Chapter 576: Shock

Wu Jinliang was also startled. He carefully stopped what he was doing and asked, "No way. We were so careful on the road, and we even sent Xiao Sheng ahead to wait for us on our route for half a day, but he didn't find anyone following us. Where would an ambush come from?"

Shi Chun also found it strange. His Demon Cleansing Skill had been tested and should have been able to sever the tracking of the Demon Eye. How could they still be followed?

He scanned his surroundings again to confirm. The figures in the four directions—front, back, left, and right—visible through his right eye's special ability, couldn't be mistaken. They were precisely being monitored from the center. Could this be a coincidence?

The only puzzling detail was that the eight figures in the four directions were all hazy, appearing to be demon cultivators.

He couldn't confirm if they were from the demonic path; the distance was too great for him to see their spiritual sources.

"Four directions, front, back, left, and right – eight people, all demon cultivators. We're surrounded," he briefly informed Wu Jinliang.

Wu Jinliang pondered for a moment, then asked with a solemn expression, "What should we do?"

Shi Chun thought for a moment and said, "They probably don't have the strength to capture us yet, or they would have acted already. Waiting any longer might lead to complications. Let's go!"

The word "go" was spoken decisively and crisply. After a brief consideration, he made a quick, risky decision.

He also drew out his magical artifact.

Wu Jinliang, steeling his heart, pulled out his three-in-one magical artifact and quickly used Earth Evasion to open a passage through the mountainside.

As soon as they emerged from the passage, they immediately rode their Wind Scales and soared into the sky.

The result greatly surprised them: the path was unobstructed, there were no pursuers, and the people supposedly at the four ambush points seemed to show no activity.

"What's going on? Didn't they notice us escaping?" Wu Jinliang wondered.

Shi Chun retorted sarcastically, "Are all eight of them blind?"

After speaking, he muttered an addition, "Could it really be a coincidence?"

Besides this explanation, he couldn't think of any other reason.

Still uneasy, they circled around extensively on their journey. Wu Jinliang also told Xiao Sheng to put other matters aside and first go to their intended route to lie in wait, then help observe after they passed.

After circling around for quite some time and confirming no one was following them, they finally felt at ease to proceed with their business.

What they didn't know was that the eight people previously ambushing them from four directions had no task to track them at all; their main purpose was observation.

No matter where Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang flew, the eight people didn't need to circle along. When they received instructions to investigate a certain approximate location, they would directly move there and report on the environment and situation.

So, no one bothered them no matter how they flew or ran. However, the eight people would usually arrive in the vicinity of any place the two had stopped or landed to investigate.

Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang were completely unaware of this. Instead, they were coordinating with Xiao Sheng's actions: after Xiao Sheng retrieved the goods from the rendezvous point, they would observe in ambush along Xiao Sheng's route. Only after confirming no one was tracking Xiao Sheng did they dare to meet him.

In the end, they successfully obtained three jars of paste-like 'Death-Defying Incense'.

With the items in hand and confirmed to be correct, Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang rushed to a stone mountain. On the mountain, they lifted a stone, threw all the remaining Revive Soul Tree cores into the hole, and then rolled the stone back to block the entrance.

Afterward, Wu Jinliang sent a message to Bai Qiru, asking him to inform Granny Qi that another batch of goods had been placed in the old spot and that Granny Qi should finish the work as soon as possible.

The message quickly reached Granny Qi, who was imprisoned.

Inside her cage, after listening to Yin Fei's whispered secret report from outside, Granny Qi stared blankly and exclaimed, "There's more?"

She was somewhat stunned.

A single batch of over a hundred Revive Soul Tree materials had already surprised her, but now another batch had arrived. She couldn't help but wonder how much Jin Zhan had truly chopped down back then.

And that Gao He was quite rough in his methods. It was already surprising that he dared to use the same place for materials a second time, but now he even dared a third time. Wasn't he afraid she would send people to stake out the location? Wasn't he afraid she would target them again?

The first time, they brought materials for her to test, only giving the second batch after confirming successful refinement. The third batch was only provided after the second was refined. She had originally thought their actions were extremely cautious, but now it seemed she couldn't tell if they were just crude, or if there was a hidden subtlety in their roughness.

After much thought, she still instructed Yin Fei outside the cage, "Notify the tavern. Take the materials from the old spot and turn them into dishes as soon as possible."

"Yes," Yin Fei responded and departed.

As night fell, the stars eagerly twinkled.

Eight figures searching near a stone mountain suddenly, one after another, as if pricked by needles, quickly ducked down and took cover behind nearby obstacles.

Soon, the Wind Scales streaking across the sky retracted, and two figures landed on the mountaintop: two demon cultivator men.

After surveying their surroundings, the two familiar with the area easily found the large stone blocking the cave entrance. After pushing it aside, one person jumped into the cave while the other stood guard outside, scanning the area.

Before long, the person inside the cave jumped out, holding a Cosmos Bag. He gestured to the lookout outside and said, "This time, there are more than a dozen more than last time."

The lookout quickly pushed the large stone back to block the cave entrance, and the two immediately soared into the sky on their Wind Scales.

After they were far away, the eight hidden figures gradually emerged. They all rushed to the concealed cave entrance, inevitably pushing aside the stone to investigate, only to find it completely empty.

Not long after, A Lan, having received the detailed report, personally arrived through the air with two cloaked figures.

A Lan also entered the cave to personally inspect the scene. The leader of the eight accompanied her, presenting a few small, irregular black wood scraps found as remnants. "Auntie, these were found on site. Judging by how they emerged holding Cosmos Bags, they seem to have taken something from here. I wonder if it's related to this material; it looks like some special kind of wood."

The cave environment was simple and could be seen at a glance. A Lan took a piece of the wood, broke it, and then held it to her nose to sniff. She detected a familiar scent and immediately recalled where she had smelled it before.

She immediately collected all the scraps. After flashing out of the cave, she asked the two cloaked figures, "Well?"

The two cloaked figures said nothing, but both nodded.

A Lan understood, and immediately said in a deep voice, "Report to me immediately once you find them. Do not startle the snake by hitting the grass."

"Yes," the two cloaked figures acknowledged the order and instantly flashed away into the sky.

The other people present were then dispatched by A Lan to the target's next stopping point.

Not long after these people left, a void rift appeared, and the red-robed woman materialized out of thin air once again.

A Lan presented the black wood scraps with both hands. "Your Ladyship, these were found at the scene. If I'm not mistaken, the scent of this material is identical to the fragrance on the Divine Mountain."

The red-robed woman picked up a piece, sniffed it, and nodded slightly. "It does smell very similar. Could this be..."

She was a little uncertain.

A Lan voiced her suspicion, "Your Ladyship, are you suspecting it's the Revive Soul Tree?"

The red-robed woman placed the wood from her fingers back into A Lan's palm. "Take it to the pharmacist to confirm what it is."

"Yes," A Lan acknowledged and withdrew.

With her surroundings quiet, the red-robed woman gazed up at the starry sky, her robes fluttering in the night wind. She slowly closed her eyes and focused her mind.

When she opened her eyes again, she found a flat spot, threw out a meditation cushion, and sat down cross-legged. She casually took out some fine wine and took a gulp.

Perhaps moved by the captivating night breeze and starlight, she, seemingly sentimental, even pulled out a *dongxiao* (Chinese vertical flute). With her wine, facing the vast world alone, she began to play mournfully and melodiously. It was very beautiful, full of weeping and intricate notes, light and ethereal, yet imbued with a faint sadness...

As the wind rose, so did the dust. Shi Chun, in the desolate landscape, waved his sleeve to brush away the dust blowing towards him.

The desolation of this place was related to him; it was precisely where he had been besieged by the demonic path last time. After a great battle, the once verdant landscape had turned into a wasteland, and resilient wild grasses were already sprouting.

Before long, a figure flew down and landed. It was Wu Jinliang, carrying a large bag on his shoulder.

Shi Chun frowned and questioned, "Why did you take so long?"

Wu Jinliang chuckled, "Long? It's good enough I could even find them!" He opened the bag and poured out five dirt wolves. "This area was flattened by your battle; any living creatures either died or were scared away. I had to run far and wide to find these. Don't kick them, they're not dead, they're alive, just knocked out."

They had obtained a considerable amount of Death-Defying Incense. To complete the experiment they had envisioned, and fearing bias when contacting Chu Jing-tang and others in the Underworld, they had not only found the original experimental location but also insisted on using the original species of animals for the experiment. This was a result of what they had learned from books.

Shi Chun withdrew his foot, which had nudged the dirt wolf. His right eye's special ability scanned the surroundings again. After confirming no one was present, he cast a spell to smooth over any lingering footprints in the area. Then, touching his toe to the ground, he said, "Down here, then."

Wu Jinliang immediately used Earth Evasion, taking himself and the dirt wolves underground.

After reaching a considerable depth underground, he cast a spell to create a sufficiently spacious underground chamber.

Shi Chun also threw out a dirt wolf corpse from his Cosmos Bracelet. It was the same one from last time. The corpse hadn't decomposed inside the storage bracelet, and less than a month had passed. He wasn't sure if it would still be useful, but he nodded to Wu Jinliang as a signal.

Wu Jinliang, who was no stranger to this task, skillfully cooperated. He took out a small jar, scooped out a dollop of black paste, and directly ignited it, quickly releasing its fragrant smoke.

Shi Chun immediately cast a spell to encircle the rising smoke and directed it towards the dirt wolf's corpse.

The effect was much slower than last time, perhaps because the corpse had been dead for too long. However, the same result still appeared: golden threads sprouted, intricately drilling into the void. Under the restraint of Shi Chun's Demon Cleansing Skill, the black passage in the void reappeared.

That eerie Yin energy once again permeated out from the black hole.

Even though it wasn't the first time he'd witnessed this, Wu Jinliang, who had stopped the burning process, couldn't help but click his tongue twice. Facing Shi Chun's warning glare, he grinned mischievously and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Don't worry, I definitely won't wander off this time. I'll stay here and guard. If anything happens, I can burn incense here to provide assistance."

Only after hearing this did Shi Chun flash and slip into the black hole. Upon landing, he once again arrived in that eerie, dark world.

After looking around, he immediately pulled out the mother-child talismans used to contact Chu Jing-tang and his group. With one hand casting a spell to control the bundle of golden threads, and the other holding the talisman, he urgently messaged Chu Jing-tang: "I don't know if my current location is the same as last time. How far are you from the last location, and how long will it take you to get here?"

Afterward, he waited patiently.

He didn't know what Chu Jing-tang was doing, but after waiting for a while, a reply came: "Elder Brother, I've already left that area. To make it easier to contact you, Lao Chang-tai is still guarding inside Langdang River City. If he sees the message promptly, he should be able to get there in about fifteen minutes. I'll contact him now."

Just as Shi Chun was reading the message, the captivating flute music that had been winding through the stone mountain in the wind ceased. The red-robed woman, after taking another sip from her wine jar, also closed her eyes, which reflected the starlight.

After a brief moment of concentration, she suddenly stood up as if bitten by a snake, her opened eyes filled with an indescribable look of shock, and she gasped in a lost voice, "The Underworld!"

Shi Chun, having read the message, knew that the time for the golden threads to bind souls was limited and there wasn't enough time. He immediately replied: "Tell him I'll come back in half an hour."

This was also to give Lao Chang-tai ample preparation time, preventing any mistakes due to rushing, especially since he was being called upon at short notice.

Chu Jing-tang immediately replied: "Okay, I'll tell him right away."

Shi Chun didn't know if the Underworld forces would continue to pursue souls. He didn't want to easily encounter them again, fearing they might discover the black hole passage. Therefore, without waiting for the golden threads to withdraw, he flew back, flashing through the void passage.

Back in the underground cave, he also released the golden threads from their restraint, wanting to see if the dirt wolf corpse on the ground could revive.

As soon as the unbound golden threads dispersed, the void passage immediately disintegrated and vanished.

The red-robed woman on the mountaintop, her face still filled with shock from the night, took a deep breath to control her emotions. After calming herself, to confirm whether her senses had deceived her, she once again closed her eyes and concentrated, sensing.