51: Serpent's offspring and ruins

Under the cover of night, Black Rock Town resembled a Vicious Beast crouching on the desolate plain; the daytime clamor settled, transforming into another, more dangerous whisper.

The wild shouts from the casinos, the clinking in the taverns, and the muffled groans and sounds of blades piercing flesh in certain dark corners, intertwined to form the eternal background noise of this land.

Li Ao sat cross-legged inside the stone house, the black storage ring gifted by the Mittel Family hovering in his palm.

His Soul Power seeped into it, and the first things he sensed were the five returning purple spirit pills, each the size of a Dragon's eye and shrouded in purple mist.

Their medicinal power was vast yet gentle, indeed a fine product for stabilizing one's Realm and repairing one's Foundation.

Since he did not need them for the moment, he carefully put them away.

His attention was focused more on the massive beast hide map.

The map was drawn with extreme precision, marking not only the major cities, mountains, and rivers of the Jia Ma Empire, but also some perilous, rarely visited areas, regions where Ancient Ruins might exist, and even the ranges of certain powerful Demonic Beast lairs.

More importantly, it used extremely obscure symbols to mark the Mittel Family's secret liaison stations in several key locations, even covering parts of neighboring nations like the Izumo Empire and the Luo Yan Empire.

"Ten Thousand Medicine Mountain Range... Poisonous Marsh... Black Wind Grand Canyon..." Li Ao's gaze swept over several areas on the map highlighted as "High Risk" and "Suspected Ruins."

These places might conceal the Heaven And Earth Treasure he needed to further temper his Black Iron Hegemon Body, or perhaps an Opportunity related to the "Nirvana" rule.

However, his gaze finally settled near Black Rock Town, on a place called the Soul Burial Ravine, located at the junction of the Empire's border and the Izumo Empire.

The map's annotation for this place read: "Spatial disorder, violent energy, suspected ancient battlefield ruins, extremely dangerous, no return."

But beside it was a line of small notes written by the Mittel Family using special medicinal liquid, visible only through a specific method: "In the past six months, energy fluctuations have been abnormal, with occasional strange light shooting into the sky, suggesting a rare treasure may appear, and mysterious Black Robed Men have been frequently sighted investigating."

"Soul Burial Ravine... Black Robed Man..." A flash of realization crossed Li Ao's eyes.

The Hall of Souls members gathering in Black Rock Town likely had that place as their target.

Anything that could interest the Hall of Souls was certainly not ordinary.

Just as he was carefully studying the map, another jade talisman in his possession suddenly transmitted an extremely faint fluctuation carrying a uniquely cold and sinister aura.

It was the sub-talisman left by Medusa!

Li Ao frowned, immediately sinking his Soul Power into it.

What came through was not a complete message, but a segment of extremely blurred, fragmented images and emotional snippets:

A scorching desert... a dilapidated ancient stone hall... intense energy collisions... a strong, heavily built Snake-People Clan expert, whose face vaguely resembled Elder Yin Shi, was drenched in blood and let out a desperate roar...

The final image was fixed on a half-collapsed, massive stone gate carved with serpentine reliefs.

From the gaps in the stone gate, an ancient, desolate aura that made even Li Ao feel uneasy faintly seeped out...

"Snake-People Clan ruins? Under attack?" Li Ao instantly understood.

Medusa or her clansmen had encountered a formidable enemy in some ruins in the Tagor Desert!

Elder Yin Shi's distress signal pointed there, and now, Medusa's sub-talisman also transmitted images from that location, meaning she had likely gone there herself and was in trouble!

An enemy capable of troubling the greatly strengthened Medusa, one who even necessitated the use of a sub-talisman to transmit a vague distress signal... Who could it be?

The Cloud Mist Sect? Or... the Hall of Souls?

The Tagor Desert was far from Black Rock Town, but Li Ao vaguely felt that some connection existed between the two.

The ancient Snake-People Clan ruins, the abnormality at the border's Soul Burial Ravine, the frequent activity of the Hall of Souls... these clues were like scattered pearls lacking a connecting thread.

He pondered for a moment and made a decision.

The Soul Burial Ravine was close at hand, and the Hall of Souls' goal must be clarified.

As for Medusa... he believed that with her strength and wisdom, she should be able to hold out for a short time.

He needed to first resolve the immediate problem and gather more information, which might help him find the connection.

Putting away the map and the jade talisman, Li Ao's figure merged into the shadows of the night, quietly leaving the stone house and stealthily moving toward the "Phantom Inn" located east of the town.

He intended to personally "visit" those mysterious Black Robed Men.

The Phantom Inn was one of the few buildings in Black Rock Town that looked somewhat orderly, yet it exuded a sinister aura that warned people away.

Li Ao's Soul Power spread out like mercury, easily penetrating the simple warning Formation surrounding the inn.

He sensed three auras inside the inn: two were at the Dou Ling level, and one... had shockingly reached the level of a Two-Star Dou Huang!

Moreover, the auras of all three carried that unique cold, deathly silent, Soul-corroding scent characteristic of the Hall of Souls.

That Two-Star Dou Huang was likely the leader here.

Li Ao did not alert the enemy, retracting his Soul Power probing to the extreme, letting it attach to the inn's wooden structure like the finest dust to eavesdrop on the movements inside.

"...The Restriction outside the Soul Burial Ravine is more troublesome than anticipated.

Forcing a breakthrough consumes too much, and it is easy to attract unnecessary attention," a hoarse voice said; it belonged to the Two-Star Dou Huang.

"Steward, what should we do now?

The Venerable Envoy is pressing us hard.

It is said that the sensing of the other part of the 'Key' has recently fluctuated in that area," another voice respectfully asked.

"Wait.

According to ancient records, the spatial turbulence deep within the Soul Burial Ravine has a brief period of calm every so often.

Calculating the time, it should be within the next few days.

Taking action then will give us a greater chance of success," the Two-Star Dou Huang, referred to as the Steward, said in a deep voice.

"But... the news from the Tagor Desert is that Medusa, that woman, seems to have also found ruins suspected to be related to the 'Key.'

What if..."

"Hmph, Protector Wu and his people will handle things over there.

Our mission is to ensure that the 'Gate' here at the Soul Burial Ravine can be opened to welcome the Venerable Envoy's arrival!

Once our mission is complete, a mere Medusa won't be able to cause any trouble!"

Key?

Gate?

Welcoming the Venerable Envoy's arrival?

Li Ao's heart grew solemn.

The Hall of Souls truly was plotting something major!

They seemed to be searching for a "Key" to open a "Gate," allowing a more powerful existence to descend.

And the ruins in the Soul Burial Ravine and the Tagor Desert were likely both related to this "Key" or "Gate"!

Just then, the Hall of Souls Steward seemed to sense something.

He suddenly raised his head, his cold gaze seemingly penetrating the wall as he shouted sternly, "Who is it?!"

He had been discovered!

Li Ao retreated instantly without hesitation!

At the same time, with a thought, a wisp of "Nirvana" Saber Intent, which he had long prepared, acted like an invisible thread, instantly cutting off a critical energy node inside the inn!

"Bang!"

A muffled sound and energy fluctuations came from inside the inn; clearly, an important Formation or communication device had been destroyed.

"You seek death!"

The furious voice of the Hall of Souls Steward came through, and a powerful, cold aura instantly locked onto Li Ao.

Along with the other two Dou Lings, three black shadows burst through the inn's windows like ghosts, rapidly chasing in the direction Li Ao had fled!

Li Ao did not flee at full speed, but maintained a certain pace, leading the three men toward the desolate area outside Black Rock Town.

He needed to capture a "tongue" to extract more information about the "Key" and the "Gate," and the area outside the town was the perfect place to act.

Under the cover of night, the four figures—one in front, three behind—streaked across the desolate plain like meteors, quickly disappearing beyond the flickering lights of Black Rock Town.

A hunt and counter-hunt targeting the Hall of Souls quietly unfolded under the border night sky.

And what kind of crisis was Medusa currently facing, far away in the Tagor Desert?

Two seemingly unrelated clues were slowly being pulled together by an invisible pair of hands.