Chapter 141: Theres A Spy Among Us

Chapter 141: There's A Spy Among Us

The fog in the Valley of Bewildering Fog was so dense that it almost seemed solid. It looked as though it was flowing out of the mouth of the vast, desolate valley situated in between the two lofty mountains—appearing much like if a bottle filled with sheep fat had tipped over into the valley. On each side of the valley was a mountain covered with luxuriant forests that gave it a dark green peak—all of which concealed dense yin qi.

This valley was notorious for being one of the most dangerous places in the Southern Bastion Mountain. Cultivators who frequented the area were well aware of this valley, but no one knew what lay at the end of it.

With the Dark King Sect's Southern-Route and Southwestern Guiders leading the way, two groups of black-clad figures and their horses silently walked over to the mouth of the valley. Each of them had a dark gold token, which had been engraved with a number that represented their identity, hanging from their waist. The mood was stiff and heavy, perhaps from the excessive murderous intent that the people were exuding.

However, the black-clad figure walking at the very rear of the group on the right looked rather strange; he was trembling occasionally. Fortunately, the trembling wasn't severe. It was barely noticeable under his black robe and did not attract the attention of the people traveling with him.

Enough. That's enough. It's going to be troublesome if you shake any more than that.

Chu Liang had been continuously suppressing the righteous impulses of the Crimson Executioner with his divine sense, and it made him quite weary. The Crimson Executioner's impulses only manifested as a slight trembling on the outside, but it was actually about to explode with rage inside the White Pagoda's space.

Chu Liang understood that the Crimson Executioner had an urgent desire to slay demonic entities, but he had to take his level of strength into consideration. The Crimson Executioner's amplified power was dependent on his cultivation level.

Killing Master Lu, a cultivator at the sixth realm, had been an incredible feat. Chu Liang could tell that at his current cultivation level, he would need to exhaust almost all of his power to do that now. Moreover, if he missed the right timing or attempted it at an unfavorable location, he wouldn't be able to kill an unconventional sixth-realm cultivator.

The Dark King Sect was a powerhouse diabolical sect. Chu Liang felt that he wasn't confident he would be able to kill a somewhat vigilant fifth-realm cultivator from that sect, let alone a sixth-realm Guider... and two of them at that.

You want me to jump out and uphold justice at this moment... It seems you want me dead.

"It's impossible to get into the Deep Pool of Dreams by flying there. We can only enter it by traversing through the Valley of Bewildering Fog," the Southern-Route Guider said. Then he raised his hand, signaling for his group to stop walking. "The Valley of Bewildering Fog is full of miasma, poisonous fog, Sickle Ghosts, and lingering spirits. Everyone, be extra vigilant when you enter."

The Southern-Route Guider then pulled out a long white bone. He raised his other hand and scratched the bone, and a translucent ball of dark green flames burst into existence with a whoosh.

He continued, "The only way we can clear a route through the fog and the lingering spirits within it is by using a bone of a Sickle Ghost to form a netherworld-fire torch. Once we've entered the valley, follow closely behind this ball of hellfire. Do not rush ahead, and do not fall behind. If you were to get separated from the group, you may get taken away by the lingering spirits in the dense fog, doomed to linger here forever as one of them."

"Understood!" the Guider's subordinates replied.

Chu Liang finally figured out why the Guider, who had a high cultivation level, would need companions just to venture through the Valley of Bewildering Fog.

So, it turns out that being alone in the valley means you're at risk of getting possessed by lingering spirits.

Once the Southern-Route Guider was done warning his subordinates, he took the lead and stepped into the dense fog. The moment the bone torch he held came into contact with the fog, a strange hissing rang out, followed by faint blood-curdling screams.

At first, Chu Liang was puzzled. What exactly is a Sickle Ghost, and why is it so mystical? This is just one bone of a Sickle Ghost, yet it seems to have a consciousness and can even scream...?

However, at the next moment, he realized that the screams were not coming from the bone but from the fog!

Is this fog a living thing?!

Upon thinking that, Chu Liang immediately held his breath, not daring to inhale the fog. Nevertheless, after seeing the people ahead of him enter the fog one by one without any apparent issues, Chu Liang put on a bold face and walked into the fog as well.

Whoosh.

Chu Liang suddenly felt like he was under the sea. He heard the muffled sounds of thunderclaps and roaring wind, as well as blood-curdling screams and murmurs.

Many voices were beckoning him over, "Come... Come..."

Those indistinct voices were extremely enticing. It was highly likely that cultivators at a level below the Spiritual Awareness Realm, who had weak mental defenses, would be lured away.

This is so creepy.

The rest of the party stopped too.

Despite Luo Yao's battle with the Sickle Ghost ending very quickly, the Guider still managed to notice it had occurred. He turned back and looked at the rear of the group. Chu Liang and his two companions tensed up simultaneously, uncertain if the Guider had noticed that something was off about them.

With the bone torch in hand, the Southern-Route Guider walked to the rear of the group and inspected the pile of broken bones on the ground.

"Great job," the Guider said two words of praise to Luo Yao. Then he told everyone else, "Collect these Sickle Ghost bones. We'll be relying on them to continue our journey. If these bones aren't enough to last the whole way, we'll have to take turns to hunt down the Sickle Ghosts. Let's have the Southern-Route Fiends and their Soul Subjugators be the first ones to do it."

After what they had experienced so far in the valley, everyone in the two groups understood that in this fog, the Sickle Ghost bones were like firewood—very important.

Hunting Sickle Ghosts in the dense fog was a very dangerous task. The Southern-Route Guider was clearly trying to demonstrate his sincerity regarding this partnership by letting his Fiends be the first one to take on such a risky task.

Hearing that, Pushan felt rather resentful toward the Southern-Route Guider and muttered, "If you want to show your sincerity, why don't you go instead? What's the point of sending your subordinates into danger?"

Chu Liang smiled as he transmitted his voice to Pushan, "It will be good for us to leave the party anyway. It will make it easier for us to take action."

"I know. I just felt like scolding him anyway," Pushan replied with a nod.

"..."

Chu Liang thought that he shouldn't have bothered saying anything.

They walked for roughly another hour. Chu Liang had no idea how far they'd walked, but the Southern-Route Guider waved his hand again at this moment, and the party came to a halt.

The Southern-Route Guider directed everyone to form a circle, enveloping them in the light radiating out from the bone torch.

Then the Southern-Route Guider said, "Southern-Route Fiends, I want the three of you to take your subordinates out to hunt the Sickle Ghosts. I'll give two bones to each team. Once the first bone burns out, you have to return to the group, regardless of whether you have anything to bring back."

The party didn't have many Sickle Ghost bones left—just the remainder of the Southern-Route Guider's stock and the bones from the two Sickle Ghosts that had attacked the party earlier. They had no idea how much longer they had to walk before they could get out of this valley, so they couldn't wait until they ran out of bones before hunting down more Sickle Ghosts.

"Understood!"

The three Southern-Route Fiends obeyed their Guider's command and left with their subordinates. Of course, Chu Liang and his two companions made up one of the three teams.

Their Fiend was at the forefront of their team, leading the way with a bone torch in hand. The three imposters followed behind him, calculating the distance from the main party to determine when they should take action.

Killing this Fiend was the first objective they wanted to achieve after entering the valley. The conditions were so perfect that it was as if the heavens had planned it.

While the three of them were silently waiting for the right time to do the deed, the Fiend walking ahead of them suddenly stopped in his tracks, his figure seemingly frozen in the distance.

"What's the matter?" Pushan asked him.

Time was of the essence; they should be searching for Sickle Ghosts urgently. It was rather strange that the Fiend had come to a sudden halt.

The Fiend turned around, and his icy gaze beneath his hood seemed to sweep over the faces of his three subordinates.

Then he said grimly, "There's a spy among us."

Ah?!

Upon hearing these words, Chu Liang was a bit stunned.

Only one spy?