83: White Lotus Sect heretics and evil Taoists

Upstream of Black Water Ravine, the terrain became increasingly treacherous.

The turbulent river roared in the deep valley, crashing against jagged rocks and sending up clouds of mist.

Nearly vertical cliffs rose on both banks, with ancient trees and gnarled branches stubbornly reaching out from stone crevices, blotting out the sun. This left the valley floor dim, the air thick with the scent of damp earth and a faint, lingering smell of sulfur from deep underground.

Chen Linsheng moved as silently as the most agile ape between damp rocks and thick vines, aided by the Spirit Monkey Hundred Changes Movement Technique.

His face after the Disguise was ordinary, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's. His perception from Tracking Perfection acted like invisible tentacles, scanning the surroundings to the maximum extent.

"Geothermal active zone..."

He recalled the records from the nine meanders prefecture hundred herbs illustrated guide, his gaze sweeping over several bubbling hot springs along the riverbank and the distinctive dark red moss on the nearby rocks.

Suddenly, his nostrils twitched as he caught a trace of an extremely delicate, yet seemingly penetrating fragrance that cut through the thick mist and sulfur.

His spirits lifted, and he immediately followed the source of the scent, cautiously making his way toward the underside of a shaded cliff.

Rounding a massive boulder blocking the path, the view ahead suddenly opened up. At the base of the cliff, a small, unique, warm area had formed due to year-round moisture and geothermal steam. Amidst several clusters of heat-loving ferns, a peculiar plant grew quietly.

It was about half a foot tall, its entire body looking like it was carved from red jade. Its petals were layered in the shape of flames, and the stamens in the center emitted a faint, almost imperceptible orange-red glow. It was exactly one of the targets he had been searching for—the earth core fire lotus!

And judging by its form and color, it was already mature!

Chen Linsheng felt a surge of excitement, but he did not step forward immediately.

The closer one gets to the goal, the more cautious one must be.

The Tracking Perfection provided "Preempting the Enemy" and "Minute Insight" were sending him a silent warning—

In this area, besides this natural spiritual treasure, there were some discordant lingering auras.

He immediately suppressed his entire aura. His Hunyuan True Body naturally drew inward, and his blood and Qi became as silent as a rock. The Disguise Perfection brought not only a change in appearance but also a perfect concealment of his life fluctuations.

Like a lifeless shadow, he silently blended into a crevice behind a giant rock, peering out through the gaps in the vines.

In less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, a series of faint footsteps, deliberately lightened yet still carrying a certain stiffness, approached from a distance.

A group of five people walked from the other side of the valley.

The leader was dressed in spotless white clothes, appearing to be about thirty years old. His face had an unnatural paleness, and a faint, extremely uncomfortable, and sinister smile played at the corners of his mouth.

His steps were light, and his aura was obscure, giving off a sense of being unfathomable.

The four people following behind him were all dressed in uniform gray martial attire. They were of sturdy build, and their blood and Qi fluctuations showed they were all Martial Artists in the Flesh Refining Realm.

However, their eyes were hollow and dull, like marionettes that had lost their Souls. Their movements also carried a trace of subtle stiffness, as they instinctively followed the man in white.

"White Lotus Sect!"

Chen Linsheng's heart tightened as he instantly confirmed the other party's identity. This method of controlling others and obliterating their consciousness was so similar to the "Jade Sowing Plan" and "Soul Transfer Great Art" described by Martial Uncle Chen Chuan!

Moreover, the aura of this man in white was far more dangerous than the Envoy described by the Government!

He held his breath, and even his heartbeat nearly stopped, fearing that the slightest leak of his aura would bring about a catastrophe.

Although he had cultivated Python Dragon Strength, Golden Bell Shield, and Iron Clothes Art to Major Achievement, and the number of perfectly tempered muscles in his body had reached sixty-four, causing his strength to skyrocket, he knew he was definitely no match for this White-Robed Demon Person, who was clearly a core figure of the White Lotus Sect with unfathomable strength.

The White-Robed Demon Person walked straight to the earth core fire lotus, a flash of satisfaction appearing in his eyes.

He did not pick it himself but instead waved his hand casually.

One of the dull-eyed Flesh Refining Realm Martial Artists behind him stepped forward stiffly, cautiously using a specially made jade shovel to dig up the earth core fire lotus along with a small clump of soil. He placed it into a prepared jade box and then respectfully handed it back to the White-Robed Demon Person.

"Hmph, that useless Zhang Yuchen couldn't even handle a 'minor injury.' I, the Envoy, had to personally come and find this earth core fire lotus to harmonize the medicinal properties," the White-Robed Demon Person snorted coldly, his tone filled with disdain. "If it weren't for the fact that his father still had some use..."

Before he could finish his sentence, suddenly—

"Woo—wah—!"

A shrill, piercing howl, full of resentment and madness, suddenly exploded from the cliff above their heads!

This howl was clearer and more ear-piercing than the one Chen Linsheng had heard downstream in Black Water Ravine. The sinister mental impact it contained swept down like a physical wave!

"Not good!" The White-Robed Demon Person's expression changed abruptly, and his figure retreated rapidly like a ghost.

The four controlled Flesh Refining Realm Martial Artists behind him, their consciousness suppressed, were half a beat slower in their reaction.

One of them was hit head-on by the invisible sound wave formed by the howl. His body suddenly stiffened, the last bit of dull light in his eyes instantly extinguished. He looked as if all moisture and vitality had been drained from him; his skin quickly shriveled and turned black, and he fell straight down, devoid of life.

Hiding in the shadows, Chen Linsheng saw everything clearly and was horrified: "It's that Evil Daoist! He didn't die after all; he was actually hiding here!"

A thick, ink-like cloud of rolling black mist dived down from the top of the cliff, bringing with it a gust of foul and filthy wind.

Wherever the black cloud passed, vegetation instantly withered and died, and the surface of the rocks seemed to be corroded.

"Rat hiding your head and showing your tail, get out here for this seat!"

Though surprised, the White-Robed Demon Person did not panic. A look of severity flashed in his eyes as he held his fingers like a blade and struck a palm toward the black cloud from a distance!

The palm wind was not powerful and overbearing, but instead carried a feminine and eerie corrosive force. Wherever it passed, the air made a "sizzling" sound, as if even the air was being polluted and decomposed.

"Bang!"

The black cloud was hit by the palm force and churned violently, letting out a cry of pain. A part of it was actually forcibly dispersed, revealing a figure within.

It was a middle-aged man wearing tattered Daoist robes. His face was as pale as paper, with a trace of dark red blood hanging from the corner of his mouth. His robes were torn in several places, revealing the same pale skin with eerie patterns underneath.

He was surrounded by a much thinner black Qi. Although his aura was still sinister and powerful, it clearly showed a weakness of being strong on the outside but hollow on the inside.

Especially at his chest, a tiny but difficult-to-heal wound was faintly emitting a seven-colored glow. It was clearly an injury from Shen Rushuang's divine arrow, which had not yet fully healed.