591: Lu Xueqi (68)

Su Han's heart stirred, "A man in white? Was his clothing embroidered with a flame pattern?"

A Lan asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

Su Han's expression turned solemn.

As expected, people from Incense Valley had also arrived!

It seemed that although True Man Chi Xia had temporarily retreated, he had not given up on competing for the reincarnation mirror.

Two days later, the four arrived at the foot of Black Witch Mountain.

Black Witch Mountain soared into the clouds, its body dark as if stained with ink.

Vegetation was sparse on the mountain, and strange rocks jutted out, giving off an eerie and oppressive feeling.

A Lan pointed to a faintly visible village halfway up the mountain, "That's our Black Witch Village."

Just as they were about to ascend the mountain, sounds of fighting suddenly came from ahead.

Su Han motioned for everyone to hide, then quietly crept forward.

In an open space not far away, two groups of people were confronting each other.

One group was Incense Valley Disciples, led by a stern-faced middle-aged man whose cultivation seemed to be no less than Li Fen's.

The other group wore strange black robes and had bizarre oil paint on their faces; they were people of the Southern Border Witch Clan.

"Protector Bai, your Incense Valley is going too far! This is our Black Witch Clan's territory, not a place for you to act wildly!" an old man among the Witch Clan roared furiously.

The middle-aged man from Incense Valley, referred to as Protector Bai, sneered, "Black Witch Elder, the Bronze Divine Palace is ownerless. It belongs to the capable. For your Witch Clan to try to monopolize it is simply overestimating yourselves!"

Both sides were on the verge of drawing swords, the atmosphere extremely tense.

Su Han mused inwardly, it seemed Incense Valley and the Black Witch Clan had already clashed over the Ancient Bronze Palace.

Just then, Protector Bai suddenly sensed something and sharply turned his head to look in the direction where Su Han and the others were hiding.

"Who's being sneaky? Come out!"

Su Han knew they could no longer hide, so he led the three women out of their hiding place.

Protector Bai was startled when he saw Su Han, then he revealed a sinister smile, "I've searched high and low for you! Boy, I didn't expect you to walk right into the trap!"

The Black Witch Elder, however, looked at A Lan and frowned, "A Lan, why are you with outsiders?"

A Lan hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "Elder, they saved my life. I was attacked by a Unicorn Scarlet Leopard, and they rescued me."

The Black Witch Elder's expression softened slightly, but he still vigilantly scrutinized Su Han and the other two.

Protector Bai sneered, "Black Witch Elder, it seems your Black Witch Clan has already colluded with this boy!"

Su Han calmly said, "Protector Bai, I have no relation to the Black Witch Clan; I merely happened to be here."

Protector Bai ignored him and said to the Black Witch Elder, "Since you've chosen to be enemies with Incense Valley, don't blame us for being impolite!"

With that, he waved his hand, and the Incense Valley Disciples all drew their weapons, ready to fight.

The Black Witch Elder also became enraged, "This is going too far! How can the Black Witch Clan be bullied by others!"

Seeing that a great battle was inevitable, Su Han felt anxious.

If both sides fought here, regardless of the outcome, it would alert the enemy and affect their plan to find the Ancient Bronze Palace.

Just at this critical moment, a long horn sound suddenly came from afar.

The sound was desolate and ancient, as if from a distant era.

Hearing this horn sound, the Black Witch Elder's face changed drastically, "Sacred Mountain Horn! The Witch God Sacrifice has started early!"

Protector Bai also showed a look of surprise and uncertainty.

The horn sounds continued, echoing through the valley.

The Black Witch Elder glared fiercely at Protector Bai, "I'll let you off for now! Let's go!"

With that, he led the Black Witch Clan members away in a hurry.

Protector Bai did not stop them, merely giving Su Han a cold glance, "Boy, you got lucky this time. Next time we meet, I will take your life!"

After speaking, he also quickly left with the Incense Valley Disciples.

In a blink of an eye, the open space that had just been on the verge of a clash was left with only Su Han and the three women, and a profound silence.

A Lan anxiously said to Su Han, "The Sacred Mountain Horn is the highest-level summoning order of the Witch Clan; all Witch Clan members must immediately go to Sacred Mountain. I also need to hurry back."

Su Han nodded, "We'll go with you."

A Lan hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded, "Alright, but you must follow me closely. There are many Restrictions around Sacred Mountain, and it will be very dangerous for outsiders to trespass."

Led by A Lan, the four walked up Black Witch Mountain along a hidden path.

The higher they went, the more intense the mysterious aura in the air became.

Su Han could feel an ancient and powerful force permeating Black Witch Mountain.

Two hours later, they arrived at Black Witch Village.

The village was built on a flat ground halfway up the mountain, surrounded by wooden walls, and the entrance was guarded by Witch Clan warriors.

Seeing A Lan return with three outsiders, the guards immediately blocked their way.

A Lan explained, and only then did the guards let them pass, but their eyes still held vigilance.

Most of the buildings inside the village were made of bamboo and wood, with an ancient style. Many houses had various animal bones and strange Talismanic Incantations hanging outside.

In the center of the village was a huge plaza, where hundreds of Witch Clan people had already gathered.

At the center of the plaza was a stone altar, on which stood several elderly shamans, presiding over some kind of ceremony.

A Lan said to Su Han, "You wait here, I'll go report to the Elder."

She hurried towards the altar and spoke in a low voice with a white-haired Old Shaman.

The Old Shaman occasionally looked at Su Han and the two women, his gaze sharp as an eagle's.

A moment later, A Lan returned, "The Grand Elder has agreed to see you, but only one at a time."

Su Han said to Lu Xueqi and Bi Yao, "I'll go first to check the situation."

He followed A Lan onto the altar.

The white-haired Old Shaman stood there, holding a staff inlaid with a skull.

"Young man, I am Moyuan, the Grand Elder of the Black Witch Clan," the Old Shaman slowly spoke, his voice hoarse yet full of majesty, "A Lan said you saved her, and the Black Witch Clan thanks you for your kindness."

Su Han cupped his hands, "Grand Elder, you are too kind. It is only right to help when one sees injustice."

Grand Elder Moyuan's profound gaze scrutinized Su Han, "You came to Black Witch Mountain for the Bronze Divine Palace, too, didn't you?"

Su Han knew he couldn't hide it from this seemingly wise old man and frankly admitted, "To be honest with the Grand Elder, we indeed came for the Bronze Divine Palace, but we have no intention of being enemies with the Black Witch Clan."

Grand Elder Moyuan nodded slightly, "You are honest. However, the Bronze Divine Palace is a sacred artifact of the Witch Clan; outsiders are not permitted to covet it."

Su Han calmly said, "Grand Elder, the Bronze Divine Palace is of great importance. Not only your Witch Clan, but the entire cultivation world is shaken by it. It will be difficult for the Black Witch Clan alone to keep this secret."

Grand Elder Moyuan was silent for a moment, then sighed, "You are right. Recently, many outsiders have come near Black Witch Mountain, all coveting the divine palace."

He changed the subject, "However, the Restriction outside the Bronze Divine Palace is extremely powerful; outsiders cannot enter without the help of our Witch Clan."

Su Han's heart stirred, "Does the Grand Elder mean...?"

A glint flashed in Grand Elder Moyuan's eyes, "We can cooperate. You help us resist foreign enemies, and when the divine palace opens, I can take you in with us."(End of Chapter)