114: Chapter 114 The Well of Compassion

Soon, Chen Zilong led Ye Xishui, Tu Shan Xiaoxiao, and Lu Bingyun to the location of the Compassionate Mother Well.

This was a deep, secluded forest where ancient trees reached for the sky. Their branches and leaves intertwined like a spiderweb, nearly blotting out the daylight and only allowing a few mottled patches of light and shadow to leak through to the forest floor.

A faint mist drifted through the air, carrying a slightly fishy scent mixed with earth and rotting leaves.

The occasional bird call from the distance only served to make the silence here feel more eerie.

The sounds seemed to be swallowed by something invisible, coming to an abrupt halt.

In the center of this dense forest stood a solitary stone well, its mouth exposed to the air like a silent, gaping maw.

Wild grass grew rampant all around, yet not a single blade grew by the well's edge, creating a bizarre void.

A half-rotted wooden sign was thrust into the ground beside the well. The characters on it were mottled and illegible, looking like remains gnawed away by time.

Chen Zilong swept his divine sense over it, taking in the contents instantly.

A thousand years ago, this place suffered a once-in-a-century drought. The land was parched for thousands of miles, and countless villagers died or were injured; they only survived thanks to the water source from this well.

Therefore, even though the surroundings had long been swallowed by the jungle, the villagers of Tianji Village were unwilling to fill it in. Instead, they guarded it for generations and, out of gratitude for saving their lives, named it the 'Compassionate Mother Well.'

Chen Zilong's gaze narrowed slightly as he walked slowly toward the well's mouth.

His footsteps were light, yet they sounded exceptionally clear in the excessive silence.

Lu Bingyun suddenly knit her elegant brows. Her plain white robes seemed draped in moonlight amidst the hazy light, and a hint of solemnity appeared on her beautiful face.

Those eyes, like autumn waters, narrowed slightly, her long lashes casting faint shadows beneath them.

Sensing the faint fluctuations of a formation coming from the well, she spoke softly, her voice like ice striking jade:

"It seems this well is the Formation Eye."

The corners of her lips curled up in a faint, fleeting smile that didn't reach her eyes. "To save the villagers in their time of peril and serve as the eye for the Demon Suppression Grand Array... calling it the Compassionate Mother Well is quite fitting."

Her voice was very soft, yet it was strikingly clear in this eerie stillness.

Ye Xishui stood by her side and nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Her face was cold as frost, and her brow carried an air of inviolable dignity.

At this moment, a flash of imperceptible vigilance crossed her eyes. Her long, jade-like fingers silently moved to the hilt of her sword, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force of her grip.

"Let's begin."

Her tone was calm but carried an unquestionable decisiveness, and there was a hint of tension in her cold voice.

The four of them immediately took their positions, standing at the East, West, South, and North sides of the well's mouth.

Chen Zilong was the first to circulate his magic power, and the other three followed suit, activating their respective cultivation techniques.

Four streaks of spiritual light of varying colors surged from their palms. As if pulled by an invisible force, they slowly poured into the well.

The flowing light was exceptionally eye-catching in the dim forest.

As the magic power was continuously funneled in, complex dark-gold formation patterns gradually emerged around the well's mouth, with ancient runes moving like living things.

Strange patterns flickered and flowed along the rim of the well, emitting a hazy and eerie halo.

The light pulsed, brightening and dimming as if it were breathing.

For a moment, the mist in the forest seemed to thicken, drawn by the light. It coiled around everyone's feet, carrying a chilling dampness.

Even the occasional bird calls from before ceased completely; all was silent.

Only the low hum of the formation's operation echoed in the air—a sound that seemed to come from deep underground, carrying a heart-palpitating vibration.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the four of them ceased their efforts almost simultaneously.

Ye Xishui let out a soft breath. Fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead and slid down her thin cheeks.

Lu Bingyun wiped her forehead with her sleeve, her posture as elegant as a painting. Even in such a situation, her every move still carried an indescribable beauty.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao, having the shallowest cultivation, was already drenched in sweat and panting slightly. Her pretty face was flushed with exhaustion, like white jade stained by the sunset.

She raised a hand to lightly touch her chest, trying to steady her rapid breathing.

Just as everyone's guard dropped for a split second, a sudden change occurred!

Four clusters of pitch-black, hair-like objects suddenly shot out of the well without warning. These things seemed alive, darting toward the necks of the four like poisonous snakes!

Their speed was beyond reason, even letting out a sharp hiss as they sliced through the air.

Ye Xishui's pupils constricted. For the first time, a look of shock appeared on her usually calm and cold face—a shock mingled with a hint of disbelief.

Lu Bingyun reacted extremely quickly, her jade hand already pressing onto her sword hilt, knuckles white from the force. A cold light flashed in her beautiful almond eyes.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao turned pale with fright, her red lips parting slightly, but she didn't have time to cry out. Her eyes, which always held a hint of a smile, were now filled with terror.

The black hair-like strands were bone-chillingly cold to the touch. In an instant, they tightened around the necks of the four, constricting further and further like cold iron bands.

A wave of frigid energy spread from the point of contact, piercing straight to the marrow.

Chen Zilong felt his throat tighten, the veins on his neck bulging as breathing became difficult.

He tried to circulate his magic power to resist, but found that the hair seemed to be draining his strength.

Ye Xishui struggled with all her might. Waves appeared in her usually calm eyes—a mix of anger at being offended and a hint of imperceptible humiliation.

Strangulation marks had already appeared on her fair neck.

Lu Bingyun tried to use her power to resist, only to find her magic power being crazily swallowed by the hair, like a clay ox entering the sea.

She bit her lower lip, the color gradually draining from her face. Her stubborn and unwilling expression made her look like a jade statue about to shatter.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao fared the worst. With her cultivation only at the Foundation Establishment stage, her face was already turning purple, and she struggled to breathe. Her frail body swayed, looking like a candle flickering in the wind.

She clawed futilely at the hair around her neck, but it didn't budge. Instead, it only wound tighter.

"Senior Brother... Xiaoxiao... can't hold on..." she squeezed out the words. Her voice was thin as a thread, carrying a sob and filled with despair.

Before she could finish, the eerie black hair suddenly exerted force, dragging her toward the bottomless mouth of the well!

At the critical moment, lightning flashed in Chen Zilong's eyes. Enduring the sensation of suffocation, he pointed his finger in mid-air.

Several spears condensed from pure lightning manifested out of thin air.

Carrying blinding electrical light and a destructive aura, they slammed into the stone wall of the well's rim with a dull thud, narrowly stopping Tu Shan Xiaoxiao's descent.

Simultaneously, green lightning erupted from his body. The Evil-Warding Divine Thunder, like a violent roaming dragon, surged down the cold hair straight into the bottom of the well!

Wherever the lightning passed, the black hair scorched and twisted, letting out a sizzling sound.

"Ah—!"

Three shrill, agonizing female screams immediately echoed from within the well. The sounds were sharp and piercing, filled with infinite resentment and bone-deep pain.

It was hair-raising to hear; even the surrounding mist seemed to churn from the sound.

Chen Zilong's heart jolted as a chill ran up his spine.

Just what kind of existence was sealed within this well?

To be able to emit such overwhelming resentment!

The resentment had almost condensed into substance, causing the surrounding temperature to drop several degrees...

...