Chapter 55: The Encounter with the Treasure Hunters
The Nine Tombs gradually disappeared behind Han Feng.
He did not look back.
The mountain path descended into a narrow valley covered by mist, while the cold wind swept through the surrounding cliffs.
Han Feng moved silently.
His breathing was controlled.
His footsteps were light.
The Art of the Celestial Veil concealed most of his spiritual fluctuations, making him appear no different from an ordinary cultivator traveling through the mountains.
But his mind was far from calm.
The Spectral Guardian.
The incomplete golden Gu.
The Spiritual Essence Nectar.
The ancient map.
And the six-point structure hidden within the scroll.
Too many questions had appeared in a single night.
Han Feng's fingers tightened slightly.
He had deliberately left the incomplete Gu behind.
Taking something he did not understand would have been reckless.
The golden Gu was clearly connected to the ancient system surrounding the Nine Tombs. Until he understood its purpose, attempting to refine it could be no different from swallowing poison because it looked valuable.
Power that cannot be controlled is another form of danger.
His thoughts returned to the Guardian.
It waited for centuries.
The memory of its final words surfaced.
Do not make my waiting meaningless.
Han Feng's eyes became slightly colder.
Whatever had happened here in the distant past, he had only uncovered the outermost layer.
The ancient map was proof of that.
And the phrase—
The road begins where the west ends.
He still did not understand what it meant.
But he knew one thing.
The Nine Tombs had not been an isolated ruin.
They were part of something larger.
Han Feng continued forward.
Then he stopped.
His eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong.
The wind had changed.
Five faint disturbances appeared around him.
Not beasts.
People.
His spiritual perception spread through the valley.
Five auras were hiding among the rocks.
Their concealment techniques were crude, but not completely useless.
Treasure hunters.
Han Feng did not move.
He quietly examined the terrain.
A narrow valley.
High cliffs on both sides.
Several large boulders.
No obvious escape route.
The ambush had been prepared carefully.
A faint smile appeared on Han Feng's lips.
They chose the wrong target.
A low voice suddenly came from the rocks.
"He's alone."
Another voice answered.
"Young, too."
"Then stop wasting time."
A third voice laughed.
"Search him after we take him down."
Han Feng remained motionless.
He had already identified their positions.
Five people.
Two at the left cliff.
Two behind the rocks ahead.
One directly behind him.
Their cultivation was uneven.
The leader was at the peak of Qi Cultivation Rank 2.
The others were between early and late Rank 2.
None were a threat individually.
Together, however, they had prepared a suppression formation.
That made them more troublesome.
Five figures suddenly leaped from their hiding places.
Weapons flashed.
A long blade.
A chain.
Two short swords.
And a strange black dagger Gu.
They surrounded Han Feng instantly.
The leader stepped forward.
He was a broad-shouldered man with a scar running from his left eyebrow to his cheek.
He smiled.
"Young brother, you seem to have come from the Nine Tombs."
Han Feng said nothing.
The man's smile widened.
"We saw you enter earlier."
"Not many people come out of those ruins alive."
His gaze moved over Han Feng's clothes.
"Since you came out, you must have found something."
Han Feng looked at him calmly.
"And if I did?"
The man's smile disappeared.
"Then hand it over."
One of the hunters laughed.
"If you cooperate, we might even let you leave with your life."
Han Feng glanced at him.
"How generous."
The man's expression darkened.
"You don't seem afraid."
"I'm considering whether you're worth my time."
Silence.
The five hunters exchanged glances.
Then the leader's eyes became cold.
"Kill him."
They attacked simultaneously.
The Ambush
The first attacker rushed forward.
Han Feng stepped sideways.
The blade passed beside his chest.
His hand caught the man's wrist.
A thin layer of Celestial Dark Flame appeared around his palm.
The man's expression changed.
BOOM!
The impact sent him crashing into the ground.
Before the others could react, Han Feng turned.
A kick struck another hunter in the abdomen.
The man flew backward and smashed into a boulder.
The third attacker released a Restriction Gu.
Invisible threads shot through the air.
Han Feng's spiritual perception caught them immediately.
He twisted his body.
The threads passed around him.
A small amount of black flame spread from his fingertips.
The threads burned away.
The hunter's face turned pale.
"He's fast!"
Han Feng did not pursue him.
Instead, he looked at the formation hidden beneath their feet.
Spiritual lines had been carved into the ground.
As expected.
They were trying to force him into the center.
Han Feng took one step backward.
The leader immediately shouted.
"Activate it!"
The remaining hunters slammed their palms against the ground.
Light flashed.
A suppressive force descended.
Han Feng's movements suddenly became heavier.
His Qi circulation slowed.
The surrounding spiritual energy began draining toward the formation.
The leader laughed.
"Now you understand."
"This formation can suppress cultivators above our realm."
Han Feng lowered his eyes.
The pressure was uncomfortable.
But not overwhelming.
The formation is poorly balanced.
Three points are connected directly to the leader.
The other two are using the surrounding terrain as spiritual anchors.
His eyes moved slowly across the valley.
He had already found the weakness.
The leader raised his black dagger Gu.
"Now!"
The five hunters attacked again.
Han Feng did not retreat.
Instead, he stepped forward.
His right fist ignited.
Celestial Dark Flame exploded.
BOOM!
The first attacker was struck in the chest.
He was thrown backward.
Han Feng immediately turned and struck another hunter across the jaw.
The man's body spun through the air.
The formation trembled.
The leader's expression changed.
"Impossible!"
Han Feng looked at him.
"You relied too much on your formation."
The leader gritted his teeth.
"Strengthen it!"
The remaining hunters poured their Qi into the formation.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
Then I'll break the source.
He disappeared.
The Art of the Celestial Veil concealed his movement for a brief instant.
He appeared beside one of the formation anchors.
His palm descended.
Celestial Dark Flame surged into the ground.
CRACK!
The spiritual lines shattered.
The suppression immediately weakened.
The hunters panicked.
Han Feng did not give them time to recover.
He moved like a shadow.
One strike.
Another.
A third.
Within several breaths, three of the hunters were unconscious.
The leader backed away.
For the first time, fear appeared in his eyes.
"You're not Rank 2..."
Han Feng stopped.
His expression remained calm.
"You're finally paying attention."
The leader turned.
He ran.
Han Feng did not chase immediately.
Instead, his spiritual perception suddenly caught another fluctuation.
The fifth hunter.
The one who had remained behind.
He was kneeling beside a rock.
His hand was pressed against a small communication Gu.
Han Feng's expression changed.
He is sending a message.
Han Feng disappeared.
The hunter looked up.
Too late.
Han Feng's palm struck his shoulder.
The communication Gu shattered.
The man was thrown unconscious against the rocks.
Han Feng looked down at the broken Gu.
His expression became serious.
Too late.
A faint spiritual pulse had already escaped into the mountains.
Someone had received it.
Han Feng turned toward the fleeing leader.
The man was already several dozen meters away.
Han Feng raised one hand.
A thin black flame condensed between his fingers.
He hesitated.
Killing him would be simple.
But dead enemies provided no information.
Han Feng extinguished the flame.
Instead, he flicked his finger.
The flame struck the man's leg.
He fell with a scream.
Han Feng approached slowly.
The leader stared at him in fear.
"Who... who are you?"
Han Feng crouched beside him.
"That is not important."
He took the man's storage pouch.
"What matters is what you were looking for."
The man's expression changed.
Han Feng noticed immediately.
"You weren't originally waiting for me."
The leader remained silent.
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
"You were waiting for someone else."
The man's silence confirmed it.
Han Feng searched the storage pouch.
Inside were several spirit stones, healing pills, a few low-grade Gu, and several pieces of parchment.
One parchment immediately caught his attention.
It was a rough map.
Han Feng unfolded it.
His expression slowly changed.
The map showed the Western Region.
Several mountain ranges had been marked.
Most were ordinary.
But one location had been circled in black ink.
Beside it were several ancient characters.
Han Feng read them carefully.
Forgotten Temple of the Dark Soul.
His eyes narrowed.
The leader noticed his reaction.
"You know it?"
Han Feng looked at him.
"No."
The man's expression relaxed slightly.
Then Han Feng continued.
"But you do."
The man's face turned pale.
Han Feng examined the map again.
There were several notes written beside the temple.
Entrance sealed.
Three groups disappeared.
Ancient spiritual fluctuations.
Possible inheritance.
The final note had been written recently.
Someone has already entered.
Han Feng's expression became serious.
This was more interesting than the treasure hunters themselves.
"Who wrote this?"
The leader hesitated.
Han Feng pressed two fingers against one of the man's meridians.
A small thread of Celestial Dark Flame entered his body.
The man immediately cried out.
"Wait!"
Han Feng withdrew the flame.
"Talk."
The man swallowed.
"We're not the only ones looking for the temple."
"How many?"
"At least three groups."
"Names."
The leader shook his head.
"I don't know all of them."
Han Feng's eyes became cold.
The man hurriedly continued.
"One group came from the northern mountains. Another was a group of wandering Gu Masters."
He hesitated.
"And the third?"
The leader's face became pale.
"I don't know who they are."
Han Feng stared at him.
"They wore black robes."
Han Feng's expression changed slightly.
Black robes.
He immediately remembered the Black Moon Sect.
But the leader shook his head.
"Not the Black Moon Sect."
Han Feng's eyes narrowed.
"You know the difference?"
"I've seen Black Moon Sect members before."
The man swallowed.
"These people were different."
"How?"
The leader struggled to remember.
"They didn't use normal Gu techniques."
"They carried black wooden tokens."
"And..."
He hesitated.
"They asked about the Nine Tombs."
Han Feng's gaze became sharper.
"How long ago?"
"Three days."
Han Feng fell silent.
Three days.
If they had already been searching for the Nine Tombs, then the ruins were not as isolated as he had assumed.
The ancient map in his storage suddenly felt heavier.
The leader watched him nervously.
"Can I go now?"
Han Feng looked at him.
"You can."
Hope appeared in the man's eyes.
Then Han Feng added:
"But forget this valley."
The man's expression stiffened.
"You will remember nothing about me."
Han Feng's spiritual pressure descended.
The man's eyes rolled back.
He collapsed.
Han Feng stood.
He did not kill them.
There was no need.
They had already told him enough.
A New Thread
Han Feng walked to a nearby rock and examined the map again.
The Forgotten Temple of the Dark Soul was located several hundred kilometers away.
Not close.
Not impossibly far.
But the map contained something more important than the destination.
Several routes had been marked.
One passed through a ruined city.
Another crossed a dangerous mountain range.
The third led through a black lake.
Han Feng's eyes stopped.
A black lake.
The same symbol had appeared in the hidden image beneath the sealing layer of the ancient scroll.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Coincidence?
Probably not.
He took out the ancient scroll from the Nine Tombs.
The two maps were not identical.
But the mountain formations overlapped in several places.
The black lake appeared on both.
Han Feng's expression became serious.
The Nine Tombs.
The ancient map.
The black lake.
The Forgotten Temple.
They were connected.
But how?
The Celestial Diagram inside his consciousness pulsed faintly.
Once.
Han Feng immediately put the scroll away.
He did not need another warning.
He looked toward the distant mountains.
The treasure hunters had been searching for the temple because they believed it contained an inheritance.
But if Han Feng's suspicions were correct, the temple might be something else entirely.
Another lock.
Another remnant.
Or perhaps another piece of the ancient system.
And somewhere in the Western Region, another group was already moving toward it.
Han Feng glanced at the unconscious treasure hunters.
He had entered the Western Region intending to remain hidden.
Now someone knew that an outsider had survived the Nine Tombs.
The message sent by the communication Gu had already traveled.
His presence might soon attract attention.
Han Feng turned away.
"Then I should move."
He disappeared into the mist.
Behind him, the five treasure hunters remained unconscious among the rocks.
Ahead, the mountains stretched endlessly beneath the darkening sky.
Han Feng did not know what awaited him at the Forgotten Temple of the Dark Soul.
But he knew one thing.
He would not walk into another ancient ruin blindly.
This time, he would prepare first.
Because the Nine Tombs had taught him something important.
The most dangerous treasures were not the ones that could make him stronger.
They were the ones that could make something ancient notice him.