhao Tian took it, asked no questions, swallowed it immediately, and smacked his lips.

Ye Qingyao put the jade bottle back into her sleeve and looked at Su Changge.

Su Changge stood there without reaching out.

Ye Qingyao held the jade bottle, looked at him, paused for two breaths, then put the bottle away again without saying anything further.

She knew that this Revered Master was never interested in such protective Medicinal Pills. In previous instances where Spiritual Qi was dense or Evil Qi was pervasive, he had never shown any discomfort, as if these things were no different from ordinary air to him.

Su Changge stood there with a calm expression.

[I am definitely uncomfortable.]

[It's not that I'm not affected by the Evil Qi; I'm a high school student. My lungs have nowhere near the tolerance of a Cultivator for this stuff. I'm just enduring it, not letting it show on my face. A Medicinal Pill would be too conspicuous, and it would be hard to explain if someone saw it. My current persona is that of a "Master Return to Simplicity who needs nothing." If a Master takes a Pulse-Protecting Pill, the persona collapses.]

[But Ye Qingyao didn't give me a chance to explain. She assumed I didn't need it naturally and just put it away.]

[…Forget it, I'll just endure it.]

He steadied his expression and focused his attention on the terrain ahead.

The direction of the Blood-Vein Canyon was in the middle of the northern section of the Dragon Spine Mountain Range. From the perimeter, one could only see a long, narrow, dark strip between two mountain walls. Looking from afar, the sky over that area was shrouded in a thin layer of dark red; that was a layer of accumulation formed by a large amount of Evil Qi gathering in the air all year round. The sunlight, passing through that layer, refracted into a gloomy, blood-colored light, coating the entire region in an unpleasant hue.

Zhao Tian took one look and said in a low voice.

"That place… looks quite troublesome to deal with."

Ye Qingyao replied.

"The Blood-Vein Dragon Demon Tu Lie has entrenched himself in the Blood-Vein Canyon for many years. Using the Evil Qi of the Dragon Vein as his Foundation, he Cultivates the Dao of the Blood Vein. There are multiple trap formations built inside the canyon. If an ordinary Tribulation Transcendence Stage Cultivator were to enter rashly, nine times out of ten, they wouldn't come out."

Zhao Tian's pace slowed down silently by a fraction.

The three stopped to rest beside a wind-sheltered stone hill. Ye Qingyao took out a map, spread it on the stone hill, pointed to several marked locations, and spoke to Su Changge.

"These are the approximate ranges of the four major forces confirmed so far. The Blood-Vein Canyon is in the north, the Profound Water Dragon Swamp is in the south, the Mountain-Breaking Ancient Fortress is in the west, and the Withered Vein Ancient Cave is the most hidden, roughly inside the mountains to the southeast. Currently, its specific location cannot be confirmed."

Su Changge leaned over to look at the map, his gaze shifting between those markings, but he remained silent.

Zhao Tian leaned in, took a look, and pointed at the marking for the Blood-Vein Canyon.

"Are we closest to this one?"

Ye Qingyao nodded.

"We are currently about forty miles from the northern entrance of the Blood-Vein Canyon. If we continue along the northern edge, we will reach the edge of the outer perimeter tonight. We need to decide whether to bypass it or approach it."

Su Changge pressed down on the corner of the map, straightened his body, and looked at the dark red sky in the distance.

He did not speak to say whether to bypass or approach, because before this multiple-choice question could even be answered, the answer had delivered itself to their doorstep.

The commotion came from the southwest. The sound of footsteps arrived first—rhythmic and heavy. More than a dozen people were marching across the wasteland, wearing uniforms of blood-red armor. The scales of the armor shimmered with a dark red metallic luster in the gloomy daylight. Several people in the middle had long sabers hanging at their waists, while those behind carried spear-like weapons. Their auras were uniform—all were above the Nascent Soul Stage. The person in the lead walked the slowest, yet his aura was the heaviest; his Soul Transformation Stage cultivation was pressed upon him, steadily radiating outward.

The group approached and stopped about twenty paces in front of Su Changge and the others. The leading Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator stepped forward, stood still, scanned the three of them, paused his gaze on Su Changge, and then spoke in an arrogant tone, carrying a habitual, condescending posture.

"Are the distinguished guests visiting from outside the region before me?"

Su Changge did not speak.

The Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator took this as an admission. He raised his hand, flicked his sleeve downward, his movement carrying the casualness of someone accustomed to giving orders.

"My Master, the Blood-Vein Dragon Demon Tu Lie, had long heard that a Master from outside the region had descended upon the Dragon Vein Ancient Continent. He specially dispatched me to invite you, Senior, to the Blood-Vein Canyon for a chat. My Master said that today's invitation is extended with courtesy; food and wine are prepared in the canyon, and I ask that you, Senior, honor us with your presence."

While he spoke, the dozen or so Cultivators in blood-red armor stood quietly in place. They did not surround them, but their positions were not unintentional; they just happened to create a subtle sense of oppression between Su Changge and his group and their path of retreat.

Zhao Tian stood behind and to the side of Su Changge. His pupils contracted slightly, his Divine Sense swept through the positions of those people, and he pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Ye Qingyao stood beside Su Changge, her gaze fixed on the Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator. Her expression remained calm, but something was working in her eyes—she was making a judgment.

Su Changge stood there and sized up the Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator.

[Here it comes.]

[This is faster than I expected. The incident at that market town must have spread long ago. Tu Lie's people were prepared, waiting here, or they have been tracking us for some time. They chose this moment to speak; the timing was selected.]

["Extended with courtesy," "food and wine are prepared in the canyon"—in this context, this is just an invitation to a Hongmen Banquet, only wrapped up more decently so that it's hard for you to refuse directly.]

[Ye Qingyao is at the Mahayana Stage; these people can't touch her. But their goal is to get us into the canyon. The canyon is Tu Lie's home turf: Tribulation Transcendence Stage Middle Stage, blood-vein trap formations, Evil Qi, Dragon Vein…]

[This is a fire pit, plain and simple.]

The Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator waited for a moment. Seeing that Su Changge did not answer immediately, his expression remained unchanged, and he raised his hand in a gesture of invitation.

"Senior, my Master has been waiting in the canyon for a long time. Please."

Su Changge shifted his gaze from him to Ye Qingyao's profile and looked at her for two breaths.

Ye Qingyao did not avoid that gaze. She turned her head, and the two looked at each other for a moment. Her eyes said something—without any sound, but it was very clear.

This is an opportunity to figure out their background.

Su Changge received that look, looked back at the Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator, was silent for three breaths, and then spoke.

"Lead the way."

Four words, landing steadily.

A flicker appeared in the Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator's eyes. That flicker was not surprise, but satisfaction. He bowed, performed a salute, and raised his hand to gesture forward.

"Please."

Zhao Tian reached out from behind and gently tugged on Su Changge's sleeve, his voice lowered to the absolute minimum, audible only to Su Changge.

"Junior Martial Uncle, are we really going?"

Su Changge did not turn back; he stepped forward.

Zhao Tian stared at his back for two breaths, then followed. He suppressed the entire speech of persuasion that had reached his lips, leaving only one thought in his heart.

It's over.