Chapter 1176: Volume 7: Across the Human World Chapter 1172: Captured

“Martial Uncle Han Li? You mean…” Mu Peiling was taken aback, somewhat struggling to articulate.

“Indeed, it’s the route that Lady Violet Spirit, who once braved the inner valley with me, provided. That’s how she knows about such a safe route,” the woman surnamed Song replied with a gentle smile.

“I met this Fairy Violet Spirit once decades ago. Truly a celestial beauty that even we women can’t help being charmed by. I’ve heard that many high-status male cultivators ardently pursued her. Competing for her affection has sparked countless magical battles. She’s even been dubbed the number one beauty of the Heavenly South Region by those who like to gossip. However, her background is quite mysterious, and she’s known my master from an earlier time, sharing quite the confidante-like relationship. Martial Sister Mu, you might need to be a bit careful!” Liu Yu’er’s eyes twinkled as she chuckled “giggle” with a teasing tone in her voice.

“What do I have to be careful about?” Mu Peiling’s porcelain-like face blushed slightly as she sputtered in denial.

“Martial Sister Liu, don’t tease Martial Sister Mu. We should focus on the task at hand. Do you sisters plan to venture into the inner valley?” the woman surnamed Song asked seriously.

Mu Peiling and Liu Yu’er restrained their smiles, exchanged glances, and showed a hint of hesitation.

“Martial Sister Song, is the map that Violet Spirit provided really the path our master took in the past? If so, it might be worth a try. After all, the Illusory Spirit Grass is crucial for our future breakthroughs. It’d be too disappointing to return empty-handed,” Liu Yu’er raised an eyebrow and spoke slowly.

“If we’re just searching for Spiritual Medicine near the entrance of the inner valley, I’m willing to go,” Mu Peiling’s expression wavered before finally succumbing to the temptation of medicinal pills, exhaling a sigh.

“Great, since both martial sisters have made up their minds, let’s take the risk. But let’s get one thing straight before we start: we’ll only operate within a few hundred miles of the entrance. If we can’t find the Illusory Spirit Grass, we’ll immediately evacuate the inner valley. We must not risk going deeper. Spirit Pills are important, but not as precious as our lives,” the woman surnamed Song nodded, but warned them beforehand.

“Of course. Venturing deep into the inner valley, even with a map, would be suicide for us mere Core Formation cultivators. I heard that there are ancient beasts within that even Nascent Soul cultivators would flee upon sight,” Liu Yu’er said with a pleasant smile.

“Those ancient beasts generally hide in the deeper parts of the inner valley. It shouldn’t be a problem near the entrance. Let’s not delay any further and set off,” Mu Peiling decisively said.

The other two women no longer wished to delay, turning into three streaks of light that rose into the air and shot off in a certain direction from the front of the cave.

Five days later, on the edge of the inner valley, amidst a world of ice and snow, three female figures appeared in the biting wind.

A huge ice crevasse not far behind them was precisely the passageway that Han Li and Fairy Violet Spirit, along with others from the Ghost Spirit Sect, had taken to enter the inner valley years ago.

The three women had already activated a thick protective barrier, not fearing the cold winds at all.

They whispered to each other for a bit, then cautiously flew only a few meters above the ground towards the distance, not daring to hasten their speed.

The snowy area was not vast, and within less than half a day, the trio had left the region, with an exceptionally lush green peak emerging before their eyes.

Thrilled, the three women immediately spread out, each heading in opposite directions to begin searching for Spirit Grass around the mountain.

After a day and a night, the three women gathered again at the top of this mountain.

Looking at each other, they all couldn’t help but give a wry smile.

“This mountain indeed has many forms of Spiritual Medicine not found in the outside world, but there’s no trace of the Illusory Spirit Grass,” Liu Yu’er opened the conversation, sounding quite frustrated.

“It’s the same for me; no Illusory Spirit Grass. But I did manage to gather all the herbs needed for another medicinal prescription. At least I’re’s not returning completely empty-handed,” Mu Peiling said, stuck between laughter and tears.

“It seems we really have no fate with the Illusory Spirit Grass. Let’s head back now,” Song Yu sighed lightly, looking somewhat forlorn.

“How about we search one more time thoroughly? Perhaps there’s somewhere we missed,” Liu Yu’er suggested unwillingly to give up.

“It’s useless. If it’s not destined, we can’t force it. And the inner valley is far too dangerous. Even staying near the entrance for too long could lead to trouble. We’re leaving immediately,” Song Yu shook her head decisively.

Liu Yu’er showed a reluctant expression upon hearing this, just as she was about to say something else, rumbling thunder suddenly echoed from the far horizon.

The three women were startled and looked up.

From the direction of the thunder, a dark mass seemed to rush towards them at astonishing speed, rapidly enlarging in size. Upon closer inspection, amidst the tumultuous black cloud and incessant thunder, there was an ominous presence.

“That’s not good, there’s something wrong with that cloud, it might be an ancient beast!” With their experience, the three women immediately recognized the strangeness of the cloud. The woman surnamed Song couldn’t help but shout immediately.

The trio promptly leaped into action, transforming into three streaks of light and fleeing back the way they came.

The thunder within the vast black cloud paused for a moment, as if whatever was inside had noticed the three women. The cloud’s speed changed, pursuing them even faster than before, and a “hehe” cold laughter could be faintly heard within it.

“It’s not an ancient beast; it seems like it’s devilish cultivators!” Liu Yu’er, who had her origins in the Devil Dao, heard the cold sneering laughter, turned her head back for a careful look at the black cloud, and her expression changed dramatically as she suddenly warned.

“Be it human or demon, their intentions are certainly not good. We cannot afford to fight them head-on!” Seeing the black cloud gradually approaching, Song Yu urgently scolded, slapping her storage pouch at her waist and producing a hazy white bead in her hand.

As the spell incantations were heard from the woman’s mouth, the bead trembled all of a sudden and transformed into a mass of white mist, enveloping all three of them within.

Then, the white mist, unexpectedly quivered, shooting through the sky like a shooting star, its escape speed faster than even the dark cloud chasing behind them.

“Minor talent, and you dare show it off in front of me?” However, a sinister voice came from the dark cloud, following which the cloud tumbled violently and suddenly condensed into a gigantic black hand. After a fleeting flash, it turned into a dark streak over ten feet long, with its speed abruptly increasing more than twofold, and in just a few flickers, it had already halved the distance between them.

“The one behind us is a Nascent Soul Stage devilish cultivator, think of something to hold him back quickly,” came the alarmed and angry voice of Song Yu from within the white cloud.

“I’ll release the Gold Devouring Beetles. Even if we have to sacrifice these Giant Centipedes, we must stop them,” Liu Yu’er said in great urgency.

No sooner had she finished speaking than ‘pop, pop’ several light sounds were heard. Seven or eight half-foot long snow-white Giant Centipedes shot out from the mist, baring their fangs and pouncing towards the trailing dark light.

“Eh, Six-Winged Frost Centipedes! Haha, wondering who it was, turns out it’s you, little girl Liu Yu’er! You dare to use these paltry insects to deal with me?” The figure within the dark light laughed uproariously upon seeing the few centipedes.

Suddenly, several pitch-black threads shot out from the dark light, passing through the bodies of the white centipedes in the blink of an eye, while the dark light itself flickered slightly, passing unobstructedly through the flying insects.

And the centipedes hung motionless in the air; only after a long while did they explode into a burst of black flames, turning into ash in the blink of an eye and vanishing into thin air.

This black flame was of an unknown cunning cultivation technique; the Six-Winged Frost Centipedes seemed utterly incapable of defending themselves against it.

The three women within the white cloud, upon seeing this scene, were terrified out of their wits. Particularly Liu Yu’er was greatly alarmed and shocked in her heart. She had no idea of the origins of the devilish cultivator behind them, who could recognize her identity just by seeing a few centipedes, yet his voice was utterly unfamiliar.

The dark light had an incredibly fast speed; before the three women could think of a way to fend off the attacker, it caught up to the white cloud in a flash.

Then, after circling around once more, the black hand appeared again, reaching down brazenly and grasping fiercely.

All three women screamed in unison; three streaks of sword light and a tall barrier, along with a wishful scepter, shot out from within the white cloud.

The dark light on the black hand flashed, capturing all the treasures within its grasp, then spreading its fingers, the flying swords and other magical treasures mysteriously vanished, with no clue as to where they went.

However, in that brief moment of delay, with a ‘boom’, the white cloud exploded itself, and three streaks of light shot out in different directions.

The three women intended to escape separately. But then an inconceivable scene occurred!

A black halo suddenly flew out from the black hand, wrapping towards the fleeing lights of the three women. In just a flash, it eerily enveloped all three women, pulling them back and capturing them in one swoop.

Song Yu and the other two women were thus caught alive on the spot.

They were both shocked and scared, their protective lights flashing wildly, desperately trying to break free from the large hand’s grip.

But just then, a cold snort sounded next to the ears of all three women.

Waves of black qi emerged from the hand. The three women were hit right in the face with the black qi, and their Divine Senses scattered, their eyes going dark as they lost consciousness.

Only then did the black hand loosen its hold on the three women, flashing away to become a vast expanse of black qi. Then, the qi gathered in the middle and spun around, revealing a tall figure.

This figure was entirely clothed in black, but its eyes flickered with a green light, emitting stunningly cold radiance.

“I didn’t expect it to be these three women. That works too; if I control them, it may provoke some hesitation in him. Hehe, all three women have some ties to you. I reckon you won’t come to sacrifice yourself, but a little threat might not be wholly ineffective.” The silhouette uttered in a hoarse voice, staring at the three women engulfed in black qi, continuing to sneer coldly.

After an unknown amount of time, Song Yu, the woman with the deepest cultivation among the three, was the first to gradually regain consciousness.

Her eyes opened only to find herself lying on a chilling ground, with stalactites gleaming with white light everywhere around her. Song Yu was startled and sat up, her hands forming a gesture, trying to release a protective light first.

But then she gasped, suddenly feeling weak all over and collapsing back to the ground.

(Second update!) (To be continued, if you wish to know what happens next, please visit www.wuxiaworld.site. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)