Chapter 406 - 405: Cold Crow Pass
"We’ll meet at Cold Crow Pass in three days, at 7:00 AM."
He thought for a moment. Since they had all signed the Blood Contract, he might as well be a good person. Xu Yunfan tossed out two small, exquisite discs.
"These are Primordial Magnetic Compasses. They can detect each other’s location. You can use them to stay in contact."
The two palm-sized compasses traced arcs through the air before being caught by Hua Ling and Li Ergou.
Hua Ling caught hers and took a look.
Her eyes lit up. "Senior Brother, you have Array Dao Cultivation?"
Of the Hundred Skills of Cultivation, the four main paths are Alchemy, Arrays, Artifacts, and Talismans. Proficiency in even one makes a person a considerable talent, especially in Array Dao, which requires one to inscribe Array Patterns and harmonize with heaven and earth.
"I’ve studied it a little."
Xu Yunfan gave a noncommittal answer.
The territory of the Primordial Sect was known as the "Profound Nether Nineteen Cities," but in reality, it controlled ninety-one Cultivation Cities.
As the northern border fortress, Cold Crow Pass was guarded by three Foundation Establishment Elders in rotation and was the only way to reach the Far North.
Beyond Cold Crow Pass lay the territory of the Wansheng Sword Sect, one of the Righteous Sects.
Meeting up there would allow them to avoid the sect’s prying eyes, and also make it convenient to...
He glanced at Hua Ling, who was whispering to Li Ergou. The Butterfly Hairpin in the young woman’s hair bun was trembling its wings slightly.
"This junior brother just said he understands Geomancy?"
Hua Ling suddenly leaned in close to Li Ergou, her nose nearly touching his chin.
Li Ergou froze on the spot, the veins on his neck bulging, but he didn’t dare retreat even half a step.
"I... I only know the basics..."
"That’s perfect!"
Hua Ling clapped her hands, turned around, and said with a smile:
"I heard there’s an Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion in the Frozen Wilderness, which holds Array Fragments for the ancient Two Forms Micro Dust Formation."
She winked at Xu Yunfan, her meaning clear.
A flicker of light passed through Xu Yunfan’s eyes.
The Two Forms Micro Dust Formation was the Profound Talisman Sect’s sect-protecting Grand Array. If he could really obtain these fragments, it would be of great benefit to his comprehension of Array Dao.
But what concerned him more was the source of Hua Ling’s information. The Frozen Wilderness didn’t exist on any Primordial Sect map; it was the Profound Talisman Sect’s name for the "Ice Rift Valley."
’Is she targeting me?’
Xu Yunfan narrowed his eyes slightly, his mind slowly beginning to spin.
"See you in three days."
He turned and left, hearing Li Ergou’s stifled grunt from behind him.
He didn’t need to look to know that Hua Ling was trying to make Li Ergou fall at her feet.
Disciples of Hundred Desires Peak always tried to Charm someone first before actually talking to them.
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「Three days later.」
The streak of light behind Xu Yunfan faded as he looked at the towering city before him.
The walls of Cold Crow Pass were built from Demon Beast Skeletons.
Tens of millions of stark white leg bones were interlocked, with eternally uncoagulated, foul blood flowing through the cracks.
Yunfan stood at the entrance to Cold Crow Pass, a biting, sinister wind carrying a bone-chilling cold that assaulted his face.
He looked down and saw a long, black river, winding like a giant python, lying beneath the pass. The river was over a hundred miles wide, its inky water so viscous it was almost stagnant.
The most horrifying sight was the countless pale white arms floating densely on the river’s surface. These arms sometimes stretched out and sometimes curled up, like drowning people in their final struggles.
When the mountain wind swept across the river, one could faintly hear shrill wails coming from the riverbed. The sound was like tens of millions of wronged souls crying out at once, enough to make one’s scalp tingle.
Xu Yunfan focused his gaze and saw that the wrists of those arms were all bound in Profound Iron Shackles, unique to the Primordial Sect.
These were mostly the remains of those sunk to the bottom of the river by the Primordial Sect after the great battles at Cold Crow Pass over the years. In time, it had transformed into a bizarre landmark.
On the riverbank, a few recently discarded corpses were slowly sinking, their rotting flesh eroding and sloughing off in the river water, revealing stark white bones.
And those arms that sank to the bottom would soon float back to the surface, rejoining this endless, painful cycle of Reincarnation.
Unable to be reborn, unable to enter Reincarnation, they were forever trapped in the Sea of Suffering until their souls withered and their Divine Souls were annihilated.
A chill went through Xu Yunfan’s heart as he watched.
This river didn’t just contain the skeletons of Righteous Cultivators; the auras of many Primordial Sect disciples could also be felt emanating from it.
"Senior Brother, you’re so early."
Hua Ling’s voice came from behind. She had changed into a plain white dress today. The Silver Bell in her hair had been replaced with a Jade Pendant, and she had even concealed her aura to the point of seeming like a mortal.
If not for his Martial Arts Celestial Eye, which could see through illusions, Xu Yunfan would have almost mistaken her for a little loli from a wealthy family who had snuck out of her home.
Li Ergou followed behind her, his complexion even more ashen than it was three days ago.
The compass Xu Yunfan had given him hung from the young man’s waist.
"Last night, the Primordial Sect patrol disciples at Cold Crow Pass sent a message to the Sect."
His voice was hoarse, and he seemed to be in a state of completely drained vitality.
Xu Yunfan glanced at him but paid it no mind. ’He must be practicing some Secret Technique to look like this.’
The Primordial Sect had many bizarre Secret Techniques that could alter one’s outward appearance.
"The Profound Talisman Sect has added new patrols at Snowfall Cliff."
A wisp of Sword Qi was sealed within an Ice Crystal. It was pure and righteous, completely at odds with the surrounding filthy Demon Qi.
Surprise flashed through Hua Ling’s eyes as she seemed to re-evaluate Li Ergou.
"Where did you get this?"
Li Ergou gave a shy smile. "I have someone from my hometown inside Cold Crow Pass. I made a point to ask him when I arrived, and he told me. Sealed in this Ice Crystal is the Sword Qi collected a few days ago from a deceased disciple of the Profound Talisman Sect."
"The Profound Celestial Demon Slaying Sword Technique?" Hua Ling looked closely, a grave expression in her eyes. "Isn’t this the Sword Dao of the Wansheng Sword Sect?"
"Yes. A few days ago, three of our Primordial Sect’s Foundation Establishment Daoist Masters came together to claim a unique location for the sect. This forced the Profound Talisman Sect to invite Sword Cultivators from the Wansheng Sword Sect, which led to a massive battle with many casualties."
"No wonder so many new disciples have been joining the sect recently..."
Hua Ling winked at Xu Yunfan.
Xu Yunfan returned her smile.
Seeing that Xu Yunfan was completely unaffected by her Hundred Desires Technique, Hua Ling didn’t get discouraged.
’I refuse to believe it.’
Li Ergou looked troubled.
"Now that the Saint Sect and the Wansheng Sword Sect are fighting, if we go out, I’m afraid we’ll be killed the second we show our faces..."
"That’s why we’re taking the Qingfeng Ancient Dao."
Like a magician, Hua Ling produced three Talismans. "Breath-Concealing Talismans. They can disguise our Cultivation Technique as any kind below Foundation Establishment."
The talisman paper was made from a type of Exotic Beast Hide, and the Cinnabar patterns were inlaid with still-wet Blood Beads.
As Xu Yunfan took the Talisman, the pad of his thumb brushed against Hua Ling’s finger.
Her finger scratched his palm.
His expression didn’t change.
’This little vixen... Just you wait until tonight!’
’My cultivation of the Hundred Desires Devouring Essence Technique may be terrible, but my True Martial Demon Devouring can still get things done.’
"With these Talismans, as long as we’re careful and avoid the Foundation Establishment Daoist Masters, we should be fine. We’re just small fry; they won’t go so far as to divine our karmic ties. Junior Brother Li, lead the way."
At this, Hua Ling couldn’t help but sigh. "If only we had a Celestial Secret Treasure."
Hearing this, Xu Yunfan remained outwardly unmoved. ’The True Martial Demon Devouring True Scripture has its own breath-concealing method,’ he thought. ’As long as I condense the Turtle and Snake Coiling Weather, I can hide myself from the Celestial Secret.’
Hua Ling patted the Storage Bag at her waist. "I heard Snow Demons appear on the ancient dao, so I specifically brought some Blazing Sun Nails."
(There should be more, because I’m still writing)