dmims Page 80
Page 80
Chapter 92 A lone boat enters the river and sea
The three of them stayed up all night, and under the cool moonlight, they laid out the entire map of China in their minds.
The direction was finally agreed upon.
Zhang Zhiwei headed north, entering the pass, where the icy, snow-covered mountains and forests were the perfect place to hide.
Tian Jinzhong traveled eastward, following the canal and coastline, visiting the docks and towns along the way.
Zhang Yunyuan then traveled southwest along the Yangtze River, where the terrain was most complex and it was easiest to conceal his whereabouts.
China is a vast country, and for the three of them, this trip was like finding a needle in a haystack.
But Zhang Huaiyi was not only their fellow apprentice, but also their family.
As long as there is a glimmer of hope, we must make every effort.
Outside the mountain gate, the three said goodbye to each other.
Without saying much, they simply patted each other on the shoulder heavily.
They all knew that this journey would be difficult and the future uncertain.
The world below the mountain has already gone completely mad because of the rumors of the Eight Extraordinary Skills. What awaits them is countless open and hidden attacks and unpredictable human hearts.
But so what?
The three exchanged glances, and the resolute determination and sense of responsibility that belonged to the disciples of Longhu Mountain spoke louder than a thousand words.
Immediately, the three of them turned around resolutely and went down the mountain separately, their figures quickly disappearing into the continuous mountain mist.
We traveled down the river, searching along the way.
Zhang Yunyuan traveled southwest along the Yangtze River by both water and land routes.
He changed into an ordinary gray cloth shirt, and let his eye-catching Taoist bun fall loose, casually tying it behind his head.
He unleashed his myriad faces, concealing his appearance and transforming himself into an ordinary, down-on-his-luck scholar.
Whenever he arrived at a town or dock with a large population, he would find a teahouse or tavern to sit down, seemingly to rest, but in reality, he would maximize his senses and quietly investigate any clues that might be related to the strange person or Zhang Huaiyi.
With his keen insight into righteous cultivation methods through his righteous Qi perception, and the all-encompassing and assimilative nature of Hunyuan Dao Qi, he did indeed capture some extremely faint residual Qi belonging to Zhang Huaiyi.
That aura was exactly the same as the majestic and righteous golden light mantra aura of his senior brother Huaiyi in his memory.
However, these remaining traces of Qi were intermittent, like wisps of smoke blown away by the wind; as soon as a trace was caught, it dissipated into an even more complex energy field.
More importantly, the way these traces of scent lingered was clearly intentionally erased, carrying a sense of careful concealment.
Clearly, Zhang Huaiyi was also trying his best to hide himself.
He knew very well that he possessed the "ultimate technique, the source of Qi," and was already the object of desire for all the extraordinary people in the world. Any slight negligence could bring about his death.
Months have passed, and clues are scarce.
Zhang Yunyuan's mood grew increasingly heavy.
What he found was more news about the increasingly turbulent world of supernatural beings caused by the "Eight Extraordinary Techniques".
The Divine Machine Hundred-Refined Horse was constantly being hunted down, and when it died, it only had one eye and one ear left.
Duanmu Ying, known for his dual skills, has mysteriously disappeared, leading some to suspect he has fled overseas…
The mysteries of the Eight Extraordinary Techniques were unveiled one by one, and their unpredictable power ignited the greed of all the extraordinary individuals to its peak.
The hunt for them has escalated to an unprecedented level in terms of scale and brutality.
Along the way, he heard too many bloody rumors about pursuit and counterattack, and also felt countless streams of Qi surging in the dark, filled with greed and murderous intent.
The Jiting Pavilion in Da Luo Cave was besieged by the Shuzi Sect and mysteriously disappeared. The sect leader, Hu Tu, went mad and died soon after.
The Sixth Thief Ruan Feng beat his pursuers so badly that their brains splattered out on the snowy peaks of the Western Regions, resulting in a gruesome death.
The entire martial arts world is like a red-hot iron pot, ready to explode at any moment.
Another month later, following a faint sensation that had long since dissipated in the perception of ordinary people but was still captured by his inhuman primordial energy, Zhang Yunyuan finally entered the Xiangxi region.
The landscape here is completely different from the flat and open plains of the Central Plains.
Layer upon layer of mountains, winding paths, and year-round swirling clouds and mist shroud the mountainside, shrouding this ancient land in a mysterious and slightly melancholic veil.
The air was filled with an ancient aura that was quite different from the orthodox spirits of the Central Plains. It was the spiritual energy of the plants and trees, the miasma of the deep mountains and marshes, and the primal faith in heaven, earth, and spirits left behind by countless generations who had lived and thrived here.
He entered the territory of Baojing County.
This area belongs to western Hunan and has been an important settlement for ethnic minorities such as the Tujia and Miao since ancient times.
The You River flows through the area, with its banks boasting rugged yet beautiful scenery, and also preserving a rich shamanistic culture and unique ethnic minority customs.
Just as he stepped into Baojing County, feeling the unique energy of the mountains and rivers, and the faint, ancient shamanistic faith permeating the air, the cold, familiar mechanical notification sound in his mind finally rang out again.
[Ding! Special energy location detected: Baojing County, Xiangxi]
[Should I check in?]
Zhang Yunyuan's heart stirred, and he silently recited it without hesitation.
【Check-in successful! 】
[Congratulations, host, you have received a reward: one Resurrection Grass.]
The moment the reward arrived, a surge of profound information about this herb flooded his mind.
This herb is no ordinary thing, but a strange plant that embodies the spirit of the deep forests of western Hunan and a trace of ancient shamanistic power.
Its entire body is a deep purple color, with silver veins on its leaves, and it shimmers faintly in the dark, as if it were alive.
It can stabilize the life essence and primordial energy that are on the verge of collapse, and powerfully suppress the collapse caused by severe damage, backlash, or root defects.
It can bridge the gap and alienation between the soul and the physical body.
It can calm the mental turmoil and memory confusion caused by the disturbance of one's origin, soothe the spirit, and restore peace.
Zhang Yunyuan was shocked.
He looked at the strange herb with great care.
The small, deep purple grass lay quietly in his palm, its silver veins on its leaves seemingly flowing slowly, emitting a strange fragrance that soothed the mind.
He knew how precious this item was. Although he didn't know when he would be able to use it, he knew that having one more of this kind of treasure, which could save lives in critical moments, meant having one more life.
Zhang Yunyuan found the safest jade box, carefully sealed the Soul-Returning Grass, and placed it close to his body in his bosom.
He raised his head and looked at the distant, even more profound mountains shrouded in mist, his gaze becoming increasingly resolute.
The last trace of Huaiyi's breath seemed to point in that direction.
Whether it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair ahead, he has to go and try.
Chapter 93 Brothers Fighting on the Banks of the You River
Several months have passed like flowing water.
Zhang Yunyuan traveled through the towering mountains of western Hunan.
He walked through Miao villages with their stilted houses and Tujia villages with their smoke rising from their chimneys.
That primal sensation belonging to the "Qi Body Source Flow" was like a flickering candle in the wind, appearing and disappearing intermittently.
Each time, just when he thought he was about to catch that familiar aura, the other party would always manage to disappear once again into the complex and varied aura with incredible skill.
It's like chasing a ghost that you can never catch in a thick fog.
His futile search was almost wearing down his patience.
The constant stream of bad news from the martial arts world weighed heavily on his mind.
The entire world of supernatural beings is like a red-hot iron pot, ready to explode at any moment.
Although he was familiar with the original work, he was not sure if Zhang Huaiyi could still be found at this time.
Perhaps Zhang Huaiyi has gone into seclusion and there is no trace of him left.
He even began to wonder if that faint sensation was just an illusion caused by his anxiety about his responsibilities to his sect.
Just when he was about to give up and turn to other options, a turning point appeared.
In an extremely remote Miao village, he obtained a vague clue from an old man who made a living by hunting.
The old man said that in recent months, people have been hearing strange water vibrations in the middle of the night in the remote "Ghost Cry Beach" upstream.
The sound was neither like a big fish slapping its tail nor like rocks rolling down a mountain; it was deep and powerful.
The elders in the village all say that it is the work of a "river ghost," and after dark, no one dares to approach that body of water.
Zhang Yunyuan's heart stirred.
He knew that place was a dangerous place with swift currents, numerous reefs, sheer cliffs on both sides, shrouded in mist all year round, and infested with poisonous insects and miasma. It was a place that even the most experienced hunters would not dare to set foot in.
The sound of rushing water...
This is very likely a sound unintentionally leaked by a master who was using Qi to control the boat or cultivating in the water!
Zhang Yunyuan made up his mind almost instantly.
This is probably his last hope.
Without the slightest hesitation, he resolutely entered the territory of "Ghost Cry Beach".
The environment here is even worse than I imagined.
The deafening roar of the water crashed against the jagged rocks, creating a thick mist that severely reduced visibility.
The name "Ghost Cry" is well-deserved.
The cliffs on both sides were overgrown with vines and thorns, making it almost impossible to walk.
A sweet, cloying miasma permeated the forest.
Zhang Yunyuan immediately activated his Primordial Chaos Qi, and an invisible layer of chaotic energy shield protected his body, isolating him from the poisonous miasma.
At the same time, he elevated the sense of righteous qi to its extreme.
Amidst the immense noise of the flowing water and the complex, chaotic environment, he, like the most patient hunter, painstakingly captured that faint fluctuation belonging to the same cultivation method.