36: Chapter 36 Nighttime Investigation of Black Wind, Shadow Puppet Appears

Report to the Sect? There was not enough time, and his status was too low; his words would be hard to believe, and he would more likely be detained as a spy or scout. Besides, he did not know which people in the Sect were Chen Mo's people.

Lie low and wait? Once the demon abyss sword broke its seal or was summoned, the heavens and earth would change color. With his current cultivation, nowhere would be safe.

Only by taking the initiative and tracking them down would he have a chance to snatch chestnuts from the fire in the midst of the Chaos, or at the very least, see the enemy's true strength.

Lin Ye hesitated no longer and immediately communicated with the bone ring 'bone ring' on his right hand.

He focused his mind into the ring, attempting to perceive the faint connection to the mystic yin true water vein in the dark.

At first, he could only feel a piece of Chaos, as well as the faint water vapor underground in the area where he was.

He patiently guided it, injecting the cold spiritual power of the Ice Soul Sword Art into the bone ring, while recalling the aura of the true water he had felt at the Ice Eye and in the Inner Chamber.

Gradually, an extremely blurry, intermittent "water vein flow map" emerged in his perception. With the Xuanyuan Cave Abode as the core, several thick or thin "water flow" imageries extended in all directions. Among them, the flow direction of the thickest and deepest colored one (representing the main vein of mystic yin true water) showed a clear, abnormal "clogging" and "turbulent" fluctuation in a certain direction, as if it were being forcibly interfered with and seized by something.

In that direction, the color of the water vein imagery also leaned towards being gloomy, carrying a trace of… familiar cold Evil Qi (which was of the same origin as the demon abyss sword and the "Shadow" token)!

"That's it! Black Wind Valley!" Lin Ye opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a knife.

He took the last Rejuvenation Pill, adjusting his state to the best (although his left shoulder still felt a dull pain), changed into a relatively clean black tight-fitting outfit found from Liu Xiong's skin bag (which was slightly too large), and simply disguised his face with mud and leaves.

Then, taking advantage of the night, like the most vigilant Ye Xiao, he slunk toward the direction of the abnormal water vein fluctuations.

The back mountain under the night was fraught with crises.

Lin Ye operated his Qi Concealment Technique to the limit, combined with his body control from the Mystic Jade Body, moving through the dense forest and scattered rocks without a sound. The ancient ring "ancient ring" on his left hand vibrated slightly, helping him avoid areas emitting dense Demonic Qi or Evil Qi in advance.

The bone ring "bone ring" acted like a compass, continuously guiding the direction.

The closer he got to the target, the colder and more chilling the water vapor in the air became, mixed with a trace of faint, heart-palpitating Evil Qi. The surrounding vegetation also appeared abnormally withered and twisted.

An hour later, he lay on the edge of a steep cliff, looking down.

Below was a valley shrouded in faint black mist. The valley entrance was narrow, shaped like a gourd. The valley was filled with jagged rocks, and there were faint flickers of fire and silhouettes moving about. From deeper within, a low and rhythmic humming sound, as if countless people were chanting, came forth, along with a teeth-grinding "clack-clack" sound, as if metal and iron were rubbing against each other.

"Black Wind Valley... this must be it." Lin Ye held his breath, pressing his body tightly into the shadows of the cliff wall.

He strained his eyes, mobilizing a trace of spiritual power to enhance his vision, and observed carefully.

There were shadowy figures patrolling the valley entrance, all dressed in black, moving silently. Their cultivation was roughly at the fourth to sixth level of Qi Refining, numbering about seven or eight. From the inconspicuous markings on their leather armor, it was exactly the abstract Puppet pattern from the "Shadow" token — the Yinkui Sect!

Deep in the valley, where the black mist was thickest, a vaguely visible altar-like structure was set up, with several black banners inserted on it, swaying in the wind. Around the altar sat more than a dozen figures, covered in black robes, their faces unclear. They were forming seals with their hands and muttering incantations; the low chanting sound came from them.

And in the center of the altar, a blurry black phantom about a zhang high was floating! The phantom twisted constantly, emitting a nauseating, cold aura and... Evil Qi of the same origin as the demon abyss sword, but even more mixed!

"Shadow Puppet?" Lin Ye recalled the information in the token. It seemed this was the "summoning" method prepared by the Yinkui Sect.

What shocked Lin Ye even more was that behind the altar, on the rock wall of the valley, a rough entrance had been chiseled out. The entrance was deep, with the sound of water faintly coming from it, and the water vapor contained the pure aura of mystic yin true water!

There seemed to be a passage leading to the main vein (or at least an important branch) of the mystic yin true water! The Yinkui Sect had actually found this place and chiseled an entrance!

Their plan was likely to use this water vein passage, combined with the altar and the "Shadow Puppet", to summon the power of the demon abyss sword that was about to break its seal, or even... directly guide a portion of the power after the demon abyss sword broke its seal for their own use!

Time, the third quarter of the Zi hour (11:45 PM) was almost here!

The chanting around the altar became more urgent, and the black "Shadow Puppet" phantom became more solid, the suction force it emitted becoming stronger. The surrounding black mist and Evil Qi gathered toward it like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

And the water vapor at the rock wall entrance also fluctuated violently, with a rumbling sound of water faintly coming from it, as if something was churning deep inside.

He could not wait any longer!

Lin Ye's brain raced.

Force his way in? That was courting death.

Report it? Too late.

Then, there was only one way — destroy it! Disrupt their ritual as much as possible!

His gaze fell on the Yinkui Sect Disciples patrolling the valley entrance, and then he looked at the black-robed people sitting around the altar chanting, seemingly unprepared (they should be the core figures hosting the ritual, their cultivation might be higher).

A bold plan took shape in his mind.

He carefully retreated from the edge of the cliff and circled to a place on the side of the valley where the black mist was relatively thin and close to the rock wall.

Then, from the ancient ring space, he took out the discarded leopard horn that still had the strong aura of the Blood Shadow Leopard and the Evil Qi of the demon abyss sword.

This thing was now an excellent "bait" and "bomb"!

He first threw the leopard horn hard toward the other side of the valley, away from the altar and the entrance.

The leopard horn tore through the night sky, carrying a strong alien aura (Yao Beast Evil Qi + demon abyss sword Evil Qi), and crashed into a pile of rocks in the distance, making a loud noise.

"Who is it?!"

"There's movement!"

The patrolling Disciples at the valley entrance were immediately alarmed, and four of them separated to search carefully in the direction of the sound.

This was exactly what Lin Ye wanted!

Taking advantage of the moment when the valley entrance guards were sparse and the attention of those at the altar was slightly distracted, he moved like a ghost, from the side where the black mist was thin, hugging the rock wall, and silently snuck into the valley!

With his Qi Concealment Technique fully activated and his cold spiritual power restrained, he was like a shadow, quickly approaching the altar.

His target was not the altar itself, nor those black-robed people, but... the black banners inserted around the altar that looked inconspicuous but were constantly gathering black mist and Evil Qi!

These banners were likely the key to maintaining the "Shadow Puppet" phantom and the ritual!

Approaching within about ten zhang, he could already clearly see the twisted runes and the Puppet pattern drawn on the banners.

He could not get any closer, otherwise, he would definitely be detected.

He stopped, hiding behind a giant rock, and raised his right hand. His fingertips condensed a wisp of highly compressed, light blue Qi energy that fused the cold spiritual power of the Ice Soul Sword Art with a wisp of pure Evil Qi from the ancient ring "ancient ring".

Then, aiming at the base of the flagpole of the banner closest to him, which also had the densest gathering of black mist, he flicked his finger!

Swish!

The light blue Qi energy, as thin as an ox hair, shot out silently, accurately hitting the connection between the flagpole and the ground!

The energy mixed with coldness and Evil Qi clashed violently with the Yin Evil power of the banner itself!

Bang!

That black banner shook violently, and the black mist flowing on the flag surface suddenly became chaotic, emitting a low explosion sound. Although the flagpole did not break, the gathered black mist clearly stalled!

"Hmm?" On the altar, a sitting black-robed person suddenly looked up, two cold lights shooting out from under the hood, sweeping toward the giant rock where Lin Ye was hiding!

He had been discovered!

The black-robed person's cultivation was at least at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, and his spiritual sense was sharp!

Lin Ye did not hesitate. The moment he flicked the Qi energy, he had already retreated rapidly to the side and back. At the same time, he raised his left hand and threw another item — Liu Xiong's black "Shadow" token — hard toward the "Shadow Puppet" phantom condensing in the center of the altar!

The token cut through the air, carrying Lin Ye's own faint aura—which had just refined the token—and shot toward the Shadow Puppet!

"Audacious!" The black-robed person shouted angrily and raised his hand, striking a black light toward the token.

But the token had already touched the edge of the Shadow Puppet phantom.

Hum!

The Shadow Puppet phantom seemed to react to the aura on the token, fluctuating violently, and the process of absorbing the black mist and Evil Qi was interrupted!

The ritual of the entire altar experienced a moment of stagnation and Chaos!

"There's an intruder! Catch him!" More black-robed people stood up, their cold gazes locking onto the direction of Lin Ye's escape.

And at the rock wall entrance, the rumbling water sound intensified suddenly, as if stimulated by the ritual's Chaos, something was about to surge out ahead of time!

Lin Ye did not look back, pushing his speed to the limit, fleeing for his life out of the valley!

Behind him, several powerful auras had already locked onto him, and the sound of breaking through the air approached rapidly!