Chapter 423 299: Ghost City

Outside Guming County, deep within a deserted forest.

Inside a cave, the walls were covered in a dense network of scarlet runes. The runes themselves were twisted in shape, like the claws of evil ghosts scrambling across the ground, struggling desperately. A mere glance was enough to instill a sense of manic, venomous rage, as if they could stir the deepest malice from one's heart.

At this very moment, a figure was sitting cross-legged in the cave.

The figure was draped in a black cloak, obscuring their face. Even sitting cross-legged, it was clear this person was short; their build was like that of a six- or seven-year-old child. The pale, plump arms peeking out from beneath the cloak were also unmistakably childlike.

In front of them sat a statue.

The statue was sculpted from black mud and stood about a foot tall. With no paint, one could only vaguely discern its features: it wore a simple skirt and appeared to be a middle-aged woman with her hair tied in a high crown. The statue's eyes were narrowed to slits, and a gentle, benevolent smile graced its lips. It looked no different from the "matron" deities common in ordinary religions.

The only thing that set it apart was a third eye in the center of its forehead. This eye was a vivid scarlet, as if it were alive. Within its pupil, black lines swirled to form a strange pattern.

It was obvious the statue was broken. Its entire body was covered in cracks, and many of its limbs were missing. It looked as if it had been shattered into fragments and painstakingly pieced back together.

WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!

The cloaked figure sitting in the cave formed a strange hand seal. Streams of Primordial Qi flowed from their body, coalescing in midair into the forms of sinister, savage Fierce Ghosts. Some of the ghosts drifted for a moment before melting into the blood-red patterns on the cave wall and vanishing. Others, however, suddenly burst forth from the patterns, swarming toward the statue.

They seemed to be mending the statue.

Suddenly, the cloaked figure snapped his head up, looking toward the cave entrance. He had concealed it with a restrictive Array, one that even a master of Divine Techniques would struggle to find.

A moment later, he seemed to confirm something, and the Seal Technique his hands were forming shifted.

A figure appeared at the entrance to the cave.

The figure was immensely tall, like a mountain of iron, exuding an intense, oppressive aura.

This person was also clad in a black cloak that hid their form and face.

"The marker's been released?"

The short, cloaked figure asked the tall one. His voice was indeed as clear and crisp as a child's.

"Yes. The Guming County City God hasn't arrived yet, so it was easy. I disguised it as a low-level Evil Spirit, which should be enough to avoid notice for a while. The real question is your situation. It's this damaged... can it still be used?"

The tall, cloaked figure spoke slowly, his voice deep and resonant. His gaze fell upon the shattered statue in front of the smaller man.

"It might be a little broken, but the essential beacon is still intact. After the last descent, the Yin Realm has stabilized. Its current level can't compare to before, of course, but it's far more clandestine—even more so than most incidents. As long as we gradually pile up blood sacrifices, it will reach 'Red Resentment' level at the very least, and could even achieve the intensity of a 'Black Death' event."

The short, cloaked figure said flatly.

"In that case, it seems a bit wasteful to use it as a diversion to attract attention."

The tall, cloaked figure said.

"We have no choice. Our operation in Guming County was unexpectedly exposed, which has already drawn the attention of Great Wei. The Celestial Net Department has spies all over Heqing Dao, and the Five Sects of Heqing are still quite capable—only the Red Heart Sect has fallen into decline in recent years. We can't afford to let our other arrangements fail. Since the Guming County operation is compromised, we can only repurpose it as a shield to draw their attention."

The short, cloaked figure spoke flatly. He then slowly rose to his feet. With a faint wave of his sleeve, the statue on the ground vanished.

Then, his hands formed another seal. The Red Spells on the walls writhed as if alive, converging on him before crawling into his black cloak and vanishing. A moment later, he had leaped onto the tall, cloaked figure's shoulder.

"Let's go. The other places in Heqing Dao are waiting for us to spread the markers. It won't be as easy in places that have a City God."

The short, cloaked figure said.

"Such a pain."

The tall, cloaked figure said.

"Once we reveal our hand and Heqing Dao falls into our grasp, everything will be much easier."

The short, cloaked figure said.

...

...

Meanwhile, within Guming County.

Under Chen Zhanyun's lead, Zhao Xuanqi and the others had spent the day rushing across the city. After they dealt with several more low-level incidents involving evil spirits, dusk began to fall, and it was finally time for them to rest. After the strange behavior of the Echo Worm, Chen Zhanyun no longer allowed them to handle cases alone. However, that incident seemed to be an anomaly; everything they encountered afterward was relatively normal.

After a full day of work, both Shen Hong and Peng Lin looked exhausted. Fortunately, the rewards for these missions were excellent. After each one, they could claim a Blood Strengthening Pill to restore their energy. Through this constant cycle of expending and replenishing their Blood Qi, their Cultivation was advancing even faster than before.

Night was fast approaching. Once the group returned to their quarters, they said their goodbyes and went to their own rooms to rest.

For them, these missions were a form of cultivation in themselves, so they were exempt from the nightly group training required of the other New Disciples.