33: Unknown forces infiltrated

Gu Changan was considering whether to fish in troubled waters and create widespread chaos.

Or should he honestly play it safe until the end and smoothly pass the trial?

Gu Changan felt that creating chaos was easy, as his treasure gathering basin contained a large number of Talismans.

Whether he encountered danger or was surrounded, he could use a large number of Talismans to escape.

If he couldn't escape, he could also use a large number of Talismans to solve the trouble!

In this way, he could not only eliminate many competitors but also take the Opportunity to wipe out some unlucky bastards.

Perhaps those Outer Sect Disciples, if their luck was bad enough, could also die amidst the chaos.

The advantage of this method was that it could eliminate many competitors; the disadvantage was that it was a thankless task and might even backfire on him.

The other method was to safely play the role of a 'camper'—throwing out a handful of Talismans whenever he encountered danger and then running away immediately.

However, what Gu Changan was most worried about now was: where was the exit of the Formation?

If he continued up the mountain, the exit of the Formation might be halfway up.

After all, once reaching the exit of the Formation, one would officially join the Tianji Pavilion, and it just so happened that the Tianji Pavilion was on the mountain!

Another possibility was heading down directly to the foot of the mountain, where there might be an exit for the Formation.

After exiting, either taking a flying boat up the mountain or using a Formation to go up were both likely options.

After thinking it over, Gu Changan decided to follow the mountain's terrain and head upwards!

If he couldn't find the exit after circling around, he could just head all the way down.

He believed he should be able to reach the exit before dawn.

While Gu Changan was still studying his action plan, an anomaly appeared among the New Disciples!

Another group of people within the Formation gathered together, each holding a Magical Artifact that could guide their direction.

As long as they held the Magical Artifact, they could find others who also held one.

If the Old Daoist in White Robe were here, he would discover that this group of people were the ones on ship b who were exuding blood-colored Qi.

These people gathered in twos and threes and then began to spontaneously form an organization.

Every group of them had a fixed target.

These people were divided into roughly 12 groups, with eight or nine people in each group.

They accounted for about one-tenth of the participants in this trial, though there were also some unlucky bastards who didn't pass through.

Therefore, the members of each group were uneven, with some missing several people, but that didn't stop them from completing their mission.

Fortunately, all 12 leaders were present; it seemed they had used some method to deceive the Tianji Platform's Formation.

The 12 leading black-robed Cultivators each took out a map from their Storage Pouch, which recorded 12 locations.

They began to look for corresponding landmarks in reality based on the map and marched toward the 12 marked locations.

No one was paying attention to the Opportunity trial formation array at night.

There were no treasures inside the Formation, nor were there any Heaven-Defying geniuses who needed special care!

Therefore, no one cared about the life or death of this group of New Disciples within the Formation.

This gave external forces an Opportunity to send people in here!

Gu Changan waded through various shrubs with uneven steps.

He had stuck two Divine Travel Talismans on his legs, increasing his travel speed by thirty percent.

He had two vajra talismans on his body, maxing out his defense.

However, during the night, the vajra talismans emitted a faint yellow light.

Gu Changan had no choice but to stick on two Qi-Restraining Talismans; as long as no one looked directly at him, it was impossible to discover him by sound or smell.

In this way, Gu Changan slowly advanced toward the mountain.

There were still many dangers in the mountain forest, such as wild beasts and poisonous plants that emitted toxic odors.

If Gu Changan didn't have a detoxification pill, he might have fallen victim to them.

One could imagine how many unlucky bastards died from poisoning.

It could be predicted how much harm this trial would cause to this group of New Disciples.

Not to mention, what if they ran into other New Disciples?

Everyone might fight each other just so there would be fewer people competing for resources in the future.

He wondered if even half of the New Disciples would remain when they went out tomorrow.

While traveling, Gu Changan discovered something unusual.

Although his surroundings were pitch black, with only a few light sources in the forest and stars in the sky.

Gu Changan sensed a bloody scent in the air.

After observing carefully, there was indeed a trace of blood mist surrounding him.

Gu Changan was startled; had he fallen into an unknown trap?

Or was someone lying in ambush for him here?

Gu Changan held a handful of Talismans in one hand and a small shield in the other, hiding behind a tree.

After calming down and remaining on alert for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he found no danger approaching.

However, once that blood mist touched his skin, it all disappeared.

Gu Changan then realized that his treasure gathering basin could absorb essence blood.

In other words, that blood mist came from the sacrificed New Disciples or the wild beasts in the mountain forest.

But one strange thing was, why did this blood mist gather around him?

He was walking up the mountain, which was uphill; the blood mist should have flowed downwards!

Gu Changan observed carefully; the blood mist seemed to gather together strand by strand.

Could it be the Opportunity trial? Was it because of this Formation?

Could it absorb the essence blood of Cultivators after they died?

Where was this essence blood being collected and sent?

Gu Changan was intensely curious; if he had the chance, could he take it all in one go?

But thinking about the essence blood of the Qi Refining Stage, he didn't seem to lack it, so he suppressed his greed!

At this time, in the Tianji Valley behind Tianji Mountain, Old Ancestor Xuan Yin laughed again.

He watched as the blood Qi transmitted by the Formation flowed strand by strand into the base of the tianji stele.

"The once-in-a-decade harvest day is here again. After so many years of nourishment, just when will you be able to recover?"

As he spoke, he patted the tianji stele beneath him with his hand.

As if in response, the tianji stele began to shake violently.

Old Ancestor Xuan Yin hurriedly apologized: "Stop! Stop!"

"I was just being sentimental, why are you getting so worked up?"

"Alright, I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Finally, the tianji stele returned to tranquility!

Gu Changan knew nothing of what was happening on the mountain; as he neared the edge of the Formation, he found no obvious exit.

So he walked along the edge of the Formation from one side to the other for about four hours, and having still not found an exit, he began to give up.

Perhaps because he stayed near the edge of the Formation, he didn't run into anyone!

Then he followed the downhill direction all the way down, estimating that he could reach the other side of the Formation by dawn or tomorrow morning.

That is, the other side of the Formation at the foot of the mountain.

Gu Changan predicted there would definitely be an exit there.

This time, heading straight down, he encountered a few people along the way but secretly avoided them all!