73: Chapter 73 Bewitching Array

Inside the cave, the light was extremely dim, and one could not even see their own fingers.

Moreover, a powerful force that interfered with perception permeated every inch of the air.

Here, his range of perception was compressed to a startling three zhang, rendering him almost useless.

Gao Feng felt a shiver in his heart. Not daring to be the slightest bit careless, he took a Night-Shining Pearl from his bosom.

The soft light instantly illuminated the surrounding scene, causing him to gasp.

He was standing in a wide corridor, and the cave walls on both sides were densely packed with countless twisted, ferocious human face reliefs!

These faces had varied expressions; some were wailing in pain, some cursing with resentment, and others laughing crazily. They were so lifelike that it felt as if they could break free from the walls at any moment.

Bursts of faint wailing and whispering began to sound in his ears, attempting to drill into his mind and disturb his concentration.

Gao Feng snorted coldly and activated the Wind Thunder Guide Mind-Cultivation Technique. A subtle, masculine force of thunder and lightning circulated within his body, instantly dispersing all the demonic sounds that had invaded his mind.

He carefully explored forward along the only corridor.

Soon, the first fork in the road appeared before him.

To the left, to the right, and straight ahead were three identical passages, all emitting the same concentration of cold, eerie aura, making them impossible to distinguish.

Gao Feng thought for a moment and chose the passage straight ahead.

However, after traveling for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, another identical three-way fork appeared before his eyes.

He made another choice and continued forward.

An hour passed, and Gao Feng's expression finally became grave.

He had already passed at least seven or eight such forks, but the surrounding scene had not changed at all; it was always that eerie corridor and the ferocious human face reliefs on the cave walls.

It was as if he had fallen into an infinitely repeating loop.

"A Formation..."

Gao Feng stopped and scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes.

This was not a simple maze, but a Soul-Confusing Formation meticulously set up by someone!

This Formation could not only confuse one's sense of direction but also continuously drain the intruder's mental energy through those demonic sounds and reliefs.

The longer it dragged on, the more exhausted the intruder would become. With their mental defenses breached, they would likely end up completely lost here, becoming one of the reliefs on the cave walls.

Gao Feng tried to carve a mark on the cave wall with the three-pointed, double-edged blade in his hand.

But strangely, when he circled around and returned to the same spot, the mark had completely disappeared without a trace!

The cave wall was as smooth as before, as if he had never touched it at all.

Now, even his only method of marking had failed.

His heart began to slowly sink.

He tried a few more times, attempting to find a way out from the subtle changes in airflow at the forks.

But the result was still futile.

Once, he even felt the ground beneath his feet give way slightly. If his reaction hadn't been as fast as lightning, allowing him to pull back in time, he likely would have stepped into a bone-spike trap hidden underground.

The sharp bone spikes glinted with a ghostly green light, clearly coated with potent poison.

Within this Soul-Confusing Formation, there were also hidden fatal threats!

A cold sweat broke out on Gao Feng's back.

He realized that without clear intelligence and an understanding of the Formation, continuing to go deeper was just wasting his physical strength and mental energy; the final result would likely be meeting his doom here.

The Master of the Hundred Ghost Cave was far more troublesome than he had imagined.

This was not a place that could be easily traversed by brute force alone.

"I must retreat first."

Gao Feng made a prompt and decisive, wise decision.

As long as the green mountains remain, there is no need to worry about firewood.

As long as he could retreat safely, there would always be a way to crack this Formation.

However, when he tried to return the way he came, he was shocked to find that the path he had taken had also become blurred.

Every fork in the road seemed to be mocking his ignorance, leading him into deeper darkness.

It seemed he was trapped.

Gao Feng took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

The more critical the situation, the less he could afford to panic.

He closed his eyes, no longer relying on his vision, and instead immersed all his mental energy into perceiving the surrounding environment.

He began to carefully recall every step he had taken and every turn he had made after entering the cave.

Time passed minute by minute.

Fine beads of sweat seeped out on his forehead.

Just when his mental energy was heavily drained and he was about to give out, a flash of inspiration struck his mind!

He remembered!

When he entered the second fork, he had heard an extremely faint "click" sound from deep within the left passage, different from the demonic sounds—it sounded like a stone hitting the ground!

At the time, he hadn't paid attention, thinking it was interference from the Formation.

But thinking about it now, that was likely the only unusual detail!

He did not hesitate, immediately groping his way in that direction based on his memory.

This time, he was no longer confused by the endless forks.

About half an hour later, a breath of fresh air, carrying the scent of soil, finally came from ahead!

The exit was right before his eyes!

Gao Feng felt a surge of joy and quickened his pace.

However, just as he was about to exit the cave and step into the familiar dense forest, a burst of intense weapon clashing and angry roars suddenly erupted from the snowy forest not far away!

The sudden sounds of shouting and killing instantly shattered the silence of the snowy night.

Gao Feng's figure, like a ghost, silently hid behind a huge, strange rock next to the cave entrance, concealing his aura to the absolute limit.

His eyes, sharp as a hawk's, pierced through the layers of branches and the snow fluttering in the sky, looking in the direction the sound came from.

He saw that in a clearing about a hundred meters ahead, a tragic pursuit was unfolding.

Five Martial Artist dressed in black tight-fitting outfits, wearing bronze demon masks, were surrounding a young man in luxurious blue brocade clothing.

The attack method of those five Man in Black was extremely strange.

Their movements were stiff yet swift, like Puppets without a sense of pain. Every strike was the most direct and vicious killing Move, and every Move aimed at the young man's vital points.

Their weapons were uniform white bone daggers, with a ghostly green light flickering on the blades, clearly coated with potent poison.

The young man being besieged looked to be only in his early twenties, with a heroic face and sword-like eyebrows, but his face was pale and his breathing slightly disordered, clearly having gone through a long and bitter battle.

The three-foot green blade in his hand was wielded so tightly that not even a drop of water could pass through; the sword light was like mercury pouring onto the ground, forming a solid defensive circle that blocked all the Man in Black's attacks.

The young man's sword technique was upright and righteous, filled with an aura of nobility, forming a stark contrast to the sinister and vicious Moves of the Man in Black.

But after all, he was only one person, while the opponents were five fearless killers.

Every collision between the sword blade and the bone blades sparked a series of flashes; at the same time, the young man would be shaken by the immense force, his hand numb, and his figure swaying slightly.

His Internal Energy was being rapidly consumed.

Gao Feng's gaze swept rapidly across the battlefield.

Those five Man in Black, judging from the cold aura emitted during their movements and their signature white bone daggers, were undoubtedly forces from the Hundred Ghost Cave.

And this young man in blue, appearing here in the middle of the night and being hunted by people from the Hundred Ghost Cave, made his identity and purpose intriguing.

Gao Feng did not act immediately.

He was not a person who liked to meddle in other people's business, especially at the entrance of a dragon's den and tiger's lair like the Hundred Ghost Cave.

He decided to watch from the sidelines first and see how the situation developed.

Perhaps he could use this suddenly intruding young man to consume some of the Hundred Ghost Cave's strength and scout the path for himself.

A good show of the snipe and the clam fighting seemed about to unfold, and he was very willing to play the role of the final fisherman.

On the battlefield, the situation became increasingly critical.

After defending for so long, the young man finally revealed a flaw.

When he parried the bone blade of a Man in Black in front, another Man in Black from the side and back approached silently like a poisonous snake, the bone blade in his hand tracing a tricky arc, stabbing straight at the young man's back!

The young man sensed the fatal crisis behind him and wanted to turn his sword to defend, but it was already too late.

At the critical moment, he shouted angrily, disregarding everything, and poured all his Internal Energy into the long sword in his hand!

"Hum!"

The long sword let out a clear, resonant hum, and a faint layer of golden halo appeared on the blade.

The young man lunged forward, narrowly avoiding the fatal blow from behind with an extremely ungraceful roll.

The poisoned bone blade grazed his back, tearing a long gash in the brocade clothing on his back.

Although he avoided his vital points, a cold, poisonous aura still seeped into his body through the wound, making his face turn even paler.

Taking advantage of the forward lunge, the long sword in his hand, like a dragon emerging from the water, struck back with one sword strike, precisely piercing the throat of the attacker!

"Puchi!"

Blood gushed out like a fountain, splashing all over the young man.

The Man in Black didn't even have time to let out a scream before he fell straight down, his body twitching a few times on the snow before becoming still.

Having succeeded with one strike, the young man dared not linger for a moment.

He knew that if he were even a step slower, he would be torn to pieces by the remaining four Man in Black.

He endured the severe pain in his back and the poisonous aura invading his body, performing a carp jump to leap up from the ground, attempting to break out.

The remaining four Man in Black seemed like emotionless machines; the death of their companion did not cause them to waver in the slightest.

They roared, their attacks becoming even more frantic and desperate.

Four poisoned bone blades blocked all of the young man's retreat paths from four different directions.

A bloody battle of life and death erupted completely.

Gao Feng, hiding in the dark, saw all of this clearly.

He had to admit that this young man in blue indeed had some ability.

Whether in combat experience or adaptability at life-or-death moments, he was far superior to his peers.

Moreover, judging from the golden halo attached to his sword strike just now, what he Cultivate was likely a highly rigid and masculine Cultivation Technique specifically designed to restrain evil spirits.

This type of Cultivation Technique is extremely rare, usually only mastered by hidden Sects with long-standing Legacies that take subduing demons as their duty, or held by Daoist Holy Lands.

"This guy has quite a background." Gao Feng silently assessed the youth in his mind.

Precisely because of this, he became even more determined to sit on the sidelines and watch the tigers fight.

He wanted to see what other trump cards this youth with such a significant background still possessed.

Perhaps he could glean more secrets about the Hundred Ghost Cave from him.

On the battlefield, the youth's situation had once again become precarious.

Although he had desperately killed another Man in Black, he had also paid a heavy price.

His left arm had been slashed by a bone blade, leaving a wound deep enough to expose the bone, and black blood was continuously seeping from it.

Corpse poison had already begun to spread through his body.

His movements grew increasingly sluggish, and his breathing became heavier.

The scales of victory seemed to have tipped completely in favor of the Hundred Ghost Cave.

The remaining three Men in Black had cruel glints in their eyes; like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, they inched closer to the youth, who was already at his limit.

"Am I going to die here?"

The youth leaned against a massive cedar, panting heavily, a flicker of reluctance and despair flashing in his eyes.

There were still many things he had yet to accomplish.

He could not die so ignobly at the hands of these neither-human-nor-ghost monsters.

Just then, his hand subconsciously reached into his bosom.

Hidden there was his final, and most precious, life-saving trump card.

It was the very item his Master had repeatedly warned him never to use before he descended the mountain, unless he reached the final moment of life and death.

But clearly, that moment had arrived.

A look of resolute ferocity flashed in the youth's eyes.

He abruptly pulled a Talisman from his bosom—it was entirely crimson gold and covered in vermilion runes!

The moment the Talisman appeared, the surrounding air seemed to ignite, and a scorching, violent, and purely Yang power, laden with a destructive aura, erupted outward!

Even Gao Feng, hiding a hundred meters away, could clearly sense the terrifying power contained within that small Talisman—enough to threaten his very life!

"This is... a high-level Thunder Talisman!"

Gao Feng's pupils constricted sharply.

He recalled the "Thunderbolt Talisman" that Yan Beigui had used back in Hanyang City.

But compared to the Talisman before him, Yan Beigui's was practically a child's toy!

The thunderous power contained within this Talisman was at least ten times that of the "Thunderbolt Talisman"!

This was a true ultimate weapon capable of summoning the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder to annihilate all demons and evil spirits!

The three Men in Black clearly sensed this lethal threat as well.

From beneath their bronze masks, for the first time, a sound emerged—a hiss akin to fear.

They halted, not daring to advance any further.

The youth looked at them, a grim smile appearing on his face.

"To die beneath the 'Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Talisman,' a secret Legacy of my Qingcheng Mountain, is an honor for you demon spawn!"

He bit the tip of his tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the Talisman!

"Boom!"

The crimson-gold Talisman flared with brilliant light, its blinding golden radiance illuminating the entire snowy night as if it were broad daylight!

A terrifying and heart-palpitating pressure descended from the sky, shrouding the entire battlefield!

In the sky, dark clouds gathered, and streaks of purple lightning slithered wildly through them, emitting terrifying crackling sounds.

"With my blood, I summon the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder! Annihilate evil!"

The youth used his final ounce of strength to roar as he hurled the Talisman at the three Men in Black, who were frozen in terror!

"Boom!!"

A violent bolt of purple lightning, thicker than a water bucket, seemed to answer the call; it tore through the night sky and descended with a supreme might capable of crushing all resistance and purifying everything, instantly swallowing the three Men in Black and the ground beneath their feet!

The intense white light forced Gao Feng to subconsciously shut his eyes.

Moments later, a deafening explosion roared forth!

The entire earth trembled violently.

A violent shockwave, mixed with scorching air currents and countless shards of ice and snow, swept out in all directions!

Gao Feng pressed himself tightly against the back of the boulder, channeling all his Internal Energy to barely withstand the terrifying impact.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him left him completely stunned.

The original battlefield had vanished.

In its place was a massive, charred crater over ten zhang in diameter!

Along the edges of the crater, wisps of purple electric arcs still flickered intermittently.

The air was thick with the pungent scent of ozone and charred matter.

As for the three Men in Black from the Hundred Ghost Cave, not even a trace of ash remained; they had been completely erased from this world by that violent lightning.

"Such... such terrifying power!"

A storm raged in Gao Feng's heart.

The power of this strike was likely infinitely close to the full-strength attack of a fifth-rank Grandmaster!

What exactly was the background of that youth in blue?

And what kind of terrifying existence was his Sect, Qingcheng Mountain?

For the first time, Gao Feng had a clearer and more reverent understanding of the power hierarchy in this world.

He suppressed the shock in his heart and cast his gaze back toward the battlefield.

The youth in blue, who had caused all this, was currently half-kneeling at the edge of the crater, gasping for air.

His face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

Clearly, activating that "Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Talisman" had nearly exhausted all his essence blood and Internal Energy.

He was currently in his most vulnerable state of exhaustion.

A flash of cold killing intent crossed Gao Feng's eyes.

This was an excellent opportunity to kill him and seize his treasures.

If he killed him, that long sword—which clearly wasn't an ordinary item—and any other treasures he might possess would all be his.

However, this thought only lingered in his mind for a fleeting moment before he forcibly extinguished it.

He could not kill him.

At least, not now.

First, the youth's background was far too mysterious and far too powerful.

A Sect capable of casually producing treasures on the level of the "Purple Cloud Divine Thunder Talisman" must have an unfathomable foundation.

Killing him would very likely attract a terrifying enemy that neither he, nor the entire Panshi Stockade, could withstand.

Second, and most importantly.

This youth had appeared here in the middle of the night, determined to kill the people of the Hundred Ghost Cave at any cost.

His objective was extremely clear.

He likely knew of a safe—or rather, a true—path leading to the core of the Hundred Ghost Cave!

He had suffered a major setback in that bewitching Formation earlier.

Following him might be the best way to bypass that bewitching Formation.

With that thought, Gao Feng completely restrained his killing intent; he decided to continue lurking and play his role as the "yellow oriole" well.

The youth in blue sat and regulated his breathing for a moment, then took a Medicinal Pill from his bosom; only then did a hint of color return to his pale face.

He glanced at the massive crater blasted out by the lightning, a flicker of lingering fear and heartache flashing in his eyes.

Then, without a moment's hesitation, he identified his direction and, dragging his weary body, stumbled off toward another part of the Hundred Ghost Cave.

Although his steps were unsteady, his objective was exceptionally firm.

Seeing this, Gao Feng felt a surge of joy.

As expected, he had guessed right!

He immediately employed his Phantom Steps Without a Trace, and like a true phantom, he silently trailed far behind the youth.

He perfectly blended his aura with the surrounding ice and snow.

In the youth's current weakened state, it was impossible for him to detect his presence.

The two of them traveled through the vast, snowy forest, one following the other.

The youth was clearly extremely familiar with the terrain here.

He did not approach the massive main entrance where the bewitching Formation was set up again.

Instead, he took a wide detour and arrived at a more secluded mountain ravine.

At the end of the ravine was a waterfall covered in a thick layer of ice.

The youth seemed to want to rest here for a moment to recover his strength.

He leaned against a rock covered in ice and snow, vigilantly surveying his surroundings.

After confirming there was no danger, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

However, at the very moment his guard was most relaxed, a sudden change occurred!

From the shadows on both sides of the massive rock he was leaning against, two pitch-black figures shot out without warning!

At the same time, from the ice waterfall above him, two even more burly and terrifying figures descended from the sky like hunting falcons, sealing off all his retreat paths!

It all happened too quickly, too suddenly!

It happened so fast that even Gao Feng, who had been hiding in the shadows and watching with full focus, barely managed to catch a few afterimages!

This was a meticulously planned death trap!

The youth in blue was worthy of his background from a prestigious Sect; his combat experience was extremely rich.

In the face of the threat of death, his body reacted even faster than his brain.

He stomped his foot, and instead of retreating, his entire body surged forward like a cannonball, slamming violently toward the two figures that had shot out from the shadows directly in front of him!

He chose to break out in the most dangerous direction, yet it was the only one that offered a glimmer of survival!

"Clang! Clang!"

Two crisp sounds of metal clashing rang out in the narrow ravine.

In the nick of time, the long sword in the youth's hand precisely parried the two bone blades that were thrusting toward his heart and throat from both sides.

Yet, the immense force still left his arms numb and his blood churning in his chest, nearly causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

Only then did he clearly see what exactly was ambushing him.