Chapter 403
Zhang Shijie led the Yuanying cultivators ahead, followed closely by the seventy-two disciples of the Jiushan Sect, and behind them trailed the disciples from other sects, all at the Golden Core stage and below.
The name Chenjun comes from the Chen River that runs through the entire county. Chenyang County is just a small town by the river, unremarkable in itself, but its ferry crossing is quite famous.
"At the Chenyang Ferry, a thousand sails compete, and ten thousand boats gather. Trade flows like rain, goods like water; within a thousand miles, no other commercial hub can compare. Outsiders often lose their way here."
This was a record from the Chenyang County Gazette collected by Zheng Fa, and the pride and joy of the author were palpable in those words.
But now, everything that once made the author proud had vanished.
The ferry was deserted; there were no merchants from afar, nor local porters in sight.
Boats still floated on the water, but they lay abandoned, exposed to the wind and sun, with no one to tend to them.
The only sign of life was the fluttering banners by the riverside shops, desperately trying to attract customers.
"Where is everyone?"
Fang Yuan gazed at the scene in confusion, her voice tinged with bewilderment.
She wasn't the only one puzzled; Zhang Shijie and the others ahead shared her concern.
Beside her, Uncle Pang whispered, "The Master Chengkong once said that the crafting of the Blood Fiend Banner requires the essence and blood of living beings..."
"..."
Zhang Shijie remained silent, her gaze fixed on the empty ferry, her eyes darkening further.
As the group entered the county town, it was no surprise to find it equally deserted.
"Have the disciples search the area..."
Having so many people was useful—primarily to ensure that every corner was checked, not just for people, but for any signs of the bizarre.
The methods of the demonic sect were notoriously unpredictable. Master Chengkong and the others had arranged everything meticulously. Even with the divine senses of the Yuanying cultivators searching, they instructed Zheng Fa to send people to investigate personally, leaving no stone unturned.
Zhang Shijie understood the gravity of the situation. Upon entering the town, she pulled out a map and dispersed the Golden Core and lower disciples to various locations.
Lin Bufan, along with twenty-three other Qi Refining disciples, was assigned to search a small village outside the town. He had requested Zheng Fa to call back a Foundation Establishment disciple, allowing him to coordinate with the others to form a celestial formation.
Now, they were a small team.
One member held a tome, eyes closed, seemingly communicating with others in the forum.
"We Foundation Establishment disciples are close to the county town. If we find anything, Zhang Zhenren and the others can come to our aid," he said after a moment.
Lin Bufan nodded inwardly, feeling a bit more at ease.
"The Golden Core brothers have gone to a nearby valley; another group of Foundation Establishment disciples is farther away from us."
"Did they find anything?"
"Just like us."
Lin Bufan pressed his lips together, sensing the curious gazes of the other disciples on him—after all, he hailed from the Da Zizai Demon Sect, and their doubts naturally led them to want to ask him.
"They're probably all dead," Lin Bufan replied.
This answer was not surprising, but it was enough to plunge them into silence.
After searching the small village with no results, they headed toward the nearby valley, where another village lay at the foot of the mountain.
Halfway there, the disciple holding the tome suddenly shouted, "The Golden Core brothers have made a discovery!"
Everyone turned to him.
"In the valley, there are disciples from the Da Zizai Demon Sect..."
They exchanged glances, forming a line as they moved toward the valley.
"What is that smell?"
As they reached the valley's mouth, a wave of fragrant aroma wafted toward them.
"Don't inhale!"
Lin Bufan shouted suddenly. Everyone reacted quickly, tossing out their Purifying Qi Talismans. Moments later, someone breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness you reacted quickly, Bufan. Otherwise, we would have been in trouble."
The scent had entered their bodies, igniting a burning sensation in their blood.
The Purifying Qi Talismans dispelled the aroma, gradually calming their insides, but they could still hear something bubbling:
"Glug, glug, glug."
Following the sound, Lin Bufan and the others moved forward. After a few steps, they understood the source of the scent and the noise.
The valley floor was already low, but now a large section had been excavated, transforming it into a bottomless cauldron.
Inside the cauldron was... blood!
Red blood, black blood.
The blood boiled and churned in the cauldron, bubbles rising and bursting, releasing waves of fragrance.
Though they could no longer smell the aroma, the sight of the blood pool filled them with nausea.
"What is that?"
One disciple pointed at the blood pool and shouted.
"People..."
They finally understood where the residents of Chenjun had gone. The flesh of these people had long since dissolved, leaving only bones that reflected a ghastly white light in the blood pool.
Men and women, old and young, all jumbled together, endlessly surging.
Lin Bufan looked down at a child’s skeleton, no taller than his own calf, bumping against the stained mud, as if in innocent inquiry, asking why.
"There are footprints..."
He suddenly said.
Everyone looked down and saw a line of footprints leading from afar to the edge of the pool, then disappearing.
They could all imagine the origin of these footprints—
Cultivators did not leave such deep and heavy prints.
Only mortals did.
These mortals had lined up, bewildered and unaware, driven like cattle and sheep toward the blood pool, crying and struggling, alive and conscious, boiled until their skin split and only bones remained, even those bones threatened to dissolve.
Though they were not mortals, fear and a sense of sorrow for their kind surged within them—what difference was there between Foundation Establishment disciples and mortals in the eyes of the powerful?
"Someone is fighting!"
In the northwest corner of the valley, flashes of lightning and blood-red light erupted.
"It's the Zhou Tian Divine Thunder Formation! Those Golden Core brothers!"
Everyone recognized the source of the lightning; the other side was undoubtedly disciples of the Da Zizai Demon Sect, likely Golden Core cultivators given their imposing presence.
"Those Golden Core brothers have a celestial formation; as long as there are no Yuanying cultivators, they are safe!"
The disciple holding the tome shouted, then whispered, "We should guard this valley entrance..."
Before he could finish, several black escape lights shot in from the northwest, all of them Golden Core cultivators.
It seemed they had also noticed the absurdity of the Jiushan Sect's Golden Core disciples and had fled!
As the Golden Core cultivators drew closer, Lin Bufan looked up and his eyes widened in shock—among them was Lin Yangtian, the one he had longed for and would never mistake, even in death!
Lin Yangtian was frantically fleeing, but the group of disciples at the valley entrance leaped up to block their escape.
Behind them, the Jiushan Sect's Golden Core disciples seemed to be wrapping up their cleanup.
Caught between two forces, Lin Yangtian was understandably anxious, but upon closer inspection, he relaxed.
"Lin Bufan? You're still alive?"
He looked down at Lin Bufan, his voice booming from above.
Lin Bufan remained silent, gritting his teeth as he quickly formed a celestial formation with the other disciples.
Seeing Lin Bufan coordinate seamlessly with the Jiushan disciples, Lin Yangtian's eyes flickered, and he suddenly said, "Brothers, we have lost this blood pool, which is a crime in itself, but it seems my servant has allied with the Jiushan Sect."
"The elders in our sect seem quite interested in the Jiushan Sect."
"If we can capture him and extract some secrets from the Jiushan Sect..."
"It would not only make up for our mistakes but could also earn us great merit."
As soon as he said this, the other Da Zizai Demon Sect disciples showed signs of interest. However, when they turned to look, the Jiushan Sect's Golden Core disciples were already closing in, albeit slowly due to their need to maintain formation.
Lin Yangtian said, "Brothers, hold off the enemies behind me. Lin Bufan is merely at the Foundation Establishment level and is my servant. Give me three breaths of time, and I can capture him..."
Upon hearing this, the other Da Zizai Demon Sect disciples pondered for a moment. Capturing a Foundation Establishment cultivator was not a difficult task for a Golden Core cultivator.
Moreover, within the Da Zizai Demon Sect, the hierarchy was strict, and lower-ranked members had no power to resist higher-ups.
Thus, it was indeed simple for Lin Yangtian to capture this Foundation Establishment traitor.
"Quickly, we can't hold them off for long!"
Lin Yangtian glanced at Lin Bufan, who was busy casting spells, and laughed, "Everything you've learned was given to you by me..."
He raised a blood-red hand, shrieking and exuding a foul stench, reaching for Lin Bufan.
He didn't even need a second move, merely watching Lin Bufan's frantic movements, seemingly enjoying his desperate struggle.
He had every reason to be confident; this was a secret technique of the Da Zizai Demon Sect that only Golden Core cultivators could learn. Lin Bufan not only had never learned it, but even if he had, with his cultivation level, he would never be able to withstand it!
But in the next moment, the smile on his face froze.
Lightning!
Suddenly, blinding lightning erupted around Lin Bufan!
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