253: Encountering Mo Chenggui

After the two of them tidied their clothes, they stepped off the carriage together.

When his feet landed on the ground and he saw the sight before him, even Situ Jun, whose state of mind had long been as calm as an ancient well, couldn't help but have his pupils shrink slightly as a ripple of emotion rose in his heart.

Not far away, a massive valley appeared, looking as if it had been struck by a falling star.

Within the valley, no fewer than a thousand Cultivators were densely gathered!

Tents of various colors were arranged orderly throughout the valley, their surfaces shimmering with a faint spiritual light. Many Cultivators had their Magic Treasures floating above their tents, the light emitted by the treasures intertwining with the spiritual glow of the tents, illuminating the darkening sky with a bizarre and colorful radiance. It looked like a bustling marketplace, yet it was permeated with danger and tension.

About a dozen miles away from these tents, a colossal, blue-black light barrier, resembling an inverted glazed bowl, rose into the sky, piercing the clouds and enveloping the entire Nether Crow Cave Mansion within it.

Countless profound and complex runes on the light barrier seemed to have come to life, constantly flowing and flashing, emitting a terrifying pressure that made one's heart palpitate. Even standing a dozen miles away, one could clearly feel the suffocating sensation brought by that pressure.

Without needing anyone to introduce it, Situ Jun recognized at a glance that it was the protective Restriction of the Nether Crow Cave Mansion!

At this moment, the light barrier of the Restriction was clearly in an unstable, fluctuating state.

Distortions appeared on the surface of the light barrier from time to time, followed by small cracks flashing with blue-purple electricity being torn open, through which the dense, cold aura from inside the Immortal Cave leaked out.

However, these cracks would quickly close under the effect of the runes, simultaneously emitting a dull roar like a thunderclap exploding in one's ears, making one's heart tremble.

Situ Jun took a deep look at the protective Restriction, then turned his gaze toward the encampment in the valley.

Various forces occupied different positions in the valley, clearly demarcated as if they were dividing territory.

In the very center was the Flying Ship of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce.

The Flying Ship was entirely silver-white, dozens of chang long, and magnificently designed. Its hull was inscribed with countless complex Formation runes. Even though it was currently parked quietly on the ground, it still emitted a powerful aura, showcasing the immense strength of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce.

Situ Jun's gaze slowly swept across the entire encampment, carefully observing the situation of the various forces.

He saw many Cultivators wearing uniform clothing and carrying identical weapons. They stood in front of their tents with serious expressions, their spiritual power pressure being quite impressive; they were clearly disciples of some great Sects.

He also saw some Cultivators sitting cross-legged on the ground alone or in groups of two or three. They were thick with Evil Qi, their eyes arrogant and unyielding, and their clothes were tattered, yet they could not hide their fierce aura. Without thinking, he knew these were lone travelers who lived on the edge and people from the Loose Cultivator Alliance.

There were also some Cultivators with various poisonous insects and Gu creatures wrapped around them. Some poisonous insects crawled on their arms, while some Gu were contained in specially made bamboo tubes, emitting a cold and eerie aura that inspired fear. They were clearly Cultivators from the Southern Frontier.

Besides these, there were other forces like the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce that relied on massive beast-drawn carriages and elite Guards to occupy the best positions in the valley. Their tents were the most luxurious, and the Cultivation of their Guards was generally higher, making them clearly powerful forces of significant strength.

After observing for a while, Situ Jun's Divine Sense quietly spread out, covering the entire encampment.

Soon, he keenly sensed several obscure but incredibly powerful auras hidden within certain tents.

Those auras were heavy and majestic, carrying the vicissitudes of time; they were definitely not something a Golden Core Cultivator could possess. They were absolutely Nascent Soul level old monsters!

This discovery made Situ Jun's mood instantly heavier.

He had originally thought that only Mysterious Clarity Master, the Nascent Soul Cultivator, would come on this trip to the Southern Frontier, but he hadn't expected so many Nascent Soul level old monsters to have come in secret.

The participation of Nascent Soul Cultivators would undoubtedly make the struggle for treasures in the Nether Crow Cave Mansion more intense and full of variables, and might even endanger his and Hua Hanxiang's lives.

Situ Jun took a deep breath, suppressed his thoughts, and stopped thinking about it. He didn't dare to investigate further for fear of attracting the attention of these powerhouses. He took Hanxiang's hand and walked toward the edge of the encampment.

He planned to set up camp at the edge first, observe the movements of the various forces clearly, and then make his next move.

The group led their horses and walked steadily toward the encampment. Their arrival immediately attracted the gazes of many Cultivators in the valley.

Countless gazes fell on them like physical objects—some curious, some probing, some wary, and some with a hint of subtle hostility.

Especially the dozen or so Guards behind Situ Jun. Although they deliberately restrained their auras, the iron-blooded air from years of battle was hard to hide. Moreover, everyone's Cultivation was at least at the Middle Stage of Qi Refining, and a few had even reached the First Layer of Foundation Establishment.

Such a lineup of Guards was considered quite good in the entire encampment.

Even more eye-catching was Situ Jun himself.

He had a tall and upright posture and a steady temperament. He seemed to be enveloped in a faint mist, making it impossible for others to see his true Cultivation; they could only feel an aura as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. The more they probed, the more alarmed they felt.

Such a lineup and strength caused a slight commotion in the surrounding crowd.

Cultivators stopped what they were doing and whispered to each other, discussing in low voices.

"Which force is this? Looking at the strength of these Guards, they don't seem to be from a small force!"

"The man leading them has such a strong aura; I can't see through his Cultivation at all. Could he be a Golden Core Cultivator?"

"Perhaps he's a powerful reinforcement sent by some great Sect, or maybe a newly arrived competitor. It seems the struggle for treasures in the Nether Crow Cave Mansion will be even more lively."

Various speculative voices kept coming, but Situ Jun turned a blind eye to the prying, as if those gazes and discussions had nothing to do with him.

As he walked forward, he secretly released his Divine Sense to carefully observe the movements of all the Cultivators.

At the same time, his Divine Sense also quietly contacted Bai Yu and the others who had been lying in wait here, informing them that he had arrived.

Just then, a slightly sharp and mean voice came from the direction of the Qingyun Chamber of Commerce's Flying Ship, breaking the peace of the scene:

"Oh, I was wondering who was putting on such a big show. So it's City Lord Situ of the Northern Frontier City arriving! Oh, wait."

The person paused deliberately, his tone full of sarcasm:

"I heard that City Lord Situ's position as City Lord of the Northern Frontier has been revoked by the Lord of Tianqi, haha... What, since you no longer have the position of City Lord to enjoy, you want to come to this dangerous place in the Southern Frontier to get a piece of the pie?"