Translator: CinderTL
After thoroughly searching the entire hall and confirming that there was nothing else inside, Song Wen returned to the entrance.
"Master, you've finally returned?"
There was a hint of disappointment in Nether Fox's tone.
Although it didn't know what had happened deep within the hall, it had heard the commotion caused by the Toxic Flood Dragon before its death.
It had been hoping that Song Wen would perish in that hall.
That way, it could regain its freedom.
However, Song Wen appeared before it unscathed.
Song Wen ignored Nether Fox and, with a wave of his hand, stored it back into the Spirit Beast Pouch.
After a moment of hesitation, Song Wen chose to open the hall door.
He decided not to use the Teleportation Array to escape from Gou Jun and the others.
The situation in the next area was unclear, and there was no need to take unnecessary risks alone.
When the door opened and Song Wen emerged unharmed, the nine individuals were somewhat surprised.
Still, this was good news.
At least the Soul Hall wasn't as dangerous as Gou Jun had claimed.
"Yin Shuo, how was it inside the hall?"
As soon as Song Wen stepped out, Gou Jun's voice reached his ears.
Looking up, Song Wen noticed that Gou Jun and the other eight were all staring at him.
The nine had set up a defensive formation outside the hall.
Beyond the formation, numerous ghostly creatures were relentlessly assaulting the barrier.
But with nine Nascent Soul cultivators present, the formation was as solid as a fortress, and the ghosts couldn't break through.
"Just as Gou Jun mentioned earlier, there was no danger inside the hall. However, the Teleportation Array leading to Corpse Blood Mountain has been destroyed. But there is another intact Teleportation Array inside," Song Wen said.
"The Teleportation Array to Corpse Blood Mountain was destroyed?" Gou Jun's voice turned grim.
The others also showed expressions of surprise and concern.
Corpse Blood Mountain was their primary destination for this journey.
Hearing that the Teleportation Array had been destroyed cast a shadow over their hearts.
"Judging by the damage, the array was likely destroyed hundreds of years ago," Song Wen added.
Gou Jun moved as if to enter the hall but suddenly stopped and turned to Song Wen.
"Are you sure there's no danger inside? Did you notice anything unusual in the hall?"
Song Wen replied, "Apart from the intense Ghost Qi, there was nothing out of the ordinary."
Hearing this, Gou Jun pushed open the door without hesitation and floated inside.
Yang Yu pondered for a moment before following him.
Not long after, the two returned.
"Gou Jun, how was it inside?" Xue Cangqiong asked.
Gou Jun frowned, his face filled with doubt.
"It's exactly as Yin Shuo said—no danger at all."
He couldn't understand why the sense of dread he had felt in this hall three hundred years ago had inexplicably vanished.
"Could it be that Yin Shuo killed the malevolent entity inside? But he's only at the early Nascent Soul stage—how could he have defeated something that even I feared? Or perhaps the entity left on its own and is hiding somewhere in this plaza? Or maybe it's already dead?"
Gou Jun's thoughts were tangled, and he couldn't make sense of it.
Unlike Gou Jun's suspicions, Xue Cangqiong directly voiced his doubts.
"Yin Shuo, you're not telling the whole truth, are you? Did you perhaps find some treasure and keep it for yourself?"
Song Wen's expression tightened instantly, and he stared at Xue Cangqiong with a wary gaze.
"Fellow Daoist Xue, why do you say that? I entered the hall at the request of Fellow Daoist Gou Jun, not on my own initiative. Yet you question me, suspecting that I have monopolized the treasures?"
Xue Cangqiong said, "Then why did you stay inside for nearly the time it takes to burn an incense stick?"
Song Wen replied, "The Ghost Qi inside the hall was unusually dense. My Divine Sense could only perceive a few zhang around me. How could I not be cautious?"
"Enough, let's not argue. The fact that there was nothing unusual in the hall is a good thing," Gou Jun suddenly interjected, stopping the dispute between the two.
While Song Wen and Xue Cangqiong were arguing, Gou Jun's gaze had been scrutinizing Song Wen. Then, his scrutinizing gaze slowly faded away, not revealing anything.
"Let's discuss what we should do next. The Teleportation Array leading to Corpse Blood Mountain has been completely destroyed. It's impossible for us to teleport directly to Corpse Blood Mountain from here."
Yang Yu said, "There is still a Teleportation Array intact in the hall. If we don't want this journey to end in a fizzle, we have no choice but to use this array."
After some discussion, everyone decided to activate the Teleportation Array and proceed to the next area.
...
After teleporting, Song Wen's eyes suddenly brightened.
This was a place filled with the fragrance of flowers and the songs of birds.
He stood on the summit of a small hill, with slopes covered in green grass and small flowers.
At the foot of the hill, a babbling brook flowed.
The brook meandered through lush forests, eventually disappearing to an unknown destination.
Butterflies fluttered among the flowers, and birds and beasts roamed the forests. Everything looked extremely harmonious.
Having just come from the dark and eerie Soul Hall, Song Wen felt a bit unreal for a moment.
Song Wen looked around and released his Divine Sense.
After a short while, he found that this area was vast, and neither his vision nor his Divine Sense could detect its boundaries.
"Fellow Daoists, what should we do next? Should we split up to search this area or continue together?" Mo Yexue from the Profound Heaven Sword Sect asked.
Before anyone could answer, a thunderous roar was heard in the distance.
The thunder was deafening, yet slightly different from ordinary thunder.
Moreover, the sky was clear, with no signs of a thunderstorm.
Everyone was puzzled and looked in the direction of the thunder.
They saw, among the mountains a hundred li away, a large bird soaring into the sky.
As the bird flapped its wings, flashes of lightning and sudden thunder arose.
When it opened its beak to call, the sound it emitted was actually thunder.
The bird circled in the air for a moment, then suddenly dived into a small lake below.
Moments later, it emerged from the water, holding a three-zhang-long fish in its beak.
The bird flew towards the distant horizon with the fish in its beak.
"A Thunder Falcon! And a fourth-tier one at that!" Yang Yu exclaimed in amazement. "This bird has been extinct in the outside world for ten thousand years. I never thought we'd see one here."
"What's so special about this bird?" Lan Chen asked.
"This bird possesses the bloodline of the divine Thunderbird. Its cries sound like thunder, and its wings generate lightning. It's a rare and extraordinary creature of the heavens and earth. If a cultivator of thunder techniques could tame it and form a Spirit Beast Contract, their power would surely increase greatly," Yang Yu explained.
As for taming this bird and making it a spirit beast, no one seemed particularly interested.
Thus, no one responded to Yang Yu's words.
Lan Chen suddenly thought of something, his eyes lighting up, and he said.
"This bird is so extraordinary; its habitat must be equally remarkable. Why don't we go and take a look?"
"Lan Chen, you make a good point. Let's go!"
Gou Jun was the first to soar into the sky, heading in the direction where the Thunder Falcon had disappeared.
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (RDC) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c950. [+2]
🔑Early Access at $5.
✍Translated (6) Series, (3.5K+) Chapters, (4.9M+) Words.