Chapter 71: Crossing the Desolate Cloud Marsh

They encountered no trouble on the road. The Red Cloud Stag King carried them, surrounded by a herd of deer acting as their escort, straight to a tranquil and picturesque valley. Ning Zhongwu was stationed there with his newly formed beast squad.

"Second Brother, I found it! ‘Sound of the Tides Pavilion’ updates the fastest, all thanks to Youwei!" Ning Mofei’s jubilant shout shattered the valley’s peace. His laughter was infectious, and the beauty in his arms felt her heart soar with his joy.

Dusk enveloped the valley, heavy with the scent of blood. The ground was strewn with corpses of Yunhuang soldiers and black sorcerers alike. Ning Zhongwu and his battered survivors hid behind rocks within the valley. Upon hearing Ning Mofei’s voice, they emerged from their hiding places.

"Sister-in-law, it’s so good you’ve returned," Ning Zhongwu breathed a sigh of relief. Even as he spoke, he surprised himself—since when had he placed such faith in a sister-in-law who had yet to even come of age?

"What happened here?" Yu Youwei asked, her brows knit in concern.

"We were set upon by those damned black rats," Ning Zhongwu spat out a mouthful of blood, wiping it away carelessly with the back of his hand. Finding an excuse to send his fourth brother to stand guard at the valley entrance, he turned back, face grim. "As soon as you left Jiangning Prefecture, word came that our home was under attack by the black sorcerers. The losses were grievous. Father had his soul scoured by them and hasn’t recovered his wits. Grandmother was killed protecting him, and our ninth uncle as well."

Yu Youwei, already worried by how quickly the black sorcerers had found them, was nonetheless shocked by the extent of the disaster. Seeing the suppressed fury in Ning Zhongwu’s eyes, she suspected he was holding something back. "What else? Tell me everything," she pressed.

"You’ve met Uncle Chen Feng, haven’t you?" Ning Zhongwu asked in reply.

"Yes, has something happened to him too?" Yu Youwei’s heart sank at the thought; she’d always found the frank and hearty Chen Feng most agreeable.

"He’s missing. Some disloyal members of the household were bribed by people from the Tianyuan Auction House, blaming the incident on Uncle Chen Feng and accusing him of being a black sorcerer, claiming he and Father were colluding with evil intent. The families of those killed at the auction house came to our home to raise a clamor. But they didn’t expect the black sorcerers to launch a full-scale assault—those fools perished along with the rest." A trace of irony flashed across Ning Zhongwu’s face before he quickly concealed it. "Now, should we use the terrain here to play cat and mouse with the black sorcerers, or send Fourth Brother to Xianchen Sect? Sister-in-law, what do you think?"

Yu Youwei brushed a lock of hair from her brow, choosing to ask instead, "Any word from Third Brother?"

"Third Brother returned in time with his fellow disciples and wiped out the black sorcerers who had invaded our home. But word about the Soul Devouring Sword being in Fourth Brother’s possession was spread by the black sorcerers. With our eldest uncle gravely wounded, Third Brother had to stay behind to manage the aftermath. He sent word urging us to get Fourth Brother to Xianchen Sect as quickly as possible." Surveying the field of corpses, Ning Zhongwu’s expression turned somber. All these had been his elite soldiers, and though the black sorcerers had vastly outmatched them, not one had flinched in battle.

Yu Youwei mused aloud, "But Father was already injured at the time. How did they know Mofei had the Soul Devouring Sword?"

"The only survivors from the auction, apart from missing Uncle Chen Feng and you two, were all soul-searched by the black sorcerers. They must have confirmed the sword is with Mofei." Glancing at his fourth brother, who stood watch in the valley, Ning Zhongwu sounded as if reassuring himself. "Fourth Brother has the powerful Red Cloud Stag King and the herd with him; he’ll be safe on the way to Xianchen Sect."

"Then let’s go."

"You agree we should leave?"

"The Soul Devouring Sword in Mofei’s hands is a constant threat," Yu Youwei said. Hiding was not a solution—especially since the sword still harbored the remnant soul of Ye Jiuyou. Unless this danger was resolved, Ning Mofei would remain in grave peril. She hoped that, once at Xianchen Sect, his elders might find a way to help him.

"It is a grave threat, but once we’re inside Xianchen Sect, the black sorcerers won’t dare cause trouble," Ning Zhongwu declared confidently. Though clearly unwell, he refused Yu Youwei’s suggestion to rest and insisted on personally escorting his brother to Xianchen Sect.

In ancient times, the Eastern Continent had been divided by a great formation cast by the leaders of the cultivation world, splitting it into the Mortal Realm and the Cultivation Realm. Spiritual energy was channeled into the Cultivation Realm, accessible only to those with spiritual roots. Ordinary people without such roots were forced into the sparse Mortal Realm. Every twenty years, the Ascension Platform hosted a grand gathering, testing mortals for spiritual roots and escorting those qualified to the Cultivation Realm.

As time passed, cracks appeared in the barrier between the two realms. The Mortal Realm’s spiritual energy grew richer, while the Cultivation Realm’s ebbed. With the balance slowly shifting, many cultivators migrated to the Mortal Realm, mingling with ordinary folk. Now, the powers behind mortal nations were all tied to factions from the Cultivation Realm. The Ascension Platform gathering was but a formality, serving as an expensive passage between realms.

Originally, Ning Zhongwu had planned to take the standard route for Mortal Realm cultivators—using the teleportation array at the Ascension Platform on the eastern edge of the Yunhuang Mountains. But Ning Mofei claimed the Scarlet Flame could carry them safely across the Yunhuang Marsh.

Beyond the Yunhuang Marsh lay the Cultivation Realm of the Eastern Continent, full of powerful beast rulers. The formation there suppressed even cultivators’ powers, making it a forbidden zone even to the people of the Cultivation Realm.

In the past, Ning Zhongwu had never ventured more than a third of the way into the Yunhuang Marsh while hunting beasts. But detouring via the Ascension Platform would almost certainly mean interception by the black sorcerers—a risk no less than braving the marsh. After some thought, he decided to take the gamble; Yu Youwei did not object.

Mofei sat upright on the Red Cloud Stag King’s back, waving to Yu Youwei. "Fourth Brother, call her puppy," Ning Zhongwu teased. There was no harm in it, but his words made Yu Youwei too embarrassed to ride with Ning Mofei, so she leaped onto a nearby stag instead. Ning Zhongwu pressed on, "Sister-in-law, you’re being unfair. Fourth Brother’s invitation is heartfelt. Even his own brother is forgotten—don’t let him down."

"If you’re not afraid of being trapped here by black sorcerers, by all means, keep talking nonsense," Yu Youwei shot him a glare and took the lead, charging out.

"Youwei, wait for me!" Ning Mofei shouted, chasing after her.

Laughing heartily, Ning Zhongwu and his battered troops mounted the stags as well and followed.

Not long after leaving the valley, Ning Mofei overtook Yu Youwei, racing like the wind toward the depths of Yunhuang Marsh. Less than half an hour after their departure, a group of black sorcerers arrived in the valley. Their gaunt leader rasped, "Too late—cursed luck!"

The infamous Demon Dragon Yaochen bowed his head meekly. "They won’t escape Yunhuang Marsh. I have set ambushes on all three sides. No matter which way they flee, they can’t get out—unless they dare cross the marsh itself."

Yaochen, whose fame had long been established, had a master whose identity was unknown to the world. Even within the Nine Nether Hall, only the inner circle knew his master was the Black Demon Patriarch, who had left the Hall in a rage years ago after losing the contest for Grandmaster. Now, for the sake of the Soul Devouring Sword, even he had returned to the fray.